Datasheet

18
Part I: AutoCAD 101
✓ Additional requirements for working in 3D: AutoCAD recommends a
3 GHz or better processor; 2 GB or more of RAM; a workstation-class,
Direct3D-capable graphics card with at least 128 MB of memory; and an
additional 2 GB of hard disk space beyond the 1 GB required for installation.
I find even the recommended system requirements on the minimal side. For
example, my desktop computer runs at a screen resolution of 1280 x 1024, and
my tablet computer runs at 1400 x 1050. The figures in this book were shot at
a resolution of 1024 x 768, and as you can see, things can get pretty crowded
at that resolution.
Suddenly, It’s 2011!
There’s been a new release of AutoCAD every spring since AutoCAD 2004 was
launched in 2003. That’s not much time for even an army of programmers to
deliver a compelling new feature set that’s going to convince all users that
they just have to upgrade. What seems to have been happening is a concen-
tration on particular areas in recent releases. For example, AutoCAD 2007
was a 3D release; the 3D modeling engine was made much easier to use, but
there was relatively little to please the 2D crowd. By contrast, AutoCAD 2008
was deemed to be “the drafter’s release” because of the number of enhance-
ments to 2D drawing capabilities — above all, the introduction of annotative
documentation objects. In AutoCAD 2009, the new interface got the lion’s
share of development (suddenly, it’s Office 2007!); major new features were
limited to some 3D navigation tools, the very useful Quick Properties tool,
and a palettized Layer Properties Manager. AutoCAD 2010 offered significant
enhancements to both 2D and 3D users, in parametric drafting tools, and
free-form mesh modeling.
AutoCAD 2011 again has presents for both the 2D and the 3D crowds, in the
new transparency object property, object visibility controls, and a new suite
of surface modeling tools. I introduce transparency in Chapter 6 and object
isolation in Chapter 10; you find out about network surfaces, blends, and G2
continuity in Chapter 22, and rendering with materials in Chapter 23. In the
meantime, here’s a short list of some of the other new features, along with
where you can go to find out more:
✓ AutoCAD’s drawing screen: After a quarter-century of out-of-the-box
black backgrounds, Autodesk’s programmers decided to kick the pro-
gram into the 21st century by lightening up the drawing area, making
it more like Inventor and Revit, Autodesk’s newer 3D design programs.
AutoCAD 2010 appeared with an off-white drawing background, but the
program has now returned to the dark side — not black, but very dark
gray. And the old dot grid has been sidelined by a new graph paper-style
linear grid.
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