Datasheet

tAking A guiDED tour
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7
The Command window, located just below the drawing area, gives you feedback about Auto-
CAD’s commands as you use them. You can move and resize this window just as you move and
resize other display components. By default, the Command window is in its docked position, as
shown in Figure 1.4.
Below the Command window is the status bar (see Figure 1.4). The status bar gives you infor-
mation at a glance about the state of the drawing. For example, the coordinate readout at the far
left of the status bar tells you the location of your cursor. The tools in the status bar offer aids to
the drafting process.
Pi c k i n g Po i n t s in t h e Dr a w i n g ar e a
Now that you’ve seen the general layout of AutoCAD, take a look at the coordinate readout and
the drawing cursor to get a sense of how the parts of the AutoCAD screen work together:
1. Move the cursor around in the drawing area. As you move it, notice how the coordinate
readout changes to tell you the cursor’s location. It shows the coordinates in an X, Y, Z
format.
2. Place the cursor in the middle of the drawing area, and click the left mouse button. Move
the cursor and a rectangle follows. This is a window selection; you’ll learn more about this
window in Chapter 2. You also see a coordinate readout following the cursor and a mes-
sage asking you to Specify opposite corner:. This display at the cursor is called the
dynamic input. You’ll learn more about it a little later in this chapter.
Figure 1.3
The Quick Access
toolbar, featuring
basic Windows
file handling func-
tions, appears
above the Ribbon,
to the right of the
Menu Browser.
Ribbon panel
title bars
Quick Access toolbar InfoCenter
Ribbon tabs
Ribbon panels
Figure 1.4
The Command
window and the
status bar
Coordinate readout
UCS icon
Command
window
Status bar
Command line
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