AutoCAD 2013 and AutoCAD LT 2013 Essentials

AutoCAD 2013 and AutoCAD LT 2013 Essentials

Released May 2012
Publisher(s): Sybex
ISBN: 9781118330456

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Book description

A four-color, task-based guide to AutoCAD

This Autodesk Official Training Guide thoroughly covers the fundamentals of AutoCAD 2013 and AutoCAD LT 2013 and teaches you everything you need to become quickly productive with the software. Learn to draw in 2D, shape complex curves, manage objects with layers, organize with blocks and groups, add dimensions and annotation, work with layouts, model in 3D, create realistic renderings, and more. Whether you're an aspiring CAD/CAM professional, preparing for certification, or updating your skills, this is the fast, thorough grounding you need in AutoCAD.

  • The perfect guide for AutoCAD beginners, this Autodesk Official Training Guide uses approachable real-world exercises to explain AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT

  • Takes a workflow-based approach and presents AutoCAD tasks, tools, and core functionality in the context of designing a house

  • Features hands-on tutorials illustrated with full-color screenshots

  • Covers basic 2D drawing skills, editing entities, working with splines and polylines, using layers and objects, organizing objects with groups and blocks, and using hatch patterns and gradients

  • Examines working with blocks and cross-references, creating and editing text, dimensioning, using constraints and layouts, printing, editing and importing data, modeling in 3D, and presenting the design

AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Essentials helps AutoCAD newcomers understand the software and gain confidence in their skills.

Table of contents

  1. Contents
  2. Introduction
  3. Chapter 1: Getting Started
    1. Exploring the AutoCAD 2013 for Windows User Interface
      1. Exploring the Graphical User Interface
      2. Exploring Workspaces
      3. The AutoCAD Ribbon
    2. Setting Drawing Units
  4. Chapter 2: Basic Drawing Skills
    1. Navigating 2D Drawings
    2. Drawing Lines and Rectangles
      1. Drawing Lines
      2. Drawing Rectangles
    3. Canceling, Erasing, and Undoing
    4. Using Coordinate Systems
      1. Using Absolute Coordinates
      2. Using Relative Coordinates
      3. Using Polar Coordinates
    5. Drawing Circles, Arcs, and Polygons
      1. Creating Circles
      2. Creating Arcs
      3. Drawing Polygons
    6. Filleting and Chamfering Lines
      1. Joining Nonparallel Lines
      2. Joining Crossed Lines
  5. Chapter 3: Using Drawing Aids
    1. Grid and Snap
    2. Ortho and Polar Tracking
    3. PolarSnap
    4. Running Object Snaps
    5. From Snap
    6. Object Snap Tracking
  6. Chapter 4: Editing Entities
    1. Creating Selection Sets
      1. Creating a Selection Set at the Select Objects: Prompt
      2. Creating a Selection Set Before Deciding on a Command
    2. Move and Copy
    3. Rotate and Scale
    4. Working with Arrays
      1. Rectangular Arrays
      2. Polar Arrays
    5. Trim and Extend
    6. Lengthen and Stretch
    7. Offset and Mirror
    8. Grip Editing
  7. Chapter 5: Shaping Curves
    1. Drawing and Editing Curved Polylines
    2. Drawing Ellipses
    3. Drawing and Editing Splines
      1. Working with Control Vertices
      2. Working with Fit Points
    4. Blending Between Objects with Splines
  8. Chapter 6: Controlling Object Visibility and Appearance
    1. Changing Object Properties
    2. Setting the Current Layer
    3. Altering the Layer Assignments of Objects
    4. Controlling Layer Visibility
      1. Toggling Layer Status
      2. Isolating Layers
      3. Saving Layer States
    5. Applying Linetype
    6. Assigning Properties by Object or by Layer
    7. Managing Layer Properties
  9. Chapter 7: Organizing Objects
    1. Defining Blocks
      1. Drawing a Chair and Defining It as a Block
      2. Drawing a Door and Defining It as a Block
    2. Inserting Blocks
    3. Editing Blocks
      1. Editing Block Definition Geometry
      2. Assigning Floating Properties
      3. Nesting Blocks
      4. Exploding Blocks
    4. Redefining Blocks
    5. Working with Groups
  10. Chapter 8: Hatching and Gradients
    1. Specifying Hatch Areas
      1. Picking Points to Determine Boundaries
      2. Selecting Objects to Define Boundaries
    2. Associating Hatches with Boundaries
    3. Hatching with Patterns
      1. Specifying Properties
      2. Separating Hatch Areas
    4. Hatching with Gradients
  11. Chapter 9: Working with Blocks and Xrefs
    1. Working with Global Blocks
      1. Writing a Local Block Definition to a File
      2. Inserting a Drawing as a Local Block
      3. Redefining Local Blocks with Global Blocks
    2. Accessing Content Globally
    3. Storing Content on Tool Palettes
    4. Referencing External Drawings and Images
  12. Chapter 10: Creating and Editing Text
    1. Creating Text Styles
    2. Writing Lines of Text
      1. Creating Text to Fit
      2. Justifying Text
      3. Transforming and Creating Text
    3. Writing and Formatting Paragraphs of Text Using MTEXT
    4. Editing Text
      1. Editing Content and Properties
      2. Working with Columns
  13. Chapter 11: Dimensioning
    1. Styling Dimensions
    2. Adding Dimensions
      1. Using Inquiry Commands
      2. Adding Dimension Objects
      3. Adding and Styling Multileaders
    3. Editing Dimensions
  14. Chapter 12: Keeping In Control with Constraints
    1. Working with Geometric Constraints
    2. Applying Dimensional Constraints and Creating User Parameters
    3. Constraining Objects Simultaneously with Geometry and Dimensions
    4. Making Parametric Changes to Constrained Objects
  15. Chapter 13: Working with Layouts and Annotative Objects
    1. Creating Annotative Styles and Objects
      1. Working with Annotative Text
      2. Working with Annotative Dimensions
    2. Creating Layouts
    3. Adjusting Floating Viewports
      1. Working on Layout1
      2. Working on Layout2
    4. Overriding Layer Properties in Layout Viewports
    5. Drawing on Layouts
  16. Chapter 14: Printing and Plotting
    1. Configuring Output Devices
      1. Setting Up a System Printer
      2. Setting Up an AutoCAD Plotter
    2. Creating Plot Style Tables
    3. Using Plot Style Tables
      1. Configuring New Drawings for Named Plot Style Tables
      2. Assigning Plot Styles by Layer or by Object
    4. Plotting in Modelspace
    5. Plotting Layouts in Paperspace
    6. Exporting to an Electronic Format
  17. Chapter 15: Storing, Presenting, and Extracting Data
    1. Defining Attributes and Blocks
    2. Inserting Attributed Blocks
    3. Editing Table Styles and Creating Tables
    4. Using Fields in Table Cells
    5. Editing Table Data
  18. Chapter 16: Navigating 3D Models
    1. Using Visual Styles
    2. Working with Tiled Viewports
    3. Navigating with the ViewCube
    4. Orbiting in 3D
    5. Using Cameras
    6. Navigating with SteeringWheels
    7. Saving Views
  19. Chapter 17: Modeling in 3D
    1. Creating Surface Models
      1. Making Planar Surfaces
      2. Revolving 2D Profile into a 3D Model
      3. Sweeping Out 3D Geometry
      4. Extruding 2D Geometry into 3D
    2. Editing Surface Models
      1. Trimming Surfaces with Other Surfaces
      2. Projecting Edges on Surfaces
      3. Trimming Surfaces with Edges
    3. Creating Solid Models
      1. Extruding Solid Objects
      2. Lofting Solid Objects
    4. Editing Solid Models
      1. Performing Boolean Operations
      2. Editing Solids
    5. Smoothing Meshes
  20. Chapter 18: Presenting and Documenting 3D Design
    1. Assigning Materials
    2. Placing and Adjusting Lights
      1. Adding Artificial Lights
      2. Simulating Natural Light
    3. Creating Renderings
    4. Documenting Models with Drawings
  21. Appendix: Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Certification
  22. Index

Product information

  • Title: AutoCAD 2013 and AutoCAD LT 2013 Essentials
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: May 2012
  • Publisher(s): Sybex
  • ISBN: 9781118330456