Mastering AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011 E-Book

George Omura

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 1925

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

Go beyond AutoCAD essentials to create amazing 2D and 3Dtechnical drawings AutoCADis the leading drawing software used by design anddrafting professionals to create 2D and 3D technical drawings.Mastering AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT guides you through AutoCADessentials using concise explanations, focused examples,step-by-step instructions, and hands-on projects for both AutoCADand AutoCAD LT. You'll understand the basics of the interface and draftingtools, as well as how to effectively use hatches, fields, andtables. * Details attributes, dynamic blocks, drawing curves, and solidfills, as well as exploring 3D modeling and imaging * Explores the fully revised 3D rendering features and the new 3DSurface modeling tools * Covers the new 2D features like the updated Hatch tools, object transparency and Isolate/Hide objects * Discusses customization and integration, as well as usefultools and utilities * Includes a searchable PDF of the entire book, a trial versionof AutoCAD, and before-and-after tutorial files Accompanied by a DVD with more than a dozen video tutorials,this book will help you master AutoCAD and bring your technicaldrawings to life.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Publisher's Note

Dedication

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Foreword

Introduction

How to Use This Book

AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011

Getting Information Fast

What to Expect

The Minimum System Requirements

Doing Things in Style

New Features of AutoCAD 2011

Contact the Author

Part 1: The Basics

Chapter 1: Exploring the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface

Taking a Guided Tour

Working with AutoCAD

The Bottom Line

Chapter 2: Creating Your First Drawing

Getting to Know the Home Tab’s Draw and Modify Panels

Starting Your First Drawing

Specifying Exact Distances with Coordinates

Interpreting the Cursor Modes and Understanding Prompts

Selecting Objects

Editing with Grips

Using Dynamic Input

Getting Help

Displaying Data in a Text Window

Displaying the Properties of an Object

The Bottom Line

Chapter 3: Setting Up and Using AutoCAD’s Drafting Tools

Setting Up a Work Area

Exploring the Drawing Process

Planning and Laying Out a Drawing

Using the AutoCAD Modes as Drafting Tools

The Bottom Line

Chapter 4: Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups

Creating a Symbol

Inserting a Symbol

Modifying a Block

Understanding the Annotation Scale

Grouping Objects

The Bottom Line

Chapter 5: Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks

Organizing Information with Layers

Keeping Track of Blocks and Layers

The Bottom Line

Part 2: Mastering Intermediate Skills

Chapter 6: Editing and Reusing Data to Work Efficiently

Creating and Using Templates

Copying an Object Multiple Times

Developing Your Drawing

Finding an Exact Distance along a Curve

Changing the Length of Objects

Creating a New Drawing by Using Parts from Another Drawing

The Bottom Line

Chapter 7: Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References

Assembling the Parts

Taking Control of the AutoCAD Display

Using Hatch Patterns in Your Drawings

Understanding the Boundary Hatch Options

Using External References

Editing Xrefs in Place

The Bottom Line

Chapter 8: Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts

Plotting the Plan

Understanding the Plotter Settings

WYSIWYG Plotting Using Layout Views

Adding an Output Device

Storing a Page Setup

Plotter and Printer Hardware Considerations

The Bottom Line

Chapter 9: Understanding Plot Styles

Choosing between Color-Dependent and Named Plot Style Tables

Creating a Color Plot Style Table

Editing and Using Plot Style Tables

Assigning Named Plot Styles Directly to Layers and Objects

The Bottom Line

Chapter 10: Adding Text to Drawings

Preparing a Drawing for Text

Setting the Annotation Scale and Adding Text

Understanding the Text Style Dialog Box Options

Exploring Text Formatting in AutoCAD

What Do the Fonts Look Like?

Adding Simple Single-Line Text Objects

Using the Check Spelling Feature

Substituting Fonts

Finding and Replacing Text

The Bottom Line

Chapter 11: Using Fields and Tables

Using Fields to Associate Text with Drawing Properties

Adding Tables to Your Drawing

Editing the Table Line Work

Adding Formulas to Cells

Importing and Exporting Tables

Creating Table Styles

The Bottom Line

Chapter 12: Using Dimensions

Understanding the Components of a Dimension

Creating a Dimension Style

Drawing Linear Dimensions

Editing Dimensions

Dimensioning Non-orthogonal Objects

Adding a Note with a Leader Arrow

Applying Ordinate Dimensions

Adding Tolerance Notation

The Bottom Line

Part 3: Mastering Advanced Skills

Chapter 13: Using Attributes

Creating Attributes

Editing Attributes

Extracting and Exporting Attribute Information

The Bottom Line

Chapter 14: Copying Existing Drawings into AutoCAD

Methods for Converting Paper Drawings to AutoCAD Files

Importing a Raster Image

Working with a Raster Image

Working with PDF Files

The Bottom Line

Chapter 15: Advanced Editing and Organizing

Using External References (Xrefs)

Managing Layers

Using Advanced Tools: Filter and Quick Select

Using the QuickCalc Calculator

The Bottom Line

Chapter 16: Laying Out Your Printer Output

Understanding Model Space and Paper Space

Working with Paper Space Viewports

Creating Odd-Shaped Viewports

Understanding Line Weights, Linetypes, and Dimensions in Paper Space

The Bottom Line

Chapter 17: Making “Smart” Drawings with Parametric Tools

Why Use Parametric Drawing Tools

Connecting Objects with Geometric Constraints

Controlling Sizes with Dimensional Constraints

Using Formulas to Control and Link Dimensions

Editing the Constraint Options

Putting Constraints to Use

The Bottom Line

Chapter 18: Using Dynamic Blocks

Exploring the Block Editor

Creating a Dynamic Block

Using Constraints in Dynamic Blocks

Adding a List of Predefined Options

Creating Multiple Shapes in One Block

Rotating Objects in Unison

Filling in a Space Automatically with Objects

Including Block Information with Data Extraction

The Bottom Line

Chapter 19: Drawing Curves

Introducing Polylines

Editing Polylines

Creating a Polyline Spline Curve

Using True Spline Curves

Marking Divisions on Curves

The Bottom Line

Chapter 20: Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings

Finding the Area of Closed Boundaries

Getting General Information

Using the DXF File Format to Exchange CAD Data with Other Programs

Using AutoCAD Drawings in Page-Layout Programs

Using OLE to Import Data

The Bottom Line

Part 4: 3D Modeling and Imaging

Chapter 21: Creating 3D Drawings

Getting to Know the 3D Modeling Workspace

Drawing in 3D Using Solids

Creating 3D Forms from 2D Shapes

Isolating Coordinates with Point Filters

Moving around Your Model

Getting a Visual Effect

Turning a 3D View into a 2D AutoCAD Drawing

Using the Point Cloud Feature

The Bottom Line

Chapter 22: Using Advanced 3D Features

Setting Up AutoCAD for This Chapter

Mastering the User Coordinate System

Understanding the UCS Options

Using Viewports to Aid in 3D Drawing

Creating Complex 3D Surfaces

Creating Spiral Forms

Creating Surface Models

Moving Objects in 3D Space

The Bottom Line

Chapter 23: Rendering 3D Drawings

Testing the Waters

Creating a Quick-Study Rendering

Simulating the Sun

Using Materials

Creating Effects Using Materials and Lights

Applying and Adjusting Texture Maps

Understanding the Rendering Options

Adding Cameras for Better View Control

Printing Your Renderings

Simulating Natural Light

The Bottom Line

Chapter 24: Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids

Understanding Solid Modeling

Creating Solid Forms

Creating Complex Solids

Editing Solids

Streamlining the 2D Drawing Process

Visualizing Solids

The Bottom Line

Chapter 25: Exploring 3D Mesh and Surface Modeling

Creating a Simple 3D Mesh

Editing Faces and Edges

Creating Mesh Surfaces

Converting Meshes to Solids

Understanding 3D Surfaces

Editing Surfaces

The Bottom Line

Part 5: Customization and Integration

Chapter 26: Using the Express Tools

Using Enhancements Straight from the Source

Putting AutoLISP to Work

The Bottom Line

Chapter 27: Exploring AutoLISP

Understanding the Interpreter

Using Arguments and Functions

Creating a Simple Program

Selecting Objects with AutoLISP

Controlling the Flow of an AutoLISP Program

Converting Data Types

Storing Your Programs as Files

Getting More Help with AutoLISP

The Bottom Line

Chapter 28: Customizing Toolbars, Menus, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns

Using Workspaces

Customizing the User Interface

Creating Macros in Tools and Menus

Pausing for User Input

Opening an Expanded Text Box for the Macro Option

Editing Keyboard Shortcuts

Saving, Loading, and Unloading Your Customizations

Understanding the Diesel Macro Language

Creating Custom Linetypes

Creating Hatch Patterns

The Bottom Line

Chapter 29: Managing and Sharing Your Drawings

Sharing Drawings over the Internet

ePublishing Your Drawings

Managing Your Drawings with DesignCenter and the Tool Palettes

Establishing Office Standards

Converting Multiple Layer Settings

The Bottom Line

Chapter 30: Keeping a Project Organized with Sheet Sets

Understanding Sheet Sets

Creating a Sheet Set from an Existing Project

Managing Title Blocks and Cross-References

Customizing Sheet Sets

Archiving, Publishing, and eTransmitting Sheet Sets

The Bottom Line

Appendices

Appendix A: The Bottom Line

Chapter 1: Exploring the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface

Chapter 2: Creating Your First Drawing

Chapter 3: Setting Up and Using AutoCAD’s Drafting Tools

Chapter 4: Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups

Chapter 5: Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks

Chapter 6: Editing and Reusing Data to Work Efficiently

Chapter 7: Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References

Chapter 8: Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts

Chapter 9: Understanding Plot Styles

Chapter 10: Adding Text to Drawings

Chapter 11: Using Fields and Tables

Chapter 12: Using Dimensions

Chapter 13: Using Attributes

Chapter 14: Copying Existing Drawings into AutoCAD

Chapter 15: Advanced Editing and Organizing

Chapter 16: Laying Out Your Printer Output

Chapter 17: Making “Smart” Drawings with Parametric Tools

Chapter 18: Using Dynamic Blocks

Chapter 19: Drawing Curves

Chapter 20: Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings

Chapter 21: Creating 3D Drawings

Chapter 22: Using Advanced 3D Features

Chapter 23: Rendering 3D Drawings

Chapter 24: Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids

Chapter 25: Exploring 3D Mesh and Surface Modeling

Chapter 26: Using the Express Tools

Chapter 27: Exploring AutoLISP

Chapter 28: Customizing Toolbars, Menus, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns

Chapter 29: Managing and Sharing Your Drawings

Chapter 30: Keeping a Project Organized with Sheet Sets

Appendix B: Installing and Setting Up AutoCAD

Before Installing AutoCAD

Proceeding with the Installation

Configuring AutoCAD

Configuring the Tablet Menu Area

Turning On the Noun/Verb Selection Method

Turning On the Grips Feature

Setting Up the Tracking Vector Feature

Adjusting AutoCAD’s 3D Graphics System

Finding Hidden Folders That Contain AutoCAD Files

Appendix C: Hardware and Software Tips

The Graphics Display

Pointing Devices

Output Devices

Fine-Tuning the Appearance of Output

Memory and AutoCAD Performance

AutoCAD Tools to Improve Memory Use

Setting Up AutoCAD Architecture to Act Like Standard AutoCAD

When Things Go Wrong

Appendix D: System Variables and Dimension Styles

System Variables

Taking a Closer Look at the Dimension Style Dialog Boxes

Appendix E: About the Companion DVD

What You’ll Find on the DVD

System Requirements

Using the DVD

Troubleshooting

Appendix F: The AutoCAD 2011 Certification Exams

Index

End-User License Agreement

Senior Acquisitions Editor: Willem Knibbe

Development Editor: Denise Santoro Lincoln

Technical Editor: Jon McFarland

Production Editor: Rachel McConlogue

Copy Editor: Judy Flynn

Editorial Manager: Pete Gaughan

Production Manager: Tim Tate

Vice President and Executive Group Publisher: Richard Swadley

Vice President and Publisher: Neil Edde

Media Associate Project Manager: Jenny Swisher

Media Associate Producer: Doug Kuhn

Media Quality Assurance: Josh Frank

Book Designers: Maureen Forys and Judy Fung

Compositor: Craig Woods, Happenstance Type-O-Rama

Proofreader: Publication Services, Inc.

Indexer: Ted Laux

Project Coordinator, Cover: Lynsey Stanford

Cover Designer: Ryan Sneed

Cover Image: © Ashley Jouhar/Cultura/Getty Images

Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

ISBN: 978-0-470-62197-4

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataOmura, George. Mastering AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011 / George Omura. — 1st ed. p. cm. ISBN-13: 978-0-470-62197-4 (pbk.) ISBN-10: 0-470-62197-4 (pbk.) ISBN: 978-0-470-89098-1 (ebk) ISBN: 978-0-470-89099-8 (ebk) ISBN: 978-0-470-89091-2 (ebk) 1. Computer graphics. 2. AutoCAD. I. Title. T385.O482754 2010 620’.00420285536—dc22 2010013500

TRADEMARKS: Wiley, the Wiley logo, and the Sybex logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dear Reader,

Thank you for choosing Mastering AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011. This book is part of a family of premium-quality Sybex books, all of which are written by outstanding authors who combine practical experience with a gift for teaching.

Sybex was founded in 1976. More than 30 years later, we’re still committed to producing consistently exceptional books. With each of our titles, we’re working hard to set a new standard for the industry. From the paper we print on to the authors we work with, our goal is to bring you the best books available.

I hope you see all that reflected in these pages. I’d be very interested to hear your comments and get your feedback on how we’re doing. Feel free to let me know what you think about this or any other Sybex book by sending me an email at [email protected]. If you think you’ve found a technical error in this book, please visit http://sybex.custhelp.com. Customer feedback is critical to our efforts at Sybex.

Best regards,

Neil Edde Vice President and Publisher Sybex, an Imprint of Wiley

To my brothers, Mas and Jim, and my sisters, Akiko and June. You have always been a source of inspiration for me.

—G.O.

Acknowledgments

Many talented and hardworking folks gave their best effort to produce Mastering AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011. I offer my sincerest gratitude to those people who helped bring this book to you.

Heartfelt thanks go to the editorial and production teams at Sybex for their efforts. Willem Knibbe, as always, made sure things got off to a great start and was always there for support. Denise Santoro Lincoln kept a watchful eye on the progress of the book. Jon McFarland did an excellent job of ensuring that I didn’t make any glaring mistakes and offered suggestions based on his own writing experience. On the production side, Rachel McConlogue kept the workflow going and answered my dumb questions during the review process, and Judy Flynn made sure I wasn’t trying out new uses of the English language.

At Autodesk, special thanks go to Diane Li for taking the time from her busy schedule to write the foreword. Thanks for the kind words. Thanks also go to Denis Cadu, who has always given his steadfast support of my efforts over many projects. Jim Quanci always gives his generous and thoughtful assistance to us author types—I’d be lost without your help, Jim. Thanks to Barbara Vezos and J.C. Malitzke for the thorough and quick review. Finally, as always, a big thanks to Shaan Hurley, Lisa Crounse and the Autodesk beta team for generously allowing us to have a look at the prerelease software.

And, a great big thank you to my family and friends, who have been there for me through thick and thin.

About the Author

George Omura is a licensed architect, Autodesk Authorized Author, and CAD specialist with more than 20 years of experience in AutoCAD and over 30 years of experience in architecture. He has worked on design projects ranging from resort hotels to metropolitan transit systems. George has written numerous other AutoCAD books for Sybex, including Introducing AutoCAD 2010, Mastering AutoCAD 2010 and AutoCAD LT 2010, and Introducing AutoCAD 2009.

Foreword

Congratulations!

Welcome to AutoCAD 2011 and to the excellent resource you now have in your hands with Mastering AutoCAD. In my time at Autodesk, I have been focused on delivering innovative solutions to help architects and engineers more easily create and collaborate on designs. During this time, I have come to truly appreciate the community of AutoCAD experts who go out of their way to help other users become more productive in their daily work. This comprehensive guide to AutoCAD is an indispensible resource that will help you do just that—and to go further by expanding what you can design and document with AutoCAD.

Mastering AutoCAD will allow you to uncover the power of the design and documentation tools in AutoCAD 2011, whether you are an experienced AutoCAD user or a newer member of the community. You can use it as a reference the next time you need to learn how to use a new feature or enhancement in AutoCAD, or to learn new ways of working that make you more proficient with AutoCAD. Either way, you’ll find this book a useful resource for learning about and taking advantage of the tools and improvements available in AutoCAD 2011.

I am personally very impressed with the wealth of information included in this book, the range of topics covered, and the clear organization of the detailed information. Everything from the AutoCAD basics to new ways of modeling in 3D to installation and customization are clearly and comprehensively documented in this guide. In addition, you have access to real-world AutoCAD drawings so you can follow along step-by-step with exercises in each chapter of the book.

So, go ahead and get started in your journey to learning more about AutoCAD. Find out how to use the powerful new productivity enhancements and surface modeling tools for conceptual design that are available in AutoCAD 2011. Learn more about the tools you use frequently and discover new ways of working with them. Or, pick a new topic each week to learn more about. Begin with mastering a few new tools and grow your expertise from there.

Whether you’re just getting started with AutoCAD or building on many years of expertise, you will find this book an invaluable resource. On behalf of the entire AutoCAD team, happy learning and we look forward to keeping in touch with you in the AutoCAD community.

—Diane LiAutoCAD Senior Product Manager

Introduction

Welcome to Mastering AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011. As many readers have already discovered, this book is a unique blend of tutorial and reference that includes everything you need to get started and stay ahead with AutoCAD. With this edition, you get coverage of the latest features of both AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011, plus the latest information on new features.

How to Use This Book

Rather than just showing you how each command works, this bookshows you AutoCAD 2011 in the context of a meaningful activity. You’ll learn how to use commands while working on an actual project and progressing toward a goal. This book also provides a foundation on which you can build your own methods for using AutoCAD and become an AutoCAD expert. For this reason, I haven’t covered every single command or every permutation of a command response. You should think of this book as a way to get a detailed look at AutoCAD as it’s used on a real project. As you follow the exercises, I encourage you to also explore AutoCAD on your own, applying the techniques you learn to your own work.

Both experienced and beginning AutoCAD users will find this book useful. If you aren’t an experienced user, the way to get the most out of this book is to approach it as a tutorial—chapter by chapter, at least for the first two parts of the book. You’ll find that each chapter builds on the skills and information you learned in the previous one. To help you navigate, the exercises are shown in numbered steps. To address the needs of all readers worldwide, the exercises provide both U.S. (feet/inches) and metric measurements.

After you’ve mastered the material in Parts 1 and 2, you can follow your interests and explore other parts of the book in whatever order you choose. Part 3 takes you to a more advanced skill level. There you’ll learn more about storing and sharing drawing data and how to create more complex drawings. If you’re interested in 3D, check out Part 4. If you want to start customizing right away, go to Part 5. You can check out Chapters 29 and 30 at any time because they give you general information about sharing AutoCAD files with your coworkers and consultants. Chapter 30 focuses on AutoCAD’s Sheet Set Manager, which offers a way to organize your multi-sheet projects.

You can also use this book as a ready reference for your day-to-day problems and questions about commands. Optional exercises at the end of each chapter will help you review and look at different ways to apply the information you’ve learned. Experienced users will also find this book a handy reference tool.

Finally, if you run into problems using AutoCAD, see the section “When Things Go Wrong” in Appendix C. You’ll find a list of the most common issues that users face when first learning AutoCAD.

AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011

Autodesk has released both AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011 simultaneously. Not surprisingly, they’re nearly identical in the way they look and work. You can share files between the two programs with complete confidence that you won’t lose data or corrupt files. The main differences are that LT doesn’t support all the 3D functions of AutoCAD 2011, nor does it support the customization tools of AutoLISP or the .NET Framework. But LT still has plenty to offer in both the productivity and customization areas. Because they’re so similar, I can present material for both programs with only minor adjustments.

When a feature is discussed that is available only in AutoCAD 2011, you’ll see the AutoCAD Only icon.

You’ll also see warning messages when tutorials vary between AutoCAD 2011 and LT. If only minor differences occur, you’ll see either a warning message or directions embedded in the tutorial indicating the differences between the two programs.

In the few instances in which LT has a feature that isn’t available in AutoCAD 2011, you’ll see the LT Only icon.

I’ve also provided work-around instructions wherever possible when LT doesn’t offer a feature found in AutoCAD 2011.

Getting Information Fast

In each chapter, you’ll find extensive tips and discussions in the form of sidebars set off from the main text. These provide a wealth of information I have gathered over years of using AutoCAD on a variety of projects in different office environments. You may want to browse through the book and read these boxes just to get an idea of how they might be useful to you.

Another quick reference you’ll find yourself using often is Appendix D. It contains descriptions of all the dimension settings with comments on their uses. If you experience any problems, you can consult the section “When Things Go Wrong” in Appendix C.

The Mastering Series

The Mastering series from Sybex provides outstanding instruction for readers with intermediate and advanced skills, in the form of top-notch training and development for those already working in their field and clear, serious education for those aspiring to become pros. Every Mastering book includes the following:

Real-World Scenarios, ranging from case studies to practical information you can use now, that show how the tool, technique, or knowledge presented is applied in actual practiceSkill-based instruction, with chapters organized around real tasks rather than abstract concepts or subjectsSelf-review test questions, so you can be certain you’re equipped to do the job right

What to Expect

Mastering AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011 is divided into five parts, each representing a milestone in your progress toward becoming an expert AutoCAD user. Here is a description of those parts and what they will show you.

Part 1: The Basics

As with any major endeavor, you must begin by tackling small, manageable tasks. In this first part, you’ll become familiar with the way AutoCAD looks and feels.

Chapter 1, “Exploring the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface,” shows you how to get around in AutoCAD.

Chapter 2, “Creating Your First Drawing,” details how to start and exit the program and how to respond to AutoCAD commands.

Chapter 3, “Setting Up and Using AutoCAD’s Drafting Tools,” tells you how to set up a work area, edit objects, and lay out a drawing.

Chapter 4, “Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups,” explores some tools unique to CAD: symbols, blocks, and layers. As you’re introduced to AutoCAD, you’ll also get a chance to make some drawings that you can use later in the book and perhaps even in future projects of your own.

Chapter 5, “Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks,” shows you how to use layers to keep similar information together and object properties such as linetypes to organize things visually.

Part 2: Mastering Intermediate Skills

After you have the basics down, you’ll begin to explore some of AutoCAD’s more subtle qualities.

Chapter 6, “Editing and Reusing Data to Work Efficiently,” tells you how to reuse drawing setup information and parts of an existing drawing.

Chapter 7, “Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References,” details how to use viewing tools and hatches and how to assemble and edit a large drawing file.

Chapter 8, “Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts,” shows you how to get your drawing onto hard copy.

Chapter 9, “Understanding Plot Styles,” discusses methods for controlling line weights and shading in your printer output.

Chapter 10, “Adding Text to Drawings,” tells you how to annotate your drawing and edit your notes.

Chapter 11, “Using Fields and Tables,” shows you how to add spreadsheet functionality to your drawings.

Chapter 12, “Using Dimensions,” gives you practice in using automatic dimensioning (another unique CAD capability).

Part 3: Mastering Advanced Skills

At this point, you’ll be on the verge of becoming a real AutoCAD expert. Part 3 is designed to help you polish your existing skills and give you a few new ones.

Chapter 13, “Using Attributes,” tells you how to attach information to drawing objects and how to export that information to database and spreadsheet files.

Chapter 14, “Copying Existing Drawings into AutoCAD,” details techniques for transferring paper drawings to AutoCAD.

Chapter 15, “Advanced Editing and Organizing,” is where you’ll complete the apartment building tutorial. During this process you’ll learn how to integrate what you’ve learned so far and gain some tips on working in groups.

Chapter 16, “Laying Out Your Printer Output,” shows you the tools that let you display your drawing in an organized fashion.

Chapter 17, “Making ‘Smart’ Drawings with Parametric Tools,” introduces you to parametric drawing. This feature lets you quickly modify a drawing by changing a few parameters.

Chapter 18, “Using Dynamic Blocks,” shows you how you can create blocks that can be edited with grips without having to redefine them.

Chapter 19, “Drawing Curves,” gives you an in-depth look at some special drawing objects, such as splines and fitted curves.

Chapter 20, “Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings,” is where you’ll practice getting information about a drawing and learn how AutoCAD can interact with other applications, such as spreadsheets and page-layout programs. You’ll also learn how to copy and paste data.

Part 4: 3D Modeling and Imaging

Although 2D drafting is AutoCAD’s workhorse application, AutoCAD’s 3D capabilities give you a chance to expand your ideas and look at them in a new light.

Chapter 21, “Creating 3D Drawings,” covers AutoCAD’s basic features for creating three-dimensional drawings.

Chapter 22, “Using Advanced 3D Features,” introduces you to some of the program’s more powerful 3D capabilities.

Chapter 23, “Rendering 3D Drawings,” shows how you can use AutoCAD to produce lifelike views of your 3D drawings.

Chapter 24, “Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids,” takes a closer look at 3D solids and how they can be created, edited, and displayed in AutoCAD 2011.

Chapter 25, “Exploring 3D Mesh and Surface Modeling,” introduces you to free-form 3D modeling using mesh and surface objects. With this latest addition to AutoCAD, there isn’t anything you can’t model in 3D.

Part 5: Customization and Integration

One of AutoCAD’s greatest strengths is its openness to customization, which you’ll explore in this section.

Chapter 26, “Using the Express Tools,” gives you a gentle introduction to the world of AutoCAD customization. You’ll learn how to load and use existing Express tools that expand AutoCAD’s functionality, and you’ll be introduced to AutoLISP as a tool to create macros.

Chapter 27, “Exploring AutoLISP,” is a primer to AutoCAD’s popular macro language. You’ll learn how you can create custom commands built on existing ones and how you can retrieve and store locations and other data.

Chapter 28, “Customizing Toolbars, Menus, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns,” shows you how to use workspaces, customize the user interface, and create custom linetypes and hatch patterns. You’ll also be introduced to the Diesel macro language.

Chapter 29, “Managing and Sharing Your Drawings,” shows you how to adapt AutoCAD to your own work style. You’ll learn about the tools that help you exchange drawings with others and how to secure your drawings to prevent tampering.

Chapter 30, “Keeping a Project Organized with Sheet Sets,” shows you how to use the new Sheet Set Manager to simplify your file management. By using the Sheet Set Manager, you can automate some of the more tedious drawing coordination tasks.

The Appendices

Finally, this book has several appendices.

Appendix A, “The Bottom Line,” contains the solutions to the book’s Master It review questions.

Appendix B, “Installing and Setting Up AutoCAD,” contains an installation and configuration tutorial. If AutoCAD isn’t already installed on your system, follow the steps in this tutorial before starting Chapter 1.

Appendix C, “Hardware and Software Tips,” provides information about hardware related to AutoCAD. It also provides tips on improving AutoCAD’s performance and troubleshooting and provides more detailed information on setting up AutoCAD’s plotting feature.

Appendix D, “System Variables and Dimension Styles,” provides a reference to dimension style settings.

Appendix E, “About the Companion DVD,” provides information about the content on the DVD and how to troubleshoot any problems.

Appendix F, “The AutoCAD 2011 Certification Exams,” shows you where in the book the learning objectives are covered for the Certified Associate and Certified Professional Exam. If you want to get certified, this information will be very useful.

What’s on the DVD

The included companion DVD contains the sample drawing files from all the exercises in this book. You can pick up an exercise anywhere you like without having to work through the book from front to back. You can also use these sample files to repeat exercises or to just explore how files are organized and put together. In addition, you’ll find the following:

A searchable PDF version of the bookVideo tutorials that complement the instructions in Part 1 of the bookVideo demos of the new features in AutoCAD 2011A trial version of AutoCAD 2011Trial software of companion products to AutoCAD 2011

The AutoCAD Free Trial

If you don’t have AutoCAD, you can install a trial version from the companion DVD found in this book. Be aware that the trial is good for only 30 days—don’t start to use it until you’re certain you’ll have plenty of free time to practice using AutoCAD.

The Minimum System Requirements

This book assumes you have an IBM-compatible computer with at least a Pentium IV or equivalent CPU. Your computer should have at least one CD drive and a hard disk with 2 GB or more of free space for the AutoCAD program files and about 120 MB of additional space for sample files and the workspace. In addition to these requirements, you should have enough free disk space to allow for a Windows virtual memory page file that is about 1.5 times the amount of installed RAM. Consult your Windows manual or Appendix C of this book for more on virtual memory.

AutoCAD 2011 runs best on systems with at least 2 GB or more of RAM, although you can get by with 1 GB. Your computer should also have a high-resolution monitor and an up-to-date display card. An SVGA display with a resolution of 1024 × 768 or greater will work fine with AutoCAD, but if you want to take full advantage of AutoCAD’s new 3D features, you should have a 128 MB or greater, OpenGL-capable, workstation-class graphics card. If you intend to use a digitizer tablet, you’ll need one free USB, or serial, port available. I also assume you’re using a mouse and have the use of a printer or a plotter. A DVD reader is needed to install AutoCAD and the software from this book. Finally, you’ll need an Internet connection to take full advantage of the support offerings from Autodesk.

If you want a more detailed explanation of hardware options with AutoCAD, see Appendix C. You’ll find a general description of the available hardware options and their significance to AutoCAD.

Doing Things in Style

Much care has been taken to see that the stylistic conventions in this book—the use of uppercase or lowercase letters, italic or boldface type, and so on—are the ones most likely to help you learn AutoCAD. On the whole, their effect should be subliminal. However, you may find it useful to be conscious of the following rules:

Menu selections are shown by a series of options separated by the ⇒ symbol (for example, choose File ⇒ New). These are typically used to show selections from a shortcut menu or the Application menu, which you will learn about in Chapter 1.Keyboard entries are shown in boldface (for example, enter Rotate↵).Command-line prompts are shown in a monospaced font (for example, Select objects:).

For most functions, this book describes how to select options from Ribbon panels and the Application menu, which are two new interface features. In addition, where applicable, I include related keyboard shortcuts and command names in parentheses. These command names provide continuity for readers accustomed to working at the Command prompt.

New Features of AutoCAD 2011

AutoCAD 2011 has refined its interface by adding some new elements like animated tool tips and a new Web-based help system. A new Welcome screen offers short videos to help you learn basic functions. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find that some new features have been added to simplify your work so you don’t have to keep track of so many details. Here are some of the new features I cover in this book:

Advanced surface modeling with procedural and NURBS surface tools give you a new level of control in 3D modeling.Streamlined materials and rendering tools make it easier to produce presentation-quality renderings from diagrammatic sketches to photo-real presentations.Powerful new hatch pattern interface greatly simplifies fill patterns.Expanded transparency control adds transparency to any pattern or object.Multifunction grips give you expanded control over 2D and 3D objects.New selection features enable you to isolate and select similar objects quickly and easily.

Contact the Author

I hope that Mastering AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011 will be of benefit to you and that, after you’ve completed the tutorials, you’ll continue to use the book as a reference. If you have comments, criticism, or ideas about how the book can be improved, you can e-mail me at [email protected].

If you find errors, please let my publisher know. Visit the book’s web page, www.sybex.com/go/masteringautocad2011, and click the Errata link to find a form on which you can identify the problem.

And thanks for choosing Mastering AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011.

Part 1: The Basics

Chapter 1: Exploring the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface

Chapter 2: Creating Your First Drawing

Chapter 3: Setting Up and Using AutoCAD’s Drafting Tools

Chapter 4: Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups

Chapter 5: Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks

Chapter 1: Exploring the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface

Before you can start to use AutoCAD 2011’s new capabilities, you’ll need to become familiar with the basics. If you’re completely new to AutoCAD, you’ll want to read this first chapter carefully. It introduces you to many of AutoCAD’s basic operations, such as opening and closing files, getting a close-up look at part of a drawing, and changing a drawing. If you’re familiar with earlier versions of AutoCAD, you should review this chapter anyway to get acquainted with the features you haven’t already used.