Datasheet

Understanding the AutoCAD Window  7
Another unique item in AutoCAD’s window is the set of tool
palettes shown in Figure 1.6. You can use these palettes to keep
your favorite tools and drawing components in one convenient
place for quick access.
The Properties palette shown on the left and the AutoCAD
tool palettes shown on the right of Figure 1.6 might not appear
in your AutoCAD window by default, but you can open the tool
palettes by clicking the View tab in the Ribbon and selecting
Tool Palettes from the Palettes panel.
Tool palettes
View tab
The drawing area, the status bar, and the command line work together to give you
feedback while you create and edit your drawing. As you move your cursor over the
drawing area, you’ll see the cursor appear as a crosshair
cursor. If you click the drawing area, a pair of numbers
and a selection window appear. Click again, and the selec-
tion window disappears.
With the crosshair cursor, you can point to portions of the drawing area, and the
numeric display, known as the Dynamic Input display, tells you your XY coordinate
within the drawing area. The selection window lets you select objects in the drawing area.
You’ll learn more about coordinates in AutoCAD in Chapter 2, and you’ll look at selec-
tion windows a bit later in this chapter.
If you don’t see the Dynamic Input display, go to
the status bar at the bottom of the AutoCAD window,
and click the Dynamic Input tool.
Along with the Dynamic Input display, the command line and status bar just
below the drawing area provide feedback as you work with AutoCAD commands (see
Figure 1.7). You can also see the XY coordinate in the far left of the status bar in the
lower-left corner of the AutoCAD window.
Coordinate readout
UCS icon
Command
window
Status bar
Command line
Model and Layout tabs
Figure 1.6
The Properties
palette (at left) and
the tool palettes
(at right)
Figure 1.7
The status bar and
the command line
work with the
drawing area to
give you feedback
as you draw.
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