Here is a great tip on AutoCAD 2011 on a graphics hardware acceleration feature from my Autodesk colleague Randy Young who is the AutoCAD Graphics System QA Lead in the Autodesk San Francisco office.

In AutoCAD 2010 we said goodbye to a good friend of three years: the Smooth line display effect.  Well, be sad no longer- your friend has comeback in AutoCAD 2011 with a new facelift and name change. 
Now imagine “Hello old friend. It’s really nice to see you once again” as sung by Eric Clapton Circa 1977 playing softly in the background. 

1) To visit him again just click on the new GRAPHICSCONFIG button on the status bar.

The image above is what the button looks like when you are in hardware acceleration: 
This is what it looks like when you are not.  I know, quite cool, right?

2) Choose the Performance Tuner… option

3) Click Manual tune button in the Performance Tuner dialog.

4) Now Choose on next to ON next to the Smooth display effect name.

5) Now ok out of the two dialogs and sing “Hello old friend”

Here are two screen captures of the difference between Smooth display enabled and disabled.  Please note that this effect is very graphics card specific and it could cause graphics system slow downs, so if you see any I would suggest turning the effect off.

Thank you Randy!

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