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Chapter 1 Getting Familiar with AutoCAD If you are totally new to AutoCAD, you’ll want to read this chapter. It provides an overview of AutoCAD’s lay

10CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD options there have the same icons that appear in the Modify toolbar along the right side of the AutoCAD w

UNDERSTANDING THE AUTOCAD WINDOW 11 2. Move the highlight cursor slowly down the list of menu items. As you highlight each item, notice that a descri

12CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD Starting CommandsThe third type of item you’ll find on menu bar menus is a command that directly executes an

UNDERSTANDING THE AUTOCAD WINDOW13In step 1, AutoCAD shows you exactly what the cursor is pointing to by highlighting objects that will be selected wi

14CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD Using the ToolbarsThe menu bar provides most of the commands you’ll need in a format that most Windows users

UNDERSTANDING THE AUTOCAD WINDOW15Working with FlyoutsEarlier, you saw how cascading menus in the menu bar provide a set of additional options that ex

16CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD 2. Click and hold down the left mouse button. Notice that a gray box in the shape of the toolbar appears by

UNDERSTANDING THE AUTOCAD WINDOW17Closing and Opening ToolbarsMany experienced AutoCAD users prefer to start commands through the keyboard rather than

18CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD Other ToolbarsI mentioned earlier that not all the AutoCAD toolbars are open and visible. If they were, ther

UNDERSTANDING THE AUTOCAD WINDOW19Object Snap Tools to help you select specific points on objects, such as endpoints and midpoints. See Chapter 3.Orbi

2CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD To start out, you'll take a look at the two different ways that AutoCAD displays a drawing. Then for

20CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD Checking Out the Draw and Modify ToolbarsIn the next section, you’ll start to work in the drawing area by dr

STARTING A DRAWING21Starting a DrawingLet’s create a new file.1. Choose File  Close to close the current file. When the message box appears asking yo

22CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD 3. Locate and select the acad.dwt file, and then click Open to open a blank drawing window.4. To give your n

STARTING A DRAWING23Next, try drawing a couple of objects just to get comfortable with drawing in AutoCAD. You’ll draw a rectangle again, plus some ad

24CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD When You Need to UndoRecently AUGI, the AutoCAD User Group International, conducted a survey to identify the

PANNING AND ZOOMING TO ADJUST YOUR VIEW25Panning and Zooming to Adjust Your ViewOne of the greatest features of AutoCAD is its ability to draw accurat

26CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD WARNING If you have a mouse that uses special drivers, you might not be able to use the wheelto control pans

UNDERSTANDING THE LAYOUT TABS27The layout tabs are like page previews with the added advantage of allowing you to draw within them. The layout tabs al

28CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD 2. Move the cursor over the rectangle that immediately surrounds your rectangle and circle drawing, as shown

UNDERSTANDING HOW COMMAND OPTIONS WORK29When you see a set of options in the Command window, note their capitalization. If you choose to respond to pr

UNDERSTANDING THE AUTOCAD WINDOW 3 You’ve got AutoCAD set up for 2D drawing, so let’s take a more detailed look at the AutoCAD window. You’ll find th

30CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD 6. Move the cursor so that it points vertically from the center of the arc. You’ll see the Polar Tracking ve

GETTING HELP31Using the Search TabIf you’re a beginning AutoCAD user looking for help, the Help window’s table of contents may not be as useful as it

32CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD If you scroll down to the bottom of the Search tab, you’ll find a “Search The Web For How do I zoom into my

GETTING HELP33Additional Sources of HelpThe Help Topics tool is the main online source for reference material, but you can also find answers to your q

34CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD As the Communication Center dialog box explains, the Communication Center provides a way to stay informed ab

4CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD Getting to Know the Window Components The AutoCAD window is made up of several parts that are common to mo

UNDERSTANDING THE AUTOCAD WINDOW 5 Figure 1.2 The components of the top of the AutoCAD window In the middle is the drawing area where you will do you

6CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD Figure 1.3 The Tool palettes If you don’t see the Dynamic Input display, go to the bottom of the AutoCAD w

UNDERSTANDING THE AUTOCAD WINDOW 7 Finally, you’ll notice a set of tabs that appear between the drawing area and the Command win-dow. These tabs prov

8CHAPTER 1 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD If you click the right mouse button, the shortcut menu appears. Just as with most other Windows applicatio

UNDERSTANDING THE AUTOCAD WINDOW 9 You’ll want to pay close attention to the Command window as you start using AutoCAD because it tells you what Auto