Mastering AutoCAD is an excellent resource for learning and getting up to speed quickly on all things AutoCAD. Doug Cochran, AutoCAD Senior Product Manager George Omura MASTERING AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009 Expert Advice from Award- Winning Author Over a Half-Million Copies in Print Master the Latest AutoCAD 2009 Features and Improve Your Productivity SERIOUS SKILLS.
Mastering AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009
Mastering AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009 George Omura Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Acquisitions Editor: Willem Knibbe Development Editor: Gary Schwartz Technical Editor: Paul Richardson Production Editor: Eric Charbonneau Copy Editor: Judy Flynn Production Manager: Tim Tate Vice President and Executive Group Publisher: Richard Swadley Vice President and Executive Publisher: Joseph B. Wikert Vice President and Publisher: Neil Edde Book Designers: Maureen Forys and Judy Fung Compositors: Chris Gillespie and Craig Johnson, Happenstance Type-O-Rama Proofreader: Jen Larsen, Word One Indexer: Ted Laux Cover Designer: Ryan Sneed Cover Image: Pete Gardner / Digital Vision / Getty Images Copyright 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada ISBN: 978-0-470-28704-0 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 per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4355, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. 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 Website 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 Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites 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 (800) 762-2974, outside the U.S. at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. 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 Omura, George Mastering AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009 / George Omura. 1st ed. p. cm. ISBN 978-0-470-28704-0 (paper/website) 1. Computer graphics. 2. AutoCAD. 3. Computer-aided design. I. Title. T385.O48275 2008 620.00420285536 dc22 2008022856 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. Autodesk, AutoCAD, and AutoCAD LT are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. 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 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009. This book is part of a family of premium quality Sybex books, all written by outstanding authors who combine practical experience with a gift for teaching. Sybex was founded in 1976. More than thirty 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 nedde@wiley.com, or 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 dear friends Rick and Kathey Brown, who are true survivors.
Acknowledgments Many talented and hardworking folks gave their best effort to produce Mastering AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009. 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. Pete Gaughan kept a watchful eye on the progress of the book. Paul Richardson did an excellent job of ensuring that I didn t make any glaring mistakes and offered suggestions based on his own training experience. Gary Schwartz kept things running smoothly and always had a positive attitude. On the production side, Eric Charbonneau kept the work flow going and Judy Flynn made sure I wasn t trying out new uses of the English language. At Autodesk, special thanks go to Doug Cochran for taking the time from his busy schedule to write the Foreword. Thanks for the kind words, Doug. 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. Finally, as always, a big thanks to Shaan Hurley for generously allowing us to have a look at the pre-release software. And a great big thank you to my family and friends, who have always been a source of inspiration and understanding.
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 to the San Francisco Library project. George has written numerous other AutoCAD books for Sybex, including Introducing AutoCAD 2009, Mastering AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD LT 2008, and Just Enough AutoCAD 2007.
Foreword Congratulations! Whether you are a new or expert user of AutoCAD, you have truly made a worthwhile investment with Mastering AutoCAD. This book will be a valuable addition to your library that you will use on a regular basis as a reference and guide to using AutoCAD. With each release of AutoCAD and its new feature set, Mastering AutoCAD is an excellent resource for learning and getting up to speed quickly on all things AutoCAD. Everything from the basics of AutoCAD, including 3D and programming, is covered in this book. The information is well organized, and a comprehensive index makes retrieving information that you need a cinch. You ll see real-world examples that will quickly help you understand and learn new concepts through the exercises. You ll also learn new commands while actually working on a project as you progress toward a goal. This book is an excellent AutoCAD resource for beginners and advanced users alike. Don t be daunted by the book s thickness. While the in-depth coverage is there when you need it, you can just pick out the tools you want to learn and proceed from there, or if you are interested in learning new features, you can pick a different topic each week to learn about. I know our customers will benefit from reading it as I have. Doug Cochran AutoCAD Senior Product Manager Autodesk, Inc.
Contents at a Glance Introduction...xxix Part 1 The Basics........................................................... 1 Chapter 1 Exploring the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface...3 Chapter 2 Creating Your First Drawing....29 Chapter 3 Setting Up and Using AutoCAD s Drafting Tools....75 Chapter 4 Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups.... 115 Chapter 5 Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks... 145 Part 2 Mastering Intermediate Skills... 177 Chapter 6 Editing and Reusing Data to Work Efficiently... 179 Chapter 7 Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References... 217 Chapter 8 Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts...265 Chapter 9 Understanding Plot Styles...295 Chapter 10 Adding Text to Drawings.... 319 Chapter 11 Using Fields and Tables...353 Chapter 12 Using Dimensions....375 Part 3 Mastering Advanced Skills....423 Chapter 13 Using Attributes...425 Chapter 14 Copying Existing Drawings into AutoCAD...453
Chapter 15 Advanced Editing and Organizing...467 Chapter 16 Laying Out Your Printer Output...509 Chapter 17 Using Dynamic Blocks...535 Chapter 18 Drawing Curves...569 Chapter 19 Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings...597 Part 4 3D Modeling and Imaging............................................ 627 Chapter 20 Creating 3D Drawings...629 Chapter 21 Using Advanced 3D Features...667 Chapter 22 Rendering 3D Drawings...725 Chapter 23 Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids....789 Part 5 Customization and Integration... 831 Chapter 24 Using the Express Tools...833 Chapter 25 Exploring AutoLISP...859 Chapter 26 Customizing Toolbars, Menus, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns...883 Chapter 27 Managing and Sharing Your Drawings... 919 Chapter 28 Keeping a Project Organized with Sheet Sets... 961 Appendices.............................................................. 1003 Appendix A The Bottom Line...1005 Appendix B Installing and Setting Up AutoCAD... 1031 Appendix C Hardware and Software Tips... 1061 Appendix D System Variables and Dimension Styles.... 1081 Index... 1101
Contents Introduction... xxix Part 1 The Basics........................................................... 1 Chapter 1 Exploring the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface... 3 Taking a Guided Tour...4 The AutoCAD Window...5 The Menu Browser...9 The Ribbon....12 The Toolbars...15 Working with AutoCAD...17 Opening an Existing File....17 Getting a Closer Look...19 Saving a File as You Work...22 Making Changes....23 Working with Multiple Files...24 Adding a Predrawn Symbol with the Tool Palette...27 The Bottom Line....28 Chapter 2 Creating Your First Drawing... 29 Getting to Know the Home Tab s Draw and Modify Panels....29 Starting Your First Drawing....31 Specifying Exact Distances with Coordinates....36 Specifying Polar Coordinates...37 Specifying Relative Cartesian Coordinates...38 Interpreting the Cursor Modes and Understanding Prompts...40 Understanding Cursor Modes...41 Choosing Command Options....42 Selecting Objects...46 Selecting Objects in AutoCAD............................................. 47 Using Noun/Verb Selection...53 Editing with Grips...57 Stretching Lines by Using Grips...58 Moving and Rotating with Grips...60 Using Dynamic Input...63 Getting Help...67 Using the InfoCenter...68 Using Context-Sensitive Help...69 Finding Additional Sources of Help...70 Staying Informed with the Communication Center...70
xiv Contents Displaying Data in a Text Window...71 Displaying the Properties of an Object....72 The Bottom Line.... 74 Chapter 3 Setting Up and Using AutoCAD s Drafting Tools... 75 Setting Up a Work Area...75 Specifying Units... 76 Fine-Tuning the Measurement System...79 Setting Up the Drawing Limits...80 An Alternative to Limits...82 Understanding Scale Factors....82 Using Polar Tracking...83 Setting the Polar Tracking Angle...85 Exploring the Drawing Process...86 Locating an Object in Reference to Others...87 Getting a Closer Look...88 Modifying an Object...88 Planning and Laying Out a Drawing...92 Making a Preliminary Sketch....94 Using the Layout....95 Erasing the Layout Lines...100 Putting On the Finishing Touches... 103 Aligning Objects by Using Object Snap Tracking... 104 Using the AutoCAD Modes as Drafting Tools... 111 Using Grid Mode as a Background Grid.... 111 Using the Snap Modes... 112 The Bottom Line.... 113 Chapter 4 Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups...115 Creating a Symbol... 115 Understanding the Block Definition Dialog Box... 118 Inserting a Symbol.... 119 Scaling and Rotating Blocks...122 Using an Existing Drawing as a Symbol....123 Modifying a Block...126 Unblocking and Redefining a Block...127 Saving a Block as a Drawing File...128 Replacing Existing Files with Blocks....130 Other Uses for Blocks.... 131 Understanding the Annotation Scale......................................... 132 Grouping Objects...135 Grouping Objects for LT Users...136 Modifying Members of a Group... 137 Working with the Object Grouping Dialog Box.... 140 Working with the LT Group Manager.... 142 The Bottom Line.... 143
Contents xv Chapter 5 Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks... 145 Organizing Information with Layers... 145 Creating and Assigning Layers... 147 Working on Layers...155 Controlling Layer Visibility...158 Finding the Layers You Want... 160 Taming an Unwieldy List of Layers.... 161 Assigning Linetypes to Layers.... 168 Adding a Linetype to a Drawing... 169 Controlling Lineweights... 173 Keeping Track of Blocks and Layers... 173 Getting a Text File List of Layers or Blocks.... 174 The Bottom Line.... 176 Part 2 Mastering Intermediate Skills........................................ 177 Chapter 6 Editing and Reusing Data to Work Efficiently... 179 Creating and Using Templates....180 Creating a Template...180 Using a Template.... 181 Copying an Object Multiple Times... 182 Making Circular Copies... 182 Making Row and Column Copies... 186 Fine-Tuning Your View... 189 Finishing the Kitchenette... 191 Developing Your Drawing... 192 Importing Settings... 192 Using Osnap Tracking to Place Objects.... 195 Finding an Exact Distance along a Curve... 211 Changing the Length of Objects... 213 Creating a New Drawing by Using Parts from Another Drawing... 213 Eliminating Unused Blocks, Layers, Linetypes, Shapes, Styles, and More.... 214 The Bottom Line.... 216 Chapter 7 Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References.. 217 Assembling the Parts.... 217 Taking Control of the AutoCAD Display...221 Understanding Regeneration and Redrawing...221 Understanding the Frozen Layer Option...226 Using Hatch Patterns in Your Drawings...227 Placing a Hatch Pattern in a Specific Area...227 Positioning Hatch Patterns Accurately...229 Updating a Block from an External File...234 Changing the Hatch Area...236 Modifying a Hatch Pattern...237
xvi Contents Understanding the Boundary Hatch Options....240 Using Additional Hatch Features.... 241 Using Gradient Shading...243 Tips for Using Boundary Hatch...245 Space Planning and Hatch Patterns....245 Using External References...249 Attaching a Drawing as an External Reference...249 Other Differences between External References and Blocks....253 Other External Reference Options...254 Clipping Xref Views and Improving Performance...256 Editing Xrefs in Place...258 Adding and Removing Objects from Blocks and Xrefs...260 Understanding the Reference Edit Dialog Box Options....262 The Bottom Line....264 Chapter 8 Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts... 265 Plotting the Plan....265 Understanding the Plotter Settings....269 Paper Size...269 Drawing Orientation...270 Plot Area....270 Plot Scale...272 Shaded Viewport Options....275 Plot Offset.... 276 Plot Options...277 WYSIWYG Plotting Using Layout Views....279 Plot Scale in the Layout Viewports...282 Adding an Output Device...283 Editing a Plotter Configuration...286 Storing a Page Setup...288 Plotter and Printer Hardware Considerations...290 Understanding Your Plotter s Limits....292 Knowing Your Plotter s Origins...292 The Bottom Line....294 Chapter 9 Understanding Plot Styles... 295 Choosing between Color-Dependent and Named Plot Style Tables...295 Creating a Color Plot Style Table...297 Editing and Using Plot Style Tables...299 Making Your Plot Styles Visible...301 Making Changes to Multiple Plot Styles....302 Setting Up Line Corner Styles...304 Setting Up Screen Values for Solid Areas....306 Controlling the Visibility of Overlapping Objects...306 Other Options in the Plot Style Table Editor...307
Contents xvii Assigning Named Plot Styles Directly to Layers and Objects... 310 Using Named Plot Style Tables.... 310 Assigning Plot Styles to Objects.... 313 Assigning Plot Style Tables to Layers... 315 The Bottom Line.... 317 Chapter 10 Adding Text to Drawings... 319 Preparing a Drawing for Text.... 319 Organizing Text by Styles................................................ 320 Getting Familiar with the Text and Annotation Scale Control Panels....322 Setting the Annotation Scale and Adding Text....323 Exploring Text and Scale...325 Understanding the Text Style Dialog Box Options....327 Style...327 Exploring Text Formatting in AutoCAD...328 Adjusting the Text Height and Font....328 Understanding the Text Formatting Toolbar...330 Adding Symbols and Special Characters...332 Setting Indents and Tabs...334 What Do the Fonts Look Like?....338 Adding Simple Single-Line Text Objects...340 Justifying Single-Line Text Objects...341 Using Special Characters with Single-Line Text Objects...344 Using the Check Spelling Feature...344 Choosing a Dictionary...346 Substituting Fonts...347 Finding and Replacing Text...348 The Bottom Line....350 Chapter 11 Using Fields and Tables... 353 Using Fields to Associate Text with Drawing Properties...353 Adding Tables to Your Drawing...357 Creating a Table....357 Adding Cell Text...358 Adjusting Table Text Orientation and Location....360 Editing the Table Line Work....363 Adding Formulas to Cells....365 Using Formulas Directly in Cells....366 Using Other Math Operations...367 Importing and Exporting Tables...367 Exporting Tables...369 Creating Table Styles... 370 The Table Style Options...371 The Bottom Line....372
xviii Contents Chapter 12 Using Dimensions... 375 Understanding the Components of a Dimension...375 Creating a Dimension Style...377 Setting Up the Primary Unit Style...379 Setting the Height for Dimension Text...380 Setting the Location and Orientation of Dimension Text....381 Choosing an Arrow Style and Setting the Dimension Scale...382 Setting Up Alternate Units...385 Setting the Current Dimension Style....386 Modifying a Dimension Style....387 Drawing Linear Dimensions...388 Understanding the Dimensions Panel....388 Placing Horizontal and Vertical Dimensions....389 Continuing a Dimension...390 Drawing Dimensions from a Common Base Extension Line...392 Adjusting the Distance between Dimensions...394 Editing Dimensions...394 Appending Data to Dimension Text...395 Using Grips to Make Minor Adjustments to Dimensions...397 Changing Style Settings of Individual Dimensions...398 Editing Dimensions and Other Objects Together............................ 400 Associating Dimensions with Objects....402 Adding a String of Dimensions with a Single Operation...403 Adding or Removing the Alternate Dimensions....404 Dimensioning Non-orthogonal Objects...405 Dimensioning Non-orthogonal Linear Distances....405 Dimensioning Radii, Diameters, and Arcs....407 Skewing Dimension Lines.... 410 Adding a Note with a Leader Arrow... 411 Creating Multileader Styles.... 413 Editing Multileader Notes.... 415 Breaking a Dimension Line for a Leader... 415 Applying Ordinate Dimensions... 416 Adding Tolerance Notation... 417 Adding Inspection Dimensions... 419 The Bottom Line....420 Part 3 Mastering Advanced Skills........................................... 423 Chapter 13 Using Attributes... 425 Creating Attributes...426 Adding Attributes to Blocks...427 Copying and Editing Attribute Definitions................................. 429 Turning the Attribute Definitions into a Block...432 Inserting Blocks Containing Attributes...433
Contents xix Editing Attributes...436 Editing Attribute Values One at a Time...436 Editing Attribute Text Formats and Properties...437 Making Global Changes to Attribute Values...438 Making Invisible Attributes Visible....440 Making Global Format and Property Changes to Attributes...441 Redefining Blocks Containing Attributes....443 Extracting and Exporting Attribute Information...444 Performing the Extraction...445 Extracting Attribute Data to an AutoCAD Table....449 The Bottom Line....451 Chapter 14 Copying Existing Drawings into AutoCAD... 453 Methods for Converting Paper Drawings to AutoCAD Files...453 Importing a Raster Image...454 Working with a Raster Image....457 Scaling a Raster Image...457 Controlling Object Visibility and Overlap with Raster Images...458 Clipping a Raster Image...460 Adjusting Brightness, Contrast, and Strength...462 Turning Off the Frame, Adjusting Overall Quality, and Controlling Transparency....462 The Bottom Line....465 Chapter 15 Advanced Editing and Organizing... 467 Using External References (Xrefs)...467 Preparing Existing Drawings for Cross-Referencing...468 Assembling Xrefs to Build a Drawing....470 Importing Named Elements from Xrefs... 476 Controlling the Xref Search Path...478 Managing Layers...479 Saving and Recalling Layer Settings...479 Other Tools for Managing Layers...482 Using Advanced Tools: Filter, Quick Select, and QuickCalc....485 Filtering Selections...485 Using Quick Select...488 Using the QuickCalc Calculator...490 Adding Foot and Inch Lengths and Finding the Sum of Angles...492 Using the Display Area and Units Conversion...495 Using QuickCalc to Find Points........................................... 496 Pasting to the Command Line...498 Finding Fractional Distances between Two Points........................... 499 Using QuickCalc While in the Middle of a Command....502 Storing Expressions and Values...503 Guidelines for Working with QuickCalc...505 The Bottom Line....507
xx Contents Chapter 16 Laying Out Your Printer Output... 509 Understanding Model Space and Paper Space...509 Switching from Model Space to Paper Space... 511 Setting the Size of a Paper Space Layout.... 512 Creating New Paper Space Viewports... 513 Reaching inside Viewports... 515 Working with Paper Space Viewports... 517 Scaling Views in Paper Space... 518 Setting Layers in Individual Viewports...520 Creating and Using Multiple Paper Space Layouts....523 Creating Odd-Shaped Viewports...525 Understanding Lineweights, Linetypes, and Dimensions in Paper Space....527 Controlling and Viewing Lineweights in Paper Space....527 The Lineweight Settings Dialog Box...529 Linetype Scales and Paper Space...530 Dimensioning in Paper Space Layouts...530 Other Uses for Paper Space...534 The Bottom Line....534 Chapter 17 Using Dynamic Blocks... 535 Exploring the Block Editor...535 Editing a Block and Creating New Blocks...537 Creating a Dynamic Block...538 Adding a Parameter...539 Adding an Action...541 Adding an Increment Value...543 Editing Parameters and Actions....544 Keeping an Object Centered....545 Adding Scale and Stretch Actions to a Parameter...546 Adding More Than One Parameter for Multiple Grip Functions...550 Including a Mirror Capability...550 Adding a Selectable List...552 Including Block Information with Data Extraction....555 Creating Multiple Shapes in One Block...559 Rotating Objects in Unison....563 Filling in a Space Automatically with Objects....566 The Bottom Line....568 Chapter 18 Drawing Curves... 569 Introducing Polylines...569 Drawing a Polyline...569 Setting Polyline Options...571 Editing Polylines...572 Setting Pedit Options...575 Smoothing Polylines.... 576 Editing Vertices...578
Contents xxi Creating a Polyline Spline Curve....586 Using True Spline Curves...588 Drawing a True Spline...589 Fine-Tuning Spline Curves...590 Marking Divisions on Curves...592 Dividing Objects into Segments of Equal Length...593 Dividing Objects into Specified Lengths...595 The Bottom Line....596 Chapter 19 Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings... 597 Finding the Area of Closed Boundaries...597 Finding the Area of an Object....598 Using Hatch Patterns to Find Areas...598 Adding and Subtracting Areas with the Area Command...601 Getting General Information...604 Determining the Drawing s Status...604 Keeping Track of Time...606 Getting Information from System Variables...606 Keeping a Log of Your Activity...607 Capturing and Saving Text Data from the AutoCAD Text Window...608 Storing Searchable Information in AutoCAD Files....609 Searching for AutoCAD Files... 610 Recovering Corrupted Files... 611 Using the DXF File Format to Exchange CAD Data with Other Programs... 611 Exporting DXF Files... 612 Opening or Importing DXF Files... 613 Using AutoCAD Drawings in Page-Layout Programs.... 614 Exporting Raster Files... 615 Exporting Vector Files... 617 Using OLE to Import Data... 619 Editing OLE Links... 621 Importing Worksheets as AutoCAD Tables... 621 Understanding Options for Embedding Data...623 Using the Clipboard to Export AutoCAD Drawings... 624 The Bottom Line....625 Part 4 3D Modeling and Imaging............................................ 627 Chapter 20 Creating 3D Drawings... 629 Getting to Know the 3D Modeling Workspace...629 Drawing in 3D Using Solids....631 Creating a 3D Box...632 Editing 3D Solids with Grips...634 Constraining Motion with the Grip Tool...635 Rotating Objects in 3D Using Dynamic UCS...636 Drawing on a 3D Object s Surface...638
xxii Contents Pushing and Pulling Shapes from a Solid...639 Making Changes to Your Solid....642 Creating 3D Forms from 2D Shapes...643 Extruding a Polyline....643 Isolating Coordinates with Point Filters....650 Moving around Your Model....651 Finding Isometric and Orthogonal Views...652 Rotating Freely around Your Model...653 Changing Your View Direction...654 Changing Where You Are Looking...655 Flying through Your View....656 Changing from Perspective to Parallel Projection....657 Getting a Visual Effect...657 Using Visual Styles....658 Creating a Sketched Look with Visual Styles....659 Turning a 3D View into a 2D AutoCAD Drawing...662 The Bottom Line....665 Chapter 21 Using Advanced 3D Features... 667 Setting Up AutoCAD for This Chapter...667 Mastering the User Coordinate System...668 Defining a UCS...669 Saving a UCS...671 Working in a UCS...672 Building 3D Parts in Separate Files...673 Understanding the UCS Options....675 UCS Based on Object Orientation...677 UCS Based on Offset Orientation.... 678 UCS Rotated around an Axis...679 Orienting a UCS in the View Plane...681 Saving a UCS with a View....682 Using Viewports to Aid in 3D Drawing....682 Creating Complex 3D Surfaces...686 Laying Out a 3D Form...686 Spherical and Cylindrical Coordinate Formats...688 Using a 3D Polyline....690 Creating a Curved 3D Surface... 691 Converting the Surface into a Solid...695 Shaping the Solid...695 Finding the Interference between Two Solids...697 Creating Tubes with the Sweep Tool...700 Using Sweep to Create Complex Forms... 701 Creating Spiral Forms...................................................... 704 Creating Surface Models....708 Slicing a Solid with a Surface...709 Finding the Volume of a Cut... 710
Contents xxiii Understanding the Loft Command...712 Moving Objects in 3D Space.... 716 Aligning Objects in 3D Space... 716 Moving an Object in 3D.... 717 Rotating an Object in 3D... 718 Getting around in Your Model...720 The Bottom Line....722 Chapter 22 Rendering 3D Drawings... 725 Creating a Quick-Study Rendering...725 Simulating the Sun....726 Setting Up the Sun...727 Setting Polar North....729 Adding a Distant Light...730 Using Materials...733 Adjusting the Global Material...734 Creating a New Material and Changing Its Properties...736 Adding a Background...739 Creating Effects Using Materials and Lights.... 742 Adding a Self-Illuminated Material.... 742 Assigning Materials by Layer.... 744 Simulating a Night Scene with Spotlights... 745 Adding a Point Light... 749 Editing Lights...750 Applying and Adjusting Texture Maps...753 Creating a Building from a Box...753 Adjusting a Material to Fit an Object....755 Other Material-Mapping Options...758 Specifying the Size of a Bitmap... 760 Simulating Trees and People with Opacity Maps... 762 Understanding the Rendering Options... 765 Checking and Saving Renderings in the Render Window... 767 Adding Cameras for Better View Control... 768 Making Adjustments to Your Camera....771 Creating an Animated Walk-Through.... 774 Fine-Tuning the Animation....775 Printing Your Renderings....777 Simulating Natural Light...779 Rendering Interior Views...780 Using the Sun And Sky Simulation...782 The Bottom Line....787 Chapter 23 Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids... 789 Understanding Solid Modeling...789 Creating Solid Forms....792 Joining Primitives...792
xxiv Contents Creating Complex Solids....796 Tapering an Extrusion...796 Extruding on a Curved Path...798 Revolving a Polyline....799 Editing Solids...801 Splitting a Solid into Two Pieces...801 Rounding Corners with the Fillet Tool...803 Chamfering Corners with the Chamfer Tool...804 Using the Solid Editing Tools............................................. 806 Streamlining the 2D Drawing Process... 816 Drawing Standard Top, Front, and Right-Side Views.... 816 Adding Dimensions and Notes in a Layout... 819 Using Visual Styles with a Viewport....820 Visualizing Solids...822 The Bottom Line....830 Part 5 Customization and Integration... 831 Chapter 24 Using the Express Tools... 833 Using Enhancements Straight from the Source...833 Opening the Express Toolbars...834 Tools for Editing Text...834 Express Blocks Tools....836 Express Standard Tools...837 Express Tools on the Menu Browser...839 Layout Express Tools...848 Putting AutoLISP to Work...851 Loading and Running an AutoLISP Program...851 Managing Your AutoLISP and VBA Library...852 Loading AutoLISP Programs Automatically...853 Creating Keyboard Macros with AutoLISP...854 The Bottom Line....858 Chapter 25 Exploring AutoLISP... 859 Understanding the Interpreter....859 Defining Variables with Setq...860 Understanding Data Types............................................... 861 Using Arguments and Functions...862 Using Text Variables with AutoLISP...863 Storing Points as Variables...865 Creating a Simple Program...865 Dissecting the Rectangle Program....867 Selecting Objects with AutoLISP...871 The Ssget Function...871 Controlling the Flow of an AutoLISP Program....873 Using the If Function...873
Contents xxv Repeating an Expression... 876 Using Other Built-in Functions... 876 Data-Type Conversions...878 Storing Your Programs as Files...879 Getting More Help with AutoLISP...880 The Bottom Line....880 Chapter 26 Customizing Toolbars, Menus, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns 883 Using Workspaces...883 Customizing the User Interface...885 Taking a Quick Customization Tour....................................... 885 Understanding the Customizations in All CUI Files Panel...888 Getting the Overall View....890 Finding Commands in the Command List....892 Preview/Button Image/Shortcuts...892 Getting to the Core of Customization in the Properties Group...892 Creating Your Own Toolbars and Menus...893 Customizing Ribbon Panel Tools...894 Creating Macros in Tools and Menus...898 Pausing for User Input....899 Opening an Expanded Text Box for the Macro Option...899 Editing Keyboard Shortcuts...901 Saving, Loading, and Unloading Your Customizations...901 Understanding the Diesel Macro Language...903 Using Diesel at the Command Line....903 Using Diesel in a Custom Menu Macro....904 Using Diesel as a Menu Option Label...905 Using Diesel and Fields to Generate Text...908 Creating Custom Linetypes................................................. 909 Viewing Available Linetypes...909 Creating a New Linetype... 910 Understanding the Linetype Code... 911 Creating Complex Linetypes... 912 Creating Hatch Patterns... 914 The Bottom Line.... 917 Chapter 27 Managing and Sharing Your Drawings... 919 Sharing Drawings over the Internet.......................................... 919 Sharing Project Files with etransmit....920 Protecting AutoCAD Drawing Files...923 epublishing Your Drawings...928 Exchanging Drawing Sets...928 Other Publish Options...930 Creating a DWF File by Using the Plot Dialog Box...932 Adding Hyperlinks to Drawings...934
xxvi Contents Managing Your Drawings with DesignCenter and the Tool Palettes.............. 938 Getting Familiar with DesignCenter....938 Opening and Inserting Files with DesignCenter...941 Finding and Extracting the Contents of a Drawing...942 Exchanging Data between Open Files....945 Loading Specific Files into DesignCenter...945 Downloading Symbols from DesignCenter Online...946 Customizing the Tool Palettes with DesignCenter........................... 946 Establishing Office Standards...951 Establishing Layering and Text Conventions....951 Checking Office Standards...952 Converting Multiple Layer Settings...956 Other Layer Translator Options...958 The Bottom Line....959 Chapter 28 Keeping a Project Organized with Sheet Sets... 961 Understanding Sheet Sets.... 961 Organizing by Reference Files and Sheet Files...962 Managing Your Files with Sheet Sets...962 Creating a Sheet Set from an Existing Project....963 Using the Create Sheet Set Wizard...963 Exploring the Sheet Set Manager...966 Adding New Sheets to Your Sheet Set....969 Managing Title Blocks and Cross-References...971 Creating a New Sheet Set Based on an Existing One...971 Building a Set of Drawings...972 Adding Callout Blocks as Cross-Reference Symbols...977 Editing Sheet Numbers and Title Block Information...979 Closing a Sheet Set...980 Customizing Sheet Sets....981 Customizing a Title Block...981 Creating Custom View Labels and Callout Blocks...990 Archiving, Publishing, and etransmitting Sheet Sets...997 Archiving Your Sheet Set....998 Batch-Plotting and Publishing Your Sheet Set...1000 Packaging Sheet Sets with etransmit... 1001 Preparing Your Project Files... 1001 The Bottom Line....1002 Appendices.............................................................. 1003 Appendix A The Bottom Line... 1005 Chapter 1: Exploring the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface...1005 Chapter 2: Creating Your First Drawing...1006 Chapter 3: Setting Up and Using AutoCAD s Drafting Tools....1007
Contents xxvii Chapter 4: Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups...1007 Chapter 5: Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks...1008 Chapter 6: Editing and Reusing Data to Work Efficiently....1009 Chapter 7: Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References...1009 Chapter 8: Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts... 1010 Chapter 9: Understanding Plot Styles.... 1011 Chapter 10: Adding Text to Drawings... 1012 Chapter 11: Using Fields and Tables... 1013 Chapter 12: Using Dimensions... 1013 Chapter 13: Using Attributes.... 1015 Chapter 14: Copying Existing Drawings into AutoCAD.... 1015 Chapter 15: Advanced Editing and Organizing... 1016 Chapter 16: Laying Out Your Printer Output... 1016 Chapter 17: Using Dynamic Blocks... 1017 Chapter 18: Drawing Curves... 1018 Chapter 19: Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings... 1020 Chapter 20: Creating 3D Drawings... 1021 Chapter 21: Using Advanced 3D Features... 1022 Chapter 22: Rendering 3D Drawings... 1023 Chapter 23: Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids.... 1024 Chapter 24: Using the Express Tools.... 1025 Chapter 25: Exploring AutoLISP... 1025 Chapter 26: Customizing Toolbars, Menus, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns... 1026 Chapter 27: Managing and Sharing Your Drawings... 1028 Chapter 28: Keeping a Project Organized with Sheet Sets... 1029 Appendix B Installing and Setting Up AutoCAD...1031 Before Installing AutoCAD... 1031 Proceeding with the Installation... 1031 Installing the AutoCAD Software... 1032 Configuring AutoCAD... 1033 The Files Tab... 1033 The Display Tab.... 1036 The Open and Save Tab... 1039 The Plot and Publish Tab....1042 The System Tab...1042 The User Preferences Tab...1044 The Drafting Tab....1046 The 3D Modeling Tab....1048 The Selection Tab... 1051 The Profiles Tab.... 1053 Configuring the Tablet Menu Area...1054 Turning On the Noun/Verb Selection Method... 1055 Turning On the Grips Feature... 1056 Setting Up the Tracking Vector Feature... 1056
xxviii Contents Adjusting AutoCAD s 3D Graphics System... 1056 The Adaptive Degradation Group... 1057 The Hardware And Performance Tuning Group... 1057 The Manual Performance Tuning Dialog Box... 1057 Finding Hidden Folders That Contain AutoCAD Files......................... 1059 Appendix C Hardware and Software Tips...1061 The Graphics Display... 1061 Pointing Devices.... 1062 Output Devices.... 1062 Fine-Tuning the Appearance of Output... 1062 Making Detailed Adjustments with the Printer/Plotter Configuration Options 1063 Adding a Plot Stamp... 1069 Controlling How Lines Overlap.... 1070 Filtering Paper Sizes... 1071 Filtering Printers... 1071 Controlling the Plot-Preview Background Color.... 1072 Controlling the Windows Metafile Background Color.... 1072 Memory and AutoCAD Performance... 1072 AutoCAD and Your Hard Disk.... 1073 Keep Your Hard Disk Clean... 1073 AutoCAD Tools to Improve Memory Use... 1073 Using Partial Open to Conserve Memory and Improve Speed.... 1073 Using Spatial and Layer Indexes to Conserve Memory... 1074 Using the Incremental Save Percentage to Conserve Disk Space... 1075 Setting Up Architectural Desktop to Act Like Standard AutoCAD... 1075 When Things Go Wrong... 1076 Starting Up or Opening a File.... 1076 Restoring Corrupted Files... 1076 Troubleshooting Other Common Problems... 1077 Appendix D System Variables and Dimension Styles...1081 System Variables.... 1081 Taking a Closer Look at the Dimension Style Dialog Boxes... 1082 The Dimension Style Manager Dialog Box.... 1082 The New/Modify/Override Dimension Style Dialog Box....1085 Notes on Metric Dimensioning... 1098 Drawing Blocks for Your Own Dimension Arrows and Tick Marks... 1099 Index... 1101