Description
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction xxvii
Part 1 The Basics 1
Chapter 1 Exploring the Interface 3
Taking a Guided Tour 3
Launching AutoCAD 4
The AutoCAD Window 5
Using the Application Menu 8
Using the Ribbon 10
Picking Points in the Drawing Area 15
Using the UCS Icon 16
Working in the Command Window 16
Working with AutoCAD 17
Opening an Existing File 17
Getting a Closer Look 18
Saving a File as You Work 22
Making Changes 23
Working with Multiple Files 24
Adding a Predrawn Symbol with the Tool Palettes 28
The Bottom Line 31
Chapter 2 Creating Your First Drawing 33
Getting to Know the Home Tab’s Draw and Modify Panels 33
Starting Your First Drawing 36
Specifying Exact Distances with Coordinates 41
Specifying Polar Coordinates 42
Specifying Relative Cartesian Coordinates 44
Interpreting the Cursor Modes and Understanding Prompts 45
Understanding Cursor Modes 46
Choosing Command Options 47
Selecting Objects 52
Selecting Objects in AutoCAD 53
Providing Base Points 55
Using Noun/Verb Selection 59
Editing with Grips 64
Stretching Lines by Using Grips 64
Moving and Rotating with Grips 66
Understanding Dynamic Input 69
Displaying Data in a Text Window 74
Displaying the Properties of an Object 75
Getting Help 78
Using the InfoCenter 78
Finding Additional Sources of Help 79
The Bottom Line 79
Chapter 3 Setting Up and Using the Drafting Tools 81
Setting Up a Work Area 81
Specifying Units 82
Fine-Tuning the Measurement System 84
Setting Up the Drawing Limits 85
Looking at an Alternative to Limits 87
Understanding Scale Factors 87
Using Polar Tracking 88
Setting the Polar Tracking Angle 90
Exploring the Drawing Process 91
Locating an Object in Reference to Others 92
Modifying an Object 93
Planning and Laying Out a Drawing 96
Making a Preliminary Sketch 98
Using the Layout 100
Erasing the Layout Lines 106
Putting on the Finishing Touches 108
Aligning Objects by Using Object Snap Tracking 109
Using the AutoCAD Modes as Drafting Tools 114
Using Grid Mode as a Background Grid 115
Using Snap Modes 117
The Bottom Line 118
Chapter 4 Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups 121
Creating and Using a Symbol 121
Understanding the Block Definition Dialog Box 124
Inserting a Symbol 126
Scaling and Rotating Blocks 129
Using an Existing Drawing as a Symbol 131
Modifying a Block 133
Unblocking and Redefining a Block 134
Saving a Block as a Drawing File 136
Replacing Existing Files with Blocks 137
Understanding the Write Block Dialog Box Options 138
Other Uses for Blocks 138
Understanding the Annotation Scale 139
Grouping Objects 142
Modifying Members of a Group 144
Ungrouping, Adding, and Subtracting from a Group 147
Working with the Object Grouping Dialog Box 148
Working with the AutoCAD LT Group Manager 150
The Bottom Line 152
Chapter 5 Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks 153
Organizing Information with Layers 153
Creating and Assigning Layers 154
Working on Layers 162
Controlling Layer Visibility 166
Finding the Layers You Want 168
Taming an Unwieldy List of Layers 169
Assigning Linetypes to Layers 176
Adding a Linetype to a Drawing 177
Controlling Lineweights 182
Keeping Track of Blocks and Layers 182
Getting a Text File List of Layers or Blocks 183
The Bottom Line 185
Part 2 Mastering Intermediate Skills 187
Chapter 6 Editing and Reusing Data toWork Efficiently y 189
Creating and Using Templates 190
Creating a Template 190
Using a Template 191
Copying an Object Multiple Times 192
Making Circular Copies 193
Making Row and Column Copies 195
Fine-Tuning Your View 197
Finishing the Kitchenette 199
Array Along a Path 200
Making Changes to an Associative Array 201
Developing Your Drawing 205
Importing Settings 206
Using Osnap Tracking to Place Objects 209
Finding an Exact Distance Along a Curve 226
Changing the Length of Objects 228
Creating a New Drawing by Using Parts from Another Drawing 229
Eliminating Unused Blocks, Layers, Linetypes, Shapes, Styles, and More 230
The Bottom Line 232
Chapter 7 Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References 235
Assembling the Parts 235
Taking Control of the AutoCAD Display 238
Understanding Regeneration and Redrawing 239
Saving Views 240
Understanding the Frozen Layer Option 244
Using Hatch Patterns in Your Drawings 246
Placing a Hatch Pattern in a Specific Area 246
Adding Predefined Hatch Patterns 248
Positioning Hatch Patterns Accurately 250
Updating a Block from an External File 251
Changing the Hatch Area 253
Modifying a Hatch Pattern 254
Understanding the Boundary Hatch Options 255
Controlling Boundaries with the Boundaries Panel 257
Fine-Tuning the Boundary Behavior 257
Controlling Hatch Behavior with the Options Panel 258
Controlling Hatch Default Layer, Layout Scale, and ISO Line Weight 259
Using Additional Hatch Features 259
Using Gradient Shading 260
Tips for Using Hatch 262
Space Planning and Hatch Patterns 262
Using External References 266
Attaching a Drawing as an External Reference 266
Other Differences Between External References and Blocks 270
Other External Reference Options 272
Clipping Xref Views and Improving Performance 274
Editing Xrefs in Place 277
Using the External Reference Tab 280
Adding and Removing Objects from Blocks and Xrefs 280
Understanding the Reference Edit Dialog Box Options 283
The Bottom Line 284
Chapter 8 Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts 285
Plotting the Plan 285
Understanding the Plotter Settings 290
Paper Size 290
Drawing Orientation 291
Plot Area 291
Plot Scale 292
Shaded Viewport Options 295
Plot Offset 296
Plot Options 297
Exit Options 298
Plotting Using Layout Views 299
Setting Plot Scale in the Layout Viewports 302
Adding an Output Device 303
Editing a Plotter Configuration 306
Storing a Page Setup 308
Using Electronic Plots 312
Exporting to PDF Through the Plot Dialog Box 312
Exporting to PDF Through the Export To DWF/PDF Ribbon Panel 314
Exporting Autodesk DWF and DWFx Files 315
The Bottom Line 316
Chapter 9 Adding Text to Drawings 317
Preparing a Drawing for Text 317
Organizing Text by Styles 319
Getting Familiar with the Text and Annotation Scale Control Panels 320
Setting the Annotation Scale and Adding Text 321
Inserting Text 321
Exploring Text and Scale 323
Understanding the Text Style Dialog Box Options 326
Styles 326
Set Current/New/Delete 326
Font 326
Size 326
Effects 327
Exploring Text Formatting in AutoCAD 327
Adjusting the Text Height and Font 328
Understanding the Text Editor Tab 330
Adding Symbols and Special Characters 331
Setting Indents and Tabs 334
What Do the Fonts Look Like? 338
Adding Simple Single-Line Text Objects 340
Justifying Single-Line Text Objects 342
Using Special Characters with Single-Line Text Objects 343
Using the Check Spelling Feature 345
How Check Spelling Works 345
Choosing a Dictionary 346
Substituting Fonts 347
Finding and Replacing Text 349
The Bottom Line 353
Chapter 10 Using Fields and Tables 355
Using Fields to Associate Text with Drawing Properties 355
Adding Tables to Your Drawing 359
Creating a Table 360
Adding Cell Text 361
Adjusting Table Text Orientation and Location 363
Editing the Table Line Work 365
Adding Formulas to Cells 368
Using Formulas Directly in Cells 369
Using Other Math Operations 370
Importing and Exporting Tables 370
Importing a Table 371
Exporting Tables 373
Creating Table Styles 373
Adding or Modifying a Table Style 373
Exploring the Table Style Options 375
The Bottom Line 376
Chapter 11 Using Dimensions 377
Understanding the Components of a Dimension 377
Creating a Dimension Style 378
Setting Up the Primary Unit Style 380
Setting the Height for Dimension Text 382
Setting the Location and Orientation of Dimension Text 383
Choosing an Arrow Style and Setting the Dimension Scale 384
Setting Up Alternate Units 388
Setting the Current Dimension Style 389
Modifying a Dimension Style 390
Drawing Linear Dimensions 390
Understanding the Dimensions Panel 391
Placing Horizontal and Vertical Dimensions 392
Continuing a Dimension 393
Drawing Dimensions from a Common Base Extension Line 394
Adjusting the Distance Between Dimensions 396
Editing Dimensions 397
Appending Data to Dimension Text 397
Using Grips to Make Minor Adjustments to Dimensions 399
Changing Style Settings of Individual Dimensions 401
Associating Dimensions with Objects 405
Adding a String of Dimensions with a Single Operation 407
Adding or Removing the Alternate Dimensions 408
Dimensioning Nonorthogonal Objects 409
Dimensioning Nonorthogonal Linear Distances 409
Dimensioning Radii, Diameters, and Arcs 411
Skewing Dimension Lines 415
Using the Dimension Tool 416
Adding a Note with a Leader Arrow 419
Creating Multileader Styles 421
Editing Multileader Notes 424
Breaking a Dimension Line for a Leader 424
Applying Ordinate Dimensions 425
Adding Tolerance Notation 426
Inserting Tolerance and Datum Values 426
Adding Inspection Dimensions 427
The Bottom Line 429
Part 3 Mastering Advanced Skills 431
Chapter 12 Using Attributes 433
Creating Attributes 434
Adding Attributes to Blocks 434
Copying and Editing Attribute Definitions 437
Turning the Attribute Definitions into a Block 440
Inserting Blocks Containing Attributes 441
Editing Attributes 445
Editing Attribute Values One at a Time 445
Editing Attribute Text Formats and Properties 446
Making Global Changes to Attribute Values 447
Making Invisible Attributes Visible 449
Making Global Format and Property Changes to Attributes 450
Other Block Attribute Manager Options 452
Redefining Blocks Containing Attributes 453
Extracting and Exporting Attribute Information 454
Performing the Extraction 454
Extracting Attribute Data to an AutoCAD Table 459
The Bottom Line 461
Chapter 13 Copying Existing Drawings from Other Sources 463
Methods for Converting Paper Drawings to AutoCAD Files 463
Importing a Raster Image 464
Working with a Raster Image 466
Scaling a Raster Image 468
Controlling Object Visibility and Overlap with Raster Images 468
Adjusting Brightness, Contrast, and Fade 471
Clipping a Raster Image 472
Turning Off the Frame, Adjusting Overall Quality,
and Controlling Transparency 473
Working with PDF Files 477
Importing a PDF 477
Scaling and Osnaps with PDFs 478
Controlling the PDF Display 481
Importing a PDF as an AutoCAD Drawing 483
Reconstructing Imported AutoCAD SHX Fonts 485
Coordinating Geographic Locations 486
Making Adjustments to the Map 489
Finding Measurements and Distances 491
The Bottom Line 492
Chapter 14 Advanced Editing and Organizing 493
Using External References 493
Preparing Existing Drawings for External Referencing 494
Assembling Xrefs to Build a Drawing 496
Updating Blocks in Xrefs 500
Importing Named Elements from Xrefs 502
Controlling the Xref Search Path 505
Managing Layers 507
Saving and Recalling Layer Settings 507
Other Tools for Managing Layers 510
Using Advanced Tools: Filter and Quick Select 513
Filtering Selections 513
Using Quick Select 518
Using the QuickCalc Calculator 520
Adding Foot and Inch Lengths and Finding the Sum of Angles 522
Converting Units with QuickCalc 525
Using QuickCalc to Find Points 526
Finding Fractional Distances Between Two Points 529
Using QuickCalc While in the Middle of a Command 532
Storing Expressions and Values 533
Guidelines for Working with QuickCalc 535
The Bottom Line 538
Chapter 15 Laying Out Your Printer Output 541
Understanding Model Space and Paper Space 541
Switching from Model Space to Paper Space 542
Setting the Size of a Paper Space Layout 544
Creating New Paper Space Viewports 546
Creating a Viewport from a Saved View 547
Reaching Inside Viewports 548
Working with Paper Space Viewports 551
Scaling Views in Paper Space 552
Setting Layers in Individual Viewports 554
Creating and Using Multiple Paper Space Layouts 558
Creating Odd-Shaped Viewports 560
Understanding Lineweights, Linetypes, and Dimensions in Paper Space 562
Controlling and Viewing Lineweights in Paper Space 562
Using the Lineweight Settings Dialog Box 565
Controlling Linetype Scales and Paper Space 565
Dimensioning in Paper Space Layouts 566
Other Uses for Paper Space 569
The Bottom Line 570
Chapter 16 Making “Smart” Drawings with Parametric Tools 571
Why Use Parametric Drawing Tools? 571
Connecting Objects with Geometric Constraints 573
Using AutoConstrain to Add Constraints Automatically 573
Editing a Drawing Containing Constraints 574
Using Other Geometric Constraints 578
Using Constraints in the Drawing Process 579
Controlling Sizes with Dimensional Constraints 579
Adding a Dimensional Constraint 580
Editing a Dimensional Constraint 581
Using Formulas to Control and Link Dimensions 583
Adding a Formula Parameter 584
Testing the Formula 586
Using Other Formulas 587
Editing the Constraint Options 588
Putting Constraints to Use 590
The Bottom Line 591
Chapter 17 Using Dynamic Blocks 593
Exploring the Block Editor 593
Opening the Block Editor 594
Editing a Block and Creating New Blocks 595
Creating a Dynamic Block 596
Adding a Parameter 597
Adding an Action 598
Adding an Increment Value 600
Editing Parameters and Actions 602
Keeping an Object Centered 602
Using Constraints in Dynamic Blocks 604
Adding a List of Predefined Options 608
Creating Multiple Shapes in One Block 612
Rotating Objects in Unison 617
Filling in a Space Automatically with Objects 621
Including Block Information with Data Extraction 623
The Bottom Line 625
Chapter 18 Drawing Curves 627
Introducing Polylines 627
Drawing a Polyline 627
Setting Polyline Options 629
Editing Polylines 630
Setting Pedit Options 634
Smoothing Polylines 635
Editing Vertices 636
Creating a Polyline Spline Curve 646
Using True Spline Curves 648
Drawing a True Spline 648
Understanding the Spline Options 650
Fine-Tuning Spline Curves 651
Marking Divisions on Curves 654
Dividing Objects into Segments of Equal Length 654
Dividing Objects into Specified Lengths 657
The Bottom Line 658
Chapter 19 Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings 661
Finding the Area of Closed Boundaries 661
Finding the Area of an Object 662
Using Hatch Patterns to Find Areas 663
Adding and Subtracting Areas with the Area Command 665
Getting General Information 669
Determining the Drawing’s Status 669
Keeping Track of Time 671
Getting Information from System Variables 672
Keeping a Log of Your Activity 672
Capturing and Saving Text Data from the AutoCAD Text Window 673
Understanding the Command Window Context Menu 674
Storing Searchable Information in AutoCAD Files 675
Searching for AutoCAD Files 676
Recovering Corrupted Files 677
Using the DXF File Format to Exchange CAD Data with Other Programs 677
Exporting DXF Files 678
Opening or Importing DXF Files 679
Using AutoCAD Drawings in Page Layout Programs 681
Exporting Raster Files 681
Exporting Vector Files 685
Using OLE to Import Data 687
Editing OLE Links 690
Importing Worksheets as AutoCAD Tables 690
Understanding Options for Embedding Data 693
Using the Clipboard to Export AutoCAD Drawings 694
The Bottom Line 694
Part 4 3D Modeling and Imaging 697
Chapter 20 Creating 3D Drawings 699
Getting to Know the 3D Modeling Workspace 699
Drawing in 3D Using Solids 701
Adjusting Appearances 702
Creating a 3D Box 702
Editing 3D Solids with Grips 704
Constraining Motion with the Gizmo 705
Rotating Objects in 3D Using Dynamic UCS 706
Drawing on a 3D Object’s Surface 709
Pushing and Pulling Shapes from a Solid 710
Making Changes to Your Solid 712
Creating 3D Forms from 2D Shapes 715
Isolating Coordinates with Point Filters 720
Moving Around Your Model 723
Finding Isometric and Orthogonal Views 723
Rotating Freely Around Your Model 724
Changing Your View Direction 725
Using SteeringWheels 727
Changing Where You Are Looking 729
Flying Through Your View 730
Changing from Perspective to Parallel Projection 731
Getting a Visual Effect 732
Using Visual Styles 732
Creating a Sketched Look with Visual Styles 733
In-Canvas Viewport Controls 736
Turning a 3D View into a 2D AutoCAD Drawing 736
Using the Point Cloud Feature 738
The Bottom Line 739
Chapter 21 Using Advanced 3D Features 741
Setting Up AutoCAD for This Chapter 741
Mastering the User Coordinate System 742
Defining a UCS 743
Saving a UCS 746
Working in a UCS 746
Building 3D Parts in Separate Files 748
Understanding the UCS Options 750
UCS Based on Object Orientation 750
UCS Based on Offset Orientation 753
UCS Rotated Around an Axis 754
Orienting a UCS in the View Plane 756
Manipulating the UCS Icon 756
Saving a UCS with a View 757
Using Viewports to Aid in 3D Drawing 758
Using the Array Tools 762
Making Changes to an Associative Array 763
Creating Complex 3D Surfaces 764
Laying Out a 3D Form 764
Spherical and Cylindrical Coordinate Formats 765
Using a 3D Polyline 766
Creating a Curved 3D Surface 767
Converting the Surface into a Solid 772
Shaping the Solid 772
Finding the Interference Between Two Solids 774
Creating Tubes with the Sweep Tool 777
Using Sweep to Create Complex Forms 779
Creating Spiral Forms 781
Creating Surface Models 784
Slicing a Solid with a Surface 786
Finding the Volume of a Cut 787
Understanding the Loft Command 790
Moving Objects in 3D Space 793
Aligning Objects in 3D Space 793
Moving an Object in 3D 795
Rotating an Object in 3D 796
The Bottom Line 797
Chapter 22 Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids 799
Understanding Solid Modeling 799
Creating Solid Forms 802
Joining Primitives 802
Cutting Portions Out of a Solid 804
Creating Complex Solids 806
Tapering an Extrusion 807
Sweeping a Shape on a Curved Path 808
Revolving a Polyline 809
Editing Solids 812
Splitting a Solid into Two Pieces 812
Rounding Corners with the Fillet Tool 814
Chamfering Corners with the Chamfer Tool 815
Using the Solid-Editing Tools 816
Streamlining the 2D Drawing Process 826
Drawing Standard Top, Front, and Right-Side Views 827
Creating 2D Drawings with the Base View Command 830
Adding Dimensions and Notes in a Layout 836
Using Visual Styles with a Viewport 837
Visualizing Solids 839
The Bottom Line 849
Chapter 23 Exploring 3D Mesh and Surface Modeling 851
Creating a Simple 3D Mesh 851
Creating a Mesh Primitive 852
Understanding the Parts of a Mesh 853
Smoothing a Mesh 853
Editing Faces and Edges 855
Stretching Faces 857
Moving an Edge 860
Adding More Faces 862
Rotating an Edge 865
Adding a Crease 866
Splitting and Extruding a Mesh Face 868
Creating Mesh Surfaces 871
Revolved Surface 871
Edge Surface 873
Ruled Surface 874
Tabulated Surface 875
Converting Meshes to Solids 876
Understanding 3D Surfaces 877
Editing Surfaces 879
Using Extrude, Surface Trim, and Surface Fillet 881
Using Surface Blend, Patch, and Offset 883
Understanding Associativity 888
Editing with Control Vertices 891
Editing with the CV Edit Bar 895
Making Holes in a Surface with the Project Geometry Panel 897
Visualizing Curvature: Understanding the Analysis Panel 898
The Bottom Line 901
Part 5 Customization and Integration 903
Chapter 24 Customizing the Workspace Environment, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns 905
Using Workspaces 905
Customizing the User Interface 907
Taking a Quick Customization Tour 907
Understanding the Customizations In All Files Panel 912
Getting the Overall View 915
Finding Commands in the Command List 916
Opening Preview, Button Image, and Shortcuts 916
Getting to the Core of Customization in the Properties Group 917
Creating Your Own Ribbon Panels and Menus 918
Customizing Ribbon Panel Tools 920
Creating Macros in Tools and Menus 923
Pausing for User Input 925
Opening an Expanded Text Box for the Macro Option 925
Editing Keyboard Shortcuts 926
Saving, Loading, and Unloading Your Customizations 929
Understanding the DIESEL Macro Language 932
Using DIESEL at the Command Line 932
Using DIESEL in a Custom Menu Macro 934
Using DIESEL as a Menu Bar Option Label 935
Using DIESEL and Fields to Generate Text 936
Creating Custom Linetypes 938
Viewing Available Linetypes 939
Creating a New Linetype 940
Understanding the Linetype Code 941
Creating Complex Linetypes 942
Creating Hatch Patterns 944
The Bottom Line 947
Chapter 25 Managing and Sharing Your Drawings 949
Sharing Drawings Online 949
Sharing Project Files with eTransmit 950
Creating Additional Transmittal Setup Options 952
Publishing Your Drawings 954
Exchanging Drawing Sets 954
Exploring Other Publish Options 957
Creating a PDF or DWF File by Using the Plot Dialog Box 959
Sharing Views for Commenting 961
Using the Shared Views Tool 961
Using the Autodesk Viewer Web Page 964
Adding Hyperlinks to Drawings 965
Creating Hyperlinks 965
Editing and Deleting Hyperlinks 968
Taking a Closer Look at the Hyperlink Options 968
Managing Your Drawings with DesignCenter and the Tool Palettes 969
Getting Familiar with DesignCenter 970
Opening and Inserting Files with DesignCenter 973
Finding and Extracting the Contents of a Drawing 974
Exchanging Data between Open Files 978
Loading Specific Files into DesignCenter 979
Customizing the Tool Palettes with DesignCenter 980
Comparing Drawing Versions to Discover Changes 985
Using the Drawing Compare Tool 985
Looking at the Compare Tab Tools 987
Establishing Office Standards 987
Establishing Layering and Text Conventions 987
Checking Office Standards 988
Converting Multiple Layer Settings 993
Exploring Other Layer Translator Options 995
The Bottom Line 996
Part 6 Appendices 999
Appendix A The Bottom Line 1001
Chapter 1: Exploring the Interface 1001
Chapter 2: Creating Your First Drawing 1001
Chapter 3: Setting Up and Using the Drafting Tools 1002
Chapter 4: Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups 1003
Chapter 5: Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks 1003
Chapter 6: Editing and Reusing Data to Work Efficiently 1004
Chapter 7: Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References 1005
Chapter 8: Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts 1005
Chapter 9: Adding Text to Drawings 1006
Chapter 10: Using Fields and Tables 1007
Chapter 11: Using Dimensions 1007
Chapter 12: Using Attributes 1008
Chapter 13: Copying Existing Drawings from Other Sources 1009
Chapter 14: Advanced Editing and Organizing 1010
Chapter 15: Laying Out Your Printer Output 1010
Chapter 16: Making “Smart” Drawings with Parametric Tools 1011
Chapter 17: Using Dynamic Blocks 1012
Chapter 18: Drawing Curves 1012
Chapter 19: Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings 1014
Chapter 20: Creating 3D Drawings 1015
Chapter 21: Using Advanced 3D Features 1016
Chapter 22: Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids 1017
Chapter 23: Exploring 3D Mesh and Surface Modeling 1018
Chapter 24: Customizing the Workspace Environment, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns 1019
Chapter 25: Managing and Sharing Your Drawings 1020
Appendix B Installing and Setting Up AutoCAD 1021
Before Installing AutoCAD 1021
Proceeding with the Installation 1021
Configuring AutoCAD 1022
The Files Tab 1023
The Display Tab 1025
The Open And Save Tab 1027
The Plot and Publish Tab 1030
The System Tab 1030
The User Preferences Tab 1032
The Drafting Tab 1034
The 3D Modeling Tab 1035
The Selection Tab 1037
The Profiles Tab 1039
Turning On the Noun/Verb Selection Method 1040
Turning on the Grips Feature 1040
Setting Up the Tracking Vector Feature 1041
Adjusting the AutoCAD 3D Graphics System 1041
Finding Folders That Contain AutoCAD Files 1041
Setting Up AutoCAD with a White Background 1042
Appendix C The Autodesk AutoCAD 2021 Certification 1043
Index 1047
