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

10 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADmore information on how to use the tool (see Figure 1.6). As a new user, you’ll find these tooltips very

Understanding the AutoCAD Window  11If you see a triangle on the right side of a Ribbon panel title bar, you can expand the panel to reveal more too

12 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADcontrols (see Figure 1.7). These controls disappear when you are not pointing inside the panel, but they

Understanding the AutoCAD Window  13Finally, as with any window, you can expand the drawing area or contract it into a smaller window by clicking th

14 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADThe command window is a little like a chat window when you’re online. You “chat” with AutoCAD by respond

Understanding the AutoCAD Window  15In the Menu Browser, you’ll see many of the standard Windows menu options, such as File, Edit, Window, and Help,

16 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADStarting CommandsAnother type of item you’ll find in a menu is a command that directly executes an Auto-

Understanding the AutoCAD Window  17 4. Click another point anywhere in the upper-right region of the drawing area. A rect-angle appears (see Figu

18 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCAD 5. The rectangle is still selected, so press the Delete key to delete it. This removes the rectangle

Understanding the AutoCAD Window  19Command desCription3D Navigation Tools for controlling 3D views (not available in LT).CAD Standards Tools for ch

2  Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADUnderstanding the AutoCAD WindowAutodesk has completely redesigned AutoCAD 2009’s interface. If you’ve us

20 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADCommand desCriptionUCS II Tools for selecting from a set of predefined user coordinate systems.View Tool

Starting a Drawing  21Starting a DrawingWhat you do to start a new drawing in AutoCAD is a little different from what you do in other programs, so

22 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADswitChing Between open Drawings anD the MoDeL anD Layout viewsAs with most Windows programs, you can hav

Starting a Drawing  23Next, try drawing a couple of objects just to get comfortable with drawing in Auto-CAD. In the following exercise, you’ll dra

24 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADwhen you neeD to unDoThe AutoCAD User Group International (AUGI) has conducted a survey to identify the

Panning and Zooming to Adjust Your View  25Panning and Zooming to Adjust Your ViewOne of the greatest features of AutoCAD is its ability to draw ac

26 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCAD 3. Click the first point indicated in Figure 1.11. You don’t have to be too accurate. 4. Click the

Panning and Zooming to Adjust Your View 27Dynamic This changes the display to an overall view. A rectangle also appears, which lets you select a

28 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADUnderstanding the Layout ViewAside from the command prompt, you’ve probably noticed that AutoCAD behaves

Understanding the Layout View  29Try the following exercise to see firsthand how layouts work: 1. Click the Layout1 icon at the bottom of the dra

Understanding the AutoCAD Window  3 3. The default document appears to be an empty 2D space. You’ll also see a special tool palette, called the Ri

30 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADmultiple viewports of various sizes, each displaying different parts of your drawing. When you deleted t

Understanding How Command Options Work  31The prompt Specify start point of arc or [Center]: appears, and the cursor changes to a crosshair cursor.

32 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADand vertical directions, much like a T square and a triangle. The tooltip shows your cursor’s location r

Getting Help  33 3. Scan down the screen until you see the topic Command Reference, and double-click it. Both panels of the Help window change to

34 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADIn this example, the list that is returned is quite large. You can use Boolean AND, OR, NEAR, and NOT in

Getting Help  35 4. Click the Close button, or press the Esc key. 5. Press the Esc key to exit the Move command.If you gain some confidence with

36 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADThe InfoCenter provides a way to stay informed about the latest software updates and support issues for

4 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCAD 2. Select 3D Modeling from the list. (Notice that this list contains the same three options found in t

Understanding the AutoCAD Window  5 5. Click the Workspace Switching tool, and click 2D Drafting & Annotation in the Workspaces toolbar. You’l

6 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADStatus bar•Command window•InfoCenter•Your AutoCAD window should look like the earlier Figure 1.1, whic

Understanding the AutoCAD Window  7In the middle of the AutoCAD window is the drawing area where you’ll do your actual drawing. At the bottom of the

8 Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCADThe Properties palette shown on the left and the AutoCAD tool palettes shown on the right of Figure 1.4 m

Understanding the AutoCAD Window  9Along with the Dynamic Input display, the command line and status bar just below the drawing area provide feedbac