Ellen Finkelstein

Finkelstein

The book you need to succeed!

Even AutoCAD developers turn to this book for answers!

Find out what fans of all the previous bestselling editions

of this book already know: this is the top all-in-one guide

to everything you need to master AutoCAD. Whether

you’re a novice looking to start with the basics and

progress to programming, or an AutoCAD veteran

exploring what’s new or seeking a quick refresher,

every feature is covered. Start drawing today in AutoCAD

2010 with the one book you need to succeed.

• Start drawing right away with a Quick Start project

• Draw, view, and edit in 2D, then add text and dimensions

• Reference other drawings and link data to objects

• Build, view, and present complex 3D drawings

• Customize commands, create shortcuts, and use scripts and macros

• Program AutoCAD using AutoLISP® and VBA

DVD Included!• Trial versions of AutoCAD 2010 and AutoCAD LT 2010• Drawings for the exercises, add-on programs, and more• Videos on the big new features — Parametric Constraints and Mesh SolidsTrial versions on DVD!

Draw and display sophisti-cated 2D and 3D models

Control your drawings with the new parametric constraints

Create organic, molded solids with 3D meshes

AutoCAD®

2010 & AutoCAD LT

® 2010

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& A

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T® 2010

What’s on the DVD?• Trial versions of both AutoCAD

2010 and AutoCAD LT 2010

• Over 300 before-and-after drawings from working AutoCAD professionals

• A selection of helpful add-on programs

• The entire book in searchable PDF

• Videos on the two big new features of AutoCAD 2010— Parametric Constraints and Mesh Solids

System Requirements: Please see the DVD appendix for details and system requirements.

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Start drawing today with the Quick Start tutorial

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Learn how to customize and program AutoCAD

www.wiley.com/go/autocad2010bible

Spine: 1.54"

10th Anniversary Editionof the AutoCAD Bible

10th anniversary edition of the bestselling AutoCAD Bible

AutoCAD® 2010 & AutoCAD LT® 2010 Bible

AutoCAD® 2010 & AutoCAD LT® 2010

Bible

Ellen Finkelstein

AutoCAD® 2010 & AutoCAD LT® 2010 Bible

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.10475 Crosspoint BoulevardIndianapolis, IN 46256www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

ISBN: 978-0-470-43640-0

Manufactured in the United States of America

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax 201-748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.

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Trademarks: Wiley and related trade dress are registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. Autodesk, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, DWF, DWG, and the DWG logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the U.S.A. and/or certain other countries. Certain content, including trial software, provided courtesy Autodesk, Inc., © 2009. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

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v

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.

vi

About the AuthorEllen 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 as other 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 tech-niques for AutoCAD, PowerPoint, and presenting, and she publishes the AutoCAD Tips Blog, and a monthly AutoCAD Tips Newsletter. Ellen has written extensively on AutoCAD, including articles for Autodesk’s Web site and features for AutoCAD’s Help system. 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 CS4 For Dummies), and Web technologies (Syndicating Web Sites with RSS Feeds For Dummies). You’re holding the tenth edition (wow!) of this book, which previously appeared for AutoCAD releases 14, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.

vii

CreditsSenior Acquisitions EditorStephanie McComb

Project EditorJade L. Williams

Technical EditorsLee Ambrosius, Darren Young

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Editorial DirectorRobyn Siesky

Editorial ManagerCricket Krengel

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Vice President and Executive PublisherBarry Pruett

Project CoordinatorKristie Rees

Graphics and Production SpecialistsSamantha K. AllenAna CarrilloCarrie A. CesaviceAndrea HornbergerJennifer MayberryRonald Terry

ProofreadingBonnie Mikkelson

IndexingBIM Indexing & Proofreading Services

Media Development Project ManagerLaura Moss

Media Development Assistant Project ManagerJenny Swisher

Media Development Associate ProducerJoshua Frank

viii

Foreword .........................................................................................................................................xxxviiAcknowledgments ..........................................................................................................................xxxviiiIntroduction .....................................................................................................................................xxxix

Part I: AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Quick Start: Drawing a Window ............................................................................................................. 3Chapter 1: Starting to Draw .................................................................................................................. 15Chapter 2: Opening a Drawing ............................................................................................................. 29Chapter 3: Using Commands ................................................................................................................ 37Chapter 4: Specifying Coordinates ........................................................................................................ 61Chapter 5: Setting Up a Drawing .......................................................................................................... 97

Part II: Drawing in Two Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113Chapter 6: Drawing Simple Lines ........................................................................................................ 115Chapter 7: Drawing Curves and Points ............................................................................................... 123Chapter 8: Viewing Your Drawing ...................................................................................................... 139Chapter 9: Editing Your Drawing with Basic Tools.............................................................................. 169Chapter 10: Editing Your Drawing with Advanced Tools .................................................................... 193Chapter 11: Organizing Drawings with Layers, Colors, Linetypes, and Lineweights ............................ 255Chapter 12: Obtaining Information from Your Drawing ..................................................................... 289Chapter 13: Creating Text ................................................................................................................... 309Chapter 14: Drawing Dimensions ....................................................................................................... 361Chapter 15: Creating Dimension Styles ............................................................................................... 411Chapter 16: Drawing Complex Objects ............................................................................................... 443Chapter 17: Plotting and Printing Your Drawing ................................................................................. 487

Part III: Working with Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 523Chapter 18: Working with Blocks and Attributes ................................................................................ 525Chapter 19: Referencing Other Drawings ............................................................................................ 591Chapter 20: Working with External Databases .................................................................................... 613

Part IV: Drawing in Three Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 643Chapter 21: Specifying 3D Coordinates .............................................................................................. 645Chapter 22: Viewing 3D Drawings ...................................................................................................... 671Chapter 23: Creating 3D Surfaces ....................................................................................................... 717Chapter 24: Creating Solids and Editing in 3D ................................................................................... 757Chapter 25: Rendering in 3D .............................................................................................................. 831

ix

Part V: Organizing and Managing Drawings. . . . . . . . . . . . . 863Chapter 26: Keeping Control of Your Drawings .................................................................................. 865Chapter 27: Working with Other Applications ................................................................................... 923Chapter 28: Creating Electronic Output.............................................................................................. 947

Part VI: Customizing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT . . . . . . . . . 971Chapter 29: Customizing Commands, Toolbars, and Tool Palettes ..................................................... 973Chapter 30: Creating Macros and Slide Shows .................................................................................... 995Chapter 31: Creating Your Own Linetypes and Hatch Patterns ......................................................... 1007Chapter 32: Creating Shapes and Fonts ............................................................................................ 1019Chapter 33: Customizing the Ribbon and Menus .............................................................................. 1031

Part VII: Programming AutoCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1059Chapter 34: Understanding AutoLISP and Visual LISP Basics ........................................................... 1061Chapter 35: Exploring AutoLISP Further .......................................................................................... 1075Chapter 36: Exploring Advanced AutoLISP Topics ........................................................................... 1099Chapter 37: Programming with Visual Basic for Applications ............................................................ 1115

Part VIII: Appendixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1143Appendix A: Installing and Configuring AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT ................................................ 1145Appendix B: AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Resources ......................................................................... 1177Appendix C: What’s on the DVD-ROM ............................................................................................. 1183

Index ................................................................................................................................................ 1191

x

xi

Foreword  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxxvii

Acknowledgments  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xxxviii

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xxxix

Part I: AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Basics 1

Quick Start: Drawing a Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Summary .................................................................................................................................... 13

Chapter 1: Starting to Draw  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15AutoCAD’s Advantages ............................................................................................................... 15Comparing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT ..................................................................................... 16Starting AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT ........................................................................................... 17Creating a New Drawing ............................................................................................................. 17Using the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface.......................................................................... 17

The drawing area .............................................................................................................. 18The UCS icon ......................................................................................................... 19The crosshairs ........................................................................................................ 20

The ribbon and Quick Access toolbar ............................................................................... 20Using the Application menu ............................................................................................. 21The command line and dynamic input tooltip .................................................................. 22The status bar ................................................................................................................... 22

Creating a New Folder ................................................................................................................ 22Using the Interface ...................................................................................................................... 23Saving a Drawing ........................................................................................................................ 25Closing a Drawing and Exiting from AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT ............................................... 27Summary .................................................................................................................................... 28

Chapter 2: Opening a Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Creating a New Drawing from a Template .................................................................................. 29Working with Templates ............................................................................................................ 31

Customizing the default template ..................................................................................... 32Creating your own templates ............................................................................................ 32

Creating a Drawing with Default Settings.................................................................................... 33Opening an Existing Drawing ..................................................................................................... 33

Using other ways to open drawings .................................................................................. 34Switching among open drawings ...................................................................................... 34

Saving a Drawing under a New Name ......................................................................................... 35Summary .................................................................................................................................... 36

xii

Contents

Chapter 3: Using Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37The AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface .................................................................................. 37

Using the ribbon .............................................................................................................. 38Using menus .................................................................................................................... 39Using shortcut menus ...................................................................................................... 39Using dialog boxes ........................................................................................................... 40Using toolbars .................................................................................................................. 40Using palettes ................................................................................................................... 41Tool palettes ..................................................................................................................... 41

The Command Line and Dynamic Input..................................................................................... 42Using Dynamic Input ....................................................................................................... 43Understanding command names ...................................................................................... 44Responding to commands ................................................................................................ 45

Command Techniques ................................................................................................................ 47Repeating commands ....................................................................................................... 47Using recent input ............................................................................................................ 48Canceling commands ....................................................................................................... 48Undoing a command ........................................................................................................ 49Redoing a command ......................................................................................................... 50Using one command within another command ................................................................ 51

Of Mice and Pucks ..................................................................................................................... 52Getting Help ............................................................................................................................... 54

Getting help on a command ............................................................................................. 54Finding help with Quickstart links ................................................................................... 54Using the main Help system ............................................................................................. 55

The Contents tab .................................................................................................... 55The Index tab ......................................................................................................... 55The Search tab ....................................................................................................... 55

Working with Help screens .............................................................................................. 56Using the InfoCenter ........................................................................................................ 57

Search Help ........................................................................................................... 57The Communication Center ................................................................................... 57Favorites ................................................................................................................ 57

Summary .................................................................................................................................... 58

Chapter 4: Specifying Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Understanding the X,Y Coordinate System ................................................................................. 61

Drawing units ................................................................................................................... 62Types of measurement notation ........................................................................................ 62

Typing Coordinates .................................................................................................................... 62Using the Dynamic Input tooltip to enter coordinates ...................................................... 63

Typing coordinates in the Dynamic Input tooltip ................................................... 63Specifying Dynamic Input settings ......................................................................... 63Overriding Dynamic Input settings ........................................................................ 66

Absolute Cartesian coordinates ......................................................................................... 66Relative Cartesian coordinates .......................................................................................... 68Polar coordinates .............................................................................................................. 69

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Contents

Direct distance entry ........................................................................................................ 71Orthogonal mode ............................................................................................................. 71Polar tracking ................................................................................................................... 72

Setting polar tracking angles .................................................................................. 72Using polar tracking ............................................................................................... 73

Displaying Coordinates ............................................................................................................... 75Picking Coordinates on the Screen ............................................................................................. 76

Snap settings .................................................................................................................... 76Snapping to a grid .................................................................................................. 77Snapping at polar angles ........................................................................................ 78The grid ................................................................................................................. 78

Object snaps ..................................................................................................................... 81Running object snaps and Object Snap mode ................................................................... 85

Overriding Coordinate Settings .................................................................................................. 86Locating Points ........................................................................................................................... 89

Object snap tracking ........................................................................................................ 89Using the temporary tracking feature ............................................................................... 93Point filters ....................................................................................................................... 93From feature .................................................................................................................... 94

Summary .................................................................................................................................... 95

Chapter 5: Setting Up a Drawing  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97Choosing Unit Types .................................................................................................................. 97

Setting the drawing units .................................................................................................. 98Setting the angle type ....................................................................................................... 99Setting the angle measure and direction ......................................................................... 100

Drawing Limits ......................................................................................................................... 101Understanding Scales ................................................................................................................ 102

Working with scale formats ............................................................................................ 103Using annotative scales ................................................................................................... 104Customizing the scale list ............................................................................................... 106Deciding on a scale and sheet size .................................................................................. 107

Creating a Titleblock ................................................................................................................ 107Specifying Common Setup Options .......................................................................................... 108Customizing with the MVSETUP Command and Setup Wizards .............................................. 110Summary .................................................................................................................................. 111

Part II: Drawing in Two Dimensions 113

Chapter 6: Drawing Simple Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Using the LINE Command ....................................................................................................... 115Drawing Rectangles .................................................................................................................. 117Drawing Polygons ..................................................................................................................... 117Creating Construction Lines ..................................................................................................... 120Creating Rays ............................................................................................................................ 121Summary .................................................................................................................................. 122

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Contents

Chapter 7: Drawing Curves and Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123Drawing Circles ........................................................................................................................ 123

Understanding the circle options .................................................................................... 123Drawing circles ............................................................................................................... 124

Drawing Arcs ............................................................................................................................ 126Understanding arc options ............................................................................................. 126Drawing arcs .................................................................................................................. 127

Creating Ellipses and Elliptical Arcs .......................................................................................... 130Understanding ellipse options ........................................................................................ 130

Creating ellipses ................................................................................................... 130Creating elliptical arcs .......................................................................................... 131

Drawing ellipses ............................................................................................................. 131Making Donuts ......................................................................................................................... 133

Understanding DONUT options ..................................................................................... 133Drawing donuts .............................................................................................................. 134

Placing Points ........................................................................................................................... 134Changing the point style ................................................................................................ 134Creating points ............................................................................................................... 135

Summary .................................................................................................................................. 137

Chapter 8: Viewing Your Drawing  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139Regenerating and Redrawing the Display .................................................................................. 139Panning .................................................................................................................................... 140

Using the PAN command ............................................................................................... 140Using the scroll bars ....................................................................................................... 140

Using the ZOOM Command ..................................................................................................... 140Understanding ZOOM options ....................................................................................... 141Using ZOOM Dynamic ................................................................................................... 142

Using the SteeringWheel .......................................................................................................... 145Creating Named Views ............................................................................................................. 146

Saving a view .................................................................................................................. 146Displaying a view ........................................................................................................... 150Managing named views .................................................................................................. 150Creating animated presentations from named views ....................................................... 150Using named views to manage a drawing ....................................................................... 153

A drawing with a view ......................................................................................... 154Partially opening a drawing .................................................................................. 154Using named views with sheet sets ....................................................................... 155

Working with Tiled Viewports ................................................................................................. 155Configuring tiled viewports ............................................................................................ 156

Creating tiled viewports ....................................................................................... 156Removing tiled viewports ..................................................................................... 157

Using tiled viewports ...................................................................................................... 158Saving and restoring viewport configurations ................................................................. 158

Using Snap Rotation ................................................................................................................. 160Understanding User Coordinate Systems .................................................................................. 161

Understanding UCS options ........................................................................................... 162Saving and restoring a custom UCS ................................................................................ 163

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Contents

Controlling the UCS icon ............................................................................................... 164Using a custom UCS ....................................................................................................... 165

Creating Isometric Drawings ..................................................................................................... 166Understanding isometric planes ..................................................................................... 167Drawing in Isometric mode ............................................................................................ 167

Summary .................................................................................................................................. 168

Chapter 9: Editing Your Drawing with Basic Tools  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169Editing a Drawing ..................................................................................................................... 169

Understanding object-selection basics ............................................................................ 170Erasing objects ............................................................................................................... 170Moving objects ............................................................................................................... 172Copying objects .............................................................................................................. 174Copying and moving objects from one drawing to another ............................................ 177Rotating objects .............................................................................................................. 177Scaling objects ................................................................................................................ 180Using the CHANGE command ....................................................................................... 182

Changing lines ..................................................................................................... 182Changing circles ................................................................................................... 183

Selecting Objects ...................................................................................................................... 184Selecting objects after choosing a command ................................................................... 184Cycling through objects ................................................................................................. 187Selecting objects before choosing a command ................................................................ 187Implied windowing ........................................................................................................ 187Customizing the selection process .................................................................................. 189

Pickbox Size ......................................................................................................... 189Selection Preview ................................................................................................. 190Noun/verb selection ............................................................................................. 190Use Shift to Add to Selection ................................................................................ 190Press and Drag ..................................................................................................... 190Implied windowing .............................................................................................. 191Object grouping ................................................................................................... 191Associative Hatch ................................................................................................. 191

Summary .................................................................................................................................. 191

Chapter 10: Editing Your Drawing with Advanced Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193Copying and Moving Objects ................................................................................................... 193

Mirroring objects ............................................................................................................ 194Using the ARRAY command ........................................................................................... 195

Rectangular arrays ................................................................................................ 195Polar (circular) arrays ........................................................................................... 197

Offsetting objects ........................................................................................................... 200Aligning objects .............................................................................................................. 203

Using the ALIGN command ................................................................................. 203Using the 3DALIGN command ............................................................................ 204

Resizing Commands ................................................................................................................. 206Trimming objects ........................................................................................................... 206Extending objects ........................................................................................................... 210Lengthening objects ....................................................................................................... 212Stretching objects ........................................................................................................... 214

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Contents

Using Construction Commands ................................................................................................ 218Breaking objects ............................................................................................................. 218Joining objects ................................................................................................................ 218Creating chamfered corners ............................................................................................ 221Creating rounded corners ............................................................................................... 223

Creating a Revision Cloud ........................................................................................................ 226Hiding Objects with a Wipeout ................................................................................................ 227Constraining Objects with Parameters ...................................................................................... 228

Using geometric constraints ........................................................................................... 228Auto-constraining objects ............................................................................................... 230Using dimensional constraints ........................................................................................ 230Working with the Parameters Manager ........................................................................... 231

Double-Clicking to Edit Objects ............................................................................................... 233Grips ........................................................................................................................................ 234

Stretching with grips ...................................................................................................... 236Stretching one line ............................................................................................... 236Stretching multiple lines ...................................................................................... 236

Moving with grips .......................................................................................................... 237Rotating with grips ......................................................................................................... 237Scaling with grips ........................................................................................................... 237Mirroring with grips ....................................................................................................... 238Customizing grips .......................................................................................................... 240

Editing with the Quick Properties Palette and the Properties Palette ......................................... 241Using the Quick Properties palette ................................................................................. 241Using the Properties palette ............................................................................................ 243

Selection Filters ........................................................................................................................ 245Using Quick Select to select objects ................................................................................ 245Using the FILTER command .......................................................................................... 247

Creating a single filter .......................................................................................... 247Adding a second filter .......................................................................................... 248

Naming and editing filters .............................................................................................. 249Using filters .................................................................................................................... 249

Groups ..................................................................................................................................... 251Creating and modifying groups in AutoCAD .................................................................. 251

Creating a new group ........................................................................................... 252Changing a group ................................................................................................ 252

Creating and modifying groups in AutoCAD LT ............................................................. 253Creating a new group ........................................................................................... 253Changing a group in AutoCAD LT ....................................................................... 253

Using groups .................................................................................................................. 254Summary .................................................................................................................................. 254

Chapter 11: Organizing Drawings with Layers, Colors, Linetypes, and Lineweights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255

Working with Layers ................................................................................................................ 255Understanding layers ...................................................................................................... 256Creating new layers ........................................................................................................ 256

Naming the layer .................................................................................................. 258Assigning a color .................................................................................................. 258Assigning a linetype ............................................................................................. 261Assigning a lineweight.......................................................................................... 262

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Contents

Using layers .................................................................................................................... 264Switching the current layer .................................................................................. 265Changing a layer’s state ........................................................................................ 265Saving layer states ................................................................................................ 267Changing an existing object’s layer ....................................................................... 269Making an object’s layer current ........................................................................... 269

Using special layer tools ................................................................................................. 269Modifying layers ............................................................................................................. 272

Managing columns ............................................................................................... 272Filtering the layer list ........................................................................................... 273Changing a layer’s color, linetype, and lineweight ................................................ 274Renaming layers ................................................................................................... 275Deleting layers ..................................................................................................... 275Purging layers and linetypes ................................................................................. 275

Changing Object Color, Linetype, and Lineweight .................................................................... 277Changing an object’s color ............................................................................................. 277Changing the current color............................................................................................. 278Changing an object’s linetype ......................................................................................... 278Changing the current linetype ........................................................................................ 279Changing an object’s lineweight ..................................................................................... 279Changing the current lineweight .................................................................................... 280

Working with Linetype Scales .................................................................................................. 282Changing linetype spacing by using a different linetype ................................................. 282Changing linetype spacing by changing the global linetype scale .................................... 282Changing linetype spacing by changing the object linetype scale .................................... 284

Changing the current object linetype scale ........................................................... 284Changing an existing object’s linetype scale ......................................................... 284

Importing Layers and Linetypes from Other Drawings.............................................................. 286Matching Properties .................................................................................................................. 287Summary .................................................................................................................................. 288

Chapter 12: Obtaining Information from Your Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289Drawing-Level Information ....................................................................................................... 289

Listing the status of your drawing................................................................................... 289Listing system variables .................................................................................................. 290Tracking drawing time ................................................................................................... 291

Object-Level Information .......................................................................................................... 293Listing objects ................................................................................................................ 293Finding coordinates ........................................................................................................ 294Measuring objects ........................................................................................................... 294Getting information from the Properties palette .............................................................. 297Getting information from the Quick Properties panel ..................................................... 297

Dividing and Spacing Commands ............................................................................................. 298Dividing objects ............................................................................................................. 298Measuring objects ........................................................................................................... 299

AutoCAD’s Calculator ............................................................................................................... 300Calculating numbers ...................................................................................................... 301Using coordinates ........................................................................................................... 302Using object snaps .......................................................................................................... 303Using the scientific calculator ......................................................................................... 303

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Contents

Converting units ............................................................................................................ 304Working with QuickCalc variables ................................................................................. 304Using QuickCalc in the Properties palette ...................................................................... 305

Summary .................................................................................................................................. 308

Chapter 13: Creating Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309Creating Single-Line Text ......................................................................................................... 309

Justifying single-line text ................................................................................................ 310Setting the height ........................................................................................................... 311Setting the rotation angle ................................................................................................ 312Adding special characters and formatting ....................................................................... 312Editing single-line text .................................................................................................... 314

Scaling text .......................................................................................................... 315Justifying text ....................................................................................................... 316

Understanding Text Styles ........................................................................................................ 317Creating a new text style ................................................................................................ 318

Font ..................................................................................................................... 318Size ...................................................................................................................... 319Effects .................................................................................................................. 319

Renaming and deleting text styles ................................................................................... 320Modifying a text style ..................................................................................................... 321Making a style current or changing a text object’s style ................................................... 321Importing a text style ..................................................................................................... 322

Creating Multiline Text ............................................................................................................. 322Using the In-Place Text Editor ........................................................................................ 322

Specifying and changing line spacing ................................................................... 329Specifying width and rotation .............................................................................. 330

Creating text for different scales ..................................................................................... 330Editing paragraph text .................................................................................................... 332Importing text ................................................................................................................ 333

Creating Tables ......................................................................................................................... 335Inserting a table .............................................................................................................. 335Specifying a table style ................................................................................................... 336

General properties................................................................................................ 338Text properties ..................................................................................................... 338Border properties ................................................................................................. 338Completing the table style .................................................................................... 339

Adding data to a table .................................................................................................... 339Entering data into a table ..................................................................................... 339Linking to external data ....................................................................................... 340Extracting data from drawing objects ................................................................... 342

Modifying a table ............................................................................................................ 345Changing the text ................................................................................................. 345Changing table properties .................................................................................... 345Changing cell properties ...................................................................................... 345Breaking a table into sections ............................................................................... 347

Inserting Fields ......................................................................................................................... 350Creating fields ................................................................................................................ 350Editing and updating fields ............................................................................................ 352

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Managing Text .......................................................................................................................... 354Using Quicktext ............................................................................................................. 354Using AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT fonts ......................................................................... 354Freezing text layers ......................................................................................................... 354Using MIRRTEXT ........................................................................................................... 354

Finding Text in Your Drawing .................................................................................................. 356Checking Your Spelling ............................................................................................................ 357Summary .................................................................................................................................. 359

Chapter 14: Drawing Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361Working with Dimensions ........................................................................................................ 361

The elements of a dimension .......................................................................................... 361Preparing to dimension .................................................................................................. 363

Drawing Linear Dimensions ...................................................................................................... 363Specifying the dimensioned object ................................................................................. 364Using dimension options ................................................................................................ 366

MText .................................................................................................................. 366Text ..................................................................................................................... 367Angle ................................................................................................................... 367Horizontal/vertical ............................................................................................... 367Rotated ................................................................................................................ 368

Creating jogged dimension lines ..................................................................................... 368Drawing Aligned Dimensions ................................................................................................... 369

Specifying the dimensioned object ................................................................................. 369Using the options ........................................................................................................... 370

Creating Baseline and Continued Dimensions........................................................................... 371Drawing baseline dimensions ......................................................................................... 371Drawing continued dimensions ...................................................................................... 372

Dimensioning Arcs and Circles ................................................................................................. 374Marking arc and circle centers ........................................................................................ 375Dimensioning arc lengths ............................................................................................... 375Creating radial dimensions ............................................................................................. 376Creating diameter dimensions ........................................................................................ 376

Dimensioning Angles ................................................................................................................ 377Creating Ordinate Dimensions .................................................................................................. 380Drawing Leaders ....................................................................................................................... 383

Creating a multileader .................................................................................................... 383Editing multileaders ....................................................................................................... 384Creating a multileader style ............................................................................................ 384Aligning and combining leaders ..................................................................................... 387

Using Quick Dimension ........................................................................................................... 391Creating Inspection Dimensions ............................................................................................... 394Creating Geometric Tolerances ................................................................................................. 395

Starting the tolerance frame ............................................................................................ 396Inserting the tolerance frame .......................................................................................... 398Editing a tolerance frame ................................................................................................ 398

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Contents

Editing Dimensions .................................................................................................................. 400Editing associativity ........................................................................................................ 400

DIMREASSOCIATE ............................................................................................. 400DIMDISASSOCIATE ............................................................................................ 401DIMREGEN ......................................................................................................... 401

Using the DIMEDIT command ....................................................................................... 402Using the DIMTEDIT command ..................................................................................... 402Flipping dimension arrows ............................................................................................. 404Editing dimension text ................................................................................................... 404Using the Properties palette to edit dimensions .............................................................. 404Changing annotative scales ............................................................................................. 404Spacing dimensions equally apart ................................................................................... 405Breaking dimensions ...................................................................................................... 405Using Quick Dimension to edit dimensions ................................................................... 406Using grips to edit dimensions ....................................................................................... 407Editing objects and dimensions together ........................................................................ 407

Summary .................................................................................................................................. 409

Chapter 15: Creating Dimension Styles  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411Understanding Dimension Styles .............................................................................................. 411Defining a New Dimension Style .............................................................................................. 413

Managing dimension lines .............................................................................................. 413Dimension lines ................................................................................................... 414Extension lines ..................................................................................................... 415

Defining symbols and arrows ......................................................................................... 416Defining arrowheads ............................................................................................ 416Defining symbols ................................................................................................. 418

Managing dimension text ............................................................................................... 420Text appearance ................................................................................................... 420Text placement .................................................................................................... 421Text alignment ..................................................................................................... 422

Fitting dimensions into tight spaces ............................................................................... 423Fit Options .......................................................................................................... 424Text Placement .................................................................................................... 426Scale for Dimension Features ............................................................................... 427

Defining primary units ................................................................................................... 428Linear Dimensions ............................................................................................... 430Angular Dimensions ............................................................................................. 431

Defining alternate units .................................................................................................. 431Formatting tolerances ..................................................................................................... 434

Changing Dimension Styles ...................................................................................................... 436Choosing a new current dimension style ........................................................................ 436Creating a variant of a dimension style ........................................................................... 436Modifying a dimension to use a new dimension style ..................................................... 437Modifying dimension styles ............................................................................................ 437Overriding a dimension style .......................................................................................... 437Updating dimensions ..................................................................................................... 438Comparing dimension styles .......................................................................................... 438Copying dimension styles from other drawings .............................................................. 439

Summary .................................................................................................................................. 442

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Chapter 16: Drawing Complex Objects  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443Creating and Editing Polylines .................................................................................................. 443

Using the PLINE command ............................................................................................ 444Editing polylines with the PEDIT command ................................................................... 447Editing polylines with the Properties palette or Quick Properties palette ........................ 449

Drawing and Editing Splines .................................................................................................... 450Creating splines .............................................................................................................. 451Editing splines ................................................................................................................ 452

Creating Regions ....................................................................................................................... 455Creating Boundaries ................................................................................................................. 457Creating Hatches ...................................................................................................................... 458

Understanding hatch patterns ........................................................................................ 459Defining a hatch ............................................................................................................. 460

Specifying the hatch type and pattern .................................................................. 460Setting the hatch angle and scale .......................................................................... 461Setting the hatch origin ........................................................................................ 463

Determining the hatch boundary .................................................................................... 463Islands ................................................................................................................. 465Other advanced options ....................................................................................... 466

Dragging and dropping hatch patterns ........................................................................... 467Creating gradient fills ..................................................................................................... 467Editing hatches ............................................................................................................... 469Using the SOLID command ............................................................................................ 471

Creating and Editing Multilines ................................................................................................ 471Creating a multiline style ................................................................................................ 472

Defining multiline style properties ....................................................................... 473Saving a new multiline style ................................................................................. 474Loading a multiline style ...................................................................................... 474

Drawing multilines ......................................................................................................... 476Editing multilines ........................................................................................................... 478

Creating Dlines in AutoCAD LT ................................................................................................ 480Using the SKETCH Command .................................................................................................. 480Digitizing Drawings with the TABLET Command ..................................................................... 483Summary .................................................................................................................................. 484

Chapter 17: Plotting and Printing Your Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487Preparing a Drawing for Plotting or Printing ............................................................................. 487

Doing a draft plot ........................................................................................................... 487Plotting a drawing from model space.............................................................................. 488

Creating a Layout in Paper Space .............................................................................................. 488Entering paper space ...................................................................................................... 488Using the Layout Wizard ................................................................................................ 489Laying out a drawing in paper space on your own .......................................................... 491

Managing layouts ................................................................................................. 492Using the Page Setup Manager ............................................................................. 493Preparing layers ................................................................................................... 495Inserting a titleblock ............................................................................................ 495Creating floating viewports .................................................................................. 495Returning to model space while on a layout ......................................................... 497

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Contents

Setting viewport scale........................................................................................... 497Locking the viewport ........................................................................................... 498Setting viewport size, placement, and display ...................................................... 498Controlling scale for noncontinuous linetypes ..................................................... 498Setting layer visibility and properties within a viewport ....................................... 499Setting hidden and shaded views for viewports .................................................... 500

Annotating a layout ........................................................................................................ 501Using annotation objects on a layout .................................................................... 502Adding text and dimensions in paper space ......................................................... 504Export a layout to model space of a new drawing ................................................ 505

Saving a layout template ................................................................................................. 505Working with Plot Styles .......................................................................................................... 509

Setting the plot-style mode ............................................................................................. 509Creating a plot-style table ............................................................................................... 510

Creating a named plot-style table ......................................................................... 510Editing a plot-style table ...................................................................................... 512

Attaching a plot-style table to a layout ............................................................................ 514Setting the plot-style property for a layer or object ......................................................... 515

Plotting a Drawing .................................................................................................................... 517Specifying plot settings ................................................................................................... 518Previewing your plot ...................................................................................................... 519Creating a plot stamp ..................................................................................................... 519Creating the plot ............................................................................................................ 520

Summary .................................................................................................................................. 522

Part III: Working with Data 523

Chapter 18: Working with Blocks and Attributes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525Combining Objects into Blocks ................................................................................................ 526

Understanding base points and insertion points ............................................................. 526Creating a block ............................................................................................................. 527Redefining a block .......................................................................................................... 529Saving blocks as files ...................................................................................................... 530Replacing an existing file ................................................................................................ 531

Inserting Blocks and Files into Drawings .................................................................................. 532Using the Insert dialog box ............................................................................................. 533Using the DesignCenter .................................................................................................. 535

Managing Blocks ....................................................................................................................... 538Working with layers ....................................................................................................... 538Exploding blocks ............................................................................................................ 541Using the XPLODE command ........................................................................................ 542Editing blocks ................................................................................................................ 543

Double-clicking to edit blocks.............................................................................. 543Editing blocks with grips ..................................................................................... 543Updating blocks ................................................................................................... 544Substituting blocks .............................................................................................. 544

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Contents

Creating and Using Dynamic Blocks ......................................................................................... 545Understanding action-based parameters ......................................................................... 546Understanding the work flow of dynamic blocks ............................................................ 547Defining a dynamic block with action-based parameters ................................................ 548

Adding a parameter .............................................................................................. 550Adding an action .................................................................................................. 551Adding visibility parameters ................................................................................. 554Adding lookup parameters and actions ................................................................ 556Using parameter sets ............................................................................................ 557Using parametric constraints ................................................................................ 558Creating a Block Table ......................................................................................... 559Saving and testing dynamic blocks ....................................................................... 560

Inserting and modifying dynamic blocks ........................................................................ 560Using Windows Features to Copy Data..................................................................................... 569

Manipulating objects with the Windows Clipboard ........................................................ 569Using drag-and-drop ...................................................................................................... 569

Working with Attributes ........................................................................................................... 572Creating attribute definitions .......................................................................................... 573

Mode section ........................................................................................................ 573Attribute section .................................................................................................. 574Text Settings section ............................................................................................ 575Insertion Point section ......................................................................................... 575Creating the block ................................................................................................ 576

Inserting blocks with attributes ...................................................................................... 578Editing attributes ............................................................................................................ 578

Editing attribute properties in AutoCAD .............................................................. 578Editing attribute properties in AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT .................................. 581Making global changes in attributes ..................................................................... 582Redefining attributes ............................................................................................ 583

Extracting a database from attributes .............................................................................. 585Summary .................................................................................................................................. 592

Chapter 19: Referencing Other Drawings  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 591Understanding External References........................................................................................... 591

Attaching an external reference ...................................................................................... 592Opening an xref ............................................................................................................. 593Using the External References palette ............................................................................. 593

Editing an Xref within Your Drawing ........................................................................................ 596Choosing the xref or block to edit .................................................................................. 596Editing the xref .............................................................................................................. 598

Controlling Xref Display ........................................................................................................... 600Xrefs and dependent symbols ......................................................................................... 600

Xrefs and layers .................................................................................................... 600The XBIND command .......................................................................................... 600

Circular references ......................................................................................................... 601Clipping xrefs ................................................................................................................. 601

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Contents

Speeding up the display of large xrefs............................................................................. 602Demand loading ................................................................................................... 603Spatial indexes ..................................................................................................... 603Layer indexes ....................................................................................................... 604

Managing Xrefs ......................................................................................................................... 607Xref notification ............................................................................................................. 608DesignCenter .................................................................................................................. 608The xref log file .............................................................................................................. 608

Working with DWF, DGN, and PDF Underlays ....................................................................... 609Attaching a DWF underlay ............................................................................................. 609Attaching a DGN underlay ............................................................................................. 610Attaching a PDF underlay ............................................................................................... 610Modifying an underlay ................................................................................................... 610

Adjusting the appearance of an underlay .............................................................. 610Clipping an underlay ........................................................................................... 611Displaying the frame of an underlay ..................................................................... 611Using object snaps with underlays ....................................................................... 611Control the layers of an underlay ......................................................................... 612

Summary .................................................................................................................................. 612

Chapter 20: Working with External Databases  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 613Understanding External Database Access .................................................................................. 614Preparing for Database Connectivity ......................................................................................... 615

Organizing the database structure .................................................................................. 616Configuring a data source ............................................................................................... 616

Connecting to Your Database .................................................................................................... 620Connecting a database to a drawing ............................................................................... 620Opening a data table ...................................................................................................... 621Editing data in the Data View window............................................................................ 624

Linking Data to Drawing Objects .............................................................................................. 625Creating a link template ................................................................................................. 625Creating a link ................................................................................................................ 627

Viewing linked objects and rows .......................................................................... 627Editing links ........................................................................................................ 628Exporting link information .................................................................................. 629

Creating Labels ......................................................................................................................... 632Creating label templates ................................................................................................. 632Creating attached labels .................................................................................................. 633Creating freestanding labels ............................................................................................ 634

Querying with the Query Editor ............................................................................................... 635Using the Quick Query tab ............................................................................................. 636Using the Range Query tab ............................................................................................. 636Using the Query Builder tab ........................................................................................... 637

Building a query with multiple criteria ................................................................. 637Specifying fields and sorting................................................................................. 637

Using the SQL Query tab ............................................................................................... 638Creating selection sets with Link Select .......................................................................... 639

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Contents

Working with Query Files ........................................................................................................ 640Storing queries ............................................................................................................... 640Importing and exporting queries .................................................................................... 641

Summary .................................................................................................................................. 641

Part IV: Drawing in Three Dimensions 643

Chapter 21: Specifying 3D Coordinates  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 645Working in a 3D Environment ................................................................................................. 646Using 3D Coordinates .............................................................................................................. 647

Absolute and relative Cartesian coordinates in 3D .......................................................... 647Cylindrical and spherical coordinates ............................................................................. 647Using editing commands with 3D wireframes ................................................................ 649Using point filters, object snaps, object tracking, and grips in 3D .................................. 652

Point filters .......................................................................................................... 652Object snaps ........................................................................................................ 652Object tracking .................................................................................................... 653Grips .................................................................................................................... 653

Creating 3D polylines ..................................................................................................... 655Creating helixes .............................................................................................................. 656

Using Elevation and Thickness ................................................................................................. 656Creating surfaces with thickness ..................................................................................... 657Using the HIDE command ............................................................................................. 658Controlling the display of hidden lines and objects ........................................................ 658Adding elevation to objects ............................................................................................ 660

Working with the User Coordinate System ............................................................................... 663Using the UCS icon ........................................................................................................ 663UCSs and viewpoints ..................................................................................................... 663Using UCS options to change the UCS ........................................................................... 664Changing the UCS dynamically ...................................................................................... 665

Summary .................................................................................................................................. 669

Chapter 22: Viewing 3D Drawings  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 671Working with the Standard Viewpoints .................................................................................... 672

Using the VPOINT command ......................................................................................... 672Looking at a drawing from the standard viewpoints ....................................................... 672Using DDVPOINT .......................................................................................................... 674

Using the ViewCube to View Your Drawing .............................................................................. 675Creating a Named View with a Camera ..................................................................................... 677

Creating a camera ........................................................................................................... 677Editing a camera ............................................................................................................. 678Adding a Background to a Named View ......................................................................... 681Working with the Tripod and Compass ......................................................................... 682Displaying a Quick Plan View ........................................................................................ 684

Displaying Parallel and Perspective Projections ......................................................................... 684

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Contents

Using 3D Orbit ......................................................................................................................... 684Starting 3D Orbit ........................................................................................................... 685Navigating with 3D Orbit ............................................................................................... 686

Using the 3D Orbit visual aids ............................................................................. 687Creating a continuous orbit .................................................................................. 688Resetting the view ................................................................................................ 688

Refining your 3D Orbit view .......................................................................................... 688Panning in 3D Orbit ............................................................................................ 688Zooming in 3D Orbit ........................................................................................... 688Using Zoom options in 3D Orbit.......................................................................... 689Adjusting the camera distance .............................................................................. 689Controlling view properties .................................................................................. 689Creating parallel and perspective views ................................................................ 689Using a preset view .............................................................................................. 689

Using ShowMotion to Cycle Through Views ............................................................................. 690Creating shots ................................................................................................................ 690Displaying shots ............................................................................................................. 692

Walking Through a Model ........................................................................................................ 693Navigating in Walk mode ............................................................................................... 693Specifying Walk mode settings ....................................................................................... 695Flying through a model .................................................................................................. 696Saving the walk as a movie file ....................................................................................... 696Using a motion path to save a movie file ........................................................................ 697

Navigating with the Wheel ....................................................................................................... 701Using DVIEW to a Create a Perspective View ........................................................................... 703

Using DVIEW ................................................................................................................. 703Understanding the DVIEW options ................................................................................ 703

Working with Visual Styles ....................................................................................................... 705Displaying visual styles in AutoCAD ............................................................................... 705Creating custom visual styles .......................................................................................... 706Using the shading options in AutoCAD LT ..................................................................... 708Display materials, textures, and lights as you work ......................................................... 709

Laying Out 3D Drawings .......................................................................................................... 711Using SOLVIEW to lay out paper space viewports.......................................................... 711Using SOLDRAW to create hidden lines and hatching.................................................... 712Using SOLPROF to create profiles .................................................................................. 713Flattening 3D drawings .................................................................................................. 714

Printing in 3D ........................................................................................................................... 715Summary .................................................................................................................................. 716

Chapter 23: Creating 3D Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 717Drawing Surfaces with 3DFACE ............................................................................................... 718

Using the 3DFACE command ........................................................................................ 718Making 3D face edges invisible ....................................................................................... 719

Controlling visibility during 3D face creation ....................................................... 719Using the EDGE command .................................................................................. 719Using the SPLFRAME system variable .................................................................. 720

Drawing Surfaces with PFACE .................................................................................................. 723

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Contents

Creating Plane Surfaces ............................................................................................................. 728Creating Polygon Meshes with 3DMESH .................................................................................. 729Drawing Standard 3D Shapes ................................................................................................... 731

Box ................................................................................................................................. 731Wedge ............................................................................................................................ 732Pyramid .......................................................................................................................... 733Cone .............................................................................................................................. 734Sphere ............................................................................................................................ 735Dome ............................................................................................................................. 735Dish ............................................................................................................................... 736Torus ............................................................................................................................. 737Mesh .............................................................................................................................. 738

Drawing Revolved Surfaces ....................................................................................................... 740Understanding the REVSURF command ......................................................................... 740

Determining the angle of rotation......................................................................... 741Setting the number of segments ........................................................................... 742Using the REVSURF command ............................................................................ 742

Working with the REVOLVE command ......................................................................... 744Drawing an Extruded Surface ................................................................................................... 744

Working with the TABSURF command .......................................................................... 744Working with the EXTRUDE command ......................................................................... 747Sweeping objects along a path ........................................................................................ 747

Drawing Surfaces Between 2D Objects...................................................................................... 748Creating ruled surfaces ................................................................................................... 748Lofting objects ................................................................................................................ 751

Drawing Edge Surfaces ............................................................................................................. 751Working with Multiple Types of Objects .................................................................................. 753

Converting 2D objects to surfaces .................................................................................. 754Converting meshes to smooth surfaces ........................................................................... 754Thickening a surface into a solid .................................................................................... 754Extracting edges from a surface or a region .................................................................... 754

Summary .................................................................................................................................. 755

Chapter 24: Creating Solids and Editing in 3D  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757Drawing Basic Smooth Solids ................................................................................................... 758

Drawing a box ................................................................................................................ 758Drawing a wedge ............................................................................................................ 760Drawing a cone .............................................................................................................. 760Drawing a sphere ........................................................................................................... 761Drawing a cylinder ......................................................................................................... 762Drawing a torus .............................................................................................................. 763Drawing a pyramid ......................................................................................................... 764

Creating Extruded Solids .......................................................................................................... 766Managing objects used to make other objects ................................................................. 767Using the EXTRUDE command ...................................................................................... 767

Drawing Swept Solids ............................................................................................................... 769Drawing Revolved Solids .......................................................................................................... 770Drawing Lofted Solids .............................................................................................................. 772Drawing Polyline-Like Solids .................................................................................................... 774

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Contents

Manipulating Solids .................................................................................................................. 777Grip-editing solids .......................................................................................................... 777Selecting sub-objects ...................................................................................................... 777Moving, rotating, and scaling with the gizmos ................................................................ 778

Using the Move gizmo and the 3DMOVE command ............................................ 778Using the Rotate gizmo and the 3DROTATE command ....................................... 780Using the Scale gizmo and the 3DSCALE command ............................................ 782

Working with Mesh Shapes ...................................................................................................... 783Creating meshes ............................................................................................................. 784Editing meshes ............................................................................................................... 784

Using grips and gizmos to edit meshes ................................................................. 784Adjusting mesh smoothness ................................................................................. 784Refining a mesh ................................................................................................... 785Extruding a face ................................................................................................... 785Splitting a face ..................................................................................................... 785Creasing a mesh ................................................................................................... 786

Converting solids and meshes ........................................................................................ 786Converting smooth solids and surfaces to meshes ................................................ 786Converting meshes to smooth solids .................................................................... 788

Creating Complex Solids .......................................................................................................... 791Combining solids ........................................................................................................... 791Subtracting solids ........................................................................................................... 792Creating a solid from the intersection of two solids ........................................................ 792Creating a new solid by using INTERFERE..................................................................... 793Pressing or pulling a region ............................................................................................ 796Using solid history ......................................................................................................... 797

Sectioning and Slicing Solids .................................................................................................... 798Using the SECTION command ....................................................................................... 798Creating an interactive section object ............................................................................. 800Using the SLICE command ............................................................................................ 801

Using Editing Commands in 3D ............................................................................................... 803Mirroring in 3D .............................................................................................................. 804Arraying in 3D ............................................................................................................... 806

Creating 3D rectangular arrays ............................................................................. 806Creating 3D polar arrays ...................................................................................... 807

Rotating in 3D ................................................................................................................ 809Aligning in 3D ................................................................................................................ 811Trimming and extending in 3D ...................................................................................... 813Filleting in 3D ................................................................................................................ 815Chamfering in 3D ........................................................................................................... 817Exploding and converting 3D objects ............................................................................. 819

Using the SOLIDEDIT Command ............................................................................................. 820Editing faces ................................................................................................................... 821

Extruding faces .................................................................................................... 821Moving faces ........................................................................................................ 821Offsetting faces ..................................................................................................... 821Deleting faces ....................................................................................................... 822Rotating faces ....................................................................................................... 822Tapering faces ...................................................................................................... 822Copying faces ....................................................................................................... 823