Introduction to Auto: CAD 2011. 2D and 3D Design

438 Pages·2010·34.61 MB·English

Introduction to AutoCAD 2011
Introduction to
AutoCAD 2011
2D and 3D Design
Alf Yarwood
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First edition 2010
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Preface
The purpose of writing this book is to produce a text suitable for students
in Further and/or Higher Education who are required to learn how to
use the computer-aided design (CAD) software package AutoCAD®
2011. Students taking examinations based on CAD will find the contents
of the book of great assistance. The book is also suitable for those in
industry wishing to learn how to construct technical drawings with the
aid of AutoCAD 2011 and those who, having used previous releases of
AutoCAD, wish to update their skills to AutoCAD 2011.
The chapters in Part 1 – 2D Design, dealing with two-dimensional (2D)
drawing, will also be suitable for those wishing to learn how to use
AutoCAD LT 2011, the 2D version of this latest release of AutoCAD.
Many readers using previous releases of AutoCAD will find the book’s
contents largely suitable for use with those versions, although AutoCAD
2011 has many enhancements over previous releases (some of which
are mentioned in Chapter 21).
The contents of the book are basically a graded course of work,
consisting of chapters giving explanations and examples of methods
of constructions, followed by exercises which allow the reader to
practise what has been learned in each chapter. The first 11 chapters are
concerned with constructing technical drawing in 2D. These are followed
by chapters detailing the construction of 3D solid drawings and rendering
them. The final two chapters describe the Internet tools of AutoCAD
2011 and the place of AutoCAD in the design process. The book finishes
with two appendices – a list of tools with their abbreviations and a list of
some of the set variables upon which AutoCAD 2011 is based.
AutoCAD 2011 is very complex CAD software package. A book of
this size cannot possibly cover the complexities of all the methods for
constructing 2D and 3D drawings available when working with AutoCAD
2011. However, it is hoped that by the time the reader has worked through
the contents of the book, he/she will be sufficiently skilled with methods
of producing drawing with the software to be able to go on to more
advanced constructions with its use and will have gained an interest in the
more advanced possibilities available when using AutoCAD.
Alf Yarwood
Salisbury 2010 xiii
xiv Preface
Registered Trademarks
Autodesk® and AutoCAD® are registered in the US Patent and Trademark
Office by Autodesk Inc.
Windows® is a registered trademark of the Microsoft Corporation.
Alf Yarwood is an Autodesk authorised author and a member of the
Autodesk Advanced Developer Network.
Chapter 1
Introducing AutoCAD
2011
AIM OF THIS CHAPTER
The aim of this chapter is designed to introduce features of the AutoCAD 2011 window and
methods of operating AutoCAD 2011.
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Introduction to AutoCAD 2011
Opening AutoCAD 2011
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AutoCAD 2011 is designed to work in a Windows operating system. In
T
P general, to open AutoCAD 2011, double-click on the A utoCAD 2011
A
shortcut in the Windows desktop ( Fig. 1.1 ). Depending on how details in
H
C Profi les/Initial Setup … in the Options dialog ( Fig. 1.16 , page 13 ) , the
Welcome dialog ( Fig. 1.2 ) may appear. This dialog allows videos showing
Fig. 1.1 T he AutoCAD methods of working AutoCAD 2011, to be selected from a list of icons.
2011 shortcut on the
Windows desktop
Fig. 1.2 Page 1 of the Initial Settings dialog
When working in education or in industry, computers may be confi gured
to allow other methods of opening AutoCAD, such as a list appearing on
the computer in use when the computer is switched on, from which the
operator can select the program he/she wishes to use.
When AutoCAD 2011 is opened a window appears, which will depend
upon whether a 3 D Basics , a 3 D Modeling , a C lassic AutoCAD or a 2 D
Drafting & Annotation workspace has been set as Q NEW in the O ptions
dialog . In this example the 2 D Drafting & Annotation workspace is shown
and includes the R ibbon with T ool panels ( Fig. 1.3 ). This 2D Drafting &
Annotation workspace shows the following details:
Ribbon : Which includes tabs, each of which when c licked will bring a
set of panels containing tool icons. Further tool panels can be seen by
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Introducing AutoCAD 2011
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Fig. 1.3 T he AutoCAD 2011 2 D Drafting and Annotation workspace
clicking the appropriate tab. The panels in the ribbon can be changed
to any desired panels as required using the Customer User Interface
dialog if desired.
Menu Browser icon: A l eft-click on the arrow to the right of the A symbol
at the top left-hand corner of the AutoCAD 2011 window causes the
Menu Browser menu to appear ( Fig. 1.4 ).
Workspace Switching menu: Appears with a c lick on the Workspace
Switching button in the status bar ( Fig. 1.5 ).
Command palette : Can bed ragged from its position at the bottom of the
AutoCAD window into the AutoCAD drawing area, when it can be seen
to be a palette ( Fig. 1.6 ). As with all palettes, an Auto-hide icon and a
right-click menu is included.
Tool panels : Each shows tools appropriate to the panel. Taking the H ome/
Draw panel as an example, Fig. 1.7 shows that placing the mouse cursor
on one of the tool icons in a panel brings a tooltip on screen showing
details of how the tool can be used. Two types of tooltip will be seen. In
the majority of future illustrations of tooltips, the smaller version will
be shown. Other tools have popup menus appearing with a click . In the
example given in Fig. 1.8 , a click on the Circle tool icon will show a
tooltip. A click on the arrow to the right of the tool icon brings a popup
menu showing the construction method options available for the tool.
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Introduction to AutoCAD 2011
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Fig. 1.4 T he Menu Browser
Fig. 1.5 T he Workspace Switching popup menu
Fig. 1.6 T he command palette when dragged from its position at the bottom of the AutoCAD window
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Introducing AutoCAD 2011
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Fig. 1.7 T he descriptive tooltip appearing with a click on the Line tool icon
Fig. 1.8 T he tooltip for the Circle tool and its popup menu