AutoCAD® 2012 FOR DUMMIES®

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 somewhat expensive microcomputer CAD programs costing a few thousand dollars.

AutoCAD's 3D capabilities have grown by leaps and bounds over the last several releases, and 3D modeling is becoming a common way of checking designs before they're drafted. Nevertheless, AutoCAD is, first and foremost, a program for creating two-dimensional technical drawings: drawings in which measurements and precision are important because these kinds of drawings often get used to build something. The drawings that you create with AutoCAD must adhere to standards established long ago for hand-drafted drawings. The upfront 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

• Precision: Creating lines, circles, and other shapes of the exact dimensions is easier with AutoCAD than with pencils.
• Modifiability: Drawings are much easier to modify on the computer screen than on paper. CAD modifications are a lot cleaner, too.
• Efficiency: Creating many kinds of drawings is faster with a CAD program — especially drawings that involve repetition, such as floor plans in a ...