Mastering AutoCAD 2018 and AutoCAD LT 2018 is the complete tutorial and reference every design and drafting professional needs. Step-by-step instructions coupled with concise explanation walk you through everything you need to know about the latest AutoCAD tools and techniques; read through from beginning to end for complete training, or dip in as needed to for quick reference—it's all here.

Hands-on projects teach you practical skills that apply directly to real-world projects, and the companion website features the accompanying project files and other bonus content to help you master every crucial technique. This new edition has been updated to include the latest AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT capabilities, so your skills will transfer directly to real-world projects. With expert guidance and a practical focus, this complete reference is your ultimate resource for mastering this powerful software.

AutoCAD is a critical skill in the design fields; whether you're preparing for a certification exam, or just want to become more productive with the software, this book will help you:

• Master the basic drafting tools that you'll use in every project
• Work with hatches, fields, tables, attributes, dynamic blocks, and other intermediate tools
• Turn your 2D drawing into a 3D model with advanced modeling and imaging techniques
• Customize AutoCAD to fit the way you work, integrate outside data, and much more

If you're new to AutoCAD, this book will be your "bible;" if you're an experienced user, this book will introduce you to unfamiliar tools and techniques, and show you tips and tricks that streamline your workflow.

Introduction xxv

Part 1 • Th e Basics 1

Chapter 1 • Exploring the Interface 3

Taking a Guided Tour 3

Launching AutoCAD 4

The AutoCAD Window 5

Using the Application Menu 8

Using the Ribbon 9

Picking Points in the Drawing Area 14

Using the UCS Icon 15

Working in the Command Window 15

Working with AutoCAD 16

Opening an Existing File 16

Getting a Closer Look 18

Saving a File as You Work 21

Making Changes 22

Working with Multiple Files 23

Adding a Predrawn Symbol with the Tool Palettes 26

The Bottom Line 28

Chapter 2 • Creating Your First Drawing 31

Getting to Know the Home Tab’s Draw and Modify Panels 31

Starting Your First Drawing 34

Specifying Exact Distances with Coordinates 38

Specifying Polar Coordinates 40

Specifying Relative Cartesian Coordinates 41

Interpreting the Cursor Modes and Understanding Prompts 43

Understanding Cursor Modes 43

Choosing Command Options 45

Selecting Objects 50

Selecting Objects in AutoCAD 50

Providing Base Points 53

Using Noun/Verb Selection 56

Editing with Grips 61

Stretching Lines by Using Grips 62

Moving and Rotating with Grips 64

Understanding Dynamic Input 66

Displaying Data in a Text Window 71

Displaying the Properties of an Object 72

Getting Help 75

Using the InfoCenter 75

Finding Additional Sources of Help 76

The Bottom Line 77

Chapter 3 • Setting Up and Using the Drafting Tools 79

Setting Up a Work Area 79

Specifying Units 80

Fine-Tuning the Measurement System 82

Setting Up the Drawing Limits 83

Looking at an Alternative to Limits 85

Understanding Scale Factors 85

Using Polar Tracking 87

Setting the Polar Tracking Angle 88

Exploring the Drawing Process 90

Locating an Object in Reference to Others 90

Getting a Closer Look 91

Modifying an Object 91

Planning and Laying Out a Drawing 95

Making a Preliminary Sketch 97

Using the Layout 98

Erasing the Layout Lines 103

Putting on the Finishing Touches 106

Aligning Objects by Using Object Snap Tracking 107

Using the AutoCAD Modes as Drafting Tools 113

Using Grid Mode as a Background Grid 113

Using Snap Modes 116

The Bottom Line 117

Chapter 4 • Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups 119

Creating and Using a Symbol 119

Understanding the Block Defi nition Dialog Box 121

Inserting a Symbol 123

Scaling and Rotating Blocks 126

Using an Existing Drawing as a Symbol 128

Modifying a Block 130

Unblocking and Redefi ning a Block 130

Saving a Block as a Drawing File 132

Replacing Existing Files with Blocks 133

Understanding the Write Block Dialog Box Options 134

Other Uses for Blocks 134

Understanding the Annotation Scale 135

Grouping Objects 138

Modifying Members of a Group 140

Ungrouping, Adding, and Subtracting from a Group 143

Working with the Object Grouping Dialog Box 144

Working with the AutoCAD LT Group Manager 146

The Bottom Line 147

Chapter 5 • Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks 149

Organizing Information with Layers 149

Creating and Assigning Layers 150

Working on Layers 158

Controlling Layer Visibility 161

Finding the Layers You Want 163

Taming an Unwieldy List of Layers 164

Assigning Linetypes to Layers 171

Adding a Linetype to a Drawing 172

Controlling Lineweights 177

Keeping Track of Blocks and Layers 177

Getting a Text File List of Layers or Blocks 178

The Bottom Line 179

Part 2 • Mastering Intermediate Skills 181

Chapter 6 • Editing and Reusing Data to Work Effi ciently 183

Creating and Using Templates 184

Creating a Template 184

Using a Template 185

Copying an Object Multiple Times 186

Making Circular Copies 186

Making Row and Column Copies 188

Fine-Tuning Your View 190

Finishing the Kitchenette 192

Array Along a Path 193

Making Changes to an Associative Array 194

Developing Your Drawing 198

Importing Settings 198

Using Osnap Tracking to Place Objects 201

Finding an Exact Distance Along a Curve 218

Changing the Length of Objects 220

Creating a New Drawing by Using Parts

from Another Drawing 221

Eliminating Unused Blocks, Layers, Linetypes, Shapes, Styles, and More 222

The Bottom Line 224

Chapter 7 • Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and

External References 225

Assembling the Parts 225

Taking Control of the AutoCAD Display 229

Understanding Regeneration and Redrawing 229

Saving Views 230

Understanding the Frozen Layer Option 233

Using Hatch Patterns in Your Drawings 235

Placing a Hatch Pattern in a Specifi c Area 235

Adding Predefi ned Hatch Patterns 237

Positioning Hatch Patterns Accurately 239

Updating a Block from an External File 240

Changing the Hatch Area 242

Modifying a Hatch Pattern 243

Understanding the Boundary Hatch Options 245

Controlling Boundaries with the Boundaries Panel 245

Fine-Tuning the Boundary Behavior 245

Controlling Hatch Behavior with the Options Panel 246

Controlling Hatch Default Layer, Layout Scale, and ISO Line Weight 247

Using Additional Hatch Features 248

Using Gradient Shading 249

Tips for Using Hatch 250

Space Planning and Hatch Patterns 251

Using External References 254

Attaching a Drawing as an External Reference 255

Other Differences Between External References and Blocks 259

Other External Reference Options 260

Clipping Xref Views and Improving Performance 262

Editing Xrefs in Place 265

Using the External Reference Tab 268

Adding and Removing Objects from Blocks and Xrefs 268

Understanding the Reference Edit Dialog Box Options 270

The Bottom Line 272

Chapter 8 • Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts 273

Plotting the Plan 273

Understanding the Plotter Settings 277

Paper Size 278

Drawing Orientation 278

Plot Area 278

Plot Scale 280

Shaded Viewport Options 283

Plot Offset 284

Plot Options 285

Exit Options 286

Plotting Using Layout Views 286

Setting Plot Scale in the Layout Viewports 289

Adding an Output Device 291

Editing a Plotter Confi guration 293

Storing a Page Setup 295

Using Electronic Plots 299

Exporting to PDF Through the Plot Dialog Box 299

Exporting to PDF Through the Export To DWF/PDF Ribbon Panel 301

Exporting Autodesk DWF and DWFx Files 302

The Bottom Line 302

Chapter 9 • Adding Text to Drawings 305

Preparing a Drawing for Text 305

Organizing Text by Styles 306

Getting Familiar with the Text and Annotation Scale Control Panels 308

Setting the Annotation Scale and Adding Text 308

Inserting Text 309

Exploring Text and Scale 310

Understanding the Text Style Dialog Box Options 313

Styles 313

Set Current/New/Delete 313

Font 313

Size 314

Effects 314

Exploring Text Formatting in AutoCAD 315

Adjusting the Text Height and Font 315

Understanding the Text Editor Tab 317

Adding Symbols and Special Characters 319

Setting Indents and Tabs 321

What Do the Fonts Look Like? 324

Adding Simple Single-Line Text Objects 326

Justifying Single-Line Text Objects 328

Using Special Characters with Single-Line Text Objects 330

Using the Check Spelling Feature 331

How Check Spelling Works 331

Choosing a Dictionary 332

Substituting Fonts 334

Finding and Replacing Text 335

The Bottom Line 339

Chapter 10 • Using Fields and Tables 341

Using Fields to Associate Text with Drawing Properties 341

Adding Tables to Your Drawing 345

Creating a Table 345

Adding Cell Text 346

Adjusting Table Text Orientation and Location 348

Editing the Table Line Work 351

Adding Formulas to Cells 354

Using Formulas Directly in Cells 354

Using Other Math Operations 355

Importing and Exporting Tables 356

Importing a Table 356

Exporting Tables 358

Creating Table Styles 359

Adding or Modifying a Table Style 359

The Table Style Options 361

The Bottom Line 361

Chapter 11 • Using Dimensions 363

Understanding the Components of a Dimension 363

Creating a Dimension Style 364

Setting Up the Primary Unit Style 367

Setting the Height for Dimension Text 368

Setting the Location and Orientation of Dimension Text 369

Choosing an Arrow Style and Setting the Dimension Scale 370

Setting Up Alternate Units 374

Setting the Current Dimension Style 375

Modifying a Dimension Style 375

Drawing Linear Dimensions 376

Understanding the Dimensions Panel 376

Placing Horizontal and Vertical Dimensions 377

Continuing a Dimension 378

Drawing Dimensions from a Common Base Extension Line 380

Adjusting the Distance Between Dimensions 382

Editing Dimensions 383

Appending Data to Dimension Text 383

Using Grips to Make Minor Adjustments to Dimensions 385

Changing Style Settings of Individual Dimensions 387

Editing Dimensions and Other Objects Together 388

Associating Dimensions with Objects 391

Adding a String of Dimensions with a Single Operation 392

Adding or Removing the Alternate Dimensions 393

Dimensioning Nonorthogonal Objects 394

Dimensioning Nonorthogonal Linear Distances 394

Dimensioning Radii, Diameters, and Arcs 396

Skewing Dimension Lines 400

Using the Dimension Tool 401

Adding a Note with a Leader Arrow 404

Creating Multileader Styles 406

Editing Multileader Notes 409

Breaking a Dimension Line for a Leader 409

Applying Ordinate Dimensions 410

Adding Tolerance Notation 411

Inserting Tolerance and Datum Values 411

Adding Inspection Dimensions 413

The Bottom Line 414

Part 3 • Mastering Advanced Skills 415

Chapter 12 • Using Attributes 417

Creating Attributes 418

Adding Attributes to Blocks 418

Copying and Editing Attribute Defi nitions 421

Turning the Attribute Defi nitions into a Block 423

Inserting Blocks Containing Attributes 424

Editing Attributes 428

Editing Attribute Values One at a Time 428

Editing Attribute Text Formats and Properties 429

Making Global Changes to Attribute Values 431

Making Invisible Attributes Visible 432

Making Global Format and Property Changes to Attributes 433

Other Block Attribute Manager Options 434

Redefi ning Blocks Containing Attributes 435

Extracting and Exporting Attribute Information 436

Performing the Extraction 436

Extracting Attribute Data to an AutoCAD Table 441

The Bottom Line 443

Chapter 13 • Copying Existing Drawings from Other Sources 445

Methods for Converting Paper Drawings to AutoCAD Files 445

Importing a Raster Image 446

Working with a Raster Image 449

Scaling a Raster Image 449

Controlling Object Visibility and Overlap with Raster Images 450

Adjusting Brightness, Contrast, and Fade 452

Clipping a Raster Image 454

Turning Off the Frame, Adjusting Overall Quality, and

Controlling Transparency 456

Working with PDF Files 458

Importing a PDF 458

Scaling and Osnaps with PDFs 460

Controlling the PDF Display 461

Importing a PDF as an AutoCAD Drawing 463

Reconstructing Imported AutoCAD SHX Fonts 465

Coordinating Geographic Locations 466

Making Adjustments to the Map 470

Finding Measurements and Distances 471

The Bottom Line 472

Chapter 14 • Advanced Editing and Organizing 473

Using External References 473

Preparing Existing Drawings for External Referencing 474

Assembling Xrefs to Build a Drawing 476

Updating Blocks in Xrefs 480

Importing Named Elements from Xrefs 482

Controlling the Xref Search Path 485

Managing Layers 486

Saving and Recalling Layer Settings 486

Other Tools for Managing Layers 490

Using Advanced Tools: Filter and Quick Select 492

Filtering Selections 493

Using Quick Select 496

Using the QuickCalc Calculator 499

Adding Foot and Inch Lengths and Finding the Sum of Angles 501

Converting Units with QuickCalc 503

Using QuickCalc to Find Points 505

Finding Fractional Distances between Two Points 508

Using QuickCalc While in the Middle of a Command 510

Storing Expressions and Values 511

Guidelines for Working with QuickCalc 513

The Bottom Line 515

Chapter 15 • Laying Out Your Printer Output 517

Understanding Model Space and Paper Space 517

Switching from Model Space to Paper Space 518

Setting the Size of a Paper Space Layout 520

Creating New Paper Space Viewports 521

Reaching Inside Viewports 523

Working with Paper Space Viewports 524

Scaling Views in Paper Space 526

Setting Layers in Individual Viewports 528

Creating and Using Multiple Paper Space Layouts 531

Creating Odd-Shaped Viewports 532

Understanding Lineweights, Linetypes, and Dimensions in Paper Space 535

Controlling and Viewing Lineweights in Paper Space 535

The Lineweight Settings Dialog Box 537

Linetype Scales and Paper Space 537

Dimensioning in Paper Space Layouts 538

Other Uses for Paper Space 541

The Bottom Line 541

Chapter 16 • Making “Smart” Drawings with Parametric Tools 543

Why Use Parametric Drawing Tools? 543

Connecting Objects with Geometric Constraints 544

Using AutoConstrain to Add Constraints Automatically 545

Editing a Drawing Containing Constraints 546

Using Other Geometric Constraints 549

Using Constraints in the Drawing Process 550

Controlling Sizes with Dimensional Constraints 550

Adding a Dimensional Constraint 551

Editing a Dimensional Constraint 553

Using Formulas to Control and Link Dimensions 554

Adding a Formula Parameter 555

Testing the Formula 557

Using Other Formulas 557

Editing the Constraint Options 559

Putting Constraints to Use 561

The Bottom Line 562

Chapter 17 • Using Dynamic Blocks 563

Exploring the Block Editor 563

Opening the Block Editor 563

Editing a Block and Creating New Blocks 565

Creating a Dynamic Block 566

Adding a Parameter 567

Adding an Action 568

Adding an Increment Value 570

Editing Parameters and Actions 572

Keeping an Object Centered 572

Using Constraints in Dynamic Blocks 574

Adding a List of Predefi ned Options 578

Creating Multiple Shapes in One Block 582

Rotating Objects in Unison 586

Filling in a Space Automatically with Objects 590

Including Block Information with Data Extraction 591

The Bottom Line 594

Chapter 18 • Drawing Curves 595

Introducing Polylines 595

Drawing a Polyline 595

Setting Polyline Options 597

Editing Polylines 598

Setting Pedit Options 602

Smoothing Polylines 602

Editing Vertices 604

Creating a Polyline Spline Curve 613

Using True Spline Curves 615

Drawing a True Spline 616

Understanding the Spline Options 617

Fine-Tuning Spline Curves 619

Marking Divisions on Curves 621

Dividing Objects into Segments of Equal Length 622

Dividing Objects into Specifi ed Lengths 624

The Bottom Line 625

Chapter 19 • Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings 627

Finding the Area of Closed Boundaries 627

Finding the Area of an Object 628

Using Hatch Patterns to Find Areas 629

Adding and Subtracting Areas with the Area Command 631

Getting General Information 634

Determining the Drawing’s Status 635

Keeping Track of Time 636

Getting Information from System Variables 637

Keeping a Log of Your Activity 638

Capturing and Saving Text Data from the AutoCAD Text Window 639

Understanding the Command Window Context Menu 639

Storing Searchable Information in AutoCAD Files 640

Searching for AutoCAD Files 641

Recovering Corrupted Files 642

Using the DXF File Format to Exchange CAD Data

with Other Programs 642

Exporting DXF Files 643

Opening or Importing DXF Files 644

Using AutoCAD Drawings in Page Layout Programs 646

Exporting Raster Files 646

Exporting Vector Files 650

Using OLE to Import Data 652

Editing OLE Links 654

Importing Worksheets as AutoCAD Tables 655

Understanding Options for Embedding Data 657

Using the Clipboard to Export AutoCAD Drawings 657

The Bottom Line 658

Part 4 • 3D Modeling and Imaging 659

Chapter 20 • Creating 3D Drawings 661

Getting to Know the 3D Modeling Workspace 661

Drawing in 3D Using Solids 663

Adjusting Appearances 664

Creating a 3D Box 665

Editing 3D Solids with Grips 666

Constraining Motion with the Gizmo 667

Rotating Objects in 3D Using Dynamic UCS 668

Drawing on a 3D Object’s Surface 670

Pushing and Pulling Shapes from a Solid 672

Making Changes to Your Solid 674

Creating 3D Forms from 2D Shapes 676

Isolating Coordinates with Point Filters 681

Moving Around Your Model 684

Finding Isometric and Orthogonal Views 684

Rotating Freely Around Your Model 685

Changing Your View Direction 686

Using SteeringWheels 688

Changing Where You Are Looking 690

Flying through Your View 690

Changing from Perspective to Parallel Projection 691

Getting a Visual Effect 692

Using Visual Styles 692

Creating a Sketched Look with Visual Styles 693

In-Canvas Viewport Controls 696

Turning a 3D View into a 2D AutoCAD Drawing 696

Using the Point Cloud Feature 699

The Bottom Line 700

Chapter 21 • Using Advanced 3D Features 703

Setting Up AutoCAD for this Chapter 703

Mastering the User Coordinate System 704

Defi ning a UCS 705

Saving a UCS 707

Working in a UCS 708

Building 3D Parts in Separate Files 709

Understanding the UCS Options 712

UCS Based on Object Orientation 712

UCS Based on Offset Orientation 714

UCS Rotated Around an Axis 715

Orienting a UCS in the View Plane 717

Manipulating the UCS Icon 717

Saving a UCS with a View 718

Using Viewports to Aid in 3D Drawing 719

Using the Array Tools 723

Making Changes to an Associative Array 724

Creating Complex 3D Surfaces 724

Laying Out a 3D Form 725

Spherical and Cylindrical Coordinate Formats 726

Using a 3D Polyline 727

Creating a Curved 3D Surface 729

Converting the Surface into a Solid 733

Shaping the Solid 733

Finding the Interference between Two Solids 735

Creating Tubes with the Sweep Tool 738

Using Sweep to Create Complex Forms 740

Creating Spiral Forms 742

Creating Surface Models 745

Slicing a Solid with a Surface 747

Finding the Volume of a Cut 748

Understanding the Loft Command 750

Moving Objects in 3D Space 754

Aligning Objects in 3D Space 754

Moving an Object in 3D 756

Rotating an Object in 3D 757

The Bottom Line 758

Chapter 22 • Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids 759

Understanding Solid Modeling 759

Creating Solid Forms 762

Joining Primitives 762

Cutting Portions Out of a Solid 763

Creating Complex Solids 766

Tapering an Extrusion 766

Sweeping a Shape on a Curved Path 767

Revolving a Polyline 768

Editing Solids 771

Splitting a Solid into Two Pieces 771

Rounding Corners with the Fillet Tool 772

Chamfering Corners with the Chamfer Tool 773

Using the Solid-Editing Tools 775

Streamlining the 2D Drawing Process 784

Drawing Standard Top, Front, and Right-Side Views 784

Creating 2D Drawings with the Base View Command 787

Adding Dimensions and Notes in a Layout 792

Using Visual Styles with a Viewport 793

Visualizing Solids 794

The Bottom Line 804

Chapter 23 • Exploring 3D Mesh and Surface Modeling 805

Creating a Simple 3D Mesh 805

Creating a Mesh Primitive 806

Understanding the Parts of a Mesh 807

Smoothing a Mesh 808

Editing Faces and Edges 809

Stretching Faces 810

Moving an Edge 813

Adding More Faces 816

Rotating an Edge 818

Adding a Crease 820

Splitting and Extruding a Mesh Face 822

Creating Mesh Surfaces 825

Revolved Surface 825

Edge Surface 826

Ruled Surface 827

Tabulated Surface 828

Converting Meshes to Solids 829

Understanding 3D Surfaces 830

Editing Surfaces 832

Using Extrude, Surface Trim, and Surface Fillet 834

Using Surface Blend, Patch, and Offset 836

Understanding Associativity 840

Editing with Control Vertices 843

Editing with the CV Edit Bar 846

Making Holes in a Surface with the Project Geometry Panel 849

Visualizing Curvature: Understanding the Analysis Panel 849

The Bottom Line 852

Part 5 • Customization and Integration 853

Chapter 24 • Customizing Toolbars, Menus, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns 855

Using Workspaces 855

Customizing the User Interface 857

Taking a Quick Customization Tour 857

Understanding the Customizations In All Files Panel 861

Getting the Overall View 864

Finding Commands in the Command List 866

Opening Preview, Button Image, and Shortcuts 866

Getting to the Core of Customization in the Properties Group 867

Creating Your Own Ribbon Panels and Menus 868

Customizing Ribbon Panel Tools 869

Creating Macros in Tools and Menus 873

Pausing for User Input 874

Opening an Expanded Text Box for the Macro Option 875

Editing Keyboard Shortcuts 876

Saving, Loading, and Unloading Your Customizations 878

Understanding the DIESEL Macro Language 881

Using DIESEL at the Command Line 881

Using DIESEL in a Custom Menu Macro 882

Using DIESEL as a Menu Bar Option Label 883

Using DIESEL and Fields to Generate Text 886

Creating Custom Linetypes 887

Viewing Available Linetypes 887

Creating a New Linetype 888

Understanding the Linetype Code 889

Creating Complex Linetypes 890

Creating Hatch Patterns 892

The Bottom Line 894

Chapter 25 • Managing and Sharing Your Drawings 897

Sharing Drawings Online 897

Sharing Project Files with eTransmit 898

Protecting AutoCAD Drawing Files 902

Publishing Your Drawings 906

Exchanging Drawing Sets 906

Exploring Other Publish Options 908

Creating a PDF or DWF File by Using the Plot Dialog Box 910

Sharing Files with A360 Drive 912

Getting Started with A360 Drive 912

Viewing Files and Adding Comments 914

Sharing Files 915

Opening and Saving Files Directly to A360 Drive 916

Collaborating with Others Using Design Feed 917

Adding Hyperlinks to Drawings 920

Creating Hyperlinks 920

Editing and Deleting Hyperlinks 922

Taking a Closer Look at the Hyperlink Options 922

Managing Your Drawings with DesignCenter and the Tool Palettes 923

Getting Familiar with DesignCenter 924

Opening and Inserting Files with DesignCenter 927

Finding and Extracting the Contents of a Drawing 928

Exchanging Data between Open Files 931

Loading Specifi c Files into DesignCenter 932

Customizing the Tool Palettes with DesignCenter 932

Establishing Offi ce Standards 936

Establishing Layering and Text Conventions 936

Checking Offi ce Standards 937

Converting Multiple Layer Settings 942

Exploring Other Layer Translator Options 944

The Bottom Line 945

Part 6 • Appendixes 947

Appendix A • Th e Bottom Line 949

Chapter 1: Exploring the Interface 949

Chapter 2: Creating Your First Drawing 950

Chapter 3: Setting Up and Using the Drafting Tools 951

Chapter 4: Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups 951

Chapter 5: Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks 952

Chapter 6: Editing and Reusing Data to Work Effi ciently 953

Chapter 7: Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References 954

Chapter 8: Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts 954

Chapter 9: Adding Text to Drawings 955

Chapter 10: Using Fields and Tables 956

Chapter 11: Using Dimensions 957

Chapter 12: Using Attributes 958

Chapter 13: Copying Existing Drawings from Other Sources 959

Chapter 14: Advanced Editing and Organizing 960

Chapter 15: Laying Out Your Printer Output 960

Chapter 16: Making “Smart” Drawings with Parametric Tools 961

Chapter 17: Using Dynamic Blocks 962

Chapter 18: Drawing Curves 963

Chapter 19: Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings 965

Chapter 20: Creating 3D Drawings 965

Chapter 21: Using Advanced 3D Features 966

Chapter 22: Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids 968

Chapter 23: Exploring 3D Mesh and Surface Modeling 969

Chapter 24: Customizing Toolbars, Menus, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns 969

Chapter 25: Managing and Sharing Your Drawings 971

Appendix B • Installing and Setting Up AutoCAD 973

Before Installing AutoCAD 973

Proceeding with the Installation 973

Configuring AutoCAD 974

The Files Tab 974

The Display Tab 978

The Open And Save Tab 980

The Plot and Publish Tab 983

The System Tab 983

The User Preferences Tab 985

The Drafting Tab 988

The 3D Modeling Tab 989

The Selection Tab 993

The Profi les Tab 996

The Online Tab 997

Confi guring the Tablet Menu Area 998

Turning On the Noun/Verb Selection Method 999

Turning on the Grips Feature 999

Setting Up the Tracking Vector Feature 999

Adjusting the AutoCAD 3D Graphics System 1000

Finding Folders That Contain AutoCAD Files 1001

Setting Up AutoCAD with a White Background 1001

Appendix C • Th e Autodesk AutoCAD 2018 Certifi cation 1003

Index 1007

George Omura is a licensed architect and Autodesk Authorized Author, with more than twenty years of experience using AutoCAD. As a CAD specialist, he has worked on projects ranging from resort hotels to metropolitan transit systems to the San Francisco Library project. Mr. Omura is the all-time bestselling CAD author.

Brian C. Benton is a Senior Engineering Design Technician, CAD Manager, CAD Service Provider, trainer, technical writer, and blogger with more than 20 years of experience in various design fields. He has been Cadalyst Magazine's Tip Patroller and writer and an AUGI HotNews Production Manager. He is a member of the Autodesk Expert Elite Program.