Datasheet

2 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCAD
Understanding the AutoCAD Window
Autodesk has completely redesigned AutoCAD 2009’s interface. If you’ve used AutoCAD
before, it will appear as though AutoCAD has completely changed.
Don’t worry; the underlying program still behaves in much the same way as before.
Through AutoCAD’s workspace feature, you can easily change AutoCAD’s interface to
display the old, familiar toolbars that are seemingly missing from this latest version.
You’ll get a chance to look at workspaces later in this chapter. In this section, you’ll look
at AutoCAD’s newest interface options.
AutoCAD works like most other Windows-based graphics programs, but it also has a
few quirks. This section gives you an overview of AutoCAD’s layout. Although many ele-
ments will be familiar, a few will be new to you.
To start, you’ll see the two ways that AutoCAD displays a drawing. Then, for the rest
of this chapter, you’ll focus on the 2D drawing environment. After installing AutoCAD,
take the following steps to get to the 2D workspace:
1. Choose Start
➔
All Programs
➔
Autodesk
➔
AutoCAD 2009
➔
AutoCAD 2009. (LT
users will click AutoCAD LT 2009 in place of AutoCAD 2009 in the previous menu
selection.) You can also double-click the AutoCAD 2009 icon on your Windows
Desktop.
The opening greeting, called a splash screen, appears momentarily; then, if this is a
new installation, AutoCAD displays the Workspaces message box. This message box
offers an option to select 2D Drafting & Annotation, 3D Modeling, or AutoCAD
Classic.
2. Click 2D Drafting & Annotation. You’ll see the AutoCAD window with a blank
default document named Drawing1.dwg, as shown at the top of Figure 1.1. If this is a
new installation, you will also see the New Features Workshop window. If this hap-
pens, select Maybe Later, and then click OK.
AutoCAD 2009 versus AutoCAD 2009 Lt
AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD 2009 LT are essentially the same programs, with some differ-
encesboth large and small. The LT version has limited 3D capabilities and no 3D workspace.
Customization features too are limited in the LT version. With the exception of the 3D fea-
tures, you should be able to use the features discussed in this book when using AutoCAD
2009 LT.
The ↵ symbol in this book denotes the Enter key. Whenever you see it, press the Enter key,
also known as the Return key.
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