How to use Quick Leaders

Free AutoCAD course how to use Quick Leaders

You can use leaders to add notes (annotations) that point to specific objects in your drawing.

  • this can create an MTEXT object (annotation) & another object that points to the desired area of the drawing (lines & arrows).

You can change settings by right-clicking in the drawing area at the first Qleader prompt & selecting Settings from the shortcut.

  • changes made to Settings are saved in your drawing so you can have different settings in different drawings.

Reduce the amount of clicking required by setting a maximum number of points to be prompted for when you create the leader.

– use 2 points to create only one segment (plus a small tail).

  • The Attachment tab for Qleader specifies how to attach the leaders to your annotations.
  • – you can have different attachment methods for text on the left compared to when text is on the right.
  • – this setting becomes important when you have more than one line in text annotations.

  • When you check Underline bottom line on the Attachment tab all of the other settings will be unavailable
  • – and the annotation is placed above a horizontal leader line.

Practice : AutoCAD quick leaders tutorial

1- Close the drawing from the previous exercise if it is open.

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2- Open the T112_6.dwg drawing in your personal folder.

3- Pick Dimension + Leader and right-click in the drawing area to invoke a shortcut. Select Settings. Uncheck the Prompt for width box for MText options then pick the Leader Line & Arrow tab to continue.

4- Select Dot small for the Arrowhead. Enter 2 as the Maximum number of points. Pick the Attachment tab to continue.

So far you have made two adjustments that will save time (“quick” leader) when you create leaders.

– you eliminated the prompt for width (of the MTEXT object) so you do not have to specify a width each time (it will use a zero width)

– and you set the maximum number of points to 2 so that you will only be prompted for 2 points.

5- Select Middle of top line for the Text on left side (to match Text on right side). Then pick OK to continue.

6- Left-click on the OSNAP status bar button to turn this setting Off (if it is On).

7- Follow the command line history below to complete the first leader object shown.

Specify first leader point, or [Settings]<Settings>: (pick by eye near P1)
Specify next point: (pick by eye near P2)
Enter first line of annotation text <Mtext>: LOCKING ↵
Enter next line of annotation text: SCREW ↵
Enter next line of annotation text: ↵
Command:

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You can continue to add as many lines for the MTEXT object as you wish and when you are finished adding lines you press <enter>.

– you can use the Multiline Text Editor to create the MTEXT object if you press <enter> at the first MTEXT prompt instead.

Now on your own…

8- Now that you have set your preferences for Quick Leaders in this drawing, complete the other leaders as shown below.

More practice ?

9- Erase all leaders & make them look like the ones shown.

10- Save the changes to this drawing & Close the file.

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