AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009 bible

If you’re a beginning user, you’llfind everything you need to start out; if you’re already using AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT regularly, thebook covers advanced material, as well.. This book is

111 River Street

Hoboken, N.J 07030

www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600 Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the LegalDepartment, 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

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 ofthe 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorizationthrough 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 LegalDepartment, 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 HERE FROM 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 CustomerCare Department within the U.S at (800) 762-2974, outside the U.S at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002

Library of Congress Control Number is available from the publisher upon request

Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley logo, and related trade dress 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, AutoCAD LT and DWF are either 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, (c)2008 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

About the Author

Ellen Finkelstein learned AutoCAD in Israel, where she always got to pore over the manual because it was

in English After returning to the United States, she started consulting and teaching AutoCAD as well asother computer programs, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint She has also taught courses

on Web writing and usability Her Web site, www.ellenfinkelstein.com, contains tips and techniquesfor AutoCAD and PowerPoint, and she publishes a monthly AutoCAD Tips Newsletter Ellen has writtenextensively on AutoCAD, including articles for Autodesk’s Web site, such as three white papers on dynamicblocks, and features for AutoCAD’s Help system She is also the editor of Inside AutoCAD, a monthlynewsletter published by Eli Journals

Ellen’s first book was AutoCAD For Dummies Quick Reference Since then, she has written books on PowerPoint, OpenOffice.org (OpenOffice.org For Dummies), Flash (such as Flash CS3 For Dummies), and Web technologies (for example, Syndicating Web Sites with RSS Feeds For Dummies) You’re holding the ninth edi-

tion of this book, which previously appeared for AutoCAD releases 14, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006,

2007, and 2008

Quality Control Technician

To MMY, for teaching me that there’s more to life than meets the eye and that the deeper levels of life are the

most intelligent, powerful, and blissful.

Whether you are a new or expert user with AutoCAD, you have truly made a worthwhile investmentwith the AutoCAD Bible This book will be a valuable addition to your library that you will use on a reg-ular basis as a reference and guide to using AutoCAD With each release of AutoCAD and its new featureset, the AutoCAD Bible is an excellent resource for learning and getting up to speed quickly on all thingsAutoCAD

Everything from the basics of AutoCAD including 3D and programming is covered in this book Theinformation is well organized and a comprehensive index makes retrieving information that you need acinch

You’ll see real-world examples and AutoCAD drawings on the DVD that will quickly help you stand and learn new concepts through the exercises Even more helpful is the fact that the drawings areavailable in both a before and after format, allowing you to use the after format as a reference

under-Ellen has been writing books about AutoCAD for so long that she is practically a household name here

at Autodesk and in the AutoCAD world She is an active participant in our beta program and helpsshape the direction of future releases of AutoCAD You are truly learning from one of the finest andexperienced professionals in this field

Although the in-depth coverage of this book may seem overwhelming, do not feel discouraged by thebooks thickness Pick out the tools that you want to learn about and then proceed from there, or if youare interested in learning new features, pick a different topic each week to learn about

Thank you, Ellen, for creating another great edition of the AutoCAD Bible I know our customers willbenefit from reading it as I have

Doug CochranAutoCAD Product Manager

Autodesk, Inc

Welcome to the AutoCAD 2009 & AutoCAD LT 2009 Bible Whether you use AutoCAD or

AutoCAD LT, you’ll find complete explanations of all the powerful features that you need toknow about to design and draw anything This book is designed to be your comprehensiveguide to both the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT programs

This book covers every significant AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT feature If you’re a beginning user, you’llfind everything you need to start out; if you’re already using AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT regularly, thebook covers advanced material, as well Although you can use this book as a tutorial if you’re just start-ing out or learning a new set of features, it also provides a solid reference base to come back to again andagain The short tutorials on almost every topic will quickly have you creating professional-level draw-ings The DVD is chock-full of drawings, a trial version of AutoCAD 2009, and add-in programs (whichare mostly for AutoCAD only) This book is all that you need to make full use of either program.For AutoCAD 2009, the emphasis is on a new interface, quick access to information, navigation, and anew macro recorder Most of the new features are in AutoCAD LT 2009, as well

Is This Book for You?

The AutoCAD 2009 & AutoCAD LT 2009 Bible covers all of the essential features of AutoCAD and

AutoCAD LT and includes clear, real-life examples and tutorials that you can adapt to your needs.Although I fully cover the basics, I have also included material on the many advanced features, such asexternal database connectivity, AutoLISP, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), 3D modeling, rendering,and customization (Most of the advanced features apply to AutoCAD only.) The following categoriesshould help you decide whether this book is for you

If you are a new AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT user

If you are new to AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT, the AutoCAD 2009 & AutoCAD LT 2009 Bible guides you

through all that you need to know to start drawing effectively, whatever your field Just start at thebeginning

If you are upgrading to AutoCAD 2009 or AutoCAD LT 2009

This book highlights all of the new features and helps you to make the upgrade transition as seamless aspossible Look for the New Feature icons

If you are switching from another CAD program

You already know what CAD is all about This book clearly explains the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT way ofdrawing the models that you have already been drawing In addition, you’ll find a great deal of essentialinformation about transferring files and data from other formats

How This Book Is Organized

This book is divided into eight parts

Part I: AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Basics

Part I provides the background information that you need to start drawing It starts with a “quick tour” thathas you drawing right away, and then covers how to start a drawing, use commands, specify coordinates,and set up a drawing

Part II: Drawing in Two Dimensions

Part II covers all of the commands and procedures for drawing and editing in two dimensions In addition, Idiscuss how to control the drawing process with layers, zooming, and panning Also included in this part isinformation about dimensioning, plotting, and printing

Part III: Working with Data

Part III covers many ways to organize and share data, including blocks, attributes, external references, andexternal databases

Part IV: Drawing in Three Dimensions

Part IV explains everything that you need to know to draw in three dimensions It also discusses how topresent 3D drawings using hiding, shading, and rendering techniques

Part V: Organizing and Managing Drawings

Part V helps you to incorporate AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT into your work world by explaining how to setstandards, manage drawings, and work with other applications It concludes with a chapter on creatingelectronic output

Part VI: Customizing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT

Part VI introduces the tools that you need to customize commands, toolbars, linetypes, hatch patterns,shapes, fonts, and the ribbon You’ll also find a chapter on creating macros with script files as well as theAction Recorder

Part VII: Programming AutoCAD

Part VII introduces you to programming AutoCAD It includes three chapters on AutoLISP and Visual LISP,and one chapter on Visual Basic for Applications This part applies to AutoCAD only

Part VIII: Appendixes

Part VIII provides additional information for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT users Appendix A gives tions for installing and configuring AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Appendix B covers additional resources forAutoCAD and AutoCAD LT users Appendix C explains what you’ll find on the DVD

instruc-The DVD contains a complete copy of this book in nonprintable PDF format.

How to Use This Book

You can use this book in two ways: as a tutorial and learning tool, or as a reference

As a tutorial

The overall organization of the book goes from simple to complex, and each chapter has several step exercises This enables you to use the book as a tutorial, from beginning to end You can always goback and redo any exercise when you need to refresh your memory on a particular feature

step-by-For newcomers to AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT, Parts I (AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Basics) and II (Drawing inTwo Dimensions) are essential After that, you can refer to chapters that interest you Parts III (Workingwith Data) and V (Organizing and Managing Drawings) are also useful for beginners Intermediate users willprobably be familiar with most of the material in Part I and will be more likely to skip around, looking forthe specific topics that they need However, don’t forget that many new features are introduced in Part I.Enough material appears in this book to bring intermediate users up to a fairly advanced level

I have designed this book to be comprehensive and to include every significant feature of AutoCAD andAutoCAD LT Therefore, do not be concerned if some of the material seems too advanced It will be therewhen you are ready for it

As a reference

The AutoCAD 2009 & AutoCAD LT 2009 Bible is organized as a reference that you can refer to whenever you

are stuck, or when you try to do something for the first time Each chapter covers a topic completely, ing it easy to find what you’re looking for Each Steps exercise (with a few exceptions) can be done on itsown without doing the other exercises in the chapter You can easily look up a topic and complete a relatedexercise without having to go through the entire chapter A complete index at the back of the book can alsohelp you to find features and topics

mak-Doing the Exercises

AutoCAD is a very customizable program To a lesser extent, AutoCAD LT can also be customized in manyways This book assumes that you are working with the default setup However, a number of changes mayhave been made to your system that could result in the user interface and drawings appearing or even func-tioning differently from those shown in this book If you installed AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT yourself andmade some adjustments, you know what changes you have made However, if you are using a computerthat was set up by someone else, it may help to talk to that person first, to see what changes they made

In addition, as you work through some of the exercises in this book, you will make certain changes in theprogram’s setup Most of these are minor changes that any user would make while drawing For safety,Cautions and Tips accompany all changes that could have serious consequences, such as customizing themenu For example, when customizing the menu, you will be instructed to copy the menu file under a newname, and you will then work with the new menu file, not the original one Nevertheless, if you are work-ing on a network or sharing your computer with someone else, it is important to consult with others whomay be affected by the changes that you make.

If you do the exercises, I recommend that you do them from the beginning Important instructions aregiven during earlier exercises that may affect your system later For example, one of the first exercises is tocreate a new folder to hold your drawings from the exercises This folder keeps your exercise drawings sep-arate from other drawings that have been created in your office However, each exercise stands on its own

so that you can go back and do only the exercise that you need

You can create your own configuration to help ensure that some changes that you make will not affect others Instructions for doing this appear in Appendix A under the heading “Creating Multiple Configurations.”

The exercises in the AutoCAD 2009 & AutoCAD LT 2009 Bible have been carefully checked by a technical

editor to ensure accuracy However, we cannot anticipate all situations, due to either varying hardware andsoftware configurations or customization If you have a problem with an exercise, contact me at the e-mailaddress listed at the end of this Preface so that I can correct the problem in the book’s next edition I willalso try to give you the information that you need to complete the exercise

Conventions Used in This Book

Given all the ways in which you can execute a command in AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, you’ll find it useful

to read this section, which describes this book’s typographical conventions You will find this section helpfulfor doing the step-by-step exercises as well

Using commands

AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT offer workspaces (covered fully in Appendix A) that provide very different ways

of executing commands The default workspace, 2D Drafting & Annotation, uses the ribbon and menubrowser, whereas the Classic workspace uses more traditional menus and toolbars I use this defaultworkspace (or the 3D Modeling workspace for 3D drawing in AutoCAD) throughout the book Allworkspaces offer a command line, where you can execute a command by entering its name

When I explain how to execute a command, I give the instructions for doing so on the ribbon, if possible

In addition, I almost always provide the name of the command so that you can enter it on the commandline

The new ribbon created a quandary for me, because I know that some people, especially those upgradingfrom earlier releases, will not use it; instead, they will prefer to use the Classic workspace with its familiarmenus and toolbars However, I felt that explaining how to execute each command in three ways (the rib-bon, the menu/toolbar, and on the command line) would be awkward, perhaps confusing, and space-consuming What should you do if you are using this book with the Classic workspace?

CROSS-REF

In many cases, especially if you’re upgrading, you’ll already know where to find familiar commands Fornew commands, it’s easy to find their location in the Classic workspace by going to the Help system Followthese steps:

1 Press F1 to open the Help window.

2 Click the Contents tab on the left

3 Expand the Command Reference and then the Commands item

4 Expand the listing of the command’s first letter and click the command

5 Look at the top of the right-hand pane, where you’ll find instructions for all the available methods

of executing the command

When referring to the ribbon, I might say, “Choose Home tab ➪ Draw panel ➪ Line,” which means to clickthe Home tab if it’s not already displayed, look for the Draw control panel, and click the Line button in thatpanel If you’re not sure which button to click, hover the mouse cursor over a button to see its tooltip,which provides more information You can expand many control panels by clicking their title at the bottom

of the ribbon; if a command is on the expanded section, I indicate that in the instruction

A few of the ribbon control panels have drop-down lists (or flyouts), which are equivalent to sub-menus.Therefore, to indicate which button to choose, I may need to tell you to choose Home tab ➪ Utilities panel

➪ Zoom drop-down list ➪ Zoom Extents Although I haven’t found a good alternative, this is not pletely satisfactory for two reasons First, it’s a mouthful! Second, the flyout names do not appear, making ithard to know which is the Zoom drop-down list However, in most cases, the button icon will make it obvi-ous which drop-down list I’m talking about

com-To indicate that you should choose a command from the menu, for example, I say, “Choose Menu Browser ➪ View ➪ Viewports,” which means that you should click the Menu Browser button at the upper-left corner of the application window, then click the View menu, and finally click the Viewports menu item Every command also has a command name that you can type on the command line, which appears at thebottom of your screen Command names are shown in capital letters, as in CIRCLE AutoLISP functions(which apply to AutoCAD only) are shown in small capital letters, as in COMMAND

Figures

In order to create clear, legible figures, I have used a white background in AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT.However, many people use a black drawing area In Appendix A, I explain how to change this color As youread through the book, you should be aware that you may see on your screen a negative image of what Ishow in the figures — a dark background and light-colored objects Once you get used to this difference,you’ll easily recognize what you see in the figures

In AutoCAD, the 3D environment further changes what you see on your screen The default 3D background

is gray Again, I have sometimes changed the background color to white for the purpose of creating a clearfigure

Prompts, your input, and instructions

In the step-by-step exercises, most instructions are presented in the same font and style that you are readingnow However, when I reproduce the command line, the prompts appear in a nonproportional font

Other instructions (such as “Type the first coordinate”) are shown in italic In any context, input that you

need to type appears in bold.

The Dynamic Input feature shows prompts near your cursor, but additional options only appear if you clickthe down arrow on your keyboard To make clear all of the available options, I use the command line for-mat of prompts.

Here’s a sample step-by-step section In this exercise, you click the proper ribbon button (which is shown inthe margin), type the number shown in bold, press Enter where indicated by the bent arrow (↵) symbol,and follow the instructions that appear in italic

8 To create a second rectangle inside the first one, choose the Home tab ➪ Modify panel ➪ Offset

(I cover this and other editing commands in Chapters 9 and 10.) Follow these prompts:

Specify offset distance or [Through/Erase/Layer] <Through>: 4 ↵

Select object to offset or [Exit/Undo] <Exit>: Click the rectangle to select it.

Specify point on side to offset or Exit/Multiple/Undo] <Exit>: Click anywhere inside the rectangle.

Select object to offset or [Exit/Undo] <Exit>: ↵Often I refer to specific elements in a drawing References to these elements appear in the text as numbers

in circles, such as 1, 2, 3, and so on You’ll find the corresponding number in the figure to which thetext refers

Mouse and keyboard terms

You can draw using a mouse or a puck The mouse is familiar to all users A puck (or sometimes a stylus) isused with a digitizing tablet Because most users do not have a digitizing tablet, I do not directly refer to it

in this book If you have one, follow the instructions for using the mouse in the same way, but using yourpuck

A mouse can have two or more buttons Many users like using a mouse with at least three buttons becauseyou can customize the buttons to suit your needs However, because many mice have only two buttons, Iassume only two The left mouse button is used to choose commands and toolbar buttons, and to pick

points in your drawing For this reason, it is sometimes called the pick button The right button usually

opens a shortcut menu

The time-sensitive right-clicking feature enables you to use the right button either to open a shortcut menu

or as the equivalent of pressing Enter Because this feature is not on by default, I do not assume that you

have turned it on I use the term right-click when you need to access a shortcut menu If you have

time-sensitive right-clicking turned on, you need to hold down the right mouse button more than 250 seconds (by default) to display the shortcut menu See Chapter 3 and Appendix A for more details

milli-If I say one of the following

 Choose Menu Browser ➪ Tools ➪ Options

 Choose Home tab ➪ Draw control panel ➪ Line

 Select the circle in your drawing

it means that you need to use the left button of your mouse

When I say to press Enter, it means that you need to press the key that is marked Enter, Return, or ↵onyour keyboard Often I use the bent arrow symbol (↵) that you see on your Enter key to indicate that youshould press Enter

I also use the mouse terms listed in the following table.

Mouse Terms

Cursor The shape on your screen that shows you where the mouse is pointed It can take a number of

shapes, such as crosshairs, pickbox, or arrow It is also known as the mouse pointer

Pickbox A type of cursor consisting of a small box, used to select drawing objects

Crosshairs A type of cursor consisting of intersecting lines, sometimes with a pickbox at their center.Pick Point to a drawing object and click the left mouse button

Click Press the left mouse button once and release it

Double-click Press the left mouse button twice in rapid succession

Click and drag Click the left mouse button and hold it down while you move the mouse, dragging an object

on your screen with it

Choose Click a ribbon item, menu item, toolbar button, or dialog box item You can sometimes

choose an item using the keyboard, as well I also use this word when you need to choose acommand option, which you can do by choosing from a shortcut menu with a mouse, butalso by typing the option’s abbreviation on the keyboard

Right-click Press the right mouse button once and release it If you have turned on time-sensitive

right-clicking, hold the right mouse button at least 250 milliseconds (by default) before releasing it Shift and click While holding down the Shift key, press the left mouse button once and release it

Shift and right-click While holding down the Shift key, press the right mouse button once and release it

Shift and mouse wheel A new shortcut in AutoCAD for temporarily starting the 3DORBIT command requires you to

press the Shift key and hold down the mouse wheel, using it like a button

Select Highlight an object in a drawing by picking it or by using another object selection method, or

highlight text in a dialog box or text document

What the Icons Mean

AutoCAD 2009 & AutoCAD LT 2009 Bible is liberally sprinkled with icons — symbols in the left margin that

call your attention to noteworthy points

This icon means that the feature that I am discussing is not available in AutoCAD LT.

The Caution icon means that you should pay special attention to the information or tions because a possibility exists that you could cause a problem otherwise.

instruc-Cross-References refer you to a related topic elsewhere in the book Because you may not read this book straight through from cover to cover, you can use cross-references to quickly find just the information you need.

The New Feature icon means that a feature is new to AutoCAD 2009 or AutoCAD LT 2009 or has been significantly changed.

A Note icon alerts you to some important point that requires special attention, or additional information that may be helpful.

The On the DVD icon highlights references to related material on the DVD.

A Tip shows you a way to accomplish a task more efficiently or quickly You’ll find plenty of practical advice here.

About the DVD

The DVD contains all of the drawings that you need to do the exercises in this book These drawings are agreat resource to help you learn using real-world drawings In addition, the DVD includes the drawings thatresult after you finish an exercise or tutorial In this way, you can check whether you have done an exercisecorrectly

The DVD also contains many add-on programs that I hope you will find useful I am especially pleased toinclude 30-day trial versions of AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009 on the DVD, as well as this entirebook in (nonprintable) PDF format

Other Information

If you are already an advanced user but need tips and secrets for getting the most out of AutoCAD or AutoCAD

LT, this book will probably not add too much to your already great store of knowledge However, few peopleknow everything about these complex programs, and so you may be surprised by what you can learn

This book assumes that you know the basics of Windows, although the instructions that you’ll read here areusually detailed enough to get you through any task

AutoCAD 2009 & AutoCAD LT 2009 Bible covers AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009 However, most of

the information also applies to the 2008 release of both programs I have used AutoCAD in Windows Vista,but almost everything also applies to Windows XP, although some of the screens will look different If youare using AutoCAD LT 2009, again, some of the screens will look different Where there is a significant dif-ference between AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, I explain the difference

Contacting the Author

I would be happy to hear any comments that you have about this book The best way to contact me is bye-mail at ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com You can also use the United States Postal Service (a.k.a snailmail) and write to me in care of Wiley Please note that I can’t provide technical support for my readers Thepublisher maintains a page on its site that includes the drawings used in the exercises (in case you lose yourDVD) and any errata at www.wiley.com/go/autocad2009bible I have my own Web site at

www.ellenfinkelstein.comthat contains information on my books and on AutoCAD, includingmany AutoCAD tips I invite you to sign up there for my free AutoCAD Tips Newsletter, so that you cancontinue the learning process

TIP

NOTE

NEW FEATURE

Iwould like to offer special thanks to Stephanie McComb, my acquisitions editor, who was very portive throughout the writing of this book.

sup-A huge thank-you goes to Jade Williams, whose infinite organizing power kept the book on track Jadekept up with a seemingly infinite number of versions of text documents and images, coordinating thewriting, editing, and production of the entire book I don’t know how this book could exist without her

My thanks to Lee Ambrosius, an AutoCAD consultant (www.hyperpics.com), and the highly edgeable technical editor for the book Lee’s comments improved the book throughout

knowl-I also thank Marylouise Wiack for her precise editing of this very technical book, and all of the people atWiley who helped with the production of this book and its DVD

Thanks to Doug Cochran, the AutoCAD Product Manager at Autodesk, Inc., for writing a greatForeword for this book I also want to express my great appreciation to the members of Autodesk’s betaand product teams who were very supportive throughout the alpha and beta period They include:Shaan (the great) Hurley, Nate Bartley, Alex Bicalho, Matt Stein, Eric Stover, and many others

Many people contributed drawings and software for this book I’d like to thank all of them They havehelped to make this book the most comprehensive book on AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT available Ispecifically want to thank Lee Ambrosius and Melanie Perry for their help in updating several of thechapters in this book This book is long and detailed, and their able assistance made it possible for me

to meet my deadlines

Finally, I would like to thank my husband, Evan, and two kids, Yeshayah and Eliyah, who helped outaround the house while I was writing, writing, and writing (and who wanted to see their names inprint) Without their support, I could not have completed this book

Foreword v

Preface vii

Acknowledgments xv

Part I: AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Basics 1

Quick Start: Drawing a Window 3

Chapter 1: Starting to Draw 13

Chapter 2: Opening a Drawing 27

Chapter 3: Using Commands 37

Chapter 4: Specifying Coordinates 61

Chapter 5: Setting Up a Drawing 95

Part II: Drawing in Two Dimensions 111

Chapter 6: Drawing Simple Lines 113

Chapter 7: Drawing Curves and Points 121

Chapter 8: Viewing Your Drawing 137

Chapter 9: Editing Your Drawing with Basic Tools 171

Chapter 10: Editing Your Drawing with Advanced Tools 195

Chapter 11: Organizing Drawings with Layers, Colors, Linetypes, and Lineweights 253

Chapter 12: Obtaining Information from Your Drawing 287

Chapter 13: Creating Text 309

Chapter 14: Drawing Dimensions 361

Chapter 15: Creating Dimension Styles 409

Chapter 16: Drawing Complex Objects 441

Chapter 17: Plotting and Printing Your Drawing 483

Part III: Working with Data 519

Chapter 18: Working with Blocks and Attributes 521

Chapter 19: Referencing Other Drawings 585

Chapter 20: Working with External Databases 609

Part IV: Drawing in Three Dimensions 639

Chapter 21: Specifying 3D Coordinates 641

Chapter 22: Viewing 3D Drawings 667

Chapter 23: Creating 3D Surfaces 713

Chapter 24: Creating Solids and Editing in 3D 753

Chapter 25: Rendering in 3D 817

Part V: Organizing and Managing Drawings 849

Chapter 26: Keeping Control of Your Drawings 851

Chapter 27: Working with Other Applications 911

Chapter 28: Creating Electronic Output 935

Part VI: Customizing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 959

Chapter 29: Customizing Commands, Toolbars, and Tool Palettes 961

Chapter 30: Creating Macros and Slide Shows 983

Chapter 31: Creating Your Own Linetypes and Hatch Patterns 997

Chapter 32: Creating Shapes and Fonts 1009

Chapter 33: Customizing the Ribbon and Menus 1021

Part VII: Programming AutoCAD 1047

Chapter 34: Understanding AutoLISP and Visual LISP Basics 1049

Chapter 35: Exploring AutoLISP Further 1065

Chapter 36: Exploring Advanced AutoLISP Topics 1091

Chapter 37: Programming with Visual Basic for Applications 1107

Part VIII: Appendixes 1137

Appendix A: Installing and Configuring AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 1139

Appendix B: AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Resources 1167

Appendix C: What’s on the DVD-ROM 1173

Index 1181

Foreword v

Preface vii

Acknowledgments xv

Part I: AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Basics 1 Quick Start: Drawing a Window 3

Summary 12

Chapter 1: Starting to Draw 13

AutoCAD’s Advantages 13

Comparing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 14

Starting AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 15

Creating a New Drawing 15

Using the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface 15

The drawing area 16

The UCS icon 17

The crosshairs 18

The ribbon and Quick Access toolbar 18

Using the Menu Browser 19

The command line and dynamic input tooltip 20

The status bar 20

Creating a New Folder 20

Using the Interface 21

Saving a Drawing 23

Closing a Drawing and Exiting from AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 25

Summary 26

Chapter 2: Opening a Drawing 27

Creating a New Drawing from a Template 27

Working with Templates 29

Customizing the default template 29

Creating your own templates 30

Creating a Drawing with Default Settings 30

Opening an Existing Drawing 31Using other ways to open drawings 32Switching among open drawings 32Using an Existing Drawing as a Prototype 33Saving a Drawing under a New Name 33Summary 35

Chapter 3: Using Commands 37

The AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface 37Using the ribbon 37Using menus 38Using shortcut menus 39Using dialog boxes 40Using toolbars 40Using palettes 42Tool palettes 42The Command Line and Dynamic Input 43Using Dynamic Input 43Understanding command names 44Responding to commands 45Command Techniques 47Repeating commands 48Using recent input 48Canceling commands 48Undoing a command 49Redoing a command 50Using one command within another command 51

Of Mice and Pucks 53Getting Help 54Getting help on a command 54Finding help with Quickstart links 55Using the main Help system 55The Contents tab 55The Index tab 56The Search tab 56Working with Help screens 56Using the InfoCenter 57Search Help 57The Communication Center 57Favorites 57Summary 59

Chapter 4: Specifying Coordinates 61

Understanding the X,Y Coordinate System 61Drawing units 62Types of measurement notation 62

Typing Coordinates 63Using the Dynamic Input tooltip to enter coordinates 63Typing coordinates in the Dynamic Input tooltip 63Specifying Dynamic Input settings 63Overriding Dynamic Input settings 66Absolute Cartesian coordinates 66Relative Cartesian coordinates 67Polar coordinates 69Direct distance entry 71Orthogonal mode 71Polar tracking 71Setting polar tracking angles 72Using polar tracking 73Displaying Coordinates 75Picking Coordinates on the Screen 76Snap settings 76Snapping to a grid 76Snapping at polar angles 77The grid 78Object snaps 80Running object snaps and Object Snap mode 84Overriding Coordinate Settings 85Locating Points 88Object snap tracking 88Using the temporary tracking feature .92Point filters 92From feature 92Summary 94

Chapter 5: Setting Up a Drawing 95

Choosing Unit Types 95Setting the drawing units 96Setting the angle type 96Setting the angle measure and direction 98Drawing Limits 99Understanding Scales 99Working with scale formats 101Using annotative scales 102Customizing the scale list 104Deciding on a scale and sheet size 105Creating a Titleblock 105Specifying Common Setup Options 106Customizing with the MVSETUP Command 108Using the Setup Wizards 109Summary 109

Part II: Drawing in Two Dimensions 111

Chapter 6: Drawing Simple Lines 113

Using the LINE Command 113Drawing Rectangles 115Drawing Polygons 115Creating Construction Lines 118Creating Rays 119Summary 120

Chapter 7: Drawing Curves and Points 121

Drawing Circles 121Understanding the circle options 121Drawing circles 122Drawing Arcs 124Understanding arc options 124Drawing arcs 125Creating Ellipses and Elliptical Arcs 128Understanding ellipse options 128Creating ellipses 128Creating elliptical arcs 129Drawing ellipses 129Making Donuts 131Understanding DONUT options 132Drawing donuts 132Placing Points 132Changing the point style 132Creating points 133Summary 135

Chapter 8: Viewing Your Drawing 137

Regenerating and Redrawing the Display 137Panning 138Using the PAN command 138Using the scroll bars 138Using the ZOOM Command 138Understanding ZOOM options 139Using ZOOM Dynamic 140Using the SteeringWheel 143Using Aerial View 145Creating Named Views 146Saving a view 147Displaying a view 150Managing named views 150Creating animated presentations from named views 151Using named views to manage a drawing 154

A drawing with a view 154Partially opening a drawing 154Using named views with sheet sets 154

Working with Tiled Viewports 155Configuring tiled viewports 156Creating tiled viewports 156Removing tiled viewports 158Using tiled viewports 158Saving and restoring viewport configurations 158Using Snap Rotation 160Understanding User Coordinate Systems 161Understanding UCS options 162Saving and restoring a custom UCS 163Controlling the UCS icon 164Using a custom UCS 165Creating Isometric Drawings 167Understanding isometric planes 167Drawing in Isometric mode 168Summary 168

Chapter 9: Editing Your Drawing with Basic Tools 171

Editing a Drawing 171Understanding object-selection basics 172Erasing objects 172Moving objects 174Copying objects 176Copying and moving objects from one drawing to another 179Rotating objects 179Scaling objects 182Using the CHANGE command 184Changing lines 184Changing circles 184Selecting Objects 185Selecting objects after choosing a command 185Cycling through objects 188Selecting objects before choosing a command 188Implied windowing 188Customizing the selection process 190Selection preview 190Noun/verb selection 191Use Shift to Add to Selection 191Press and Drag 192Implied windowing 192Object grouping 193Associative Hatch 193Pickbox Size 193Summary 193

Chapter 10: Editing Your Drawing with Advanced Tools 195

Copying and Moving Objects 195Using the MIRROR command 196Using the ARRAY command 197Rectangular arrays 197

Offsetting objects 202Aligning objects 205Using the ALIGN command 205Using the 3DALIGN command 206Resizing commands 208Trimming objects 208Extending objects 212Lengthening objects 214Stretching objects 216Using Construction Commands 218Breaking objects 218Joining objects 220Creating chamfered corners 221Creating rounded corners 225Creating a Revision Cloud 228Hiding Objects with a Wipeout 229Double-Clicking to Edit Objects 229Grips 230Stretching with grips 231Stretching one line 232Stretching multiple lines 232Moving with grips 233Rotating with grips 233Scaling with grips 234Mirroring with grips 234Customizing grips 236Editing with the Quick Properties Panel and the Properties Palette 237Using the Quick Properties panel 237Using the Properties palette 238Selection Filters 241Using Quick Select to select objects 241Using the FILTER command 243Creating a single filter 243Adding a second filter 244Naming and editing filters 245Using filters 246Groups 247Creating and modifying groups in AutoCAD 247Creating a new group 248Changing a group 248Creating and modifying groups in AutoCAD LT 249Creating a new group 250Changing a group in AutoCAD LT 250Using groups 250Summary 250

Chapter 11: Organizing Drawings with Layers, Colors, Linetypes, and Lineweights 253

Working with Layers 253Understanding layers 254Creating new layers 254Naming the layer 256Assigning a color 257Assigning a linetype 259Assigning a lineweight 261Using layers 263Switching the current layer 264Changing a layer’s state 264Saving layer states 266Changing an existing object’s layer 267Making an object’s layer current 268Using special layer tools 268Modifying layers 271Managing columns 271Filtering the layer list 271Changing a layer’s color, linetype, and lineweight 273Renaming layers 273Deleting layers 274Purging layers and linetypes 274Changing Object Color, Linetype, and Lineweight 276Changing an object’s color 276Changing the current color 277Changing an object’s linetype 277Changing the current linetype 278Changing an object’s lineweight 278Changing the current lineweight 278Working with Linetype Scales 280Changing linetype spacing by using a different linetype 280Changing linetype spacing by changing the global linetype scale 281Changing linetype spacing by changing the object linetype scale 282Changing the current object linetype scale 283Changing an existing object’s linetype scale 283Importing Layers and Linetypes from Other Drawings 283Matching Properties 285Summary 286

Chapter 12: Obtaining Information from Your Drawing 287

Drawing-Level Information 287Listing the status of your drawing 287Listing system variables 288Tracking drawing time 289Object-Level Information 291Listing objects 291Calculating distances 292

Finding coordinates 292Calculating area and perimeter 293Getting information from the Properties palette 296Getting information from the Quick Properties panel 296Measurement Commands 297Dividing objects 297Measuring objects 298AutoCAD’s Calculator 300Calculating numbers 300Using coordinates 302Using object snaps 302Using the scientific calculator 303Converting units 304Working with QuickCalc variables 304Using QuickCalc in the Properties palette 305Summary 307

Chapter 13: Creating Text 309

Creating Single-Line Text 309Justifying single-line text 310Setting the height 311Setting the rotation angle 312Adding special characters and formatting 312Editing single-line text 314Scaling text 315Justifying text 316Understanding Text Styles 317Creating a new text style 318Font 318Size 318Effects 319Renaming and deleting text styles 320Modifying a text style 321Making a style current or changing a text object’s style 321Importing a text style 322Creating Multiline Text 322Using the In-Place Text Editor 322Specifying and changing line spacing 329Specifying width and rotation 330Creating text for different scales 331Editing paragraph text 333Importing text 333Creating Tables 335Inserting a table 335Specifying a table style 336General properties 338Text properties 338Border properties 339Completing the table style 339

Adding data to a table 339Entering data into a table 340Linking to external data 341Extracting data from drawing objects 343Modifying a table 345Changing the text 345Changing table properties 346Changing cell properties 346Breaking a table into sections 348Inserting Fields 351Creating fields 351Editing and updating fields 352Managing Text 354Using Quicktext 354Using AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT fonts 355Freezing text layers 355Using MIRRTEXT 355Finding Text in Your Drawing 356Checking Your Spelling 358Summary 360

Chapter 14: Drawing Dimensions 361

Working with Dimensions 361The elements of a dimension 361Preparing to dimension 363Drawing Linear Dimensions 363Specifying the dimensioned object 364Using dimension options 366MText 366Text 367Angle 367Horizontal/vertical 367Rotated 368Creating jogged dimension lines 368Drawing Aligned Dimensions 369Specifying the dimensioned object 369Using the options 370Creating Baseline and Continued Dimensions 371Drawing baseline dimensions 371Drawing continued dimensions 372Dimensioning Arcs and Circles 374Marking arc and circle centers 375Dimensioning arc lengths 375Creating radial dimensions 376Creating diameter dimensions 376Dimensioning Angles 377Creating Ordinate Dimensions 380

Drawing Leaders 383Creating a multileader 383Creating a multileader style 384Aligning and combining leaders 387Using Quick Dimension 391Creating Inspection Dimensions 393Creating Geometric Tolerances 394Starting the tolerance frame 395Inserting the tolerance frame 397Editing a tolerance frame 397Editing Dimensions 398Editing associativity 399DIMREASSOCIATE 399DIMDISASSOCIATE 400DIMREGEN 400Using the DIMEDIT command 400Using the DIMTEDIT command 401Flipping dimension arrows 402Editing dimension text 403Using the Properties palette to edit dimensions 403Changing annotative scales 403Spacing dimensions equally apart 403Breaking dimensions 404Using Quick Dimension to edit dimensions 404Using grips to edit dimensions 405Editing objects and dimensions together 406Summary 408

Chapter 15: Creating Dimension Styles 409

Understanding Dimension Styles 409Defining a New Dimension Style 411Managing dimension lines 412Dimension lines 412Extension lines 413Defining symbols and arrows 414Defining arrowheads 414Defining symbols 416Managing dimension text 418Text appearance 418Text placement 419Text alignment 420Fitting dimensions into tight spaces 421Fit Options 422Text Placement 424Scale for Dimension Features 425Defining primary units 426Linear Dimensions 428Angular Dimensions 429

Defining alternate units 429Formatting tolerances 431Changing Dimension Styles 433Choosing a new current dimension style 433Creating a variant of a dimension style 434Modifying a dimension to use a new dimension style 434Modifying dimension styles 434Overriding a dimension style 435Updating dimensions 436Comparing dimension styles 436Copying dimension styles from other drawings 436Summary 440

Chapter 16: Drawing Complex Objects 441

Creating and Editing Polylines 441Using the PLINE command 442Editing polylines with the PEDIT command 445Editing polylines with the Properties palette or Quick Properties panel 447Drawing and Editing Splines 448Creating splines 449Editing splines 450Creating Regions 452Creating Boundaries 454Creating Hatches 456Understanding hatch patterns 457Defining a hatch 458Specifying the hatch type and pattern 458Setting the hatch angle and scale 459Setting the hatch origin 461Determining the hatch boundary 461Islands 463Other advanced options 465Dragging and dropping hatch patterns 465Creating gradient fills 466Editing hatches 467Using the SOLID command 469Creating and Editing Multilines 469Creating a multiline style 470Defining multiline style properties 471Saving a new multiline style 472Loading a multiline style 472Drawing multilines 474Editing multilines 476Creating Dlines in AutoCAD LT 477Using the SKETCH Command 478Digitizing Drawings with the TABLET Command 480Summary 482

Chapter 17: Plotting and Printing Your Drawing 483

Preparing a Drawing for Plotting or Printing 483Doing a draft plot 483Plotting a drawing from model space 484Creating a Layout in Paper Space 484Entering paper space 484Laying out a drawing in paper space on your own 487Managing layouts 487Using the Page Setup Manager 489Preparing layers 491Inserting a titleblock 491Creating floating viewports 491Returning to model space while on a layout 493Setting viewport scale 494Locking the viewport 494Setting viewport size, placement, and display 494Controlling scale for noncontinuous linetypes 495Setting layer visibility and properties within a viewport 495Setting hidden and shaded views for viewports 496Annotating a layout 497Using annotation objects on a layout 498Adding text and dimensions in paper space 500Export a layout to model space of a new drawing 501Saving a layout template 501Working with Plot Styles 505Setting the plot-style mode 505Creating a plot-style table 506Creating a named plot-style table 506Editing a plot-style table 508Attaching a plot-style table to a layout 510Setting the plot-style property for a layer or object 510Plotting a Drawing 512Specifying plot settings 513Previewing your plot 515Creating a plot stamp 515Creating the plot 516Summary 517

Chapter 18: Working with Blocks and Attributes 521

Combining Objects into Blocks 522Understanding base points and insertion points 522Creating a block 523Redefining a block 525Saving blocks as files 526Replacing an existing file 527

Inserting Blocks and Files into Drawings 528Using the Insert dialog box 528Using the DesignCenter 532Managing Blocks 535Working with layers 535Exploding blocks 538Using the XPLODE command 538Editing blocks 540Double-clicking to edit blocks 540Editing blocks with grips 540Updating blocks 540Substituting blocks 541Creating and Using Dynamic Blocks 542Understanding the work flow of dynamic blocks 543Defining a dynamic block 544Adding a parameter 546Adding an action 547Adding visibility parameters 550Adding lookup parameters and actions 551Using parameter sets 553Saving dynamic blocks and closing the Block Editor 553Inserting and modifying dynamic blocks 553Using Windows Features to Copy Data 559Manipulating objects with the Windows Clipboard 559Using drag-and-drop 560Working with Attributes 563Creating attribute definitions 564Mode section 564Attribute section 565Text Settings section 566Insertion Point section 566Creating the block 566Inserting blocks with attributes 568Editing attributes 569Editing attribute properties in AutoCAD 569Editing attribute properties in AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 571Making global changes in attributes 572Redefining attributes 573Extracting a database from attributes 576Summary 584

Chapter 19: Referencing Other Drawings 585

Understanding External References 585Attaching an external reference 586Opening an xref 587Using the External References palette 587Editing an Xref within Your Drawing 590Choosing the xref or block to edit 590Editing the xref 592

Controlling Xref Display 594Xrefs and dependent symbols 594Xrefs and layers 594The XBIND command 594Circular references 595Clipping xrefs 595Speeding up the display of large xrefs 597Demand loading 597Spatial indexes 598Layer indexes 598Managing Xrefs 601Xref notification 602DesignCenter 603The xref log file 603Working with DWF and DGN Underlays 604Attaching a DWF underlay 604Adjusting a DWF underlay 605Clipping a DWF underlay 605Using a DWF underlay frame 605Allow snapping to DWF object snaps 606Control the layers of a DWF 606Underlaying DGN files 606Summary 607

Chapter 20: Working with External Databases 609

Understanding External Database Access 610Preparing for Database Connectivity 611Organizing the database structure 611Configuring a data source 613Connecting to Your Database 617Connecting a database to a drawing 617Opening a data table 618Editing data in the Data View window 621Linking Data to Drawing Objects 621Creating a link template 622Creating a link 623Viewing linked objects and rows 624Editing links 625Exporting link information 626Creating Labels 628Creating label templates 628Creating attached labels 630Creating freestanding labels 630Querying with the Query Editor 631Using the Quick Query tab 632Using the Range Query tab 633

Using the Query Builder tab 633Building a query with multiple criteria 634Specifying fields and sorting 634Using the SQL Query tab 634Creating selection sets with Link Select 635Working with Query Files 637Storing queries 637Importing and exporting queries 637Summary 638

Chapter 21: Specifying 3D Coordinates 641

Working in a 3D Environment 642Using 3D Coordinates 643Absolute and relative Cartesian coordinates in 3D 644Cylindrical and spherical coordinates 644Using editing commands with 3D wireframes 646Using point filters, object snaps, object tracking, and grips in 3D 649Point filters 649Object snaps 649Object tracking 649Grips 649Creating 3D polylines 651Creating helixes 652Using Elevation and Thickness 652Creating surfaces with thickness 652Using the HIDE command 654Controlling the display of hidden lines and objects 654Adding elevation to objects 657Working with the User Coordinate System 658Using the UCS icon 659UCSs and viewpoints 659Using UCS options to change the UCS 659Object 659Face 660View 660Origin 660

Z Axis Vector 6603Point 661

X 661

Y 661

Z 661Changing the UCS dynamically 661Summary 665

Chapter 22: Viewing 3D Drawings 667

Working with the Standard Viewpoints 668Using the VPOINT command 668Looking at a drawing from the standard viewpoints 668Using DDVPOINT 670Using the ViewCube to View Your Drawing 672Creating a Named View with a Camera 673Creating a camera 673Editing a camera 674Adding a Background to a Named View 677Working with the Tripod and Compass 679Displaying a Quick Plan View 680Displaying Parallel and Perspective Projections 681Using 3D Orbit 681Starting 3D Orbit 682Navigating with 3D Orbit 683Using the 3D Orbit visual aids 684Creating a continuous orbit 684Resetting the view 685Refining your 3D Orbit view 685Panning in 3D Orbit 685Zooming in 3D Orbit 685Using Zoom options in 3D Orbit 686Adjusting the camera distance 686Controlling view properties 686Creating parallel and perspective views 686Using a preset view 686Using ShowMotion to Cycle Through Views 687Creating shots 687Displaying shots 689Walking through a Model 690Navigating in Walk mode 690Specifying Walk mode settings 692Flying through a model 692Saving the walk as a movie file 692Using a motion path to save a movie file 694Navigating with the Wheel 698Using DVIEW to a Create a Perspective View 699Using DVIEW 699Understanding the DVIEW options 700Working with Visual Styles 701Displaying visual styles in AutoCAD 702Creating custom visual styles 702Using the shading options in AutoCAD LT 704Display materials, textures, and lights as you work 705

Laying Out 3D Drawings 706Using SOLVIEW to lay out paper space viewports 707Using SOLDRAW to create hidden lines and hatching 707Using SOLPROF to create profiles 708Flattening 3D drawings 710Summary 711

Chapter 23: Creating 3D Surfaces 713

Converting Objects to Surfaces 714Drawing Surfaces with 3DFACE 715Using the 3DFACE command 715Making 3D face edges invisible 716Controlling visibility during 3D face creation 716Using the EDGE command 716Using the SPLFRAME system variable 717Drawing Surfaces with PFACE 720Creating Plane Surfaces 724Creating Polygon Meshes with 3DMESH 725Drawing Standard 3D Shapes 727Box 727Wedge 728Pyramid 729Cone 730Sphere 731Dome 732Dish 732Torus 733Mesh 734Drawing Revolved Surfaces 736Understanding the REVSURF command 737Determining the angle of rotation 737Setting the number of segments 738Using the REVSURF command 739Working with the REVOLVE command 739Drawing an Extruded Surface 741Working with the TABSURF command 741Working with the EXTRUDE command 743Sweeping objects along a path 744Drawing Surfaces Between 2D Objects 745Creating ruled surfaces 745Lofting objects 747Drawing Edge Surfaces 748Working with Multiple Types of 3D Objects 750Thickening a surface into a solid 750Extracting edges from a surface or a region 750Slicing solids with a surface 751Summary 751

Chapter 24: Creating Solids and Editing in 3D 753

Drawing Basic Shapes 754Drawing a box 754Drawing a wedge 756Drawing a cone 757Drawing a sphere 758Drawing a cylinder 758Drawing a torus 759Drawing a pyramid 760Creating Extruded Solids 762Managing objects used to make other objects 763Using the EXTRUDE command 763Drawing Swept Solids 765Drawing Revolved Solids 766Drawing Lofted Solids 768Drawing Polyline-Like Solids 770Creating Complex Solids 773Combining solids 773Subtracting solids 773Creating a solid from the intersection of two solids 774Creating a new solid using INTERFERE 774Pressing or pulling a region 777Using solid history 778Sectioning and Slicing Solids 779Using the SECTION command 779Creating an interactive section object 781Using the SLICE command 782Using Editing Commands in 3D 784Grip-editing solids 784Subselecting solids 786Using the move grip tool and the 3DMOVE command 786Mirroring in 3D 788Arraying in 3D 789Creating 3D rectangular arrays 789Creating 3D polar arrays 791Rotating in 3D 792Aligning in 3D 795Trimming and extending in 3D 797Filleting in 3D 800Chamfering in 3D 802Exploding and converting 3D objects 805Using the SOLIDEDIT Command 806Editing faces 806Extruding faces 806Moving faces 807Offsetting faces 807Deleting faces 808Rotating faces 808Tapering faces 809

Coloring faces 809Attaching a material to a face 810Editing edges 810Editing bodies 810Imprinting solids 811Cleaning solids 811Separating solids 812Shelling solids 812Checking solids 812Listing Solid Properties 814Summary 815

Chapter 25: Rendering in 3D 817

Understanding Rendering 818Learning the steps 818Doing a default rendering 819Creating Lights 820Setting the default light 820Creating a point light 820Name 821Intensity/Intensity factor 821Status 821Photometry 821Shadow 822Attenuation 822Color/Filter Color 823Creating a target point light 823Creating a spotlight 823Hotspot and falloff 824Creating a Free spotlight 824Creating a distant light 825Simulating the sun 825Set the geographic location 826Set sun properties 827Managing lights 828Working with Materials 833Attaching a material from the Tool Palettes window 833Using the Materials palette 834Creating your own materials 835Choose a material type and template 835Choose a material color 836Choosing other material properties 837Adding textures, opacity, and bump maps 837Adjusting the mapping 839Adjusting lighting effects 839Attaching materials 840Using backgrounds 842Doing the Final Render 843Statistics 846Saving rendered images 846

Part V: Organizing and Managing Drawings 849

Chapter 26: Keeping Control of Your Drawings 851

Accessing Drawing Components with the DesignCenter 851Navigating with the DesignCenter 852Finding named components and drawings 853Using the Favorites folder 854Accessing named drawing components 854Inserting drawings 855Opening drawings 855Inserting blocks 855Inserting raster images 855Attaching an xref 855Inserting layers and styles 855Inserting content from DC Online 856Controlling the DesignCenter display 856Accessing Drawing Content with Tool Palettes 858Creating a new tool palette 859Adding content tools 859Adding command tools 860Dragging objects from your drawing 860Adding commands 861Copying a tool 861Setting tool properties 861Adjusting the scale of inserted content 862Moving, deleting, and renaming tools and tool palettes 862Updating tools 862Setting tool palette options 863Organizing tool palettes 864Using a tool palette 864Setting Standards for Drawings 866Using the CAD Standards tools 867Creating a standards file 867Associating a standards file with a drawing 868Checking a drawing against standards 869Specifying CAD standards settings 870Using layer notification 871Translating layers 875Setting up the layer mapping 875Managing layer translations 876The Communication Center 878Renaming named objects 879Working with Sheet Sets 880Understanding sheet sets 881Creating a sheet set 882Setting properties 884Creating subsets 887