Datasheet
commands, it will take on other forms, depending on which step of a command
you’re performing.
The icon with a double arrow in the lower-left corner of the drawing area is the
UCS icon (UCS stands for user coordinate system). It indicates the positive
direction for the x- and y-axes. You won’t need it for most of the chapters in this
book, so you’ll learn how to turn it off in Chapter 3.
Below the drawing area is the Command window.
When you enter commands in addition to using the Ribbon or pop-up menus,
the Command window is where you tell the program what to do and where the
program tells you what’s happening. It’s an important area, and you’ll need to
learn how it works in detail. Four lines of text should be visible. You’ll learn how
to increase the number of visible lines later in this chapter in the section “Work-
ing in the Command Window.” When the Dynamic Input feature is active, much
of the Command window information is displayed at the cursor as well.
Below the Command window is the status bar.
On the left end of the status bar, you’ll see a coordinate readout window. In the
middle are 10 buttons (LT has only 9) that activate various drawing modes. It’s
important to learn about the coordinate system and most of these drawing aids
(Snap Mode, Grid Display, Ortho Mode, Object Snap, etc) early on as you learn to
draw in AutoCAD. They will help you create neat and accurate drawings. Polar
Tracking and Object Snap Tracking are advanced drawing tools and will be intro-
duced in Chapter 5. Dynamic UCS stands for Dynamic User Coordinate System; it’s
Introducing the AutoCAD Graphics Window 9
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