Datasheet

Part I: Introducing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Basics

Creating a New Drawing

After you launch AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT, it automatically opens a new drawing named Drawing1.

dwg

. You can see the drawing name on the title bar. You can start drawing immediately. In Chapter 2,

I explain how to start a drawing based on a template and how to open an existing drawing.

STEPS: Starting AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT

1. Click Start on the Windows task bar at the bottom of your screen.

2. Choose one of the following:

For AutoCAD. Start ➪ (All) Programs ➪ Autodesk ➪ AutoCAD 2012 – English ➪ AutoCAD

2012 – English

For AutoCAD LT. Start ➪ (All) Programs ➪ Autodesk ➪ AutoCAD LT 2012 – English ➪

AutoCAD LT 2012 – English

You see a blank drawing named

Drawing1.dwg.

If you are continuing with this chapter, keep this drawing open. I cover exiting from AutoCAD and

AutoCAD LT later in this chapter.

Using the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface

AutoCAD offers four quite different preset workspaces, depending on how you want to work. For

example, these workspaces determine the Ribbon components, toolbars, and other interface items

that you see. AutoCAD offers both 2D and 3D environments. AutoCAD LT has only 2D environments,

and the 2D environments for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT are similar. In this section, I discuss the 2D

environment. Both AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT offer two 2D workspaces: Drafting & Annotation and

AutoCAD (or AutoCAD LT) Classic. The Drafting & Annotation workspace is the default workspace

and displays the Ribbon for executing commands. The AutoCAD Classic and AutoCAD LT Classic

workspaces display toolbars and a menu instead.

Note

AutoCAD’s 3D Modeling and 3D Basics workspaces create a 3D environment along with the 3D drawing tem-

plates

acad3D.dwt and acadiso3D.dwt. (I cover templates in Chapter 2.) I cover this 3D environment in Part

IV, “Drawing in Three Dimensions.”

Figure 1.1 shows the default screen that appears when you first open AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT. Your

screen may look somewhat different — remember that AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT can be customized

in many ways — but the general features will be the same. If you see other items open on your screen,

you can close all these items by clicking their Close (X) button.

Note

By default, you see a grid when you open AutoCAD. I explain how to turn off the grid in Chapter 4. The default

screen color is dark gray. You can leave it that way or change the drawing area color, as I explain in Appendix A. I

use a white background for the figures in this book for clarity.

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