Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
You can alter an object's dimensions by entering values into the highlighted dimensions of
•u
the Dynamic Input display.
To highlight a different dimension, press the Tab key.
•u
To accept any changes you've made using Dynamic Input display, click the mouse at a loca-
•u
tion away from the grip you're editing. You can also press ↵ or the spacebar.
Not all grips offer dimensions that can be edited. If you click the midpoint grip on the line,
for example, you won't see the dimensions of the line, although you'll see the Command prompt
and you'll be able to enter a new coordinate for the midpoint.
As you've seen in the arc and line examples, each object offers a different set of dimensions. If
you like the way the Dynamic Input display works, you can experiment on other types of objects.
TYPING COORDINATES WITH DYNAMIC INPUT
When entering coordinates through the keyboard while Dynamic Input is on, you have to use a
slightly different notation for relative and absolute coordinates. If you're entering relative coordi-
nates, you can leave off the @ sign, so instead of typing @12,9 ↵, you can simply type 12,9 ↵. If you
are entering absolute coordinates, you need to precede your coordinate list with a # sign. So instead
of entering 1,1 ↵ to specify a point at coordinate 1,1, you would need to enter #1,1 ↵.
Getting Help
Eventually, you'll find yourself somewhere without documentation and you'll have a question
about an AutoCAD feature. AutoCAD provides an online help facility that gives you informa-
tion on nearly any topic related to AutoCAD. Here's how to find help:
1. Choose Help AutoCAD Help from the menu bar to open the AutoCAD Mac Help web-
site (Figure 2.36).
2. Take a moment to see what is offered on this website. On the left is a column of topics that
act like tabs. User's Guide is at the top followed by Command Reference, Customization
Guide, and so on.
3. Click Command Reference. The middle of the page changes to show Commands,
Command Modifiers, System Variables, and Glossary along with a section labeled Basics
And Tutorials.
4. Click Commands. An alphabetical index appears.
5. Click M Commands under “Topics in the section” and you see a list of command names
that start with M .
You also have the Home and Index options in the upper-left corner of the page as well as a
search box in the upper right.
 
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