New Graphics Subsystem

Replacement of AutoCAD ADI graphics pipeline with a modern, HEIDI-based graphics system has eliminated the refresh file and its memory demands.

Paper Space Display List

Regenerations in paper space following a zoom or pan operation have been almost completely eliminated. Transparent Zoom and Pan, and Realtime Zoom and Pan are both enabled in paper space. The maximum number of active viewports in paper space has increased from 16 to 48.

Optimized Polylines

Polylines are now stored single objects, which occupy less space in your drawing. If you use polylines frequently, you can reduce your drawing's file size and memory consumption significantly, as well as speed up drawing load and regeneration time.

Boundary Hatch Storage

Hatch patterns are also now stored as single objects, which occupy less space in your drawing. If you use the hatch feature frequently, you can reduce your drawing's file size and memory consumption significantly, as well as speed up drawing load and regeneration time.

Modular Application Structure (Application Demand Loading)

The 3D features, ACIS solid modeler, Image Support Module, DRAWORDER command, Multiline Text Editor, external databases, Match Properties, Internet Utilities, and Render are now demand-loaded ARX applications which only need to be loaded when they are used.

Demand-Loaded Externally Referenced Drawings (Xrefs)

Xref drawings can now be demand loaded. When demand loading is enabled, AutoCAD loads into memory only the portions of the referenced drawing that are necessary to regenerate the current drawing.
The performance benefits of demand loading are most noticeable when you either clip the xref to display a small fraction of it and a spatial index is saved in the externally referenced drawing, or when you freeze many layers of the xref and the externally referenced drawing is saved with a layer index.

AutoSnap

AutoSnap is a new option of Running Object Snaps that indicates the snap points on an object with a colored marker and a tooltip as your aperture box moves over an object. You can press TAB to cycle through all the snap points available on the object. AutoSnap settings can be changed on the AutoSnap tab in the Osnap Settings dialog box.

Object Snap Button

The Osnap button on the status bar enables you to switch object snaps on and off without losing your settings.

Object Snap Coordinate Entry Override

The new system variable OSNAPCOORD enables you to override object snap settings with coordinate entry or settings made in a script. You can set this option with the Compatibility tab in the Preferences dialog box.

Plot Preview

The new PREVIEW command enables you to view a drawing you are about to plot in Microsoft standard layout format. You can now use Real Time Zoom and Pan within the PREVIEW window. To plot the drawing using the current configuration, select Plot. To change plotter configuration settings, you must use the PLOT command.

Tracking

Tracking is a new drawing aid that enables you to visually locate points relative to other points in your drawing. Tracking combines both X and Y point filters and enables you to use them on the fly.  Tracking is unlike point filters in that a tracking point cannot snap to itself. Tracking constrains point selection to an orthogonal path.

Combined Realtime Zoom and Pan

Realtime Zoom and Pan are now options of the ZOOM and PAN commands. Right-clicking your pointing device in Realtime Zoom or Pan displays a cursor menu that enables you to switch between Zoom, Pan, Zoom Previous, and Zoom extents.

Zoom Dynamic

Fast Zoom is a new option of ZOOM Dynamic. If Fast Zoom is enabled, you can use ZOOM Dynamic to change the current drawing view without regenerating the drawing. If Fast Zoom is disabled, the drawing is regenerated at the completion of the ZOOM command. ZOOM Dynamic displays the generated portion of the drawing in a view box that represents the current viewport.

Command Line Window Editing

Right-clicking your pointing device brings up a cursor menu that enables you to cut and paste previously issued commands. You can navigate through the list of commands entered at the keyboard using the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys, and then press ENTER to reissue the command on the current line.
You can edit command line text as well as paste new text from the clipboard using the keyboard navigation keys
With the text window active, you can use PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN to quickly view the history window one page at a time. You can also copy blocks of text from the history window or the text window to the Clipboard, and paste it on the command line.

Layer & Linetype Properties Dialog Box

The new Layer & Linetype Properties dialog box manages the creation and modification of layers and linetypes. This dialog box consolidates the number of commands and system variables once needed to control layer and linetype behavior. The new dialog box enables you to sort, rename, and delete layers and linetypes with standard Windows '95 and Windows NT 4.0 interaction, such as a right-click menu, CTRL+click and SHIFT+click selection methods, and the ability to sort layers by clicking on column headings.

Object Properties Toolbar

The new Object Properties toolbar enables you to view and change the properties of a selected object's layer, color, and linetype. This toolbar consolidates the commands once needed to view and edit and object's properties. You change an object's properties by first choosing the object with your pointing device and then selecting a new setting for the object from the appropriate control (layer, color, or linetype) on the Object Properties toolbar.

Match Properties

You can quickly copy the properties of one object to one or more objects with Match Properties command. Depending on the object selected, Match Object Properties can copy
+   Colors
+   Layers
+   Linetypes
+   Linetype scale
+   Thickness
+   Text properties
+   Dimension properties
+   Hatch properties

Make Object's Layer Current

This routine enables you to make an object's layer the current layer by selecting an object in your drawing and then clicking the Make Object's Layer Current tool on the Object Properties toolbar.

Multiline Text Editor (MTEXT Command)

The new Multiline Text Editor dialog box provides a Microsoft standard windows interface to create and edit paragraph text. The MTEXT editor also recognizes both AutoCAD standard SHX fonts as well as TrueType fonts.

Style Dialog Box

The STYLE command displays the new Style dialog box. Fonts can be specified by font name instead of by filename. The names of all registered TrueType fonts installed on your system are listed as well as the names of all SHX font files in the AutoCAD Release 14-font directory. The Font Style box lists Regular, Bold, Italic, and Bold Italic styles, depending on the attributes supported by the TrueType font. You can continue to assign Big Fonts to text styles using the Big Font check box.

Start Up and Setup Wizards

When you start AutoCAD Release 14, the AutoCAD Start Up dialog box is automatically displayed. This dialog box consolidates the setup of units of measure, drawing limits, and paper space. You can also specify a drawing template or open an existing drawing. From the Start Up dialog box, you can also use a wizard to guide you through the setup of units and paper space.

Template Drawings

AutoCAD prototype drawings have been changed to templates with a DWT file extension. Templates can be organized in separate folders and easily accessed by the Start Up dialog box. You can also add your own templates to the list in the Start Up Dialog box.

Explorer File Dialog Boxes

All Open and Save As dialog boxes in AutoCAD now use the Microsoft standard Windows Explorer dialog box, making open and save as operations the same between commands.

Toolbars Dialog Box

The Toolbars dialog box enables you to display, remove, customize or create new toolbars. The toolbars dialog can be accessed by entering tbconfig at the command line or selecting Toolbars from the View menu.

External Database (ASE)

Database configuration settings are no longer stored in the asi.ini file. These settings are now stored in the system registry. You can change these settings with the new ASI Configuration Editor. To set up External Databases, start the External Database Configuration program located on the task bar.

Solid Fill

You can add colored fills to any closed region inside your drawing by selecting SOLID as the pattern during hatching. Any of AutoCAD's 255 colors can be used for the fill.

The Draworder Command

The new Draworder command can be used to ensure the correct display of objects and hard-copy output when two or more objects overlay each other. For example, text that is obscured by a line or solid hatch can be brought to the front or sent to the back.

Creating Compound Documents with OLE

This release adds support for printing OLE metafile objects, such as line drawings and spreadsheets on nonsystem printer devices, and controlling their visibility and printing order. It also provides better control over proportional scaling of OLE objects. You can also change OLE objects into AutoCAD raster objects during a paste operation.

Internet Browser

The Internet browser feature automatically launches your system's default Internet browser and connects you to a Web site of your choice without having to leave AutoCAD.  The internet location can be changed in the Preference dialog box to include your favorite Internet resource site or an Intranet site (for example, one that lists your company's drafting standards).