AutoCAD 2013 and AutoCAD LT 2013 Essentials

Learn AutoCAD Quickly and Easily This Autodesk Official Training Guide thoroughly covers the fundamentals of AutoCAD 2013 and AutoCAD LT 2013 and teaches you everything you need to become quickly productive with the software. Learn to draw in 2D, shape complex curves, manage objects with layers, organize with blocks and groups, add dimensions and annotation, work with layouts, model in 3D, create realistic renderings, and more. Whether you′re an aspiring CAD/CAM professional, preparing for certification, or updating your skills, this is the fast, thorough grounding you need in AutoCAD. Learn these AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT essentials—and more: Drawing lines, circles, arcs—and other 2D drawing basics Editing entities and shaping curves Making hatches transparent and adding gradient fills Organizing objects with blocks, groups, and Xrefs Understanding and creating dimension styles Adding geometric constraints and editing constrained objects Modeling in 3D and navigating 3D models Creating photorealistic renderings and animated walkthroughs Learn how to draw and manipulate objects, blocks, and arrays Create beautiful photorealistic renderings of 3D models This striking Essentials book features: Chapter–opening learning objectives Step–by–step tutorials Four–color screenshots and illustrations Concise chapter summaries and suggested practice exercises Downloadable exercise files

Introduction xiii Chapter 1 Getting Started 1 Chapter 2 Basic Drawing Skills 15 Chapter 3 Using Drawing Aids 39 Chapter 4 Editing Entities 53 Chapter 5 Shaping Curves 79 Chapter 6 Controlling Object Visibility and Appearance 97 Chapter 7 Organizing Objects 121 Chapter 8 Hatching and Gradients 145 Chapter 9 Working with Blocks and Xrefs 163 Chapter 10 Creating and Editing Text 183 Chapter 11 Dimensioning 197 Chapter 12 Keeping In Control with Constraints 217 Chapter 13 Working with Layouts and Annotative Objects 231 Chapter 14 Printing and Plot ting 253 Chapter 15 Storing, Presenting, and Extracting Data 277 Chapter 16 Navigating 3D Models 299 Chapter 17 Modeling in 3D 317 Chapter 18 Presenting and Documenting 3D Design 345 Appendix Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Cer tif ication 369 Index 375

Scott Onstott is a consultant, lecturer, author, and independent video producer who has 14 years of experience teaching and writing about architectural and design visualization software. He is the author of Enhancing Architectural Drawings and Models with Photoshop as well as AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD LT 2012 Essentials , and coauthor of AutoCAD: Professional Tips and Techniques .