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CHAPTER 1 Exploring thE AutoCAD AnD AutoCAD lt intErfACE
Working with Multiple Files
You can have multiple documents open at the same time in AutoCAD. This can be especially
helpful if you want to exchange parts of drawings between files or if you want another file open
for reference. Try the following exercise to see how multiple documents work in AutoCAD:
1. Click the New tool on the Quick Access toolbar to open the Select Template dialog box.
If you see the Create New Drawing dialog box after step 1, click the Start from Scratch button
and select Imperial; then click OK and AutoCAD will display a default document. You’ll
learn more about the Create New Drawing dialog box in Chapter 3.
2. Make sure acad.dwt is selected, and then click Open.
3. Click the View tab’s Window panel, and then click Tile Vertically to get a view of both
drawing files.
When you create a new file in AutoCAD, youre actually opening a copy of a template file, as you
saw in step 1. A template file is a blank file that is set up for specific drawing types. The acad.dwt
file is a generic template set up for Imperial measurements. Another template file called acad-
iso.dwt is a generic template useful for metric measurements. Other templates are set up for
specific drawing-sheet sizes and measurement systems. You’ll learn more about templates in
Chapter 6.
Next, let’s try drawing a rectangle to see how AutoCAD behaves while drawing objects:
1. Click the Rectangle tool in the Home tab’s Draw panel.
Figure 1.16
Erasing a portion
of the clip
Click here.
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