If you did not install Express Tools when you installed AutoCAD 2007 or 2008, you can install or load them at any time.

 

The Express Tools will only install if you select 'Custom' when you are installing and then placing a check next to the Express Tools.  I think that Express Tools should install by default...a lot of users don't know what they are missing unless someone in the know lets them in on the secret.

 

However, if you just clicked the OK button during your install, no sweat...just type EXPRESSTOOLS on the command line and they should load up for you.

 

Now, check out the LAYMRG command.

 

Express > Layers > Layer Merge
(LAYMRG from the command line, of course).

You then have the option of selecting objects from the layers you want to merge, then Right-click and hit Enter and select an object on the layer you want to merge into (whoops! don't select that final layer in the initial selection, you'll have to cancel out and start over without that one selected.

 

This is a great tool if you accidentally placed objects on one layer and want to shift them to another one.

 

You also can select the objects you want to move and then select the layer to move them to from the Layer Properties drop-down list.

 

 

If you've noticed that AutoCAD 2008 takes longer to load then previous releases, you have company.

 

Owen Wengerd places the blame on the new InfoCenter, which starts up every time AutoCAD is started. 

 

You can disable the InfoCenter in your system registry (something I do not recommend for the timid or weak).

 

Here's how:

 

Go to Start-> Run.

If you don't want to browse for it (which can be a pain depending on how much stuff you have loaded on your machine), you can search for it by going:

 

Edit -> Find

 

and searching for InfoCenterAcConn

 

It took my system a few minutes to locate the key.

 

5.  Change the LOADCTRLS value to 0 (zero) to disable it from demand loading.  Right click on the key and select Modify.  Then set the value to 0.

 

6.  Go File -> Exit to end.  The change will automatically save.

If you want to enable the Info Center, just type NETLOAD on the command line.