book

Mastering AutoCAD® for Mac®

by George Omura, Rick Graham

November 2010

Beginner to intermediate

874 pages

25h 13m

English

Sybex

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How to Use This BookGetting Information FastWhat to ExpectThe Minimum System RequirementsDoing Things in StyleNew Features of AutoCAD for MacContact the Authors

Taking a Guided TourGetting Familiar with AutoCADThe Bottom Line
Getting to Know the Tool Sets paletteStarting Your First DrawingSpecifying Exact Distances with CoordinatesInterpreting the Cursor Modes and Understanding PromptsSelecting ObjectsEditing with GripsUsing Dynamic InputGetting HelpDisplaying Data in the Command Line PaletteDisplaying the Properties of an ObjectThe Bottom Line
Setting Up a Work AreaExploring the Drawing ProcessPlanning and Laying Out a DrawingUsing the AutoCAD Modes as Drafting ToolsThe Bottom Line
Creating a BlockInserting a SymbolModifying a BlockUnderstanding the Annotation ScaleGrouping ObjectsThe Bottom Line
Organizing Information with LayersUsing Objects to Control LayersKeeping Track of Blocks and LayersThe Bottom Line
Creating and Using TemplatesCopying an Object Multiple TimesDeveloping Your DrawingFinding an Exact Distance along a CurveChanging the Length of ObjectsCreating a New Drawing by Using Parts from Another DrawingThe Bottom Line
Assembling the PartsTaking Control of the AutoCAD DisplayUsing Hatch Patterns in Your DrawingsUnderstanding the Boundary Hatch OptionsUsing External ReferencesThe Bottom Line
Print a PlanUnderstanding the Print SettingsWYSIWYG Printing Using Layout ViewsExamining Output-Device SettingsUnderstanding Plot StylesPrinter Hardware ConsiderationsThe Bottom Line
Preparing a Drawing for TextSetting the Annotation Scale and Adding TextUnderstanding the Text Style Dialog Box OptionsExploring Text Formatting in AutoCADWhat Do the Fonts Look Like?Adding Simple Single-Line Text ObjectsUsing the Check Spelling FeatureFinding and Replacing TextThe Bottom Line
Using Fields to Associate Text with Drawing PropertiesAdding Tables to Your DrawingEditing the Table Line WorkAdding Formulas to CellsExporting TablesThe Bottom Line
Understanding the Components of a DimensionCreating a Dimension StyleDrawing Linear DimensionsEditing DimensionsDimensioning Non-orthogonal ObjectsAdding a Note with a Leader ArrowApplying Ordinate DimensionsAdding Tolerance NotationThe Bottom Line
Creating AttributesEditing AttributesThe Bottom Line
Methods for Converting Paper Drawings to AutoCAD FilesImporting a Raster ImageWorking with a Raster ImageThe Bottom Line
Using External References (Xrefs)Managing LayersThe Bottom Line
Understanding Model Space and Paper SpaceWorking with Paper Space ViewportsCreating Odd-Shaped ViewportsUnderstanding Line Weights, Linetypes, and Dimensions in Paper SpaceThe Bottom Line
Why Use Parametric Drawing ToolsConnecting Objects with Geometric ConstraintsControlling Sizes with Dimensional ConstraintsEditing the Constraint OptionsPutting Constraints to UseThe Bottom Line
Introducing PolylinesEditing PolylinesCreating a Polyline Spline CurveUsing True Spline CurvesMarking Divisions on CurvesThe Bottom Line
Finding the Area of Closed BoundariesGetting General InformationUsing the DXF File Format to Exchange CAD Data with Other ProgramsUsing AutoCAD Drawings in Page-Layout ProgramsThe Bottom Line
Getting to Know the 3D Modeling EnvironmentDrawing in 3D Using SolidsCreating 3D Forms from 2D ShapesIsolating Coordinates with Point FiltersMoving around Your ModelGetting a Visual EffectTurning a 3D View into a 2D AutoCAD DrawingThe Bottom Line
Setting Up AutoCAD for This ChapterMastering the User Coordinate SystemUnderstanding the UCS OptionsUsing Viewports to Aid in 3D DrawingCreating Complex 3D SurfacesCreating Spiral FormsCreating Surface ModelsMoving Objects in 3D SpaceThe Bottom Line
Testing the WatersCreating a Quick-Study RenderingSimulating the SunCreating Effects Using Materials and LightsControlling Render QualityPrinting Your RenderingsThe Bottom Line
Understanding Solid ModelingCreating Solid FormsCreating Complex SolidsEditing SolidsStreamlining the 2D Drawing ProcessVisualizing SolidsThe Bottom Line
Creating a Simple 3D MeshEditing Faces and EdgesCreating Complex MeshesUnderstanding 3D SurfacesEditing SurfacesVisualizing Curvature: Understanding the Surface Analysis ToolsThe Bottom Line
Chapter 1: Exploring the AutoCAD InterfaceChapter 2: Creating Your First DrawingChapter 3: Setting Up and Using AutoCAD’s Drafting ToolsChapter 4: Organizing Objects with Blocks and GroupsChapter 5: Keeping Track of Layers and BlocksChapter 6: Editing and Reusing Data to Work EfficientlyChapter 7: Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External ReferencesChapter 8: Introducing Printing and LayoutsChapter 9: Adding Text to DrawingsChapter 10: Using Fields and TablesChapter 11: Using DimensionsChapter 12: Using AttributesChapter 13: Copying Existing Drawings into AutoCADChapter 14: Advanced Editing and OrganizingChapter 15: Laying Out Your Printer OutputChapter 16: Making “Smart” Drawings with Parametric ToolsChapter 17: Drawing CurvesChapter 18: Getting and Exchanging Data from DrawingsChapter 19: Creating 3D DrawingsChapter 20: Using Advanced 3D FeaturesChapter 21: Rendering 3D DrawingsChapter 22: Editing and Visualizing 3D SolidsChapter 23: Exploring 3D Mesh and Surface Modeling
Before Installing AutoCADProceeding with the InstallationConfiguring AutoCADTurning On the Grips FeatureSetting Up the Tracking Vector Feature
The Graphics DisplayPointing DevicesOutput DevicesFine-Tuning the Appearance of OutputMemory and AutoCAD PerformanceAutoCAD and Your Hard DiskUsing Spatial and Layer Indexes to Conserve MemoryWhen Things Go Wrong
System VariablesTaking a Closer Look at the Dimension Style Dialog Boxes
Putting AutoLISP to WorkUnderstanding the InterpreterUsing Arguments and FunctionsCreating a Simple ProgramSelecting Objects with AutoLISPControlling the Flow of an AutoLISP ProgramConverting Data TypesStoring Your Programs as FilesThe Bottom Line
Customizing the User InterfaceCreating Macros for Tools and MenusPausing for User InputUnderstanding the Diesel Macro LanguageCreating Custom LinetypesCreating Hatch PatternsThe Bottom Line

Content preview from Mastering AutoCAD® for Mac®

Chapter 13

Copying Existing Drawings into AutoCAD

At times, you’ll want to turn an existing drawing into an AutoCAD drawing file. The original drawing may be hand drawn, or it might be a PDF from another source. You may be modifying a design that someone else created or converting your library of older, hand-drafted drawings for AutoCAD use. Perhaps you want to convert a hand-drawn sketch into a formal drawing? This chapter discusses ways to import existing drawings into AutoCAD through tracing, scaling, and scanning.

In this chapter, you’ll learn to do the following: