Mastering AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD LT 2005
Chapter 1: This Is AutoCAD
- Message to Veteran AutoCAD Users
- If You Can't Find the UCS Icon
- Communicating with AutoCAD
- Terminology to Remember: Cascading Menu
- Menus versus the Keyboard
- The Aerial View Window
Chapter 2: Creating Your First Drawing
- Working with Toolbars
- Getting Out of Trouble
- A Fast Way to Enter Distances
- Cleaning Up the Screen
- Controlling the Status Bar Display
- Other Selection Options
- A Quick Summary of the Grips Feature
Chapter 3: Learning the Tools of the Trade
- Using the Imperial and Metric Examples
- Things to Watch Out for When Entering Distances
- The Ortho Mode
- Architects and Their Symbols
- Selecting Close or Overlapping Objects
- Making Adjustments to the AutoSnap Feature
- The Osnap Options
- Using AutoCAD's Automatic Save Feature
- Rectangle Options
- Using Osnap Tracking and Polar Tracking Together
Chapter 4: Organizing Your Work
- Symbols for Projects Large and Small
- Restoring Objects That Have Been Removed by the Make Block Tool or the Block Command
- An Alternative to Blocks
- Getting Multiple Uses from a Drawing Using Layers
- Understanding Object Properties
- Controlling Colors and Line Types of Blocked Objects
- Other Layer Options
- Setting Individual Colors, Line Types, and Line-Type Scales
- Managing Symbols and Settings with the Tool Palette and the DesignCenter
Chapter 5: Editing for Productivity
- Opening a File as Read-Only
- Making Random Multiple Copies
- Importing Settings from External Reference Files
- Understanding the Osnap Tracking Vector
- Other Methods for Using the Break Command
- The Xline Options
- Quickly Setting the Current Layer to That of an Existing Object
Chapter 6: Enhancing Your Drawing Skills
- Creating Multiple Views
- Opening a File to a Particular View
- Substituting Blocks
- How to Quickly Match a Hatch Pattern and Other Properties
- Importing Blocks, Layers, and Other Named Elements from External Files
- External References in the San Francisco Main Library Project
- Special Save As Options That Affect Demand Loading
Chapter 7: Printing, Plotting, and Layouts
- Controlling the Appearance of the Layout Tabs
- Lineweights Past and Present
- Colors and Line Weights in the San Francisco Main Library
- ISO Pen Widths
- Converting a Drawing from Color Plot Styles to Named Plot Styles
- Plotting Image Files and Converting 3D to 2D
- Understanding the Plott and Publish Tab in the Options Dialog Box
Chapter 8: Adding Text to Drawings
- Using PostScript Fonts
- Importing Text Files
- The Textfill System Variable
- Keeping Text from Mirroring
- Adding Graphics to Table Cells
- Making Substitutions for Missing Fonts
- Manipulating Text Beyond Labels
Chapter 9: Using Dimensions
- Fitting Text and Arrows in Tight Places
- Using Grids in Architectural Dimensions
- Making Changes to Multiple Dimensions
- Modifying the Dimension Style Settings by Using Override
- Understanding the Stretch Command
- Understanding the Power of the Properties Palette
Chapter 10: AttributesStoring Data with Graphics
- Understanding Attribute Definition Modes
- Using Spaces in Attribute Values
- Common Uses for Attributes
- Using a Template File
Chapter 11: Copying Pre-existing Drawings into AutoCAD
- Tracing with Tablets
- Calibrating More Than Two Points
- Scanning a Drawing
- Tips for Importing Raster Images
- The Image Manager Box Options
Chapter 12: Power Editing
- Quick Access to Your Favorite Commands
- Displaying Grips of Objects within a Block
- Singling Out Proximate Objects
- Nesting External References and Using Overlays
- Disappearing Viewports
- Masking Out Parts of a Drawing
- Paper Space and the San Francisco Main Library Project
Chapter 13: Drawing Curves and Solid Fills
- Turning Objects into Polylines and Polylines into Splines
- Marking Off Intervals by Using Blocks Instead of Points
Chapter 14: Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings
- Recording Area Data in a Drawing File
- Exchanging Files with Earlier Releases
- Adding Sound, Motion, and Photos to Your Drawings
Chapter 15: Introducing 3D
- The UCS Follows Your Orthogonal Views
- Obscuredcolor and Obscuredltype Tips
- Setting Layers and Hidden Lines Carefully
- Things to Watch Out for When Editing 3D Objects
Chapter 16: Using Advanced 3D Features
- Controlling the UCS Icon
- Quick Hops to Your UCSs
- Creating a 3D Mesh by Specifying Coordinates
Chapter 17: Rendering and Animating 3D Drawings
- Improving the Smoothness of Circles and Arcs
- Custom Object Types in AutoCAD
Chapter 18: Mastering 3D Solids
- What Are Isolines?
- Using the Command Line for Solids Editing
- Creating a 2D Projection from Your 3D Model
Chapter 19: Introduction to Customization
- Loading the Express Tools
- Other Customization Options
Chapter 20: Integrating AutoCAD into Your Projects and Organization
- Opening Toolbars from the Command Line
- The Windows Menu Files
- Loading AutoLISP Macros with Your Submenu
Chapter 21: Managing and Sharing Your Drawings
- Using Your Web Space
- Using the Favorites Tool in the AutoCAD File Dialog Boxes
Chapter 22: Keeping a Project Organized with Sheet Sets
- Setting the Sheet Set Properties
- Taking Advantage of Other Field Options