No Contest: AutoCAD LT vs AutoCAD for Counting Blocks

Learning
AutoCAD BCOUNT command. AutoCAD LT vs. AutoCAD for counting blocks.

We can do this the easy way or the hard way …. Today I’m going to describe a scenario that I know from experience is painful for AutoCAD LT users. I also happen to know from experience that the same scenario is easy-breezy for AutoCAD users. Only you and your team (if you have one) can decide which AutoCAD is right for you. The AutoCAD LT workday description below, and the bright AutoCAD-enabled alternative that follows, will give you something to chew on.

Have you ever looked at an AutoCAD LT drawing and thought to yourself, “I really wish there were an easy way to see how many of each blocks there are”? Maybe you come up with the idea to highlight one of your 50 different block types and execute the SELECTSIMILAR command … then write down the number selected … then repeat for the next block type. And so on. For the next 50 blocks you have to tally.AutoCAD SELECTSIMILAR command. AutoCAD LT vs. AutoCAD for counting blocks.

Ugh. What an arduous process to go through every time you need this kind of information. The only alternative is to use QUICKSELECT, and even that requires you do it for every block type you want to quantify!

AutoCAD QSELECT command. AutoCAD LT vs. AutoCAD for counting blocks.

AutoCAD LT vs AutoCAD for Counting Blocks

So let me fill you in on a command you get with the full version of AutoCAD—right out of the box! The AutoCAD steps I’m about to describe will streamline the above process, saving you significant time and effort, no matter what discipline you work in. Ready?

AutoCAD BCOUNT command. AutoCAD LT vs. AutoCAD for counting blocks.

  1. Execute the BCOUNT command
  2. Press “Enter” for more options—a table is placed into the command history
  3. Press the F2 key to expand your history window
  4. Copy the information you need, and format it however your workflow requires
  5. Count your lucky stars

That’s it! I’ve done that particular operation in both AutoCAD LT and in the full version of AutoCAD. Believe me, there’s really no going back.

AutoCAD LT vs AutoCAD: The Adventure Continues ….

The next edition of No Contest: AutoCAD LT vs AutoCAD looks at … Using 3D Parts in 2D Drawings



Levi Connolly

Levi is engineering up a storm as a Design Engineer at SWC - Richardson Technology Systems, in Suwanee, GA. Levi started his design career in civil engineering in 2003 and moved to low-voltage engineering in 2011. He’s experienced with a wide variety of Autodesk and Bentley products, and specializes in cutting up and staying highly productive. His AutoCAD tips have been published in Cadalyst Tips & Tools weekly. He spends most of his “off” time with his wife, Tabetha and child, Clementine. He enjoys trips to the beach and paddling down a river.

Try AutoCAD free for 15 days
The AutoCAD Blog is all about helping you get the most out of AutoCAD. It's also the best way for you to connect with the makers of AutoCAD. Subscribe to keep up with AutoCAD

______
icon-svg-close-thick

Cookie preferences

Your privacy is important to us and so is an optimal experience. To help us customize information and build applications, we collect data about your use of this site.

May we collect and use your data?

Learn more about the Third Party Services we use and our Privacy Statement.

Strictly necessary – required for our site to work and to provide services to you

These cookies allow us to record your preferences or login information, respond to your requests or fulfill items in your shopping cart.

Improve your experience – allows us to show you what is relevant to you

These cookies enable us to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we use to deliver information and experiences tailored to you. If you do not allow these cookies, some or all of these services may not be available for you.

Customize your advertising – permits us to offer targeted advertising to you

These cookies collect data about you based on your activities and interests in order to show you relevant ads and to track effectiveness. By collecting this data, the ads you see will be more tailored to your interests. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

icon-svg-close-thick

THIRD PARTY SERVICES

Learn more about the Third-Party Services we use in each category, and how we use the data we collect from you online.

icon-svg-hide-thick

icon-svg-show-thick

Strictly necessary – required for our site to work and to provide services to you

Qualtrics
W
Akamai mPulse
W
Digital River
W
Dynatrace
W
Khoros
W
Launch Darkly
W
New Relic
W
Salesforce Live Agent
W
Wistia
W
Tealium
W
Upsellit
W
CJ Affiliates
W
Commission Factory
W
Google Analytics (Strictly Necessary)
W
Typepad Stats
W
Geo Targetly
W
SpeedCurve
W
Qualified
#

icon-svg-hide-thick

icon-svg-show-thick

Improve your experience – allows us to show you what is relevant to you

Google Optimize
W
ClickTale
W
OneSignal
W
Optimizely
W
Amplitude
W
Snowplow
W
UserVoice
W
Clearbit
#
YouTube
#

icon-svg-hide-thick

icon-svg-show-thick

Customize your advertising – permits us to offer targeted advertising to you

Adobe Analytics
W
Google Analytics (Web Analytics)
W
AdWords
W
Marketo
W
Doubleclick
W
HubSpot
W
Twitter
W
Facebook
W
LinkedIn
W
Yahoo! Japan
W
Naver
W
Quantcast
W
Call Tracking
W
Wunderkind
W
ADC Media
W
AgrantSEM
W
Bidtellect
W
Bing
W
G2Crowd
W
NMPI Display
W
VK
W
Adobe Target
W
Google Analytics (Advertising)
W
Trendkite
W
Hotjar
W
6 Sense
W
Terminus
W
StackAdapt
W
The Trade Desk
W
RollWorks
W

Are you sure you want a less customized experience?

We can access your data only if you select "yes" for the categories on the previous screen. This lets us tailor our marketing so that it's more relevant for you. You can change your settings at any time by visiting our privacy statement

Your experience. Your choice.

We care about your privacy. The data we collect helps us understand how you use our products, what information you might be interested in, and what we can improve to make your engagement with Autodesk more rewarding.

May we collect and use your data to tailor your experience?

Explore the benefits of a customized experience by managing your privacy settings for this site or visit our Privacy Statement to learn more about your options.