The Bottom Line - Mastering AutoCAD for Mac - page 699

Chapter 3: Setting Up and Using AutoCAD's Drafting Tools
Set up a work area. A blank AutoCAD drawing offers few clues about the size of the area
you're working with, but you can get a rough idea of the area shown in the drawing window.
Master It Name two ways to set up the area of your work.
Solution You can use the Limits command to define the work area, otherwise known as
the limits of the drawing. You can also draw a rectangle that is the size of your work area.
Explore the drawing process. To use AutoCAD effectively, you'll want to know how the
different tools work together to achieve an effect. The drawing process often involves many
cycles of adding objects and then editing them.
Master It Name the tool that causes the cursor to point in an exact horizontal or vertical
direction.
Solution Polar Tracking. Ortho mode can also perform this function.
Plan and lay out a drawing. If you've ever had to draw a precise sketch with just a pencil
and pad, you've probably used a set of lightly drawn guidelines to lay out your drawing first.
You do the same thing in AutoCAD, but instead of lightly drawn guidelines, you can use any
object you want. In AutoCAD, objects are easily modified or deleted, so you don't have to be
as careful when adding guidelines.
Master It What is the name of the feature that lets you select exact locations on objects?
Solution Object Snap, or osnap.
Use the AutoCAD modes as drafting tools. The main reason for using AutoCAD is to pro-
duce precise technical drawings. AutoCAD offers many tools to help you produce a drawing
with the precision you need.
Master It What dialog box lets you set both the grid and snap spacing?
Solution The Drafting Settings dialog box.
Chapter 4: Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups
Create and insert a block. If you have a symbol that you use often in a drawing, you can
draw it once and then turn it into an AutoCAD block. A block can be placed in a drawing
multiple times in any location, like a rubber stamp. A block is stored in a drawing as a block
definition, which can be called up at any time.
Master It Name the dialog box used to create a block from objects in a drawing, and
also name the tool to open this dialog box.
Solution The Define Block dialog box can be opened using the Create tool.
Modify a block. Once you've created a block, it isn't set in stone. One of the features of a
block is that you can change the block definition and all the copies of the block are updated to
the new definition.
Master It What is the name of the tool used to “unblock” a block?
Solution You can use the Explode tool to break a block down to its component objects.
Once this is done, you can modify the objects and then redefine the block.