The Best Way to Clean a Drawing in DraftSight

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Cleaning up drawings is essential for efficient CAD work. As a project progresses, it’s easy for your files to accumulate unnecessary elements like unused layers, blocks, text styles and more. These can significantly increase file size and slow down performance. In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits of maintaining clean drawings, introduce the key DraftSight commands to help with drawing cleanup and share some tips for staying organized.

Why is it Important to Clean Drawings in CAD?

Over time, CAD drawings can become cluttered with unused or redundant items, making them unnecessarily large and difficult to work with. Although today’s computers can handle larger files better than older machines, there’s no reason to make your drawings messy. A drawing containing unwanted layers, blocks or other entities increases the file size. It can hinder performance, especially when working on complex projects or sharing files between team members.

Faster Load Times

One of the most noticeable benefits of cleaning up drawings is faster load times. Large, cluttered files can take much longer to open and navigate, especially if you’re working with drawings with many references or complex geometry. To clean up drawings, you need to remove unnecessary elements like unused blocks, layers and text styles. A clean CAD file helps you streamline your file and reduce the time it takes to open, save and manipulate. A clean CAD file is beneficial if you’re working on a project with tight deadlines, where every second counts.

Improved Performance

When your drawing files are smaller and less complex, you’ll notice a significant boost in overall performance. Commands will execute faster, your system won’t lag as much and tasks like panning and zooming will feel more responsive. A clean DWG file can make a big difference in your workflow, as you won’t be bogged down by slow performance or constant redraws, which are common when working with bloated files. A clean CAD file also reduces the demand on your computer’s memory and processing power, freeing up resources to handle other tasks.

Lower Chance of File Corruption

Cleaning up drawings also helps prevent potential file corruption. Some unused entities might not cause immediate problems, but over time, they could lead to errors or even corrupt files, which can cause headaches and lost work. Purging unnecessary elements reduces the chances of running into these issues, ensuring your drawing files remain stable and reliable throughout the project lifecycle.

Cleaning up drawings maintains a more efficient, reliable and stress-free drafting environment.

How to Clean Up a CAD Drawing

One of the most effective ways to get a clean CAD file in DraftSight is using the CLEAN command. When should the clean-up command be used? Use the CLEAN command when you want to remove unused elements from your drawing, such as unreferenced block definitions, unused layers and unused text styles. By clearing out this excess data, you can significantly reduce the file size and improve drawing performance.

To clean up a drawing:

  1. Type Clean in the command window. The Clean dialog box will appear, allowing you to select which unused items to purge.
  2. Choose the elements to remove, such as layers, blocks or text styles.
  3. Click OK to complete the operation.
  4. You can also use the command-line version Clean to type specific items you want to remove.

You can also create a very simple Lisp routine to clean up drawings.

DraftSight Commands to Use When Cleaning Drawings

DraftSight offers several commands for cleaning up your drawing files effectively:

Purge: The purge command identifies and removes all unused items from your drawing and can eliminate unwanted block definitions, layers or other elements. Type Clean or Purge in the command window, and you can select which entities to remove.

Discard Duplicates: If your drawing has overlapping or duplicate entities, this command will help reduce redundancy. The Discard Duplicates option allows you to combine duplicate lines or arcs, reducing the number of elements and simplifying your drawing.

Audit: The Audit command (also known as Check) helps maintain the integrity of your drawing file. It checks for errors and attempts to fix them, summarizing any issues.

Regularly using these commands will keep your drawing files lean, optimized, and error-free.

Tips on How to Clean a CAD File

Adopting good housekeeping habits will save you a lot of hassle in the long run. Here are a few tips for DraftSight drawing cleanup:

  • Before backing up or sharing your drawing, run the Clean command to remove any excess data.
  • Even if you maintain clean CAD files, you may receive files containing unnecessary elements from others. Run the Clean command on files you import or reference in your project.
  • If your workflow involves creating repetitive or mirrored elements, use the Discard Duplicates command to remove redundancies, which can clutter your drawing.

Experience Clean Drawings Firsthand

Maintaining clean drawings in DraftSight improves file performance, reduces the risk of corruption and makes collaboration easier. Optimizing your files with tools like the Clean, Purge, Discard Duplicates and Audit commands is easier than ever. Get in the habit of cleaning up drawings regularly to ensure that your projects run smoothly and efficiently.

Ready to see the benefits of clean drawings for yourself? Download DraftSight’s 30-day free trial and experience improved performance and productivity with optimized CAD files!

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