Datasheet
8
CHAPTER 1
GETTING FAMILIAR WITH AUTOCAD
If you click the right mouse button, the shortcut menu appears. Just as with most other Windows
applications, a right mouse click frequently opens a menu that contains options that are
context sen-
sitive
. This means that the contents of the shortcut menu depend on where you right-click as well
as the command that is active at the time of your right-click. If there are no applicable options at the
time of the right-click, AutoCAD treats the right-click as
↵
. You’ll learn more about these options
as you progress through the book. For now, if you happen to open this menu by accident, press the
Esc key to close it.
Finally, as with any window, you can expand the drawing area or contract it into a smaller win-
dow by clicking on the Maximize/Minimize icon in the upper right corner of the draw area. If the
drawing is maximized, this icon appears just above the Styles toolbar.
When the drawing area is minimized, it appears as a separate window within the AutoCAD
Window. You can then resize the window to any rectangular shape you need. This is helpful when
you have multiple AutoCAD Drawing files open.
TIP
The
↵
symbol is used in this book to denote the Enter key. Whenever you see it, press the
Enter key, also known as the Return key.
The UCS Icon
The UCS icon is the L-shaped icon you see at the lower-left corner of the drawing area. It helps you
see your orientation at a glance by pointing to the positive X and Y directions. UCS stands for
User
Coordinate System
. That name is a hint that you can create and use other coordinates besides the
default one that exists in new drawings. The default X direction is from left to right, and the Y direc-
tion is bottom to top, but AutoCAD lets you alter your view orientation as well as include addi-
tional coordinate systems that can be oriented in different directions. The UCS icon is especially
helpful when you start to use these other coordinate systems and display modes, but right now, just
be aware that it is there to help you get your bearings.
You might notice a small square at the base of the UCS icon. This square tells you that you are
in the World Coordinate System, which is the base coordinate on which other coordinate systems
can be built. You’ll learn more about the UCS in Chapter 5.
The Command Window
The horizontal window at the bottom of the AutoCAD window is called the
Command window
.
Besides the drawing area, this is where you can get feedback from AutoCAD. It is also where you
can type commands and command options. The Command window shows two lines of text. As
you work in AutoCAD, the command activity appears in the bottom line of the Command window
and scrolls upward.
When AutoCAD is waiting for input, you see the word
Command:
at the bottom of the Command
window. This is called the
Command
prompt
. As you click a point in the drawing area, you see the
message
Specify opposite corner
. Simultaneously, a selection window appears in the drawing
area. Click another point without selecting anything, and the selection window disappears and the
Command prompt returns.
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