AutoCAD 2017 and AutoCAD LT 2017

Introduction xv Chapter 1 Getting Started 1

Sign In to Autodesk 360 on the Start Tab 1

Exercise 1.1: Configure Autodesk 360 1

Explore the AutoCAD 2017 for Windows User Interface 4

Exercise 1.2: Explore the Graphical User Interface 4

Exercise 1.3: Control the AutoCAD Ribbon 9

Set Drawing Units 13

Exercise 1.4: Set the AutoCAD Drawing Units 14

Chapter 2 Gaining Basic Drawing Skills 17

Navigate 2D Drawings 17

Exercise 2.1: Navigate a Drawing 17

Draw Lines and Rectangles 21

Exercise 2.2: Draw Lines 21

Exercise 2.3: Draw Rectangles 24

Cancel, Erase, and Undo 26

Exercise 2.4: Correct Mistakes 26

Use Coordinate Systems 27

Exercise 2.5: Use Absolute Coordinates 28

Exercise 2.6: Use Relative Coordinates 28

Exercise 2.7: Use Polar Coordinates 29

Draw Circles, Arcs, and Polygons 33

Exercise 2.8: Create Circles 33

Exercise 2.9: Create Arcs 36

Exercise 2.10: Draw Polygons 38

Use Fillet and Chamfer 40

Exercise 2.11: Join Nonparallel Lines 40

Exercise 2.12: Join Crossed Lines with Fillet 41

Chapter 3 Using Drawing Aids 43

Use Grid and Snap 43

Exercise 3.1: Draw with Grid and Snap 44

Employ Ortho and Polar Tracking 47

Exercise 3.2: Draw with Ortho and Polar Tracking 47

Use PolarSnap 49

Exercise 3.3: Draw with PolarSnap 49

Select Running Object Snaps 51

Exercise 3.4: Draw with Running Object Snaps 51

Harness the From Snap 54

Exercise 3.5: Use the From Snap 54

Apply Object Snap Tracking 55

Exercise 3.6: Use Object Snap Tracking 55

Chapter 4 Editing Entities 59

Create Selection Sets 59

Exercise 4.1: Create a Selection Set at the Select Objects: Prompt 60

Exercise 4.2: Create a Selection Set Before Deciding on a Command 62

Use Move and Copy 66

Exercise 4.3: Move and Copy 66

Use Rotate and Scale 70

Exercise 4.4: Rotate and Scale 70

Work with Arrays 73

Exercise 4.5: Create a Rectangular Array 73

Exercise 4.6: Create a Polar Array 75

Use Trim and Extend 76

Exercise 4.7: Trim and Measure 77

Use Lengthen and Stretch 78

Exercise 4.8: Lengthen and Stretch 78

Use Offset and Mirror 79

Exercise 4.9: Offset and Mirror 80

Edit with Grips 82

Exercise 4.10: Edit with Grips 82

Chapter 5 Shaping Curves 85

Draw and Edit Curved Polylines 85

Exercise 5.1: Draw and Edit Curved Polylines 85

Draw Ellipses 91

Exercise 5.2: Draw Ellipses 91

Shape Splines 93

Exercise 5.3: Work with Control Vertices 94

Exercise 5.4: Work with Fit Points 98

Blend Between Objects with Splines 101

Exercise 5.5: Blend Splines 102

Chapter 6 Controlling Object Visibility and Appearance 105

Change Object Properties 105

Exercise 6.1: Edit Object Properties 106

Set the Current Layer 109

Exercise 6.2: Choose the Current Layer 110

Alter the Layer Assignments of Objects 113

Exercise 6.3: Assign Layers 113

Control Layer Visibility 116

Exercise 6.4: Toggle Layer Status 116

Exercise 6.5: Isolate Layers 118

Exercise 6.6: Save Layer States 120

Apply Linetype 122

Exercise 6.7: Use Linetype 122

Assign Properties by Object or by Layer 125

Exercise 6.8: Assign Properties 125

Manage Layer Properties 126

Exercise 6.9: Control Layer Properties 126

Isolate Objects 128

Exercise 6.10: Isolate and Hide Individual Objects 128

Chapter 7 Organizing Objects 131

Define Blocks 131

Exercise 7.1: Draw a Chair and Define It as a Block 132

Exercise 7.2: Draw a Door and Define It as a Block 135

Insert Blocks 137

Exercise 7.3: Use Blocks 137

Edit Blocks 141

Exercise 7.4: Edit Block Definitions 142

Exercise 7.5: Assign Floating Properties 143

Exercise 7.6: Nest Blocks 145

Exercise 7.7: Explode Blocks 147

Redefine Blocks 148

Exercise 7.8: Redefine Block Definitions 148

Work with Groups 151

Exercise 7.9: Create Groups 151

Chapter 8 Hatching and Gradients 155

Specify Hatch Areas 155

Exercise 8.1: Pick Points to Determine Boundaries 155

Exercise 8.2: Select Objects to Define Boundaries 159

Associate Hatches with Boundaries 161

Exercise 8.3: Associate Boundaries 161

Hatch with Patterns 163

Exercise 8.4: Specify Properties 164

Exercise 8.5: Separate Hatch Areas 165

Hatch with Gradients 168

Exercise 8.6: Create Gradients 168

Chapter 9 Working with Blocks and Xrefs 171

Work with Global Blocks 171

Exercise 9.1: Write a Local Block Definition to a File 171

Exercise 9.2: Insert a Drawing as a Local Block 175

Exercise 9.3: Redefine Local Blocks with Global Blocks 177

Access Content Globally 179

Exercise 9.4: Access Global Content 179

Store Content on Tool Palettes 185

Exercise 9.5: Add to the Tool Palettes 185

Reference External Drawings and Images 187

Exercise 9.6: Use Xrefs 188

Chapter 10 Creating and Editing Text 193

Style Text 193

Exercise 10.1: Create Text Styles 193

Write Lines of Text 195

Exercise 10.2: Create Text to Fit 195

Exercise 10.3: Justify Text 197

Exercise 10.4: Transform and Create Text 198

Write and Format Paragraphs Using MTEXT 201

Exercise 10.5: Write and Format with MTEXT 201

Edit Text 204

Exercise 10.6: Edit Content and Properties 205

Exercise 10.7: Work with Columns 206

Chapter 11 Dimensioning 209

Style Dimensions 209

Exercise 11.1: Create Dimension Styles 210

Add Dimensions 215

Exercise 11.2: Use Inquiry Commands 216

Exercise 11.3: Add Dimension Objects 218

Exercise 11.4: Add and Style Multileaders 221

Edit Dimensions 223

Exercise 11.5: Alter Dimension Objects 223

Chapter 12 Keeping In Control with Constraints 227

Work with Geometric Constraints 227

Exercise 12.1: Use Geometric Constraints 227

Apply Dimensional Constraints 230

Exercise 12.2: Create Dimensional Constraints 231

Constrain Objects Simultaneously with Geometry and Dimensions 234

Exercise 12.3: Use Simultaneous Constraints 234

Make Parametric Changes to Constrained Objects 236

Exercise 12.4: Alter Constraint Parameters 237

Chapter 13 Working with Layouts and Annotative Objects 239

Create Annotative Styles and Objects 239

Exercise 13.1: Work with Annotative Text 240

Exercise 13.2: Work with Annotative Dimensions 243

Create Layouts 245

Exercise 13.3: Configure Layouts 245

Adjust Floating Viewports 249

Exercise 13.4: Work on Layout1 249

Exercise 13.5: Work on Layout2 252

Override Layer Properties in Layout Viewports 255

Exercise 13.6: Override Layer Properties 255

Draw on Layouts 257

Exercise 13.7: Lay Out Geometry 257

Chapter 14 Printing and Plotting 261

Configure Output Devices 261

Exercise 14.1: Set Up a System Printer 262

Exercise 14.2: Set Up an AutoCAD Plotter 262

Create Plot Style Tables 265

Exercise 14.3: Create a Named Plot Style Table 265

Use Plot Style Tables 267

Exercise 14.4: Configure New Drawings for Named Plot Style Tables 267

Exercise 14.5: Assign Plot Styles by Layer or by Object 270

Plot in Model Space 273

Exercise 14.6: Plot from Model Space 273

Plot Layouts in Paper Space 277

Exercise 14.7: Plot from Paper Space 277

Export to an Electronic Format 280

Exercise 14.8: Export to DWF 281

Exercise 14.9: Export to PDF 282

Exercise 14.10: Share Design Views 284

Chapter 15 Working with Data 287

Geolocate Projects 287

Exercise 15.1: Geolocate a Drawing 288

Import SketchUp Models 292

Exercise 15.2: Import a SketchUp Model 292

Define Attributes and Blocks 293

Exercise 15.3: Define Attributes and a Block 294

Insert Attributed Blocks 298

Exercise 15.4: Insert Block References with Attributes 298

Edit Table Styles and Create Tables 300

Exercise 15.5: Alter a Table Style and Make a Table 300

Use Fields in Table Cells 305

Exercise 15.6: Create Fields 305

Edit Table Data 308

Exercise 15.7: Alter Table Data 308

Chapter 16 Navigating 3D Models 317

Use Visual Styles 317

Exercise 16.1: Explore Visual Styles 318

Work with Tiled Viewports 322

Exercise 16.2: Tile Viewports 322

Navigate with the ViewCube 324

Exercise 16.3: Use the ViewCube to Navigate 324

Orbit in 3D 326

Exercise 16.4: Orbit 326

Use Cameras 328

Exercise 16.5: Utilize Virtual Cameras 328

Navigate with SteeringWheels 331

Exercise 16.6: Use SteeringWheels to Navigate 331

Save Views 334

Exercise 16.7: Save Views 334

Chapter 17 Modeling in 3D 337

Create Surface Models 337

Exercise 17.1: Make Planar Surfaces 338

Exercise 17.2: Revolve a 2D Profile to Create a 3D Model 339

Exercise 17.3: Sweep Out 3D Geometry 340

Exercise 17.4: Extrude 2D Geometry into 3D 342

Edit Surface Models 344

Exercise 17.5: Trim Surfaces with Other Surfaces 344

Exercise 17.6: Project Edges on Surfaces 345

Exercise 17.7: Trim Surfaces with Edges 348

Create Solid Models 350

Exercise 17.8: Extrude Solid Objects 350

Exercise 17.9: Loft Solid Objects 354

Edit Solid Models 356

Exercise 17.10: Perform Boolean Operations 356

Exercise 17.11: Edit Solids 359

Smooth Mesh Models 363

Exercise 17.12: Create, Edit, and Smooth Mesh 363

Live-Section Models 365

Exercise 17.13: Create and Edit a Section Plane 365

Chapter 18 Presenting and Documenting 3D Design 369

Assign Materials 370

Exercise 18.1: Apply Materials 370

Place and Adjust Lights 376

Exercise 18.2: Add Artificial Lights 376

Exercise 18.3: Simulate Natural Light 382

Create Renderings 383

Exercise 18.4: Make More Realistic Renderings in the Cloud 383

Document Models with Drawings 387

Exercise 18.5: Document Models 387

Appendix A Making Isometric Drawings 393

Appendix B Autodesk (R) AutoCAD 2017 Certification 399

Index 403