Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Getting Started with AutoCAD Understanding How Tools are Organized Using the Application Menu Using the Quick Access Toolbar Understanding Ribbon Fundamentals Introducing the Drawing Aid Tools Working Within the Drawing Window Understanding Model and Layout Tabs Understanding File Tabs Typing Commands Starting a New Drawing from a Template File Saving Drawings Using SAVE and QSAVE Understanding the In-Canvas Viewport Controls Understanding the Navigation Bar Understanding the UCS IconChapter 1 ReviewChapter 2 Creating Simple 2D Objects Drawing Lines Using the Command Line Drawing Lines Using Dynamic Input Drawing Lines Using the Right-Click Menu Repeating the Last Command Understanding Command Options Drawing Rectangles

Using the Undo and Redo Commands Drawing Circles Using Radius and Diameter Drawing 2 Point and 3 Point Circles Drawing Circles Using the TTR and TTT Options Drawing Arcs Drawing Arcs by Specifying 3 Points Erasing Objects by Picking Selecting Objects by Window and Crossing Selecting Objects Using Implied SelectionChapter 2 ReviewChapter 3 Controlling Drafting Settings Understanding Coordinate System Concepts Using Absolute Coordinates Using Relative Coordinates Understanding Drawing Units and Angle Measurements Using Direct Distance Entry and Dynamic Input Understanding Object Snap Concepts Understanding Running Object Snaps Using the Object Snap OverridesChapter 3 ReviewChapter 4 Managing Layers Introducing Layer Concepts Establishing the Current Layer

Understanding the On and Off Layer States Controlling the Layer Color Introducing the Layer Properties Manager Palette Controlling the Linetype of a Layer Controlling the Viewport Freeze Layer State Creating a New LayerChapter 4 Review Chapter 5 Controlling Object Properties Understanding ByLayer and Object Property Concepts Setting the Color ByLayer Setting the Linetype ByLayer Setting the Lineweight ByLayer Modifying Properties Using the Property Panel and Layer Panel Modifying Properties Using the Quick Property Palette Modifying Properties Using the Properties PaletteChapter 5 Review Chapter 6 Working with Complex Objects Understanding Polyline Property Concepts Drawing Polyline Line Segments Drawing Polyline Arc Segments Drawing Polylines with Variable Width

Drawing Polylines Using Options Combinations Editing Polylines Using the Close and Open Options Editing Polylines to Join Selected Segments Converting Lines into PolylinesChapter 6 Review Chapter 7 Creating Annotation Objects Understanding Annotation Object Concepts Creating Single-Line Text Controlling Single-Line Text Justification Creating Text Styles Modifying Text Styles Creating Multiline Text Controlling Multi-Line Text Justification Editing Text Objects Introducing Hatches and Gradient Fills Adding Hatch Objects Selecting the Hatch Pattern to Apply Setting the Hatch Pattern Layer Setting the Scale and Angle of the Hatch Pattern Understanding Associative Hatch Creating Separate HatchesChapter 7 ReviewChapter 8

Modifying Objects Using Object Manipulation Introducing the Manipulation Commands Using the Move Command Using the Move Command with Object Snap Using the Copy Command Using the Copy Command with Object Snap Using the Mirror Command Creating a Rectangular Array Adjusting Rectangular Array Rows and Columns Changing the Properties of Rectangular Arrays Creating a Polar Array Adjusting Polar Arrays Creating a Path Array Using the Rotate Command Using the Rotate Command with a Reference Angle Using the Offset CommandChapter 8 Review Chapter 9 Modifying Objects Using Object Alteration Introducing Alteration Commands Using the Trim Command with Pick Selection Using the Trim Command with Fence Selection Using the Trim Command with Edge Extend Mode Using the Extend Command

Using Extend and Trim Together Using the Fillet Command with Fillet Radius Adding Fillets to Multiple Segments and Polylines Using the Chamfer Command with Distance and Angle Adding Chamfers to Multiple Segments and Polylines Using the Stretch Command Using the Explode Command Using the Scale Command Using the Scale Command with Scale ReferenceChapter 9 ReviewChapter 10 Modifying Objects Using Grips Introducing Grip Concepts Using Grips to Modify Lines Using Grips to Modify Arcs Using Grips to Modify Hatch Objects Using Grips to Move Objects Using Grips to Stretch Objects Changing the Base Point While Grip EditingChapter 10 ReviewChapter 11 Dimensioning Your Drawing Introducing Dimensioning Object Concepts Understanding Associative Dimensions Creating Linear Horizontal and Vertical Dimensions

Creating Linear Aligned Dimensions Creating Linear Baseline Dimensions Creating Linear Continued Dimensions Creating Angular Dimensions Dimensioning Circles and Arcs Using Radius and Diameter Dimensions Controlling the Appearance of Dimensions Using Dimension StylesChapter 11 ReviewChapter 12 Plotting Your Drawing Introducing Print and Plot Concepts Understanding Model Space and Paper Space Choosing a Printer Placing a Title Block on a Layout Creating Layout Viewports Setting a Layout Viewport Scale Controlling Viewport Display Placing Annotations on a Layout Printing the DrawingChapter 12 Review

IntroductionWelcome to the CADLearning eBook Learning AutoCAD 2014 Essentials Revealed! This eBook has beendesigned to be the basis of both self-paced and instructor-led training. In the following chapters, you will learnessentials skills to get you up and running with AutoCAD 2014.

About the AuthorThis eBook was developed by David Cohn. David is a licensed architect and practiced for 10 years beforeleaving his firm to focus on CAD consulting, training, writing, and development. He has been using AutoCADfor more than 25 years and has also taught the program both professionally and to students at the collegelevel during much of that time. He is both a Revit Architecture and AutoCAD certified professional and writtennumerous books and magazine articles about both programs.

About this eBookThis eBook is divided into twelve chapters covering all of the essential skills needed to begin using AutoCADfor creating two-dimensional drawings. Each lesson covers a particular feature or function of the software. Atthe end of each chapter, you will find an assessment you can take to test what youve learned.Most lessons also incorporate actual AutoCAD drawing files. Many of these files can be downloaded from theCADLearning website so that you can load them into your copy of AutoCAD 2014 and follow along with thesteps demonstrated by the instructor.To download these exercise files, visit www.CADLearning.com/products/ebooks.Note that the lessons presented in this eBook are a subset of the full CADLearning for AutoCAD 2014 course.A complete listing of the Full CADLearning for AutoCAD 2014 course is provided in Appendix A.

4D Technologies, LLC 116 South River Road Building E, Lower Level Bedford, NH 03110 USA

ISBN: 978-1-62532-039-1

Copyright 2013 by 4D TechnologiesAll rights reserved. Published in the United States of America.Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced ordistributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written

permission of the publisher, with the exception that program listings and Exercise files may be entered, stored,and executed in a computer system, but they may not be reproduced for publication.

Chapter 1Getting Started with AutoCADThis chapter takes you on a tour of AutoCAD and provides an overview of the AutoCAD user interface, howto start commands, and how to open and save drawings. As you will see, there are many different ways toaccomplish similar tasks in AutoCAD. As you become more familiar with the program, you will find themethod that works best for you.

LESSON 1Understanding How Tools are OrganizedOnce you have started AutoCAD, youll see the AutoCAD application window. Take some time to get familiarwith how that window is organized.Across the top of the window are a number of components. Starting in the upper-left-corner, the big red A isknown as the Application menu. You can click this button to expand the Application menu, and then use toolsin the menu to search for commands as well as use tools to create, open, and publish a file.

Take some time to get familiar with how the AutoCAD window is organized.

To the right of the Application menu is the Quick Access toolbar. This toolbar displays frequently used tools aswell as a drop-down that you can use to switch workspaces.The program title bar occupies the center of the window. Notice that if the current drawing is maximized, youalso see the drawing name in the title bar.

To the right of the program title bar, in the upper-right corner of the window, you see the Infocenter toolbar.This toolbar contains tools you can use to search for help, sign in to Autodesk 360 to access online services,launch the Autodesk Exchange Apps website, access product updates, connect with the AutoCAD communityonline, download language packs, and so on.Below all of these tools is the Ribbon. The ribbon, which extends across the entire window, just above thedrawing area, is a palette that displays task-based tools and controls.The largest area in the middle of the window is the drawing area and within this drawing area are variousviewport controls. For example, in the upper-left corner of the viewport are three controls that enable you tochange viewport settings, select from a list of pre-configured and customized views, and change the visualstyle that in turn controls how objects are displayed within the viewport.In the upper-right corner of the viewport are tools for minimizing, restoring, and closing the current viewport.Below this is the ViewCube, a very handy tool for controlling the orientation of 3D views. Note that theViewCube can be relocated to other positions within the viewport.Below the ViewCube along the right side of the viewport is the Navigation Bar. You can use tools in theNavigation bar to access all of AutoCADs drawing navigation tools, such as the SteeringWheels, Pan, Zoom,3D Orbit, and so on.In the lower-left corner of the viewport is the UCS icon, which displays positive directions of the X-, Y-, and Z-axes.Across the bottom of the drawing window are the Model and Layout tabs. You work in model space whencreating actual geometry and switch to one of the paper space layouts to produce sheets of paper on whichyou will print or plot your work.Just above the Model and Layout tabs is the Command line. This area displays commands, system variables,options, messages, and prompts, and you can start commands by typing the command name, or provideinput to the current command by typing in this window. Note that the Command line typically appears floating,but it can be docked, resized, and even closed.Below the Model and Layout tabs is the Status bar, which contains a number of tools. For example, thecurrent coordinate of the crosshair cursor is displayed in the lower-left corner.To the right of the coordinate display are a set of tools for controlling various drawing aids, such as inferredconstraints, snap mode, grid display, ortho mode, polar tracking, and so on. At the far right side of the statusbar are a second set of tools, the application status bar, which enables you to control various aspects ofAutoCAD. For example, you can toggle between model space and paper space, choose the desiredannotation scale, switch workspaces, and so on.

LESSON 2Using the Application MenuThe Application Menu is located in the upper-left corner of the AutoCAD window. By clicking on the big red A,you can display the Application Menu. The basic application tools are on the left-hand side. Here you will findtools for creating a new drawing file or sheet set; opening an existing drawing, sheet set, or DGN file, savingthe current file; saving a copy of the current drawing with a different name or in some other format; andexporting data to a different format; as well as tools for printing, plotting, publishing, sending files usingetransmit or email, as well as a number of drawing utilities. You can also close either the current drawing file orall drawing files from here as well.

The Application Menu, located in the upper-left corner of the AutoCAD window, is displayed by clicking the big red A.

Another thing you can do from within the application menu is to see a list of recent documents or opendocuments. If you select the Recent Document button, AutoCAD displays a list of up to nine files that haverecently been opened. Notice that if you move the cursor over any one of the drawings, a thumbnail imageappears along with information about that particular file. By default, only the nine most recent files will appearin the list. If you click the push pin, however, the file will remain in the recent document list even if other fileshave been accessed more recently as long as the push pin remains pushed in. If you click the pin to release it,the file will eventually scroll off the list, to be replaced by more recent files. Notice that you can also changethe order of the list from the default ordered list, to sort the recent documents by access date, file size, or filetype. You can display the list as small icons, large icons, small images, or large images.

From the Application Menu, you can display a list of recent documents.

If you select the Open Documents button, the list changes to display those files that are currently open. Again,if you move the cursor over one of these files, AutoCAD displays a thumbnail along with information aboutthat particular file. As was true for the list of recent documents, you can change the appearance of the list ofopen documents.

When you move the cursor over a file in the list, AutoCAD displays a thumbnail and information about the file.

There may be times when a document does not have an image associated with it. This can occur when thefile has not yet been saved or if the drawing was created and saved in a very early release of AutoCAD. Thisis not a problem. Once you open and save the file in the current release, a thumbnail image will appear for thefile.

You can use the Application Menu search tool to look for information within the Help file.

Notice that the Application Menu also includes a search tool that enables you to search for information withinAutoCADs Help file. Suppose you wanted to find information about circles. As you start to type, you can seethat the list matches the letters that you type and updates as you enter more letters, constantly refining thesearch. The more letters you type, the more the refined search becomes. If you add a space, you can furthernarrow the search, such as CIRCLE and RADIUS. Now the list shows you only information about circles andradius. If you move the cursor over one of the items in the list, AutoCAD displays a tooltip that shows youhow to create a circle by using its center point and radius. And clicking on this item in the list will start theproper command so that you can create a circle by specifying its center point and radius.

LESSON 3Using the Quick Access ToolbarThe Quick Access toolbar is a handy way to access commands quickly and easily. By default, the QuickAccess toolbar is located at the top of the AutoCAD window. It looks like its part of the programs title bar, butit can be moved.

In the Quick Access toolbar, youll find commands that you will probably use quite often, such as tools toswitch workspaces, create a new file, open a file, and save a file, as well as tools to undo and redo actionsand plot your drawing.

If you right-click on any button in the Quick Access toolbar, AutoCAD displays a shortcut menu giving you theoption of removing that command from the Quick Access toolbar, adding a separator line so that you cangroup commands together, customizing the Quick Access toolbar, or changing its location so that it displaysbelow the Ribbon if you prefer. When located below the ribbon, it can accommodate more tools, but it doestake up some of the space that could otherwise be used to display your drawing.

Again, you can access these controls by right-clicking on any of the buttons. Move the Quick Access toolbarback above the ribbon.

If you click on the button at the right-most end of the Quick Access toolbar, the Customize Quick Accesstoolbar button, youll see a different menu that lets you add some of the more common commands, by simplytoggling them on or off. Toggle on Properties. As soon as you do that, youll see that the Properties commandhas been added to the Quick Access toolbar.

If you choose More Commands, you can add any of AutoCADs other commands to the Quick Accesstoolbar. For example, add the Line command by dragging and dropping it onto the Quick Access toolbar.To remove a tool from the Quick Access toolbar, you can simply right-click on the tool and then chooseRemove from Quick Access Toolbar from the short-cut menu.You can also click on the Customize Quick Access Toolbar button and choose Show Menu Bar to display theold-style pull-down menus. Notice, however, that this menu takes up space that could otherwise be used todisplay your drawing. Since all of the commands we need are located in the ribbon bar, hide the menu bar.

LESSON 4Understanding Ribbon FundamentalsThe ribbon is the primary interface component used to access commands or features in AutoCAD. There arethree major components to the ribbon. The tabs, which appear across the top of the ribbon, provide access togroups of panels. Inside these panels are individual commands that you can use by clicking on the desiredtool.

Tabs across the top of the ribbon provide access to groups of panels, which contain individual commands.

Taking a closer look, notice that on the Home tab you can see that the panel names are Draw, Modify,Layers, Annotation, Block, Properties, Groups, Utilities, and Clipboard.If you click on the Insert tab, you can see a different set of panels with commands related to Inserting objectsinto the drawing. Clicking the Annotate tab brings up panels with commands related to annotation objects,such as text, dimensions, leaders, and so on.Similarly, the Layout tab contains tools for working with layouts and drawing views, the Parametric tabcontains tools for working with parameters, the View tab contains tools for manipulating views, and so on.So when you click on a particular tab on the ribbon, you see panels containing groups of related commands.

LESSON 5Introducing the Drawing Aid ToolsThere are two parts to the status bar, which appears at the bottom of the AutoCAD window.The left side of the status bar contains toggles, sometimes referred to as drawing aids. These drawing aidscan assist you with things such as Infer Constraints, Snap Mode, Grid Display, Ortho Mode, Polar Tracking,Object Snap, 3D Object Snap, Object Snap Tracking, Allow/Disallow Dynamic UCS, Dynamic Input,Show/Hide Lineweight, Show/Hide Transparency, Quick Properties, Selection Cycling, and Annotation Monitor.You can control each of these by clicking on the button to toggle the particular drawing aid on or off. Forexample, you can toggle on or off the grid.

IYou can also right-click and choose Settings to display the Drafting Settings dialog. This dialog lets you changethe settings for the Grid and Snap, Polar Tracking, Object Snap, 3D Object Snap, Dynamic Input, QuickProperties, and Selection Cycling. All of these drawing aids are controlled from within this dialog.

You can also control how these drawing aids are displayed on the Status bar. With a right-click, you can togglethese buttons on or off. Right now, all 15 drawing aids are displayed on the Status bar. But if you click on oneof the drawing aids in the shortcut menu, you can toggle that drawing aid off, in which case its button nolonger displays on the Status bar. To toggle it back on again, right-click on any button, choose Display, andthen click to toggle it back on again.

By default, each of these drawing aids shows up as a button with an icon. But if you prefer, you can right-clickand then click the Use Icons selection on the shortcut menu. When the check mark is cleared, the buttonsappear with text labels instead of icons. To go back to icons, right-click on a button and select Use Icons again.

You can toggle each drawing aid on and off by either clicking on its button or right-clicking and then choosingthe Enabled selection from the shortcut menu. Both do exactly the same thing. Generally, its faster to simplyclick on the appropriate button. A blue background indicates that the particular drawing aid is enabled.Notice that most of the drawing aids also have keyboard shortcuts that can be used to toggle them on and offas well. You can see these shortcuts by right-clicking and choosing Display. For example, notice that you cantoggle on and off the grid display by pressing the F7 key, toggle Polar Tracking by pressing the F10 key, andso on.

LESSON 6Working Within the Drawing WindowThe drawing window is where you view your drawing, create new geometry, and modify existing geometry.Like most Windows programs, the drawing window has its own minimize, restore, and close buttons.Minimizing the drawing window reduces it down to an icon in the program window. Notice that when itsminimized like this, you see restore, maximize, and close buttons.

Most of the time, you will probably have your drawing window maximized so that you have as much room aspossible for displaying and editing your drawing. Inside this drawing window, the creation of geometry will bebased on the coordinate system. The coordinate system or UCS icon in the lower-left corner shows thedirections of the positive X-axis and positive Y-axis. Points in the drawing are located based on their X- and Y-coordinates.

LESSON 7Understanding Model and Layout TabsThe drawing window is actually made up of two different types of work environments: model space and paperspace. These spaces are represented by the Model and Layout tabs, which appear at the bottom of thedrawing window. The model space tab is the environment in which you actually create your geometry, andwhen you work in model space, you create geometry at full scale actual size. Each layout represents a sheetof paper that you would like to print or plot.For example, notice that the model tab is currently selected. Youre looking at the model, which represents theactual building at full size. So if the length of the building is 90-feet or 27.5 meters, you would actually draw thebuilding 90-feet or 27.5 meters long in model space.

When you select the Model tab, youre working in model space and should create everything at full-size.

If you click on the Floor Plan layout tab, you can see the piece of paper that represents a sheet of paper thatwill be printed. On that sheet of paper is a viewport that shows the model at an appropriate scale so that it willfit onto the sheet of paper.

Clicking on the Floor Play layout tab switches to that layout, which represents a sheet of paper that will be printed.

If you switch to the Furniture Plan layout tab, you can see different parts of the model showing different viewsof the building at larger scales, showing the furniture layouts for specific rooms. You can click on a tab to makea different layout active. You can also right-click on any of these tabs and then make additional copies of alayout or create a new layout. You can create as many layouts as you wish, but each drawing can have onlyone model tab.

The Furniture Plan tab shows a different sheet of paper containing several views of the model at larger scales.

This makes sense. If you think of it in terms of construction documents for a building, you may have multiplesheets of drawings to represent that building, but theres only one building.

If you hover your cursor over any inactive tab, you can see a thumbnail view of the inactive tab. If you click tomake the model space tab the active view, you can then hover the cursor over any of the layout tabs to see athumbnail view of whats on each layout tab.

You may encounter a drawing in which the model and layout tabs do not appear. These tabs can be turned onand off. If you right-click on any of the tabs, you can choose Hide Layout and Model Tabs from the shortcutmenu. When you choose that option, notice that the model and layout tabs no longer appear at the bottom ofthe drawing window. To get them back, you can right-click on either the Model or Paper Space button, theModel button, or the Layout button and choose Display Layout and Model Tabs from the shortcut menu.Notice that when you choose that option, the model and layout tabs once again display at the bottom of thedrawing window.

LESSON 8Understanding File TabsThe Drawing File Tabs provide a fast and visual way to switch between open drawings or to create new ones.When you first start the program, you will see a file tab across the top of the drawing area, just below theribbon. With just a single drawing open, you see just one file tab, which corresponds to that drawing. But asyou open additional drawings, you will see additional file tabs, one for each open drawing.

As you open additional drawings, you will see additional file tabs, one for each open drawing.

Notice that the file tabs are displayed in the order in which they were opened. But once you have openedmultiple drawings, you can drag and drop the file tabs to change their order. If there is not enough room for allthe file tabs to display across the width of the screen, an overflow menu at the right end of the file tabs barprovides access to the additional files.

If there is not enough room for all the file tabs to display, an overflow menu at the right end of the file tabs bar provides access to the additional files.

A lock icon appears on the tab to indicate a drawing file opened in read-only mode. And if you have madechanges to a drawing since it was last saved, an asterisk appears on the tab corresponding to that drawing,adjacent to the drawing name.

A lock icon appears adjacent to drawings opened in read-only mode and an asterisk displays adjacent to drawings that have changed since theywere last saved.

Notice that as you move the cursor over a file tab, preview images of the model and layouts are displayed.And if you move the cursor over one of the preview images, the corresponding model or layout is temporarilydisplayed in the drawing area. In addition, notice that Plot and Publish tools become available above thepreview image, so you can easily plot or publish the drawing.

As you move the cursor over a file tab, you see a preview of the model and layouts, and if you move the cursor over one of the previews, thecorresponding model or layout temporarily displays in the drawing area.

If you right-click on a file tab, the program displays a shortcut menu with tools enabling you to create a newdrawing, open a drawing, save the current drawing, save all of the drawings, close the drawing, close all of thedrawings, or close all of the drawings except for the one on which you right-clicked. You can also copy the fullfile path to the Windows clipboard or open the file location in Windows Explorer.

If you right-click on a file tab, the program displays a shortcut menu.

If you right-click anywhere else on the file tab bar, a smaller set of tools appear so that you can create a newdrawing, open a drawing, save all of the drawings, or close all of the drawings.

You can also click the Plus (+) icon to the right of the drawing tabs to quickly create a new drawing. If youhave not specified a default template file, the program displays the Select Template dialog. If you haveassigned a default template file, however, a new drawing is immediately created using the default template.While the Drawing File Tabs can be quite useful, notice that they do take up some space on screen that couldotherwise be used to display drawings. You can easily turn the file tabs on and off. To do so, on the Viewribbon, in the User Interface panel, click the File Tabs tool to toggle the file tabs on and off.

Click the File Tabs tool on the View ribbon to toggle the Drawing File Tabs on and off.

You can also toggle the file tabs on and off from within the Options dialog. To display the Options dialog, eitherright-click and choose Options from the shortcut menu, or expand the Application Menu and click the Optionsbutton.

In the Options dialog, on the Display tab, the Display File Tabs checkbox toggles the display of the DrawingFile Tabs.Since the file tabs do take up space, and most of the lessons in this course require you to have just onedrawing file open at a time, the Drawing File Tabs are toggled off for most lessons. But remember that youcan easily toggle them back on at any time.

LESSON 9Typing CommandsMany long-time users find that its often faster to start commands by typing. When you type on the commandline, the program automatically completes the entry with a command or command alias. For example, if youtype the letter L, notice that the program displays a list of all the commands that start with that letter. As youtype more letters, the list gets filtered to show just those commands that match what you have typed. Youcan start the command at any time by selecting it from the list.

The program actually searches for the letters you type within commands. For example, if you type SETTING,the suggestion list displays commands containing the word SETTING anywhere within it, not just at thebeginning.

The order of commands in the suggestion list are initially displayed in the order of their usage based on generalcustomer data, but as you continue to use the program, the suggestion list will adapt to your own usagehabits.The list can also autocorrect to compensate for your errors when typing. For example, if you accidently type TA B E L, notice that it autocorrects to the most relevant command, which in this case would be the Tablecommand.

The command line also has a built in synonym list. For example, if you type SYMBOL, the program matchesthat with the Insert command so you can insert a block. Or if you type Round, it finds the Fillet command so

you can add a fillet to a corner. You can also add your own words to the AutoCorrect and Synonym lists.

You can also use the command line to quickly search for other content, such as hatch patterns, blocks, andeven internet help. For example, if you type ANGLE, notice that the program finds the hatch pattern calledANGLE. When you move the cursor over that item, you see an image of the hatch pattern, and you can clickthat suggestion to start the Hatch command and fill the triangle with the ANGLE hatch pattern. Similarly, if youtype CHAIR, the program sees that the drawing has several block definitions with the name Chair. When youmove the cursor over one of these items in the list, you see a preview image of that block, and you canquickly insert an instance of that block by clicking on it in the suggestion list.

You can also use the command line to search for more information about a command or system variable.When you move the cursor over an item in the list, two icons appear, and you can then click to search forinformation in the programs Help system or on the Internet.

To make the suggestion list easier to navigate, system variables and other content are organized intoexpandable categories. You can expand a category to see the results, or press the TAB key to cycle througheach category.You can also control the appearance and behavior of the command line. When you either right-click on thecommand line or click the Customize button, you can then choose from a menu to adjust the various Inputsettings, change the number of lines in the command prompt history, adjust the transparency of the commandline, or access the Options dialog.

For example, if you expand Input Settings, notice that all of the various input settings are turned on by default,but you can easily toggle any of these settings on and off. When you click Input Search Options, theprogram displays an Input Search Options dialog so you can control the various input search options.

Lastly, you can control the color of the various elements of the command line, such as the command historybackground and the color of command option keywords. To change these settings, click Options to open theDisplay tab of the Options dialog. Then, click the Color button to open the Drawing Window Colors dialog. Inthe Context list, choose Command Line. You can then choose any of the command line interface elementsand adjust their colors.

LESSON 10Starting a New Drawing from a Template FileThere are several different ways to start a new drawing. One of the most common and powerful methods isto start a new drawing based on a template file. A template file is an AutoCAD drawing file with a DWT fileextension. AutoCAD comes with a number of different template files that have various settingssuch aslayers, linetypes, and drawing unitsalready established for particular types of drawings. Several of thesetemplates even have pre-drawn borders. You can also create and save your own template files.

When you click the New button on the Quick Access toolbar, AutoCAD normally displays the Select Templatedialog, so that you can choose the template you want to use as the basis for starting your new drawing.

To start a new drawing from a template, choose the appropriate template file and then click Open.

You can also display this dialog from the Application menu. Click to display the Application menu and thenchoose New > Drawing.

Similarly, with the Drawing File Tabs enabled, when you click the Plus (+) icon to the right of the drawing tabs,or right-click and choose New from the shortcut menu, by default, the program displays the Select Template

dialog.

You can also display the Select Template dialog from the Application Menu.

Someone at your company may have already created additional template files for specific job types orcustomers, in which case those templates may also appear in this list. Creating and saving custom templatefiles is an excellent way to customize AutoCAD.Choose the appropriate template file and then click Open to start a new drawing using that template file.If when you start a new drawing, you dont see the Select Template dialog, but instead AutoCAD prompts youat the command line and via dynamic input, you can type the name of the template file you want to use. But

its much easier to select the template file from a dialog box. To go back to using a dialog box, you can changethe setting of the system variable that controls this behavior. At the command line, type FILEDIA and pressENTER. Notice that the value is currently set to 0, which means that the dialog box wont display. Change thevalue by typing 1 and pressing ENTER. Notice that once youve made that change, when you click on theNew button, the Select Template dialog once again displays.

LESSON 11Saving Drawings Using SAVE and QSAVEWhen you begin a new drawing, one of the first things you should do is save the drawing. When you first starta new drawing, the program assigns it a name. It actually just calls it DRAWING and assigns a number. Butthe drawing has not yet been saved to a file. This is just the temporary name.

To save your drawing, click the Save button in the Quick Access toolbar. If the Drawing File Tabs are visible,you can also right-click on the tab associated with the drawing you want to save, and choose Save from theshortcut menu. Note that you can also expand the Application menu and choose Save. Regardless of themethod you choose, the program displays the Save Drawing As dialog so that you can save the file. Whileyou can accept the temporary drawing file name, you will probably want to give it a more meaningful name.You may also need to save it in a specific folder on your computer or company network. The name you assigncan contain letters, numbers, dashes, and spaces. Name this drawing Project 2 and then click the Savebutton.

Notice now that in the title bar at the top of the program window you can see the name of the drawing as wellas the complete path to the drive and folder where the drawing has been saved.

It is a good idea to save your work frequently, say every 10 to 15 minutes.Now that you have named and saved this drawing, if you click on the Save button again, the program will nolonger prompt you for the file name. It also lets you know that it has saved the file to the same location, byremoving the complete path from the display on the title bar.

This is also true when you click Save in the Application menu.When you save the drawing after it has already been saved once, the program simply saves your changes tothe same file you already created.Remember, to prevent any loss of data, it is a good idea to save your work frequently, say every 10 to 15minutes, and this is a also a good habit to get into for any other programs you may use.

LESSON 12Understanding the In-Canvas Viewport ControlsThe Viewport control provides access to pre-configured and customized viewports as well as other viewportsettings. If you click on the minus sign, a shortcut menu appears, with tools you can use to control theviewport.

Restore Viewport divides the drawing window into four tiled viewports. Notice that when there are multipletiled viewports, the viewport controls appear in each viewport. Notice that the ViewCube also appears in eachviewport, and the Navigation Bar is visible in the active viewport.

When there are multiple tiled viewports, the viewport controls and ViewCube appear in each viewport and the Navigation Bar is visible in the activeviewport.

If you click on the plus sign to display the shortcut menu again and choose Maximize Viewport, that viewportis maximized so that it fills the entire drawing window. The Viewport Configuration list shows a list of pre-configured viewports that can be restored by selecting from the list.

The View Control tool provides access to pre-configured and customized model views, view settings, and theview manager. For example, if you click on this tool, you can switch to a Front view or a NE Isometric view.

The Visual Style control provides access to pre-configured and customized visual styles as well as the visualstyle manager. For example, if you click on this tool, you can switch to a Realistic visual style, or Shaded withEdges.

Again, by default, these in-canvas viewport controls appear in all viewports. But you can toggle them off if youwish using tools on the 3D Modeling tab of the Options dialog. To display the options dialog, either right-clickand choose Options from the shortcut menu, or click on the big red A in the upper-left corner to display the

Application menu, and then click the Options button. On the 3D Modeling tab, in the Display Tools in Viewportarea, notice the checkbox labeled Display the Viewport Controls. Clearing this checkbox turns off the in-canvasviewport controls. Notice that there are also checkboxes that control the display of the ViewCube and UCSIcon.

Most users prefer to leave all of these checkboxes selected, so that these tools remain readily available. It isextremely useful to be able to quickly access these tools within the viewport.

LESSON 13Understanding the Navigation BarThe Navigation bar is a user interface component that you can use to access all of AutoCADs drawingnavigation tools, such as the SteeringWheels, Pan, Zoom, 3D Orbit, and Show Motion. The Navigation barfloats over and along one side of the current model window. By default, the Navigation bar appears on theright side of the drawing window, just below the ViewCube.

You can start any of the navigation tools by clicking one of the buttons on the Navigation bar or by selectingone of the tools from a list that is displayed when you click the smaller portion of a split button. For example, ifyou click the small arrow below the Zoom Extents button, notice that you can see a menu listing the otherZoom options. To zoom in to a rectangular area, you can choose the Zoom Window tool. AutoCADimmediately prompts you to select the opposite corners of the area into which you want to zoom. Aftercompleting the zoom operation, notice that the Zoom Window option has now become the default zoommode in the Navigation bar. This is true of the other tools in the Navigation bar as well.

You can reposition the Navigation bar if you wish. To do so, click the small arrow in the lower-right corner ofthe Navigation bar to display a menu, and then expand the Docking Positions fly-out. Notice that by default,the Navigation bar is linked to the ViewCube. When this option is selected, if you choose a different location,such as Bottom Left, notice that both the ViewCube and the Navigation bar are immediately repositioned

based on your selection.

If you clear the Link to ViewCube checkbox, however, you can then click the grip handle near the top of theNavigation bar and then drag the bar to reposition it along one of the sides of the current drawing window. Ifyou position the Navigation bar near the top or bottom edge of the window, it changes to a horizontalorientation.Notice that each window has its own Navigation bar. If the side of the window is not long enough to show theentire navigation bar, the bar is truncated to fit. In that case, the Navigation bar includes a More Controlsbutton that you can click to access the additional tools that are not currently displayed.The Customize button also lets you choose which tools appear on the Navigation bar. By default, all of theavailable tools will be visible. You can turn tools off by clearing their checkmark. For example, if you dont usethe ShowMotion tool, you can clear its checkbox. Notice that now, the ShowMotion tool no longer appears inthe Navigation bar. To restore a tool, simply click the Customize button again and reselect its checkbox.Notice that although the ViewCube appears in the list of available tools, it is grayed out in the Customizemenu. As you have already seen, the ViewCube and Navigation bar are closely related. Whenever theViewCube is visible in the drawing window, it does not appear in the Navigation bar. However, if you disablethe ViewCube so that it is no longer visible in the drawing window, which you can do by switching to the Viewribbon, clicking on the User Interface tool, and then clearing the ViewCube check box, notice that by default,the ViewCube button then appears in the Navigation bar. You can then restore the ViewCube to the drawingwindow by clicking on the ViewCube button in the Navigation bar.

If you have a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse, you will also see a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse tool within the Navigationbar. In that case, you can use options in the Navigation bar to change the behavior of your 3D mouse.You can also turn off the Navigation bar, by clicking its Close button, the small X in the upper-right corner ofthe Navigation bar. If you have closed the Navigation bar and wish to see it again, you can turn it back onusing User Interface tool in the Windows panel of the View ribbon. Simply switch to the View ribbon, click theUser Interface tool, and select the Navigation Bar check box.

LESSON 14Understanding the UCS IconThe UCS icon, or user coordinate system icon, shows you the direction of the Cartesian coordinate systemaxes.By default, the UCS icon appears in the lower-left corner of the drawing window. The UCS icon indicates thedirection of the X, Y, and Z axes. By default, the UCS icon appears white, but you can change the appearanceof the UCS icon so that it is color-coded, with the X-axis shown in red, Y-axis shown in green, and the Z-axisshown in blue.

You can control the display of the UCS icon using tools in the Coordinates panel on the View tab of the ribbon,or by right-clicking on the UCS icon itself. If you do not see the Coordinates panel, remember that you canright-click on a tab in the ribbon and then toggle on the Coordinates panel from Show Panels selection in theshortcut menu. In the Coordinates panel, you can control the display of the UCS icon. If you choose ShowUCS Icon at Origin, the UCS icon will always appear at the origin, which is the 0,0,0 coordinate location. Whenthis option is selected, notice that if you pan the drawing, the UCS icon moves, because the origin, the 0,0,0coordinate location, has also moved. If the grid display is toggled on, you can see that the UCS icon is locatedat the origin because the icon aligns with the red X and green Y axes. If you pan the drawing so that the originis no longer on the screen, the UCS icon goes back to the lower-left corner. With the grid visible, you can seethat the UCS icon no longer aligns with the X- and Y-axes.

If you choose Show UCS Icon, the icon will always remain in the lower-left corner of the drawing, regardlessof where the origin is actually located. So as you pan the drawing, the UCS icon stays in the lower-left corner.

Notice that in this case, with the grid display toggled on, you can see the X- and Y-axes, indicated by the redand green grid lines, respectively, and immediately see that the UCS icon is not located at the origin.

You can also control this setting by right-clicking on the UCS icon itself. If you right-click on the UCS icon andexpand the UCS Icon Settings option in the shortcut menu, you can see that the Show UCS Icon at Originoption is currently not selected. If you click on this option to toggle this on, notice that the UCS iconimmediately goes back to the origin.In the Coordinates panel of the View ribbon, you can also choose Hide UCS Icon, in which case the UCS iconis no longer visible in this drawing.These settings are saved with the drawing file and the changes you make to these settings will only affect thecurrent drawing.You can also adjust other properties of the UCS icon, such as the icon style, line width, size, and color. Toadjust these properties, either click the UCS Icon Properties button in the Coordinates panel of the Viewribbon, or right-click on the UCS icon and choose UCS Icon Settings > Properties. AutoCAD displays the UCSIcon dialog.

By default, AutoCAD displays a 3D style icon, but the axes are white. That is because the Apply Single Colorcheck box is selected. If you clear this check box, AutoCAD displays a 3D style icon with colored axes: red forthe X-axis, green for the Y-axis, and blue for the Z-axis. When the Apply Single Color check box is selected,you can choose the color of the UCS icon when it appears in model space.When displayed using the 3D style, you can increase the UCS icon line width. If you prefer, you can switch

the icon to a 2D style, in which case the UCS icon will no longer include a Z-axis.You can also change the size of the UCS icon by entering a different value or by dragging the slider. Thedefault UCS icon size is 50.You can also change the color of the UCS icon that appears in layout tabs when working in paper space. Thedefault color is AutoCAD index color 160, which is a shade of dark blue.The changes you make in the UCS Icon dialog are saved as part of the AutoCAD environment and remain ineffect for all drawings.

Chapter 1 ReviewTest your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. Tap the button to start the test. Youll be presentedwith a series of questions based on the material covered in this chapter. When you choose your answer, youllimmediately see if its correct. If you choose the wrong answer, youll see why the answer is not correct. Usethe Next Question button to advance to the next question. When you finish the last question, or to close thetest, click the X in the upper-left to return to this page.

Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. The following questions are based on the materialcovered in this chapter.1. The component of the AutoCAD interface labeled below is known as the:

A. Application Status Bar menu.B. Application menu.C. Status bar.D. Quick Access Toolbar.

2. ALL of the following components of the AutoCAD interface are labeled EXCEPT the:

A. Ribbon/panels.B. Layout tabs.C. Sticky panels.D. Quick Access Toolbar.

3. Drawing Aids and Drafting Settings may be set from the AutoCAD interface labeled below known asthe:

A. Application Status Bar menu.B. Application menu.C. Status bar.D. Quick Access Toolbar.

4. If the Model and Layout tabs are not visible, you can make them visible again by doing any of thefollowing, EXCEPT:

A. Selecting the Display Layout and Model Tabs checkbox on the Display tab of the Options dialog.B. Right-clicking the Model button in the Application Status Bar and choosing Display Layout and ModelTabs.C. Toggling the Display Layout and Model Tabs option in the Application Status Bar menu.D. Right-clicking the Layout button in the Application status bar and choosing Display Layout and ModelTabs.

5. The drawing file tabs enable all of the following capabilities, EXCEPT: A. Changing the order of the file tabs.B. Seeing drawings that were opened in read-only mode or that have been changed since they were lastsaved.C. Creating a new drawing, opening a drawing, saving the current drawing, closing the current drawing,and closing all drawings except for the one you selected.D. All of the above can be accomplished using drawing file tabs.

6. When typing commands, if you misspell a command: A. The program displays the message Unknown command and you will need to try again.B. The program displays a list of blocks and hatch patterns that closely match what you typed.C. The program autocorrects to the most relevant and valid command.D. The program searches on the Internet or in the Help file for the word you entered.

7. Which of the following are advantages to starting a new drawing based on a template file? A. The new drawing can contain predefined layers.B. The new drawing can have various drawing unit settings predefined.C. The new drawing can include drawing objects and even have pre-drawn borders.D. All of the above.

8. The interface component shown below enables you to do any of the following, EXCEPT:

A. Restore different viewport configurations.B. Switch to a top, front, or side view.

C. Change the current visual style.D. Switch between model space and paper space.

9. The ViewCube only appears in the Navigation bar: A. When working in a 3D workspace.B. When the ViewCube is not displayed in the viewport.C. When the Navigation bar is linked to the ViewCube.D. When the Navigation bar is docked to the left side of the drawing window.

Answer Key: 1.b 2. d 3. c 4.c 5.d 6.c 7.d 8.d 9.b

Chapter 2Creating Simple 2D ObjectsEvery AutoCAD drawing is composed of objects, most of them simple two-dimensional objects. This chapterexplains how to create simple object, such as lines, arcs, circles, and rectangles. As you will see, mostdrawing commands present several different ways to create an object, as well as numerous options. You willalso learn how to select objects so that you can modify them.

LESSON 1Drawing Lines Using the Command LineLines are the most basic object you can create. To create a line, click the LINE tool in the Draw panel of theHome ribbon. The extended tooltip shows you that this tool creates straight line segments.

Suppose you just started a new drawing. Before you create your first line segment, on the Status bar toggleoff all of the drawing aids. Toggle off Grid Display, Polar Tracking, Object Snap, Object Snap Tracking,Allow/Disallow Dynamic UCS, Dynamic Input, and Show/Hide Transparency. If any other drawing aids areenabled on your system, you should also toggle them off, so that they no longer have a blue background, ifyou plan to follow along.Next, go to the Draw panel and click on the LINE tool. As soon as you click on the LINE command, theprogram prompts you in the command window to Specify the first point of the line. Once you click anywhereon the screen, notice that when you move the cursor, you can see a line extending from the point you justpicked to the cursor. That line stretches as you move the mouse.

Looking at the command line, you see that the program is now prompting you to Specify the next point. As

soon as you click in the drawing to pick that next point, the program draws the line segment and then promptsyou again to Specify the next point. Each time you click to specify a new point, the program draws a linesegment from the previous point to the new point, and then repeats the prompt.

But also notice that the prompt in the command window has changed. The program is not only prompting youto specify the next point, but the prompt is followed by the word OR and then inside square brackets itdisplays the words Close and Undo. Whenever you see anything inside square brackets on the command line,thats called an Option. That means that in addition to specifying the next point, you can choose one of thoseoptions. There are several different ways that you can choose one of these options. You can either type thecapital letter corresponding to the option you want to select, or you can simply click on the option in thecommand line.For example, if you click on Undo, the program will undo the line segment you just created. You could havealso typed the letter U and pressed ENTER, but clicking on the option is much faster and easier. If you click onUndo again, notice that the line segment before that is removed. You can actually keep undoing the previousline segments right back to the very first line segment that you created.You can also click on Close, or type the letter C. This will cause the program to draw a line segment from thelast point you specified back to the very first point you specified when you first started the LINE command,and also end the LINE command. You can see that the command has ended because in the command line,the program tells you to type a command, which is a clear indication that the program is ready for you toselect a new command.

LESSON 2Drawing Lines Using Dynamic InputLines are the most basic object you can create. When you create a line segment, the program displayscommand prompts in the command line. But theres a drawing aid that you can use to display commandprompts directly alongside your cursor, so that you dont have to keep taking your eyes off the drawing andconstantly referring to the command line. This drawing aid is called Dynamic Input.

You can toggle dynamic input on by clicking the Dynamic Input button on the Status bar.With dynamic input toggled on, prompts also now appear directly alongside the cursor.

If you click the Line tool in Draw panel of the Home ribbon, notice that now, with dynamic input turned on, theprogram prompts you directly alongside the cursor. The prompt is exactly the same as whats displayed in thecommand line. Click in the drawing to specify the first point. Notice that as soon as you do, the programprompts you to specify the next point. Again, with dynamic input turned on, the prompt now appears both inthe command line and next to the cursor.When you pick the next point, the prompt repeats, again both in the command line and next to the cursor.And just like in the command line, the prompt shows the word or. But notice that after the word or in thedynamic input, theres a little down arrow. If you press the down-arrow on the keyboard, you can see thesame two optionsClose and Undothat display inside the square brackets in the command line. You canthen choose one of those options by clicking on the option or by pressing the up or down arrow on thekeyboard and then pressing ENTER.

So just as you can enter the Undo option at the command line, you can choose the Undo option usingdynamic input to remove the line segment that you just created. Or you can choose the Close option usingdynamic input to create a final line segment from the endpoint of the last segment you created back to thevery first point you specified when you started the LINE command.When you choose the Close option, the command ends. You can tell that the command has ended becausenot only does the program display the words Type a Command in the command line, but theres no longer adynamic input prompt adjacent to the cursor.

LESSON 3Drawing Lines Using the Right-Click MenuWhen a command is active, you can select from available command options by right-clicking to display ashortcut menu.For example, when you create line segments, the program prompts you in the command line, and if dynamicinput is turned on, adjacent to the cursor. After you specify the first point of the first line segment, the promptincludes options. These options are displayed in the command line inside square brackets, and you canchoose an option by clicking on the option in the command line, or by typing the Capital letter corresponding tothe desired option. Notice that when dynamic input is turned on, when you type a letter, the letter appears inthe dynamic input field, not in the command line.When using dynamic input, you can also select one of the options by pressing the down arrow on thekeyboard.

Whenever the program offers options for a command, you can right-click to display a shortcut menu that includes those options.

Theres also a third way to select one of these options. Whenever the program offers you options for acommand, you can right-click to display a shortcut menu that includes those options. The available optionsappear in the middle portion of this shortcut menu, and you can choose the option you want by clicking on itinside this menu.It really doesnt matter which method you use. As you become more proficient, youll probably figure outwhich method works best for you. Many users prefer to right-click. That way, they can focus their attention on

the drawing itself and dont have to take their hand of the mouse. So you can click to select commands andpick points and then right-click to select options.

LESSON 4Repeating the Last CommandBeing able to repeat a command is quite useful, because you will often find yourself doing the same thingmultiple times. For example, lets say you just created a line segment and ended the command. Then youdecide that you want to create another line segment. Although you could start the command again by goingback to the Ribbon and clicking on the Line tool, this requires a lot of movement and extra clicks. Every timeyou go back and click on a button in the ribbon, you have to take your eyes off the drawing window and directyour attention back to the ribbon. And depending on the size of your display, this can require a lot of mousemovement.There ought to be an easier way to repeat the last command, and there are actually several different waysyou can repeat a command.If youve ended the command and the program is waiting for you to select a new command (which you cansee by the fact that in the command window the command line actually says Type a Command), you cansimply press the SPACEBAR to repeat whatever command you used last. So in this case, since the lastcommand you used was the LINE command, pressing the SPACEBAR repeats the LINE command. And youcan see the prompt to specify the first point.After you have finished drawing lines, pressing the SPACEBAR or the ENTER key or the ESCAPE key willend the command.And then again, pressing the SPACEBAR will restart the LINE command. You can also repeat the lastcommand by pressing the ENTER key, but most users find it easier to press the SPACEBAR, because it iseasier to locate the SPACEBAR on the keyboard without having to actually look down at the keyboard.Another way that you can repeat the command is to right-click to display a shortcut menu. Notice that the firstitem in the shortcut menu is the LINE command. This shortcut menu will always show the most recently usedcommand on the first line of the menu. So you can repeat the command by choosing it in this shortcut menu.

A third way to repeat a command is to move your cursor down into the command window and then click onthe Recent Commands tool. The program displays a list of recent commands, and you can start a commandby simply choosing it in this list. Note that you can also right-click in the command window. When you right-click in the command window, the program displays a shortcut menu. Notice that at the top of this menu is anitem labeled Recent Commands. If you expand this selection, you can see a list of up to six recentcommands, with the most recent command, in this case the LINE command, as the first item in the list. Youcan then repeat any one of these commands by selecting it in the flyout list. But clicking on the RecentCommands tool in the command line is simpler.

And here is one more tip. Not only will pressing the SPACEBAR restart the last command, but if you press theSPACEBAR another time after starting the command, the program will jump back to the last point youspecified. So in this case, pressing the SPACEBAR once restarts the line command and pressing it again usesthe endpoint of the previous line segment as the starting point for the next line segment.

LESSON 5Understanding Command OptionsAlmost all commands have what are known as command options. An option is simply a choice that you canmake while using the command. For example, when you use the LINE command, after you specify the firstpoint, the command then offers options. The options appear in the command line inside square brackets.When the program prompts you to specify the next point of the first line segment, the option is to undo thepoint that you specified for the starting point of the line.After you specify the endpoint of the first line segment, the Undo option would undo the choice you made forthe endpoint of the line segment.After you create two line segments, the option changes. Now, in addition to undoing what you just did, youcan also use the Close option to create a line segment extending from the last point you specified back to thestarting point of the first line segment you created.Its common for options to change as you progress through various steps in a command.When a command presents various options, there are four different ways to access these options.

Options appear on the command line, inside square brackets, and you can click on an option to select it.

First, you can type to specify the option. When you type, you only need to enter the letter corresponding tothe letter within the desired option that is capitalized. So, for example, to select the Close option you can justtype the letter C. It doesnt matter if you enter it as a capital or lower-case C. Just type the letter C and pressENTER. Similarly, to select the Undo option, you would type the letter U and then press ENTER.The second way to select an option is even easier. Instead of typing, you can simply click on the option in thecommand line. So when youre in the middle of the Line command, you can click on the Close or Undooption.

The third method you can use to select an option is to right-click to display a shortcut menu. Notice that thetwo options appear in the middle portion of the shortcut menu. You can then select the desired option byclicking on it in this menu.And the fourth method of selecting an option only works when you have dynamic input turned on. Whendynamic input is enabled, you can press the Down-Arrow on the keyboard to display the available options andthen either use the Up- and Down-Arrow keys and press ENTER to select the desired option, or just click onthe option in the list.

When dynamic input is enabled, you can press the Down-Arrow on the keyboard to display available options.

So, to select a command option, you can click in the command line, type at the keyboard, right-click and thenchoose the option from the shortcut menu, or press the Down-Arrow and then select the option from the list.

LESSON 6Drawing RectanglesRectangles are another common type of object you can create.To create a rectangle, click the Rectangle tool in the Draw panel of the Home ribbon. If you hover your cursorover the tool, notice that the tooltip shows you that the rectangle tool creates a rectangular polyline. If youpause your cursor over the tool for a few seconds, the tooltip expands to show you additional information. Thetooltip also shows you the name of the actual command. In this case, the command is RECTANG. In additionto clicking on the button in the ribbon, you could start the command by typing RECTANG and then pressingENTER. The tooltip will always show you the name of the command represented by a particular button, andany command can be started by typing. But that takes much more effort, so its almost always easier tosimply click on the appropriate tool.

The tooltip shows the actual command name.

Notice that as soon as you start the Rectangle command, the program prompts you to specify the first cornerpoint, and also shows you a list of options. Options are displayed in the command line inside square brackets.You can select any of these options by typing the capitalized letter corresponding to the desired option or bysimply clicking on the option in the command line, by right-clicking and choosing from the options that appearin the middle portion of the shortcut menu, or, if dynamic input is enabled, by pressing the Down Arrow andthen selecting from a list.

Rectangle command options appear in the command line, and if dynamic input is enabled, can be selected by pressing the Down-Arrow.

To simply draw a rectangle without selecting any options, just click to specify one corner of the rectangle, andthen notice that the prompt has changed. The program now prompts you to specify the other corner oropposite corner of the rectangle, and also presents a different set of options.

To draw a rectangle without selecting options, just click to specify the opposite corners.

As you move the cursor, you can see the rectangle that will be created. There are two different methods thatyou can use to specify the opposite corner of the rectangle. With dynamic input toggled on, notice that youcan see the X- and Y-coordinates, the length and width of the resulting rectangle. You can simply move thecursor until the rectangle is the desired size, or you can type the length and width values. Once you specifythe opposite corner, the rectangle is created and the command ends. You can tell that the command hasended because in the command line, the command line tells you to Type a command, and if dynamic inputis turned on, there is no longer a prompt adjacent to the cursor.To repeat the command, you can simply press the SPACEBAR, or you can right-click and choose theRECTANG command from the top of the shortcut menu.

LESSON 7Using the Undo and Redo CommandsUNDO and REDO are two complimentary commands that can be quite helpful when working in AutoCAD.Quickly create some objects. Use the LINE tool to create a line segment. Then, end the command and thenstart it again, and this time, create several line segments and then right-click and choose the Close option tocreate a closing segment and end the command. Then use the RECTANGLE command to draw a rectangle.And finally, use the LINE command to create one more line segment.The important thing to note here is the order in which you used the commands.Next, on the Quick Access toolbar, when you click once on the UNDO tool, AutoCAD will undo the last thingyou did. In this case, it undoes the last line segment you created.

If you click on UNDO again, it will undo the next most recent thing you did. So in this case, it removes therectangle.If you click UNDO again, the program will not undo the individual line segments, but rather all of the linesegments created in that instance of the LINE command. When you are in the middle of the LINE command,its undo option lets you step back and remove previous line segments, but once you have ended the LINEcommand, the UNDO command reverses all of the line segments you created during that particular use of theLINE command.And if you click on UNDO again, it will undo the very first line segment you created.Clicking on the REDO button one at a time will reverse what you just did with the UNDO command, so eachtime you click the REDO button, each object is restored to the drawing.

You can also click on the down arrow adjacent to the UNDO button to view a list of all the commands. Youcan then roll back through a series of commands. So rather than having to click the UNDO button three timesto undo everything but the very first line, you can select the last three commands at the top of the list to undothe LINE, the RECTANGLE, and the LINE.

The arrow adjacent to the REDO button lets you do the same thing. Rather than clicking the REDO buttontwo times to restore the line segments and then the rectangle, you can simply click on the second item in thelist to redo the last two undo actions.

The combination of the UNDO and REDO commands is perfect for trying what-if scenarios. Or, if you dosomething and dont get the desired results, you can immediately UNDO whatever you just did. Dont try tofix it. Just undo it.There is one thing you need to remember, however. The REDO command only reverses whatever you justundid using the UNDO command. If you use any other command after you undo something, you will nolonger be able to use the REDO command to reverse whatever you undid.

LESSON 8Drawing Circles Using Radius and DiameterA circle is one of the most basic objects you can create.To create a circle, you can click the Circle tool in the Draw panel of the Home ribbon.Notice that if you click the arrow adjacent to the Circle tool, you can see that there are a number of differentways in which you can create circles. If you pause your cursor over one of these methods, you see a tooltipdescribing that option. The tooltip also shows you that the name of the command in each case is CIRCLE.Each method simply pre-selects some of the possible CIRCLE command options.

Lets look at the Center-Radius method. When you click the Circle by Center-Radius option, the programprompts you to specify the center point for the circle. In the command line, you can see that the CIRCLEcommand has several options. You can pick the point where youd like the center of the circle to be located, oryou could type in the coordinate location. By pressing the TAB key, you can toggle between the X-coordinatelocation and the Y-coordinate location. Remember that the program uses a Cartesian coordinate system of X-and Y-coordinates, and when working in 3D, of X, Y, and Zcoordinates.So you can position the center of the circle. Type 5 in the X-coordinate field, then press the TAB key to switchto the other field, and type 6 to specify the location in the Y-direction. When you press the TAB key again, itlocks in that value. To finalize the selection of that point, press the ENTER key.

After locating the center of the circle, specify the radius by picking points or typing.

Once you specify the center of the circle, the program prompts you to specify the radius. The radius can alsobe specified by picking points or typing the radius value. Suppose you want the radius to be exactly .75. Typethat value and then press ENTER to create that circle.Repeat the command by pressing the SPACEBAR. This time, pick the location for the center of the circle.Then you can simply move the cursor and click to specify a new radius. But before you do that, look at thecommand line. Notice that the program is prompting you to specify the radius of the circle. You also have theoption of specifying the diameter of the circle. But there is also a default value. The program remembers theradius of the previous circle and displays that value as the default. So if you want to create another circle ofthe exact same size, you can simply press ENTER to accept that default value.

Press the SPACEBAR to repeat the command again, pick the center point, and then enter a new radius of1.25. Then, if you start the command again, after you specify the center point, now the command shows youthe radius of the most recent circle, in this case 1.25, as the new default value.Start the CIRCLE command again, but this time choose the Center-Diameter method. Again, the programprompts you to specify the center of the circle. But notice that this time, after you select the center point, thecommand prompts you to specify the Diameter of the circle rather than the radius. In the drawing window youcan see the diameter and the default value is now 2.5. Thats the diameter value of the last circle you created.So the program still remembers the size of the previous circle and offers it as the default value for the newcircle, but since you specified that you wanted to create the circle based on its diameter instead of its radius, ithas now converted the default into a diameter value.If you look carefully in the command line, you can see exactly what happened. The previous circle had aradius of 1.25. Selecting the Center-Diameter method in the Ribbon automatically chose the Diameter option.

You can see the letter D right there on the command line. So the prompt changed to Specify diameter and thenew default value appears as the diameter value.

Choosing the Center-Diameter method automatically chooses the Diameter option.

If you press the ENTER key, you create a circle the same size as the previous circle.Start the command again by pressing the SPACEBAR and then specify the center of the circle. But notice thatthe command has gone back to prompting you to specify the radius of the circle. If you want to specify thediameter instead, you can click to select the Diameter option, type the letter D, or right-click and chooseDiameter from the shortcut menu, or with dynamic input enabled, you can press the down arrow and chooseDiameter. Then you can specify the diameter of the circle.

LESSON 9Drawing 2 Point and 3 Point CirclesA circle is one of the most basic objects you can create.There are several different methods you can use to create circles.The two-point method lets you specify any two points to define the diameter of the circle whereas the three-point method lets you create a circle that passes through three points.Lets look first at an example of a two-point circle. Notice that you can select this method by clicking the arrowadjacent to the Circle tool on the Draw panel of the Home ribbon. Note that you could also simply start theCIRCLE command and then specify the two-point option by clicking the 2P option in the command line, typing2P, right-clicking and choosing the two-point option from the shortcut menu, or by pressing the down-arrow keyand then selecting the option from a list.

When you choose this option, the program prompts you to specify the first end point of the circles diameter.Click to select a point. The command then prompts you to specify the second end point of the circlesdiameter, and as you move the cursor, notice that you can see the diameter of the circle in the drawingwindow. The first point you picked is at one end of that diameter and the other end of the diameter is attachedto the cursor.

The program shows you the length of the diameter line. Also note that you can specify the angle of thediameter line. Remember that east or 3-oclock is the zero angle and angles increase in a counter-clockwisedirection.So at this point, you can either pick the other end of the diameter, or press the TAB key to cycle between thelength and angle values. To lock the diameter line in at an angle of 45-degrees, you can press TAB until thatfield is active, then type 45, and then press the TAB key to switch back to the diameter value. Notice that theangle is now locked, but you can continue to move the cursor to drag the length of the diameter. You can thentype in the diameter, lets say, a value of 3.

A three-point circle lets you create a circle by specifying three points. The resulting circle will pass throughthose three points. Start the command and then pick the first point, and then the second point. Notice thatwhen you go to pick the third point, you can see the resulting circle. As you move the cursor, the size of thecircle changes. The circle continues to pass through the first two points, but the resulting circle changes as youprepare to select the third point. When you click to pick the third point, the circle is created.

Notice that after you create the circles, if you select them, grips are displayed at their center points andquadrant points. Even though these circles were not defined based on their center points, once you createthem, the properties of all circles include the center point and radius. It doesnt matter how they were created.Regardless of the method you used, they are all the same type of circle object.

LESSON 10Drawing Circles Using the TTR and TTT OptionsExercise files: CIRCLE_TANGENT.DWGA circle is one of the most basic objects you can create in AutoCAD.There are several different methods you can use to create circles that are tangent to other objects. The firstmethod is called Tangent, Tangent, Radius. You can find this method in the Circle pull-down in the Draw panelof the Home ribbon. The Tangent, Tangent, Radius method creates a circle with a specified radius that istangent to two existing objects. Click to select that method.

Lets say, for example, that you want to create a circle that is tangent to two lines. Notice that in thecommand window and at the dynamic command prompt, AutoCAD prompts you to specify a point on theobject for the first tangent of the circle, and as you move the cursor anywhere over one of the lines, you see asmall glyph and a tooltip appears that says Deferred Tangent. This is an object snap that automatically popsup and allows you to snap to that geometry. Click to pick a point on one line. Then move the cursor over tothe other line. The prompt changes. It now asks you to specify a point on an object for the second tangent ofthe circle and again you see the same glyph and tooltip. Click to pick a deferred tangent point on the other line.

You still dont see the circle, but now the command is prompting you to specify the radius of the circle. Theremay be a default value from the last time you used the CIRCLE command. To specify a different radius, youcan either pick points to specify the radius or type the value. Type in a value of 1.5. As soon as you pressENTER, the circle is created. Notice that the circle is tangent to the two lines. Its not necessarily drawn at thepoints you specified, but it is tangent to the lines you specified. If you had specified a smaller radius, thetangency points would be closer to the intersection of the two lines.Create another circle tangent to these same two lines. Go back to the Draw panel in the ribbon. Notice thatthe Tangent, Tangent, Radius method is now the default method shown in the Circle button. Any time abutton includes a flyout like this, which ever option you choose from the flyout becomes the new defaultmethod assigned to the button. It floats to the top. So you dont have to click the arrow, this time you cansimply click the button.Again, click to select the first line, but this time pick a point out towards the end of the line. Then, click to selectthe other line. Then, when AutoCAD prompts you to specify the radius, type .75, half the size of the previouscircle. Notice that the new circle is still tangent to the two lines, but now it touches them much further from thepoints you used to select those lines.

You can use the Tangent, Tangent, Radius method to create a circle tangent to any two objects. Click to selecteach of the lines, and then press ENTER to accept the default radius value. Again, AutoCAD creates a circleof the desired radius tangent to the two objects you selected.

Lets look at the other method, Tangent, Tangent, Tangent. Suppose you wanted to create a circle that fitsexactly inside a triangle so that it touches and is tangent to all three sides.

In the Draw panel of the Home ribbon tab, click on the Circle flyout and choose the Tan, Tan, Tan tool. Then,pick a point anywhere on one side of the triangle, then anywhere on the second side, and then anywhere onthe third side. As soon as you pick the third point, AutoCAD automatically calculates the radius of the circlethat fits perfectly inside the triangle and is tangent to each side.

LESSON 11Drawing ArcsAn arc is one of the most basic objects you can create, and there are quite a number of different methods youcan use to create arcs.On the Home ribbon, in the Draw panel, expand the Arc split button. Notice that the program shows 11different methods you can use to create an arc. The default method lets you create an arc by picking threepoints that the arc will pass through, but notice that you can also create an arc by picking its start point, centerpoint, and endpoint; by picking its start point, center point, and an included angle; by picking its start point,center, and the length of a chord; the start point, endpoint, and included angle; the start point, endpoint, andtangent direction; the start point, endpoint, and radius; the center point, start point, and endpoint; the center,start point, and included angle; the center, start point, and chord length; or draw an arc tangent to the last lineor arc that you created.

Note that with the exception of the Continue option, each of these methods require you to select three points,or two points and a value. Several use the same combinations, but change the order in which you pick pointsor specify the values. Also note that when you select one of these options from the split button, the methodyou choose floats to the top of the button and becomes the default method the next time you click the buttonin the ribbon.Cancel the command then choose the default 3-Point method. When you do, the command prompts you tospecify the start point of the arc. It also tells you that by default, arcs are created in a counter-clockwise

direction. But notice that if you want to draw an arc in a clockwise direction, you can press and hold the CTRLkey as you pick points to switch directions.

Also note that even though you started the ARC command using the 3-Point method, which lets you createan arc passing through three points, theres also a Center option. If you choose the Center option, the promptchanges. Now, you can specify the center of the arc. Once you select the center point, the program promptsyou to specify the start point of the arc. Once you do that, the program prompts you to specify the end pointof the arc.

Notice that by default, the arc is created in a counter-clockwise direction. But when you press the CTRL key,you can see that now, the arc is being created in a clockwise direction.As soon as you specify the endpoint, the arc is created and the command ends.

LESSON 12Drawing Arcs by Specifying 3 PointsAn arc is one of the most basic objects you can create. On the Home ribbon, in the Draw panel, when youexpand the Arc tool you can see that there are 11 methods for creating arcs. With the exception of theContinue option, all of these methods require you to specify either three points or two points and a value, suchas the radius, chord length, or tangent direction.The default method is to create an arc that passes through three points. When you choose the 3-Point option,the program prompts you for the starting point of the arc, and also tells you that the arc will be created in acounter-clockwise direction. But note that if you press and hold the CTRL key, you can create the arc in aclockwise direction.

Click to select the start point and then the second point. As soon as you specify that second point, you cansee a preview image of the arc. As you move the cursor, the preview changes, so that the arc extends fromthe start point and through the second point to the position of the cursor. The first two points remain fixed andits the third point, the end point, that completes the creation of the arc.Once the arc has been created, if you select it, grips appear at specific locations that correspond to thegeometry used to store the arc. The program stores the start point, the end point, and the center point of thearc. Theres also a grip at the midpoint.

Go back to the ribbon and this time create an arc using the Start, Center, Length method. Once you havecreated the arc, notice that when you select it, you again see grips at the start point, the end point, and thecenter point. Regardless of the method you use to create the arc, once it has been created, the program usesthe start point, the end point, and the center point to store the definition of the arc.

Notice that the Start, Center, Length method has floated to the top of the split button. If you click that buttonnow, instead of using the default 3-Point method, the program repeats the Start, Center, Length method. Butif you cancel the command and then press the SPACEBAR or right-click to repeat the command, the programreverts back to the default method, which creates an arc passing through three points.

Of course, even if you start the command using the default method, you can easily switch to any of the othermethods by choosing options. The available options always display on the command line. If dynamic input isenabled, these options also appear adjacent to the cursor. You can then choose any available option byclicking the option on the command line, by pressing the down-arrow on the keyboard, by right-clicking andchoosing from a shortcut menu, or by typing the letter corresponding to the desired option. In this case,choose the Center option. Now the program is prompting you to select the center point of the arc. Once youclick to pick the center point, the prompt changes. Now the program is prompting you to specify the end pointof the arc. But notice that at this point, you can also choose the Angle or Chord Length option to complete thearc.

Choose the Angle option. As soon as you do, the program prompts you to specify the included angle. Noticethat by default, the arc is extending in a counter-clockwise direction. If you press the CTRL key, the arcextends in a clockwise direction. You can also type an angle value. If you specify a positive angle value, suchas 90-degrees, the arc will be drawn in a counter-clockwise direction. But if you specify a negative angle value,such as negative 90-degrees, the arc will be drawn in a clockwise direction.

LESSON 13Erasing Objects by PickingExercise files: ERASE.DWGYou can use the ERASE command to remove objects from the drawing. To start the command, click theErase tool in the Modify panel of the Home ribbon.

When you start the command, the program prompts you to select objects. Note that all modify commandswork in a two-step process. The first step is to select objects, a process known as creating a selection set.Once you have finished selecting objects, right-click or press ENTER to complete the selection and proceed tothe action of the modify command. The objects are not actually erased until the second step of the commandis completed.When selecting objects, notice that when you move the cursor over an object it highlights to let you know thatthe pick box is over the object. You can then click to select the object.

Once an object has been selected, it displays with a dashed line. Also notice that in the command line, eachtime you select an object, the prompt changes to tell you that the program has found and selected an objectand shows a running total for the number of objects that youve selected. The prompt also repeats so that youcan select another object.

You can also press the F2 key to expand the command line, so that you can see additional information. PressF2 to collapse the command line again.Once youre done selecting the objects that you want to erase, you can right-click or press ENTER to removethose objects from the drawing and end the command.

LESSON 14Selecting Objects by Window and CrossingExercise files: ERASE.DWGIn addi