Datasheet

Chapter 1
Exploring the AutoCAD and
AutoCAD LT Interface
Before you can start to use AutoCAD 2010’s new capabilities, you’ll need to become familiar with
the basics. If you’re completely new to AutoCAD, you’ll want to read this first chapter carefully. It
introduces you to many of AutoCAD’s basic operations, such as opening and closing files, getting
a close-up look at part of a drawing, and changing a drawing. If you’re familiar with earlier versions
of AutoCAD, you should review this chapter anyway to get acquainted with the features you haven’t
already used.
Autodesk releases new versions of AutoCAD every year. Part of this strategy is to introduce
improvements that focus on a particular category of features. This latest version, AutoCAD 2010,
includes several new features that have been on wish lists for quite some time. Three of the
major new features are parametric drawing (Chapter 17), free-form design in 3D with mesh
modeling (Chapter 25), and enhanced PDF support including snap-to-geometry PDF back-
grounds (Chapter 14).
You’ll get a chance to explore these new features and many more as you work through this
book. Before you begin the exercise later in this chapter, make sure that you have loaded the
sample files from this book’s companion DVD. See the introduction for details.
In this chapter, you’ll learn about the following topics:
Use the AutoCAD window
•◆
Get a closer look with the Zoom command•◆
Save a file as you work•◆
Make changes and open multiple files•◆
Taking a Guided Tour
In this section, you’ll get a chance to familiarize yourself with the AutoCAD screen and how
you communicate with AutoCAD. As you do the exercises in this chapter, you’ll also get a feel
for how to work with this book. Don’t worry about understanding or remembering everything
you see in this chapter. You’ll get plenty of opportunities to probe the finer details of the pro-
gram as you work through the later chapters. To help you remember the material, you’ll find
a brief set of questions at the end of each chapter. For now, just enjoy your first excursion into
AutoCAD.
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