Datasheet

tAking A guiDED tour

point in the drawing area, you see the message Specify opposite corner:. At the same time,

the cursor starts to draw a window selection that disappears when you click another point. The

same message appears in the Dynamic Input display at the cursor.

As a new user, pay special attention to messages displayed in the Command window and the

Dynamic Input display because this is how AutoCAD communicates with you. Besides giving

you messages, the Command window records your activity within AutoCAD. You can use the

scroll bar to the right of the Command window to review previous messages. You can also en-

large the window for a better view. (Chapter 2 discusses these components in more detail.)

Now, let’s look at AutoCAD’s window components in detail.

Note

The Command window and the Dynamic Input display allow AutoCAD to provide text feedback on

your actions. You can think of these features as a chat window to AutoCAD—as you enter commands,

AutoCAD responds with messages. As you become more familiar with AutoCAD, you may find you

don’t need to rely on the Command window and Dynamic Input display as much. For new and casual

users, however, the Command window and Dynamic Input display can be helpful in understanding

what steps to take as you work.

The Menu Browser

The Menu Browser is a bit like the Folders view in the Explore bar of Windows Explorer. It dis-

plays the different categories of commands in a vertical column. Click on a category and the list

expands to show more options. Try it out to see how it works ﬁrsthand.

1. Click the Menu Browser icon and then point to the View option. The list of items that

appears includes the commands and settings that let you control the way AutoCAD

displays your drawings (see Figure 1.5). Don’t worry if you don’t understand them yet;

you’ll get to know them in later chapters.

Note

LT users won’t see the Render option in the View menu.

2. Move the highlight cursor slowly down the list of view options in the right-hand column.

As you highlight some of the options, notice that a tool tip appears just below. These tool

tips help you choose the menu option you need. Other items that show an arrowhead to

the left will expand to show more options when you click on them (see Figure 1.5).

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