Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Farther down the Tool Sets palette are tools for materials, rendering, and adding light
sources to your 3D model. Materials, lighting, and rendering go hand in hand, and their prox-
imity to each other will help to remind you of their close relationship.
Finally, at the very bottom of the Tool Sets palette are three more tool groups. The Coordinates
tool group contains tools that give you control over your work plane, otherwise known as the User
Coordinate System, or UCS. The Distance and Volume tools and Section tool group allow you to
gather information about your 3D model, such as area or volume. The Section tool group contains
tools that enable you to create cross sections of your 3D objects. Between the section and coordi-
nates tools are tools that enable you to analyze and measure your model.
Finding the 3D Options in the Menu Bar
In addition, there are commands for 3D modeling in the menu bar that don't appear in the Tool
Sets palette. The View menu offers Viewports, 3D Views, Visual Styles, and Render (Figure 19.4).
These options enable you to control the appearance of your model. In addition, the Orbit and
Camera options give you finer control over the direction of your view.
FIGURE 19.4
Menu bar options
for 3D modeling
Draw �
3D Modeling
View menu
Tools menu
Modify menu
The Tools menu offers the New UCS and Named UCS options, which help to define a work
plane in 3D. The Draw menu offers the 3D Modeling submenu, which contains all of the differ-
ent types of 3D objects you can create in AutoCAD.
Toward the bottom of the Modify menu in the menu bar, you'll see four options that offer
commands to edit 3D objects as well as commands specifically designed for solids, surfaces, and
meshes, which are the three main types of 3D objects you'll work with in AutoCAD.
Revisiting the Drawing Area Viewport Controls and ViewCube
In Chapter 1, “Exploring the AutoCAD Interface,” you briefly encountered the viewport controls
in the upper-left corner of the drawing area and you used the ViewCube to change your view of a
