Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1
Exploring the AutoCAD Interface
Before you can start to use AutoCAD for Mac, you'll need to become familiar with the basics.
If you're completely new to AutoCAD, you'll want to read this first chapter carefully. It intro-
duces you to many of AutoCAD's basic operations, such as opening and closing files, getting
a close-up look at part of a drawing, and changing a drawing. If you're familiar with the latest
Windows version of AutoCAD, you should review this chapter anyway to get acquainted with
the Macintosh version. The AutoCAD Mac interface is quite different from the Windows ver-
sion, so this chapter will help you find the tools you are familiar with.
Autodesk releases new versions of AutoCAD every year. Part of this strategy is to introduce
improvements that focus on a particular category of features. This latest version, AutoCAD for
Mac, includes several new features that are related to curves in both 2D drafting and 3D model-
ing. There are also a number of enhancements that allow you to easily select similar objects in a
drawing. The ability to make objects appear transparent has also been improved.
Autodesk has discovered that the number of 3D users is on the upswing, so with this version,
you'll see some new 3D features that will give you more freedom to create 3D shapes. These
features include some new ways to create surface forms and the editing tools that enable you to
easily manipulate 3D solids and surfaces.
You'll get a chance to explore these new features and many more as you work through this
topic. Before you begin the exercise later in this chapter, make sure that you have loaded the
sample iles from this topic's companion website, www.sybex.com/go/masteringautocadmac.
See the introduction for details.
In this chapter, you'll learn to do the following:
Use the AutoCAD application
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Get a closer look with the Zoom command
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Save a file as you work
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Make changes and open multiple iles
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Taking a Guided Tour
In this section, you'll get a chance to familiarize yourself with the AutoCAD application and how
you communicate with AutoCAD. As you do the exercises in this chapter, you'll also get a feel for
how to work with this topic. Don't worry about understanding or remembering everything you
see in this chapter. You'll get plenty of opportunities to probe the finer details of the program as
you work through the later chapters. To help you remember the material, you'll find a brief set of
questions at the end of each chapter. For now, just enjoy your first excursion into AutoCAD.
