What Does Purging in AutoCAD Do?
When working with AutoCAD, it is essential to keep your drawings clean and efficient. One way to achieve this is by purging unnecessary elements from your drawing file. In this article, we will explore what purging does in AutoCAD and how it can benefit your workflow.
Understanding Purging
Purging is the process of removing unused objects, such as blocks, layers, linetypes, and dimension styles from your drawing. These unused elements can accumulate over time and contribute to a bloated file size. By purging them, you can optimize your drawing’s performance and reduce its storage requirements.
The Benefits of Purging
Purging offers several advantages that can enhance your AutoCAD experience:
- Improved Performance: By removing unnecessary elements, you can speed up your drawing’s opening, saving, and editing processes.
- Reduced File Size: Purging reduces the size of your drawing file by eliminating unused objects. This makes it easier to share files with clients or colleagues.
- Cleaner Drawings: Removing unused elements enhances the clarity and organization of your drawings. This makes it easier for others to understand and work with your files.
Purging Unused Elements
To purge unused elements in AutoCAD, follow these steps:
- Access the ‘Purge’ Command: You can access the ‘Purge’ command by typing ‘PURGE’ in the command line or by navigating to ‘Manage’ > ‘Purge’ in the ribbon menu.
- Select the Elements to Purge: In the ‘Purge’ dialog box, you will see a list of element types. Select the elements you want to purge, such as blocks, layers, or linetypes.
- Purge Unused Items: Click on the ‘Purge’ button to remove the selected unused elements from your drawing.
Note: Before purging, ensure that you have no active references or dependencies on the elements you intend to remove. Purging an element that is still in use may result in unexpected behavior in your drawing.
The ‘Audit’ Command
In addition to purging, AutoCAD also provides the ‘Audit’ command. This command checks for and fixes errors in your drawing file, further improving its performance and stability. It is recommended to run the ‘Audit’ command after purging to ensure that your drawing is free from any potential issues.
To access the ‘Audit’ command, type ‘AUDIT’ in the command line or navigate to ‘Manage’ > ‘Audit’ in the ribbon menu.
Conclusion
Purging is a vital process in AutoCAD that helps optimize your drawings by removing unused elements. By regularly purging your files, you can improve performance, reduce file size, and maintain cleaner and more organized drawings.
Remember to run the ‘Audit’ command after purging to ensure a stable and error-free drawing. Keep your AutoCAD workspace efficient and enjoy a smoother drafting experience!