Mastering. AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD LT 2012

Transcription

1

2

3 Mastering AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD LT 2012

4

5 Mastering AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD LT 2012 George Omura with Rick Graham

6 Senior Acquisitions Editor: Willem Knibbe Development Editor: Gary Schwartz Technical Editor: Jon McFarland Production Editor: Dassi Zeidel Copy Editor: Liz Welch 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: Marilyn Hummel Book Designer: Maureen Forys, Happenstance Type-O-Rama; Judy Fung Compositor: JoAnn Kolonick, Happenstance Type-O-Rama Proofreader: Publication Services, Inc. Indexer: Ted Laux Project Coordinator, Cover: Katie Crocker Cover Designer: Ryan Sneed Cover Image: Neil Edde Copyright 2011 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada ISBN: ISBN: (ebk.) ISBN: (ebk.) ISBN: (ebk.) No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate percopy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) , fax (978) Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) , fax (201) , or online at Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Web site is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Web site may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Web sites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at (877) , outside the U.S. at (317) or fax (317) Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the publisher. 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. 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. Autodesk, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, DWF, DWG, DWG TrueView, and the DWG logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the U.S.A. and/or certain other countries. Certain content, including trial software, provided courtesy Autodesk, Inc., All rights reserved

7 Dear Reader, Thank you for choosing Mastering AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD LT 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 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 at nedde@wiley.com. If you think you ve found a technical error in this book, please visit Customer feedback is critical to our efforts at Sybex. Best regards, Neil Edde Vice President and Publisher Sybex, an Imprint of Wiley

8 To my dad long gone but not forgotten. G.O.

9 Acknowledgments Many talented and hardworking folks gave their best effort to produce Mastering AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD LT 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. Gary Schwartz kept a watchful eye on the progress of the book. Jon McFarland and Melanie Perry did an excellent job of ensuring that I didn t make any glaring mistakes and offered suggestions based on their own writing experience. On the production side, Dassi Zeidel kept the workflow going and answered my dumb questions during the review process, and Liz Welch 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 Richard Lane. 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.

10

11 About the Authors 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 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011, and Introducing AutoCAD Rick Graham is a CAD/IT Manager at James R. Holley & Associates, Inc. He has been using (and supporting users of) AutoCAD and other Autodesk products for over 20 years. Rick has multidiscipline experience, from architecture to civil engineering. He is currently serving as president of his local AUGI chapter and has presented various topics. He is a speaker at Autodesk University, and he coauthored Mastering AutoCAD for Mac, Introducing AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010, and Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D Rick is involved with several blogs, social networking, beta test sites, and user groups.

12

13 Contents at a Glance Foreword....xxix Introduction...xxxi Part 1 The Basics Chapter 1 Exploring the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface...3 Chapter 2 Creating Your First Drawing Chapter 3 Setting Up and Using AutoCAD s Drafting Tools...75 Chapter 4 Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups Chapter 5 Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks Part 2 Mastering Intermediate Skills 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 Part 3 Mastering Advanced Skills Chapter 13 Using Attributes Chapter 14 Copying Existing Drawings into AutoCAD Chapter 15 Advanced Editing and Organizing Chapter 16 Laying Out Your Printer Output

14 xii Contents at a Glance 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 Part 4 3D Modeling and Imaging 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 Part 5 Customization and Integration Chapter 26 Customizing Toolbars, Menus, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns Chapter 27 Managing and Sharing Your Drawings Appendices Appendix A The Bottom Line Appendix B Installing and Setting Up AutoCAD Appendix C About the Companion DVD Appendix D AutoCAD Certification Index

15 Contents Foreword....xxix Introduction...xxxi Part 1 The Basics Chapter 1 Exploring the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface... 3 Taking a Guided Tour...4 Launching AutoCAD...4 The AutoCAD Window...5 Using the Application Menu....7 Using the Ribbon...9 Picking Points in the Drawing Area...13 Using the UCS Icon Working in the Command Window Working with AutoCAD...15 Opening an Existing File Getting a Closer Look...17 Saving a File as You Work...20 Making Changes Working with Multiple Files...22 Adding a Predrawn Symbol with the Tool Palettes...25 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 Specifying Polar Coordinates...36 Specifying Relative Cartesian Coordinates...37 Interpreting the Cursor Modes and Understanding Prompts...39 Understanding Cursor Modes...39 Choosing Command Options Selecting Objects...45 Selecting Objects in AutoCAD Using Noun/Verb Selection...51 Editing with Grips...56 Stretching Lines by Using Grips...57 Moving and Rotating with Grips...59 Using Dynamic Input... 61

16 xiv Contents Getting Help...66 Using the InfoCenter...67 Using Context-Sensitive Help...68 Exploring Autodesk Exchange...68 Finding Additional Sources of Help...69 Displaying Data in a Text Window...70 Displaying the Properties of an Object The Bottom Line Chapter 3 Setting Up and Using AutoCAD s Drafting Tools Setting Up a Work Area Specifying Units Fine-Tuning the Measurement System...79 Setting Up the Drawing Limits...80 Looking at an Alternative to Limits Understanding Scale Factors Using Polar Tracking...83 Setting the Polar Tracking Angle...84 Exploring the Drawing Process...86 Locating an Object in Reference to Others...86 Getting a Closer Look...87 Modifying an Object...88 Planning and Laying Out a Drawing...92 Making a Preliminary Sketch Using the Layout Erasing the Layout Lines Putting On the Finishing Touches Aligning Objects by Using Object Snap Tracking Using the AutoCAD Modes as Drafting Tools Using Grid Mode as a Background Grid Using the Snap Modes The Bottom Line Chapter 4 Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups Creating a Symbol Understanding the Block Definition Dialog Box Inserting a Symbol Scaling and Rotating Blocks Using an Existing Drawing as a Symbol Modifying a Block Unblocking and Redefining a Block Saving a Block as a Drawing File Replacing Existing Files with Blocks Other Uses for Blocks Understanding the Annotation Scale

17 Contents xv Grouping Objects Modifying Members of a Group Ungrouping, Adding, and Subtracting From a Group Working with the Object Grouping Dialog Box Working with the LT Group Manager The Bottom Line Chapter 5 Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks Organizing Information with Layers Creating and Assigning Layers Working on Layers Controlling Layer Visibility Finding the Layers You Want Taming an Unwieldy List of Layers Assigning Linetypes to Layers Adding a Linetype to a Drawing Controlling Lineweights Keeping Track of Blocks and Layers Getting a Text File List of Layers or Blocks The Bottom Line Part 2 Mastering Intermediate Skills Chapter 6 Editing and Reusing Data to Work Efficiently Creating and Using Templates Creating a Template Using a Template Copying an Object Multiple Times Making Circular Copies Making Row and Column Copies Fine-Tuning Your View Finishing the Kitchenette Array Along a Path Making Changes to an Associative Array Developing Your Drawing Importing Settings Using Osnap Tracking to Place Objects Finding an Exact Distance along a Curve Changing the Length of Objects Creating a New Drawing by Using Parts from Another Drawing Eliminating Unused Blocks, Layers, Linetypes, Shapes, Styles, and More The Bottom Line

18 xvi Contents Chapter 7 Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References. 219 Assembling the Parts Taking Control of the AutoCAD Display Understanding Regeneration and Redrawing Understanding the Frozen Layer Option Using Hatch Patterns in Your Drawings Placing a Hatch Pattern in a Specific Area Adding Predefined Hatch Patterns Positioning Hatch Patterns Accurately Updating a Block from an External File Changing the Hatch Area Modifying a Hatch Pattern Understanding the Boundary Hatch Options Controlling Boundaries with the Boundaries Panel Fine-Tuning the Boundary Behavior Controlling Hatch Behavior with the Options Panel Controlling Hatch Default Layer, Layout Scale, and ISO Line Weight Using Additional Hatch Features Using Gradient Shading Tips for Using Hatch Space Planning and Hatch Patterns Using External References Attaching a Drawing as an External Reference Other Differences Between External References and Blocks Other External Reference Options Clipping Xref Views and Improving Performance Editing Xrefs in Place Using the External Reference Tab Adding and Removing Objects from Blocks and Xrefs Understanding the Reference Edit Dialog Box Options The Bottom Line Chapter 8 Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts Plotting the Plan Understanding the Plotter Settings Paper Size Drawing Orientation Plot Area Plot Scale Shaded Viewport Options Plot Offset Plot Options Exit Options WYSIWYG Plotting Using Layout Views Setting Plot Scale in the Layout Viewports Adding an Output Device Editing a Plotter Configuration...289

19 Contents xvii Storing a Page Setup Plotter and Printer Hardware Considerations Understanding Your Plotter s Limits Knowing Your Plotter s Origins 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 Making Your Plot Styles Visible Making Changes to Multiple Plot Styles Setting Up Line Corner Styles Setting Up Screen Values for Solid Areas Controlling the Visibility of Overlapping Objects Other Options in the Plot Style Table Editor Assigning Named Plot Styles Directly to Layers and Objects Using Named Plot Style Tables Assigning Plot Styles to Objects Assigning Plot Style Tables to Layers The Bottom Line Chapter 10 Adding Text to Drawings Preparing a Drawing for Text Organizing Text by Styles Getting Familiar with the Text and Annotation Scale Control Panels Setting the Annotation Scale and Adding Text Inserting Text Exploring Text and Scale Understanding the Text Style Dialog Box Options Styles Set Current/New/Delete Font Size Effects Exploring Text Formatting in AutoCAD Adjusting the Text Height and Font Understanding the Text Editor Tab Adding Symbols and Special Characters Setting Indents and Tabs What Do the Fonts Look Like? Adding Simple Single-Line Text Objects Justifying Single-Line Text Objects Using Special Characters with Single-Line Text Objects Using the Check Spelling Feature How Check Spelling Works Choosing a Dictionary...350

20 xviii Contents 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 Creating a Table Adding Cell Text Adjusting Table Text Orientation and Location Editing the Table Line Work Adding Formulas to Cells Using Formulas Directly in Cells Using Other Math Operations Importing and Exporting Tables Importing a Table Exporting Tables Creating Table Styles Adding or Modifying a Table Style The Table Style Options The Bottom Line Chapter 12 Using Dimensions Understanding the Components of a Dimension Creating a Dimension Style Setting Up the Primary Unit Style Setting the Height for Dimension Text Setting the Location and Orientation of Dimension Text Choosing an Arrow Style and Setting the Dimension Scale Setting Up Alternate Units Setting the Current Dimension Style Modifying a Dimension Style Drawing Linear Dimensions Understanding the Dimensions Panel Placing Horizontal and Vertical Dimensions Continuing a Dimension Drawing Dimensions from a Common Base Extension Line Adjusting the Distance Between Dimensions Editing Dimensions Appending Data to Dimension Text Using Grips to Make Minor Adjustments to Dimensions Changing Style Settings of Individual Dimensions Editing Dimensions and Other Objects Together Associating Dimensions with Objects Adding a String of Dimensions with a Single Operation Adding or Removing the Alternate Dimensions

21 Contents xix Dimensioning Nonorthogonal Objects Dimensioning Nonorthogonal Linear Distances Dimensioning Radii, Diameters, and Arcs Skewing Dimension Lines Adding a Note with a Leader Arrow Creating Multileader Styles Editing Multileader Notes Breaking a Dimension Line for a Leader Applying Ordinate Dimensions Adding Tolerance Notation Inserting Tolerance and Datum Values Adding Inspection Dimensions The Bottom Line Part 3 Mastering Advanced Skills Chapter 13 Using Attributes Creating Attributes Adding Attributes to Blocks Copying and Editing Attribute Definitions Turning the Attribute Definitions into a Block Inserting Blocks Containing Attributes Editing Attributes Editing Attribute Values One at a Time Editing Attribute Text Formats and Properties Making Global Changes to Attribute Values Making Invisible Attributes Visible Making Global Format and Property Changes to Attributes Redefining Blocks Containing Attributes Extracting and Exporting Attribute Information Performing the Extraction Extracting Attribute Data to an AutoCAD Table 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 Scaling a Raster Image Controlling Object Visibility and Overlap with Raster Images Clipping a Raster Image Adjusting Brightness, Contrast, and Fade Turning Off the Frame, Adjusting Overall Quality, and Controlling Transparency

22 xx Contents Working with PDF Files Importing a PDF Scaling and Osnaps with PDFs Controlling the PDF Display The Bottom Line Chapter 15 Advanced Editing and Organizing Using External References Preparing Existing Drawings for External Referencing Assembling Xrefs to Build a Drawing Importing Named Elements from Xrefs Controlling the Xref Search Path Managing Layers Saving and Recalling Layer Settings Other Tools for Managing Layers Using Advanced Tools: Filter and Quick Select Filtering Selections Using Quick Select Using the QuickCalc Calculator Adding Foot and Inch Lengths and Finding the Sum of Angles Using the Display Area and Units Conversion Using QuickCalc to Find Points Pasting to the Command Line Finding Fractional Distances Between Two Points Using QuickCalc While in the Middle of a Command Storing Expressions and Values Guidelines for Working with QuickCalc The Bottom Line Chapter 16 Laying Out Your Printer Output Understanding Model Space and Paper Space Switching from Model Space to Paper Space Setting the Size of a Paper Space Layout Creating New Paper Space Viewports Reaching Inside Viewports Working with Paper Space Viewports Scaling Views in Paper Space Setting Layers in Individual Viewports Creating and Using Multiple Paper Space Layouts Creating Odd-Shaped Viewports Understanding Lineweights, Linetypes, and Dimensions in Paper Space Controlling and Viewing Lineweights in Paper Space The Lineweight Settings Dialog Box Linetype Scales and Paper Space Dimensioning in Paper Space Layouts Other Uses for Paper Space The Bottom Line

23 Contents xxi Chapter 17 Making Smart Drawings with Parametric Tools Why Use Parametric Drawing Tools Connecting Objects with Geometric Constraints Using AutoConstrain to Add Constraints Automatically Editing a Drawing Containing Constraints Using Other Geometric Constraints Using Constraints in the Drawing Process Controlling Sizes with Dimensional Constraints Adding a Dimensional Constraint Editing a Dimensional Constraint Using Formulas to Control and Link Dimensions Adding a Formula Parameter Testing the Formula Using Other Formulas Editing the Constraint Options Putting Constraints to Use The Bottom Line Chapter 18 Using Dynamic Blocks Exploring the Block Editor Opening the Block Editor Editing a Block and Creating New Blocks Creating a Dynamic Block Adding a Parameter Adding an Action Adding an Increment Value Editing Parameters and Actions Keeping an Object Centered 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 Drawing a Polyline Setting Polyline Options Editing Polylines Setting Pedit Options Smoothing Polylines Editing Vertices Creating a Polyline Spline Curve

24 xxii Contents Using True Spline Curves Drawing a True Spline Understanding the Spline Options Fine-Tuning Spline Curves Marking Divisions on Curves Dividing Objects into Segments of Equal Length Dividing Objects into Specified Lengths The Bottom Line Chapter 20 Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings Finding the Area of Closed Boundaries Finding the Area of an Object Using Hatch Patterns to Find Areas Adding and Subtracting Areas with the Area Command Getting General Information Determining the Drawing s Status Keeping Track of Time Getting Information from System Variables Keeping a Log of Your Activity Capturing and Saving Text Data from the AutoCAD Text Window Storing Searchable Information in AutoCAD Files Searching for AutoCAD Files Recovering Corrupted Files Using the DXF File Format to Exchange CAD Data with Other Programs Exporting DXF Files Opening or Importing DXF Files Using AutoCAD Drawings in Page Layout Programs Exporting Raster Files Exporting Vector Files Using OLE to Import Data Editing OLE Links Importing Worksheets as AutoCAD Tables Understanding Options for Embedding Data Using the Clipboard to Export AutoCAD Drawings 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 Adjusting Appearances Creating a 3D Box Editing 3D Solids with Grips Constraining Motion with the Gizmo

25 Contents xxiii Rotating Objects in 3D Using Dynamic UCS Drawing on a 3D Object s Surface Pushing and Pulling Shapes from a Solid Making Changes to Your Solid Creating 3D Forms from 2D Shapes Extruding a Polyline Isolating Coordinates with Point Filters Moving Around Your Model Finding Isometric and Orthogonal Views Rotating Freely Around Your Model Changing Your View Direction Using SteeringWheels Changing Where You Are Looking Flying Through Your View Changing from Perspective to Parallel Projection Getting a Visual Effect Using Visual Styles Creating a Sketched Look with Visual Styles 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 Defining a UCS Saving a UCS Working in a UCS Building 3D Parts in Separate Files Understanding the UCS Options UCS Based on Object Orientation UCS Based on Offset Orientation UCS Rotated Around an Axis Orienting a UCS in the View Plane Saving a UCS with a View Using Viewports to Aid in 3D Drawing Using the Array Tools Making Changes to an Associative Array Creating Complex 3D Surfaces Laying Out a 3D Form Spherical and Cylindrical Coordinate Formats Using a 3D Polyline Creating a Curved 3D Surface Converting the Surface into a Solid Shaping the Solid Finding the Interference Between Two Solids Creating Tubes with the Sweep Tool Using Sweep to Create Complex Forms...737

26 xxiv Contents Creating Spiral Forms Creating Surface Models Slicing a Solid with a Surface Finding the Volume of a Cut Understanding the Loft Command Moving Objects in 3D Space Aligning Objects in 3D Space Moving an Object in 3D Rotating an Object in 3D The Bottom Line Chapter 23 Rendering 3D Drawings Testing the Waters Creating a Quick Study Rendering Simulating the Sun Setting Up the Sun Setting Polar North Adding a Distant Light Using Materials Adjusting the Global Material Creating a New Material and Changing Its Properties Adding a Background Creating Effects Using Materials and Lights Adding a Self-Illuminated Material Assigning Materials by Layer Simulating a Night Scene with Spotlights Adding a Point Light Editing Lights Applying and Adjusting Texture Maps Creating a Building from a Box Adjusting a Material to Fit an Object Exploring Your Other Material-Mapping Options Specifying the Size of a Bitmap Simulating Trees and People with Opacity Maps Understanding the Rendering Options Checking and Saving Renderings in the Render Window Adding Cameras for Better View Control Making Adjustments to Your Camera Creating an Animated Walk-Through Fine-Tuning the Animation Printing Your Renderings Simulating Natural Light Rendering Interior Views Using the Sun and Sky Simulation The Bottom Line

27 Contents xxv Chapter 24 Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids Understanding Solid Modeling Creating Solid Forms Joining Primitives Creating Complex Solids Tapering an Extrusion Sweeping a Shape on a Curved Path Revolving a Polyline Editing Solids Splitting a Solid into Two Pieces Rounding Corners with the Fillet Tool Chamfering Corners with the Chamfer Tool Using the Solid Editing Tools Streamlining the 2D Drawing Process Drawing Standard Top, Front, and Right-Side Views Adding Dimensions and Notes in a Layout Using Visual Styles with a Viewport Visualizing Solids The Bottom Line Chapter 25 Exploring 3D Mesh and Surface Modeling Creating a Simple 3D Mesh Creating a Mesh Primitive Understanding the Parts of a Mesh Smoothing a Mesh Editing Faces and Edges Stretching Faces Moving an Edge Adding More Faces Rotating an Edge Adding a Crease Splitting and Extruding a Mesh Face Creating Mesh Surfaces Revolved Surface Edge Surface Ruled Surface Tabulated Surface Converting Meshes to Solids Understanding 3D Surfaces Editing Surfaces Using Extrude, Surface Trim, and Surface Fillet Using Surface Blend, Patch, and Offset Understanding Associativity Editing with Control Vertices Editing with the CV Edit Bar Making Holes in a Surface with the Project Geometry Panel Visualizing Curvature: Understanding the Analysis Panel The Bottom Line

28 xxvi Contents Part 5 Customization and Integration Chapter 26 Customizing Toolbars, Menus, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns Using Workspaces Customizing the User Interface Taking a Quick Customization Tour Understanding the Customizations In All Files Panel Getting the Overall View Finding Commands in the Command List Opening Preview, Button Image, and Shortcuts Getting to the Core of Customization in the Properties Group Creating Your Own Ribbon Panels and Menus Customizing Ribbon Panel Tools 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 Using Diesel at the Command Line Using Diesel in a Custom Menu Macro Using Diesel as a Menu Bar Option Label Using Diesel and Fields to Generate Text Creating Custom Linetypes Viewing Available Linetypes Creating a New Linetype Understanding the Linetype Code Creating Complex Linetypes Creating Hatch Patterns The Bottom Line Chapter 27 Managing and Sharing Your Drawings Sharing Drawings over the Internet Sharing Project Files with etransmit Protecting AutoCAD Drawing Files epublishing Your Drawings Exchanging Drawing Sets Exploring Other Publish Options Creating a DWF File by Using the Plot Dialog Box Adding Hyperlinks to Drawings Managing Your Drawings with DesignCenter and the Tool Palettes Getting Familiar with DesignCenter Opening and Inserting Files with DesignCenter Finding and Extracting the Contents of a Drawing Exchanging Data Between Open Files...982

29 Contents xxvii Loading Specific Files into DesignCenter Downloading Symbols from DesignCenter Online Customizing the Tool Palettes with DesignCenter Searching Your Drawing Library With Content Explorer Indexing Your Files Searching Your Files Controlling the Content Explorer s Display Adding Network Resources Establishing Office Standards Establishing Layering and Text Conventions Checking Office Standards Converting Multiple Layer Settings Exploring Other Layer Translator Options 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: Customizing Toolbars, Menus, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns Chapter 27: Managing and Sharing Your Drawings

30 xxviii Contents Appendix B Installing and Setting Up AutoCAD Before Installing AutoCAD Proceeding with the Installation Configuring AutoCAD The Files Tab The Display Tab The Open And Save Tab The Plot and Publish Tab The System Tab The User Preferences Tab The Drafting Tab The 3D Modeling Tab The Selection Tab The Profiles Tab 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 The Adaptive Degradation Group The Hardware and Performance Tuning Group The Manual Performance Tuning Dialog Box Finding Hidden Folders That Contain AutoCAD Files Appendix C About the Companion DVD What You ll Find on the DVD Adobe Reader Tutorial Files AutoCAD 2012 Video Tutorials AutoCAD AutoCAD 2012 Video Demos Autodesk Design Review Autodesk DWG TrueView ShapeBook System Requirements Using the DVD Troubleshooting Customer Care Appendix D AutoCAD Certification Index