Wiley AutoCAD 2009 For Dummies
Contents
1. even the command line oops command window is kinder and gentler in AutoCAD 2009 This book guides you around the bumps and minimizes the bruises Why AutoCAD AutoCAD has been around a long time since 1982 which I suspect dear readers is longer than some of you AutoCAD ushered in the transition from really expensive mainframe and minicomputer CAD systems costing tens of thousands of dollars to merely expensive microcomputer CAD programs costing a few thousand dollars AutoCAD is first and foremost a program for creating technical drawings drawings in which measurements and precision are important because these kinds of drawings often get used to build something The drawings you create with AutoCAD must adhere to standards established long ago for hand drafted drawings The up front investment to use AutoCAD is certainly more expensive than the investment needed to use pencil and paper and the learning curve is much steeper too So why bother The key reasons for using AutoCAD rather than pencil and paper are PE Figure 1 1 Cities houses little toy trains what do you want to draw today T Chapter 1 Introducing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 13 1 Precision Creating lines circles and other shapes of the exact dimensions is easier with AutoCAD than with pencils Y Modifiability Drawings are much easier to modify on the computer screen than on paper CAD modifications are a lot cleaner too Efficien2. a command name that you re not quite sure of and watch a list of possible matches appear in the main Menu Browser pane See Chapter 2 for more on the Menu Browser 1 Supercharged tooltips Most tooltips for tool buttons and dialog boxes are two stage when you first mouse over something a concise tooltip appears telling you the name of the command If you hover your cursor for a couple of seconds an expanded tooltip opens presenting more text information and often a graphic as well The additional information comes from the online help system and pressing F1 while a tooltip is open takes you to the appropriate Concept page of the online help 1 Quick View Quick View Layouts and Quick View Drawings are new com mands you run by clicking status bar buttons Quick View Layouts shows images of all layouts in the current drawing select any image to make the layout current Each image has Plot and Publish buttons which you can click to output a layout without first making the layout current Quick View Drawings shows images of all your open drawings and above the image another row of smaller images of the layouts in each drawing I describe Quick View Drawings and Layouts in Chapters 2 and 5 Chapter 1 Introducing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 9 Quick Properties Another new status bar button turns the Quick Properties panel on and off This customizable floating panel pops up whenever you select an object And if you find it pops
3. CAD LT 2005 2004 Acad 2004 AutoCAD 2004 AutoCAD LT 2004 2003 Acad 2004 AutoCAD 2002 AutoCAD LT 2002 2001 Acad 2000 AutoCAD 2000i AutoCAD LT 2000i 2000 Acad 2000 AutoCAD 2000 AutoCAD LT 2000 1999 Acad 2000 Chapter 1 Introducing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 15 NING s AutoCAD AutoCAD LT Release DWG File Version Version Year Format AutoCAD Release 14 AutoCAD LT 98 amp 97 1997 Acad R14 AutoCAD Release 13 AutoCAD LT 95 1994 Acad R13 AutoCAD Release 12 AutoCAD LT Release 2 1992 Acad R12 Working with AutoCAD is easier when your coworkers and colleagues in other companies all use the same version of AutoCAD and AutoCAD related tools That way your DWG files add on tools and even the details of your CAD knowledge can be mixed and matched among your workgroup and part ners In the real world you may work with people probably from other com panies who use AutoCAD versions as old as Release 14 Many programs claim to be DWG compatible that is capable of converting data to and from AutoCAD s DWG format But achieving this compatibility is a difficult thing to do well Even a small error in file conversion can have results ranging in severity from annoying to appalling If you exchange DWG files with people who use other CAD programs be prepared to spend time finding and fixing translation problems Seeing the LT AutoCAD LT is one of the best deals around a shining example of the old 80 20 rule roughly 80 percent
4. Chapter 1 Introducing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT In This Chapter Getting the AutoCAD advantage Using AutoCAD and DWG files Meeting the AutoCAD product family Using AutoCAD LT instead of AutoCAD Finding out what s new in 2009 M aybe you re one of the few remaining holdouts who continue to practice the ancient art of manual drafting with pencil and vellum If so I must tell you you re a dwindling breed Or maybe you re completely new to drafting and yearn for the wealth and fame would lead you on of the drafter s life Maybe you re an engineer or architect who needs to catch up with the young CAD hotshots in your office Maybe you tried to use AutoCAD a long time ago but gave up in frustration or just got rusty Or maybe you currently use an older version such as AutoCAD 2004 or even if you re into antiques AutoCAD 2000 Whatever your current situation or motivation I hope that you enjoy the process of becoming proficient with AutoCAD Drawing with AutoCAD is chal lenging at first but it s a challenge worth meeting AutoCAD rewards those who think creatively about their work and look for ways to do it better You can always find out more discover a new trick or improve the efficiency and quality of your drawing production 12 Part l AutoCAD 101 AutoCAD first hit the bricks in the early 1980s around the same time as the first IBM PCs It was offered for a bewildering variety of operating systems includin
5. D should work without change Computer system requirements For AutoCAD 2009 Autodesk recom mends a 2 2 GHz or better Pentium or Athlon processor multiple processors and dual core are supported at least 1 GB of RAM at least 2 GB for 64 bit systems 1024 x 768 or higher display resolution with True Color graphics 1 GB of available hard disk space an Internet connection and Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 0 with Service Pack 1 or later Internet Explorer 7 0 or later for 64 bit Additional requirements for working in 3D AutoCAD recommends a 3 GHz or better processor 2 GB or more of RAM a workstation class OpenGL or DirectX 9 capable graphics card with at least 128 MB of memory and an additional 2 GB of hard disk space beyond the 1 GB required for installation I find even the recommended system requirements on the minimal side For example my desktop computer runs at a screen resolution of 1280 x 1024 and my tablet computer runs at 1400 x 1050 The figures in this book were shot at a resolution of 1024 x 768 and as you can see things can get pretty crowded at that resolution I also think 512 MB of RAM is on the low side for productive work get at least a gigabyte There s been a new release of AutoCAD every spring since AutoCAD 2004 was launched in 2003 That s not much time for even an army of programmers to deliver a compelling new feature set that s going to convince all users that they just have to upgrade What se
6. T isn t as big a drawback for many users as you may think Despite a lot of hype from the computer press and CAD vendors including Autodesk 3D CAD remains a relatively specialized activity The majority of people use CAD programs to create 2D drawings Although you may hear claims that AutoCAD LT is easier to master and use than AutoCAD the truth is that they re about equally difficult or easy depending on your NQ nerd quotient The LT learning curve doesn t differ significantly from that of AutoCAD AutoCAD was originally designed for maximum power and then modified somewhat to improve ease of use AutoCAD LT shares this same heritage Fortunately the minimal differences between LT and AutoCAD mean that after you ve climbed that learning curve you ll have the same great view You ll have almost the full range of the AutoCAD 2D drafting tools and you ll be able to exchange DWG files with AutoCAD users without data loss This book covers AutoCAD 2009 but almost all the information in it applies to AutoCAD LT 2009 as well The icon that you see to the left of this paragraph highlights significant differences Right on Time for 2009 If you re upgrading from AutoCAD 2008 or another recent version and you work mostly or entirely in 2D you re probably already current with system requirements In fact if your work is mostly or entirely 2D and therefore this applies especially for LT users AutoCAD 2009 will run fi
7. condary window don t you love programmer jargon that can stay open while you do other things Any changes you make to layer properties are reflected immediately in the drawing No Express service If you don t see an Express menu in your Menu choose a Custom installation in the next screen Browser or the AutoCAD Classic menu bar you make sure to select the Express Tools item in the should consider installing the Express Tools from list of components If you don t install the Express your AutoCAD CD AutoCAD LT doesnotinclude Tools during initial setup you ll have to rerun the or support the Express Tools AutoCAD 2009 installation routine If you haven t When you first install AutoCAD 2009 you choose installed AutoCAD yet strongly recommend that between a Typical and Custom installation If you te Ose E T enc DO al choose Typical the next screen asks whether at least make sure the Express Tools check box you want to install the Express Tools If you is selected during a Custom installation 20 Parti AutoCAD 101
8. cy Creating many kinds of drawings is faster with a CAD pro gram especially drawings that involve repetition such as floor plans in a multistory building But that efficiency takes skill and practice If you re an accomplished pencil and paper drafter don t expect CAD to be faster at first Figure 1 1 shows several kinds of drawings in AutoCAD 2009 Why choose AutoCAD AutoCAD is just the starting point of a whole industry of software products designed to work with AutoCAD Autodesk has helped this process along immensely by designing a series of programming inter faces to AutoCAD but not alas to AutoCAD LT see the Seeing the LT section later in the chapter that other companies and Autodesk itself have used to extend the application Some of the add on products have become such winners that Autodesk acquired them and incorporated them into its own products When you compare all the resources including the add ons extensions training courses books and so on AutoCAD doesn t have much PC CAD competition Blocks amp References Annotate Tools Wiew j Output Bowe E 4 5 s worg LE I 14 L2 sAetive Model Configur named New EE Too ae T Pa ucs s EN Toy Train dwg F Command op OPTIONS Conmand Conmand gaye 3113 or EEk ERHAN SIGE MEEA HA 14 Part I AutoCAD 101 The Importance of Being DWG To take full advantage of AutoCAD in your
9. ems to have been happening is a concen tration on particular areas in recent releases For example AutoCAD 2007 was the 3D release the 3D modeling engine was made much easier to use but there was relatively little to please the 2D crowd By contrast AutoCAD 2008 was deemed to be the drafter s release because of the number of enhance ments to 2D drawing capabilities above all the introduction of annotative documentation objects This time around most of the programming effort has gone into a new interface for AutoCAD Taking a page from Microsoft s Office 2007 suite Autodesk s programmers have reorganized AutoCAD s command set replacing the old function based menus and toolbars with a task based set of tabbed Ribbon panels refer to Figure 1 1 Microsoft refers to the Ribbon based window as the Fluent User Interface or FUI I don t have to tell you how to pronounce that do J If you ve used any previous version of AutoCAD you may find that the new interface takes some getting used to You re not stuck with it however as I explain in Chapter 2 the old familiar AutoCAD Classic workspace is no more than a couple of commands or right clicks away 18 Part AutoCAD 101 Pll say here and now that I like the new interface and I did not like the prior incarnation of the Ribbon the AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD LT 2008 Dashboard The Ribbon strikes me as easier to adapt to than the Dashboard ever was Alth
10. g CP M ask your granddad about that one various flavors of UNIX and even Apple s Macintosh By far the most popular of those early versions was for MS DOS your dad can tell you about that one Eventually Autodesk settled on Microsoft Windows as the sole operating system for AutoCAD AutoCAD 2009 is officially supported in all Windows Vista versions 32 and 64 bit except Home Basic as well as 32 bit and 64 bit Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home 32 bit only Although it s not officially supported it can also run in Windows XP Tablet 2005 Edition and make use of the tablet functionality included in Windows Vista again except for the Home Basic edition Trying to do production drafting on a tablet isn t a great idea due to limitations in the graphics system but I know it works because I m running it that way myself Finally if you re still running Windows 2000 it s time to upgrade Although AutoCAD 2008 ran in Windows 2000 AutoCAD 2009 is no longer supported Because of AutoCAD s MS DOS heritage and its emphasis on efficiency for production drafters it s not the easiest program to master but it has gotten easier and more consistent over the last decade or so AutoCAD is pretty well integrated into the Windows environment now but you still bump into some vestiges of its MS DOS legacy especially the command line that text area lurking at the bottom of the AutoCAD screen see Chapter 2 for details But
11. ne on pretty well any computer that will run Windows XP or Vista You should know the following before you upgrade from any older AutoCAD release YY Wash those old Windows AutoCAD 2009 does not support older ver sions of Windows such as Windows 2000 NT 98 and Me For AutoCAD 2009 you have two choices either Windows XP or Vista If you like to be cutting edge there s a 64 bit version of AutoCAD 2009 that runs in the 64 bit versions of XP and Vista DWG file compatibility The AutoCAD DWG file format changed with AutoCAD 2007 Users of that version can open drawings created in AutoCAD 2008 or AutoCAD 2009 but you have to use File Save As on the Menu Browser or the classic menu bar to create DWG files for users of AutoCAD 2006 and earlier versions You can save as far back as Release 14 and if you need to go even further back you can save to the Release 12 DXF format Look up DXF files in the online help index for instructions Chapter 1 Introducing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 7 1 Application compatibility If you use third party applications with a previous version of AutoCAD they may not work with AutoCAD 2009 AutoCAD 2007 applications developed with the ARX AutoCAD Runtime eXtension may work but earlier ARX applications will need to be recom piled VBA Visual Basic for Applications applications may or may not work with AutoCAD 2009 but many LSP AutoLISP programs written for the last several versions of AutoCA
12. of the capabilities of AutoCAD for roughly 20 percent of the money Actually with recent price creep it s now more like a 75 25 rule Like AutoCAD AutoCAD LT runs on mainstream Windows com puters and doesn t require any additional hardware devices With AutoCAD LT you can be a player in the world of AutoCAD the world s leading CAD program for a comparatively low starting cost AutoCAD LT is a very close cousin to AutoCAD Autodesk creates AutoCAD LT by starting with the AutoCAD program taking out a few features to justify charging a lower price and adding a couple of features to enhance ease of use versus full AutoCAD As a result AutoCAD LT looks and works much like AutoCAD The opening screen and menus of the two programs are nearly identical LT is missing a few commands from the AutoCAD menus In fact the major difference between the programs has nothing to do with the programs themselves The major difference is that AutoCAD LT lacks support for several customization and programming languages that are used to develop AutoCAD add ons So almost none of the add on programs or utilities offered by Autodesk and others are available to LT users 16 Part I AutoCAD 101 AutoCAD LT also has only limited 3D support You can view and edit 3D objects in AutoCAD LT so you can work with drawings created in AutoCAD that contain 3D objects However you cannot create true 3D objects in LT The lack of 3D object creation in L
13. ough the Ribbon and Menu Browser are the most obvious changes from previous versions there are some worthwhile odds and ends to point out as well Here s a rundown on AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009 s most significant new features 1 Ribbon In the new 2D Drafting amp Annotation and 3D Modeling work spaces the classic multiple toolbar interface is replaced by the Ribbon The Ribbon which differs slightly between the 2D and 3D workspaces contains a half dozen tabbed pages each of which contains a series of panels the panels in turn contain tool buttons Unlike the classic toolbar and menu system which is based on similar commands ribbon panels are task based For example instead of having to go to different toolbars or menus to add text and dimensions you can find the most frequently used dimension and text tools gathered together on the Home tab s Annotation panel 1 Menu Browser The second major element of the new 2D and 3D work spaces is the Menu Browser You access the Menu Browser by clicking the Big Red A or the Scarlet Letter as some of us have taken to calling it in the top left corner of the AutoCAD window An extra click to open the Menu Browser obviously isn t an advantage over the always open classic menu bar but the browser includes some appealing bonus fea tures a graphic display of recent and currently open drawings a list of recently used commands and a search box where you can start typing
14. up a little too frequently you can turn it off at the status bar New navigation tools Two more new status bar buttons run the ShowMotion and SteeringWheel tools Autodesk s accountants discov ered they could save millions by eliminating spaces between words Ijusthopeitdoesn tcatchonwithForDummiesbooks Since AutoCAD 2009 For Dummies does not cover 3D modeling the only tool remotely of interest is the SteeringWheel which can work in 2D or 3D but I recom mend you avoid it In AutoCAD LT it s a 2D only device and not much improvement over panning and zooming the old fashioned way And in regular AutoCAD it defaults to 3D mode which can really mess you up if you re doing 2D drafting Additional DGN support AutoCAD 2008 introduced support for MicroStation drawing files in their current v8 format AutoCAD 2009 adds support for the older but still widespread v7 format For more information look up DGN Files About in the online help index And if you don t know what this means you don t need it 1 Action Recorder Recording your own macros has never been easier If you find yourself repeating the same sequences of commands over and over you can record and play them back with the new Action Recorder not in AutoCAD LT For more information check out Action Recorder in the New Features Workshop or the online help index 1 Layer Manager Palette The Layer Properties Manager dialog box is now an enhanced se
15. work environment you need to be aware of the DWG file format the format in which AutoCAD saves drawings Here are some DWG facts to keep in mind v In some cases an older version of AutoCAD can t open a DWG file that s been saved by a newer version of AutoCAD vy A newer version of AutoCAD can always open files saved by older versions 1 Some previous versions of AutoCAD can open files saved by the subse quent one or two versions For example AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD 2008 can open DWG files saved by AutoCAD 2009 That s because Autodesk didn t change the DWG file format between those versions Similarly the file format didn t change between AutoCAD 2004 and 2006 so the older program AutoCAD 2004 can open drawings created in AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD 2006 1 If you re working in AutoCAD 2007 AutoCAD 2008 or AutoCAD 2009 you can use the Save As option to save the file to some older DWG formats In fact AutoCAD 2009 can save as far back as AutoCAD Release 14 which dates all the way back to 1997 Table 1 1 shows which versions described later in this chapter use which DWG file formats Table 1 1 AutoCAD Versions and DWG File Formats AutoCAD AutoCAD LT Release DWG File Version Version Year Format AutoCAD 2009 AutoCAD LT 2009 2008 Acad 2007 AutoCAD 2008 AutoCAD LT 2008 2007 Acad 2007 AutoCAD 2007 AutoCAD LT 2007 2006 Acad 2007 AutoCAD 2006 AutoCAD LT 2006 2005 Acad 2004 AutoCAD 2005 Auto
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