How to View Two Drawings in AutoCAD

Viewing Two Drawings Simultaneously in AutoCAD

Working with multiple drawings in AutoCAD can enhance your productivity, especially when comparing designs or transferring elements between files. Here are the steps to display two drawings at once.

Step 1: Open the Drawings

1. Navigate to the Directory: Open AutoCAD and go to the directory containing your DWG files.
2. Select the Files: Hold down the CTRL key and click on the drawings you want to open. You can select multiple files by clicking on them individually, or you can select a group of consecutive files by clicking the first file, holding down SHIFT, and then clicking the last file.
3. Open the Drawings: After highlighting the desired files, click the Open button. Each drawing will open in a separate tab within AutoCAD.

Step 2: Show Multiple Drawing Tabs

1. Use the Command Line: Type LAYOUTTAB into the command line and press Enter.
2. Adjust Layout Tabs: Set the value to 1 to enable the display of layout tabs.
3. View Menu Option: Alternatively, navigate to the View tab in the ribbon. Under the Interface panel, click on Layout Tabs. If it highlights in blue, the layout tabs are active.

Step 3: Access Open Drawings

1. Cycle Through Drawings: Use CTRL + TAB to switch between open drawings. This shortcut allows you to quickly move from one drawing to another without needing to click through the tabs.
2. Utilize the Taskbar Feature: If you prefer seeing each drawing’s name separately in your taskbar, enter TASKBAR in the command line and set the value to 1. This will create individual taskbar entries for each of your opened drawings, facilitating easier navigation.

Step 4: Arrange the Drawing Windows

1. Tile the Windows: For a side-by-side view, right-click on the title bar of one of the drawing windows.
2. Select Tile Vertically or Horizontally: Choose either Tile Vertically or Tile Horizontally from the dropdown menu. This will arrange your drawings neatly for simultaneous viewing.

Step 5: Adjust Workspace Settings

1. Manage Display Options: If the model and layout tabs are missing, right-click in the drawing area and choose Options.
2. Settings Adjustment: In the Options dialog, go to the Display tab. Ensure that Display Layout and Model Tabs is checked. Click OK to save these settings and make your tabs visible.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I open more than two drawings at once in AutoCAD?
Yes, AutoCAD allows you to open multiple drawings simultaneously. Follow the same steps to select and open as many DWG files as you need.

2. How do I easily switch between drawings if I’ve opened multiple files?
Using the CTRL + TAB shortcut is the quickest way to cycle between open drawings. Alternatively, the taskbar can help you click directly on the desired drawing.

3. What can I do if I can’t see my drawing tabs?
If your drawing tabs are invisible, you can display them by entering the command LAYOUTTAB and setting the value to 1. Make sure to check the View tab settings as well.