Datasheet

tAking A guiDED tour
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9
Communicating with the Command Window and Dynamic Input Display
AutoCAD is the perfect servant: It does everything you tell it to and no more. You communicate with
AutoCAD by using tools and menu options. These devices invoke AutoCAD commands. A command
is a single-word instruction you give to AutoCAD telling it to do something, such as draw a line (the
Line tool in the Draw Ribbon panel) or erase an object (the Erase tool in the Modify Ribbon panel).
Whenever you invoke a command, by either typing it or selecting a menu option or tool, AutoCAD
responds by presenting messages to you in the Command window and the Dynamic Input display
or by displaying a dialog box.
The messages in the Command window, or in the Dynamic Input display, often tell you what to do
next, or they may display a list of options. A single command often presents a series of messages,
which you answer to complete the command. These messages serve as an aid to new users who
need a little help. If you ever get lost while using a command or forget what you’re supposed to do,
look at the Command window for clues. As you become more comfortable with AutoCAD, you’ll
find that you won’t need to refer to these messages as frequently.
As an additional aid, you can right-click to display a context-sensitive shortcut menu. That is, if
you’re in the middle of a command, this menu displays a list of options specifically related to that
command. For example, if you right-click your mouse before picking the first point for the Rectangle
command, a menu opens, displaying the same options that are listed in the Command prompt plus
some additional options.
Figure 1.6
The Open
Documents
and Recent
Document tools
Open Documents
Recent Documents
List of Recent Documents
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