AutoCAD® 2009 & AutoCAD LT® 2009 All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies®

Chapter 4. Moving from 2D to 3D

Now that you know how to get around a drawing, it's time to create some objects. You start by creating 2D objects. (Yes, you read that correctly: 2D objects.) Although the result you want is a 3D model, you don't have to create everything by using just 3D objects. Taking what you already know about creating 2D objects and applying that knowledge to 3D modeling helps you feel more comfortable with using and working in 3D. AutoCAD also provides some tools that help you create 2D objects from a 3D model so you can generate the necessary shop drawings to get the model built.

At the end of this chapter, I cover some of the common 3D modify commands to help position, rotate, mirror, and array 3D objects. Most of this chapter applies to AutoCAD only (not AutoCAD LT) and is designed to give you an overview of the different commands that allow you to go from 2D to 3D and back again. (An entire book could be written on just working with AutoCAD 3D alone, and actually has been: AutoCAD 2008 3D Modeling Workbook For Dummies.) For more information on the commands in this chapter, refer to AutoCAD's online Help.

Before you read any farther, you'll want to set the 3D Modeling workspace current if it's not already. To do so, on the status bar choose Workspace Switching

Working with Regions

Regions are 2D objects that are created from closed shapes — or loops. A loop is ...