Table of Contents

Introduction xxvii
Chapter 1 Get ting to Know AutoCAD 1


Starting AutoCAD 2


Accessing the Welcome Screen 2


Understanding the Customer Involvement Program 5


Exploring the User Interface  5


Introducing the Application Window 9


Working in the Command-Line Interface 17


Using the Ribbon 18


Displaying the Ribbon Tools  20


Using the Ribbon Tools  22


Using the Application Menu 24


Opening a Drawing with the Application Menu 25


Switching Between Open Drawings  29


Using the Drop-Down Menus 30


Using the Toolbars  31


Saving Workspaces  33


Using the Keyboard 34


Using the Mouse  34


Are You Experienced? 35


Now you can? 35


Chapter 2 Learning Basic Commands to Get Started 37


Using the Line Command 38


Using Coordinates  45


Using Relative Coordinates  48


Using the Direct Distance Method  50


Drawing the Shape  51


Using Relative Cartesian Coordinates 51


Erasing Lines  52


Controlling How the Selection Tools Are Displayed 54


Using Relative Polar Coordinates  55


Using Direct Input  55


Using the Offset Command  57


Using the Fillet Command 60


Completing the Shape  64


Offsetting Lines to Mark an Opening  64


Extending Lines 65


Trimming Lines  67


If You Would Like More Practice?  71


Are You Experienced? 72


Now you can? 72


Chapter 3 Set ting Up a Drawing 73


Setting Up the Drawing Units  74


Setting Up the Drawing Size  79


Using the Grid  79


Setting Up Drawing Limits  83


Drawing with Grid and Snap  87


Taking a Closer Look at Dynamic Input  90


Saving Your Work 93


Saving Drawings to Your Hard Drive or Network Drive 93


Saving Drawings to Autodesk 360 Storage 96


Understanding AutoCAD Units 98


Linear Units  98


Angular Units 99


Are You Experienced? 100


Now you can? 100


Chapter 4 Developing Drawing Strategies: Part 1 101


Laying Out the Walls  102


Creating Polylines from Existing Objects 103


Creating and Editing Polylines  106


Creating the Exterior Wall Lines 109


Creating the Interior Walls  112


Cutting Openings in the Walls  125


Creating Doors  134


Drawing Swinging Doors 135


Copying Objects 144


Mirroring Objects 147


Scaling the Bathroom Door  150


Drawing a Sliding Glass Door  153


Drawing the Bifold Doors  163


If You Would Like More Practice?  170


An Alternative Sliding Glass Door 170


An Addition to the Cabin 170


Three Views of a Block 171


Are You Experienced? 173


Now you can? 173


Chapter 5 Developing Drawing Strategies: Part 2 175


Starting and Running Commands 176


Drawing the Thresholds 178


Drawing the Front Threshold  179


Drawing the Back Threshold 184


Drawing the Decks and Stairs  186


Drawing the Front Deck  186


Drawing the Deck Posts 189


Drawing the Stairs 194


Mirroring the Post and Railing  194


Drawing the Back Deck and Stairs  199


Using Point Filters to Finish the Deck  204


Laying Out the Kitchen  208


Drawing the Counter 209


Drawing the Stove and Refrigerator  213


Completing the Stove with Parametrics 215


Drawing the Kitchen Sink 228


Constructing the Bathroom 231


Setting Running Object Snaps  231


Drawing a Shower Unit  233


Drawing the Bathroom Sink and Mirror 235


Positioning the Toilet and Shelves  239


Drawing the Hot Tub 242


If You Would Like More Practice?  246


Drawing the Cabin Again 246


Drawing Something Else 246


Drawing Some Furniture for the Cabin  246


Drawing a Gasket 247


Drawing a Parking Lot 249


Are You Experienced? 251


Now you can? 251


Chapter 6 Using Layers to Organize Your Drawing 253


Using Layers as an Organizing Tool 254


Setting Up Layers 255


Assigning Linetypes to Layers 269


Assigning Objects to Layers 276


Turning Off and Freezing Layers 291


Drawing the Headers 294


Drawing the Roof 298


Setting a Linetype Scale Factor 304


Drawing the Ridgeline 306


Using the Layer Walk Tool 308


Setting Properties of Layers and Objects 310


Selecting Colors for Layers and Objects  310


Assigning a Color or a Linetype to an Object Instead of a Layer
310


Making a Color or a Linetype Current  311


Using the Action Recorder  312


Creating Layer States  316


If You Would Like More Practice?  320


Experimenting with Linetypes and Linetype Scales  320


Setting Up Layers for Your Own Trade or Profession 321


Are You Experienced? 322


Now you can? 322


Chapter 7 Combining Objects into Blocks 323


Making a Block for a Door  324


Inserting the Door Block 331


Using Dynamic Blocks 337


Understanding and Using Groups  339


Finding Blocks in a Drawing  342


Using Grips to Detect a Block  342


Using the List Command to Detect a Block  344


Using the Properties Palette to Examine a Block 346


Creating a Window Block 347


Inserting the Window Block 352


Rotating a Block during Insertion  353


Using Snap Tracking to Set the Insertion Point 356


Changing a Block?s Scale Factor by Using Object
Properties  358


Finishing the Windows  360


Revising a Block  365


Sharing Information between Drawings 367


Dragging and Dropping between Two Open Drawings  368


Copying Objects between Drawings  371


Using the AutoCAD DesignCenter 372


Using Other Ways to Share Information between Drawings 
379


If You Would Like More Practice?  387


Are You Experienced? 390


Now you can? 390


Chapter 8 Controlling Text in a Drawing 391


Setting Up Text Styles 392


Determining Text and Drawing Scale 393


Defining a Text Style for View Titles 394


Placing Titles of Views in the Drawing  398


Using Annotative Text 403


Defining an Annotative Text Style 404


Placing Room Labels in the Floor Plan 406


Using Text in a Grid  417


Creating a Title Block and Border 428


Using Multiline Text  445


Finishing the Title Block 446


Using Mtext for General Notes 450


Using the Spell-Check Feature  459


Exploring Other Aspects of Multiline Text  463


If You Would Like More Practice?  468


Are You Experienced? 469


Now you can? 469


Chapter 9 Using Dynamic Blocks and Tables 471


Using Attributes for a Grid  472


Defining Blocks with Attributes  477


Inserting Blocks with Attributes 479


Editing Attribute Text  481


Setting Up Multiple Attributes in a Block  483


Defining a Block with Multiple Attributes  488


Calculating Areas 490


Inserting the Room Information Block  494


Editing Attributes  499


Controlling the Visibility of Attributes  503


Exploring Other Uses for Attributes  507


Creating a Dynamic Block  508


Setting Up Parameters and Actions  509


Fine-Tuning the Dynamic Block with the Properties Palette 
513


Inserting a Dynamic Block  516


Creating a Table  522


Defining a Table Style  523


Designing a Table 527


Creating Tables from Attributes  535


Modifying the Table Display 541


If You Would Like More Practice?  543


Are You Experienced? 543


Now you can? 543


Chapter 10 Generating Elevations 545


Drawing the South Elevation 546


Creating the South Elevation  546


Setting Up Lines for the Heights 549


Using Construction Lines to Project Elevation Points 550


Copying Objects by Using Grips  551


Trimming Lines in the Elevation  555


Assigning Elevation Layers  561


Drawing the Decks in Elevation  562


Generating the Other Elevations 577


Making the Opposite Elevation 577


Revising the New South Elevation  581


Making the Front and Back Elevations 587


Considering Drawing Scale Issues 598


Drawing Interior Elevations 599


If You Would Like More Practice?  599


Are You Experienced? 601


Now you can? 601


Chapter 11 Working with Hatches, Gradients, and Tool Palettes
603


Hatching the South Elevation  604


Looking at Hatch Patterns 608


Hatching the Rest of the South Elevation  610


Adding Special Effects 617


Using Hatches in the Floor Plan  623


Creating the User-Defined Hatch Pattern 624


Controlling the Origin of the Hatch Pattern  626


Finishing the Hatches for the Floors  628


Modifying the Shape of Hatch Patterns 631


Creating and Managing Tool Palettes  633


Creating a New Tool Palette 633


Setting Up a Palette for Hatches  636


Creating a Palette for Commands 638


If You Would Like More Practice?  641


Creating the Hatch Patterns for the Other Elevations 641


Creating Your Hatch Palette  642


Are You Experienced? 644


Now you can? 644


Chapter 12 Dimensioning a Drawing 645


Introducing Dimension Styles  646


Preparing for Dimensioning  647


Making a New Dimension Style 649


Setting Up the Symbols And Arrows Tab  651


Making Changes in the Text Tab 652


Working with Settings on the Fit Tab 654


Setting Up the Primary Units Tab (Architectural)  655


Setting Up the Primary Units Tab (Metric) 657


Completing the Dimension Style Setup  658


Exploring the Alternate Units Tab 660


Exploring the Tolerances Tab  663


Placing Dimensions on the Drawing  668


Placing Horizontal Dimensions 668


Using the Dimension Continue Command 671


Using the Dimension Baseline Command  674


Setting Up Vertical Dimensions  675


Finishing the Dimensions 678


Using Other Types of Dimensions  678


Using Radial Dimensions 680


Adding a Diameter Dimension 681


Adding an Arc Length  682


Setting Up Parent and Child Dimensioning Styles 683


Using Aligned and Angular Dimensions 685


Using Ordinate Dimensions 687


Using Leader Lines 691


Modifying Dimensions  697


Editing Dimension Text Content 698


Moving Dimensions 701


Adjusting Space between Stacked Dimensions 703


Using Dimension Overrides 703


Dimensioning Short Distances 706


If You Would Like More Practice?  710


Dimensioning the Garage Addition 710


Dimensioning to a Centerline  710


Completing Further Exercises 714


Are You Experienced? 715


Now you can? 715


Chapter 13 Managing External References 717


Drawing a Site Plan 718


Using Surveyor?s Units 718


Drawing the Driveway  724


Setting Up an External Reference  731


Using the External References Palette  732


Organizing the Drawing Objects 738


Moving and Rotating an Xref 740


Modifying an Xref Drawing  741


Modifying an Xref by Making It the Current Drawing 741


Modifying an Xref from within the Host Drawing  744


Adding an Image to a Drawing  749


Putting Xrefs to Use  753


Exploring Additional Xref Features  754


Setting the Xref Path 754


Binding Xrefs  756


Exploring Further on Your Own  759


If You Would Like More Practice?  760


Building Architectural References  760


Comparing Reference Types  761


Are You Experienced? 761


Now you can? 761


Chapter 14 Using Layouts to Set Up a Print 763


Getting Ready  764


Preparing the Title Block  765


Creating the Title Block Reference  765


Defining the Attributes  769


Making the Sheet Information Block  774


Setting Up a Sheet Template  776


Setting the Layout Parameters  778


Finishing the Sheet Template  783


Creating Your First Plan Sheet 788


Using Sheet Set Manager  791


Creating a New Sheet Set  791


Adding Existing Drawings to a Sheet Set 796


Creating Drawings with Sheet Set Manager 801


Setting Up Layouts  805


Referencing the Model 805


Creating the Paper Space Viewport 808


Setting the Viewport Scale  811


Copying the Layouts  813


Adjusting a Viewport?s Contents  826


Setting the Linetype Scale 827


Managing the Floor Plan Sheet File  828


Managing the Elevations Sheet File  834


Setting Up the Site Plan Sheet  838


Defining a New Viewport Scale 841


Locking and Turning Off Viewports  844


If You Would Like More Practice?  846


Are You Experienced? 848


Now you can? 848


Chapter 15 Printing a Drawing 849


Using the Plot Dialog Box 850


Printer/Plotter  852


Paper Size and Number of Copies 853


Plot Area 853


Plot Scale  860


Plot Offset and Plot Options  861


The Expanded Plot Dialog Box  861


Applying Plot-Style Tables  864


Introducing Plot-Style Table Files 865


Understanding How Plot-Style Table Files Are Organized 866


Assigning Plot-Style Tables to Drawings 869


Printing a Drawing 875


Determining Lineweights for a Drawing 875


Setting Other Properties of Layers  881


Setting Up the Other Parameters for the Print  882


Previewing a Print  884


Viewing Plots in Design Review 886


Printing a Drawing Using Layouts 888


Updating Model File Layer Properties in Sheet Files 
888


Plotting a Single Layout  891


Printing a Drawing with Multiple Viewports  893


Printing with a Large-Format Printer  893


Publishing Multiple Layouts  895


Publishing with Sheet Set Manager  897


Going Forward  901


If You Would Like More Practice?  901


Are You Experienced? 902


Now you can? 902


Chapter 16 Creating 3D Geometry 903


Modeling in 3D  904


Setting Up the 3D Workspace and Environment  904


Making the Walls  909


Creating the Door and Window Block-Outs 913


Moving and Rotating in 3D  917


Using the First Right-Hand Rule 918


Cutting the Openings  921


Creating the Floor, Foundation, and Thresholds  923


Creating the Foundation and Supports  925


Building the Windows  927


Navigating with the ViewCube  941


Adding the Sliding Door  943


Building the Decks 945


Putting a Roof on the Cabin  963


Getting Further Directions in 3D  976


Using Other Solid-Modeling Tools 976


Using Mesh-Modeling Tools 980


Using Surface-Modeling Tools 981


If You Would Like More Practice?  983


Are You Experienced? 983


Now you can? 983


Chapter 17 Rendering and Materials 985


Creating Cameras to Reproduce Views  986


Using the Loft Tool 986


Creating the Cameras  991


Creating a Lighting Scheme 994


Creating a Light Source 995


Enabling Shadows  999


Creating the First Render  1000


Controlling the Background of the Rendering 1005


Adding Materials 1008


Adjusting the Material Mapping  1013


Rendering to a File 1018


If You Would Like More Practice?  1021


Are You Experienced? 1022


Now you can? 1022


Index 1023

About the Author

Donnie Gladfelter is a highly visible and respected thought leader in the CAD community. He is well known for the CAD Geek blog (www.thecadgeek.com), has written many articles for the popular AUGIWorld magazine, and is a popular speaker at Autodesk University and other industry events. He has worked with the development team at Autodesk to help shape future versions of AutoCAD, and the company has featured him in numerous video interviews, including their popular "Ask the Expert" series. Donnie also helps empower CAD professionals locally and across the world as a Business Development Manager for CADD Microsystems, an Autodesk Platinum Partner and Autodesk's 2010 Reseller of the Year.