AutoCAD 2013 For Dummies

Make your design and shapes come to life by using the new features in AutoCAD 2013

Time to put away the pencil and paper and get up to speed quickly with AutoCAD 2013. From setting up your drawing environment to outputting your masterworks to sharing your work with others, this guide shows you how to get started with this powerful program. Before you know it, you′ll be using proper CAD techniques and creating complex technical drawings.

Build the foundation — from the AutoCAD screen to AutoCAD–based products, gain a strong understanding of the basics

Create geometry — discover how to draw objects, edit, and zoom in to see them better on the screen

Add the essentials — spice up your drawing with text, dimensions, and hatching, then create a snapshot to show it off to your client

Get advanced — find out how to use a host of drawing and data–sharing features, then share your drawings on the web

Explore 3D models — apply visual styles and navigate around your drawing with AutoCAD′s 3D capabilities

Open the book and find:

The differences between AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT

All the new features in AutoCAD 2013

Tips for using the command–line area and setting up your drawing properly

Ways to utilize the different drawing commands

Steps for navigating the plot process

How to manage data within drawings, between drawings, and across a network

Directions for using predefined visual styles

Learn To:

Set up the AutoCAD environment and use the AutoCAD Ribbon

Create your first drawing, add text, and manage properties

Build amazing 2D and 3D models in no time

Part I: AutoCAD 101 11

Chapter 1: Introducing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 13

Chapter 2: Le Tour de AutoCAD 2013 23

Chapter 3: A Lap around the CAD Track 55

Chapter 4: Setup for Success 85

Chapter 5: Planning for Paper 109

Part II: Let There Be Lines 123

Chapter 6: Manage Your Properties 125

Chapter 7: Preciseliness Is Next to CADliness 147

Chapter 8: Along the Straight and Narrow 163

Chapter 9: Dangerous Curves Ahead 177

Chapter 10: Get a Grip on Object Selection 193

Chapter 11: Edit for Credit 215

Chapter 12: A Zoom with a View 243

Part III: If Drawings Could Talk 261

Chapter 13: Text with Character 263

Chapter 14: Entering New Dimensions 297

Chapter 15: Down the Hatch! 323

Chapter 16: The Plot Thickens 337

Part IV: Advancing with AutoCAD 367

Chapter 17: The ABCs of Blocks 369

Chapter 18: Everything from Arrays to Xrefs 387

Chapter 19: Call the Parametrics! 421

Chapter 20: Drawing on the Internet 449

Part V: On a 3D Spree 469

Chapter 21: It’s a 3D World After All 471

Chapter 22: From Drawings to Models 491

Chapter 23: On a Render Bender 515

Part VI: The Part of Tens 537

Chapter 24: Ten Great AutoCAD Resources 539

Chapter 25: Ten (Or So) Differences between AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 543

Chapter 26: Ten System Variables to Make Your Life Easier 547

Index 553

David Byrnes is a structural and civil drafter for a major international engineering company. Bill Fane is a retired professional engineer and Autodesk Authorized Training Center (ATC) certified instructor.