Getting to Know AutoCAD - AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011: No Experience Required - page 18

FiGuRE 1.18 Resizing the command window
Before you begin to draw in the next chapter, take a close look at the Ribbon,
Application menu, toolbars, and keyboard controls.
NOTE You can start autoCaD commands in a number of ways: from
the ribbon, the application menu, the command window, and the menus that
appear when you right-click. When you get used to drawing with autoCaD,
you'll learn some shortcuts that start commands quickly, and you'll find the
way that best suits you.
using the Ribbon
Perhaps one of the most prominent elements of the AutoCAD interface is the
Ribbon (Figure 1.19). While the Ribbon can be positioned in a number of dif-
ferent ways, its default position extends across the top of the AutoCAD window.
Depending on the size of your AutoCAD window (or current screen resolu-
tion), the Ribbon may look a little different on your computer. That's because
the Ribbon self-adjusts according to the size of the AutoCAD window itself. To
see the Ribbon in its fully expanded state, you need to be sure to have a screen
resolution wider than 1280 pixels. When the width is too narrow to display each
panel fully, the panels will begin to collapse first by replacing the panels with a
single button bearing the name of the panel.
The Ribbon itself can be divided into three parts: tools, panels, and tabs.
Ribbon tools The individual icons and various drop-down lists found on the
Ribbon are known as Ribbon tools . Clicking on any of these tools will launch the
command associated with it.