By Martin Phelps
Introduced in AutoCAD 2023, the “Count” command now has additional methods to define the “Count” area.
These now include “First Corner, Specify Opposite Corner” to define a rectangular area, “Current Area”, “Entire Model Space”, “Object” and “Polygonal”.
“Current Area” being the default, as shown in Figure 1.
Once the “Count” command is active, left click in the drawing to “Specify the First Corner”, move the crosshairs over the contents to be included in the “Count”. Left click again to “Specify the Opposite Corner” of the rectangular shape to define the “Count” area.
The contents within the rectangle, including “Blocks”, can now be “Counted”.
Note: - Creating a rectangular selection area, temporarily disables the current “Running Object Snap” settings, allowing the user to define the “Count” area without accidently “Snapping” to geometry within the drawing, as shown in Figure 2.
Once the “Count” command has been completed, the “Object snaps” are reinstated, as set prior to the start of the “Count” command.
Although the “Running Object Snaps” are automatically turned off, they can be manually turned back on, using the following methods, “F3”, or “Left Click on the icon in the Status Bar”.
This allows the user to create an accurate rectangular selection area, as shown in Figure 3.
Now the “Count” area has been defined, press enter to use the default option “List All Blocks” within the defined area.
The “Count” pallet showing the instances of the “Blocks” within the specified area is now displayed, if required the “Count Table”, can now be inserted into the drawing.
For instructions on how to add the “Count” table into the drawing, see my previous blog AutoCAD 2022 – Count#2 Adding a “Block” Listing Table into the Drawing, or follow the link below.
https://www.cadlinecommunity.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4405741641361-AutoCAD-2022-Count-2?page=2
Defining the “Count” area using this method, automatically creates the layer “0-CountArea”, which is allocated the colour 152 (dark blue), and is set to “Non-Plot”, as shown in Figure 4.
This is set so that the defined “Count” area will not appear in any print.
Once the “Count” command is complete, and providing the “Count” table is not inserted into the drawing, this layer is removed from the “Layer” list, but will reappear when a new “Count” area is defined.
If a “Count” table is inserted the “0-CountArea” Layer is automatically locked and remains in the “Layer” list, as shown in Figure 5.