Table of Contents

Chapter 1
Getting Started with AutoCAD
Understanding How Tools are Organized
Using the Application Menu
Using the Quick Access Toolbar
Understanding Ribbon Fundamentals
Introducing the Drawing Aid Tools
Working Within the Drawing Window
Understanding Model and Layout Tabs
Understanding File Tabs
Typing Commands
Starting a New Drawing from a Template File
Saving Drawings Using SAVE and QSAVE
Understanding the In-Canvas Viewport Controls
Understanding the Navigation Bar
Understanding the UCS Icon
Chapter 1 Review
Chapter 2
Creating Simple 2D Objects
Drawing Lines Using the Command Line
Drawing Lines Using Dynamic Input
Drawing Lines Using the Right-Click Menu
Repeating the Last Command
Understanding Command Options
Drawing Rectangles

Using the Undo and Redo Commands

Drawing Circles Using Radius and Diameter
Drawing 2 Point and 3 Point Circles
Drawing Circles Using the TTR and TTT Options
Drawing Arcs
Drawing Arcs by Specifying 3 Points
Erasing Objects by Picking
Selecting Objects by Window and Crossing
Selecting Objects Using Implied Selection
Chapter 2 Review
Chapter 3
Controlling Drafting Settings
Understanding Coordinate System Concepts
Using Absolute Coordinates
Using Relative Coordinates
Understanding Drawing Units and Angle Measurements
Using Direct Distance Entry and Dynamic Input
Understanding Object Snap Concepts
Understanding Running Object Snaps
Using the Object Snap Overrides
Chapter 3 Review
Chapter 4
Managing Layers
Introducing Layer Concepts
Establishing the Current Layer

Understanding the On and Off Layer States

Controlling the Layer Color
Introducing the Layer Properties Manager Palette
Controlling the Linetype of a Layer
Controlling the Viewport Freeze Layer State
Creating a New Layer
Chapter 4 Review
Chapter 5
Controlling Object Properties
Understanding ByLayer and Object Property Concepts
Setting the Color ByLayer
Setting the Linetype ByLayer
Setting the Lineweight ByLayer
Modifying Properties Using the Property Panel and Layer Panel
Modifying Properties Using the Quick Property Palette
Modifying Properties Using the Properties Palette
Chapter 5 Review
Chapter 6
Working with Complex Objects
Understanding Polyline Property Concepts
Drawing Polyline Line Segments
Drawing Polyline Arc Segments
Drawing Polylines with Variable Width

Drawing Polylines Using Options Combinations

Editing Polylines Using the Close and Open Options
Editing Polylines to Join Selected Segments
Converting Lines into Polylines
Chapter 6 Review
Chapter 7
Creating Annotation Objects
Understanding Annotation Object Concepts
Creating Single-Line Text
Controlling Single-Line Text Justification
Creating Text Styles
Modifying Text Styles
Creating Multiline Text
Controlling Multi-Line Text Justification
Editing Text Objects
Introducing Hatches and Gradient Fills
Adding Hatch Objects
Selecting the Hatch Pattern to Apply
Setting the Hatch Pattern Layer
Setting the Scale and Angle of the Hatch Pattern
Understanding Associative Hatch
Creating Separate Hatches
Chapter 7 Review
Chapter 8

Modifying Objects Using Object Manipulation

Introducing the Manipulation Commands
Using the Move Command
Using the Move Command with Object Snap
Using the Copy Command
Using the Copy Command with Object Snap
Using the Mirror Command
Creating a Rectangular Array
Adjusting Rectangular Array Rows and Columns
Changing the Properties of Rectangular Arrays
Creating a Polar Array
Adjusting Polar Arrays
Creating a Path Array
Using the Rotate Command
Using the Rotate Command with a Reference Angle
Using the Offset Command
Chapter 8 Review
Chapter 9
Modifying Objects Using Object Alteration
Introducing Alteration Commands
Using the Trim Command with Pick Selection
Using the Trim Command with Fence Selection
Using the Trim Command with Edge Extend Mode
Using the Extend Command

Using Extend and Trim Together

Using the Fillet Command with Fillet Radius
Adding Fillets to Multiple Segments and Polylines
Using the Chamfer Command with Distance and Angle
Adding Chamfers to Multiple Segments and Polylines
Using the Stretch Command
Using the Explode Command
Using the Scale Command
Using the Scale Command with Scale Reference
Chapter 9 Review
Chapter 10
Modifying Objects Using Grips
Introducing Grip Concepts
Using Grips to Modify Lines
Using Grips to Modify Arcs
Using Grips to Modify Hatch Objects
Using Grips to Move Objects
Using Grips to Stretch Objects
Changing the Base Point While Grip Editing
Chapter 10 Review
Chapter 11
Dimensioning Your Drawing
Introducing Dimensioning Object Concepts
Understanding Associative Dimensions
Creating Linear Horizontal and Vertical Dimensions

Creating Linear Aligned Dimensions

Creating Linear Baseline Dimensions
Creating Linear Continued Dimensions
Creating Angular Dimensions
Dimensioning Circles and Arcs Using Radius and Diameter Dimensions
Controlling the Appearance of Dimensions Using Dimension Styles
Chapter 11 Review
Chapter 12
Plotting Your Drawing
Introducing Print and Plot Concepts
Understanding Model Space and Paper Space
Choosing a Printer
Placing a Title Block on a Layout
Creating Layout Viewports
Setting a Layout Viewport Scale
Controlling Viewport Display
Placing Annotations on a Layout
Printing the Drawing
Chapter 12 Review

Introduction
Welcome to the CADLearning eBook Learning AutoCAD 2014 Essentials Revealed! This eBook has been
designed to be the basis of both self-paced and instructor-led training. In the following chapters, you will learn
essentials skills to get you up and running with AutoCAD 2014.

About the Author

This eBook was developed by David Cohn. David is a licensed architect and practiced for 10 years before
leaving his firm to focus on CAD consulting, training, writing, and development. He has been using AutoCAD
for more than 25 years and has also taught the program both professionally and to students at the college
level during much of that time. He is both a Revit Architecture and AutoCAD certified professional and written
numerous books and magazine articles about both programs.

About this eBook

This eBook is divided into twelve chapters covering all of the essential skills needed to begin using AutoCAD
for creating two-dimensional drawings. Each lesson covers a particular feature or function of the software. At
the end of each chapter, you will find an assessment you can take to test what youve learned.
Most lessons also incorporate actual AutoCAD drawing files. Many of these files can be downloaded from the
CADLearning website so that you can load them into your copy of AutoCAD 2014 and follow along with the
steps demonstrated by the instructor.
To download these exercise files, visit www.CADLearning.com/products/ebooks.
Note that the lessons presented in this eBook are a subset of the full CADLearning for AutoCAD 2014 course.
A complete listing of the Full CADLearning for AutoCAD 2014 course is provided in Appendix A.

4D Technologies, LLC
116 South River Road
Building E, Lower Level
Bedford, NH 03110 USA
ISBN: 978-1-62532-039-1

Copyright 2013 by 4D Technologies

All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America.
Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or
distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written

permission of the publisher, with the exception that program listings and Exercise files may be entered, stored,
and executed in a computer system, but they may not be reproduced for publication.

Chapter 1
Getting Started with AutoCAD
This chapter takes you on a tour of AutoCAD and provides an overview of the AutoCAD user interface, how
to start commands, and how to open and save drawings. As you will see, there are many different ways to
accomplish similar tasks in AutoCAD. As you become more familiar with the program, you will find the
method that works best for you.

LESSON 1

Understanding How Tools are Organized

Once you have started AutoCAD, youll see the AutoCAD application window. Take some time to get familiar
with how that window is organized.
Across the top of the window are a number of components. Starting in the upper-left-corner, the big red A is
known as the Application menu. You can click this button to expand the Application menu, and then use tools
in the menu to search for commands as well as use tools to create, open, and publish a file.

Take some time to get familiar with how the AutoCAD window is organized.

To the right of the Application menu is the Quick Access toolbar. This toolbar displays frequently used tools as
well as a drop-down that you can use to switch workspaces.
The program title bar occupies the center of the window. Notice that if the current drawing is maximized, you
also see the drawing name in the title bar.

To the right of the program title bar, in the upper-right corner of the window, you see the Infocenter toolbar.
This toolbar contains tools you can use to search for help, sign in to Autodesk 360 to access online services,
launch the Autodesk Exchange Apps website, access product updates, connect with the AutoCAD community
online, download language packs, and so on.
Below all of these tools is the Ribbon. The ribbon, which extends across the entire window, just above the
drawing area, is a palette that displays task-based tools and controls.
The largest area in the middle of the window is the drawing area and within this drawing area are various
viewport controls. For example, in the upper-left corner of the viewport are three controls that enable you to
change viewport settings, select from a list of pre-configured and customized views, and change the visual
style that in turn controls how objects are displayed within the viewport.
In the upper-right corner of the viewport are tools for minimizing, restoring, and closing the current viewport.
Below this is the ViewCube, a very handy tool for controlling the orientation of 3D views. Note that the
ViewCube can be relocated to other positions within the viewport.
Below the ViewCube along the right side of the viewport is the Navigation Bar. You can use tools in the
Navigation bar to access all of AutoCADs drawing navigation tools, such as the SteeringWheels, Pan, Zoom,
3D Orbit, and so on.
In the lower-left corner of the viewport is the UCS icon, which displays positive directions of the X-, Y-, and Zaxes.
Across the bottom of the drawing window are the Model and Layout tabs. You work in model space when
creating actual geometry and switch to one of the paper space layouts to produce sheets of paper on which
you will print or plot your work.
Just above the Model and Layout tabs is the Command line. This area displays commands, system variables,
options, messages, and prompts, and you can start commands by typing the command name, or provide
input to the current command by typing in this window. Note that the Command line typically appears floating,
but it can be docked, resized, and even closed.
Below the Model and Layout tabs is the Status bar, which contains a number of tools. For example, the
current coordinate of the crosshair cursor is displayed in the lower-left corner.
To the right of the coordinate display are a set of tools for controlling various drawing aids, such as inferred
constraints, snap mode, grid display, ortho mode, polar tracking, and so on. At the far right side of the status
bar are a second set of tools, the application status bar, which enables you to control various aspects of
AutoCAD. For example, you can toggle between model space and paper space, choose the desired
annotation scale, switch workspaces, and so on.

LESSON 2

Using the Application Menu

The Application Menu is located in the upper-left corner of the AutoCAD window. By clicking on the big red A,
you can display the Application Menu. The basic application tools are on the left-hand side. Here you will find
tools for creating a new drawing file or sheet set; opening an existing drawing, sheet set, or DGN file, saving
the current file; saving a copy of the current drawing with a different name or in some other format; and
exporting data to a different format; as well as tools for printing, plotting, publishing, sending files using
etransmit or email, as well as a number of drawing utilities. You can also close either the current drawing file or
all drawing files from here as well.

The Application Menu, located in the upper-left corner of the AutoCAD window, is displayed by clicking the big red A.

Another thing you can do from within the application menu is to see a list of recent documents or open
documents. If you select the Recent Document button, AutoCAD displays a list of up to nine files that have
recently been opened. Notice that if you move the cursor over any one of the drawings, a thumbnail image
appears along with information about that particular file. By default, only the nine most recent files will appear
in the list. If you click the push pin, however, the file will remain in the recent document list even if other files
have been accessed more recently as long as the push pin remains pushed in. If you click the pin to release it,
the file will eventually scroll off the list, to be replaced by more recent files. Notice that you can also change
the order of the list from the default ordered list, to sort the recent documents by access date, file size, or file
type. You can display the list as small icons, large icons, small images, or large images.

From the Application Menu, you can display a list of recent documents.

If you select the Open Documents button, the list changes to display those files that are currently open. Again,
if you move the cursor over one of these files, AutoCAD displays a thumbnail along with information about
that particular file. As was true for the list of recent documents, you can change the appearance of the list of
open documents.

When you move the cursor over a file in the list, AutoCAD displays a thumbnail and information about the file.

There may be times when a document does not have an image associated with it. This can occur when the
file has not yet been saved or if the drawing was created and saved in a very early release of AutoCAD. This
is not a problem. Once you open and save the file in the current release, a thumbnail image will appear for the
file.

You can use the Application Menu search tool to look for information within the Help file.

Notice that the Application Menu also includes a search tool that enables you to search for information within
AutoCADs Help file. Suppose you wanted to find information about circles. As you start to type, you can see
that the list matches the letters that you type and updates as you enter more letters, constantly refining the
search. The more letters you type, the more the refined search becomes. If you add a space, you can further
narrow the search, such as CIRCLE and RADIUS. Now the list shows you only information about circles and
radius. If you move the cursor over one of the items in the list, AutoCAD displays a tooltip that shows you
how to create a circle by using its center point and radius. And clicking on this item in the list will start the
proper command so that you can create a circle by specifying its center point and radius.

LESSON 3

Using the Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access toolbar is a handy way to access commands quickly and easily. By default, the Quick
Access toolbar is located at the top of the AutoCAD window. It looks like its part of the programs title bar, but
it can be moved.

In the Quick Access toolbar, youll find commands that you will probably use quite often, such as tools to
switch workspaces, create a new file, open a file, and save a file, as well as tools to undo and redo actions
and plot your drawing.

If you right-click on any button in the Quick Access toolbar, AutoCAD displays a shortcut menu giving you the
option of removing that command from the Quick Access toolbar, adding a separator line so that you can
group commands together, customizing the Quick Access toolbar, or changing its location so that it displays
below the Ribbon if you prefer. When located below the ribbon, it can accommodate more tools, but it does
take up some of the space that could otherwise be used to display your drawing.

Again, you can access these controls by right-clicking on any of the buttons. Move the Quick Access toolbar
back above the ribbon.

If you click on the button at the right-most end of the Quick Access toolbar, the Customize Quick Access
toolbar button, youll see a different menu that lets you add some of the more common commands, by simply
toggling them on or off. Toggle on Properties. As soon as you do that, youll see that the Properties command
has been added to the Quick Access toolbar.

If you choose More Commands, you can add any of AutoCADs other commands to the Quick Access
toolbar. For example, add the Line command by dragging and dropping it onto the Quick Access toolbar.
To remove a tool from the Quick Access toolbar, you can simply right-click on the tool and then choose
Remove from Quick Access Toolbar from the short-cut menu.
You can also click on the Customize Quick Access Toolbar button and choose Show Menu Bar to display the
old-style pull-down menus. Notice, however, that this menu takes up space that could otherwise be used to
display your drawing. Since all of the commands we need are located in the ribbon bar, hide the menu bar.

LESSON 4

Understanding Ribbon Fundamentals

The ribbon is the primary interface component used to access commands or features in AutoCAD. There are
three major components to the ribbon. The tabs, which appear across the top of the ribbon, provide access to
groups of panels. Inside these panels are individual commands that you can use by clicking on the desired
tool.

Tabs across the top of the ribbon provide access to groups of panels, which contain individual commands.

Taking a closer look, notice that on the Home tab you can see that the panel names are Draw, Modify,
Layers, Annotation, Block, Properties, Groups, Utilities, and Clipboard.
If you click on the Insert tab, you can see a different set of panels with commands related to Inserting objects
into the drawing. Clicking the Annotate tab brings up panels with commands related to annotation objects,
such as text, dimensions, leaders, and so on.
Similarly, the Layout tab contains tools for working with layouts and drawing views, the Parametric tab
contains tools for working with parameters, the View tab contains tools for manipulating views, and so on.
So when you click on a particular tab on the ribbon, you see panels containing groups of related commands.

LESSON 5

Introducing the Drawing Aid Tools

There are two parts to the status bar, which appears at the bottom of the AutoCAD window.
The left side of the status bar contains toggles, sometimes referred to as drawing aids. These drawing aids
can assist you with things such as Infer Constraints, Snap Mode, Grid Display, Ortho Mode, Polar Tracking,
Object Snap, 3D Object Snap, Object Snap Tracking, Allow/Disallow Dynamic UCS, Dynamic Input,
Show/Hide Lineweight, Show/Hide Transparency, Quick Properties, Selection Cycling, and Annotation Monitor.
You can control each of these by clicking on the button to toggle the particular drawing aid on or off. For
example, you can toggle on or off the grid.

IYou can also right-click and choose Settings to display the Drafting Settings dialog. This dialog lets you change
the settings for the Grid and Snap, Polar Tracking, Object Snap, 3D Object Snap, Dynamic Input, Quick
Properties, and Selection Cycling. All of these drawing aids are controlled from within this dialog.

You can also control how these drawing aids are displayed on the Status bar. With a right-click, you can toggle
these buttons on or off. Right now, all 15 drawing aids are displayed on the Status bar. But if you click on one
of the drawing aids in the shortcut menu, you can toggle that drawing aid off, in which case its button no
longer displays on the Status bar. To toggle it back on again, right-click on any button, choose Display, and
then click to toggle it back on again.

By default, each of these drawing aids shows up as a button with an icon. But if you prefer, you can right-click
and then click the Use Icons selection on the shortcut menu. When the check mark is cleared, the buttons
appear with text labels instead of icons. To go back to icons, right-click on a button and select Use Icons again.

You can toggle each drawing aid on and off by either clicking on its button or right-clicking and then choosing
the Enabled selection from the shortcut menu. Both do exactly the same thing. Generally, its faster to simply
click on the appropriate button. A blue background indicates that the particular drawing aid is enabled.
Notice that most of the drawing aids also have keyboard shortcuts that can be used to toggle them on and off
as well. You can see these shortcuts by right-clicking and choosing Display. For example, notice that you can
toggle on and off the grid display by pressing the F7 key, toggle Polar Tracking by pressing the F10 key, and
so on.

LESSON 6

Working Within the Drawing Window

The drawing window is where you view your drawing, create new geometry, and modify existing geometry.
Like most Windows programs, the drawing window has its own minimize, restore, and close buttons.
Minimizing the drawing window reduces it down to an icon in the program window. Notice that when its
minimized like this, you see restore, maximize, and close buttons.

Most of the time, you will probably have your drawing window maximized so that you have as much room as
possible for displaying and editing your drawing. Inside this drawing window, the creation of geometry will be
based on the coordinate system. The coordinate system or UCS icon in the lower-left corner shows the
directions of the positive X-axis and positive Y-axis. Points in the drawing are located based on their X- and Ycoordinates.

LESSON 7

Understanding Model and Layout Tabs

The drawing window is actually made up of two different types of work environments: model space and paper
space. These spaces are represented by the Model and Layout tabs, which appear at the bottom of the
drawing window. The model space tab is the environment in which you actually create your geometry, and
when you work in model space, you create geometry at full scale actual size. Each layout represents a sheet
of paper that you would like to print or plot.
For example, notice that the model tab is currently selected. Youre looking at the model, which represents the
actual building at full size. So if the length of the building is 90-feet or 27.5 meters, you would actually draw the
building 90-feet or 27.5 meters long in model space.

When you select the Model tab, youre working in model space and should create everything at full-size.

If you click on the Floor Plan layout tab, you can see the piece of paper that represents a sheet of paper that
will be printed. On that sheet of paper is a viewport that shows the model at an appropriate scale so that it will
fit onto the sheet of paper.

Clicking on the Floor Play layout tab switches to that layout, which represents a sheet of paper that will be printed.

If you switch to the Furniture Plan layout tab, you can see different parts of the model showing different views
of the building at larger scales, showing the furniture layouts for specific rooms. You can click on a tab to make
a different layout active. You can also right-click on any of these tabs and then make additional copies of a
layout or create a new layout. You can create as many layouts as you wish, but each drawing can have only
one model tab.

The Furniture Plan tab shows a different sheet of paper containing several views of the model at larger scales.

This makes sense. If you think of it in terms of construction documents for a building, you may have multiple
sheets of drawings to represent that building, but theres only one building.

If you hover your cursor over any inactive tab, you can see a thumbnail view of the inactive tab. If you click to
make the model space tab the active view, you can then hover the cursor over any of the layout tabs to see a
thumbnail view of whats on each layout tab.

You may encounter a drawing in which the model and layout tabs do not appear. These tabs can be turned on
and off. If you right-click on any of the tabs, you can choose Hide Layout and Model Tabs from the shortcut
menu. When you choose that option, notice that the model and layout tabs no longer appear at the bottom of
the drawing window. To get them back, you can right-click on either the Model or Paper Space button, the
Model button, or the Layout button and choose Display Layout and Model Tabs from the shortcut menu.
Notice that when you choose that option, the model and layout tabs once again display at the bottom of the
drawing window.

LESSON 8

Understanding File Tabs

The Drawing File Tabs provide a fast and visual way to switch between open drawings or to create new ones.
When you first start the program, you will see a file tab across the top of the drawing area, just below the
ribbon. With just a single drawing open, you see just one file tab, which corresponds to that drawing. But as
you open additional drawings, you will see additional file tabs, one for each open drawing.

As you open additional drawings, you will see additional file tabs, one for each open drawing.

Notice that the file tabs are displayed in the order in which they were opened. But once you have opened
multiple drawings, you can drag and drop the file tabs to change their order. If there is not enough room for all
the file tabs to display across the width of the screen, an overflow menu at the right end of the file tabs bar
provides access to the additional files.

If there is not enough room for all the file tabs to display, an overflow menu at the right end of the file tabs bar provides access to the additional files.

A lock icon appears on the tab to indicate a drawing file opened in read-only mode. And if you have made
changes to a drawing since it was last saved, an asterisk appears on the tab corresponding to that drawing,
adjacent to the drawing name.

A lock icon appears adjacent to drawings opened in read-only mode and an asterisk displays adjacent to drawings that have changed since they
were last saved.

Notice that as you move the cursor over a file tab, preview images of the model and layouts are displayed.
And if you move the cursor over one of the preview images, the corresponding model or layout is temporarily
displayed in the drawing area. In addition, notice that Plot and Publish tools become available above the
preview image, so you can easily plot or publish the drawing.

As you move the cursor over a file tab, you see a preview of the model and layouts, and if you move the cursor over one of the previews, the
corresponding model or layout temporarily displays in the drawing area.

If you right-click on a file tab, the program displays a shortcut menu with tools enabling you to create a new
drawing, open a drawing, save the current drawing, save all of the drawings, close the drawing, close all of the
drawings, or close all of the drawings except for the one on which you right-clicked. You can also copy the full
file path to the Windows clipboard or open the file location in Windows Explorer.

If you right-click on a file tab, the program displays a shortcut menu.

If you right-click anywhere else on the file tab bar, a smaller set of tools appear so that you can create a new
drawing, open a drawing, save all of the drawings, or close all of the drawings.

You can also click the Plus (+) icon to the right of the drawing tabs to quickly create a new drawing. If you
have not specified a default template file, the program displays the Select Template dialog. If you have
assigned a default template file, however, a new drawing is immediately created using the default template.
While the Drawing File Tabs can be quite useful, notice that they do take up some space on screen that could
otherwise be used to display drawings. You can easily turn the file tabs on and off. To do so, on the View
ribbon, in the User Interface panel, click the File Tabs tool to toggle the file tabs on and off.

Click the File Tabs tool on the View ribbon to toggle the Drawing File Tabs on and off.

You can also toggle the file tabs on and off from within the Options dialog. To display the Options dialog, either
right-click and choose Options from the shortcut menu, or expand the Application Menu and click the Options
button.

In the Options dialog, on the Display tab, the Display File Tabs checkbox toggles the display of the Drawing
File Tabs.
Since the file tabs do take up space, and most of the lessons in this course require you to have just one
drawing file open at a time, the Drawing File Tabs are toggled off for most lessons. But remember that you
can easily toggle them back on at any time.

LESSON 9

Typing Commands
Many long-time users find that its often faster to start commands by typing. When you type on the command
line, the program automatically completes the entry with a command or command alias. For example, if you
type the letter L, notice that the program displays a list of all the commands that start with that letter. As you
type more letters, the list gets filtered to show just those commands that match what you have typed. You
can start the command at any time by selecting it from the list.

The program actually searches for the letters you type within commands. For example, if you type SETTING,
the suggestion list displays commands containing the word SETTING anywhere within it, not just at the
beginning.

The order of commands in the suggestion list are initially displayed in the order of their usage based on general
customer data, but as you continue to use the program, the suggestion list will adapt to your own usage
habits.
The list can also autocorrect to compensate for your errors when typing. For example, if you accidently type T
A B E L, notice that it autocorrects to the most relevant command, which in this case would be the Table
command.

The command line also has a built in synonym list. For example, if you type SYMBOL, the program matches
that with the Insert command so you can insert a block. Or if you type Round, it finds the Fillet command so

you can add a fillet to a corner. You can also add your own words to the AutoCorrect and Synonym lists.

You can also use the command line to quickly search for other content, such as hatch patterns, blocks, and
even internet help. For example, if you type ANGLE, notice that the program finds the hatch pattern called
ANGLE. When you move the cursor over that item, you see an image of the hatch pattern, and you can click
that suggestion to start the Hatch command and fill the triangle with the ANGLE hatch pattern. Similarly, if you
type CHAIR, the program sees that the drawing has several block definitions with the name Chair. When you
move the cursor over one of these items in the list, you see a preview image of that block, and you can
quickly insert an instance of that block by clicking on it in the suggestion list.

You can also use the command line to search for more information about a command or system variable.
When you move the cursor over an item in the list, two icons appear, and you can then click to search for
information in the programs Help system or on the Internet.

To make the suggestion list easier to navigate, system variables and other content are organized into
expandable categories. You can expand a category to see the results, or press the TAB key to cycle through
each category.
You can also control the appearance and behavior of the command line. When you either right-click on the
command line or click the Customize button, you can then choose from a menu to adjust the various Input
settings, change the number of lines in the command prompt history, adjust the transparency of the command
line, or access the Options dialog.

For example, if you expand Input Settings, notice that all of the various input settings are turned on by default,
but you can easily toggle any of these settings on and off. When you click Input Search Options, the
program displays an Input Search Options dialog so you can control the various input search options.

Lastly, you can control the color of the various elements of the command line, such as the command history
background and the color of command option keywords. To change these settings, click Options to open the
Display tab of the Options dialog. Then, click the Color button to open the Drawing Window Colors dialog. In
the Context list, choose Command Line. You can then choose any of the command line interface elements
and adjust their colors.

LESSON 10

Starting a New Drawing from a Template File

There are several different ways to start a new drawing. One of the most common and powerful methods is
to start a new drawing based on a template file. A template file is an AutoCAD drawing file with a DWT file
extension. AutoCAD comes with a number of different template files that have various settingssuch as
layers, linetypes, and drawing unitsalready established for particular types of drawings. Several of these
templates even have pre-drawn borders. You can also create and save your own template files.

When you click the New button on the Quick Access toolbar, AutoCAD normally displays the Select Template
dialog, so that you can choose the template you want to use as the basis for starting your new drawing.

To start a new drawing from a template, choose the appropriate template file and then click Open.

You can also display this dialog from the Application menu. Click to display the Application menu and then
choose New > Drawing.
Similarly, with the Drawing File Tabs enabled, when you click the Plus (+) icon to the right of the drawing tabs,
or right-click and choose New from the shortcut menu, by default, the program displays the Select Template

dialog.

You can also display the Select Template dialog from the Application Menu.

Someone at your company may have already created additional template files for specific job types or
customers, in which case those templates may also appear in this list. Creating and saving custom template
files is an excellent way to customize AutoCAD.
Choose the appropriate template file and then click Open to start a new drawing using that template file.
If when you start a new drawing, you dont see the Select Template dialog, but instead AutoCAD prompts you
at the command line and via dynamic input, you can type the name of the template file you want to use. But

its much easier to select the template file from a dialog box. To go back to using a dialog box, you can change
the setting of the system variable that controls this behavior. At the command line, type FILEDIA and press
ENTER. Notice that the value is currently set to 0, which means that the dialog box wont display. Change the
value by typing 1 and pressing ENTER. Notice that once youve made that change, when you click on the
New button, the Select Template dialog once again displays.

LESSON 11

Saving Drawings Using SAVE and QSAVE

When you begin a new drawing, one of the first things you should do is save the drawing. When you first start
a new drawing, the program assigns it a name. It actually just calls it DRAWING and assigns a number. But
the drawing has not yet been saved to a file. This is just the temporary name.

To save your drawing, click the Save button in the Quick Access toolbar. If the Drawing File Tabs are visible,
you can also right-click on the tab associated with the drawing you want to save, and choose Save from the
shortcut menu. Note that you can also expand the Application menu and choose Save. Regardless of the
method you choose, the program displays the Save Drawing As dialog so that you can save the file. While
you can accept the temporary drawing file name, you will probably want to give it a more meaningful name.
You may also need to save it in a specific folder on your computer or company network. The name you assign
can contain letters, numbers, dashes, and spaces. Name this drawing Project 2 and then click the Save
button.

Notice now that in the title bar at the top of the program window you can see the name of the drawing as well
as the complete path to the drive and folder where the drawing has been saved.

It is a good idea to save your work frequently, say every 10 to 15 minutes.

Now that you have named and saved this drawing, if you click on the Save button again, the program will no
longer prompt you for the file name. It also lets you know that it has saved the file to the same location, by
removing the complete path from the display on the title bar.

This is also true when you click Save in the Application menu.
When you save the drawing after it has already been saved once, the program simply saves your changes to
the same file you already created.
Remember, to prevent any loss of data, it is a good idea to save your work frequently, say every 10 to 15
minutes, and this is a also a good habit to get into for any other programs you may use.

LESSON 12

Understanding the In-Canvas Viewport Controls

The Viewport control provides access to pre-configured and customized viewports as well as other viewport
settings. If you click on the minus sign, a shortcut menu appears, with tools you can use to control the
viewport.

Restore Viewport divides the drawing window into four tiled viewports. Notice that when there are multiple
tiled viewports, the viewport controls appear in each viewport. Notice that the ViewCube also appears in each
viewport, and the Navigation Bar is visible in the active viewport.

When there are multiple tiled viewports, the viewport controls and ViewCube appear in each viewport and the Navigation Bar is visible in the active
viewport.

If you click on the plus sign to display the shortcut menu again and choose Maximize Viewport, that viewport
is maximized so that it fills the entire drawing window. The Viewport Configuration list shows a list of preconfigured viewports that can be restored by selecting from the list.

The View Control tool provides access to pre-configured and customized model views, view settings, and the
view manager. For example, if you click on this tool, you can switch to a Front view or a NE Isometric view.

The Visual Style control provides access to pre-configured and customized visual styles as well as the visual
style manager. For example, if you click on this tool, you can switch to a Realistic visual style, or Shaded with
Edges.

Again, by default, these in-canvas viewport controls appear in all viewports. But you can toggle them off if you
wish using tools on the 3D Modeling tab of the Options dialog. To display the options dialog, either right-click
and choose Options from the shortcut menu, or click on the big red A in the upper-left corner to display the

Application menu, and then click the Options button. On the 3D Modeling tab, in the Display Tools in Viewport
area, notice the checkbox labeled Display the Viewport Controls. Clearing this checkbox turns off the in-canvas
viewport controls. Notice that there are also checkboxes that control the display of the ViewCube and UCS
Icon.

Most users prefer to leave all of these checkboxes selected, so that these tools remain readily available. It is
extremely useful to be able to quickly access these tools within the viewport.

LESSON 13

Understanding the Navigation Bar

The Navigation bar is a user interface component that you can use to access all of AutoCADs drawing
navigation tools, such as the SteeringWheels, Pan, Zoom, 3D Orbit, and Show Motion. The Navigation bar
floats over and along one side of the current model window. By default, the Navigation bar appears on the
right side of the drawing window, just below the ViewCube.

You can start any of the navigation tools by clicking one of the buttons on the Navigation bar or by selecting
one of the tools from a list that is displayed when you click the smaller portion of a split button. For example, if
you click the small arrow below the Zoom Extents button, notice that you can see a menu listing the other
Zoom options. To zoom in to a rectangular area, you can choose the Zoom Window tool. AutoCAD
immediately prompts you to select the opposite corners of the area into which you want to zoom. After
completing the zoom operation, notice that the Zoom Window option has now become the default zoom
mode in the Navigation bar. This is true of the other tools in the Navigation bar as well.

You can reposition the Navigation bar if you wish. To do so, click the small arrow in the lower-right corner of
the Navigation bar to display a menu, and then expand the Docking Positions fly-out. Notice that by default,
the Navigation bar is linked to the ViewCube. When this option is selected, if you choose a different location,
such as Bottom Left, notice that both the ViewCube and the Navigation bar are immediately repositioned

based on your selection.

If you clear the Link to ViewCube checkbox, however, you can then click the grip handle near the top of the
Navigation bar and then drag the bar to reposition it along one of the sides of the current drawing window. If
you position the Navigation bar near the top or bottom edge of the window, it changes to a horizontal
orientation.
Notice that each window has its own Navigation bar. If the side of the window is not long enough to show the
entire navigation bar, the bar is truncated to fit. In that case, the Navigation bar includes a More Controls
button that you can click to access the additional tools that are not currently displayed.
The Customize button also lets you choose which tools appear on the Navigation bar. By default, all of the
available tools will be visible. You can turn tools off by clearing their checkmark. For example, if you dont use
the ShowMotion tool, you can clear its checkbox. Notice that now, the ShowMotion tool no longer appears in
the Navigation bar. To restore a tool, simply click the Customize button again and reselect its checkbox.
Notice that although the ViewCube appears in the list of available tools, it is grayed out in the Customize
menu. As you have already seen, the ViewCube and Navigation bar are closely related. Whenever the
ViewCube is visible in the drawing window, it does not appear in the Navigation bar. However, if you disable
the ViewCube so that it is no longer visible in the drawing window, which you can do by switching to the View
ribbon, clicking on the User Interface tool, and then clearing the ViewCube check box, notice that by default,
the ViewCube button then appears in the Navigation bar. You can then restore the ViewCube to the drawing
window by clicking on the ViewCube button in the Navigation bar.

If you have a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse, you will also see a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse tool within the Navigation
bar. In that case, you can use options in the Navigation bar to change the behavior of your 3D mouse.
You can also turn off the Navigation bar, by clicking its Close button, the small X in the upper-right corner of
the Navigation bar. If you have closed the Navigation bar and wish to see it again, you can turn it back on
using User Interface tool in the Windows panel of the View ribbon. Simply switch to the View ribbon, click the
User Interface tool, and select the Navigation Bar check box.

LESSON 14

Understanding the UCS Icon

The UCS icon, or user coordinate system icon, shows you the direction of the Cartesian coordinate system
axes.
By default, the UCS icon appears in the lower-left corner of the drawing window. The UCS icon indicates the
direction of the X, Y, and Z axes. By default, the UCS icon appears white, but you can change the appearance
of the UCS icon so that it is color-coded, with the X-axis shown in red, Y-axis shown in green, and the Z-axis
shown in blue.

You can control the display of the UCS icon using tools in the Coordinates panel on the View tab of the ribbon,
or by right-clicking on the UCS icon itself. If you do not see the Coordinates panel, remember that you can
right-click on a tab in the ribbon and then toggle on the Coordinates panel from Show Panels selection in the
shortcut menu. In the Coordinates panel, you can control the display of the UCS icon. If you choose Show
UCS Icon at Origin, the UCS icon will always appear at the origin, which is the 0,0,0 coordinate location. When
this option is selected, notice that if you pan the drawing, the UCS icon moves, because the origin, the 0,0,0
coordinate location, has also moved. If the grid display is toggled on, you can see that the UCS icon is located
at the origin because the icon aligns with the red X and green Y axes. If you pan the drawing so that the origin
is no longer on the screen, the UCS icon goes back to the lower-left corner. With the grid visible, you can see
that the UCS icon no longer aligns with the X- and Y-axes.

If you choose Show UCS Icon, the icon will always remain in the lower-left corner of the drawing, regardless
of where the origin is actually located. So as you pan the drawing, the UCS icon stays in the lower-left corner.

Notice that in this case, with the grid display toggled on, you can see the X- and Y-axes, indicated by the red
and green grid lines, respectively, and immediately see that the UCS icon is not located at the origin.

You can also control this setting by right-clicking on the UCS icon itself. If you right-click on the UCS icon and
expand the UCS Icon Settings option in the shortcut menu, you can see that the Show UCS Icon at Origin
option is currently not selected. If you click on this option to toggle this on, notice that the UCS icon
immediately goes back to the origin.
In the Coordinates panel of the View ribbon, you can also choose Hide UCS Icon, in which case the UCS icon
is no longer visible in this drawing.
These settings are saved with the drawing file and the changes you make to these settings will only affect the
current drawing.
You can also adjust other properties of the UCS icon, such as the icon style, line width, size, and color. To
adjust these properties, either click the UCS Icon Properties button in the Coordinates panel of the View
ribbon, or right-click on the UCS icon and choose UCS Icon Settings > Properties. AutoCAD displays the UCS
Icon dialog.

By default, AutoCAD displays a 3D style icon, but the axes are white. That is because the Apply Single Color
check box is selected. If you clear this check box, AutoCAD displays a 3D style icon with colored axes: red for
the X-axis, green for the Y-axis, and blue for the Z-axis. When the Apply Single Color check box is selected,
you can choose the color of the UCS icon when it appears in model space.
When displayed using the 3D style, you can increase the UCS icon line width. If you prefer, you can switch

the icon to a 2D style, in which case the UCS icon will no longer include a Z-axis.
You can also change the size of the UCS icon by entering a different value or by dragging the slider. The
default UCS icon size is 50.
You can also change the color of the UCS icon that appears in layout tabs when working in paper space. The
default color is AutoCAD index color 160, which is a shade of dark blue.
The changes you make in the UCS Icon dialog are saved as part of the AutoCAD environment and remain in
effect for all drawings.

Chapter 1 Review
Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. Tap the button to start the test. Youll be presented
with a series of questions based on the material covered in this chapter. When you choose your answer, youll
immediately see if its correct. If you choose the wrong answer, youll see why the answer is not correct. Use
the Next Question button to advance to the next question. When you finish the last question, or to close the
test, click the X in the upper-left to return to this page.

Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. The following questions are based on the material
covered in this chapter.
1. The component of the AutoCAD interface labeled below is known as the:

A. Application Status Bar menu.

B. Application menu.
C. Status bar.
D. Quick Access Toolbar.
2. ALL of the following components of the AutoCAD interface are labeled EXCEPT the:

A. Ribbon/panels.
B. Layout tabs.
C. Sticky panels.
D. Quick Access Toolbar.
3. Drawing Aids and Drafting Settings may be set from the AutoCAD interface labeled below known as
the:

A. Application Status Bar menu.

B. Application menu.
C. Status bar.
D. Quick Access Toolbar.
4. If the Model and Layout tabs are not visible, you can make them visible again by doing any of the
following, EXCEPT:
A. Selecting the Display Layout and Model Tabs checkbox on the Display tab of the Options dialog.
B. Right-clicking the Model button in the Application Status Bar and choosing Display Layout and Model
Tabs.
C. Toggling the Display Layout and Model Tabs option in the Application Status Bar menu.
D. Right-clicking the Layout button in the Application status bar and choosing Display Layout and Model
Tabs.

5. The drawing file tabs enable all of the following capabilities, EXCEPT:
A. Changing the order of the file tabs.
B. Seeing drawings that were opened in read-only mode or that have been changed since they were last
saved.
C. Creating a new drawing, opening a drawing, saving the current drawing, closing the current drawing,
and closing all drawings except for the one you selected.
D. All of the above can be accomplished using drawing file tabs.
6. When typing commands, if you misspell a command:
A. The program displays the message Unknown command and you will need to try again.
B. The program displays a list of blocks and hatch patterns that closely match what you typed.
C. The program autocorrects to the most relevant and valid command.
D. The program searches on the Internet or in the Help file for the word you entered.
7. Which of the following are advantages to starting a new drawing based on a template file?
A. The new drawing can contain predefined layers.
B. The new drawing can have various drawing unit settings predefined.
C. The new drawing can include drawing objects and even have pre-drawn borders.
D. All of the above.
8. The interface component shown below enables you to do any of the following, EXCEPT:

A. Restore different viewport configurations.

B. Switch to a top, front, or side view.

C. Change the current visual style.

D. Switch between model space and paper space.
9. The ViewCube only appears in the Navigation bar:
A. When working in a 3D workspace.
B. When the ViewCube is not displayed in the viewport.
C. When the Navigation bar is linked to the ViewCube.
D. When the Navigation bar is docked to the left side of the drawing window.

Answer Key: 1.b 2. d 3. c 4.c 5.d 6.c 7.d 8.d 9.b

Chapter 2
Creating Simple 2D Objects
Every AutoCAD drawing is composed of objects, most of them simple two-dimensional objects. This chapter
explains how to create simple object, such as lines, arcs, circles, and rectangles. As you will see, most
drawing commands present several different ways to create an object, as well as numerous options. You will
also learn how to select objects so that you can modify them.

LESSON 1

Drawing Lines Using the Command Line

Lines are the most basic object you can create. To create a line, click the LINE tool in the Draw panel of the
Home ribbon. The extended tooltip shows you that this tool creates straight line segments.

Suppose you just started a new drawing. Before you create your first line segment, on the Status bar toggle
off all of the drawing aids. Toggle off Grid Display, Polar Tracking, Object Snap, Object Snap Tracking,
Allow/Disallow Dynamic UCS, Dynamic Input, and Show/Hide Transparency. If any other drawing aids are
enabled on your system, you should also toggle them off, so that they no longer have a blue background, if
you plan to follow along.
Next, go to the Draw panel and click on the LINE tool. As soon as you click on the LINE command, the
program prompts you in the command window to Specify the first point of the line. Once you click anywhere
on the screen, notice that when you move the cursor, you can see a line extending from the point you just
picked to the cursor. That line stretches as you move the mouse.

Looking at the command line, you see that the program is now prompting you to Specify the next point. As

soon as you click in the drawing to pick that next point, the program draws the line segment and then prompts
you again to Specify the next point. Each time you click to specify a new point, the program draws a line
segment from the previous point to the new point, and then repeats the prompt.

But also notice that the prompt in the command window has changed. The program is not only prompting you
to specify the next point, but the prompt is followed by the word OR and then inside square brackets it
displays the words Close and Undo. Whenever you see anything inside square brackets on the command line,
thats called an Option. That means that in addition to specifying the next point, you can choose one of those
options. There are several different ways that you can choose one of these options. You can either type the
capital letter corresponding to the option you want to select, or you can simply click on the option in the
command line.
For example, if you click on Undo, the program will undo the line segment you just created. You could have
also typed the letter U and pressed ENTER, but clicking on the option is much faster and easier. If you click on
Undo again, notice that the line segment before that is removed. You can actually keep undoing the previous
line segments right back to the very first line segment that you created.
You can also click on Close, or type the letter C. This will cause the program to draw a line segment from the
last point you specified back to the very first point you specified when you first started the LINE command,
and also end the LINE command. You can see that the command has ended because in the command line,
the program tells you to type a command, which is a clear indication that the program is ready for you to
select a new command.

LESSON 2

Drawing Lines Using Dynamic Input

Lines are the most basic object you can create. When you create a line segment, the program displays
command prompts in the command line. But theres a drawing aid that you can use to display command
prompts directly alongside your cursor, so that you dont have to keep taking your eyes off the drawing and
constantly referring to the command line. This drawing aid is called Dynamic Input.

You can toggle dynamic input on by clicking the Dynamic Input button on the Status bar.
With dynamic input toggled on, prompts also now appear directly alongside the cursor.

If you click the Line tool in Draw panel of the Home ribbon, notice that now, with dynamic input turned on, the
program prompts you directly alongside the cursor. The prompt is exactly the same as whats displayed in the
command line. Click in the drawing to specify the first point. Notice that as soon as you do, the program
prompts you to specify the next point. Again, with dynamic input turned on, the prompt now appears both in
the command line and next to the cursor.
When you pick the next point, the prompt repeats, again both in the command line and next to the cursor.
And just like in the command line, the prompt shows the word or. But notice that after the word or in the
dynamic input, theres a little down arrow. If you press the down-arrow on the keyboard, you can see the
same two optionsClose and Undothat display inside the square brackets in the command line. You can
then choose one of those options by clicking on the option or by pressing the up or down arrow on the
keyboard and then pressing ENTER.

So just as you can enter the Undo option at the command line, you can choose the Undo option using
dynamic input to remove the line segment that you just created. Or you can choose the Close option using
dynamic input to create a final line segment from the endpoint of the last segment you created back to the
very first point you specified when you started the LINE command.
When you choose the Close option, the command ends. You can tell that the command has ended because
not only does the program display the words Type a Command in the command line, but theres no longer a
dynamic input prompt adjacent to the cursor.

LESSON 3

Drawing Lines Using the Right-Click Menu

When a command is active, you can select from available command options by right-clicking to display a
shortcut menu.
For example, when you create line segments, the program prompts you in the command line, and if dynamic
input is turned on, adjacent to the cursor. After you specify the first point of the first line segment, the prompt
includes options. These options are displayed in the command line inside square brackets, and you can
choose an option by clicking on the option in the command line, or by typing the Capital letter corresponding to
the desired option. Notice that when dynamic input is turned on, when you type a letter, the letter appears in
the dynamic input field, not in the command line.
When using dynamic input, you can also select one of the options by pressing the down arrow on the
keyboard.

Whenever the program offers options for a command, you can right-click to display a shortcut menu that includes those options.

Theres also a third way to select one of these options. Whenever the program offers you options for a
command, you can right-click to display a shortcut menu that includes those options. The available options
appear in the middle portion of this shortcut menu, and you can choose the option you want by clicking on it
inside this menu.
It really doesnt matter which method you use. As you become more proficient, youll probably figure out
which method works best for you. Many users prefer to right-click. That way, they can focus their attention on

the drawing itself and dont have to take their hand of the mouse. So you can click to select commands and
pick points and then right-click to select options.

LESSON 4

Repeating the Last Command

Being able to repeat a command is quite useful, because you will often find yourself doing the same thing
multiple times. For example, lets say you just created a line segment and ended the command. Then you
decide that you want to create another line segment. Although you could start the command again by going
back to the Ribbon and clicking on the Line tool, this requires a lot of movement and extra clicks. Every time
you go back and click on a button in the ribbon, you have to take your eyes off the drawing window and direct
your attention back to the ribbon. And depending on the size of your display, this can require a lot of mouse
movement.
There ought to be an easier way to repeat the last command, and there are actually several different ways
you can repeat a command.
If youve ended the command and the program is waiting for you to select a new command (which you can
see by the fact that in the command window the command line actually says Type a Command), you can
simply press the SPACEBAR to repeat whatever command you used last. So in this case, since the last
command you used was the LINE command, pressing the SPACEBAR repeats the LINE command. And you
can see the prompt to specify the first point.
After you have finished drawing lines, pressing the SPACEBAR or the ENTER key or the ESCAPE key will
end the command.
And then again, pressing the SPACEBAR will restart the LINE command. You can also repeat the last
command by pressing the ENTER key, but most users find it easier to press the SPACEBAR, because it is
easier to locate the SPACEBAR on the keyboard without having to actually look down at the keyboard.
Another way that you can repeat the command is to right-click to display a shortcut menu. Notice that the first
item in the shortcut menu is the LINE command. This shortcut menu will always show the most recently used
command on the first line of the menu. So you can repeat the command by choosing it in this shortcut menu.

A third way to repeat a command is to move your cursor down into the command window and then click on
the Recent Commands tool. The program displays a list of recent commands, and you can start a command
by simply choosing it in this list. Note that you can also right-click in the command window. When you rightclick in the command window, the program displays a shortcut menu. Notice that at the top of this menu is an
item labeled Recent Commands. If you expand this selection, you can see a list of up to six recent
commands, with the most recent command, in this case the LINE command, as the first item in the list. You
can then repeat any one of these commands by selecting it in the flyout list. But clicking on the Recent
Commands tool in the command line is simpler.

And here is one more tip. Not only will pressing the SPACEBAR restart the last command, but if you press the
SPACEBAR another time after starting the command, the program will jump back to the last point you
specified. So in this case, pressing the SPACEBAR once restarts the line command and pressing it again uses
the endpoint of the previous line segment as the starting point for the next line segment.

LESSON 5

Understanding Command Options

Almost all commands have what are known as command options. An option is simply a choice that you can
make while using the command. For example, when you use the LINE command, after you specify the first
point, the command then offers options. The options appear in the command line inside square brackets.
When the program prompts you to specify the next point of the first line segment, the option is to undo the
point that you specified for the starting point of the line.
After you specify the endpoint of the first line segment, the Undo option would undo the choice you made for
the endpoint of the line segment.
After you create two line segments, the option changes. Now, in addition to undoing what you just did, you
can also use the Close option to create a line segment extending from the last point you specified back to the
starting point of the first line segment you created.
Its common for options to change as you progress through various steps in a command.
When a command presents various options, there are four different ways to access these options.

Options appear on the command line, inside square brackets, and you can click on an option to select it.

First, you can type to specify the option. When you type, you only need to enter the letter corresponding to
the letter within the desired option that is capitalized. So, for example, to select the Close option you can just
type the letter C. It doesnt matter if you enter it as a capital or lower-case C. Just type the letter C and press
ENTER. Similarly, to select the Undo option, you would type the letter U and then press ENTER.
The second way to select an option is even easier. Instead of typing, you can simply click on the option in the
command line. So when youre in the middle of the Line command, you can click on the Close or Undo
option.

The third method you can use to select an option is to right-click to display a shortcut menu. Notice that the
two options appear in the middle portion of the shortcut menu. You can then select the desired option by
clicking on it in this menu.
And the fourth method of selecting an option only works when you have dynamic input turned on. When
dynamic input is enabled, you can press the Down-Arrow on the keyboard to display the available options and
then either use the Up- and Down-Arrow keys and press ENTER to select the desired option, or just click on
the option in the list.

When dynamic input is enabled, you can press the Down-Arrow on the keyboard to display available options.

So, to select a command option, you can click in the command line, type at the keyboard, right-click and then
choose the option from the shortcut menu, or press the Down-Arrow and then select the option from the list.

LESSON 6

Drawing Rectangles
Rectangles are another common type of object you can create.
To create a rectangle, click the Rectangle tool in the Draw panel of the Home ribbon. If you hover your cursor
over the tool, notice that the tooltip shows you that the rectangle tool creates a rectangular polyline. If you
pause your cursor over the tool for a few seconds, the tooltip expands to show you additional information. The
tooltip also shows you the name of the actual command. In this case, the command is RECTANG. In addition
to clicking on the button in the ribbon, you could start the command by typing RECTANG and then pressing
ENTER. The tooltip will always show you the name of the command represented by a particular button, and
any command can be started by typing. But that takes much more effort, so its almost always easier to
simply click on the appropriate tool.

The tooltip shows the actual command name.

Notice that as soon as you start the Rectangle command, the program prompts you to specify the first corner
point, and also shows you a list of options. Options are displayed in the command line inside square brackets.
You can select any of these options by typing the capitalized letter corresponding to the desired option or by
simply clicking on the option in the command line, by right-clicking and choosing from the options that appear
in the middle portion of the shortcut menu, or, if dynamic input is enabled, by pressing the Down Arrow and
then selecting from a list.

Rectangle command options appear in the command line, and if dynamic input is enabled, can be selected by pressing the Down-Arrow.

To simply draw a rectangle without selecting any options, just click to specify one corner of the rectangle, and
then notice that the prompt has changed. The program now prompts you to specify the other corner or
opposite corner of the rectangle, and also presents a different set of options.

To draw a rectangle without selecting options, just click to specify the opposite corners.

As you move the cursor, you can see the rectangle that will be created. There are two different methods that
you can use to specify the opposite corner of the rectangle. With dynamic input toggled on, notice that you
can see the X- and Y-coordinates, the length and width of the resulting rectangle. You can simply move the
cursor until the rectangle is the desired size, or you can type the length and width values. Once you specify
the opposite corner, the rectangle is created and the command ends. You can tell that the command has
ended because in the command line, the command line tells you to Type a command, and if dynamic input
is turned on, there is no longer a prompt adjacent to the cursor.
To repeat the command, you can simply press the SPACEBAR, or you can right-click and choose the
RECTANG command from the top of the shortcut menu.

LESSON 7

Using the Undo and Redo Commands

UNDO and REDO are two complimentary commands that can be quite helpful when working in AutoCAD.
Quickly create some objects. Use the LINE tool to create a line segment. Then, end the command and then
start it again, and this time, create several line segments and then right-click and choose the Close option to
create a closing segment and end the command. Then use the RECTANGLE command to draw a rectangle.
And finally, use the LINE command to create one more line segment.
The important thing to note here is the order in which you used the commands.
Next, on the Quick Access toolbar, when you click once on the UNDO tool, AutoCAD will undo the last thing
you did. In this case, it undoes the last line segment you created.

If you click on UNDO again, it will undo the next most recent thing you did. So in this case, it removes the
rectangle.
If you click UNDO again, the program will not undo the individual line segments, but rather all of the line
segments created in that instance of the LINE command. When you are in the middle of the LINE command,
its undo option lets you step back and remove previous line segments, but once you have ended the LINE
command, the UNDO command reverses all of the line segments you created during that particular use of the
LINE command.
And if you click on UNDO again, it will undo the very first line segment you created.
Clicking on the REDO button one at a time will reverse what you just did with the UNDO command, so each
time you click the REDO button, each object is restored to the drawing.

You can also click on the down arrow adjacent to the UNDO button to view a list of all the commands. You
can then roll back through a series of commands. So rather than having to click the UNDO button three times
to undo everything but the very first line, you can select the last three commands at the top of the list to undo
the LINE, the RECTANGLE, and the LINE.

The arrow adjacent to the REDO button lets you do the same thing. Rather than clicking the REDO button
two times to restore the line segments and then the rectangle, you can simply click on the second item in the
list to redo the last two undo actions.

The combination of the UNDO and REDO commands is perfect for trying what-if scenarios. Or, if you do
something and dont get the desired results, you can immediately UNDO whatever you just did. Dont try to
fix it. Just undo it.
There is one thing you need to remember, however. The REDO command only reverses whatever you just
undid using the UNDO command. If you use any other command after you undo something, you will no
longer be able to use the REDO command to reverse whatever you undid.

LESSON 8

Drawing Circles Using Radius and Diameter

A circle is one of the most basic objects you can create.
To create a circle, you can click the Circle tool in the Draw panel of the Home ribbon.
Notice that if you click the arrow adjacent to the Circle tool, you can see that there are a number of different
ways in which you can create circles. If you pause your cursor over one of these methods, you see a tooltip
describing that option. The tooltip also shows you that the name of the command in each case is CIRCLE.
Each method simply pre-selects some of the possible CIRCLE command options.

Lets look at the Center-Radius method. When you click the Circle by Center-Radius option, the program
prompts you to specify the center point for the circle. In the command line, you can see that the CIRCLE
command has several options. You can pick the point where youd like the center of the circle to be located, or
you could type in the coordinate location. By pressing the TAB key, you can toggle between the X-coordinate
location and the Y-coordinate location. Remember that the program uses a Cartesian coordinate system of Xand Y-coordinates, and when working in 3D, of X, Y, and Zcoordinates.
So you can position the center of the circle. Type 5 in the X-coordinate field, then press the TAB key to switch
to the other field, and type 6 to specify the location in the Y-direction. When you press the TAB key again, it
locks in that value. To finalize the selection of that point, press the ENTER key.

After locating the center of the circle, specify the radius by picking points or typing.

Once you specify the center of the circle, the program prompts you to specify the radius. The radius can also
be specified by picking points or typing the radius value. Suppose you want the radius to be exactly .75. Type
that value and then press ENTER to create that circle.
Repeat the command by pressing the SPACEBAR. This time, pick the location for the center of the circle.
Then you can simply move the cursor and click to specify a new radius. But before you do that, look at the
command line. Notice that the program is prompting you to specify the radius of the circle. You also have the
option of specifying the diameter of the circle. But there is also a default value. The program remembers the
radius of the previous circle and displays that value as the default. So if you want to create another circle of
the exact same size, you can simply press ENTER to accept that default value.

Press the SPACEBAR to repeat the command again, pick the center point, and then enter a new radius of
1.25. Then, if you start the command again, after you specify the center point, now the command shows you
the radius of the most recent circle, in this case 1.25, as the new default value.
Start the CIRCLE command again, but this time choose the Center-Diameter method. Again, the program
prompts you to specify the center of the circle. But notice that this time, after you select the center point, the
command prompts you to specify the Diameter of the circle rather than the radius. In the drawing window you
can see the diameter and the default value is now 2.5. Thats the diameter value of the last circle you created.
So the program still remembers the size of the previous circle and offers it as the default value for the new
circle, but since you specified that you wanted to create the circle based on its diameter instead of its radius, it
has now converted the default into a diameter value.
If you look carefully in the command line, you can see exactly what happened. The previous circle had a
radius of 1.25. Selecting the Center-Diameter method in the Ribbon automatically chose the Diameter option.

You can see the letter D right there on the command line. So the prompt changed to Specify diameter and the
new default value appears as the diameter value.

Choosing the Center-Diameter method automatically chooses the Diameter option.

If you press the ENTER key, you create a circle the same size as the previous circle.
Start the command again by pressing the SPACEBAR and then specify the center of the circle. But notice that
the command has gone back to prompting you to specify the radius of the circle. If you want to specify the
diameter instead, you can click to select the Diameter option, type the letter D, or right-click and choose
Diameter from the shortcut menu, or with dynamic input enabled, you can press the down arrow and choose
Diameter. Then you can specify the diameter of the circle.

LESSON 9

Drawing 2 Point and 3 Point Circles

A circle is one of the most basic objects you can create.
There are several different methods you can use to create circles.
The two-point method lets you specify any two points to define the diameter of the circle whereas the threepoint method lets you create a circle that passes through three points.
Lets look first at an example of a two-point circle. Notice that you can select this method by clicking the arrow
adjacent to the Circle tool on the Draw panel of the Home ribbon. Note that you could also simply start the
CIRCLE command and then specify the two-point option by clicking the 2P option in the command line, typing
2P, right-clicking and choosing the two-point option from the shortcut menu, or by pressing the down-arrow key
and then selecting the option from a list.

When you choose this option, the program prompts you to specify the first end point of the circles diameter.
Click to select a point. The command then prompts you to specify the second end point of the circles
diameter, and as you move the cursor, notice that you can see the diameter of the circle in the drawing
window. The first point you picked is at one end of that diameter and the other end of the diameter is attached
to the cursor.

The program shows you the length of the diameter line. Also note that you can specify the angle of the
diameter line. Remember that east or 3-oclock is the zero angle and angles increase in a counter-clockwise
direction.
So at this point, you can either pick the other end of the diameter, or press the TAB key to cycle between the
length and angle values. To lock the diameter line in at an angle of 45-degrees, you can press TAB until that
field is active, then type 45, and then press the TAB key to switch back to the diameter value. Notice that the
angle is now locked, but you can continue to move the cursor to drag the length of the diameter. You can then
type in the diameter, lets say, a value of 3.

A three-point circle lets you create a circle by specifying three points. The resulting circle will pass through
those three points. Start the command and then pick the first point, and then the second point. Notice that
when you go to pick the third point, you can see the resulting circle. As you move the cursor, the size of the
circle changes. The circle continues to pass through the first two points, but the resulting circle changes as you
prepare to select the third point. When you click to pick the third point, the circle is created.

Notice that after you create the circles, if you select them, grips are displayed at their center points and
quadrant points. Even though these circles were not defined based on their center points, once you create
them, the properties of all circles include the center point and radius. It doesnt matter how they were created.
Regardless of the method you used, they are all the same type of circle object.

LESSON 10

Drawing Circles Using the TTR and TTT Options

Exercise files: CIRCLE_TANGENT.DWG
A circle is one of the most basic objects you can create in AutoCAD.
There are several different methods you can use to create circles that are tangent to other objects. The first
method is called Tangent, Tangent, Radius. You can find this method in the Circle pull-down in the Draw panel
of the Home ribbon. The Tangent, Tangent, Radius method creates a circle with a specified radius that is
tangent to two existing objects. Click to select that method.

Lets say, for example, that you want to create a circle that is tangent to two lines. Notice that in the
command window and at the dynamic command prompt, AutoCAD prompts you to specify a point on the
object for the first tangent of the circle, and as you move the cursor anywhere over one of the lines, you see a
small glyph and a tooltip appears that says Deferred Tangent. This is an object snap that automatically pops
up and allows you to snap to that geometry. Click to pick a point on one line. Then move the cursor over to
the other line. The prompt changes. It now asks you to specify a point on an object for the second tangent of
the circle and again you see the same glyph and tooltip. Click to pick a deferred tangent point on the other line.

You still dont see the circle, but now the command is prompting you to specify the radius of the circle. There
may be a default value from the last time you used the CIRCLE command. To specify a different radius, you
can either pick points to specify the radius or type the value. Type in a value of 1.5. As soon as you press
ENTER, the circle is created. Notice that the circle is tangent to the two lines. Its not necessarily drawn at the
points you specified, but it is tangent to the lines you specified. If you had specified a smaller radius, the
tangency points would be closer to the intersection of the two lines.
Create another circle tangent to these same two lines. Go back to the Draw panel in the ribbon. Notice that
the Tangent, Tangent, Radius method is now the default method shown in the Circle button. Any time a
button includes a flyout like this, which ever option you choose from the flyout becomes the new default
method assigned to the button. It floats to the top. So you dont have to click the arrow, this time you can
simply click the button.
Again, click to select the first line, but this time pick a point out towards the end of the line. Then, click to select
the other line. Then, when AutoCAD prompts you to specify the radius, type .75, half the size of the previous
circle. Notice that the new circle is still tangent to the two lines, but now it touches them much further from the
points you used to select those lines.

You can use the Tangent, Tangent, Radius method to create a circle tangent to any two objects. Click to select
each of the lines, and then press ENTER to accept the default radius value. Again, AutoCAD creates a circle
of the desired radius tangent to the two objects you selected.

Lets look at the other method, Tangent, Tangent, Tangent. Suppose you wanted to create a circle that fits
exactly inside a triangle so that it touches and is tangent to all three sides.

In the Draw panel of the Home ribbon tab, click on the Circle flyout and choose the Tan, Tan, Tan tool. Then,
pick a point anywhere on one side of the triangle, then anywhere on the second side, and then anywhere on
the third side. As soon as you pick the third point, AutoCAD automatically calculates the radius of the circle
that fits perfectly inside the triangle and is tangent to each side.

LESSON 11

Drawing Arcs
An arc is one of the most basic objects you can create, and there are quite a number of different methods you
can use to create arcs.
On the Home ribbon, in the Draw panel, expand the Arc split button. Notice that the program shows 11
different methods you can use to create an arc. The default method lets you create an arc by picking three
points that the arc will pass through, but notice that you can also create an arc by picking its start point, center
point, and endpoint; by picking its start point, center point, and an included angle; by picking its start point,
center, and the length of a chord; the start point, endpoint, and included angle; the start point, endpoint, and
tangent direction; the start point, endpoint, and radius; the center point, start point, and endpoint; the center,
start point, and included angle; the center, start point, and chord length; or draw an arc tangent to the last line
or arc that you created.

Note that with the exception of the Continue option, each of these methods require you to select three points,
or two points and a value. Several use the same combinations, but change the order in which you pick points
or specify the values. Also note that when you select one of these options from the split button, the method
you choose floats to the top of the button and becomes the default method the next time you click the button
in the ribbon.
Cancel the command then choose the default 3-Point method. When you do, the command prompts you to
specify the start point of the arc. It also tells you that by default, arcs are created in a counter-clockwise

direction. But notice that if you want to draw an arc in a clockwise direction, you can press and hold the CTRL
key as you pick points to switch directions.

Also note that even though you started the ARC command using the 3-Point method, which lets you create
an arc passing through three points, theres also a Center option. If you choose the Center option, the prompt
changes. Now, you can specify the center of the arc. Once you select the center point, the program prompts
you to specify the start point of the arc. Once you do that, the program prompts you to specify the end point
of the arc.

Notice that by default, the arc is created in a counter-clockwise direction. But when you press the CTRL key,
you can see that now, the arc is being created in a clockwise direction.
As soon as you specify the endpoint, the arc is created and the command ends.

LESSON 12

Drawing Arcs by Specifying 3 Points

An arc is one of the most basic objects you can create. On the Home ribbon, in the Draw panel, when you
expand the Arc tool you can see that there are 11 methods for creating arcs. With the exception of the
Continue option, all of these methods require you to specify either three points or two points and a value, such
as the radius, chord length, or tangent direction.
The default method is to create an arc that passes through three points. When you choose the 3-Point option,
the program prompts you for the starting point of the arc, and also tells you that the arc will be created in a
counter-clockwise direction. But note that if you press and hold the CTRL key, you can create the arc in a
clockwise direction.

Click to select the start point and then the second point. As soon as you specify that second point, you can
see a preview image of the arc. As you move the cursor, the preview changes, so that the arc extends from
the start point and through the second point to the position of the cursor. The first two points remain fixed and
its the third point, the end point, that completes the creation of the arc.
Once the arc has been created, if you select it, grips appear at specific locations that correspond to the
geometry used to store the arc. The program stores the start point, the end point, and the center point of the
arc. Theres also a grip at the midpoint.

Go back to the ribbon and this time create an arc using the Start, Center, Length method. Once you have
created the arc, notice that when you select it, you again see grips at the start point, the end point, and the
center point. Regardless of the method you use to create the arc, once it has been created, the program uses
the start point, the end point, and the center point to store the definition of the arc.

Notice that the Start, Center, Length method has floated to the top of the split button. If you click that button
now, instead of using the default 3-Point method, the program repeats the Start, Center, Length method. But
if you cancel the command and then press the SPACEBAR or right-click to repeat the command, the program
reverts back to the default method, which creates an arc passing through three points.

Of course, even if you start the command using the default method, you can easily switch to any of the other
methods by choosing options. The available options always display on the command line. If dynamic input is
enabled, these options also appear adjacent to the cursor. You can then choose any available option by
clicking the option on the command line, by pressing the down-arrow on the keyboard, by right-clicking and
choosing from a shortcut menu, or by typing the letter corresponding to the desired option. In this case,
choose the Center option. Now the program is prompting you to select the center point of the arc. Once you
click to pick the center point, the prompt changes. Now the program is prompting you to specify the end point
of the arc. But notice that at this point, you can also choose the Angle or Chord Length option to complete the
arc.

Choose the Angle option. As soon as you do, the program prompts you to specify the included angle. Notice
that by default, the arc is extending in a counter-clockwise direction. If you press the CTRL key, the arc
extends in a clockwise direction. You can also type an angle value. If you specify a positive angle value, such
as 90-degrees, the arc will be drawn in a counter-clockwise direction. But if you specify a negative angle value,
such as negative 90-degrees, the arc will be drawn in a clockwise direction.

LESSON 13

Erasing Objects by Picking

Exercise files: ERASE.DWG
You can use the ERASE command to remove objects from the drawing. To start the command, click the
Erase tool in the Modify panel of the Home ribbon.

When you start the command, the program prompts you to select objects. Note that all modify commands
work in a two-step process. The first step is to select objects, a process known as creating a selection set.
Once you have finished selecting objects, right-click or press ENTER to complete the selection and proceed to
the action of the modify command. The objects are not actually erased until the second step of the command
is completed.
When selecting objects, notice that when you move the cursor over an object it highlights to let you know that
the pick box is over the object. You can then click to select the object.

Once an object has been selected, it displays with a dashed line. Also notice that in the command line, each
time you select an object, the prompt changes to tell you that the program has found and selected an object
and shows a running total for the number of objects that youve selected. The prompt also repeats so that you
can select another object.

You can also press the F2 key to expand the command line, so that you can see additional information. Press
F2 to collapse the command line again.
Once youre done selecting the objects that you want to erase, you can right-click or press ENTER to remove
those objects from the drawing and end the command.

LESSON 14

Selecting Objects by Window and Crossing

Exercise files: ERASE.DWG
In addition to simply picking objects, you can also use a window or crossing window to select the objects you
want to modify.
When you start the ERASE command, notice that AutoCAD prompts you to select objects. Instead of clicking
on an object, click in an empty spot in the drawing. Notice that the prompt immediately changes; it now says
Specify opposite corner.
AutoCAD is prompting you to create a selection window and there are actually two types of windows. If you
move the cursor to the right after picking the first point, the program uses a selection window, which by default
displays with a solid border and a blue background. Any objects that are entirely inside this window will be
selected; those objects will become part of the selection set and will be modified by the command.

If you move your cursor to the left after picking the first point, the program uses a crossing window, which by
default displays with a dashed border and a green background. Any objects that are entirely inside this window
or that cross its border will be selected; those objects will become part of the selection set and will be modified
by the command.

Once you click to select the opposite corner, objects that have been selected will appear with dashed
highlighting. Also, in the command line, AutoCAD tells you how many objects have been selected. If you
select the same object more than once, the program tells you the number of objects you selected that were
duplicate selections, in other words, they were already in the selection set.

When AutoCAD prompts you to select objects, you can also force it to use a window or crossing window. To
tell AutoCAD to use a window, type the letter W and press ENTER. Notice that the prompt changes. Youre
now being asked to specify the first corner of the selection window. After you click, when you move the
cursor, it doesnt matter if you move to the left or to the right. AutoCAD will use the window selection because
you specifically told it to use that method. Remember, with the window selection, only those objects that are
completely inside the window will be selected.
To force AutoCAD to use a crossing window, when the command prompts you to select objects, type the
letter C and press ENTER. Again, the prompt changes. After you click to specify the first corner of the
window, when you move your cursor it doesnt matter if you move to the left or to the right. AutoCAD will use
the crossing window selection because you specifically told it to use that method. And remember, with the
crossing window, any objects that are inside the window or that cross its border will be selected.
Once youre done selecting objects, right-click or press ENTER to complete the ERASE command. As soon
as you do, the selected objects are removed from the drawing.

LESSON 15

Selecting Objects Using Implied Selection

Exercise files: ERASE.DWG
If you select objects before actually selecting a command, you can use a selection method known as implied
selection.
With no command currently active, notice that if you simply click in an empty spot, AutoCAD immediately
assumes that you want to select objects. If you move the cursor to the right, the program automatically uses
a window selection. You can tell that its a window by its solid border and blue background. If you move the
cursor to the left, the program automatically uses a crossing window. Again, you can tell that its a crossing
window by its dashed border and green background.
But notice that in the command line you can see a prompt. This prompt doesnt appear when you start a
command (such ERASE) first and then select objects. But if you select objects without first starting a
command, the program prompts you to specify the opposite corner of the selection window and also gives
you the option of using the Fence, WPolygon, or CPolygon selection method.

With dynamic input enabled, notice that this prompt also appears adjacent to the cursor, and if you press the
Down arrow on the keyboard, you can choose these options from a menu.

For example, choose the WPolygon option and then pick points to define a window polygon surrounding the
objects you want to select. You can tell that its a window polygon by its solid border and blue background.
Once the objects you want to select are all inside the window polygon, press ENTER to complete the
selection, and notice that those objects are highlighted, indicating that theyve been selected.
Since you never actually started a command, the objects are simply highlighted. You can also see small blue
squares, called grips. If you click the Erase tool in the Modify panel of the Home ribbon, the highlighted objects
are immediately removed from the drawing. Because you had already selected the objects, the program does
not prompt you to select objects. It simply performs the action on the objects you had already selected.

Chapter 2 Review
Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. Tap the button to start the test. Youll be presented
with a series of questions based on the material covered in this chapter. When you choose your answer, youll
immediately see if its correct. If you choose the wrong answer, youll see why the answer is not correct. Use
the Next Question button to advance to the next question. When you finish the last question, or to close the
test, click the X in the upper-left to return to this page.

Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. The following questions are based on the material
covered in this chapter.
1. To access the Line command options as shown [Close/Undo], you must:

A. Type the entire option keyword.

B. Press the F2 key and choose the option from the Text Window.
C. Either use your mouse and pick one of the options, or type the option or the capital letter of the option
and press ENTER.
D. Type open bracket [ then the word for the option, and then close bracket ].
2. Dynamic Input gives you two abilities. One is to specify coordinate locations by typing Cartesian
coordinates, and the other is:
A. To right-click with your mouse to choose the command option.
B. To use the down arrow on your keyboard to choose the command option.
C. To either type the option or the capital letter of the option, and press ENTER.
D. To specify the coordinate locations by picking the location with the mouse.
3. When an AutoCAD command is active, the right-click menu will always show:
A. The Help menu.
B. Zoom and Pan real-time.
C. The command option Undo.

D. The Options dialog.

4. ALL of the following methods allow you to repeat the last-used AutoCAD command EXCEPT:
A. Pressing the SPACEBAR.
B. Pressing the ENTER key.
C. Right-clicking on the Command Line.
D. Choosing Repeat from the right-click cursor menu.
5. Creating a rectangle with the Rectangle command instead of using the Line command gives you the
additional benefit of:
A. Having the rectangle exist as a single object.
B. Having either fillets or chamfers on the intersecting corners.
C. Allowing you to create the rectangle at a defined angle.
D. Allowing you to determine the area of the closed area.
6. The Undo command allows you to reverse any AutoCAD activity, but to use a Redo command you
MUST:
A. Use it immediately after you erase an object.
B. Use it immediately after an Undo.
C. Use it before you save the file.
D. Use it while you are active in an AutoCAD command.
7. When repeating the Circle command, the default method for creating the next circle is:
A. Specifying the center, then the radius.
B. Using the last method for creating a circle.
C. Automatically locating it in the same location with the same radius as the last circle created.
D. Picking points and then typing the radius or diameter value.
8. Arcs can be created by:
A. Specifying the center, radius and arc length.
B. Specifying a variety of 3-point methods.
C. Specifying a start, center and endpoint in any order.
D. Choosing the Continue Arc option in the Draw tab of the Ribbon.

9. What method would be the best for you use to draw an arc in a clockwise direction?
A. You can use any method, since clockwise is the default direction.
B. Use the start, center, end method.
C. Press and hold the CTRL key while creating the arc.
D. You cannot draw arcs in a clockwise direction.
10. There are multiple methods for selecting objects with Modify commands. In addition to picking, the
two other most common methods are:
A. Window and Polygon.
B. Window and Crossing.
C. Crossing and Intersection.
D. Polygon and Fence.
11. If you click in an empty area of the drawing with no command active, you can do any of the
following, EXCEPT:
A. Choose the Fence, WPolygon, or CPolygon selection methods from a right-click shortcut menu.
B. Choose the Fence, WPolygon, or CPolygon selection methods using dynamic input.
C. Choose the Fence, WPolygon, or CPolygon selection methods by typing.
D. Use a window or crossing window.

Answer Key: 1.c 2. b 3. b 4.d 5.a 6.b 7.a 8.b 9.c 10.b 11.a

Chapter 3
Controlling Drafting Settings
Every point in an AutoCAD drawing is identified by its X,Y coordinates. In this chapter, you will learn about
AutoCADs coordinate system, drawing units, and angle measurements. You will also learn about tools such
as object snap, that enable you to draw accurately when using AutoCAD.

LESSON 1

Understanding Coordinate System Concepts

Exercise files: ABSOLUTE_COORDINATES.DWG
Like most CAD programs, AutoCAD uses a Cartesian coordinate system to identify the location of points in
two- and three-dimensional space and in order to draw accurately you need to understand how to work within
this coordinate system.
If you simply move your cursor on the screen AutoCAD will displayin the status bar at the bottom of the
screenthe exact XY and Z location of the current location of the cursor. As you move the cursor you can see
that these coordinates automatically update. They update because the cursor is moving to new locations
within the Cartesian coordinate system.
If you start the POINT command, notice that now, when you move the cursor, you not only see the
coordinates update in the Status bar, you can also see the X and Y coordinates change adjacent to the cursor,
because Dynamic Input is currently toggled on.
And with the Grid Display toggled on, you can see the X- and Y-axes, indicated by the red and green lines,
respectively. The point at which those two lines intersect is the 0,0 location, which is also known as the origin
of the coordinate system.

Various interface components help you find the origin, the X- and Y-axes, and the current Cartesian coordinates.

If you move the cursor to the right of the Y-axis, the green line, and above the X-axis, the red line, notice that
the X and Y coordinate values are both positive values. When you move the cursor to the left of the Y-axis,
but above the X-axis, notice that the X value is now negative, but the Y value is still positive. If you move the
cursor below the X-axis, now both the X and Y values are negative. And if you move the cursor to the right of
the Y-axis but keep it below the X-axis, notice that now the X value is positive but you still see negative values
for Y, because the cursor is below the origin of Y.
So, as you can see, locating points in space is always based on X and Y coordinate values when working in a
2D view. And when working in 3D, points are located based on X, Y, and Z coordinate values, in a system
known as a Cartesian coordinate system.
Once you understand this concept, you can create geometry anywhere in space. There is no limit to the
drawing. And when you model in AutoCAD, you create objects at full scale, actual size.

LESSON 2

Using Absolute Coordinates

Exercise files: ABSOLUTE_COORDINATES.DWG
Whenever AutoCAD asks you to specify a point in space, you can do so in one of two ways. You can either
pick the point in space or you can type in the exact or absolute coordinates of the point.
To illustrate this, create a very simple drawing. Start the LINE command and then move the cursor on the
screen. Notice that AutoCAD prompts you to specify the first point of the line. And because Dynamic Input is
currently toggled onas indicated by the blue background of the button in the Status barAutoCAD also
displays the cursors X- and Y-location adjacent to the cursor. When Dynamic Input is turned on, any time
AutoCAD prompts you for a command value or to locate a point in space, the prompt also appears adjacent
to the cursor or crosshair.
Returning to the example, AutoCAD is asking you to pick a point. Begin by typing in the first value for X. Type
in the number 3, meaning three units from the left. By pressing the TAB key, you can then move the cursor
anywhere else on the screen and pick the location for the Y value. In other words, how high or up in the Y-axis
or how far down along the Y-axis. It doesnt matter where you drag the cursor to the left or to the right. The X
value is now locked in place.
Suppose you already know exactly where you want the Y- value to be. Maybe you want that to be 5 units in
the Y. You can type the value of 5 and then press the TAB key again. Notice that now, both the X- value of
three and the Y-value of five are locked. You can see the padlock. When you press the ENTER key, AutoCAD
will start the line at that point in space.

So as you move the cursor now, the point that you see located is the exact location that you specified. You
can then move the mouse, pick a new point, and then right-click or press ENTER to end the command.
Take it one step further. Suppose you wanted to create a circle by specifying its center and radius. Start the
CIRCLE command. Then, as you move the cursor, notice that AutoCAD prompts you for the exact X- and Ylocation. You can either type the values or you can pick a point on the screen to identify that location. But
suppose you wanted the center of the circle to be located at the endpoint of the previous line. To do this, you
can right-click and choose the Recent Input option. Notice that points you recently picked or typed appear in
this list. So you can place the center of the circle at the endpoint of the line by simply selecting that point from
the list. As soon as you select that point, the center of the circle is place exactly at the starting point of the line.

The points displayed in the Recent Input list are absolute coordinatesspecific points defined by their absolute
X- and Y-coordinates.

LESSON 3

Using Relative Coordinates

Exercise files: ABSOLUTE_COORDINATES.DWG
A relative coordinate allows you to specify an X- and Y- distance relative to the last point you picked in space.
For example, start the LINE command and pick a point at random. On the Status bar, make sure that
Dynamic Input is toggled off so that all user input appears only on the Command line. If you then type 4,5 and
then press ENTER, the next point in space will be exactly 4 units over in the X- and five units up in the Y-,
measured from 0,0, the origin of the coordinate system.
But suppose you didnt want to create a line up to that location. Click the Undo option to undo that segment.
Suppose that what you actually want is to draw a line segment thats 2 units in the X-direction. It seems
logical that if you wanted to draw over 2 units to the right (which is the X-direction) you could type 2, and then
a comma, and 0 (because you dont want the line to go up or down in the Y-direction). But when you press
the ENTER key, the line is actually drawn to the absolute coordinate location 2 units in the X-direction
measured from the origin and 0 in the Y-direction. Again, since thats not what you want, undo that point.
What you can do in order to get the next point located exactly 2 units over in the positive X-direction is to
preface the coordinate entry by typing in the @ symbol. By typing the @ symbol, youre telling the program to
measure based on the last point. That makes the last point you used to temporarily behave as if it was the
0,0 point, so that you can then draw relative to that point. Thats basically what the @ symbol does.

You can type the @ symbol followed by coordinates to use relative coordinates.

So now, after typing the @ symbol, type the number 2 for the distance you want to go in the X-direction,

followed by a comma and then 0 for the distance you want to go in the Y-direction. When you press the
ENTER key, the program creates a line segment thats exactly 2 units long in the X-direction. Now to draw a
vertical line you can do the same thing. Simply type the @ symbol, specify how far you want to go in the Xdirection, in this case, that value would be 0. You dont want to move anywhere to the left or right. Type a
comma, and then type the number 2 to create a line 2 units long in the Y-direction.
Your goal here is to actually create a perfect square by typing in the coordinate values rather than picking the
points. Again, type the @ symbol. And this time you want to go to the left. Well, positive X is to the right, so
negative X would be to the left. So type -2,0 and then press ENTER. And now, you can either click the Close
option or type the letter C to close back to the starting point, or if you wanted to type in the relative coordinate
to draw the line coming down, you could type @0,-2 and then press ENTER and then press ENTER again to
end the command.

Notice how you can use relative coordinates to create a perfect square.

When you type coordinates prefaced by the @ symbol youre specifying point in space using relative
coordinates.

LESSON 4

Understanding Drawing Units and Angle Measurements

Drawing units are a critical aspect of initially setting up any drawing or project, because the drawing units
determine the values, the number of decimal places, how angles are measured, and their accuracy as you
work on the drawing.

Click on the big red A to expand the Application menu and then choose Drawing Utilities > Units to display the
Drawing Units dialog. You can change the units at any time while youre working on a project, but typically the
units are set when you first start the drawing.
There are five types of length units to choose from. Architectural and Engineering actually have a unit value
associated with them. They display in feet and inches; feet and fractional inches for architectural and feet and
decimal inches for Engineering. Decimal, Fractional, and Scientific do not have a unit value associated with
them, so you can use them to represent any type of units that you wish.

The selections in the Insertion Scale list only affect the insertion of Blocks. It is used to help identify the type of
units when inserting blocks and drawings that come into the current drawing from another drawing, to help
scale those blocks appropriately.
The drawing precision controls the number of decimal places or the fractional precision that you will see on in
the lower-left corner of the Status bar and also adjacent to the cursor when dynamic input is enabled. Notice
that in the Status bar, you currently see just four decimal places. This is just for display purposes. This doesnt
affect the drawing accuracy. AutoCAD always calculates and is accurate to 14 decimal places.
In addition to the type of units you use to display and calculate length, you can also control the type of units
used for angle measurements. Notice that there are five different types of angle measurement you can
choose, including surveyors units. Once youve chosen the type of angle measurement youre going to use,
you can also choose the precision. Again, this only affects the display of angles, not the accuracy with which
AutoCAD calculates angles.

The other thing you have to consider is whether you want angles to be measured in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. By default, angles in AutoCAD increase in a counter-clockwise direction.
You can also specify the direction of the 0-angle. By default, the 0-angle direction is to the east or 3-oclock. If

you click the Direction button, AutoCAD displays the Direction Control dialog. You can then select a different
direction for the 0-angle. You can set it to any of the four cardinal points, or you can select Other and then type
in a value, or click this Pick button and then select two points on the screen to graphically define the angle.

Unless you have a specific reason to change these defaults, you should leave the direction set to East, and
make sure that the Clockwise check box is not selected, so that AutoCAD continues to measure angles in a
counter-clockwise direction.
Once you have set your drawing units, click OK to close the Drawing Units dialog. Any changes you may
have made will now appear when you create or modify geometry. Changes to the units display will also
appear in the Status bar. Notice now, the coordinates display just two decimal places instead of four, because
thats the change you made in the dialog box.

LESSON 5

Using Direct Distance Entry and Dynamic Input

Exercise files: DIRECT-DISTANCE-ENTRY.DWG
Direct distance entry is a simple but powerful technique that enables you to simply type a length or distance
when creating geometry.
Before proceeding, in the exercise file notice that in the Status bar all of the various drawing aids are currently
turned off.
Start the LINE command. Move the cursor on the screen, click to specify the starting point for the line, and
then move the cursor over to the right. If you know that you want the line segment to be exactly 7 units long,
you can simply type the number 7. Notice that the value you type appears in the command line. If you press
ENTER and then move the cursor, notice that youve just created a line exactly 7 units long, and AutoCAD is
ready for you to create another line segment. Press ENTER to end the command.

The problem with the line segment you just created is that while it is indeed 7 units long, you really dont know
the angle at which it was drawn. But you can control the angle by using dynamic input.

In the Status bar, toggle on Dynamic Input. Then, create another line segment. Start the LINE command.
Notice that as soon as you move the cursor into the drawing window, you can see the X- and Y-coordinates of
the cursor location. Suppose that you wanted to create a new square just like the one on the left. The length
of each side of the square is 6 units long, which means that you need to line segments at angles of 0, 90,
180, and 270 degrees that are each exactly 6 units long.

If you knew exactly where you wanted the first line segment to start, you could type in that coordinate, but in
this case, just pick a point. Then, move the cursor to the right. Notice that dynamic input shows you the length
and angle of the line, and you can toggle between those two fields by pressing the TAB key. So if you want to
specify the length first, you can press TAB to make the length field active, then type 6, and then press the
TAB key again to toggle to the angle value. The length of the line segment is now locked to 6 units, but notice
that you can still vary the angle. Since you want this line to go straight out to the right, which is the 0-angle,
you can type zero and press the TAB key again. Notice that now, both the length and angle are locked.

Regardless of where you move the cursor, the line segment doesnt change. Its locked to a length of 6 and
an angle of 0. When you press the ENTER key, AutoCAD creates the geometry.

Now the program prompts you to specify the next point. Again, dynamic input shows you the length and
angle. If the distance field is active, you can type 6, and then press the TAB key to lock that value and switch
to the angle field. The distance is locked to 6. Now you can type in the angle of 90-degrees and press the TAB
key. That locks the line segment into the desired vertical location. And when you press ENTER, the program
creates that line segment.

This time, set the angle first. Press the TAB key to make the angle value active, type an angle of 180degrees, and press the TAB key. Now the line is locked at the desired orientation, but you can still change its
length. Type 6 and then, since you know thats the desired length, you can save a step. Instead of pressing
the TAB key, you can just press ENTER to create that line segment.

To create the final side of the square, simply right-click and choose the Close option to create the final side by
drawing a line segment from the current point back to the starting point.
So, by using direct distance entry, typing the length of the line, in conjunction with Dynamic Input, you can
quickly draw accurate geometry.

LESSON 6

Understanding Object Snap Concepts

Exercise files: OBJECT-SNAP-CONCEPTS.DWG
Object snaps are powerful drawing aids. They ensure that when you create or modify geometry, that it is
created or edited accurately.
The exercise drawing contains geometry that was created to represent a floor plan. In addition, some furniture
has been drawn as well. And at the initial level of magnification, the drawing looks pretty good.
But if you zoom in, notice that as you get closer to the geometry you can see that the line segments are not
created accurately. Some line segments are too short, so they do not meet. And other lines are too long, so
that they actually overlap.

The reason these lines do not meet is that the person who created the drawing did not use object snaps. If
they had used object snaps, they could have made sure that geometry was created accurately.
There are two different ways in which you can use object snaps: running object snaps and object snap
overrides.

A running object snap is an object snap that is toggled on at all times, which you can do using the tool on the
Status bar. Running object snaps ensure that whenever the cursor is placed near a particular type of object,
the cursor will search and try to find that snap type on that geometry.
An object snap override is a temporary object snap, which can be selected by right-clicking. When you rightclick, youll find the object snap overrides in the shortcut menu that appears when using most AutoCAD

commands. For those commands when right-clicking does not display snap overrides in the shortcut menu,
you can press the SHIFT key and then right-click to display the snap overrides shortcut menu.
When you work in 2D, you will typically use two dimensional object snaps, such as endpoint and midpoint.
When working in 3D, you can continue to use these object snaps, or use specific 3D object snaps to snap to
three-dimensional geometry, such as a vertex or corner of an object, or the midpoint on an edge.

LESSON 7

Understanding Running Object Snaps

Exercise files: OBJECT-SNAP-CONCEPTS.DWG
Running object snap modes ensure that whenever the cursor is placed near a particular type of object, the
cursor will search and try to find that snap type on the geometry.

Running object snap modes can be set from the Status bar. If you right-click on the Object Snap button on the
Status bar, you can then click to select a running object snap from the shortcut menu. Any object snap that
appears in this list with a blue rectangle around its icon is a running object snap mode that is currently active.
For example, in the exercise file, notice that Endpoint, Midpoint, and Parallel are running snap modes that are
already active.
If you would like to quickly deselect one of the current running object snap modes, or select a new one to
enable it, simply place your cursor on that item (such as Endpoint) and then click. The shortcut menu will
disappear, but if you right-click again on the Object Snap button on the Status bar, you can clearly see that the
Endpoint running object snap is no longer active. If you click on Center, when you right-click on the button, you
can see that the Center running object snap is now active.
In the shortcut menu, you can now see that the Midpoint, Center, and Parallel running object snaps are active.
If youd like to toggle on or off several running object snap modes at a time, choose Settings from this shortcut
menu to display the Object Snap tab of the Drafting Settings dialog. On this tab, you can toggle on and off as
many or as few running object snap modes as you wish by selecting or clearing the associated check boxes.
You can even toggle them all on by clicking the Select All button, or toggle them all off by clicking the Clear All
button. Sometimes, it may be easier to toggle off all of the running object snaps and then select just those
that you want toggled on at a particular time.

You may be tempted to toggle on all of the running object snaps, but this is generally not a good idea because
this can often cause conflicts. For example, if you toggle on Center, Quadrant, and Tangent, AutoCAD will find
many different snap points on arcs and circles, and this can become confusing because the geometry may
not snap to the point you intended. So its better to toggle on the modes that you use most frequently.
Toggled on just the Endpoint and Midpoint
object snaps
Also note that in order for running object snaps to be active, the Object Snap On check box must also be
selected. You can toggle this on and off using the Object Snap button on the Status bar or by pressing the F3
key. The snap modes that you select here in the dialog box simply determine which object snap modes will be
active as running object snaps when this check box is selected.
So again, after choosing which object snap modes you want to use, you can toggle on and off the running
object snap by clicking the Object Snap button on the Status bar. Click once to toggle running object snap off;
click again to toggle it on.
Now, suppose you want to create a new line that goes from one end a line segment to the end of another line
segment. Start the LINE command by clicking the Line tool in the Draw panel of the Home ribbon and then
move the cursor into the drawing. Note that in the Status bar, the Running Object Snap is turned on.
When you move the cursor over the line segment near its end, AutoCAD shows you an icon or glyph as well
as a tooltip, to indicate that it has found the endpoint of the line. Notice that you dont need to place the cursor
exactly at the end of the line. Just move it near the object. AutoCAD will find the proper geometry based on
the object snap modes that you selected for the running object snap modes. By positioning the cursor slightly
away from the actual location on the geometry youre snapping to, its easier to see that the proper location
has been selected.

Once you see the glyph and tooltip, click using the left mouse button. Notice that AutoCAD has found the end
of the line segment. Move the cursor near the end of the other line segment. Once you see the glyph over the
point you want to snap to, click to select that point.

Press ENTER to end the LINE command and then press the SPACEBAR to start the LINE command again.
This time, create geometry between the midpoints of several lines. Since you had also selected the midpoint
as one of the running object snap modes, when you move the cursor near the midpoint of a line, you see a
midpoint glyph and a tooltip that tells you that AutoCAD has found the midpoint of the line.
Youre may be wondering how AutoCAD differentiates between finding the midpoint of the line and the
endpoint of the line? It depends what your cursor is closest to. Notice that as you move the cursor closer to
the end of the line, AutoCAD finds the endpoint. As you move the cursor closer to the middle of the line, it
finds the midpoint. If you are slightly closer to one or the other, the glyph and tooltip change.

Also, note that you dont have to wait for the tooltip to become visible before you click to select the point. As
soon as you see the glyph, AutoCAD has found the geometry and you can click to select it.

LESSON 8

Using the Object Snap Overrides

Exercise files: OBJECTSNAPOVERRIDES.DWG
An object snap override is simply an object snap that overrides, or supersedes any running object snap modes
that you currently have set.
If you right-click on the Object Snap button and choose Settings from the shortcut menu to display the Object
Snap tab of the Drafting Settings dialog, you can easily see all of the current running object snap modes. For
example, suppose you know that you are going to need to snap to the centers of circles. In the Drafting
Settings dialog, you would toggle the Center object snap mode on as well. Endpoint and midpoint will not
affect anything that deals with circles. Neither will the extension object snap, so you can leave those turned on
as well. There is no need to turn off object snap modes if they will not affect the geometry that you will be
working with.

Click OK to close the Drafting Settings dialog.

In the drawing, one line extends from the center of the circle on the left to a point tangent to the upper circle.
The second line extends from the center of the circle on the left to the center of the one on the right. And the
third line segment extends from the center of the circle on the left to a point at the top, or 12 oclock quadrant
point of the lower circle. Erase the three line segments and then create them again.

Start the LINE command by clicking the Line tool in the Draw panel of the Home ribbon tab. Then move the
cursor near the edge of the circle on the left. Notice that as soon as you touch the edge of the circle, AutoCAD
displays a center snap glyph in the center of the circle as well as a tooltip showing you that it has found the
center of the circle. Click to select that point. Then move the cursor over to the right. Notice that you can also
move the cursor over the center of the circle, and AutoCAD displays the center glyph and tooltip. Most users
find it easier to move the cursor over the circle itself rather than trying to place the cursor at the center. That
way, you can more clearly see when AutoCAD is ready to snap to the center of the circle. When you see the
center glyph, click to specify the endpoint of the line.

Press the SPACEBAR or ENTER key to end the command, and then press the SPACEBAR to begin the
command again. This time, you will draw a line segment that goes from the center of the circle on the left to a
point tangent to the circle in the upper-right. Notice that now, you can hover over the edge of the circle to snap
to the center of the circle, or snap to the endpoint of the previous line, which was already drawn from the
center of the circle. Either one will yield the same point. Click to specify the first point of the line and then
move the cursor up toward this circle. Remember that you want to select a point on the circle to create a line
that is tangent to the circle. But since you didnt select the Tangent object snap as one of the running object
snap modes, when you hover the cursor over the circle, AutoCAD only shows you the center object snap.
Since Tangent is not one of the running modes, what you can do is right-click to display the shortcut cursor

menu. Notice that in the middle of this menu is a selection labeled Snap Overrides. If you move the cursor
over that selection, the menu expands and you can see all of the object snap modes. You can then select the
Tangent snap mode as an override. That means that it will override the current running object snap modes for
the next pick you make.

So by clicking on Tangent, AutoCAD is now ONLY looking for a tangent point. So if you move the cursor near
the edge of this circle, notice that it no longer finds the center. Even if you put the cursor right at the center of
the circle, it will not snap to the center or the endpoint of the line, because the Tangent object snap is
overriding the running object snap modes. So AutoCAD only finds points of tangency.

If you move the cursor over the circle, notice that you can see when the tangent glyph and tooltip appear.
There are actually two points of tangency, one near the bottom of the circle and one near the top. Once the
glyph appears near the point of tangency that you want to use, click to select that point. AutoCAD
immediately draws the line segment so that it is tangent to the circle, and now notice that the program is no
longer looking for a tangent point. The running object snap modes become active again, so that AutoCAD is
looking for centers, endpoints, and midpoints.
So as you can see, the object snap overrides simply override the running object snap just for the very next
selection. Then the running object snap modes become active again.

Press ENTER to end the LINE command and then press the SPACEBAR to start it again. Then snap to the
left end of the line, which remember is already located at the center of the circle, and then move the cursor
down to snap at the 12 oclock quadrant at the top of the lower circle. But again, since Quadrant is not one of
the current running object snaps, AutoCAD is only ready to snap to the center of the circle. So you will need to
use an object snap override.
In addition to right-clicking and then displaying the Snap Overrides flyout, you can press and hold down the
SHIFT key and then right-click to display a shortcut menu showing just the object snap overrides. There may
be times when simply right-clicking does not display a shortcut menu, but pressing the SHIFT key while
simultaneously right-clicking will always display the object snap override shortcut menu.

Now you can select the Quadrant object snap override from the shortcut menu. As soon as you do, the
shortcut menu disappears and now AutoCAD will only look for quadrant points on circles and arcs, since the
quadrant snap mode is now active as the object snap override.
There are actually four quadrant points on the circle: one at 3 oclock, one at 12 oclock, one at 9 oclock, and
one at 6 oclock. AutoCAD will snap to whichever one is closest to the cursor. When the quadrant snap glyph
appears at the quadrant point you want to snap to, click to specify that quadrant point as the endpoint of the
line.

Then you can either press the ENTER key or SPACEBAR, or right-click and choose Enter from the shortcut
menu to end the LINE command.

Chapter 3 Review
Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. Tap the button to start the test. Youll be presented
with a series of questions based on the material covered in this chapter. When you choose your answer, youll
immediately see if its correct. If you choose the wrong answer, youll see why the answer is not correct. Use
the Next Question button to advance to the next question. When you finish the last question, or to close the
test, click the X in the upper-left to return to this page.

Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. The following questions are based on the material
covered in this chapter.
1. The AutoCAD coordinate system is based on ALL of the following EXCEPT:
A. An absolute location in space.
B. Locating a point based on an X, Y and Z value.
C. A relative coordinate in space.
D. A Classic AutoCAD coordinate system or Workspace.
2. With Dynamic Input turned on, you can specify the angle of the line segment first by:

A. Typing the @ symbol and then the < (less than) symbol and the angle.
B. Typing the < (less than) symbol and the angle.
C. Pressing the SPACEBAR to enter the angle.
D. Pressing the TAB key to cycle through the input options.
3. The use of Object Snaps allows your cursor movement to:
A. Snap to the grid dots on the screen.

B. Align objects based on geometric rules, including parallel and perpendicular.

C. Connect to known and calculated geometry locations of existing objects.
D. Move at precise locations based on a snap setting.
4. When you right-click on the Object Snap icon in the Status Bar, the items in this list are:

A. Object Snap overrides.

B. Current Object Snap overrides.
C. Running Object Snap modes.
D. Current Object Snap override modes.
5. Object Snap overrides are used for:
A. Selecting multiple object snap types.
B. Selecting only one object snap type.
C. Turning off Snap mode.
D. Selecting a 3D object snap.

Answer Key: 1.d 2.d 3.c 4.c 5.b

Chapter 4
Managing Layers
AutoCAD helps you to organize information in your drawings for greater efficiency. For example, you can draw
object representing different types of information on various layers and then use those layers to control the
visibility as well as the color and linetype of those objects. In this chapter, you will learn how to create and
manage layers and layer settings.

LESSON 1

Introducing Layer Concepts

Layers are a powerful and fundamental tool that you will use in AutoCAD every day, regardless of the type of
drawing project or file that you are working in. You use layers as an organizational tool to group similar types of
objects together so that you can control their visibility. For example, you might create a separate layer for the
foundation of the building and then you would have another layer to show the exterior walls of the building,
and another layer to show the interior walls. You might have a separate layer to show the electrical system, a
different layer for the HVAC, and another for the plumbing systems.
You do this so that the entire building can exist in one drawing file. You then use layers to control the visibility
of the things you want to see and not see by organizing similar types of objects on the same layer.
It is important to also understand the layer states. Each drawing can have as many layers as you want and
you can assign just about any name to identify each layer. To organize all of those layers, most people use a
logical naming convention. Many professional organizations publish layering standards that you can use to
name the various layers in the drawing.
You use the layers to control the visibility of objects. When you do not need to see the objects on a particular
layer, you can turn the layer off or freeze it. If you do need to see the objects, you can turn that layer on or
thaw it. You can edit the geometry on any of the layers. Essentially, if you can see it, you can modify it,
regardless of the layer that something has been drawn on. Obviously, you cannot select anything that you
cannot see, so you cannot modify geometry on layers that are not visible.
But you can only create geometry on the top or current layer. So when you are using a draw command, such
as lines, arcs, circles, or text, any geometry creation command, you can only create the geometry on the
current layer.

For example, this illustration shows several sheets of Mylar, like what we used to use with pin-bar drafting. Or
perhaps these are transparencies on an overhead projector. You can have as many sheets as you want. If
there is a sheet that has some information or objects drawn on it that you do not want to see, you can simply
take that sheet out of the stack. If it is not in the stack, then you cannot see that information. In AutoCAD,
you can accomplish the same thing by simply turning the layer off.
The layer on the top is equivalent to the current layer in AutoCAD. If you were to press the stack of
transparencies down and start drawing with a pen, you would be drawing on the top most transparency. In
AutoCAD, you would be drawing on the current layer. So the top sheet is the current layer.
If you want to create something on the third sheet, you must first take that sheet and place it on the top
before you start to create new geometry, because you can only draw on the top or current layer.

LESSON 2

Establishing the Current Layer

Exercise files: LAYER-CONCEPTS.DWG
Layers are a fundamental tool that you use to help you organize the objects in your drawing. You can have as
many layers in a drawing as you need, but only one layer can be current, or the top layer, at a time.

So in the layer list in the Layer panel of the Home ribbon, you can see that the current layer, the layer at the
top of the list, is layer 0. If you select a different layer in this list, such as the Furniture layer, notice that that
layer now appears at the top of the list. The layer at the top of the list is known as the current layer.
If you think of each of these layers as being a separate sheet of Mylar or transparency, while you can see as
many layers as you wish, you can only draw on one layer at a time. The layer you draw on is the current
layer.
With Furniture set as the current layer, start the CIRCLE command and draw a circle to represent a table.
That table has now been created on the current layer, the Furniture layer.
If you want to verify that the object, or any object for that matter, was created on its appropriate layer, all you
need to do is move the cursor and pause it over an object. The program will display a small property panel
that will show you the layer of that object as well as its color and linetype. If you click to actually select the
object, you will see a Quick Properties palette that also includes this information. Notice that when you select
an object, its layer also displays in the Layer panel of the Home ribbon.
Press the ESC key to deselect that object and then move the cursor over a different object, such as a door.
Notice that now the property panel shows you that the door is drawn on the Doors layer. If you select the
door, the program displays the Quick Properties palette. You can see that the door is drawn on the Doors
layer, and if it was drawn on the wrong layer, you could change the layer right here in the palette. And again,
when you select an object, its layer also displays in the Layer panel of the Home ribbon, and in the case of the
door, it clearly shows you that the object is drawn on the Doors layer.
Pressing the ESC key deselects the object. Now, if you want to create another door, you can select the Doors
layer. Notice that now the Doors layer is the current layer.
If you move the cursor over the circle you previously created, the property panel shows you that the circle

was created on the Furniture layer. And if you select it, the Quick Properties palette also shows you that the
circle was drawn on the Furniture layer. And when you select an object, you can also see its layer in the
Layers panel on the Home ribbon. You can see that it was indeed created on the Furniture layer.
Press the ESC key to deselect the object.

LESSON 3

Understanding the On and Off Layer States

Exercise files: LAYER-CONCEPTS.DWG
You use layers to organize information in your drawings in a logical form so that you can control the visibility of
objects that you want to see and not see at any particular time.
When you work with layers, you must also deal with the concept of the current layer. Choosing a layer from
the list and selecting it will make that layer the current layer. That means that any new objects that you create
will be created on that particular layer.
Suppose you were creating new furniture for an office layout. Logically, you would create that furniture on the
Furniture layer. But there may be times when you dont need to see the FURNITURE layer. When you dont
need to see the objects on a particular layer, you can turn that layer off.

To turn a layer off, simply expand the Layer drop-down and click the icon to turn a particular layer off. When
you turn a layer off, the objects on that layer are no longer visible. If you dont need to see the doors, you can
click the On/Off icon for the Doors layer and then the doors will no longer be visible in the drawing either.
But notice that if you try to turn off the current layer, the program displays a warning to let you know that if
you turn off this particular layer, any objects you subsequently create will not be visible. In other words, even
though the layer is no longer visible, it would still be the current layer and youd be creating objects that would
not be visible. So in most cases, you would want to keep that layer on. Otherwise, you wouldnt be able to
see the geometry that you just created.

Similarly, if you select a layer and make it the current layer, you will also want to make sure that the layer is

turned on. For example, if you wanted to create more furniture, you would first turn the Furniture layer back on
and then select it and make it the current layer. Then, any new geometry you create will be on that layer and
will be visible.
Again, if you attempt to turn off the current layer, the program displays a warning asking if youre absolutely
sure you really want to turn off the current layer. If you say yes, the current layer will be turned off, but any
new geometry you create will not be visible until you turn that layer on again. So in most cases, you will not
want to turn off the current layer.

LESSON 4

Controlling the Layer Color

Exercise files: LAYER-CONCEPTS.DWG
You can control the color assigned to a layer so that you can use different colors to help distinguish which
objects are on which layers. For example, the exercise drawing includes a Reflected Ceiling Plan layer that is
currently turned off. Notice that when you turn it on, all of the objects on that layer appear in distinctive color,
making it easy to identify the objects drawn on that layer.

To change the color assigned to a layer, you can expand the Layer drop-down and click on the color swatch
adjacent to that layer. The program displays the Select Color dialog. You can then choose the color you want
to assign to that layer by selecting any of the 256 colors on the Index Color tab, specifying a color using the
tools on the True Color tab, or choosing a color from any of the color books on the Color Books tab. You have
a choice of more than 13 million different colors.

Once youve selected a color, click OK to close the Select Color dialog. All of the objects on the layer that were
created with their color set to ByLayer will change to the new color.

LESSON 5

Introducing the Layer Properties Manager Palette

Exercise files: LAYER-CONCEPTS.DWG
In addition to the Layer drop down in the Layers panel on the Home ribbon, you can also control layer states
and layer settings by using the Layer Properties Manager.

When you click the Layer Properties button, the program displays the Layer Properties manager. This button
acts as a toggle. If you click on the button again, the Layer Properties Manager disappears. Click the button
again, and the Layer Properties Manager is once again visible.
The Layer Properties Manager is a palette, and therefore it behaves just like any other palette. When its
floating, you can move it around by dragging on its title bar. You can also resize the palette by clicking and
dragging on an edge or corner. If you right-click on the title bar, you can move, size, or close the palette.

The Layer Properties Manager palette can also be docked to the side of the drawing window, or anchored to
the left or right. Notice that when the palette is anchored, its actually still open, but rolls up so that it doesnt
take up much room. But since its a palette, you can start a command, such as the LINE command, and
then, when you move the cursor over the palette, the Layer Properties Manager rolls back out and you can
make changes to layer settings even while in the middle of the command. Notice that when you move the
cursor back into the drawing window, the palette rolls back up and the LINE command is still active.
Even when the palette is floating, it can be set to automatically hide. Now, when you move the cursor off the
palette, you only see the palette title bar, but when you move the cursor back over the palette, it rolls back out
so that you can modify the layer settings. If you dont want the palette to roll up like this, you can right-click on
the palette title bar and turn off the Auto-Hide feature. When Auto-Hide is turned off, the palette no longer

hides when you move the cursor away from the palette.
When the palette is visible, it can be difficult to see objects behind the palette. But you can also adjust the
transparency of the palette. To do this, right-click on the palette title bar again and choose Transparency. This
displays the Transparency dialog box. Notice that the dialog box has two settings. The General setting controls
the overall transparency of the palette. By dragging this slider to the left, you can increase the transparency of
the Layer Properties Manager palette. Set that value to 30 percent.
The Rollover setting controls the transparency of the palette when you move the cursor over the palette. You
can click the Click to Preview button to see the effect of this setting. Notice that when the Rollover
transparency is set to 100 percent, the palette will become solid when you move the cursor over the palette. If
you still want to see through the palette a bit even when the cursor is over the palette, you can reduce this
value. Set it to 60 percent. Then click the preview button to see what this looks like.
Note that the General transparency cant be more opaque than the Rollover transparency. Notice that if you
move the General slider back to the right, once you reach 60 percent, as you move the General slider the
Rollover slider moves as well.
Change the General value to 75 percent and the Rollover setting to 100 percent. Once the transparency is set
the way you want, click OK.
Now you can see the geometry behind the palette. When you move the cursor over the palette, the palette
becomes opaque. You can then modify any of the layer states. For example, you can turn layers on and off,
change their colors, and so on.
Notice that as you make those changes, you immediately see the changes in the drawing. There is no OK or
Apply button, because the Layer Properties Manager is a palette, not a dialog box. When you make changes
using a palette, you see those changes immediately in the drawing.
This makes it very easy to manipulate layers even while youre in the middle of using some other command.
Most people prefer to have the Layer Properties Manager anchored rather than floating. That way, it stays out
of the way until needed. When you need to make a change, you can move the cursor to the edge of the
drawing window. Then, when the palette becomes visible, you can make any necessary changes, and then
move the cursor back into the drawing and continue what you were doing.

LESSON 6

Controlling the Linetype of a Layer

Exercise files: LAYER-CONCEPTS.DWG
Linetypes enable you to create objects in AutoCAD that utilize different line patterns, including lines with
dashes, dots, and even text and symbols as part of the line. In most cases, you control the linetypes of
objects by adjusting the linetype of the layer on which they are drawn. You can adjust the linetype of a layer
from within the Layer Properties Manager palette.
As long as the objects drawn on that layer are created with their linetype set to BYLAYER, if you change the
linetype assigned to the layer, all of those objects will change to match the linetype.

In the exercise drawing, notice that in the Layer Properties Manager palette, all of the layers currently use the
Continuous linetype. To change the linetype assigned to a layer, click in the Linetype column for that layer.
AutoCAD immediately displays the Select Linetype dialog. Notice that at present, there are only three
linetypes currently loaded in this drawing: Continuous, Hidden, and Phantom2. Whenever you start a new
drawing, you will always see the Continuous linetype. Depending on the template that you use to start a new
drawing, you may see other linetypes as well. But there certainly must be other linetypes that you can use.
And there are.
Before you can use other linetypes in a drawing, however, you must first load them into the drawing. To load
other linetypes, click the Load button. AutoCAD immediately displays the Load or Reload Linetypes dialog.
Notice that at the top of the dialog is a File button and adjacent to it is a file name, in this case ACAD.LIN.
AutoCAD linetypes are defined and saved in a special linetype definition file, with the file extension .LIN.
AutoCAD comes with several such files, one of them being this ACAD.LIN file, and you can create and save
your own custom linetypes or obtain additional linetype files from third-parties. To load a linetypes from a
different linetype library file, click the File button to open a Select Linetype File dialog, and then select the
linetype library file you want to use.
Once you have chosen the linetype library file you want to use, the Load or Reload Linetypes dialog shows
you all of the linetypes available in that file. To load one of these linetypes, select it in the list and then click
OK. Note that if you want to load several linetypes at one time, you can hold down the CTRL key, select

multiple linetypesfor example, choose the Fence Line, the Gas Line, and the Hot Water Supply lineand
then click OK.

You are then returned back to the Select Linetype dialog. You can then choose one of the linetypes you just
loaded into the drawingfor example, select the Hot Water Supply Lineand then click OK. AutoCAD
immediately assigns that linetype to all of the objects on that layer. If you go back to the Select Linetype
dialog and choose a different linetype, all of the objects on the layer change again to the new linetype you
selected.

LESSON 7

Controlling the Viewport Freeze Layer State

Exercise files: LAYERCONCEPTS.DWG
You can freeze or thaw layers in specific layout viewports without affecting other viewports. This enables you
to have different information displayed in each viewport.

If you open the Layer Properties Manager palette and look at the various columns, you wont see a column
labeled VP Freeze. You see one labeled New VP Freeze, but not VP Freeze. But if you switch to a paper
space layout, notice that now you do see a VP Freeze column in addition to the New VP Freeze column.

VP Freeze is only available when you are working in paper space. This control enables you to control the
freeze or thaw state of layers individually in each viewport.
Switch back to model space. When you freeze the FURNITURE layer, notice that you can no longer see the
furniture. When you switch to the paper space layout, the FURNITURE layer is frozen in both of the viewports
as well. But suppose that you do want to see the furniture. To do that, thaw the FURNITURE layer.
The paper space layout actually has two viewports. Suppose that you want to see the furniture in the lowerright viewport, which shows the actual office layout, but you dont want to see the furniture in the upper-left

viewport. This is where the VP Freeze control comes into play. Double-click inside the upper-left viewport to
make it the active viewport. Then, in the Layer Properties Manager palette, toggle off the VP Freeze setting
for the FURNITURE layer. Notice that now, the furniture is no longer visible in the upper-left viewport, but it
remains visible in the other viewport.

When you use VP Freeze to freeze a layer in the active viewport, the layer is no longer visible in that viewport but remains visible in the other
viewports.

Click inside the viewport in the lower-right. Then, in the Layer Properties Manager palette, toggle off the VP
Freeze setting for the DOORS layer. Notice that now, the doors are no longer visible in the viewport in the
lower-right, but they are still visible in this viewport.
When you switch back to model space, you can see that all of the layers are still visible, because you did not
freeze the layers in the model. You simply froze them in selected viewports in the paper space layout.

LESSON 8

Creating a New Layer

Exercise files: LAYER-CONCEPTS.DWG
When you begin working on a drawing, it will always have a Layer 0. Depending on the template used to start
the drawing, it may already contain other layers as well. But you may find that you need to add additional
layers. You can create new layers using the Layer Properties Manager palette.
Suppose youre working on a project, or you open an existing drawing, and you realize that you need to create
several new layers. In the Layer Properties Manager palette, if you click the New Layer button, notice that
AutoCAD immediate adds a new layer. It names it Layer 1. Notice that the layer also takes on the same
properties as whatever layer had previously been selected in the Layer Properties Manager. Since you had
Layer 0 selected, the new layer takes on the same properties as Layer 0.

If you select the R-CEILING layer and then click the New Layer button, notice that the new layer takes on the
same properties of that layer. This is a useful feature. If you know that the new layer youre creating should
have some or all of the same layer states as an existing layer, you can select the existing layer first and then
click the New Layer button.
When you create new layers, you probably want to give them more logical, descriptive names than Layer 1
and Layer 2. Once the layers have been created, you can rename them. To change the name of an existing
layer, you can simply select that layer and then click on its name again to make the name field active. Then
you can type the new name. In this case, select Layer 2 and change its name to ELECTRICAL.
If you are creating several layers at one time, there is an even easier way. Notice that when you rename a
layer, or if youve just created a new layer and immediately change the name of the layer (call this layer HVAC
and then press the ENTER key), if you press the ENTER key again, notice that AutoCAD immediately creates
another new layer. Now you can enter the name for this new layer (call it ROOF), press ENTER, and then
press the ENTER key again, and another new layer is created. Type the name of this new layer as well (call it
SMOKE).
This is much faster than constantly moving the cursor back up to click on the New Layer button. Also notice
that each new layer you add using this method takes on the same layer state settings as the previous layer.

Chapter 4 Review
Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. Tap the button to start the test. Youll be presented
with a series of questions based on the material covered in this chapter. When you choose your answer, youll
immediately see if its correct. If you choose the wrong answer, youll see why the answer is not correct. Use
the Next Question button to advance to the next question. When you finish the last question, or to close the
test, click the X in the upper-left to return to this page.

Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. The following questions are based on the material
covered in this chapter.
1. Before you can draw new geometry on an existing Layer, you must first:
A. Turn the Layer On.
B. Set the Layer Current.
C. Thaw all Frozen Layers.
D. Unlock the Layer.
2. Any object with Color or Linetype set to ByLayer will automatically update when:
A. The Color or Linetype of the Layer is changed.
B. A regeneration occurs.
C. The Match Properties setting is enabled.
D. The Layer is set Current.
3. Setting a Layer State to VP Freeze means that the Layer:
A. Will be Frozen only in the current Viewport.
B. Will be Frozen in future Viewports.
C. Shows all existing Layers that are Frozen.
D. Will be Frozen in ALL Viewports EXCEPT in Model space.

Answer Key: 1.b 2.a 3.a

Chapter 5
Controlling Object Properties
Each object you draw in AutoCAD has certain properties, such as color, linetype, lineweight, and so on. In this
chapter, you will learn how to control and modify those object properties using tools in the ribbon as well as the
Properties and Quick Properties palettes.

LESSON 1

Understanding ByLayer and Object Property Concepts

Exercise files: OBJECT_PROPERTIES_CONCEPTS.DWG
When you create objects in AutoCAD, its important to distinguish how the objects properties are assigned.
The current properties, for any new object that you create, are shown in the Properties panel on the Home
ribbon.

Notice that the first item in this panel determines the color. The current color is set to BYLAYER. The current
lineweight is set to BYLAYER. The current linetype is set to BYLAYER. And the current Transparency is also
set to BYLAYER.
Objects created with their properties set to BYLAYER will take on the color, lineweight, linetype and
transparency assigned to the layer on which they are created. If you set these properties to anything other
than BYLAYER, then that property will be assigned to the object explicitly. In other words, the property will not
be controlled by the layer on which the object is created.

So when you create an object, you can determine when you create it whether you want its color, lineweight,

linetype, and transparency assigned based on the property of the layer, or, by choosing from one of these
property drop-downs, assign a particular color, lineweight, linetype, or transparency explicitly to the object.
Again, in most instances, you should assign color, lineweight, linetype, and transparency BYLAYER, so that
the objects you create take on the properties assigned to the layer on which they are created. But if you wish,
you can assign these properties explicitly to the object, in which case the color, lineweight, linetype, or
transparency assigned to the object overrides that of the layer on which the object is created.

LESSON 2

Setting the Color ByLayer

Exercise files: OBJECT_PROPERTIES_CONCEPTS.DWG
Objects in AutoCAD, such as lines, arcs, circles, and other geometry, can have color assigned to them in one
of two ways. Objects can have colors assigned based on the color of the layer on which they are created, or
an object can simply have a color assigned to it.
In the exercise drawing, if you move the cursor over the object shown, AutoCAD displays a property panel
that displays the properties of the object. Notice that its current color is assigned ByLayer. But if you move the
cursor over the other object, notice that it has been assigned the color Blue. Note that both objects were
created on Layer 0. Since this object has its color set ByLayer, if you change the color of its layer, the object
will automatically change.

So if you change the color assigned to Layer 0, for example, if you change the color assigned to Layer 0 to
Red, notice that the upper line is now red. If you go back to the Layer drop-down and change the color again,
for example if you make it green, the upper line is now green.
So as you can see, any object that has its color set to ByLayer will automatically change to whatever color the
layer happens to be, while the lower line, which was assigned the color Blue, remains that color regardless of
the color you choose for its layer.

LESSON 3

Setting the Linetype ByLayer

Exercise files: OBJECT_PROPERTIES_CONCEPTS.DWG
Objects created in AutoCADsuch as lines, arcs, circles, and other geometrycan have a linetype assigned
to them in one of two ways. Objects can have linetype assigned based on the linetype of the layer on which
they are created or an object can simply have a linetype assigned to it.

In the exercise drawing, notice that when the cursor is placed over the upper line, you can see in the property
panel that its linetype is assigned ByLayer, whereas the other line has been assigned the Continuous linetype.
Note that both objects were created on Layer 0. Since the first object has its linetype set ByLayer, if you
change the linetype of that particular layer, the object will automatically change.
You can do that using the Layer Properties Manager. Click the Layer Properties button in the Layers panel of
the Home ribbon to display the Layer Properties Manager palette. In the Layer Properties Manager, you can
see that the linetype currently assigned to Layer 0 is the Continuous linetype.

If you click on the linetype, AutoCAD displays the Select Linetype dialog, which shows you all of the linetypes
that are currently loaded in the drawing. You can now assign a different linetype to Layer 0 by selecting it from
this list.

If you do not see the linetype that you want to use, you can click on the Load button to load other linetypes
from the ACAD.LIN file. This file, which is found in the support path or folder, contains all of the linetype
definitions.

So if you would like to load other linetypes, you can simply scroll down through the list, press and hold the
CTRL key, click to select the linetypes that you want to load, and then click OK. Those additional linetypes are
immediately loaded and become available in the drawing.
To change the linetype assigned to Layer 0, simply choose the linetype in the Select Linetype dialog, and then
click OK.
Notice that the upper line, the line whose linetype property was set to ByLayer, has changed. But the lower
line, the line whose linetype property was set to Continuous, has not changed.
So as you can see, any object that has its linetype set to ByLayer will automatically change to whatever
linetype the layer happens to be, while lines that have their linetype set to a specific linetype will remain that
linetype regardless of the linetype you choose for its layer.

LESSON 4

Setting the Lineweight ByLayer

Exercise files: OBJECT_PROPERTIES_CONCEPTS.DWG
Lineweight makes objects appear with thick or bold lines. Objects created in AutoCADsuch as lines, arcs,
circles, and other geometrycan have lineweight assigned to them in one of two ways. Objects can have
lineweight assigned based on the lineweight of the layer on which they are created, or an object can simply
have a lineweight assigned to it.
For example, in the exercise drawing are two lines. Both lines were created on Layer 0. The upper line has its
lineweight property set to ByLayer. The lower line has its lineweight property set to a specific lineweight. When
an object has its lineweight property set to ByLayer, if you change the lineweight of that particular layer, the
object will automatically change.

You can do that using the Layer Properties Manager. Click the Layer Properties button in the Layers panel of
the Home ribbon to display the Layer Properties Manager palette. In the Layer Properties Manager, you can
see that the lineweight currently assigned to Layer 0 is set to what is known as the Default.

If you click on the Lineweight, the program displays the Lineweight dialog, which shows all of the possible
lineweights. You use this dialog to assign a different lineweight to the layer by choosing it in the list. Notice that
the lineweights are currently being displayed in millimeters. This can also be switched to display in inches.
Select a lineweight of .5mm for Layer 0, and then click OK.

Notice that the lineweight has now been assigned to Layer 0, but you dont see any change in the drawing.
Thats because there is one additional step in order for the lineweight to appear in the drawing. In Status bar,
you must click the Show/Hide Lineweight button. By default, this is toggled off. Once you toggle it on, youll
be able to see the lineweight applied to the upper line in the drawing. Remember, the upper line has its
lineweight set to ByLayer. The lower line has its lineweight set to an explicit value.

Remember that for objects that have their lineweight property set to ByLayer, if you change the lineweight for
the layer on which the object is created, the object will change. But for objects that have their lineweight
property set to any value other than ByLayer, they will retain their explicit lineweight value regardless of the
lineweight you assign to the layer.
If you click the Show/Hide Lineweight button again, the lines no longer display with a lineweight. Click on it
again, and now you can see the lineweight. So this is a simple switch that you can toggle on and off.
If you right-click on this button and choose Settings from the shortcut menu, you can change the Lineweight
Settings. Notice that in this dialog box, you can switch between millimeters and inches for the display of the
lineweight values.

The check box duplicates the Status bar button for turning the display of lineweight on and off.
The default drop-down lets you control the lineweight used when a layer is set to use the Default lineweight.
And the slider lets you adjust the thickness of the lineweight that displays when working in Model Space.
When you print or plot the drawing, the lineweight will print at the exact width that you specify, measured in
either inches or millimeters. But when working in Model Space, if you were to zoom way out to the drawing
extents, the lines might appear so small on the screen that you wouldnt be able to see that the lines actually
have lineweight, even when the display of lineweight is toggled on.
So by increasing or decreasing the display setting, by moving the slider, you can change the thickness used to
display lineweight while working in Model Space. If you zoom in or out in Model Space, notice that the
lineweight display doesnt change. If you go back and adjust the slider, you can make the line appear thicker
while working in Model Space, but once you make the line appear thicker, it still remains at that same
lineweight regardless of how you change the magnification in Model Space.
Again, this does not affect the way the objects will print. It simply changes the way objects appear while
working in Model Space, to help you distinguish which objects have lineweight.

LESSON 5

Modifying Properties Using the Property Panel and Layer Panel

Exercise files: CHANGE_PROPERTIES.DWG
Its not uncommon to create an object and then discover later that the object was created on the wrong layer
or with the wrong color or the wrong linetype or with the wrong lineweight or the wrong transparency. But
what method should you use to fix these objects?

First, understand that the easiest way to check the properties of an existing object is to move your cursor over
the object. A little panel will appear showing you the current color, layer, and linetype of the object. For
example, if you move your cursor over object representing the chair, you can see that it is a polyline drawn on
Layer 0. The circle representing the table was also drawn on Layer 0. One way to correct this is to simply click
to select the object. When you select the object, the object highlights. When the object highlights, its layer also
displays in the Layers panel of the Home ribbon. Once its layer is displayed, you can change the layer of the
object by simply clicking on the drop-down and selecting the layer that you want that object to go on. To move
the object to the Furniture layer, select that layer from the drop-down.

If you wanted to change other properties of the object, such as the color, linetype, lineweight, or transparency,
you would select the appropriate drop-down in the Properties panel on the Home ribbon. For example, to
change the objects color, expand the Color drop-down and choose a different color. Notice that as you move
the cursor over a color in the drop-down, you can see a preview of what the object will look like using that
color. You could also choose a different lineweight, linetype, or transparency value. Again, if you expand the
Linetype drop-down, notice that as you move the cursor over each different linetype, you see a preview of
what the object would look like using each linetype. Once youre done editing an object, press the ESC key to
deselect the object, and notice that the object has been changed. Also notice that once youve made your

changes, if you look back at the Layer controls, you can see that the current layer is still set to Layer 0. The
current layer never changed. The current layer is still Layer 0. Similarly, over in the Properties panel, the
current color, linetype, lineweight, and current transparency are all still set to ByLayer. Those havent changed
either. But when you move the cursor over an object to see its current properties, you can see its current color,
layer, and linetype. And if you select the object, then in the Layers panel you can see what layer it was drawn
on, and in the Properties panel you can see the objects color, linetype, lineweight, and transparency, and then
use those controls to change any of those values as well.

LESSON 6

Modifying Properties Using the Quick Property Palette

Exercise files: CHANGE_PROPERTIES.DWG
If you create an object on the wrong layer or with the wrong color or the wrong linetype, you can change its
properties a couple of different ways. One of the more powerful tools you can use is the Quick Properties
palette. Before you can use the Quick Properties palette, however, you must toggle it on, by clicking the Quick
Properties button on the Status bar. Once the Quick Properties palette has been toggled on, it will appear
adjacent to the cursor whenever you select an object.

Remember that when you move the cursor over an object, you see a small properties panel that displays the
object type as well as its color, layer, and linetype. But with the Quick Properties palette toggled on, when you
click on the object, not only do you see that the object is highlighted, which can then be edited using grips, you
also see the Quick Properties palette, which displays many more properties. When you press ESC to deselect
the circle, the Quick Properties palette disappears.

Select the circle again. The circle is supposed to represent a table. But its currently drawn on Layer 0. But you
can easily change that by simply expanding the Layer drop-down in the Quick Properties palette and choosing
the Furniture layer. If you want to change the color of the circle, you can expand the color drop-down in the
Quick Properties palette. Notice that as you move the cursor over a color in the list, you can see a preview of
what the object will look like using that color. This also works for other properties, such as linetype. Once you
are done editing the object, simply press the ESC key.
You can also use the Quick Properties palette to change the properties of multiple objects. For example, select
the chair and the table using a crossing window. Notice that now, the Quick Properties palette shows that the
layers vary, and it doesnt show all of the properties because there are different types of objects selected, so
they dont all have the same types of properties. But if you expand the drop-down, you can choose a
particular type of object, such as Circle, and then you can see all of the properties of the circle.

Suppose you want to move all of the objects you selected to the FURNITURE layer. Expand the drop-down
and choose All of the objects. All objects include the general properties Color, Layer, and Linetype. Now, you
can simply expand the Layer drop-down and choose the FURNITURE layer. All three objects have now been
moved to the FURNITURE layer.
There are several advantages to using this Quick Properties palette. You can move it around and place it close
to the objects that you want to edit. And it only appears when you have made a selection of objects, when
you are not using some other AutoCAD command.
When you press the ESC key, the Quick Properties palette disappears. If you select another object, such as a
line, the Quick Properties palette pops up near that object. If you press the ESC key and then select a
different line, the palette pops up near that object, making it easy for you to change the objects properties
without having to move the cursor all the way up to the ribbon to make changes in the Layers or Properties
panel in the ribbon bar.
In many instances, you dont even have to have the Quick Properties palette enabled. On the Status bar,
toggle off the Quick Properties palette. Notice that even though the Quick Properties palette is now turned off,
if you double-click on the circle, the palette is displayed again. When you press the ESC key, it disappears.

LESSON 7

Modifying Properties Using the Properties Palette

Exercise files: CHANGE_PROPERTIES.DWG
If you create an object on the wrong layer or with the wrong color or the wrong linetype, you can change its
properties several different ways. One method you can use to change the properties of an object is to use the
Properties palette.
To display the Properties palette, you can click on the small arrow in the lower-right corner of the Properties
panel on the Home ribbon or switch to the View ribbon and then, in the Palettes panel, click the Properties
Palette button. You can also display this palette by pressing the CTRL+1 keyboard combination.
The Properties palette behaves similar to other types of palettes. Since it is a palette, it can be moved. You
can resize the palette by dragging an edge or corner of the palette. You can also right-click on the title bar of
the palette and then use tools in the shortcut menu to move, size, or close the palette, or allow it to dock,
which means that if you drag it to the edge of the screen, it will actually change shape and dock itself to the
edge of the drawing window. Double-clicking on the palette title bar, or simply dragging it off, will make it
floating again.
The palette can also be set to hide, so that when you move the cursor away from the palette, it rolls up so
that it doesnt take up any more space than a toolbar. When you move the cursor back over the title bar, the
palette rolls back out so that you can see the entire palette.

You can also control the transparency of the palette. When you right-click and choose this option, the program
displays the Transparency dialog. Here you can control the transparency of the palette when its simply
displayed, as well as the transparency when the cursor is rolled over the palette. Notice that as you move the
General slider bar to the left, for less opacity, the palette becomes fainter. You can also adjust the roll over
value. Notice that as you increase the general value, it cant be more solid than the roll over transparency
setting.

You can click the preview button to see the difference between the General and Rollover transparency values.
When youre satisfied with these settings, click OK.
The advantage of having a somewhat transparent palette is that now, when the palette expands, you can still
see the geometry behind the palette. Right-click again and increase the opacity.
Notice that when you right-click on the palette title bar, another option is to anchor the palette on the left or
right edge of the drawing area. When the palette it anchored, it appears at the edge of the screen as just a title
bar, but when you move the cursor over that title bar, it expands to show the entire palette. Many people like
to work with the palette anchored in this way, because then, the palette is actually open all the time, and
simply moving the cursor over the palette causes it to expand so that you can then change the properties of
selected objects.
When you dock the palette it then always remains visible and takes up a portion of the drawing window.
Look at the top of the Properties palette. Notice that it says No Selection. Although the Properties palette is
open, no objects are currently selected. Therefore, nothing can be modified or changed. But if you select a
circle, you see the Quick Properties palette because it was toggled on in the Status bar. Notice that the Quick
Properties palette displays many of the same properties as the Properties palette. But since you can see all of
the properties in the Properties palette, you really dont need to see both palettes, so you may want to turn off
the Quick Properties palette.

In the Properties palette, you can see that a circle is selected and use any of the controls to change its properties.

In the Properties palette, you can see that a circle is selected. Now you can use any of the controls in the
Properties palette to change any of that objects properties. Notice that if you expand the Color drop-down, as
you move the cursor over a color, you can see a preview of what the object would look like using that color.
The same is true of the linetype and transparency.

Not only can you change the color, layer, and linetype, you can also change any of the physical geometry
properties of the object. For example, you can move the object by changing the X and Y coordinates of its
center point. You can also change its radius, its diameter, and even specify its circumference. So for example,
if you know that the circumference of the circle is supposed to be exactly 22-feet, you could click in that field
and type in that value, and when you press the ENTER key, all of the properties affected immediately change
and the circle updates.
Once youre done modifying that object, press the ESC key to deselect the object.
This time, select the circle and the other objects as well. Notice that when you select multiple types of objects,
you can no longer change the physical properties of the geometry. But if you expand the drop-down at the top
of the Properties palette, you can see the different types of objects that youve selected: a polyline, a line, and
a circle. You cant change the physical properties of all the geometry at once. With multiple types of objects
selected, you can only change the general properties, such as color, layer, and linetype. So if you wished, you
could move all of the objects to the Furniture layer.
But if you expand the drop-down and select a specific type of object, such as the circle, you can then modify
the physical geometry properties of that object.
Once youve made that change, you can move the cursor back over the drawing area, press the ESC key to
deselect those objects, and notice that now the Properties palette once again shows you that no objects are
currently selected.
And if youre completely done with the Properties palette, you can close it by clicking the close button, the X in
the upper-right corner.

Chapter 5 Review
Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. Tap the button to start the test. Youll be presented
with a series of questions based on the material covered in this chapter. When you choose your answer, youll
immediately see if its correct. If you choose the wrong answer, youll see why the answer is not correct. Use
the Next Question button to advance to the next question. When you finish the last question, or to close the
test, click the X in the upper-left to return to this page.

Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. The following questions are based on the material
covered in this chapter.
1. Objects in AutoCAD can have Color in one of two possible ways. One is Color ByLayer, and the
other is:
A. Color by Viewport.
B. Color of the Object.
C. Color by Choice.
D. Color by Visibility.
2. If Linetype choices do NOT appear in the drawing, you must:
A. Load Linetypes to see them.
B. Toggle the Linetype button ON in the Status bar.
C. Turn Linetype Visibility ON to see them.
D. Set the Linetype to ByLayer to see them.
3. If thicker lineweights do NOT appear in the drawing, you must:
A. Load Lineweights to see them.
B. Toggle the Lineweight button ON in the Status bar.
C. Turn Linetype Visibility ON to see them.
D. Set the Lineweight to ByLayer to see them.
4. You can modify the properties of an existing object using ANY of the following methods EXCEPT:
A. The Layer Properties Manager palette.

B. The Properties palette.

C. The Quick Properties palette.
D. The Properties panel in the ribbon.

Answer Key: 1.b 2.a 3.b 4.a

Chapter 6
Working with Complex Objects
In addition to the simple 2D objects you learned about in Chapter 2, AutoCAD includes a more complex object
called a polyline, a single object that can be comprised of a series of line and arc segments. In this chapter,
you will learn how to create and modify this very powerful all-purpose object.

LESSON 1

Understanding Polyline Property Concepts

Exercise files: POLYLINE.DWG
A polyline is a complex object. It consists of a sequence of segments created as a single object, and as such,
has some unique properties that make it different than other types of objects you create.
A polyline exists as a single object. While the object on the left in the exercise file may look like a series of line
segments, its not. Notice that as you move the cursor over the object, all of the line segments highlight. This
is a single polyline object, with the individual segments connected at the vertices. The object is actually a
single polyline.

Another unique property of polylines is that they can be made up of both line and arc segments. Again, this is
a single polyline object. Notice that as you move the cursor over the middle object, the entire object highlights.

Finally, a polyline can have a line width, sometimes referred to as a line weight. As you move the cursor over
the object on the right, you can see that the object itself has line weight, which is known as polyline width.

The three most unique aspects of polylines are that they exist as one object, they can be made up of both line
and arc segments, and those segments can have width.

LESSON 2

Drawing Polyline Line Segments

Exercise files: POLYLINE.DWG
You can create a polyline as a series of straight line segments.

To start the command, click the Polyline tool, which is located in the Draw panel on the Home ribbon. When
you start the command, the program prompts you, both at the command lineand with dynamic input
enabled, at the cursorto specify a starting point. This is very similar to the LINE command. Pick a point
where you want to start, and then move the cursor. You can use any of the drawing aids to help you create
the geometry. In this case, make sure that Polar Tracking, Object Snap, and Object Snap Tracking are all
enabled.

When you begin to draw a polyline, the command behaves similar to the LINE command but offers additional options.

Notice that in the command window, the program prompts you for the next point, and as you move the
cursor, you can see that polar tracking has snapped the line to a horizontal orientation, and you can also use
direct distance entry if you wish to specify the length of the polyline segment. Click to specify the endpoint.
The program draws that polyline segment and immediately prompts you to specify the next point. Again, you
can simply click to select that point or use other methods. As soon as you pick the point, the prompt repeats.
Again, simply click to select a point.
Notice that one of the command options is Undo. If you pick the wrong point, you can click the Undo option,
type U, or right-click and choose the Undo option to remove the last polyline segment you created.
This time, use object snap tracking to find the midpoint of the first line segment so that you can make this

segment half its length. Then, draw several more polyline segments, and then use object snap tracking again
to find the endpoint of the first line segment and then track from that point.
Finally, to create the final line segment, use the Close option. When creating a closed polyline shape, dont
draw the final polyline segment. You should always use the Close option. Right-click and choose Close from
the shortcut menu.

And notice that now, when you move the cursor over the object, the entire object highlights because it has
been created as a single polyline object.

LESSON 3

Drawing Polyline Arc Segments

Exercise files: POLYLINE.DWG
Polylines can also be created as poly arcs or arc segments.
To start the command, click the Polyline tool, which is located in the Draw panel on the Home ribbon. When
you start the command, the program prompts you, both at the command line and, with dynamic input
enabled, at the cursor, to specify a starting point.
Click to specify the point where youd like to start the first polyline segment. The program then prompts you to
specify the next point, and you can immediately start drawing polyline line segments. But notice that in the
command window, one of the options is Arc. If you know that you want to create an arc segment, you can
select that option by clicking the option in the command line, by typing A, or right-clicking and choosing Arc
from the shortcut menu.

When you choose the polyline Arc option, the resulting prompt resembles the ARC command.

Notice that now, the prompt resembles the ARC command. As you move the cursor, you can see the arc
segment that will result, and the program is drawing the arc in a counter-clockwise direction, using the first
point you specified as the starting point of the arc. Now, youre being prompted to specify the endpoint of the
arc.
But also notice that in the command window, there are other options. You can specify the angle, the center of
the arc, the tangency direction, the radius, or the second point of the arc. These are basically the same
options that can be used to draw a single arc object.
So if you want to use one of these other methods to create the arc segment, you can click on them in the
command line or right-click and choose one of these options from the shortcut menu.
And if you decide that you dont really want to create an arc segment, you can select the Line option to switch
back to creating line segments instead.
And when drawing line segments, you can right-click at any time and choose the Arc option to draw an arc
segment. You can then either continue to draw arc segments, or you can right-click and choose the Line option

to go back to creating line segments.

Instead of creating a line segment, right click and choose Arc. Now you can continue to draw arc segments.
Draw another arc segment, and then right-click and switch back to the Line mode.
Finally, to complete the closed shape, right-click and choose the Close option.
Remember that when drawing closed polyline objects, you should never draw the closing segment but rather,
you should always use the Close option to create the final closing segment.

And notice that when the command ends, the resulting object is a single closed polyline shape made up of
both line and arc segments that exists as a single object.

LESSON 4

Drawing Polylines with Variable Width

Exercise files: POLYLINE.DWG
Polyline segments can also have a width. Polyline width is similar to line weight, but is controlled separately
from line weight and can vary over the length of a polyline segment.
To start the command, click the Polyline tool, which is located in the Draw panel on the Home ribbon. When
you start the command, the program prompts you, both at the command line and, with dynamic input
enabled, at the cursor, to specify a starting point.
Click to specify the point where youd like to start the first polyline segment. The program then prompts you to
specify the next point, and you can immediately start drawing polyline line segments. But notice that in the
command window, on the line above the options, the program tells you that the current line-width is zero. This
means that the polyline segment you draw will have its width controlled by the lineweight property, which
would in turn either be controlled by the object property or ByLayer.
Notice that in the command window, you can also see that theres a Width option.
You can select this option by clicking the option in the command line, by typing W, or by right-clicking and
choosing the Width option from the shortcut menu. When you choose this option, the program prompts you to
specify the starting width. Once you specify this value, youre also prompted for an ending width. This way,
you can create a polyline segment whose width varies from the starting point of the segment to its ending
point.

When you choose the polyline Width option, you can specify different starting and ending widths for the current segment.

You can specify the starting width by either clicking to specify the width as the distance between two points, or
you can type a value. In this case, type .25 and press ENTER.
Notice that now, the program prompts you for the ending width. Notice also that inside the angle brackets is
the value you specified as the starting width. Remember that whenever you see a value inside angle brackets

like this, thats the default value, and you can select that value by simply pressing the ENTER key.
And now, notice that as you move the cursor, you can create a polyline that has a preset width. As you start
selecting points, you can draw a polyline whose segment uses that width. If you decide at any time that you
want to create an arc segment, you can right-click and choose Arc from the shortcut menu and then draw an
arc segment that uses that same width. Then you can right-click and switch back to Line mode if you wish.
You can also right-click at any time and choose the Width option to change the value for the starting or ending
width for the next polyline segment you create. For example, keep the starting width of .25, but enter a new
ending width of .75. Notice that now, as you move the cursor, the starting width is the same as the previous
segment, but the ending width is now larger. And then successive segments are drawn using the new ending
width.

Also notice that if you look closely, it doesnt look like the segments actually join completely. Thats because
the program doesnt yet know how to complete the corner, because youre still creating additional segments.
Once you right-click and choose Close, not only will the program draw the final closing segment, using the
current width value, but it also finishes filling in all the corners correctly as well. And the resulting object is a
single polyline object.

LESSON 5

Drawing Polylines Using Options Combinations

Exercise files: POLYLINE.DWG
You can also use Polyline options in combination to create interesting and useful shapes. For example,
suppose you wanted to draw an arrow that might be painted in a parking lot to show the direction traffic is
supposed to flow.
Start by clicking the Polyline button in the Draw panel of the Home ribbon tab. When AutoCAD prompts you
for the starting point, pick a point near the top of the screen. Then, AutoCAD prompts you for the next point,
and notice that in the command window, it shows you the current polyline width, the width you used last
when you drew a polyline. This is extremely important. Every time you draw a new polyline, AutoCAD
remembers the values you used the last time.
In this case, right-click, choose the Width option, and set the starting width to 0. Then AutoCAD prompts you
for the ending width, and you can either enter a value or click to select two points, the width being the distance
between those two points. In this case, type a value of 3, and then press ENTER. Now as you move the
cursor, notice that the polyline shape looks like an arrow, because it expands from a starting width of 0 to an
ending width of 3.
Click to specify the endpoint of this first polyline segment. AutoCAD now assumes that you want to draw the
next polyline segment with the same width as the first segment, but since you dont want to do that, rightclick, choose the Width option again, change the starting width to .75, and press ENTER. Then, press ENTER
again to use that same width you just entered as the ending width for the next segment. Then, specify the
next point to draw the next polyline segment.

You can use polyline options in combination to create interesting and useful shapes.

If you want to add an arc to the arrow, you can right-click and choose the Arc option and draw an arc
segment. So you can always switch from lines to arcs and then back to lines if you wish. And you could also
draw a series of arc segments, sort of what youd see on a road sign for dangerous curves ahead. If you dont
like that, you can use the Undo option to remove any of those polyline segments.
When youre satisfied with the arrow, press ENTER to end the POLYLINE command.

LESSON 6

Editing Polylines Using the Close and Open Options

Exercise files: EDIT_POLYLINE.DWG
Because a polyline is a unique type of objecta single object that can be made up of lines and arc segments
and each segment can have its own widththeres a separate special command for modifying polylines.

If you expand the Modify panel on the Home ribbon tab, you will find the Edit Polyline tool. The actual name
of the command is PEDIT. When you select this tool, AutoCAD prompts you to select the polyline that you
would like to edit. Select the polyline. As soon as you do, AutoCAD displays the available options. If you
choose the Open option, AutoCAD removes the last segment, the line or arc segment that was added to
close the polyline. Notice that as soon as you choose that option, the segment is removed and now the
prompt changes and shows you the Close option. If you choose that option, AutoCAD adds that closing
segment back into the polyline.

You can easily edit a polyline to add or remove a closing segment.

To illustrate this further, use the Polyline tool to draw a new polyline. This time, draw just three polyline
segments and then end the command. So this is an open polyline. Then, expand the Modify panel, select the
Edit Polyline tool, select the polyline you just created, and then choose the Close option. Notice that AutoCAD

immediately adds the closing segment, a segment from the endpoint of the last segment you drew to the
starting point of the first segment, changing the polyline to a closed polyline.

LESSON 7

Editing Polylines to Join Selected Segments

Exercise files: EDIT_POLYLINE.DWG
There may be times that its not possible to create a continuous closed polyline in one sequence of clicks and
picks. You may find that youve created several polyline segments and then have to come back and draw the
remaining segments later as a separate polyline. When that happens, you can use the Join option to combine
two separate polylines into one continuous polyline.
The exercise drawing includes a typical situation. There are three polyline segments and now you want to
draw the rest of the polyline. Click the Polyline tool in the Draw panel of the Home ribbon tab, snap to the
endpoint of the polyline, and then use polar tracking and object snap tracking to draw two more polyline
segments and then end the POLYLINE command.
So what you have now are two separate polylines. But what you would like to do is to combine them into one
polyline. You can do that using the Join option of the PEDIT command. Expand the Modify panel in the Home
ribbon tab and select the Edit Polyline tool.

You can use the Join option to combine separate polylines into a single polyline as long as they share common endpoints.

AutoCAD prompts you to select a polyline. You can select either of these polylines. As soon as you select one,

AutoCAD displays the polyline editing options. Choose the Join option. AutoCAD then prompts you to select
objects. Select the other polyline. Then you can right-click to complete the selection. Notice that the options
display again, but now you can see that one of the options is Open. AutoCAD has joined the two polylines and
now they form one closed polyline.
You can use the Join option to combine any number of polylines as long as each polyline shares the endpoint
of the next polyline you are joining and only one pair of polylines share that point. If you had two or more
segments that converged at this endpoint, you would not get predictable results. When youre done joining
objects, press the ENTER key to end the command.
Notice that now, when you move the cursor over the object, its no longer two separate polylines but rather
one closed polyline object.

LESSON 8

Converting Lines into Polylines

Exercise files: EDIT_POLYLINE.DWG
You can convert lines and arcs that were created as separate but continuous objects into a single polyline
object. Once converted, you can manipulate the combined geometry as one single object.
Create some objects as individual lines and arcs. Start the LINE command and draw a series of connected
lines. Then, end the LINE command, start the ARC command, and draw an arc as a continuation of the last
line segment. Then, start the LINE command again and draw a line from the end of the arc back to the
endpoint of the first line.

Once you have done this, note that each line and the arc are individual objects.
To combine them into a single polyline object, expand the Modify panel on the Home ribbon and choose the
Edit Polyline tool.

Because all of the objects are snapped to endpoints, you can either choose the Select Polyline option or the
Multiple option. Use the Select Polyline option first. When you select one of the lines, AutoCAD responds to
tell you that it is not a polyline. But notice that the program also asks if you want to turn this into a polyline?
Press ENTER to accept the default response of Yes.And the answer, by default, is yes.

Next, you would choose the Join option. But before you do that, to prove that the resulting combined object is
a polyline, choose the Width option and change the width of this polyline segment to 0.25 units. As soon as
you do, the width of that segment change. Now, choose the Join option. When prompted to select objects,
use a crossing window to select all of the other geometry. Note that it doesnt matter whether you choose the
original object or not.

Once you have selected all those objects, press ENTER or right-click. As soon as you do, all of those
segments are immediately joined so that theyre now part of one continuous polyline object. Press the ESC to
end the command. When you move the cursor over the object, you can see that the individual objects have
been converted into one single, continuous, closed polyline object.

You can also do the same thing using a slightly different method. Click the Undo button to restore the objects
back to individual lines and an arc. Then, start the Edit Polyline command again, but this time, right-click and
choose the Multiple option.

Then, when prompted to select objects, select all of the geometry and then right-click or press ENTER. This
time, the program asks if you want to convert all these lines and arcs into polylines. Again, you can simply
press ENTER to say yes.

Now you see the Edit Polyline options again, and to combine the objects, you will need to choose the Join
option. But before you do that, choose the width option and specify a width of 0.5 units for all of the
segments.
The width of all of the segments immediate change, but since you didnt specify the Join option, the resulting
object doesnt look quite right because right now they are still individual polylines. They have not yet been
joined to create one continuous object. You must still use the Join option to do that.

Since you had used the Multiple option, however, when you choose the Join option this time the program
prompts you to specify a fuzz distance. Since all of the segments share endpoints, you can set the fuzz
distance to zero. If some of the segments did not share endpoints, you could still join them but you would then
need to specify a fuzz distance based on the largest gap between those endpoints.

Enter a fuzz distance of 0 and then press ENTER. As soon as you press ENTER, the program joins all of
those segments together. Notice that the corners have been cleaned up. Press ENTER to end the command.
Again, notice that when you move the cursor over the object, the lines and arc have been combined to form a
single closed polyline.

Chapter 6 Review
Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. Tap the button to start the test. Youll be presented
with a series of questions based on the material covered in this chapter. When you choose your answer, youll
immediately see if its correct. If you choose the wrong answer, youll see why the answer is not correct. Use
the Next Question button to advance to the next question. When you finish the last question, or to close the
test, click the X in the upper-left to return to this page.

Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. The following questions are based on the material
covered in this chapter.
1. Polylines are considered complex objects because of their unique properties. ALL of the following
statements about Polyline properties are true EXCEPT one. Which statement is NOT true?
A. A Polyline consists of multiple segments unified as a single object.
B. Polylines are created on their own Layer.
C. Polylines have their own Edit command.
D. Polylines can be made of lines and/or arcs with varying widths.
2. Polylines that do NOT meet at endpoints, as shown, can be unified as a single Polyline using
Polyline Edit:

A. Trim and Extend.

B. Join Select.
C. Fillet or Chamfer set to zero.
D. Join Multiple.
3. You can convert existing Lines into Polylines with the:

A. Convert tool.
B. Pline command.
C. Pedit command.
D. Explode command.

Answer Key: 1.b 2.d 3.c

Chapter 7
Creating Annotation Objects
In addition to the lines, arcs, and circles you will typically create, drawings generally also include annotation
objectssuch as text and hatch patternsused to identify materials or provide special notations. This chapter
describes how to create text and modify text as well as how to add hatch patterns to fill areas within your
drawings.

LESSON 1

Understanding Annotation Object Concepts

Annotation objects consist of any type of object that is not actually part of the physical model that you are
creating, but rather is added to the drawing to provide additional information. Annotation objects include things
like text and dimensions, as well as multileaders, hatches, blocks, and attributes.
For example, you add dimensions to objects to indicate their size. You add text to drawings to provide
additional information about what you have drawn. Leaders, which usually consist of some sort of text plus an
arrow connecting that text to an object in your drawing, are often used to label specific objects. Hatches fill an
area with a solid color or repetitive pattern of lines. Often, standard patterns are used to represent a specific
type of material, such as brick or steel. Special callout symbols, such as section or elevation callouts, or
electrical receptacles and switches, are often created as blocks that can be easily inserted into drawings. At
other times, blocks that represent actual objects such as furniture or mechanical equipment, may contain
attributes that automatically label these objects when they are inserted into a drawing.

Each of these types of annotation objects, text, dimensions, multileaders, hatches, blocks, and attributes,
have their own tools for creating and modifying them. The initial appearance of several of these object types
text, dimensions, and multileadersare controlled by a predefined style.

When you add any of these annotation objects to a drawing, you need to be able to control their size and
appearance. In most cases, each type of annotation object has its own special tools for modifying them, or
you can change their properties using the Properties palette.
In addition to adding individual annotation objects, you can also create tables that let you add annotations
consisting of columns and rows of information. This information can be added manually, can be automatically
generated from data within a drawing, or can be imported and even linked to external data, perhaps coming
from an Excel spreadsheet.
One other aspect of annotation objects is the ability to control their size either explicitly or by having them
resize based on the scale at which you will be printing your drawing. This ability to rescale automatically is
called annotation scaling.
For example, when you place some text into a drawing, you must specify the height of the text. Generally,
you decide how high the text should be based on the scale at which you think you will eventually print the
drawing. If you later realize that the drawing wont fit onto the paper at the scale you originally assumed, you
would need to go back and manually change the height of the text. But if you tell AutoCAD that you want the
text to also respond to annotation scaling, if you subsequently change your mind about the printed scale of the
drawing, the text height will change automatically.

LESSON 2

Creating Single-Line Text

Text is used to place notes or other forms of annotations in your drawing. AutoCAD has two different types of
text: single-line text and multiline text. The simplest type of annotation you can create is a single line of text.
Each line of single-line text is created as a separate AutoCAD single-line text object. With multiline text, or
paragraph text, all of the lines of text exist as a single AutoCAD multiline text object.
To create a single line of text, you can either select the Single Line text tool in the Annotation panel of the
Home ribbon bar, or the Single Line text tool in the Text panel of the Annotate ribbon bar.

As soon as you click on the command, AutoCAD prompts you to specify the starting point of the text. If you
have dynamic input turned on, it will also prompt you at the cursor location. Just pick the point where youd
like to start. As soon as you pick that point, AutoCAD asks you to specify the height of the text. How tall do
you want the text to be? Notice that the default value is 0.2. You can either type in a new value or drag the
cursor and click to specify the height. Enter a value to make the text 0.25 units high. Just type the value and
press ENTER. Then AutoCAD asks for the rotation angle. This is the angle of the baseline of the text. The
default angle is zero, which means the text will align horizontally from left to right. If youre satisfied with that
angle, you can accept it by pressing the ENTER key or just right-click.

Then AutoCAD shows you a text cursor on the screen to indicate that you can start typing. Type some text
and then press the ENTER key. Then, enter some more text and then press the ENTER key again. Every
time you press the ENTER key, AutoCAD starts a new line of text. To end the command, press the ENTER
key twice.

Notice that as you move the cursor over each line of text, you can see that each is a separate text object;

thus the name Single-Line text. And if you need to modify the text, for example, to move the text, each line of
text acts as a single object.

LESSON 3

Controlling Single-Line Text Justification

When you place single-line text in a drawing, by default the program aligns the text at the left-hand side.
Create some text. Notice that when you start the Single Line Text command and the program prompts you to
specify the starting point of the text, the point that you pick becomes the left-hand end of the line of text. This
text is called left justified, and this is the default justification. So if you accept the default text height and text
rotation angle and then start typing, each line of text is left justified.

If youve ever used a word processor, you probably know something about text justification. Although most
text is left-justified, you can also create text that is centered or right-justified. There are actually 14 possible
justification options when you create single-line text. Twelve of those justification options are shown below,
such as Top Left justified, or Bottom Right justified.

To choose one of these options, when you start the single-line text command, before you specify the starting
point of the text, right-click and choose the Justify option, or press the down-arrow and choose the Justify
option. The program then prompts you to choose one of the justify options and shows the entire list. Choose
Right-Justify.
Notice that now, instead of asking for the starting point of the text, the program asks for the right endpoint of
the text baseline. Click to select a point. The program then prompts for the height and rotation angles as
before, and you can press ENTER to accept the default values.

Notice that now, when you type the text, the text is aligned on the right, or right-justified. When you finish one
line of text, if you press the ENTER key, the next line of text is aligned on the right with the previous line. Each
line of text is a separate text object.

If you start the Single Line text command again, notice that the program remembers the previous justification
setting, so you could create some additional right-justified text. To select a different justification such as centerjustified, you can right-click and select the Justify option, and then select the Center justification. The program
prompts for the center point of the text. Then, after you press ENTER to accept the default text height and
text rotation angle, when you type each line of text, the text is aligned so that the midpoint of the text baseline
is placed at the point you specify. And when you press ENTER and start typing a new line of text, each line of
text is centered below that point. To end the command, you must press ENTER twice. Again, each line of text
is a separate single-line text object, and each object is centered below the previous line. And notice that each
line has a text insertion point grip at the center of the line of text.
Lets look at one more option. You probably know that when you work in a word processor, you can also
make text fully justified, so that each line of text aligns at both the left and right ends. The Fit option produces
a similar text alignment.
Start the Single Line text command, right-click, select the Justify option, and then choose the Fit option. The
program prompts you to specify the first endpoint of the text baseline. Select a point on the line on the left.
That will be the left-end of the line of text. The program then prompts you to specify the second endpoint of
the text baseline. Click to select a point on the line on the right. That will be the right-end of the line of text.
The program then prompts you for the text height, and you can simply right-click to accept the default text
height. Because you have already defined the baseline for the text, the program does not prompt for the text
rotation angle. You can simply start typing. As you finish each line of text, when you press the ENTER key,
the program creates another line of text, aligning the starting point and ending point of the new line directly
below the points that you specified. Notice that as you type, the text starts off stretched between the two
endpoints and slowly compresses as you type so that when you finish each line of text is fully justified at the
left and right ends.

So with the Fit option, the text is stretched or compressed so that it fits within the space you specified.

LESSON 4

Creating Text Styles

When you place text in a drawing as either single-line text or multiline text, AutoCAD bases that text on the
current text style. The text style determines characteristics of the text, such as the font and other aspects.
When you create text, you can use any text style that has already been defined in the drawing. You can either
select a different style when you begin either the single-line or multiline text command, or choose a different
text style from the Text Style drop-down in the Text panel of the Annotate ribbon.

AutoCAD comes with two pre-defined text styles, Standard and Annotative. You can create additional text
styles. To do so, open the Text Style dialog by clicking the arrow in the lower-right corner of the Text panel on
the Annotate ribbon. Note that you can also open this dialog box by choosing Manage Text Styles from the
Text Style drop-down.

On the left side of the Text Style dialog you can see a list of text styles that already exist. This list can be
filtered to show all styles or just those styles that have already been used in the drawing. You can select one
of the styles in the list and then click Set Current to make that the new current style. You can also select any
style name in the list, right-click, and then either make it the current style, rename the style, or delete the
style. Note that you cannot rename or delete the Standard style. You can also change any of the properties
associated with the style, such as assigning a different font or changing the obliquing angle. If you change any
property associated with an existing text style, all existing text objects already created using that style will
automatically update to reflect those changes.

To create a new text style, click the New button. AutoCAD displays the New Text Style dialog so you can type
the name you want to use for the new text style. You can call it anything you want. Create a new text style
called NOTES.

As soon as you click OK, that new style is added to the list. Notice that its now the current style, and it will
also appear in the Text Style drop-down list in the Text panel. You can now change any of the properties
associated with the text style you just created. Since you havent yet used the style in the drawing, nothing
will change in the drawing. But later, when you create text using the new NOTES style, the settings youve
chosen will control the appearance of the text.
The first thing you should do is specify the font. When you expand the drop-down, you can see a list of all the
fonts available on your computer. Icons indicate which of these fonts are Windows TrueType fonts and which
are AutoCAD shape-based fonts. The TrueType fonts have the TT icon adjacent to their name. These are the
same fonts that are also available in other Windows programs, such as Microsoft Word or Excel. Other fonts
appear with a little caliper icon adjacent to their name. These are AutoCAD shape-based fonts and can only be
used in AutoCAD.

Choose the AutoCAD font called Scripts. When you choose the font, you can see a preview image of what
the font looks like. Notice that if you select an AutoCAD font, the Font Style option becomes unavailable,
because AutoCAD fonts cannot be made bold or italic like you can for most Windows TrueType fonts.
The next choice you can make is the text height. If you specify a height here when you define the text style,
that becomes the preset height and AutoCAD wont prompt you for the text height when you place text using
this text style. If you leave this value set to 0, then AutoCAD will prompt you for the text height whenever you
create text using this style.
Another choice you can make is whether you want the text style to be annotative or not. If a text style is
annotative, then the height that you specify here not only determines how tall the text will be whenever you
use this text style in the drawing, but the text will always be that height regardless of the scale. In other words,
AutoCAD will automatically adjust the height of the text to compensate for changes in scale. Text that is not
annotative will not automatically adjust to scale changes. Annotative text styles show up in the list with a
special annotative symbol next to the name of the text style. This makes it easier to identify annotative text
styles.
You can also choose other effects, such as making the text be upside down, backwards, or vertical, changing
the width factor, or perhaps make the text look like it was created by a left-handed person by changing the
obliquing angle to -30 degrees. When you make any of these changes, you can see the results in the preview
window.
When youre satisfied with the appearance of the new text style, click Apply. You can then create another text
style. If AutoCAD prompts you to save changes you may have made to a previous style, click yes. Then
create another style called LABEL. This time, select a TrueType font. In the drop-down, choose the Arial font.
Notice that when you use a TrueType font, you can select the Font Style, such as bold or italic. You can also
still pre-set the text height and choose whether the style will be annotative or not.
In the Effects area, you can still make the text upside down or backwards and adjust the width factor and
oblique angle, but notice that you cant select the Vertical check box. TrueType fonts cannot be oriented
vertically.

When youre finished defining text styles, click Apply and then click Close to close the dialog box.
Notice that whatever text style was last defined or modified in the Text Style dialog becomes the new current
text style. You can then choose any other text style as the current text style by selecting if from the drop-down
list. Whatever text style you select is then used as the default style the next time you use the single-line or
multiline text command.

LESSON 5

Modifying Text Styles

Text styles control the appearance of text objects. Each text object is created using the current text style. If
you change the properties of an existing text style, all of the existing text objects that were created using that
style will update automatically to reflect the changes you make to the text style definition.

For example, in the image above, you can see some text that was created using a text style that used a script
font. If you were to open the Text Style dialog, which you can do by clicking the arrow in the lower-right corner
of the Text panel on the Annotate ribbon, and then select the NOTES style in the Styles list, if you select a
different font in the Font Name list, such as the Arial True Type font (which you can quickly find by typing the
first few letters of the font name), when you click the Apply button and then close the Text Style dialog, any
text objects that had been created using that NOTES text style immediately update. They no longer use the
script font but rather have updated to use the Arial font.
This way, you dont have to go in and edit each text object individually. You can globally change all the text
objects that were based on that text style by modifying the text style definition.

LESSON 6

Creating Multiline Text

Multiline or paragraph text consists of one or more lines of text or paragraphs that fit within a boundary that
you specify. All of the lines of text are treated as a single object, regardless of the number of individual
paragraphs or lines of text that it contains.
To create multiline text, you can either select the Multiline Text tool in the Annotation panel of the Home
ribbon, or the Multiline Text tool in the Text panel of the Annotate ribbon.

When you create multiline text, you first determine the paragraphs boundary, by specifying the opposite
corners of a rectangle. Notice that the program prompts you to specify the first corner. Click to select one
corner. Then it prompts you to select the opposite corner. Before you do, you could also choose any of these
other options, for example to set the Height, Justification, Line Spacing, Rotation, Text Style, Width, or even
create columns of text.

To create multiline text, you first specify the opposite corners of a rectangle to define the text margins.

When you click to select the opposite corner, what youre essentially doing is defining a rectangular space that
defines the left- and right-hand margins of the text. Once you pick that opposite corner, the program is ready
for you to start typing the text. Notice that the ribbon changes to the Text Editor contextual ribbon, which
shows you all of the options that are available to change the style, formatting, and paragraph controls, as well
as insert symbols and fields, check the spelling, and so on.

The Text Editor contextual ribbon contains tools for controlling the appearance of multiline text.

The controls on the Text Editor ribbon should look familiar to anyone who has ever used a word processor. So
at this point, you can select a different text style. You can change the height of the text. You can make the
text bold or italic. You can underline or strikethrough the text. You can even change the text font or text color,
or include a background mask so that the text stands out better against any geometry that may be behind it.
You can change how the text is justified. You can create a numbered or bulleted list. You can adjust the line
spacing.
So there is a lot of flexibility here, very similar to the things you can do when using a program like Microsoft
Word.
Start entering some text. First, change the text height to 1 unit. Then start typing, This is some text that I
want in the drawing. Notice that as you type, the program automatically does whats called word-wrap. When
you get to the right margin, you dont have to press ENTER. The program automatically wraps the text down
to the next line. In fact, you dont press ENTER unless you actually want to start a new paragraph. If you
dont like where the lines break, you can click and drag the right edge of the bounding box. This gives you
greater flexibility for placing the text in the drawing.

You can also make changes to individual letters or words, just as you could in a word processor. For example,
maybe you want a word to be italicized. You can drag your cursor over it to select it and then click the Italic
button. Maybe you want it underlined as well. You can also change the color, or even the font.

This works very much like a word processor. You can change the appearance of individual words or letters
while working in the context of the Text Editor. When everything looks the way you want, press the ESC key
or click the Close Text Editor button to end the command.

Notice that when you move the cursor over the text, the entire paragraph is highlighted. With multiline text, the
entire paragraph or even multiple paragraphs is treated as one multiline text object. And when you select the
text, you can see the blue grips that define the bounding area of the text. You can click and drag the square
grip to move the text. If you drag the triangular grip on the right, you can change the width of the text box,
which causes the text to reflow. And if you drag the triangular grip at the bottom and move it up, you force the
text to flow into a second column.

LESSON 7

Controlling Multi-Line Text Justification

When you place multiline text in a drawing, by default the program aligns the text at the left-hand side of the
text bounding rectangle. Although the text automatically wraps when it reaches the right side of the rectangle,
the text is left justified. In other words, each line of text aligns on the left margin but has a ragged right margin.
This text is called left justified, and this is the default justification.
If youve ever used a word processor, you probably know something about text justification. Although most
text is left-justified, you can create text that is centered or right-justified. There are actually 9 possible
justification options when you create multiline text. Those justification options are shown below. The dashed
rectangle shows the original text box boundary; the red dot shows the resulting text insertion point.

There are 9 possible justification options when creating multiline text.

To choose one of these options, when you start the multiline text command, after you specify the first corner
of the text box but before you specify the opposite corner, you can right-click and choose the Justify option.
You can then choose one of the justify options from the list.

For example, choose TR, which stands for Top Right. Notice that now, you can see an indicator in the top-right
corner of the text box showing you that the multiline text will now be Top Right justified. The arrow at the
bottom of the text box indicates that the text will flow downward. Click to select the opposite corner. This
creates the margins. Notice that now, as you type, the text is right justified. The text automatically wraps at
the end of each line. When youre finished, click the Close Text Editor button.

After specifying the justification, click to specify the opposite corner of the multiline text rectangle.

If you start the Multiline Text command again, select one corner, right-click and choose the Justify option, and
then select the BC or Bottom Centered option, and then click to select the opposite corner, when you type the
text, the text will be centered and when the words wrap, they extend up because the bottom center option not
only centers the text, but the bottom of the text box represents the bottom of the multiline text and as each
line wraps the text moves upward.

You can also change the justification after youve already entered text. For example, while still in the text
editor, you can select a different justification from the Justification drop-down. Changing the justification here
changes the entire multiline text object.

You can also select some text and then click one of the buttons to change the justification. The changes you
make here affect only the selected paragraphs. The default option justifies the paragraph based on the
justification selected for the entire multiline text object. Left, Center, and Right change the selected paragraph
to left, center, or right justification, respectively.

There are also two additional options here that arent available in the Justification drop-down. The Justify
option justifies the paragraph so that it aligns both on the left and the right. Notice that this can add unwanted
spacing, because the text width itself remains unchanged. If you select the Distribute option, space is added
between letters so that the text is evenly distributed along each line.

LESSON 8

Editing Text Objects

Exercise files: EDIT TEXT.DWG
When you have existing text in the drawing that needs to be changed, you need to be able to edit that text.
The easiest way to edit text is to simply double-click on the text. If the text is multiline text, the program
automatically opens the multiline text editor and displays the Text Editor contextual ribbon. You can then use
any of the tools on the ribbon to modify the text. For example, you can select the text and then replace it with
other text. You can select words or individual letters and you can also change their formatting, perhaps making
them bold or underlined, or even strikethrough the text, or change its color. When youre finished editing the
text, click the Close Text Editor button.
Another way to start the multiline text editor is to select the text you want to edit, right-click, and then choose
Mtext Edit from the shortcut menu. But its faster to just double-click.
If the text you need to edit is single-line text, when you double-click on this text, the program highlights the
text. You can then edit this text in place. For example, if you want to replace a word, you can drag the cursor
over the word to select it and then type the new word. Notice that for single-line text, all you can do is change
the actual text. You cant change the formatting of the text.
When youve finished editing the text, press ENTER. Notice, however, that the program prompts you to select
another annotation object to edit, and you can select another text object to edit. To end the command, you
must either press ENTER again without selecting anything, or press the ESC key to cancel the command.
Again, another way to start the single-line text editor is to select a single-line text object, right-click, and then
choose Edit from the shortcut menu. But again, its usually faster to just double-click on the text you want to
edit.

LESSON 9

Introducing Hatches and Gradient Fills

Another way to convey information in a drawing is to fill areas with a solid color or repetitive pattern of lines.
For example, you may need to represent the pattern of brick on the elevation of a building, or show the solid
portions of metal in a cross-section through a mechanical part.

You can also fill areas with a gradient fill to add different types of graphic effects.

You can easily add hatches and gradient fills to any closed object or closed area. The key is that the area in
which you want to add the hatch or gradient fill must be a closed area.
When you apply a hatch, you can choose the appearance of the hatch pattern by the desired pattern from a
set of pre-defined hatch patterns supplied with AutoCAD. If you prefer, you can define a simple pattern of
parallel lines on the fly. You can also add additional hatch patterns to the library, either by acquiring them from
a third party or creating them yourself.
When you apply the hatch pattern, you determine the scale at which the pattern will be applied and the angle
at which the hatch pattern is applied.
When you apply a hatch, the hatch is typically created on the current layer, in which case its color, linetype,
and transparency are determined by the color, linetype, and transparency of the current layer. You can also
place the hatch on a specified layer, using the color, linetype, and transparency settings assigned to that layer.
But you can also specify the hatch color and transparency explicitly.
You can also assign a hatch background color.
Hatch patterns can be associative. That means, the hatch pattern automatically adjusts if the size or shape of
the area being filled is subsequently changed.
Hatch patterns can also be annotative. That means, the hatch pattern rescales automatically if the scale of the
drawing changes, so that the hatch pattern always displays and prints at the size you specify regardless of
changes to the scale of the drawing.

LESSON 10

Adding Hatch Objects

Exercise files: HATCH.DWG
The hatch patterns that you apply to areas of a drawing are actually a special object called a hatch object.
Notice that the drawing includes a layer called HATCH. Like most objects, hatch patterns are typically created
on the current layer and take on the current color, linetype, and transparency. It is a good idea, however, to
put hatch patterns on their own layer. That way, you can hide hatch patterns by turning off the hatch layer.
But unlike most other types of objects, when you create a hatch object, you can also specify the layer on
which the hatch object will be created. So you can create the hatch object on a layer other than the current
layer. Make the 0 (zero) layer the current layer.

To add a hatch, click the Hatch button in the Draw panel of the Home ribbon.

Notice that when you start the Hatch command, the ribbon changes to the Hatch Creation contextual ribbon.

Notice that when you start the Hatch command, the ribbon changes to the Hatch Creation contextual ribbon.
The tools in this ribbon let you select the hatch pattern you want to apply, as well as control its color,
background color, transparency, angle, and scale. If you expand the Properties panel, notice that you can also
specify the layer on which the hatch will be created. Create the hatch on the HATCH layer.

If you expand the Properties panel, you can specify the layer on which the hatch will be created. (Tap to enlarge)

A hatch pattern can only be applied to a closed area. You can select the area to be hatched one of two ways:
by picking points or by selecting objects. Picking points is initially the default method, but whichever method
you choose will become the default method the next time you use the Hatch command.
Notice that in the Command window, and with dynamic input enabled at the cursor, you can see that the
program is prompting you to pick an internal point. In the Pattern panel in the ribbon, you can see the pattern
that will be applied. You can also use the controls in the other panels of the ribbon to change the color, angle,
scale, transparency, and other settings.

When you move the cursor into a closed area, the program immediately displays a preview of the hatch so
you can see what the hatch will look like. If you move the cursor outside the area, the preview disappears. If
you click inside that area, the preview is added to the drawing, but you can still make changes. For example,
you can click in the Scale field and type a new scale factor to adjust the scale at which the hatch will be
applied. You can also choose a different hatch pattern.
If you select the wrong area or object to hatch, you can use the Undo option to remove the hatch, and then
select a different object or click inside a different area.
You are still looking at a preview of the hatch. Notice that in the Command window, you can see that the
Hatch command is still active and the Hatch Creation contextual ribbon is still visible. Once you are satisfied
with what the hatch will look like, you can either click the Close Hatch Creation button in the ribbon, or just
press ENTER.
Do that again. Start the Hatch command again and then move the cursor over the area you want to hatch.
Notice that there are two intersecting circles. When you move the cursor over that area, the hatch preview
displays just inside that area, even though its formed by the two separate objects. Again, you can click inside
that area and then, if you are satisfied, either click the Close Hatch Creation button in the ribbon, or just press
ENTER to complete the command.

The other way to select the area to be hatched is by selecting objects. Click the Hatch button again to display
the Hatch Creation contextual ribbon.

This time, in the Boundaries panel, click the Select button. Notice that now, the program prompts you to select
objects and when you move the cursor over an object you no longer see a preview of the hatch. But now you
can select objects using any object selection method.

If you select the rectangle, you immediately see a preview of the hatch pattern that will be applied. Again, you
can use the tools in the ribbon to change the hatch pattern, the scale at which it will be applied, and other
settings. Also notice that the entire rectangle is filled with the hatch pattern. The program ignores the circle and
hatches right through it, because you didnt select the circle. The program is also still prompting you to select
objects. If you select the circle, notice that now the hatch pattern no longer fills the circle. Again, when you are
satisfied with the appearance of the hatch, you can simply press ENTER or click the Close Hatch Creation
button.

Erase that hatch and repeat the process. Notice that since the last method you used was to select objects,
that has become the default. In the ribbon, click Pick Points. Now, the program is once again prompting you to
pick an internal point. Notice that when you move the cursor into the area inside the rectangle but outside the
circle, the program automatically detects the circle inside the rectangle.

When you use the Pick Points method, the program automatically detects closed areas, whereas when you
use the Pick Objects method, the program can only determine the hatch boundaries from the objects you
specifically select.
When you are satisfied with the appearance of the hatch, you can complete the command by either clicking
the Close Hatch Creation button or simply pressing the ENTER key.

LESSON 11

Selecting the Hatch Pattern to Apply

Exercise files: HATCH.DWG
When you apply a hatch pattern, you can select the hatch pattern you want to apply. You can use one of
AutoCADs predefined hatch patterns, a user-defined hatch pattern, or a custom hatch pattern that you
created or acquired from a third-party.
When you start the HATCH command, AutoCAD displays the Hatch Creation contextual ribbon. Notice that in
the Pattern panel, you can see a preview of a number of the hatch patterns that are available. You can use
the adjacent buttons to scroll through the available patterns. If you click the bottom button, the panel expands
so that you can see even more of the available patterns. You can then scroll through the available patterns
and select the pattern you want to apply.

Notice that the pattern you selected is now highlighted in the Pattern panel.
Now you can use either the Pick Points or Select Objects method to add the hatch to the drawing. For
example, to use the default Pick Points method, move the cursor inside the circle. Notice that you
immediately see a preview of what the hatch will look like. If you move the cursor outside the circle, the
preview disappears. When you click inside the circle, the preview remains inside the circle, but note that the
hatch has not yet been added to the drawing. The HATCH command is still active, and you can use the
controls in the ribbon to change the appearance of the hatch.
Maybe you want to choose a completely different pattern. Perhaps youve decided to use the ESCHER
pattern. You can select a different pattern in the Pattern panel. As soon as you do, you can see the new
pattern previewed inside the circle. You can also use the controls in the Properties panel to change the scale,
angle, or other hatch properties.
Once youre satisfied with the appearance of the hatch, you need to complete the command, by either clicking
the Close Hatch Creation button or by simply pressing ENTER. At that point, the hatch object is actually
added to the drawing and the command ends.

You can choose to apply a hatch pattern, a gradient, a solid, or a user defined pattern.

There are also several other options you can use when selecting the hatch pattern to be applied. When you
start the HATCH command again, notice that in the Properties panel is a Hatch Type drop-down. By default,
this is set to Pattern, which means that AutoCAD will apply one of the available hatch patterns. But if you
expand this drop-down, you can also choose a Solid, a Gradient, or a User Defined pattern.
If you choose Solid, the area will be filled with a solid color based on the current hatch color.
If you choose the Gradient option, AutoCAD will fill the area with a gradient fill.
If you choose User Defined, however, you can quickly apply a hatch pattern consisting of a series of parallel
lines. You can see that a User hatch has been added in the Pattern panel. The Hatch Angle field controls the
orientation of the lines, so if you leave that set to zero, the lines will be horizontal. The field below that now
controls the Hatch Spacing, the distance between those lines, measured in drawing units. And if you expand
the Properties panel, notice that the Double control has now become active. If you click to toggle this on, the
hatch pattern will include a second set of parallel lines, perpendicular to the first. You can also see this in the
Pattern panel, and in the preview of the hatch.

For user-defined patterns, you can draw a second set of lines at 90 degrees to the first.

When youre satisfied with the appearance of the hatch, click inside the area you want to hatch. AutoCAD
adds the hatch to the drawing, but this is just a preview of what the hatch will look like. You can still use the
controls in the Hatch Creation contextual ribbon to continue to adjust the hatch pattern. For example, perhaps
you want the hatch applied at a 45-degree angle.
Once youre completely satisfied, either click the Close Hatch Creation button or simply press ENTER to add
the hatch to the drawing and complete the command.

LESSON 12

Setting the Hatch Pattern Layer

Exercise files: HATCH.DWG
When you apply a hatch pattern, the hatch object is typically created on the current layer and takes on the
color, linetype, and transparency of that layer.
In the exercise drawing, theres already a layer called HATCH. Its usually a good idea to put hatch patterns on
their own layer. That way, you can hide hatch patterns by turning off the Hatch layer. But also notice that
HATCH is not the current layer. The 0 layer is the current layer. Unlike most other types of AutoCAD objects,
when you create a hatch object, you can specify the layer on which the hatch object will be created, causing
the hatch object to be placed on a layer other than the current layer.
When you start the HATCH command by clicking the Hatch button in the Draw panel of the Home ribbon,
notice that AutoCAD displays the Hatch Creation contextual ribbon. The tools in this ribbon let you control the
creation of the hatch object. If you expand the Properties panel in the Hatch Creation ribbon, you can see that
theres a control called the Hatch Layer Override. This control lets you override the current layer so that the
hatch object is created on a layer that you specify.

Click the arrow and then select the hatch layer from the drop-down list.

If you click on the arrow, you can see a drop-down list. In this list, notice that there are three choices: Use
Current, zero, and HATCH. If you select Use Current, AutoCAD will create the hatch object on the current
layer. If you choose either 0 or HATCH, AutoCAD will create the hatch object on the 0 or HATCH layer,
respectively, regardless of which layer is the current layer, and will also remember your selection and continue
to create subsequent hatch objects on that layer until you change this setting.
For example, if you choose the HATCH layer and then proceed to apply a hatch to this area, AutoCAD
creates the hatch object on the HATCH layer. Notice, however, that the 0 layer is still the current layer. And if
you start the HATCH command again, when you expand the Properties panel in the ribbon, you can see that
AutoCAD remembered your selection and will continue to create subsequent hatch objects on the HATCH
layer unless you change this setting.
This is a very powerful feature. Being able to explicitly set the layer on which AutoCAD creates hatch objects
means that you dont have to constantly come back and change the current layer each time before adding
hatches to your drawing. When you set a specific layer, AutoCAD will always create hatch objects on the layer

you specify.

LESSON 13

Setting the Scale and Angle of the Hatch Pattern

Exercise files: HATCH.DWG
In addition to selecting the type of hatch pattern you want to add to the drawing, you can also control the
appearance of the hatch pattern by changing its size or scale, and the angle at which it is applied.
When you start the HATCH command, AutoCAD displays the Hatch Creation contextual ribbon. After
selecting the pattern you want to apply, you can click inside the area you want to hatch to cause a preview of
the hatch pattern to appear in the drawing.
Notice that in the Properties panel, you can see tools to control the Angle and Hatch Pattern Scale. And since
the hatch has not yet actually been added to the drawing, you can still change its properties.
Each hatch pattern contains information about the spacing of the lines that define the hatch pattern, much in
the same way that linetype definitions contain information about the length and spacing between dashes and
dots. If you apply a hatch pattern with a scale factor of 1, you are essentially using the spacing as originally
defined in the hatch pattern. If you specify a value of less than one (.5 for example), you are reducing the size
of the hatch pattern from its original definition; a value greater than one enlarges the hatch pattern.

You can either click the arrows to increase or decrease the hatch pattern scale by small increments, or simply
type a new value directly into the Hatch Pattern Scale field.
Some hatch patterns are designed to represent real materials. For example, in the Pattern panel, youll find a
number of patterns that all begin with the letters AR. These represent actual architectural elements. For
example, AR-B816C represents 8x16-inch concrete blocks with mortar joints. Applying this hatch pattern with
a scale factor of 1 causes the blocks to be drawn using these exact dimensions.

But other hatch patterns, such as EARTH or ZIGZAG, are simply representational. You should add these
patterns to your drawing using whatever scale gives you the best looking results.
Each hatch pattern also contains information about the angle of the lines that comprise the hatch pattern. The
image of the hatch pattern in the Pattern panel shows the alignment of the pattern when applied with an angle
value of 0. But you can change the orientation of the hatch pattern when it is applied to the drawing by
specifying a different angle value. To change the angle, either move the Angle slider, or you can type the
desired angle into the Hatch Angle field.

Remember that AutoCAD measures angles in a counterclockwise direction. To rotate the hatch pattern in a
clockwise direction, you can enter a negative angle value.
Once you are satisfied with the appearance of the hatch, click the Close Hatch Creation button or simply press
ENTER to add the hatch to the drawing and complete the command.

LESSON 14

Understanding Associative Hatch

Exercise files: HATCH2.DWG
By default, hatch objects that you add to your drawing are associative hatch objects. That means that the
hatch pattern is directly related to, or associative with, the boundary objects used to create the hatch. If you
subsequently change the boundary objects, the hatch will automatically update to follow those changes.
For example, notice that when you start the HATCH command, AutoCAD displays the Hatch Creation
contextual ribbon. In the Options panel, you can see that the Associative option is toggled on by default. This
is indicated by the buttons blue background. If you click on this button, the button is no longer blue, indicating
that the resulting hatch will not be associative. If you click on the button again, it once again has a blue
background, indicating that AutoCAD will once again create the hatch as an associative hatch. So this is a
toggle.

With the Associative option toggled on, click inside the rectangle but outside the circle. Notice that AutoCAD
finds the outer rectangle boundary as well as the inner circle. You can use other tools in the ribbon to adjust the
hatch. Once youre satisfied with the appearance of the hatch, you can either click the Close Hatch Creation
button or simply press ENTER to add the hatch to the drawing and complete the command.
Notice that if you subsequently select the circle and then change its size by dragging one of these grips, the
hatch pattern automatically updates to adjust to the new circle size. If you drag the center point grip to move
the circle, the hatch pattern again updates to match your change. And if you delete the circle, the hatch
pattern even updates to close the island where the circle had previously been. The hatch pattern does this
because by default it was created as an associative hatch.

If you make changes to the boundary, an associative hatch updates to follow those changes.

Start the HATCH command again, but this time, in the Hatch Creation ribbon, toggle off the Associative
option. Then click to apply the hatch and click the Close Hatch Creation button to complete the creation of the
hatch.
Notice that this time, when you select the circle and change its diameter, the hatch pattern does not
automatically update, because the hatch is not associative. In other words, this time the hatch is not
associated to any of the other geometry in the drawing, so it wont update automatically when you change the
boundary objects from which it had been created.

In that case, if you want the hatch pattern to change, youll need to change it manually. For example, you can
select the hatch pattern and then drag similar grips to manually change the hatch pattern to match the change
you made to the boundary.
It may not always be as easy to change a non-associative hatch in this way. Clearly, creating hatches as
associative hatch objects is much more powerful, which is why it is the default. While you can convert an
associative hatch pattern into a non-associative hatch pattern, you cannot convert a non-associative hatch
pattern into an associative hatch pattern. So in most instances, you will want to create hatch patterns as
associative hatch patterns.

LESSON 15

Creating Separate Hatches

Exercise files: HATCH3.DWG
When you add a hatch to your drawing, all of the hatches you add at one time are treated as a single hatch
object.
For example, start the HATCH command, select the desired hatch pattern, specify its properties, and then
click inside each area of the cross-section of the part. The program adds the preview to that area. As you click
inside each area, it may appear that each area is hatched separately, but notice that when youre satisfied
with the resulting hatch and either click the Close Hatch Creation button or simply press ENTER to add the
hatch to the drawing and complete the command, when you move the cursor over the new hatch pattern, all
three hatch areas are highlighted. And if you select the hatch pattern, all three areas are selected.

Thats because, by default, when you add a hatch, all of the objects you hatch during that particular operation,
until you complete the command, are created as a single hatch object.
But you can change this behavior if you wish. Start the hatch command again, expand the Options panel of
the Hatch Creation contextual ribbon and click the Create Separate Hatches button. Notice that its
background turns blue. If you click this button again, the background becomes white. This is a toggle. When
the background is blue, it indicates that the option is toggled on. When the Create Separate Hatches option is
toggled on, each area that you hatch will be a separate hatch object.

Now, pick the areas you want to hatch exactly as you did before. Then, when youre satisfied with the
appearance of the hatch, click the Close Hatch Creation button or simply press ENTER.

Notice that this time, when you move your cursor over the hatch pattern, only the hatch area directly below
the cursor is highlighted. And if you select the hatch pattern, only the area you click on is selected. Thats
because now, each area has been created as a separate hatch object.
So, if you want everything you hatch each time you use the hatch command to be treated as one hatch
object, make sure the Create Separate Hatches option is toggled off. And that is the default. But if you want
each area to exist as a separate hatch objects, toggle the Create Separate Hatches option on.
Just remember that the program will remember the most recent setting, so if you no longer want to create
separate hatches, youll need to toggle this back off again.

Chapter 7 Review
Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. Tap the button to start the test. Youll be presented
with a series of questions based on the material covered in this chapter. When you choose your answer, youll
immediately see if its correct. If you choose the wrong answer, youll see why the answer is not correct. Use
the Next Question button to advance to the next question. When you finish the last question, or to close the
test, click the X in the upper-left to return to this page.

Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. The following questions are based on the material
covered in this chapter.
1. Annotation Scale allows annotation objects such as Text, Hatch and Dimensions to:
A. Scale to the zoom magnification of the model.
B. Scale to the correct size for printing and plotting.
C. Automatically adjust to a readable size based on the zoom magnification.
D. Scale uniformly, regardless of the Layer they are on.
2. To place the capital letter A in the exact center of the circle shown, you would use an Object Snap
of Center and Text Justification of:

A. Middle.
B. Center.
C. Fit.

D. BC.
3. Text Style controls the appearance of Text. ALL of the following can be controlled with a Text Style
EXCEPT:
A. Height.
B. Layer.
C. Oblique Angle.
D. Font name.
4. Multiline Text has many unique properties. ALL of the following are Multiline Text properties EXCEPT:
A. You can spell check the text by selecting it.
B. An entire paragraph can exist as a single object.
C. You can change the Justification after you place the text.
D. Individual words can be placed on different Layers.
5. The easiest way to edit the contents of either Single-Line Text or Multiline Text is to:
A. Select Text Edit from the Modify panel in the ribbon.
B. Right-click on any text object.
C. Double-click any text object using the left mouse button.
D. Use the Properties palette.
6. In order to create a Hatch object in a drawing, it MUST:
A. Be on its own Layer.
B. Be Associative.
C. Be Annotative.
D. Be within a closed boundary.
7. There are two methods for placing Hatch in a drawing. One method is to Pick Points, and the other
is to:
A. Remove Boundary Objects.
B. Select Boundary Objects.
C. Recreate Boundaries.
D. Island Detection.

8. If you set the Hatch Layer Override to anything other than Use Current:
A. The hatch object will be invisible.
B. The hatch object will be placed on the current layer.
C. The hatch object will be created on the layer you specify, regardless of the current layer.
D. The color of the hatch object will be set to that of the current layer.

Answer Key: 1.b 2.a 3.b 4.d 5.c 6.d 7.b 8.c

Chapter 8
Modifying Objects Using Object Manipulation
AutoCAD provides numerous tools for creating objects, but just as important is the ability to modify those
objects after they have been created. In this chapter, you will learn how to modify objects without actually
changing them. You will learn how to manipulate existing objects by moving, copying, and rotating those
objects.

LESSON 1

Introducing the Manipulation Commands

AutoCAD provides a wealth of powerful tools for creating geometry, and controls that enable you to create
that geometry very accurately. But perhaps even more important is the ability to modify objects once they
have been created.
AutoCAD provides a number of object modification commands. The tools covered in this chapter are often
referred to as manipulation commands. These are commands that physically manipulate the objects that you
have already created. They dont modify the objects or change their appearance. But they change things such
as their location. You can change where things are located with the Move command. The Copy command is a
very powerful command. When you create an object, you only need to create it once. You really should never
create the same object twice. If you create it a second time using the same draw commands, you are
wasting time. Instead, you should simply make a copy of the object and then place the copy where ever it
needs to be.
If you need a mirrored image of an object, you can use the Mirror command to create copies of objects that
are mirror images of the existing object, or to take the original object and flip it as a mirror image.
You can also use the Array command to make multiple copies of an object in a pattern, in a rectangular
pattern consisting of rows and columns, a circular or polar pattern, or distributed along a path.
You can also just take an object and rotate it to a new orientation.
You can also make a copy of an object offset a specific distance from the original object, essentially creating
parallel or concentric copies of the original object.
You can also use the ALIGN command to both move and rotate an object simultaneously, so that it aligns
with another object.

LESSON 2

Using the Move Command

Exercise files: MODIFYCOMMANDS.DWG
The MOVE command enables you to move selected objects to a new position at a specified distance and
direction from their original location.
Like most modify commands, the Move command works in a two-step process: first you select objects and
then you perform the actual command action. For example, when you start the Move command, the program
first prompts you to select the objects you want to move, and you can use any convenient object selection
method. You can click to pick the objects, use a selection window or crossing window, and so on.
Once you are done selecting the objects you want to move, you can right-click or press ENTER to indicate
that you have finished selecting objects. At that point, the program shifts to the action portion of the
command, in which it prompts you for a base point and a second point of displacement.
To illustrate this, zoom in to the office in the lower-right corner. Suppose you want to move the desk and
everything on it into a different location.

On the Home ribbon, in the Modify panel, click the Move tool. The program prompts you to select objects,
and you can use any object selection method. In this case, use a selection window. Once you see that all of
the objects have been selected, right-click to go on to the action part of the command. Now, the program
prompts you for the base point. You could enter the X- and Y-coordinates of that base point, or just click to pick
a point in the drawing. Click to pick a point, which doesnt even have to be located on the objects you are
moving.
Once you pick the base point, the program prompts you for a second point, or you can use the first point as
the displacement. Notice that as you move the cursor, you can see dotted lines showing the original location
of the objects, and a preview of the objects being moved.

The program is asking for a relative distance and angle. You can enter those values or simply click to pick a
point.

If you prefer to specify the second point using a different method, right-click on the Dynamic Input button on
the Status bar and choose Settings from the shortcut menu to open the Dynamic Input tab of the Drafting
Settings dialog. Then, under Point Input, click the Settings button. Notice that the program is currently using
Polar format and Relative coordinates when prompting for the second or next points.

Change this to Cartesian format and then click OK to close both dialog boxes. Notice that now, the program is
prompting you to specify the second point, but instead of a distance and angle, you can enter separate X- and
Y-distances measured relative to the base point.
Most users find it more convenient to use a relative distance and angle, so right-click on the Dynamic Input
button again and change the Pointer Input settings back to the Polar format.

Back in the drawing, you could simply pick the second point, but suppose that you want to move the desk
exactly 24 units. With the distance field active, type 24 and then press the TAB key. As soon as you do, notice
that the distance is now locked in, but you can still move the cursor to change the angle. If you know that you
want to simply move the desk over to the right, you can type 0 in the angle field and then press the TAB key
again. Now, both the distance and angle are locked in. You can still press the TAB key to switch between the
dynamic input fields and change those values.
Press ENTER. When you do, the desk is moved to the new location that you specified.

LESSON 3

Using the Move Command with Object Snap

Exercise files: MODIFYCOMMANDS.DWG
Using modify commands in conjunction with object snap guarantees accuracy by using precise locations on
objects.
For example, zoom in to the office in the lower-right corner of the drawing. Suppose that you want to move
the desk so that it is located in the exact corner of the room. You can easily do this by enabling object snap in
conjunction with the Move command.
On the Status bar, you can see that running object snap is enabled, as indicated by the blue background.
Right-click on the Object Snap button to display a shortcut menu. Here you can see that the Endpoint,
Midpoint, and Center object snaps are already selected as running object snaps. Those will work just fine. you
could use the Intersection object snap, but you should only use Intersection when you need to snap to
locations where objects overlap.

On the Home ribbon, in the Modify panel, click the Move tool. The program prompts you to select objects.
Use a window to select the desk, and then right-click to complete the object selection.
When the program prompts you to specify the base point, move the cursor near the corner of the desk. When
you see the endpoint object snap glyph and tooltip, click. The cursor is now locked precisely to the endpoint at
the corner of the desk.

Now the program is prompting you to specify the second point. Again, when you move the cursor near the
endpoint of the line representing the wall, you again see the endpoint object snap glyph and tooltip. When you
see that, you know that you have got the right location. And when you click to select that point, the desk
moves precisely into the corner of the room.

To move the chair so that its midpoint is positioned precisely at the midpoint of the front of the desk, press the

SPACEBAR to repeat the Move command, select the chair, and then right-click. When the program prompts
you to specify the base point, move the cursor over the front of the chair until you see the midpoint glyph and
tooltip, click to select that point, and then snap the chair to the midpoint of the front of the desk.

Finally, to move the file cabinet, press the SPACEBAR to start the Move command again, use a window to
select the file cabinet, right-click to complete your selection, pick the endpoint at the corner of the cabinet as
the base point, and then use object snap to ensure that you move it to the endpoint of the corner of the desk.

LESSON 4

Using the Copy Command

Exercise files: MODIFYCOMMANDS.DWG
When using a CAD program, one of the most fundamental concepts is that you should never draw anything
twice. Draw it once, and then make copies.
For example, notice that there are two lateral file cabinets. The person who created this drawing did not draw
both cabinets. They drew just one of them, and then, when they needed a second one, they just made a
copy of the first one.

To make a copy of an object, click the Copy tool in the Modify panel of the Home ribbon. The program
prompts you to select objects. Notice that if you click on the file cabinet, you can see that its actually made up
of individual line segments. You could select each individual segment, but it is much easier to select them
using a window. But when you do, in the command window, the program shows you that you have selected
6 objects. But if you look at the file cabinet, you only see 5 lines, the four sides and the line representing the
handle. So where did the sixth line come from?

There are actually two lines where the two cabinets meet, one belonging to the file cabinet on the left and the
other belonging to the file cabinet on the right. You need make sure that you only copy one of these lines. To
do that, press the SHIFT key and click on the shared line. Notice that now you can see in the command
window that one object has been removed and now there are only five objects selected. Remember that
pressing the SHIFT key when you select objects removes the selected objects from the selection set.

Now that you have selected the objects, right-click. The program now prompts you to specify a base point.
But also notice that in the command line, you can also see the current copy mode settings. After you have
selected objects, but before you actually begin to make copies, you can choose whether you want to make
just one copy or multiple copies of the objects. By default, the Copy command makes multiple copies, and
you must manually end the command once you are finished copying the objects. If you choose the Mode
option, however, you can switch to the single copy mode.
Once you have done that, the program repeats the prompt for you to select the basepoint. You can specify Xand Y-coordinates, or simply click to pick a point, and the point doesnt even need to be on the object. Once
you pick the base point, the program prompts you for a second point, or you can use the first point as the
displacement. With dynamic input turned on, you can see that the program is asking for a relative distance
and angle. You can enter those values or simply click to pick a point.
If you prefer to specify the second point using a different method, right-click on the Dynamic Input button on
the Status bar and choose Settings from the shortcut menu to open the Dynamic Input tab of the Drafting
Settings dialog. Then, under Point Input, click the Settings button. Notice that the program is currently using
Polar format and Relative coordinates when prompting for the second or next points. You could change this to
Cartesian (or X, Y coordinate format) and Absolute coordinates if you wished, but most users find it more
convenient to use relative distance and angle, which is why thats the default. Simply close both dialog boxes.

Suppose you want to place a copy of the file cabinet exactly 40 units up from the original. Type 40 in the
distance field and then press the TAB key. Then, in the angle field, type 90 and press the TAB key again.
Now, the copy is locked in at that location. Press ENTER to copy the objects. Since you switched to the
Single copy mode, the command immediately ends.

Click Undo and then repeat this. Start the Copy command, select the objects you want to copy, making sure
that you only select the five objects that make up one instance of the file cabinet, and then right-click to
complete the object selection. Notice that the Copy command is now in single copy mode. The program
remembers the mode you used the last time you used the Copy command. When you right-click, in the
shortcut menu you can see that there is both a Mode option and a Multiple option. If you simply choose
Multiple, you will be able to make multiple copies this time, but the next time you start the Copy command, it
will once again revert to the Single copy mode. To switch back to the Multiple mode, you must choose the
Mode option and then select the Multiple mode. Once you have done that, click to specify a base point and
then specify the second point. With the Multiple mode active, as soon as you place that first copy, the
program prompts you again to specify a second point, and you can immediately place another copy of the file
cabinet. When the Multiple mode is active, this prompt will keep repeating after you place each copy. To end
the command, you must either press ENTER, select the Exit option, or press the ESC key.

LESSON 5

Using the Copy Command with Object Snap

Exercise files: MODIFYCOMMANDS-02.DWG
Using modify commands in conjunction with object snap guarantees accuracy by using precise locations on
objects.
For example, zoom in to the office in the lower-left corner of the drawing. Suppose that you want to place a
series of file cabinets along the wall in the adjacent office. You can do that by copying one of the existing file
cabinets. On the Home ribbon, in the Modify panel, click the Copy tool. The program prompts you to select
objects. Click to select the file cabinet, which happens to be a single block object. Then, right-click to complete
the object selection.
Next, the program prompts you to specify the base point. On the command line, you can also see that the
Multiple copy mode is active. Since you want to place the copy so that the corner of the file cabinet is located
precisely in the corner of the room, you know that you need to use an object snap. In the Status bar, you can
see that Object Snap is enabled. When you right-click on the Object Snap button, you can see that Endpoint is
one of the running object snaps. Press ESC to collapse the menu.

Zoom in a bit, move the cursor near the corner of the file cabinet until you see the endpoint object snap glyph
and tooltip, and then click. Now the copy of the file cabinet you are about to place is locked precisely to the
cursor. Zoom out a bit and pan up so that you can see the corner of the adjacent room.

The program is prompting you to specify the second point. Again, since you want to place the copy precisely
in the corner of the room, you need to use object snap. Move the cursor near the end of the line until you see
the endpoint glyph and tooltip, and then click to select that point. You have just placed a copy of the file
cabinet in the exact corner of the room. Since the Multiple copy mode is active, the program continues to ask
you for another point. You can use endpoint object snap to place another copy of the file cabinet at the exact
endpoint of the first file cabinet. In fact, you can easily place additional file cabinets along this wall until you run
out of room.

Once you are done, you must end the command by pressing ENTER, selecting the Exit option, or pressing
the ESC key.

LESSON 6

Using the Mirror Command

Exercise files: MODIFYCOMMANDS-02.DWG
You can use the Mirror command to make mirrored copies of selected objects.
For example, notice that the office cubicle on the left already has had furniture placed in it. The cubicle to the
right does not yet have furniture. If you were to simply copy the furniture from the cubicle on the left into the
one on the right, it would block the entrance to the cubicle. But since the cubicle on the right is essentially a
mirror image of the one on the left, you can use the Mirror command to make mirrored copies of the furniture.

To make mirrored copies, on the Home ribbon, in the Modify panel, click the Mirror tool. Since this is a modify
command, the program first prompts you to select objects, and you can use any convenient object selection
method. In this case, use a crossing window to select the desk and everything on it, the file cabinet, and the
chair. Then, right click to complete the object selection.
Next, the program prompts you to specify the first point of the mirror line. The mirror line is essentially an
imaginary line of symmetry about which the copies will be mirrored. Since its a line, you define it by picking
two points. In this case, you want the mirror line to go right down through the middle of the cubicle wall. In
order to do that, you need to use object snap to snap to the midpoint of the end of the cubicle wall.

To make sure that you select the correct point, right-click on the Object Snap button on the Status bar and

choose Settings to open the Object Snap tab of the Drafting Settings dialog. Clear all of the object snap
modes and then select only the Midpoint object snap. Also turn off Object Snap Tracking and then click OK to
close the dialog.

Now, when you move the cursor over the end of the cubicle wall, the program only finds the midpoint of the
line. Click to select that point. Next, the program prompts you to specify the second point of the mirror line,
and as you move the cursor, you can see the imaginary line and a preview image of the objects being copied.
Notice how the copies are mirrored about the mirror line.

You need to make sure that mirror line is aligned precisely, so go back to the Status bar and turn on either the
Ortho mode or Polar Tracking. Either of these will enable you to lock the mirror line at a 270-degree angle. In
this case, turn on Ortho mode. Then, move the cursor straight down. You can see that it is aligned at a 270degree angle. You can then pick any point along this alignment as the second point. The position of the second
point does not matter, only the direction of the mirror line.

As soon as you pick that point, the image of the copied objects temporarily disappears and the program asks if
you want to erase the source objects. In other words, do you want to simply flip the existing objects across

the mirror line or do you want to make a mirrored copy. The default is no; in other words, dont simply flip the
objectsmake a copy. Simply press ENTER to accept the default. As soon as you do, the mirrored copies of
the objects are placed in the cubicle on the right and the command ends.

LESSON 7

Creating a Rectangular Array

Exercise files: ARRAY-RECT.DWG
The Rectangular Array tool enables you to make copies of selected objects and arrange those copies into a
rectangular pattern of rows and columns. Lets see how it works.
In the exercise file, you can see a schematic for a simple rectangular building. The rectangle in the lower-left
corner represents a column. You can use the Rectangular Array tool to quickly layout the rest of the columns.
Start the command by clicking the Rectangular Array tool in the Modify panel of the Home ribbon. Notice that
when you hover the cursor over the tool for a few seconds, the tooltip expands and shows a short animation
illustrating a typical use of the command.

Start the command by clicking the Rectangular Array tool in the Modify panel of the Home ribbon.

When you start the Rectangular Array tool, the program prompts you to select objects. You can select the
objects you want to array using any convenient object selection method. For example, use a window to select
the column. When youre finished, right-click to complete the object selection.
Next, notice that in the command window, you can see that youre creating a rectangular array and that the
array will be associative. Its important to check this, because the program will remember what you did the
last time you created an array. By default, the program creates associative arrays. An associative array
means that the copies will be part of a single array object and youll be able to modify the array properties,
such as changing the spacing or number of objects in the array, after it has been created.

You can see in the command line that youre creating an associative array and you see grips on a 3x4 preview of the array.

Notice that the ribbon has also changed to the Array Creation contextual ribbon, and in the Properties panel,
you can see that the Associative Array button is selected, as indicated by the blue background. You can toggle
this on and off by clicking this button. Leave this selected, so that you will create an associative array.

The ribbon changes to the Array Creation contextual ribbon and you can see that the Associative button is selected.

Also notice that after selecting the objects you want to array, you see a preview of the array, displayed in a 3
row by 4 column grid. You can also see a number of grips, and the program is prompting you to select a grip
to edit the array, and there are also a number of options. For example, you can specify a new base point in
the upper-right corner of the first column. You could also change the angle of the array or modify the count,
the number of copies youre about to make.
If you click and drag the square grip in the upper-right, you can change the overall size of the array, which will
also increase the number of rows and columns. You can use the triangular grip in the lower-right to change the
number of columns, and the triangular grip along the bottom to change the distance between columns.
Similarly, you can use the triangular grip in the upper-left to change the number of rows, and the grip along the
left side of the array to change the distance between rows. You can also change these values within the
contextual ribbon.
When youre done modifying the array, you must end the command by either choosing the Exit option or
clicking the Close Array button in the ribbon.
Notice that when you move the cursor over an element in the array, all of the elements highlight, and you can
see that this is a rectangular array object. Once you have created the array, you can select it and then make
changes. For example, lets say that what you really want is an arrangement of building columns in 3 rows
and 4 columns that perfectly fills the rectangular building space. Notice that when you move the cursor over
the triangular grip in the lower-right, you can see that this is now a multi-functional grip. Select Column Count
and change this value to 4. Then, hover the cursor over that grip again, select Total Column Spacing, and then
snap to the lower-right corner of the building outline.

Repeat this process using the triangular grip in the upper-left corner of the array. Again, when you move the
cursor over this grip, you can see that its a multi-functional grip. Choose Row Count and change this value to
3. Then, hover the cursor over that grip again, select Total Row Spacing, and then snap to the upper-left
corner of the building outline.

When youre done, click the Close Array button. And as you can see, thanks to the power of associative
arrays, youve adjusted the spacing so that the columns are now laid out in a rectangular array consisting of 3
rows and 4 columns that fits exactly within the building outline.

LESSON 8

Adjusting Rectangular Array Rows and Columns

Exercise files: CHAMFER.DWG
The Rectangular Array tool makes it easy to lay out things like furniture in a repetitive pattern. For example, in
the exercise file, the room on the right side of the building is going to be a training room. It already contains a
table and a chair. You can create copies of these objects, arranged in a rectangular pattern of with three tables
in each row and perhaps five rows of tables and chairs in the room, but still leave adequate space to move
around.

Start the command by clicking the Rectangular Array tool in the Modify panel of the Home ribbon. The
program prompts you to select objects and you can use any convenient object selection method. In this case,
use a window to select both the table and the chair. When youre finished, right-click to complete the object
selection.
Next, notice that in the command window, you can see that youre creating a rectangular array and the array
will be associative. You can also see, in the Array Creation contextual ribbon, that the Associative button is
selected, as indicated by the blue background. An associative array means that the copies will be part of an
array object and youll be able to modify the array after its been created.
You can see a preview of the desk and chair arranged in a rectangular array consisting of 3 rows and 4
columns, and the program is prompting you to select a grip to edit the array, and there are a number of
options. To specify the number of rows and columns, choose the Count option.
The program prompts you to enter the number of columns. Since you want three tables in each row, type 3
and then press ENTER. Then, the program prompts you to enter the number of rows. Since youd like to try

to create five rows of tables and chairs, type 5 and then press ENTER.
Notice that now, the original prompt repeats. This time, choose the Spacing option.
Now, the program is prompting you to specify the distance between columns. By default, the distance
between columns is measured horizontally along the X-axis. Since each desk is 60 units long, type 60 and
press ENTER. Then, the program prompts you to specify the distance between rows. The distance between
rows is measured vertically along the Y-axis. Lets say that you want 48 units between the desks; type 48 and
press ENTER.
The array immediately updates to reflect these new values and the prompt repeats again.

When you make changes, the associative array immediately updates. You can use options or the contextual ribbon to make additional changes.

Its pretty obvious that the rows are spaced too close together. In order to leave 48 units between the tables,
you must take into account the width of the tables, which happens to be 18 units. Since this is an associative
array, you can easily make that change by using the Row option. When you choose Rows, the program
prompts you again to enter the number of rows. You dont really want to change the number of rows, you just
want to adjust the spacing. So press ENTER to accept the current value of 5 rows. Now the program prompts
you to specify the distance between rows. Increase the distance to 66 units (48 + 18) and press ENTER.
Thats better.
Notice that at this point, you can also specify an elevation increment, so you could change the elevation of
each row by an amount. This would be very useful if you were creating a 3D model of the training room and
each row of tables and chairs was on a separate riser. But in this case, since the floor is flat, just press ENTER
to accept the default elevation increment of 0.
Again, the program prompts you to select a grip to edit the array, or you can choose one of the options. To
end the command, press ENTER or click the Close Array button.

LESSON 9

Changing the Properties of Rectangular Arrays

Exercise files: TRAINING_ROOM-02.DWG
By default, the Rectangular Array tool creates an associative array, which means that the copies of objects in
the array are part of a single array object that can subsequently be modified by changing the array properties,
such as the spacing or number of objects in the array.
In the exercise file, tables and chairs have been laid out for a training room, but there are too many rows of
tables.
Notice that when you select any object in the array, the entire array is selected. You can see that its
highlighted. You can also see a number of grips, and the ribbon has changed to the Array contextual ribbon.
And if you expand the Properties palette, you can see that the object youve selected is a rectangular array.
You can now use any of those toolsthe tools in the ribbon, the grips, or the fields in the Properties palette
to modify the array.

You can use any of the tools in the ribbon, the grips, or the fields in the Properties palette to modify the array.

If you hover the cursor over the square grip in the upper-right corner, you can change the row and column
count or adjust the total row and column spacing.
If you hover the cursor over the triangular grip in the upper-left corner, you can change the row count, the total
row spacing, or the axis angle of the columns.
If you hover the cursor over the triangular grip in the lower-right corner, you can change the column count, the

total column spacing, or the axis angle of the rows.

The triangular grip on the second row on the left enables you to change the spacing between the rows and the
triangular grip in the middle of the first row lets you change the spacing between the columns.
The square grip in the lower-left corner lets you move the array, and if this was a three-dimensional array, you
could also use it to adjust the number of levels in the array.
Since you simply want to reduce the number of rows in the array, you can move the cursor over the triangular
grip in the upper left and then choose Row Count. Notice that now, you can move the cursor and the number
of rows in the array immediately adjusts. You could also change the number of rows by typing the desired
number in the dynamic input field or by changing the value in the Rows panel on the Array ribbon or by
changing the Rows value field in the Properties palette. Use one of these methods to reduce the row count to
4.

Now youve got the right number of rows, but now it probably makes sense to add a bit of space between
each column of tables. When you hover the cursor over the triangular grip in the middle of the first row, you
can see that there is currently 60 units between columns. Click on the grip to make it active and then either
drag it to increase the column spacing or type a new value. Type 72 and press ENTER. Now youve got 12
units between each table.

That looks pretty good. Press the ESC key to finish modifying the array.

LESSON 10

Creating a Polar Array

Exercise files: MODIFY-COMMANDS.DWG
The Polar Array tool enables you to make copies of selected objects and arrange those copies equally in a
circular pattern around a center point. Lets see how it works.
In the exercise file, zoom in on the conference table. A single chair has already been placed a short distance
away from the table. Now, lets assume that what you want to do is to place additional chairs around the
table, for a total of 12 chairs. You can use the Polar Array tool to do this.
The Polar Array tool is located in the Modify panel of the Home ribbon. If you expand the Array split button,
you can see that there are actually three different Array tools. Whichever tool you used last floats to the top of
the button.

The Polar Array tool is located in the Modify panel of the Home ribbon.

Notice that when you hover the cursor over the Polar Array tool for a few seconds, the tooltip expands and
shows a short animation illustrating a typical use of the command.
When you start the Polar Array tool, the program prompts you to select objects. You can select the objects
you want to array using any convenient object selection method. In this case, simply click to select the chair.
Once youre done selecting objects, right-click.

Next, notice that in the command window, you can see that youre creating a Polar array and that the array
will be associative. Its important to check this, because the program will remember what you did the last time
you created any type of array. By default, the program creates associative arrays. An associative array means
that the copies will be part of a single array object and youll be able to modify the array properties, such as
the number of objects in the array and the angle between objects, after the array has been created.
The program is prompting you to specify the center point of the array, or you could specify the base point or
an axis of rotation. Use the Center object snap to select the center of the table as the center point of the array.
That way, each chair will remain the same distance from the table.
As soon as you specify the center point, the ribbon changes to the Array Creation contextual ribbon, and you
see a preview of an array that includes six copies of the chair. There are also several grips. You can use the
square grip in the center to change the center point of the array, the square grip at the bottom to change the
radius of the array, and the triangular grip to change the angle between items. In the command window, you
can see that the program is prompting you to select a grip to edit the array and there are a number of options.
And in the ribbon, you can see that the Associative button is selected, as indicated by the blue background.
You can toggle this on and off if you wish.
Since you want to place 12 chairs around the table, select the Items option. The program prompts you to
enter the number of items in the array; type 12 and press ENTER. As soon as you do, you can see that 12
chairs is probably too many. The chairs are a bit too close together. To fix this, choose the Items option again,
change the number of chairs to 10, and then press ENTER.

When you select the array, you can use grips or tools in the contextual ribbon to modify the array.

Notice that theres also an option called Rotate Items. And in the contextual ribbon, theres a Rotate Items
button, which is currently selected. If you choose that option or simply click the Rotate Items button to toggle
that setting, notice that the chairs are no longer facing the center of the table because they are no longer
rotated as they are arrayed around the table. Thats certainly not what you want, so click the button to toggle
that back on again.
Once youre satisfied with the array, you can either choose the Exit option or click the Close Array button to
accept the array and end the command.
Since the chairs were copied around the table as an associative array, notice that if you select one of the
chairs, theyre all selected. Also notice that the Array contextual ribbon becomes active and in the drawing you
again see a number of grips. You can modify the array using either the grips or the tools in the ribbon. In this
case, see what would happen if you had 11 chairs around the table. Click in the Items field in the Items panel
and change the number of items to 11. Notice that thanks to the power of associative arrays, the drawing
immediately updates. If you change your mind again, you can go back to 10 chairs.

LESSON 11

Adjusting Polar Arrays

Exercise files: MODIFY-COMMANDS.DWG
The Polar Array tool enables you to make copies of selected objects and arrange those copies equally in a
circular pattern around a center point. By default, the Polar Array tool creates an associative array, which
means that the copies of objects in the array are part of a single array object that can subsequently be
modified by changing the array properties, such as the number of items in the array, the angle between
objects or total angle to fill, the center point of the array, and the radius of the array.
In the exercise files, chairs have been arrayed around a conference table. But the room is pretty crowded.
Suppose you wanted to see how things would look if you only had chairs arrayed around one half of the table.

When you select any object in the array, the entire array is selected. You can then use any of the tools in the ribbon, the grips, or the fields in the
Properties palette to modify the array.

When you select any object in the array, notice that the entire array is selected. You can see that its
highlighted. You can also see a number of grips, and the ribbon has changed to the Array contextual ribbon.
And if you expand the Properties palette, you can see that the object youve selected is a polar array. You can
now use any of those tools, the tools in the ribbon, the grips, or the fields in the Properties palette, to modify
the array.
To limit the chairs so that they only go around half of the table, click in the Fill field in the Items panel on the
ribbon and change the fill angle from 360 to 180. Now the chairs only go halfway around the table, but they

overlap each other because there are still 10 chairs. But you can easily fix that, by clicking in the Items field in
the ribbon and changing that value to 6.

If youd like to see how the array would look if the chairs were on the other side of the table, click the Direction
button in the contextual ribbon. Notice that this is a toggle. When off, the items are arrayed in a clockwise
direction. When you click the button again to toggle this on, as indicated by the blue background, the items are
arrayed in a counter-clockwise direction.
Once youre satisfied with the array, you can click the Close Array button to end the command.ESC
You can also adjust the radius of a polar array. Perhaps youd like to see how the furniture layout would look if
you had chairs arrayed all around the table, but used a slightly smaller table. Select the table, click on one of
the quadrant grips, and change the Radius from 48 to 42. Then, press the ESC key to deselect the table.

Of course, once youve done that, the chairs are positioned a bit further from the table. But you can easily fix
that. Select one of the chairs to select the entire array again. If you then hover the cursor over the square grip
below the table, notice that this is a multi-functional grip. Choose the Stretch Radius option to change the
radius of the array. Since you reduced the radius of the table by 6 units, do the same for the radius of the
array, by changing this value to 61.16 units.

If you hover the cursor over the triangular grip above the table, notice that this is also a multi-functional grip. If
you choose the Item Count option, the program prompts you to specify the number of items. Type 10 and
press ENTER. Now you once again have 10 chairs going all the way around the table. Press the ESC key to
deselect the array and end the command

LESSON 12

Creating a Path Array

Exercise files: ARRAY-PATH-01.DWG
The Path Array tool enables you to make copies of selected objects and arrange those copies distributed along
a path or a portion of a path. Lets see how it works.
In the exercise file, you can see a walkway path, drawn using a spline. There us also a tree at the starting
point of the path. Lets assume that you want to place a series of trees distributed along the side of the entire
walkway. You can use the Path Array tool to do this.
The Path Array tool is located in the Modify panel of the Home ribbon. If you expand the Array split button,
you can see that there are actually three different Array tools. Whichever tool you used last floats to the top of
the button.
Notice that if you hover the cursor over the Path Array tool for a few seconds, the tooltip expands and shows
a short animation illustrating a typical use of the command.

When you start the Path Array tool, the program prompts you to select objects. You can select the objects you
want to array using any convenient object selection method. In this case, simply click to select the tree. Once
youre done selecting objects, right-click.
Next, the command prompts you to select the path curve. Click to select the spline representing one side of
the walkway. As soon as you do, you can see in the command window that the program shows you that
youre creating a path array and that the array will be associative.

The ribbon also changes to the Array Creation contextual ribbon, and you can see that the Associative button
in the Properties panel is selected, as indicated by its blue background. Its important to check this, because
the program will remember what you did the last time you created any type of array. By default, the program
creates associative arrays. An associative array means that the copies will be part of a single array object and
youll be able to modify the array after it has been created by adjusting any of its properties, such as the
number of objects in the array and how they are distributed along the path.

You can see a preview of the array, as well as several grips. If you click and drag the triangular grip, you can change the spacing between each tree.

You can see a preview of the array, as well as several grips. Notice that there are 14 copies of the tree spaced
along the path. The program is prompting you to select a grip to edit the array, or you can choose one of the
options. If you click and drag the triangular grip, you can change the spacing between each tree. When you do
that, the number of trees automatically changes to fit the path. If you click the Items toggle in the ribbon,
notice that a new grip appears at the end of the array. When this is toggled off, you can specify the number of
items in the array. Type 12 and press ENTER. With the Items button toggled off, notice that when you reduce
the number of trees, they no longer extend to the end of the path. But then you can adjust the spacing
between the trees so that the trees extend to the end of the path.

With the Items button toggled off, when you reduce the number of trees, they no longer extend to the end of the path.

By default, each item in the array is rotated so that it aligns with the path. But notice that if you click the Align
Items button in the ribbon to toggle this off, now each tree has the exact same orientation. When you click the
button again to toggle this back on, notice that each tree is now once again rotated so that its alignment is

based on the path.

You can also control the orientation of the trees relative to the path. To do this, you can choose the Tangent
Direction option, or simply click the Tangent Direction button in the ribbon. The program prompts you to specify
the first point of the tangent direction vector. Click to select the endpoint of the spline. Then, the program
prompts you to specify the second point of the tangent direction vector. Move the cursor so that the imaginary
line between the first and second point is aligned with the tree symbol at approximately a 50 degree angle,
and then click. As soon as you do, notice how the orientation of all of the trees immediately adjusts.
Once youre satisfied with the array, you can press ENTER to select the Exit option, or click the Close Array
button.
Suppose that after looking at the results, you decide that there are too many trees. Notice that when you
move the cursor over any one of the trees, they all highlight, and you can see that this is a path array. When
you click to select a tree, theyre all selected, and the ribbon changes to the Array contextual ribbon. Now, you
can make changes to the array.
With the Items toggled off, you can click in the Items field and change the number of items to 10. When you
do, notice that the trees no longer extend to the end of the path. Thats because the distance between the
trees has not changed.

Notice that in the ribbon, in the Properties panel, the Measure Method tool is currently selected. But if you
expand this button and choose the Divide Method, notice that now the 10 trees are distributed evenly along
the length of the path. Note that when this is set to use the Divide Method, the program uses equal divisions,
there is only a single grip at the starting point of the path array, and in the Items panel, you can no longer
control the distance between items or the total length of the path array. If you change this back to the
Measure Method, items are placed based on a specific distance, you can once again adjust these values in
the ribbon, and you again see multiple grips.
You can also use the tools in the Rows panel in the ribbon. Notice that right now, theres just one row. If you
change this value to 2, notice that you can immediately see that a second row of trees has been added, and
they follow the same path. You can now control the distance between those rows, using either the triangular
grip, or by using the tools in the ribbon. For example, if you change the spacing to 72, the second row of trees
moves closer.

Notice also that several of the grips are multi-functional grips. When you move the cursor over the triangular
grip at the end of the path, notice that you can change the Item Count or the Total Item Spacing.

If you hover the cursor over the square grip, you can move the array or change the level count.

And if you hover the cursor over this triangular grip, you can change the Row Count or Row Spacing. If you
choose Row Count, the program prompts you to specify the number of rows.

Change the row count back to 1 and press ENTER.

When youre done editing the array, you can click the Close Array button or simply press the ESC key to
deselect the array.

LESSON 13

Using the Rotate Command

Exercise files: MODIFYCOMMANDS-02.DWG
You can rotate objects in your drawing around a specified base point.
Notice that the chair is currently aligned parallel with the front of the desk. But suppose that you want it to be
rotated so that the furniture layout looks a bit more realistic. you can use the Rotate command to do this. On
the Home ribbon, in the Modify panel, click the Rotate tool. The program prompts you to select objects, and
you can use any convenient object selection method. When you are done selecting objects, right-click.

Next, the program prompts you to specify a base point, the point about which you want to rotate the objects.
In this case, you want to rotate the chair about a point close to where the pivot point of the chair would be, so
use object snap tracking to find the midpoint of the chair. Move the cursor over one side of the chair until you
see the midpoint object snap glyph and tooltip, but dont click. Instead, just move the cursor to track away
from that point. Then do the same thing to track away from the midpoint of the front of the chair. When you
reach the point where those two tracking lines intersect, click. Thats now the base point about which the chair
will rotate.

Now, the program is prompting you to specify the rotation angle. If you know the angle, you could simply type
it. For example, if you wanted to rotate the chair 90-degrees in a counter-clockwise direction, you could simply
type 90 and press ENTER. Remember that when dealing with angles, positive angles increase in a counter-

clockwise direction and negative angles increase in a clockwise direction.

Press the SPACEBAR to repeat the Rotate command. Since you had already selected the chair, when the
program prompts you to select objects, you can type the letter P and press ENTER to reuse the previous
selection set. Then, right-click or press ENTER to complete the object selection. Use object snap tracking
again to locate the base point. But this time, when the program prompts you for the rotation angle, simply
move the cursor and then click to rotate the chair to an arbitrary angle that looks like the way someone might
have left the chair if they had gotten up and left the room.

LESSON 14

Using the Rotate Command with a Reference Angle

Exercise files: MODIFYCOMMANDS-02.DWG
You can use the Rotate command in conjunction with the reference angle option to rotate objects in reference
to another object, or from one angle to another, without having to actually know the angle.
For example, here you can see several doors that have been placed in the drawing. Unfortunately, they do not
line up properly with the opening in the angled walls. But thats okay. You can easily rotate the doors into the
desired alignment without having to first determine the angle of the walls.
To do this, on the Home ribbon, in the Modify panel, click the Rotate tool. The program prompts you to select
objects. Use a crossing window to select the objects comprising the door, and then right-click to complete the
object selection.

Next, the program prompts you to specify the base point, the point about which you want to rotate the
selected objects. In this case, that point is the hinge point of the door, so use the endpoint object snap to
select that point.

Next, the program prompts you to specify the rotation angle. If you were to enter an angle, the objects would
rotate by that angle relative to their current orientation, but since you dont know the angle of the wall, that
wont work. As you move the cursor, you can see the door rotate. If you move the cursor off at an angle, you
could get close to the right alignment, but when working with a CAD program, you always want to be precise,
so simply working by eye is not acceptable.

Instead, what you can do is to select the Reference option. Now, the program prompts you to specify the
reference angle, in other words, the current alignment of the objects you are rotating. Click to select the hinge
point of the door. Then, the program prompts you to specify the second point. Click to select the point at the
end of the door swing arc.

Once you do that, the program prompts you to specify the new angle, and notice that now, when you move
the cursor, it is aligned precisely with the door. All you need to do now is to select the point at the opposite
door jamb to align the door precisely with the wall.

LESSON 15

Using the Offset Command

Exercise files: OFFSET.DWG
The OFFSET command enables you to make parallel or concentric copies of objects.

When you start the OFFSET command, in the command line, you can see a number of settings, including
Erase Source (do you want to erase the source object?), Layer (what layer do you want to use?), and
OFFSETGAPTYPE, which controls how corners are handled when offsetting polylines.

The program prompts you to specify the offset distance and also provides several options. In the exercise file,
specify an offset distance of .25 units and press ENTER. Then, the program prompts you to select the object
to offset, or you could choose the Exit or Undo options. Select the polyline. As soon as you do, the program
prompts you to specify a point on the side to offset, or you can choose one of the other options.

Notice that you can see a preview of the offset result. As you move the cursor to the inside or the outside, the
preview changes, so you can see where the resulting object will be offset. If you click to pick a point outside
the original polyline, the copy is offset .25 units to the outside of the original polyline. Then, the prompt repeats
so you can select another object. If you select the original polyline and move the cursor to the inside, you
could place another copy. But notice that you can also specify a different offset distance. Type .5 and press
ENTER. The new copy is immediately offset .5 units to the inside of the original polyline.
Then, the prompt repeats again. Press the ENTER key to exit from the command, and then click Undo to
undo those two copies that you just created.
Lets look at some of the other options that are available when using the OFFSET command.
When you start the OFFSET command, you also have the option of specifying the layer for the copied

objects. If you choose the Layer option, notice that when offsetting objects, you can place the copies on either
the current layer or the source layer, meaning the same layer as the original object being copied.

The Layer option lets you offset objects onto their original source layer or to the current layer.

To illustrate this, select a different layer as the current layer. Expand the layer list and choose the layer named
RED, which happens to have its color set to Red. Then, notice that the program is still waiting for you to enter
the layer option for offset objects. Choose Current, so that the offset copies are placed on the current layer.
Then, the program prompts you to specify the offset distance. Type .25 and press ENTER. Then, youre
prompted to select the object to offset. Select the polyline. Notice that this time, the preview of the offset copy
is red, because the copy is being created on the current layer. Click to the outside to create an offset copy and
then press the ENTER key to exit from the command.
Lets look at another example. Press the SPACEBAR to restart the OFFSET command. When the program
prompts you to specify an offset distance, you can either type in a distance or pick two points. If you pick
points, the program will use the distance between those points as the offset distance. Use the endpoint object
snap to select the ends of this line segment. As soon as you select the second point, the program prompts
you to select the object to offset. Click to select the circle. Again, as soon as you do, you can see a preview of
the offset copy, and the program prompts you to specify a point on the side to offset. And as you can see, the
offset is now being created on the current layer. Click to offset the circle toward the outside. As soon as you
do, the copy is created and then the program prompts you again to select the object to offset. So as you can
see, by default, you have to select the object again each time you want to create an offset copy.
But you can change this behavior as well. Press the ENTER key to exit from the command and then press
the SPACEBAR to start the OFFSET command again. Press ENTER to accept the previous offset distance of
.75 units and then click to select the object you want to offset. Before you specify the point on the side to
offset, however, notice that theres a Multiple option. If you choose the Multiple option, notice that now, after
you click to specify the point on the side to offset, that prompt repeats again so that you can simply click to
immediately create another offset copy of the object, using the same offset distance, and with dynamic input
enabled, you can see the cumulative offset distance.

When the program prompts you to specify a point on the side to offset, notice that you can press ENTER to
select the next object. The program then prompts you to select a new object to offset. Select the green
polyline. You can then offset that polyline using the current offset distance of .75 units.
Press the ESC key to end the command.
You can also use the OFFSET command to move an object a specific offset distance. Notice that when you
start the command, if you choose the Erase option, the program asks if you want to erase the source object
after offsetting. By default, this is set to No. But if you choose yes, notice that after specifying the offset
distance, and selecting the object to offset (and in this case, select the outer-most circle), when you click to
offset that circle to the outside, the circle is offset but the circle you had selected has been erased. Press
ENTER to exit from the command.
Note that this is a toggle. When you start the command again, notice that in the command line, you can see
that Erase Source is now set to Yes. To change this, you must choose the Erase option and change it back to
No.
Note that instead of specifying the offset distance, you can also select a through point, in which case the
offset copy will pass through the point you specify. To do this, choose the Through option. The program
prompts you to select the object to offset. Select the outer-most circle. As soon as you do, the program
prompts you to specify a through point, and you can see a preview of the offset copy. Click to select the
endpoint of the line. As soon as you do, notice that a new copy of the circle has been created that passes
through that point. Press ESC to end the command.
Lets look at one more example. The OFFSET command is particularly powerful when copying a closed
object, such as a polyline. In the exercise file, pan over and use the LINE command to create some new
geometry.
Now, because these are individual lines, if you start the OFFSET command, after specifying an offset distance
(specify a distance of .75 units) you must offset each line one at a time. Then, you would have to come back
and do a whole lot of cleanup, using trims and extends. Thats a lot of additional work.
Press ENTER to exit from the command and then click Undo to remove those lines that you already offset.

Heres a much faster technique you can use to quickly offset this object. Expand the Modify panel and click
the Edit Polyline tool. When the program prompts you to select a polyline, select one of the line segments you
just created. Notice that the program immediately recognizes that this isnt a polyline and asks if you want to
turn it into one. Press ENTER to accept the default of Yes. Then choose the Join option and select all of the
geometry that makes up the object. When you finish, right-click to end the object selection, and then end the
command. Notice that now, when you move the cursor over the object, you can see that its one polyline
object. Now you can use the OFFSET command, specify the offset distance, select the object to offset, and
specify a point on the side to offset, to offset the entire polyline at once. Then, press ENTER to exit from the
command. If you do need to edit the individual line segments, in the Modify panel, you can click the Explode
tool and then explode the polylines back into individual line segments. And you can see that theyre again
individual objects. Converting the lines into a polyline first before offsetting is much faster than offsetting each
individual line segment and then having to come back and do a lot of extending and trimming, even if you
then have to come back and explode the object.

Chapter 8 Review
Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. Tap the button to start the test. Youll be presented
with a series of questions based on the material covered in this chapter. When you choose your answer, youll
immediately see if its correct. If you choose the wrong answer, youll see why the answer is not correct. Use
the Next Question button to advance to the next question. When you finish the last question, or to close the
test, click the X in the upper-left to return to this page.

Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. The following questions are based on the material
covered in this chapter.
1. Once the objects have been selected, the Move Command will prompt you:
A. For the base point or [Displacement]:
B. To pick a location.
C. For the Object Snap location.
D. To Specify the second point or <use first point as displacement>:
2. To move the office furniture shown to office C so that it maintains the same distance from the point
labeled B as is currently show from the column and the wall labeled A, you would use:

A. A column Offset.
B. An Object Snap Track from the corner of the wall to the corner of the desk.
C. An Object Snap Intersection from the point labeled A to the Intersection of the point labeled B.
D. The Measure Tool to determine the distance, and then specify the distance offset to locate the furniture.
3. Once you select the base point for objects to be copied, you specify the locations and confirm the
total copies by:

A. Choosing the Offset options from the cursor menu and adding the quantity.
B. Clicking with the left mouse button when done.
C. Typing in the quantity when prompted.
D. Right-clicking and selecting Enter or pressing ENTER on the keyboard.
4. You can specify the distance or location of copied objects away from existing objects with:
A. Object Snap Tracking.
B. Using Basepoint From.
C. Using Offset from Basepoint.
D. Using Offset copy From Basepoint.
5. To make a copy of the furniture in the office labeled A so that the copy is mirrored or flipped in the
office labeled B, you would:

A. Use the Mirror command and specify the first point and second point of the mirror line from the
endpoint of C to the endpoint of D.
B. Use the Mirror command and specify the first point and second point of the mirrorline from the
midpoint of C to the midpoint of G.
C. Use the Copy command and specify the Flip option with the first point and second point of the mirror
line from the endpoint of G to the endpoint of D.
D. Use the Mirror command and specify the flip point from the endpoint of C to the endpoint of D.
6. When you create an associative rectangular array, you can change any of the following, EXCEPT:
A. The distance between rows and columns.
B. The number of items in the array.
C. The objects in the array.

D. The type of array.

7. If you choose the Row and Column Count option shown, you could:

A. Increase the size of the array by adding rows or columns to the array while maintaining the current
spacing between the rows and columns.
B. Maintain the current size of the array by adding rows or columns to the array, with tighter spacing
between the rows and columns.
C. Increase the size of the array and number of items in the array, but add space between each row or
column.
D. Decrease the size of the array by decreasing the spacing between the rows and columns.
8. When creating a polar array, you must specify the following before you can complete the array:
A. The objects to be arrayed, the center point of the array, and the axis of rotation.
B. The center point of the array, the number of items, and whether the array will be associative or not.
C. The center point of the array, the number of items or angle between items, and the angle to fill.
D. The objects to be arrayed, the number of items, and the angle between items.
9. To space items equally along the length of a path curve, you would:
A. Use the Measure command.
B. Create a path array and use the Divide option.
C. Create a path array and use the Measure option.
D. Create a path array and use the Align Items option.
10. You can rotate any object at an unknown angle and rotate it to a known angle with:
A. Rotate with Degrees.
B. Rotate and Measure.

C. Rotate and Circular.

D. Rotate and Reference.
11. The Offset command allows you to make copies that are either:
A. Parallel or perpendicular.
B. Parallel or concentric.
C. Parallel or tangent.
D. Concentric or tangent.

Answer Key: 1.a 2.c 3.d 4.a 5.b 6.d 7.a 8.c 9.b 10.d 11.b

Chapter 9
Modifying Objects Using Object Alteration
In addition to the tools used to move and copy objects, AutoCAD provides commands that enable you to
modify objects by altering their physical appearance. In this chapter, you will learn how to modify objects by
trimming and extending those objects, adding fillets (rounds) or chamfers where they intersect, changing their
length by stretching objects, and changing their size by scaling them up or down.

LESSON 1

Introducing Alteration Commands

Alteration commands are modify commands that physically alter or change the objects from their original
form. These commands include the BREAK command, which enables you to take a single object, such as a
line or arc, and to break it into two separate pieces. You can also use the BREAK command to remove a
portion of an object.
The TRIM command enables you to remove part of an object where it crosses or intersects another object.
And the companion to the TRIM command is the EXTEND command. You can extend objects that are too
short so that they touch a specified boundary object.
The FILLET command enables you to place a radius or a round between any two non-parallel objects. You
can also use the FILLET command to extend any two line segments to their intersecting point.
The CHAMFER command is similar to the FILLET command. It enables you to place a line segment between
any two non-parallel objects and you can also specify the length of the chamfer from the intersection points or
the angle of the chamfer line.
The BLEND command creates a spline in the gap between two selected lines or curves.
The STRETCH command is similar to moving an object, but with the trim and extend feature built in. It allows
you to move specific objects, while extending other objects to make them longer or shorter at the same time.
The JOIN command enables you to take multiple objects that either meet at endpoints or overlap and to
combine them into a single object.
LENGTHEN enables you to take a line segment, an arc, or a polyline and increase its length by a specific
amount, so that it becomes a specific total length. You also lengthen objects by a percentage.
The EXPLODE command enables you to reduce an object, such as a block, a polyline, a rectangle, or a
polygon, and convert it back into its base objects, such as lines, arcs, and circles.
The Delete Duplicate Objects tool cleans up overlapping geometry by removing duplicated or unneeded
objects.
And finally, the SCALE command enables you to take one or more objects and increase or decrease their size
based on a scale factor.

LESSON 2

Using the Trim Command with Pick Selection

Exercise files: TRIM.DWG
The TRIM command enables you to remove a portion of an object where it crosses or intersects another
object.

For example, in the example file, suppose you want to remove the top half of the line segment above where it
intersects the horizontal line. To start the TRIM command, in the Modify panel on the Home ribbon, click the
Trim tool. Notice that when you start the TRIM command, it first prompts you to select the Cutting Edge
objects; not the objects you want to trim, but rather the objects that cross or intersect the objects you want to
trim.

In this case, that would be the horizontal line segment. Once you choose the horizontal line segment, you
would then right-click or press the ENTER key to complete that selection and move to the trimming step. Now
the command prompts you to select the object to trim. Click to pick the top half of this line and then press the
ESC key when done.

When you use the TRIM command, you first choose the cutting edge, for example, the circle in the example
file. Then, you choose the objects that you want to trim or remove. The object that you select as the cutting
edge actually cuts across or intersects the object that you would like to remove.
Start the command again, select the circle as the cutting edge, and then right-click to complete that selection.
The program then prompts you to select the objects to trim. If you click the line segment inside the circle, the
command will leave the two outside line segments. If you then attempt to trim these pieces, notice that they

cannot be trimmed. The way the TRIM command works is when you cut the object, you pick the piece that
you dont want and it leaves the other segments behind.

If for some reason after you have done this you realize that you did want to remove one of the outside line
segments, notice that at the command prompt, there is an option called Erase. If you right-click and choose
the Erase option, you can then pick the objects you want to remove, press the ENTER key, and that object is
erased.
In this next example, youll remove a portion of the horizontal line, so the cutting edges would be the two
vertical lines. But if you wanted to remove a portion of the vertical line, then the two horizontal lines would be
cutting edges.
In the case where all objects are cutting edges, when you start the TRIM command, notice that there is a
default option called Select All. All you have to do is press the ENTER key in order to select all of the objects in
the drawing as cutting edges. Now simply click on the portions of the objects that you dont want. Everything
in the drawing is now a cutting edge. So you could even trim a portion of the line segment from the vertical
piece. Press the ESC key when done.
When you use the TRIM command, however, its important to pick only the cutting edges that you need. For
example, suppose you wanted to create the finished shape shown in the example drawing using the objects
shown. Start the TRIM command. Remember that the first thing you must do is to select the cutting edges. If
you want to remove a portion of the line, then the arc is going to be a cutting edge. That same cutting edge
will also work for removing several other line segments as well. The only other cutting edges you need are the
two outside line segments. They will be used to trim the circle.

So in this particular case, you should not pick everything as cutting edges. Simply pick the arc and the two
outside line segments. Those will be the cutting edges. Then, right-click to complete that selection and then
start selecting the objects you want to trim. Trim off the outside segment, the inside segment, and the other
outside segment. Note that if you inadvertently pick the wrong part of this circle to trim, you can simply rightclick and choose the Undo option. That will undo the last selection that you made and enable you to reselect
the object again to ensure that you get the trim done correctly.
Press the ENTER key or ESC key when done.

LESSON 3

Using the Trim Command with Fence Selection

Exercise files: TRIM.DWG
When using the TRIM command, you may find that you need to select a large number of objects and trim
them back to one cutting edge. You can easily do this by using the Fence selection method in conjunction with
the TRIM command.
In the example drawing, you can see a series of line segments radiating out from the center of the circle.
Suppose that you want to trim them all back so that they stop at the circle. You can certainly use the TRIM
command to do this, using the circle as the cutting edge.

Start the TRIM command by clicking the Trim tool in the Modify panel of the Home ribbon. When AutoCAD
prompts you to select the cutting edges, select the circle and then right-click. Next, AutoCAD prompts you to
select the objects you want to trim. You could then go around the perimeter of the circle and click on each line,
but that would take quite a while. Theres actually an easier way. Notice that when AutoCAD prompts you to
select the object to trim, theres an option called Fence. If you right-click and choose the Fence option,
AutoCAD prompts you to specify the first fence point. A fence is simply a series of line segments that you
create by specifying the endpoints of each segment. Any object that crosses one of those fence segments will
be selected.

Before starting creating the fence, use the tools in the Status bar to turn Object Snap, Ortho, Polar Tracking,
and any other drawing aids that might cause the cursor to snap to the wrong points by mistake. Then, start
picking points to define the fence line. Once the fence passes through all of the objects you want to trim, press
the ENTER key. As soon as you do, all of the lines are trimmed back to the cutting line, which was the circle.

Press the ESC key to end the TRIM command and then click the UNDO button and do that again. But this
time, vary things just a bit. Lets say that you dont want to trim all of the lines the same way. Start the TRIM
command again, select the circle as the cutting edge, and then right-click to complete that portion of the
command. Then, when AutoCAD prompts you to select the objects you want to trim, go to the Status bar to
turn off those drawing aids again, and then right-click and choose the Fence option. This time, draw a fence
line through three lines on the outside of the circle, then click inside the circle and continue the fence line
through three lines on the inside, then click outside the circle and draw the fence line through three lines on the
outside, and so on.
Keep repeating that pattern. Then, when youre done drawing the fence line, press ENTER. Again, any place
the fence line crossed the objects, thats where those objects will be trimmed. Once youre finished trimming
objects, press the ESC key or the ENTER key to end the command.

LESSON 4

Using the Trim Command with Edge Extend Mode

Exercise files: TRIM.DWG
When using the TRIM command, there may be times that you want to trim objects that do not actually touch.
In the example drawing there are two vertical lines. Suppose that you would like to trim those two vertical lines
using the horizontal line segment as the cutting edge.
When you start the TRIM command, AutoCAD prompts you to select the cutting edges. A cutting edge is an
object that acts as a knife or cutter. So you choose the horizontal line segment. Once youve selected the
cutting edges, you press ENTER or right-click to complete that selection step. Next, AutoCAD prompts you to
select the objects to trim. But when you select the vertical line segment you want to trim, nothing happens.

Actually, if you look in the command window, you can see that AutoCAD is actually telling you why the object
wasnt trimmed. You can see a message telling you that the object does not intersect an edge. By default, the
TRIM command will only work if the object physically overlaps or intersects the cutting edge. But also notice
that at the command prompt there is an option called Edge. To access the Edge option, you can either press
the down-arrow on the keyboard or right-click and then choose the Edge option. Once you choose the Edge
option, you have a choice: Extend or No Extend. The default is No Extend. Choose Extend.

You can change the Implied Edge Extension mode to Extend to extend cutting edges to infinity.

With the Edge now set to Extend, what happens is that the cutting edge now extends off to infinity in both
directions. So now you effectively have a cutting edge that you can use across multiple objects even if the
cutting object itself doesnt physically intersect those object.
Now you can pick the top half of one line or the bottom half of the other line. But there is a danger to doing
this. Since the cutting edge now extends to infinity, it will cut through other objects, yielding unwanted results.
So while setting the Edge mode to Extend can be powerful, it can also be a bit dangerous.
Remember that if you do trim objects by mistake, you can right-click and choose the Undo option to undo the

previous trim action. And you can continue to right-click and undo objects that were trimmed by mistake. This
is different than the UNDO command. The UNDO command would undo the entire TRIM command. The
Undo option just undoes the last object you trimmed.
Once youre done trimming objects, press the ENTER key to end the command.

LESSON 5

Using the Extend Command

Exercise files: EXTEND.DWG
The EXTEND command extends objects to meet the edges of other objects. Its basically the opposite of the
TRIM command. You would use the EXTEND command to extend an object that is too short until it intersects
with the edge of a selected boundary object.
In the example drawing, notice that there are several horizontal and vertical line segments. Suppose you want
to extend the two vertical lines up so that they intersect with the horizontal line segments. To do this, you can
use the EXTEND command. On the Modify panel of the Home ribbon, click the drop-down and choose the
EXTEND command. These two commands are related, and whichever tool you choose floats to the top of
this button.

Notice that AutoCAD prompts you to select boundary edges. A boundary edge is a object, such as a line,
circle, polyline segment, to which you can extend other objects. So in this example, the horizontal lines will be
the boundary edges.

After you select the horizontal lines, right-click to complete that step. Next, AutoCAD prompts you to select the
objects to extend. When you click on the vertical line, notice that it extends up to the first horizontal line and
then the program again prompts you to select an object to extend. If you click the vertical line again, it extends
it up to the second horizontal line. But if you click the other vertical line, it does not extend.

If you look in the command window, AutoCAD actually tells you why the line doesnt extend: the object
doesnt intersect an edge. By default, objects wont extend unless they would physically touch the boundary
edge. But you can change that behavior. Notice that on the command line, theres an Edge option. If you
right-click, you can choose the Edge option. Then you can change the edge extension mode from No Extend
to Extend. Now when you click to select the vertical line, it extends up to the point at which it would intersect
the boundary edge if the boundary edge was extended. If you select the vertical line a second time, it extends
up to the second horizontal line. When youre finished extending objects, press the ESC key or the ENTER
key to end the command.

But what happens when there are boundary edges both above and below an object, or to the left and to the
right?
If you zoom out a bit, you can see that the drawing also includes other lines above and below the vertical
lines. Start the EXTEND command again, pick both of those lines as boundary edges, and then right-click.
When you click on the vertical line to extend it now, which direction will it extend? Well, it depends on where
you click to select the line. If you click closer to the upper end of the line, the line will extend to the top
boundary. If you click closer to the bottom end of the line, the line will extend to the lower boundary. So the
point you use to select the object determines the direction in which it will be extended.

LESSON 6

Using Extend and Trim Together

Exercise files: EXTEND.DWG
The TRIM command and the EXTEND command are complimentary commands. They work in conjunction
with each other and you can actually toggle between them by simply by holding the SHIFT key down.
For example, start the TRIM command by clicking the down-arrow in the Modify panel of the Home ribbon
and then clicking Trim tool. The program prompts you to select the cutting edges. Use a crossing window to
select the four objects show. Then right click. Now the program prompts you to pick the objects that you want
to trim, but notice the word or in the middle of the prompt. In the command window, it says that if you hold
down the SHIFT key while you select objects, youll actually extend them instead.

Notice that you can press the SHIFT key to switch to the TRIM command.

Press the ESC key and then start the EXTEND command. Notice that after you select the boundary edges
and right-click, in the command window, the prompt tells you to select the objects to extend or press the
SHIFT key and select them to trim those objects instead.
So it doesnt really matter which command you start with. You can always switch between trim and extend in
the middle of the command. And this can be very powerful.
If youve ever drawn an orthographic projection, you know that you project up from the front view and project
over from the side view. And then you can trim back the construction lines to create the final geometry. Well,
you can do the same thing with the TRIM and EXTEND commands. You can very quickly build a rectangle
based on the projection of the simple pieces of geometry shown in the example drawing.
Heres how this might work. Start with the EXTEND command. Click the Extend tool in the Modify panel and
then select all four line segments as the boundary edges. Later, when you press the SHIFT key, theyll also be
your cutting edges. Once you select those objects, right-click. Now click on the lines to extend them. Notice
that when you click one of the lines, it doesnt extend. Thats because the Edge mode by default is set to No
Extend. But you can change that. Right-click and choose the Edge option, and then change the Implied Edge
mode to Extend. Now you can pick the line segment and it will extend up.
Now you can press and hold the SHIFT key, which remember switches to the TRIM command, and then click
these lines over here to the left to trim them off. Then, when you release the SHIFT key, youre back to the
EXTEND command again, and you can extend the lines to the right. Then you can press and hold the SHIFT
key and trim the lines to complete the rectangle.

When youre done, press the ESC key or the ENTER key to end the command.

LESSON 7

Using the Fillet Command with Fillet Radius

Exercise files: FILLET.DWG
The FILLET command enables you to place a radius or a round between any two non-parallel or parallel
objects. In the Modify panel on the Home ribbon, click the FILLET tool.

When you start the FILLET command, first look at the command prompt at the bottom of the screen. Notice
the current modes. The Trim mode means that if an object is too long or too short, the program will either trim
or extend the object as needed before applying the fillet. Also notice that, by default, when you first start the
FILLET command, the radius is set to zero.

If the radius is set to zero, the FILLET command wont actually apply any radius or round at all. In that case, if
you select these two line segments, the command will simply extend those two lines to the point where they
meet.
But suppose you do actually want to apply a round. You can press the SPACEBAR to repeat the command,
right-click, choose the Radius option, and set the radius to a value of .5. Then, select the next two line
segments. Notice that after you select the first segment, when you hover the cursor over the second
segment, you can see a preview of the fillet that is about to be created, and before you select the second line
segment, you can change the radius.

Right-click, choose the Radius option, and change the radius to 1. Now, when you move the cursor over the
second line segment, you can see a preview of the new fillet, and when you click on that line segment, the

command places a round between those two line segments. And notice that the program automatically
extended this line segment a bit, and trimmed this one back a bit. So the FILLET command can actually
extend or trim objects as well.
But if you prefer, you can change this option, so that the FILLET command does not trim objects, but rather
leaves the original segments. Press the SPACEBAR to repeat the FILLET command, right-click, and choose
the Trim option. Notice that the default option is to trim or extend the objects, but you can change it to No
Trim, which essentially leaves the objects in their original form. If you choose No Trim and then select the two
segments, the program will place the radius or round between them, but it leaves the original objects intact.
Although this may not seem terribly useful, there may be times when you want to see the original corner, for
example, over here, where you want to show the radius or round that would be machined in this corner. So
there is a very good use for this.
You can also use the FILLET command to simply extend two line segments to the point at which they would
meet. Start the FILLET command again. Notice that the fillet radius is still set to a value of 1. Press and hold
the SHIFT key and then click on one of these line segments, and then on the other. Notice that the two line
segments have been extended to the point at which they meet and no round was added. When you press the
SHIFT key while selecting the fillet objects, the program automatically uses a fillet radius of zero regardless of
the current fillet radius.
In the exercise drawing, pan up a bit so that you can see the two parallel lines. Start the FILLET command
one more time, select one of these line segments, and then select the other. Notice that the program
immediately adds an arc connecting the two lines. But note that you never changed the fillet radius. When you
select two parallel lines, the program automatically calculates the radius and adds a fillet so that the arc is
tangent to the two lines.

LESSON 8

Adding Fillets to Multiple Segments and Polylines

Exercise files: FILLET.DWG
You can also use fillets on multiple segments and polylines. In the sample file you can see several examples.
To place a fillet radius of zero on multiple segments at one time, in the Modify panel on the Home ribbon,
choose the FILLET command. Once you choose the FILLET command, make sure that you have the radius
set to zero. If you look at the command prompt, you can see that the radius is already set to zero and the
mode is set to Trim. Remember that Trim also works like Extend for any segments that are too short. So for
any segments that do not physically meet or intersect, the program will either extend them or trim them if
theyre too long or too short.

There is also an option called Multiple. If you right-click and choose the Multiple option, this will enable the
command to continue without you having to press SPACEBAR every time you need to create another fillet.
So with the Multiple option selected, you can pick two line segments, and then pick two more line segments.
You still have to go around and select the individual pairs of line segments, but you can see how powerful this
is. Unlike TRIM and EXTEND, you dont have to hold the SHIFT key down to determine which object needs
to be extended or trimmed. The FILLET command will do this for you. Once youre done, you simply press
the ESC or ENTER key.
Press the SPACEBAR again to repeat the command. Do the same thing, but this time, set the radius to a
value of 1. Right-click and choose the Multiple option. Then, place multiple fillets by selecting the pairs of line
segments. Once youve gone around the object and selected each pair of segments for placing the fillets,
simply press the ENTER key or the ESC key to end the command.
This process is even more powerful when working with polylines. A polyline is a single object. If you move the
cursor over any segment of a polyline, the entire object highlights. If a polyline is a single object, it makes
sense that you should be able to place fillets on every corner at one time.
Press the SPACEBAR to repeat the FILLET command. Keep the Trim mode turned on and the radius set to
1. Then, right-click and choose the Polyline option. By choosing the Polyline option, you can now select any
2D polyline and the command will place a fillet on every corner of the polyline.

The Polyline option lets you place a fillet on every corner of the polyline at once.

LESSON 9

Using the Chamfer Command with Distance and Angle

Exercise files: CHAMFER.DWG
A chamfer is a line segment that can be placed at the corner between any two non-parallel objects. You can
place a chamfer by specifying the distance measured back from the corner or by specifying the angle from
one of the line segments.
Start the Chamfer command by clicking the button in the Modify panel of the Home ribbon. Notice that the
CHAMFER and FILLET commands appear in the same drop-down. That is because they are very similar
commands. They both modify the intersecting corners of objects.

Notice in the diagram here in the extended tooltip, that there will be two segments to pick. Segment number 1
and segment number 2. You specify the distance measured back from the intersecting corner. The first object
that you pick will be distance number 1 and the second object that you pick will be distance number 2. Create
a chamfer similar to what is shown in the tooltip.

When you start the CHAMFER command, you first have option now of setting the chamfer distance. Also
note at the command prompt that the Trim mode is also set to trim. Trimming works like extending when you
are using FILLET and CHAMFER commands. So if the lines are too long, they will be trimmed back. And if
they are too short, they will be extended. Right-click and set the first chamfer distance to a value of 1 and
press ENTER. Notice that the distance you entered for the first chamfer distance is now shown as the default
value for the second chamfer distance, and you can simply press ENTER again to accept that value.

When you move the cursor over the second line segment, you can see a preview of the resulting chamfer,
and if you wish, you can change the chamfer distance or angle before completing the command. Right-click
and choose the Distance option again. Press ENTER to accept the first chamfer distance of 1 and then set the
second chamfer distance to a value of 2. The prompt then repeats for you to select the second line. Now you
can see that the first line you picked will be trimmed back 1 unit from the intersection and the second line will
be trimmed back 2 units from the intersection.

Also note that even though the program prompts you for a distance, you do not have to type a value. You
could also pick two points on the screen to specify the chamfer distance.
Next, create a chamfer based on an angle. Press the SPACEBAR to repeat the CHAMFER command and
then right-click and choose the Angle option. The program prompts for a chamfer length based on the first line
segment. Type 2 and press ENTER. Then, the program asks for the chamfer angle. The chamfer angle is
measured from the first line. Enter a value of 45 and press ENTER. Now, pick the first line. Then, notice that
when you move the cursor over the second line, you can see a preview of the chamfer. At this point, you can
still change the chamfer distance or angle again if you wish. When you click the second line, the program trims
the lines back and adds a 45-degree chamfer.

To illustrate the fact that the chamfer angle is measured from the first line, draw another line segment above
the fist at a random angle. Then, start the CHAMFER command again. Notice that the program remembers
the previous chamfer distance value of 2 and the chamfer angle of 45-degrees. When prompted, click on the
first line segment and then click to select the new line. Notice that AutoCAD applies the chamfer at a 45degree angle from the first line. So the two chamfer lines are parallel; the angle of the second line doesnt
matter. Use the UNDO command to undo those lines.

You can also create a chamfer without trimming or extending the lines, essentially leaving the original corners.
Start the CHAMFER command, right-click, choose the Trim option, and set the value to No Trim. Then, select
the first line segment and then the second line segment. Notice that the program places a 45-degree chamfer
and leaves the original lines intact.

You can also use the CHAMFER command to simply extend two objects to their intersection. Start the
CHAMFER command again. Although you could set the chamfer distance to 0, but you do not even need to
do that. Notice that the chamfer angle is still set to 45-degrees. But if you press and hold the SHIFT key and
then click to select the two lines, the lines are simply extended until they meet. You do not even have to
change the Trim mode. When you press the SHIFT key while selecting the two objects you want to chamfer,
the program automatically uses a chamfer distance of zero regardless of the current chamfer distance or
angle. Nothing has been added to the lines. The lines have simply been extended until they meet.

LESSON 10

Adding Chamfers to Multiple Segments and Polylines

Exercise files: CHAMFER.DWG
You can apply chamfers continuously. You can also apply chamfers to polyline segments or to the entire
polyline at once.
Suppose that you wanted to place chamfers with a distance of .5 units at each corner of a polyline. There are
two different ways you can do this. Start the CHAMFER command, right-click, enter a chamfer distance of
0.5, and press ENTER. Note that the default value for the second chamfer distance is whatever you entered
for the first one. Press ENTER to accept that default value.

Next, right-click and choose the Multiple option. The Multiple option enables you to stay in the CHAMFER
command so that you can pick multiple pairs of lines without having to restart the command. When you pick
the first and second lines, the program placing the chamfer and then repeats the prompt for you to select
another line. That way, you can continue to pick lines, working your way around the perimeter of the shape
until you have applied chamfers to all of the intersecting edges. Press ENTER or ESC when done to end the
command.

Since this object is a polyline, however, you do not have to pick each pair of objects. You would have to do
this if each were individual line segments but since the original object was a polyline, you can add chamfers to
each vertex in a single step.

Click the Undo button to remove the previous chamfers. Then, in the Modify panel on the Home ribbon, click
the Chamfer tool. When you start the command, remember to read what it says in the command line. Set the
distance and Trim mode so that the command will apply the correct chamfers. Again, set the chamfer
distance to 0.5 units. Then, right-click and choose the Polyline option. The Polyline option enables you to
simply select a polyline, and the program will automatically apply chamfers to all of the vertices at once.

LESSON 11

Using the Stretch Command

Exercise files: STRETCH.DWG
The STRETCH command provides a combination of a few different commands. It enables you to move
objects, while stretching and trimming any connecting objects at the same time.
For example, you can use the STRETCH command to move a vertical line segment 12 units to the right while
maintaining its connection to horizontal line segments.
To do this, in the Modify panel on the Home ribbon, choose the STRETCH command. AutoCAD prompts you
to select objects, but note that when using the STRETCH command, you must make your selection using
either a crossing-window or crossing-polygon. Notice that the program tells you this right in the command
prompt. So if you simply pick objects, or use a selection window, or select objects by using any method other
than a cross-window or crossing-polygon, the STRETCH command will not work.

The reason for this is somewhat intuitive. When you select objects using a crossing-window, anything thats
completely inside the window will move. Anything that crosses the window will also be selected, but since the
other endpoint of the objects has not been selected, those endpoints will act as anchor points and they will not
move. The endpoints of the line segments that are inside the crossing-window will move. So the lines will
stretch.

Once youve made the selection, you can also not de-select any objects. Doing so could cause the STRETCH

command to not work. Once you complete your object selection, right-click. The program then prompts you to
specify a base point. If you simply pick a point at random on the screen, youll notice that as you move the
cursor, you can see that the vertical line is being moved, and the horizontal lines are being stretched.
Depending on the distance and direction that you move the cursor, you can also specify those segments at a
different angle. To lock the movement so that it remains horizontal, you can toggle on Polar Tracking and then
track at an angle of 0-degrees. Then, as you move the cursor to the left or to the right, you can see that the
horizontal lines stretch to get longer or shorter. If you want to make those segments exactly 12 units longer,
you can move the cursor, type 12, and press ENTER to use direct distance entry. As you can see, that object
has now been stretched.
The STRETCH command is particularly powerful if you want to move a door to a different location in a wall.
For example, after creating this drawing, you realize that the door is not in the correct location. If you were to
use the MOVE command to fix this, youd first have to move the door to its new location and then use the
TRIM and EXTEND commands to clean up the opening.
But theres no need to do that. Instead, you can use the STRETCH command to move the door and extend
the walls on one side of the opening while trimming those on the other side, at the same time. Remember to
select the door geometry using a crossing-window, making sure that the door is completely inside the crossingwindow, because you want the door to move and the walls to stretch. By selecting with a crossing-window, it
allows the endpoints of the wall to remain fixed while those attached to the door to move.

After selecting the objects, press ENTER or right-click. Next, the program prompts you to specify a base point.
Now, you could just pick a point at random and then move the cursor to the left or to the right. The door will
move and the wall will stretch. But suppose that what you want is for the door to be positioned precisely 6
units from the inside corner of the room. You can accomplish this by using the STRETCH command in
conjunction with object snap and object snap tracking.
First, check the current object snap settings. Snapping to the endpoint of the wall is perfect, or to the endpoint
of the door. You also need to use object snap tracking so you can specify the distance away from the corner.
Start the STRETCH command, select the door using a crossing-window, making sure the selection window
crosses over the wall segments, and then, right-click to complete the selection. Now you can either pick the
endpoint of the door and then track away from the corner or you can move the cursor to the endpoint on the
door and track a specific distance away from it. If you track away from the door, then there is no need to track
away from the corner of the wall. It doesnt matter which point you track from. To track away from the door,
move the cursor over the door to acquire that endpoint, then move the cursor to the right, specify a tracking
distance of 6 units, and press ENTER. Then, as you move the mouse, you can see that the cursor is exactly

6 units away from the hinge point of the door. So to position the door precisely 6 units way from the corner of
the room, you can simply snap to the endpoint of the wall. The door will immediately be positioned exactly 6
units away from the inside corner.

By using the STRETCH command, you can save a whole sequence of steps as opposed to first moving the
door and then having to clean up all of the intersecting lines.

LESSON 12

Using the Explode Command

Exercise files: EXPLODE.DWG
The EXPLODE command converts a complex object such as a block or a polyline back into its more basic
objects, such as lines, arcs, and circles. When you pause the cursor over the Explode tool in the Modify panel
of the Home ribbon, the extended tooltip shows you the types of objects that can be exploded.

Click the Explode tool to start the command and then move the cursor over the object. You can tell that it is
one object because the entire object highlights. The object happens to be a polyline. Click to select the object
and then right-click to end the command. Although the object does not look any different, if you move the
cursor over the object, you can see that has been reduced to individual line segments. It is no longer a
polyline. You could now use various commands to modify these objects. You could even use the Join option of
the PEDIT command to combine the segments back to form one polyline again.

But there is a danger in exploding a polyline, particularly when the polyline segments have width. For example,
if you start the EXPLODE command again and explode the polyline on the right, you can immediately see
that the polyline loses its width. That happens because the polyline gets converted into individual line
segments and lines cannot have a pre-set width. So any of the properties specifically assigned to a polyline
are lost when you explode it. This is also true when exploding blocks and regions. So when you use the
EXPLODE command on these objects, you will lose any properties directly associated to that type of object.

LESSON 13

Using the Scale Command

Exercise files: SCALE.DWG
You can use the Scale command to enlarge or reduce the size of selected objects while maintaining the
proportions of the objects.
Since you should always create geometry at full-scale, actual size, you may wonder why a Scale command is
even necessary. Rest assured that there will likely be situations when you need to change the size of objects
to scale them up or down, either because you need a larger or smaller version of an object, or because a
drawing was created at the wrong scale.
For example, here is a simple drawing of a hex bolt. Bolts come in many different sizes. Rather than draw
each one, you can simply make several copies of the object and can then use the Scale command to change
the size of those copies.

On the Home ribbon, in the Modify panel, click the Scale tool. Since this is a modify command, the program
first prompts you to select objects. Use a selection window to select both the hexagon and the circle. Then,
right-click to complete the object selection.

Next, the program prompts you to specify a base point. The base point is the point from which the objects will

be scaled. The base point remains fixed while the objects being scaled get larger or smaller in relation to that
point, so you should choose the point carefully. In this example, the obvious base point is the center of the
bolt, so use the center object snap to select the center of the circle representing the bolt.
Now, the program prompts you to specify the scale factor. You can see that the objects will scale up or down
depending on the scale factor, which changes as you move the cursor. A scale factor of less than 1 reduces
the size of the objects while a scale factor of greater than 1 enlarges the objects. To create a bolt that is half
the size of the original, enter a scale factor of .5 and press ENTER.

Do that again. Press the SPACEBAR to repeat the Scale command, use a selection window to select the bolt
on the right, press ENTER to complete the object selection, and then select the center of the circle as the
base point. This time, when the program prompts you to specify the scale factor, type 2 and press ENTER.
You have just changed the scale of the bolt on the right so that it is twice the size of the original.

LESSON 14

Using the Scale Command with Scale Reference

Exercise files: SCALE-02.DWG
You can use the Scale command in conjunction with the reference option to scale objects in reference to
another object based on a reference length and a specified new length.
Here is an example that illustrates a very common situation that can easily be solved using the Scale
command. Suppose that you have been working on the floor plan for a house addition. You subsequently
receive a copy of the survey from the civil engineer. When you insert his drawing into the floor plan, you
discover that he drew the survey using decimal units, with one drawing unit equal to one foot. But the floor
plan was created using architectural units, with one drawing unit equal to one inch. So when you insert his
drawing, it is the wrong scale. But you can easily fix this problem by using the Scale command.

Click the tool in the ribbon to start the Scale command. When the program prompts you to select objects, click
to select the survey, and then right-click to complete the object selection. When the program prompts you to
specify the basepoint, click to select the lower-right corner of the house. Since that point matches the corner of
the house in the survey, you dont want that point to move.

Next, the program prompts you to specify the scale factor. If you knew the scale factor, you could enter that
value now. But lets see how the Reference option could be used in this situation. You can see that the civil
engineer has drawn the outline of the house.

Right-click and choose the Reference option. The program prompts you to specify the reference length. Click
to select the point in the lower-right corner of the house at which both the floor plan and the survey currently
match. Then, the program prompts you to specify the second point. Click to select the point at the lower-left
corner of the house outline in the survey.
Once you do that, the program prompts you to specify the new length, and as you move the cursor, you can
see that the size of the survey changes. All you need to do now is to zoom out and snap to the lower-left
corner of the house in the floor plan to scale the survey up to match the floor plan.

Chapter 9 Review
Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. Tap the button to start the test. Youll be presented
with a series of questions based on the material covered in this chapter. When you choose your answer, youll
immediately see if its correct. If you choose the wrong answer, youll see why the answer is not correct. Use
the Next Question button to advance to the next question. When you finish the last question, or to close the
test, click the X in the upper-left to return to this page.

Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. The following questions are based on the material
covered in this chapter.
1. The Trim command can be used to erase a portion of a line where it intersects another object. In
order to Trim the line labeled A using the line labeled B as a cutting edge, you must:

A. Set the Boundary Edge mode to on.

B. Set the Extend mode to Trim.
C. Set the Edge mode to Extend.
D. Set the Trim mode to Trim.
2. In order to extend both the line labeled A and the line labeled B to the intersection where they
meet in space using the Extend Command you MUST:

A. Set the Boundary Edge mode to on.

B. Set the Extend mode to Trim.
C. Set the Edge mode to Extend.

D. Set the Extend mode to Extend.

3. You can alternate between the Trim command and the Extend command by:
A. Using the shortcut menu.
B. Clicking with the left mouse button when done.
C. Right-clicking with your mouse or pressing ENTER on the keyboard.
D. Holding the SHIFT key down.
4. The Fillet command can be used to create a radius or round between any two non-parallel line
segments. You can also use the Fillet command to do ALL of the following EXCEPT:
A. Extend any two non-parallel lines to the point where they meet in space.
B. Create tangent arc segments between circles or arcs.
C. Extend any non-intersecting line segments.
D. Trim any overlapping or intersecting line segments.
5. When using the Fillet command, if you select two parallel lines:
A. The program displays an error message because you cannot add a fillet between two parallel lines.
B. The program adds an arc based on the current fillet radius.
C. The program immediately adds a tangent arc connecting the two lines.
D. The program adds a straight line at 90 degrees connecting the two lines.
6. The Chamfer command can be used to create a line segment between any two non-parallel line
segments. You can also use the Chamfer command to do ALL of the following EXCEPT:
A. Extend any two non-parallel lines to the point where they meet in space.
B. Create tangent line segments between circles or arcs.
C. Extend any non-intersecting line segments.
D. Trim any overlapping or intersecting line segments.
7. When using the Chamfer command, in order to extend two lines to the point at which they meet,
without adding an additional line segment at an angle:
A. You must first set the chamfer distances to zero.
B. You must first set the chamfer angle to zero.
C. You can simply press the SHIFT key while selecting the two lines.

D. You must set the Trim mode to No Trim.

8. The Stretch command will ONLY work correctly if the selection set of objects is made with either a
crossing-window or:
A. A crossing-polygon.
B. A window.
C. A fence.
D. By selecting ALL.
9. The Explode command can be used to convert complex objects into their base objects EXCEPT:
A. Polylines into Lines.
B. Ellipses into Circles.
C. Multiline Text into Single-line Text.
D. Blocks into entities.
10. You can Scale any object or group of objects of unknown size or scale to a precise length or scale
with the:
A. Reference option.
B. Scale to Length option.
C. Lengthen option.
D. Fit to Scale option.

Answer Key: 1.c 2.c 3.d 4.b 5.c 6.b 7.c 8.a 9.b 10.a

Chapter 10
Modifying Objects Using Grips
In addition to the specific AutoCAD commands used to modify objects, you can also edit objects by simply
selecting them and then using gripssmall markers that appear on the objectto change them without
having to actually start an AutoCAD command. In this chapter, you will learn how to use this very powerful
method to modify objects.

LESSON 1

Introducing Grip Concepts

Exercise files: GRIPS_EXAMPLE.DWG
Grips enable you to modify objects without first selecting a modify command. To modify an object using grips,
you simply select the object when no command is currently active.

When you select objects, small blue squares called grips become visible. You can click on grips to modify objects.

The exercise file contains several objects. Notice that in the command window, you can see that no command
is currently active. When you select these objects, small blue markers appear on the objects and the objects
become highlighted with a dashed line. These blue markers are called grips. Once these grips become visible,
you can click on them to begin to modify the objects without having to first select any modify command.

LESSON 2

Using Grips to Modify Lines

Exercise files: GRIPS_EXAMPLE.DWG
You can use grips to modify lines. In order to do so, you must first select the line you want to modify in order
to see its grips.
For example, if you select a line, notice that you can see three grips: one at either end of the line and one at
its midpoint. If you select the grip at its midpoint to make that the hot grip, you can use that grip to move the
line.

If you move the cursor over the grip at one of the endpoints, you immediately see some information about the
line. The program shows you the length of the line, in this case 42.5, as well as the angle of the line, which is
currently 0-degrees. You also see a tooltip, and you can use the options in the tooltip to stretch or lengthen the
line.

The multifunction tooltip lets you stretch or lengthen the line.

If you move the cursor over the grip at the other end of the line, you see a similar tooltip. The program also
again shows you the length of the line, but notice that now the angle is shown as 180-degrees.
If you hover over an endpoint grip and then choose the Lengthen option in the tooltip, the grip becomes the
hot grip, and you can now modify the length of the object by clicking to specify an endpoint. When you
lengthen the line, the orientation of the line doesnt change. When you choose the Lengthen option, you can
use the fields to change the length of the line, by specifying an additional length or the total length of the line.
For example, if you want to make the line 5 units longer, you can type the number 5 and then press ENTER.
The line will become 5 units longer, but the orientation of the line will not change.

When lengthening the line, you can specify its additional length.

If you prefer, you can lengthen or shorten the line by specifying its total length. Suppose you want to make
the line 50 units long. Once you choose the Lengthen option, you can press the TAB key to make the total
length the active field, and then type the new total length. Again, this only changes the length of the line, not
its orientation.

When lengthening the line, you can also specify its total length.

If you hover over the endpoint grip and then choose the Stretch option, you still see the same two fields for
additional length and total length, but notice that now, the line is no longer locked at its previous orientation. If
you were to simply pick a point, you would change both the length and orientation of the line. But if you press
the TAB key, as you cycle through the available fields, two new fields appear, the angle and the additional
angle.

When stretching the line, you also see fields for additional angle and total angle.

Although the line now appears to be at an angle, if you press the TAB key until the additional length field is
active, type 5, and press ENTER, the orientation of the line does not change; the line is simply lengthened an
additional 5 units, so it is now 55 units long.
If you hover over the grip and choose the Lengthen option again, notice that the tooltip tells you that you can
press the CTRL key to cycle between Stretch and Lengthen. If you simply click to make the endpoint grip the
hot grip, the program immediately goes into Stretch mode. You can now click to specify a stretch point, which
will change both the length and orientation of the line. Or, you can simply change the length of the line without
affecting its orientation by only specifying an additional length or total length. Or, you can change the
orientation of the line without changing its length, by pressing the TAB key until you see one of the angle

fields, and then enter a new angle value. Notice that you could also press the CTRL key to cycle back to the
Lengthen mode. In this case, press the TAB key until the angle field is active and then type 10 and press
ENTER. Notice that the line is still 55 units long, but has rotated so that its at a different angle.
If you make the endpoint grip the hot grip again and then press the TAB key until the additional angle field is
active, you can type 5 and press ENTER to rotate the line an additional 5 degrees.
If you use the lengthen option, make the total length field active, and then type 42.5 and press ENTER, you
can reduce the length of the line back to 42.5 units without altering the orientation of the line. And if you use
the Stretch option, make the total angle field active, and then type 0 and press ENTER, you can return the
line back to a 0-degree orientation without altering the length of the line.
Once youre done modifying the object, press the ESC key once to release the hot or selected grip, and press
ESC again to release all the grips and deselect all objects.

LESSON 3

Using Grips to Modify Arcs

Exercise files: GRIPS_EXAMPLE.DWG
When you select an arc, the program displays a number of square grips. Many of these grips are multifunctional.
For example, when you select an arc and then hover over the grip at the center of the arc, notice that the
color of the grip changes from blue to orange. If you select the grip at the center of the arc, you can easily
move the arc.

But notice that if you move the cursor over a grip at the end of the arc, the arc highlights and you can see the
radius of the arc and the angle of the line measured from the center of the arc to that endpoint. If you hover
over the other endpoint of the arc, you again see the radius of the arc and the angle of that endpoint.

Notice that there is also a tooltip and you can choose either of the options to either lengthen the arc, which
simply changes the length of the arc without modifying its centerpoint or radius, or stretch the arc, which
moves the endpoint and thus changes the radius of the arc and the angle from the center to the endpoint, and

notice that this also changes the location of the center of the arc. Also notice that in the tooltip, the program
tells you that you can press the CTRL key to cycle between the Stretch and Lengthen options.

When using the Lengthen option, you can also press the TAB key to cycle between the angle and the radius
fields. Press the ESC key to deselect that grip.
If you simply click to select the grip, the program automatically goes into Stretch mode, but again, you can
press the CTRL key to cycle between the Lengthen and Stretch options. Press the ESC key to deselect that
grip.
If you hover the cursor over the grip at the midpoint of the arc, notice that you can choose the Stretch or
Radius options. If you choose the Radius option, you can change the radius of the arc without changing its
center point or the number of degrees subtended by the arc. Notice that as you move the grip, the radius of
the arc is changing, the endpoints of the arc move as the radius changes, and you can type a radius value into
the field. You can see in the tooltip that you can also press the CTRL key to cycle between the Stretch and
Radius options. If you switch to Stretch mode, the endpoints of the arc remain the same, but the radius of the
arc and the angle subtended by the arc are changing. The center point of the arc also changes.

Press ESC to deselect that grip.

If you simply click to make that the hot grip, the program immediately goes into Stretch mode, but again, you
can press the CTRL key to cycle between the Stretch and Radius options.
When youre done modifying the object, press the ESC key once to release the hot grip, and press ESC a
second time to deselect the object.

LESSON 4

Using Grips to Modify Hatch Objects

Exercise files: GRID_EDIT_HATCH.DWG
You can use grips to manipulate hatch objects in a number of ways.
Notice that when you select a hatch object, the program displays the Hatch Editor contextual ribbon. You can
use the tools on this ribbon to modify any of the properties of the hatch.

When you select a hatch object, the program displays the Hatch Editor contextual ribbon.

Also notice that in the center of the hatch object is a round blue grip. You can use this center grip to directly
manipulate the hatch object. When you move the cursor over the grip, the program displays a dynamic menu
that shows the various ways in which you can directly modify the hatch. You can click on any of these
options. If you select the grip to make it the active grip, you can also press the CTRL key to cycle through the
different behaviors.

For example, if you choose the Stretch option, you can move the hatch object. Note, however, that if the
hatch object had been associative, if you move it in this way, it will lose its association to the original boundary
objects. In other words, it will no longer be an associative hatch object. When you select a non-associative
hatch object, you see additional grips on the boundaries of the hatch. You can then use these grips to edit the
boundaries of the hatch.
When editing the boundaries of a non-associative hatch object, the program displays both primary and
secondary grips. You can then edit the boundaries of the hatch object as you would modify a closed polyline.
You can stretch vertices or segments, add or remove vertices, and convert line segments into arcs and arc
segments into lines.

If you choose the Origin Point option, you can dynamically reposition the origin of the hatch. For example, if
you choose the Origin Point option, you can then relocate the hatch origin to the lower-left corner of the
rectangle so that the block coursing starts at the bottom of the rectangle.
If you choose the Hatch Angle option, notice that you can interactively adjust the hatch angle, or simply type a
new angle value rather than having to first click in the Angle field on the ribbon.

And if you choose the Hatch Scale option, you can similarly adjust the hatch pattern scale.
Also note that if you select more than one hatch object, the program displays the Hatch Editor contextual
ribbon. Any changes you then make using the tools in the ribbon will affect all of the currently selected hatch
objects. For example, if you change the scale, notice that both hatch objects immediately update. But you can
still use the grips to manipulate individual hatch objects.

LESSON 5

Using Grips to Move Objects

Exercise files: GRIPS_EXAMPLE.DWG
When modifying an object using grips, you can choose between Move, Mirror, Rotate, Scale, Stretch, and
with the Copy argument, you could create a copy of the object as you use each option.
For example, if you simply select a circle when no other command is active, you see blue or unselected grips.
If you move the cursor near one of these grips, its color changes from blue to orange, indicating a hover grip.
When you select the grip, it turns red, indicating that this is now an active grip, sometimes also referred to as a
hot grip.
Once a grip becomes an active grip, notice that in the command line you can see that AutoCAD has gone into
Stretch mode.

To switch to one of the other editing modes, you can right-click to display a shortcut menu, and then choose
Move, Rotate, Scale, Mirror, or Stretchthe five most common modify commands.

If you choose the Move option, you can move the circle, using the active grip as the base point for the move.
Note that you never actually started a command. When using grips, you can modify an object by simply
clicking to select the object.

LESSON 6

Using Grips to Stretch Objects

Exercise files: GRIPS_EXAMPLE.DWG
You can use grips to stretch objects, and since the STRETCH command works like Move, Extend, and Trim
all at the same time, using grips to stretch objects can be very powerful. But there is a trick to using grips to
stretch objects.
The exercise file contains a rectangle that was created using individual line segments. So if you were to select
all of the lines, click to select a grip, and then right-click and choose the Stretch option, when you move the
cursor you simply relocate that vertex and stretch the two lines.

Press ESC and then undo what you just did to restore the original shape.
Suppose what you actually wanted to do was to move the entire left side of the rectangle 5 units to the left
while stretching the top and bottom lines. To do this, select all of the lines, but this time, press the SHIFT key
and then click to select the hot grips. When you press the SHIFT key, you can select more than one hot grip.
Then, release the SHIFT key. Notice that now, when you move the cursor, both of the selected grips are
stretched at the same time.

Even if you move the cursor up at an angle, you can see that the line segment that shares the side between
the two selected grips is actually being moved. The endpoints of the line segments that are unselected are
anchored; they are not being moved.
If you did happen to stretch a single point, there is an easy way to repair the object by using snap tracking
based on grips. You can select the grip you want to move to make it the active grip and then use a two point
track to locate that grip back to its original location. Just make sure that Object Snap and Object Snap Tracking
are turned on (refer to the Status bar), then hover the cursor over the other adjacent corner grips to acquire
those as tracking points, move the cursor until it locks in at the appropriate angle, and then track until you
locate the convergence of the two tracking lines. Then, all you need to do is click to pick that point.

Press ESC when youre done working with grips.

LESSON 7

Changing the Base Point While Grip Editing

Exercise files: GRIPS_EXAMPLE.DWG
When using actual commands to modify objects, you might inadvertently pick the wrong base point when you
start the command, in which case youd have to start over. But when editing objects using grips, you can use
the Base Point option to change the base point on the fly.
For example, in the exercise file, suppose you selected the polyline, clicked to make a particular grip the active
or hot grip, and then used the Move option to move the polyline. But then, you realized that you actually
meant to use the endpoint of the polyline as the base point.
While grip editing, you can right-click and choose the Base Point option, and then simply pick a new base
point.

As soon as you do, the command immediately resumes but now youre using the new point as the base
point.
When you edit using grips, you have the extra flexibility to change the base point on the fly. Press ESC when
youre done editing using grips.

Chapter 10 Review
Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. Tap the button to start the test. Youll be presented
with a series of questions based on the material covered in this chapter. When you choose your answer, youll
immediately see if its correct. If you choose the wrong answer, youll see why the answer is not correct. Use
the Next Question button to advance to the next question. When you finish the last question, or to close the
test, click the X in the upper-left to return to this page.

Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. The following questions are based on the material
covered in this chapter.
1. You can use the grips labeled A, B, and C to:

A. Move the arc.

B. Align the arc with the line.
C. Change the size of the arc.
D. Delete the arc.
2. You can use the circular grip shown to do any of the following EXCEPT:

A. Change the origin point of the hatch pattern.

B. Change the hatch pattern type.
C. Change the hatch pattern angle.
D. Stretch the hatch pattern.

3. ALL of the following are Grip options EXCEPT:

A. Move.
B. Mirror.
C. Copy.
D. Scale.
4. Grip arguments are options to enhance the editing features of grips. ALL of the following are valid
grips arguments EXCEPT:
A. Base point.
B. Copy.
C. Undo.
D. Redo.

Answer Key: 1.c 2.b 3.c 4.d

Chapter 11
Dimensioning Your Drawing
Dimensions identify the size of the objects you draw, making accurate, legible dimensions one of the most
important features of those drawings. In this chapter, you will learn how to use AutoCADs dimensioning tools
to add linear, angular, radius, and diameter dimensions and control their appearance.

LESSON 1

Introducing Dimensioning Object Concepts

Dimensions are annotations you add to your drawings that identify the size of the objects you draw. Being
able to place accurate, legible dimensions is a very important skill. AutoCADs dimensioning tools let you add
virtually any type of dimensional annotation to your drawings.
AutoCAD provides many settings that determine the appearance of dimensions. Those settings are stored as
dimension styles, so that you can easily reuse those settings so that your dimensions have a consistent
appearance.
There are a number of terms and concepts you should know before creating any dimension objects.
First, when you create a dimension, AutoCAD draws it on the current layer, using the current dimension style.
Each dimension has an associated style that controls the appearance of the dimension.
Each dimension you create consists of several parts: the dimension line, extension lines, arrowheads, and the
dimension text.

Extension lines are lines that extend away from the object you are dimensioning so that you can place the
dimension line away from the object. When you create a dimension, AutoCAD automatically creates these
extension lines and will leave a gap between the object and these extension lines.

The dimension line shows where the dimension begins and ends and AutoCAD automatically creates the
dimension line as well as the arrowheads that are placed at the termination at each end of the dimension line.
AutoCAD provides a selection of different types of arrowheads and tick marks that you can decide to use.
When you create an angular dimension, the dimension line is an arc that subtends the measured angle.

The dimension text shows the measured dimension and is automatically placed as well. The dimension text
reads the dimension directly from the object you are dimensioning so that the dimension text will always be
correct.
AutoCAD can create many different types of dimensions, including linear dimensions (which can be vertical or
horizontal), aligned dimensions (which align parallel with an object), angular dimensions, arc length, radius, and
diameter.

Many of the tools for adding dimension annotations are found in the Annotation panel on the Home ribbon.
You will find these and many additional tools on the Dimension panel of the Annotate ribbon.

LESSON 2

Understanding Associative Dimensions

Exercise files: DIMASSOCIATIVE.DWG
By default, AutoCADs dimensions are associative. What that means is that all the parts of the dimension
the dimension line, extension lines, arrowheads, and dimension textare part of a single object that is tied to
the object being measured. If you change the size of the object, the dimension updates automatically to reflect
the changes. You do not need to make any changes to the dimension itself.

For example, if you select this dimension, you can see that the entire dimension including the dimension line,
its extension lines, arrowheads, and the dimension text, are all selected because they are all part of one
object.

If you change the object, the dimension automatically updates to show the new size of the object. When you
grip edit to change the size of the object, the dimension updates because it is associative or attached to the
object. It continues to track the changes made to the object.
Do not explode the dimension. If you explode the dimension, it will no longer be associative. Once you
explode the object, notice that each of its parts becomes separate objects and the dimension will no longer
update when you change the object.

LESSON 3

Creating Linear Horizontal and Vertical Dimensions

Exercise files: DIM-LINEAR.DWG
A linear dimension adds a linear dimension annotation with a horizontal or a vertical orientation.

To apply a linear dimension, click the Linear tool. AutoCAD prompts you to specify the first extension line origin
or select object. You can use one of two methods, either picking two points or selecting an object. By picking
two points, youre effectively showing AutoCAD where the extension line origins will be. AutoCAD then
dimensions between these two points in either a horizontal or a vertical orientation. This method is useful
when the points youre dimensioning between are not on one object.
When youre simply dimensioning the length of a single object, the select object method is easier and faster,
because you only have to make one selection.

To create a linear dimension using by selecting two points, when AutoCAD prompts you to specify the first
extension origin, with the endpoint object snap active, simply click to select the endpoint. Then, AutoCAD
prompts you to specify the second extension line origin. Again, with the endpoint object snap active, simply
click to select the other endpoint.

Next, AutoCAD prompts you to specify the dimension line location. You can simply move the cursor until the
dimension line is positioned where you want it, and then click to place it. Notice that if you drag left or right,
you get a vertical dimension. If you drag up or down, you get a horizontal dimension.
Add another linear dimension. You can restart the command by selecting it again from the ribbon, but its
much easier and faster to press the SPACEBAR or ENTER key to repeat the previous command. You can
also right-click and repeat the command by selecting it from the shortcut menu.
Again, you can pick the first extension origin, then the second extension origin, and then place the dimension.
Notice that AutoCAD provides a number of options. For example, you can force the dimension to be
Horizontal or Vertical.
When youre dimensioning a single object, you can use the Select Object option. When AutoCAD prompts you
to specify the first extension origin or select object, press ENTER or right-click. Notice that the prompt changes
to Select object to dimension. Simply click to select the object. Then move your cursor to position the
dimension line. Again, notice that if you move the cursor up or down, AutoCAD creates a horizontal
dimension. If you move the cursor right or left, you get a vertical dimension.
If you want the dimension to align with the object, you need to create an aligned dimension.

LESSON 4

Creating Linear Aligned Dimensions

Exercise files: DIM-ALIGNED.DWG
An aligned dimension creates a linear dimension that aligns parallel to an object or to a line between the two
points used to specify the extension line origins.

To apply an aligned dimension, click the Aligned tool. AutoCAD prompts you to specify the first extension line
origin or select object. You can use one of two methods, either picking two points or selecting an object. By
picking two points, youre effectively showing AutoCAD where the extension line origins will be. AutoCAD then
dimensions between these two points. This method is useful when the points youre dimensioning between
are not on one object.
When youre simply dimensioning the length of a single object, the select object method is easier and faster,
because you only have to make one selection.
To create an aligned dimension by selecting two points, when AutoCAD prompts you to specify the first
extension origin, with the endpoint object snap active, simply click to select the endpoint. Then, AutoCAD
prompts you to specify the second extension line origin. Again, with the endpoint object snap active, you
simply click to select the other endpoint.

When AutoCAD prompts you to specify the dimension line location, simply click to place the dimension.

Next, AutoCAD prompts you to specify the dimension line location. You can simply move the cursor until the
dimension line is positioned where you want it, and then click to place it. Notice that the dimension line is
aligned parallel to the line between the first and second extension line origins.
Note that when specifying these two points, the dimension will only align accurately if those two points are
really parallel with the geometry youre dimensioning.
When youre dimensioning a single object, you can use the Select Object option. You can restart the
command by selecting it from the ribbon again, but its easier to just press the SPACEBAR or ENTER key, or
right-click to select the command from the shortcut menu.
When AutoCAD prompts you to specify the first extension origin or select object, press ENTER or right-click.
Notice that the prompt changes to Select object to dimension. Simply click to select the object. Then move
your cursor to position the dimension line. Notice that AutoCAD automatically aligns the dimension line parallel
to the object you are dimensioning.

LESSON 5

Creating Linear Baseline Dimensions

Exercise files: DIMBASELINE.DWG
A baseline dimension creates a second dimension from the same first extension line origin, or baseline, as the
previous dimension, or from another dimension that you select. This method of placing dimensions is often
used in mechanical drafting to reference dimensions from a common point, or in architectural drafting to
indicate the total length of a series of individual dimensions.

To create a baseline dimension, click the Baseline tool on the Dimensions panel of the Annotate ribbon. Note
that the Baseline and Continue dimension tools share a single drop-down. Whichever tool you choose
becomes the new default for this button.

When you start the command, the program prompts you to specify the second extension line origin or Select.
If you want to place a baseline dimension measuring from the same first extension line origin as the last

dimension you created, you can simply select the next point you want to dimension to.

But if thats not the dimension you want to use, you can select a different dimension. To do so, either rightclick and choose the Select option from the shortcut menu, or press ENTER. The program then prompts you
to select a different base dimension. You can then select the dimension you want to use. Be careful to select
the end of the dimension you want to measure from, because there are two sides to the dimension, the left
side and the right side. If you pick on the left side, the program uses that side as the new baseline origin, and
the new baseline dimensions will start from that end. But what f that is not what you want?
Suppose you want it to continue from the right-most end. All you have to do, even if you picked it incorrectly,
is to simply right-click, choose the Select option again, and pick the right side of the dimension. Once you pick
it, the program uses that end as the first extension origin for the new dimension, and you can use object snap
to pick the endpoint corresponding to the next point you want to dimension to.

Notice that the command stays active, so you can place additional baseline dimensions, all measured from
the same first point. When you are finished, you can right-click and choose Cancel to end the command, or
press the ESC key.

Also notice that when you added the new baseline dimensions, they took on the same dimension style as the
dimension whose extension line you selected. Even though the current dimension style is called ALTERNATE,
and uses tic marks rather than arrowheads, the baseline dimensions you added were created using the
STANDARD dimension style, the same style as the dimension you selected. By default, when you create a
baseline dimension, the program automatically uses the dimension style of the selected dimension. If you
want the new baseline dimension to use the current dimension style, change the value of the
DIMCONTINUEMODE system variable to 0. When set to 1, which is the default, baseline dimensions use the
dimension style of the selected dimension. When set to 0, however, the baseline dimensions you add will use
the current dimension style.

Lastly, also notice that the program automatically spaces each baseline dimension. This spacing distance is
controlled by the Baseline Spacing setting for the dimension style used to create the baseline dimension.
There are several ways to change this spacing, including changing the Baseline Spacing setting, using the
Adjust Space command, or by manually moving the dimension lines.

LESSON 6

Creating Linear Continued Dimensions

Exercise files: DIMCONTINUE.DWG
A continued dimension creates a new dimension that continues from the second extension line origin of the
previous dimension or from another dimension that you select. This method of placing dimensions is often
used in architectural drafting to create a string or chain of dimensions, such as those shown here to locate a
series of walls in a building.

To create a continued dimension, click the Continue tool on the Dimensions panel of the Annotate ribbon. Note
that the Baseline and Continue dimension tools share a single drop-down. Whichever tool you choose
becomes the new default for this button

When you start the command, the program prompts you to specify the second extension line origin or Select.
If you want to place a continued dimension measuring from the end of the last dimension you created, you
can simply select the next point you want to dimension to.

But if thats not the dimension you want to use, you can select a different dimension. To do so, either rightclick and choose the Select option from the shortcut menu, or press ENTER. The program then prompts you
to select a different continued dimension. You can then select the dimension you want to use. Be careful to
select the end of the dimension you want to measure from, because there are two sides to the dimension, the
left side and the right side. If you pick on the left side, the program uses that side as the new continue point,
and the new continued dimensions will start from that end. But what if that is not what you want.
Suppose you want it to continue from the right end of the dimension. All you have to do, even if you picked it
incorrectly, is simply right-click, choose the Select option again, and pick the right side of the dimension. Once
you pick it, the program uses that end as the first extension origin for the new dimension, and you can use
object snap to pick the endpoint corresponding to the next point you want to dimension to.

Notice that the command stays active, so you can place additional continued dimensions, each starting at the
end of the previous dimension. When you are finished, you can right-click and choose Cancel to end the
command, or press the ESC key.

Also notice that when you added the new continued dimensions, they took on the same dimension style as
the dimension whose extension line you selected. Even though the current dimension style is called
ALTERNATE, and uses tic marks rather than arrowheads, the continued dimensions you added were created
using the STANDARD dimension style, the same style as the dimension you selected. By default, when you

create a continued dimension, the program automatically uses the dimension style of the selected dimension.
If you want the new continued dimension to use the current dimension style, change the value of the
DIMCONTINUEMODE system variable to 0. When set to 1, which is the default, continued dimensions use
the dimension style of the selected dimension. When set to 0, however, the continued dimensions you add will
use the current dimension style.

LESSON 7

Creating Angular Dimensions

Exercise files: DIM-ANGULAR.DWG
Angular dimensions annotate the angle measured between two non-parallel lines, the angle subtended by an
arc, or the angle around a portion of a circle. You can also dimension the angle formed by three selected
points: the vertex and two end points.

To create an Angular dimension, click the Angular tool on the Dimensions panel of the Annotate ribbon.

AutoCAD prompts you to select an arc, a circle, a line, or to specify the vertex. The remaining prompts
depend on the type of object you select.
For example, if you select an arc, AutoCAD measures the angle subtended by the arc and immediately

prompts you to specify the dimension line location. Notice that the extension lines are added automatically and
that the angle measured depends on where you position the dimension line.

If you select a line, AutoCAD prompts you to select a second line. Once you select the second line, AutoCAD
measures the angle between the two lines and immediately prompts you to specify the dimension line
location. Notice again that the extension lines are added automatically and that the angle measured depends
on where you position the dimension line.
If you select the Specify Vertex option, which you do by either right-clicking or pressing ENTER, AutoCAD
prompts you to specify the angle vertex. Click to select the vertex point. For example, in the exercise drawing,
use the center object snap to select the center of the circle. AutoCAD then prompts you to select the first
angle endpoint. Select the center of this circle. AutoCAD then prompts you to select the second angle
endpoint. Select the center of the other circle.
AutoCAD then prompts you to specify the dimension line location. Once again, notice that the extension lines
are added automatically and the angle measured depends on where you position the dimension line.

LESSON 8

Dimensioning Circles and Arcs Using Radius and Diameter Dimensions

Exercise files: DIM-RAD-DIA.DWG
There are two ways you can dimension a circle or an arc: you can place a radius dimension or a diameter.

To dimension the radius of an arc or circle, select the Radius tool from the Dimension panel of the Annotate
ribbon. AutoCAD prompts you to select an arc or circle. Click anywhere on the circle or arc. As soon as you
select the arc, AutoCAD measures its radius and prompts you to specify the dimension line location. Notice
that you can see a preview with the correct dimension text attached to it, to help you position the dimension.

Notice that if you drag the cursor to the right, it moves the text in relation to the leader, so it becomes leftjustified. If you move it back to the left, it becomes right-justified on the end of the leader. Once you pick
where you want the text to go, the dimension is created and the command ends.

To dimension the diameter of a circle or arc, select the Diameter tool from the Dimension panel of the
Annotate ribbon. Again, AutoCAD prompts you to select an arc or circle. Click anywhere on the circle or arc.
As soon as you select the circle, AutoCAD measures its diameter and prompts you to specify the dimension

line location. Again notice that you can see a preview with the correct dimension text attached to it, to help
you position the dimension.

Also notice again that the dimension changes it position relative to the leader as you move it around in the
drawing. Once you pick where you want it to go, the dimension is created and the command ends.
Notice that when you create a radius dimension, AutoCAD adds an R to indicate that this is a radius
dimension. When you create a diameter dimension, AutoCAD adds a diameter symbol.

LESSON 9

Controlling the Appearance of Dimensions Using Dimension Styles

Exercise files: DIM-STYLE.DWG
When youre working in a drawing there will be times that youll want to change the appearance of a
dimension. For example, instead of 4 decimals places, maybe you only want 2. Maybe you dont want to
show leading zeroes. Perhaps you want to change the text style or the height of the text. You may want to
use tick marks instead of arrowheads, or add tolerances, or show both imperial and metric dimensions.
Everything about the appearance, the way a dimension looks, is controlled by the dimension style.

In the Dimensions panel on the Annotate ribbon, you can click on the drop-down and choose any dimension
style that has already been created. Once you click on a dimension style, that style becomes the current
dimension style. So any new dimensions you place in the drawing will appear using the settings of the new
current dimension style.
In the exercise drawing, notice that the new dimension shows only two decimal places, whereas the others,
which were created using the previous dimension style, show four decimal places.
Erase the dimension and then choose a different dimension style. Choose the style that uses two decimal
places with tolerances. Then, please a new dimension where you had erased the previous one. Notice that
this new dimension shows 2 decimal places but it also shows tolerances. This is all controlled by the
dimension styles.

Click the arrow in the lower-right corner of the Dimensions panel to display the Dimension Style Manager dialog.

You can choose an existing dimension style from the drop-down list. You can also display the Dimension Style
Manager dialog box by clicking the small arrow in the lower-right corner of the Dimensions panel on the

Annotate ribbon.

On the left-side of this dialog box, you can simply choose the dimension style that youd like to use. When you
click the Set Current button, that dimension style becomes the new current dimension style.
Once you click on the Close button, youll notice that the current dimension style shown in the Dimensions
panel on the Annotate ribbon also changes to show the new current dimension style.
In general, if all you want to do is change the current dimension style, its much faster to simply select it from
the drop-down on the Dimensions panel. If you want to create a new dimension style, however, youll need to
use the Dimension Style Manager dialog.

Chapter 11 Review
Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. Tap the button to start the test. Youll be presented
with a series of questions based on the material covered in this chapter. When you choose your answer, youll
immediately see if its correct. If you choose the wrong answer, youll see why the answer is not correct. Use
the Next Question button to advance to the next question. When you finish the last question, or to close the
test, click the X in the upper-left to return to this page.

Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. The following questions are based on the material
covered in this chapter.
1. By default, AutoCAD Dimensions exist as a single object and are also:
A. Associative.
B. On their own Layer.
C. Blocks.
D. Object snapped to geometry.
2. Linear Dimensions can be placed either horizontal or:
A. Angular.
B. Circular.
C. Vertical.
D. Perpendicular.
3. Baseline dimensions add additional dimensions from the same extension line origin of what types of
dimensions:
A. Linear and angular.
B. Angular and circular.
C. Arc length and jogged.
D. Ordinate and diameter.
4. When you add a continued or baseline dimension, by default, the dimension:
A. Uses the dimension style you specify.

B. Uses the current dimension style.

C. Uses the dimension style of the selected dimension.
D. Uses the DIMCONTINUE dimension style.
5. All of the following methods can be used to dimension a circle EXCEPT:
A. Radius.
B. Arc length.
C. Jogged.
D. Diameter.
6. You can change the appearance of entire groups of dimensions with:
A. The Properties Palette.
B. Dimension Styles.
C. The Quick Properties Panel.
D. Dimension Update.

Answer Key: 1.a 2.c 3.a 4.c 5.b 6.b

Chapter 12
Plotting Your Drawing
Once you have created a drawing, you will likely want to print or plot it onto a sheet of paper. While you can
simply print the drawing exactly as it appears on screen, more often you will need to create sheets of
drawings containing additional information, such as title blocks. This chapter explains how to create multiple
sheets and control the scale of various views on those sheets as well as how to print your drawings.

LESSON 1

Introducing Print and Plot Concepts

When you begin to work on a new drawing, one of the biggest concerns is often how to get the drawing to
print or plot at the proper scale.

When you work in a drawing, you should always create the objects that represent the actual drawing
geometrythe building, the mechanical part, or whatever it is that youre creatingin Model Space. And you
should create that geometry at full-scale, actual size. When working in Model Space, you should never use a
scale factor.

When you create drawings at full scale actual size, you actually make it easier to share your drawings with

other team members. If everyone creates their geometry at full-scale, you can combine work from other team
members and everything will fit together.

Then, when youre ready to print or plot, you create a layout that looks like what you want to see on paper.

Although each drawing file can have only one Model Space tab, each drawing can have as many Layout tabs
as you want. Each layout represents a sheet of paper.

Each Layout should be created at the exact size of the piece of paper on which you will print. So if you want

to print the drawing on a D-size sheet, you would create a layout that measures 24x36 inches. Then, when
youre ready to print that sheet, you would print it at full-size, at a scale of 1-to-1.

The only things that should ever be scaled are the viewports, the views of Model Space that are placed onto
the Layout. These viewports are essentially windows that display the model space geometry at a scale that
will fit onto the sheet of paper.

If you always follow these basic rules, that you always create models at full scale, always create layouts at
actual size, and always print or plot layouts at full-scale or 1-to-1, you should always be able to get your
geometry to appear at the proper size on the sheet of paper when it comes out of your printer or plotter.

LESSON 2

Understanding Model Space and Paper Space

Exercise files: PRINT_PLOT_PREP.DWG
When preparing a drawing for printing and plotting, its important that you understand the concepts of model
space and paper space. Model space, represented by the Model tab, is the place where you create geometry.
And when working in model space, you should create everything at full-scale (actual size).
The model tab is also known as model space.

You know that youre working in model space because in the Status bar you can see the word MODEL. This
lets you know that youre working on the model. If you click on the word MODEL, AutoCAD switches to a
different environment called Paper Space. You know that youre working on the paper because in the Status
bar, it actually says PAPER. And if you look on the screen, it looks like a sheet of paper. You can even see the
dashed line that represents the border of the printable area of the sheet, and a little drop-shadow around the
edge.
If you look in the lower-left hand corner of the screen, youll see that the user coordinate system icon has also
changed. It now shows a paper space icon. It looks like a drafting triangle, to let us know, visually, that were
now working on the paper.

When working in paper space, the UCS icon changes to a paper space icon, the Status bar shows the word PAPER, and you can see the border of a
virtual sheet of paper.

At any time, you can come down to the Status bar and click on the word PAPER to toggle AutoCAD back to
model space, but now, notice that when you toggle back to the model in this way, it doesnt return to the
model space tab. It simply takes you to the model space viewport thats been placed on the layout. Notice the
user coordinate system icon in the lower-left hand corner.
Notice that now, when you move the cursor and start to zoom or pan, AutoCAD zooms and pans only inside
that viewport. If you click on the word MODEL again and then zoom or pan, youre zooming and panning the
entire sheet of paper.

If you switch to model space while in a paper space layout, the border of the active viewport becomes darker, the UCS icon appears in that viewport,
and the Status bar shows the word MODEL.

Again, you can also tell that youre in paper space because the icon in the lower-left has changed. The paper
space icon indicates that youre working in on the paper, and this is also indicated in the Status bar.
So there are these two spaces in which you can workmodel space or a paper space layoutand when
working in paper space, any viewports are windows that display objects created in model space.
You can actually access the model by double-clicking inside one of these viewports. When you do, notice the
user coordinate system icon inside the viewport. Once the viewport is active in this way, if you zoom or pan,
youre actually zooming and panning within the model.

If you make changes to geometry while working inside a viewport, those changes happen in the model.

If you make any changes to the geometry while working inside a viewportfor example, if you were to erase
some of the chairsthose changes happen in the model. Notice that when you switch back to the Model tab,
the chairs are no longer in the model. What you have done is to reach through the viewport into the model and
edited the geometry directly in model space.

LESSON 3

Choosing a Printer
Exercise files: PRINT_PLOT_PREP3.DWG
You use layouts to print and plot and you can have as many layouts as you want. Think of each layout as a
separate sheet of paper. And that piece of paper might contain different parts of the building.

If you right-click on the layout tab, notice that you can hide the layout and model tabs. If you dont see them,
you can reactivate the tabs by right-clicking on either the Model or Layout buttons on the Status bar and
choosing Display Layout and Model Tabs.

Suppose youve like to create a new layout that shows just the furniture plan. To do this, you can right-click on
the current layout tab. Then, in the shortcut menu, notice that you can choose New Layout, create a layout
from a template, Delete, Rename, or Move and Copy.

Choose Move or Copy to create a copy of this tab. In the Move or Copy dialog, select the Create a Copy
check box, click Move to End to place the new layout at the right end of the current layouts, and then click
OK.

Once you have created a new layout, you can right-click on its tab and rename it. Its always a good idea to
give layouts logical names, so rename the new layout Furniture Plan. This will be the sheet for actually
printing the furniture layout.
Now that youve created that layout, the next thing you should do is to assign the printer that you want to use
to print this sheet. To assign a printer, right-click on the new Furniture Plan layout tab and choose Page Setup
Manager.

Note that you can also display the Page Setup Manager by switching to the Output ribbon and then, in the
Plot panel, clicking the Page Setup Manager tool.

In the Page Setup Manager dialog you can select any existing page setups. Since there are no named page
setups, you can simply modify the current page setup for the Furniture Plan layout. Select the Furniture Plan
in the list and click Modify.

This displays the Page Setup for the Furniture Plan layout. The first thing you need to do is to select the printer
or plotter you want this sheet to print to. You can click and select any printer or plotter that has already been
configured for your computer. It can be a local or network device. These devices have probably been set up
by your CAD Manager or someone in your IT department.

To make this part of the lesson universal for anyone taking this course, you can select DWG to PDF. This
printer driver is available to anyone using AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT and would print the drawing to a PDF file.
Once you choose the printer, the next thing you should do is choose the paper size. The available paper sizes
will vary depending on the printer you selected in the previous step.
For this exercise, choose a standard 8.5 x 11 A-size piece of paper. This is a standard letter size piece of
paper. You can see the paper size in the little preview window. Notice that it shows you that the paper size is

8.5 by 11 inches. But if you move the cursor over this preview, the tooltip shows you that the actual printable
area is only 8.04 x 9.60 inches. So even though youve chosen an 8.5x11 piece of paper, you cant print right
to the outside edge of the paper. Theres an area that extends around the perimeter of the paper in which you
cant print.

After selecting the paper size, you can move the cursor over the preview to see the size of the printable area.

This is important to note. Each printer or plotter will have different printable areas. When you create a title
block or border on your layout, that title block or border must fit within this printable area. If it extends beyond
the printable area, it wont print, even though it physically fits onto the sheet of paper. So for each printer and
paper size you plan to use, you will need to make a note of the printable area and then make sure that your
border fits within that area.
Once youve selected the printer and paper size, click OK to close the Page Setup dialog. Notice that the
settings you made for the page setup now appear in the Page Setup Manager for that layout. Click Close to
close the Page Setup Manager.

LESSON 4

Placing a Title Block on a Layout

Exercise files: PRINT_PLOT_PREP4.DWG
Once youve created a layout tab and youve configured the page setup for the desired printer and paper size,
the next thing you want to do is to prepare that layout or paper for printing or plotting.
In the exercise file, click on the Furniture Plan tab to access that layout. What you see on the screen right now
is whats known as a viewport. This is an object that provides a window looking back into Model Space. You
can select this object just like any other object in AutoCAD. When selected, notice it has grips that you can use
to resize the viewport. You can move the viewport. You can even erase it. By default, whenever you create
and activate a new layout, the program automatically creates a new viewport. But you can change this so
that each layout starts as a blank sheet of paper.

If you select the viewport, you can modify it just like any other drawing object. You can even erase it.

If you erase the viewport, all youve actually done is to delete that window back into Model Space. When you
click on the Model tab, you can see that all of the geometry is still in the drawing file.
But on the Furniture Plan, the only thing you see now is the sheet of paper. What you would normally do at
this point is to set up your sheet so that it includes your standard border and title block. Although you could
draw that right here in paper space on the sheet of paper, most people find it much easier to create and save
their standard title blocks as separate drawings that they can simply insert onto the sheet as a block whenever
they create a new layout.
You should also be sure to create or place the border and title block on its own layer so that you can control

the visibility of the border and title block separate from the rest of the drawing objects. To do this, return to the
Home tab and click the Layer Properties tool to display the Layer Properties Manager. Then, create a new
layer (in this case, name that layer TITLEBLOCK) and give it a distinct color (such as blue) so that it stands
out better for the purpose of this lesson. And make the new TITLEBLOCK layer the current layer.
Now that youve created the layer, youre ready to create the border and title block. Again, you could draw
that right on the TITLEBLOCK layer, but for this exercise, youll insert a titleblock drawing that has already
been created. On the Insert tab, click the Insert tool to display the Insert dialog. Then, click the Browse button
and navigate to the folder containing the drawings for this chapter. Select the drawing file A-SIZE.DWG and
click Open. In the Insert dialog, make sure that the program is going to prompt you for the insertion point on
the screen. The scale should be left at 1 and the rotation angle should remain at 0. Then, click OK.

Notice that as you move cursor, you can see the border and titleblock and the program is prompting you to
specify the insertion point. Make sure that when you specify that point, the border is within the printable area
of the paper, which is indicated by the dashed line. The printable area will vary depending on the printer and
paper size you selected for the page setup. You dont need to worry about placing it exactly. You can always
adjust it later.

Once youre happy with the placement, click to place it. This particular title block is a block that contains
attributes, so its going to prompt you for some information to fill in to the title block. It asks you for the sheet
size, your name, and the name of the drawing. Once you finish entering that information, the border and title

block appear on the sheet.

The border and title block have only been placed on the Furniture Plan layout. If you go back to the Model tab,
you wont see the border or titleblock no matter how far out you zoom. That border and titleblock also dont
appear on any other layout. You only inserted it on the Furniture Plan layout. It only exists on that sheet of
paper.

LESSON 5

Creating Layout Viewports

Exercise files: PRINT_PLOT_PREP5.DWG
In preparation for printing or plotting a drawing, you typically create a layout that looks like what you want to
see on paper. Once youve created the layout and perhaps placed a border and titleblock on that layout,
youre ready to create some viewports.
Viewports are essentially windows that look back at the model. Once youve created these viewports, you can
configure them to the desired scale for printing and plotting.

The tools for creating viewports are located on the Layout ribbon, in the Layout Viewports panel. There are
several tools available. The Named tool displays a Viewports dialog box that displays a list of standard
viewport configurations that can be created or restored in the current layout.
The Rectangular tool creates a rectangular shaped viewport defined by specifying the opposite corners of the
viewport. Notice that this is actually a split button. If you expand the button, you can see that there are
actually two other tools. The Polygonal tool creates an irregularly shaped viewport defined by picking points
and the Object tool creates a nonretangular layout viewport from an existing closed polyline, ellipse, spline,
region, or circle. And like other split buttons, whichever tool you use last floats to the top and becomes the
new default for this button.

Before you create the viewport, lets plan out what you want on this sheet. Suppose that in the lower-left
corner, youd like the entire floor plan. Above it, you want an enlarged view of the reception desk and chair.
And on the right, you want a view that will show the conference table and chairs. And you want each of these
views at a different scale. You want the floor plan shown at 1/8=1-0. You want the conference table view to
be at a scale of 1/4=1-0. And you want the reception desk view to be at a scale of 1/2=1-0. Three
different views, three different scales, all on the same sheet of paper.

So now, lets create the viewports. But before you do, since viewports are themselves drawing objects, you
should create a new layer for the viewports. That way, youll be able to turn the viewport borders on and off
using layer control. This is simply a good layer management technique. To do this, open the Layer Properties
Manager and create a new layer called VIEWPORTS and make its color red so that you can more easily see
the new viewports you create. Then, make that new VIEWPORTS layer the current layer. Now youre ready
to create a viewport.
Create the first viewport using the Rectangular tool in the Layout Viewports panel of the Layout ribbon. When
you click this tool, the program prompts you to specify the first corner. Click to position one corner and then
click to specify the opposite corner. As soon as you do, the new viewport is created.

You can click to specify the opposite corners of a rectangular viewport.

Use the Polygonal tool to create the next viewport. When you start this command, the program prompts you
to specify the start point. Simply select points to define the four sides of a rectangle, using polar tracking and
object snap tracking to make sure that its a nice, rectangle (although you could make it any polygonal shape
you wish).

The Polygonal tool lets you draw the outline of a polygonal viewport.

To create the third viewport, first switch back to the Home ribbon and then use the CIRCLE command to
create a circle. Then, switch back to the Layout ribbon and use the Object tool to convert that circle into a
viewport.

The Object tool lets you convert any closed object into a viewport.

The three methods you just used are all actually variations of the same command. As you become more
proficient, youll likely find the method that you prefer. Typically, most people use the Rectangular tool when
creating rectangular viewports, the Polygonal tool when they need an irregularly shaped viewport with straight
edges, and the Object tool when they want to first draw the viewport border using curved edges and then
convert that shape into a viewport.

LESSON 6

Setting a Layout Viewport Scale

Exercise files: PRINT_PLOT_PREP6.DWG
Once youve created viewports on a layout, the next step is to set those viewports so that they show the
exact geometry you want displayed within the viewport, at the scale you want them to print or plot.
The exercise file includes a Furniture Plan layout with three viewports. Each viewport currently shows all of the
model space geometry. If you switch back to the Model Space tab, you can see all of that geometry. But on
the Furniture Plan layout, suppose you wanted the contents of the lower-left viewport to show the entire floor
plan at a scale of 1/8=1-0, the circular viewport on the right to show just the conference table at a scale of
1/4=1-0, and the viewport in the upper-left to show the reception desk and chair at a scale of 1/2=1-0.

There are a number of different ways that you can accomplish this. First, make sure that youre working in
Paper Space. You can tell that youre in Paper Space a number of ways. First, notice the word PAPER in the
button on the Status bar. Second, you can see the Paper Space icon in the lower-left corner of the screen.
And third, if you pan or zoom, you will note that youre moving the entire sheet of paper.

You can tell youre in paper space by the presence of the Paper Space button and the Paper Space icon.

If you click on the Model or Paper Space button on the Status bar, notice that you immediately switch to
Model Space. The title of the button changes to MODEL to help you see that youve switched to Model
Space. Notice that you no longer see the Paper Space icon in the lower-left corner of the screen. Instead,

theres a UCS icon in the active viewport. Also notice that one of the viewports appears with a bold border,
and if you move the cursor, you can see the crosshair move within that viewport. If you click inside one of the
other viewports, its border becomes bold and the crosshair now moves within that viewport. When you work
in Model Space in a viewport on a layout, only one viewport is active at a time. If you pan or zoom now,
youre actually moving and changing the scale of the model space view within that viewport.

When working in a paper space viewport, that viewport has a bold border and a UCS icon with the active viewport. In addition, the crosshair moves
within that viewport and the Status bar button says MODEL, indicating that youre working in model space.

If you click on the Model or Paper Space button on the Status bar, you can toggle back to Paper Space. Now,
whatever you do affects the entire sheet of paper rather than an individual viewport.
You can also switch back to Model Space by double-clicking inside a viewport. And you can switch back to
Paper Space by double-clicking anywhere outside the viewports.
Also notice that when youre working in Paper Space, if you select the border of a viewport, you are actually
selecting the viewport object. You can then use grips or any other command to modify the viewport object just
like any other drawing object.

When working in paper space, you can select the viewport border and manipulate it just like any other drawing object.

Now that you see how you can work with viewports, double-click inside the circular viewport and pan and
zoom in Model Space until the conference table is approximately centered in this viewport. Dont worry about
the scale yet. Just get the view set up so that you can see the desired geometry within that viewport.
Do the same thing with view in the upper-left. Click inside that viewport to make it the active viewport, and
then pan and zoom until the desk and chair appear centered in the viewport.
Once youre satisfied with the way the geometry is displayed in each of the viewports, double-click anywhere
outside the viewports to switch back to Paper Space. Notice that the button on the Status bar again says
PAPER, and you can see the Paper Space icon in the lower-left corner of the screen.

When you switch back to paper space, the button on the Status bar again says PAPER and you can see the Paper Space icon in the lower-left corner
of the screen.

Now youre ready to set the scale for each of the viewports so that each view has the desired scale. You can
do this several different ways. If you select the viewport border, if the Quick Properties palette is turned on,
notice that in the Quick Properties panel, you see controls for the Annotation Scale and the Standard Scale.
So you could adjust the scale of the viewport using these controls. But its usually easier to use the tools on
the Status bar, so turn the Quick Properties palette off for now.

When you select a viewport, notice that in the Status bar, the program shows the current viewport scale. If
you click this button, the program displays a list of available scales. You can select one of these scales to
change the scale of the viewport. If the scale you want to use doesnt appear in the list, you can click the
Custom option to display the Edit Drawing Scales dialog, in which you can add, edit, or delete scale settings.

Since the upper-left viewport is supposed to have a scale of 1/2=1-0, you can simply select it from the list.
Notice that the contents of the view immediately zooms so that the objects are now displayed at the scale

you selected.

You can change the scale of a selected viewport by choosing from the viewport scale list.

At this point, its very important that you lock the viewport. Locking the viewport ensures that you dont
accidently change the scale of the viewport. If you were to click inside the viewport and then zoom, you would
effectively be changing the scale of the viewport. If you do this, notice that on the Status bar, the viewport
scale no longer says 1/2=1-0. Change it back by selecting that scale again from the list. If the objects are no
longer centered in the viewport, carefully pan the viewport until the objects are positioned properly again, but
make sure that you dont zoom. Check the scale on the Status bar. Once the viewport looks the way you
want and the scale is set properly, click the button to the left of the Viewport scale.

Notice that this button shows a little lock icon. When you click the button, notice that the icon changes from
unlocked to locked. When you select a viewport and the icon appears in this locked state, the viewport is
locked. Locking the viewport prevents you from accidently changing the scale.

Notice that now, even though youre still working in Model Space within this viewport, if you pan or zoom,

youre doing so within the context of the entire layout. Youre panning and zooming the sheet of paper. You
can no longer pan and zoom within the locked viewport.
Repeat this step for the other two viewports. Remember that you want the viewport in the lower-left to be set
at a scale of 1/8=1-0. So select its border and then choose 1/8=1-0 from the Viewport Scale list. You can
then click inside that viewport if necessary to pan the geometry so its centered within the viewport, being very
careful not to zoom, because zooming would change the viewport scale. Then click inside the circular
viewport, click the Viewport scale tool on the Status bar, and change the Viewport Scale to 1/4=-10. Then
double-click outside the viewports to return to Paper Space.
Since you have not yet locked the two viewports, you should do that now. Notice that you can select both
viewports and then click the Lock/Unlock Viewport button to lock them both at once. The two viewports have
different scales, so the Viewport Scale shows that the scales vary, but both viewports are now locked.
Notice that if you toggle the Quick Properties palette back on again, you can also see that there are two
viewports currently selected, and you can toggle the viewport locking on and off using the Quick Properties
palette as well.
Also notice that once the viewports are locked, you can no longer change the scale of the viewport. If you
need to change the scale, you must first unlock the viewport.
So as you have seen, its very easy to create viewports that display portions of the model space geometry.
Once you create the viewports, you can use any command to modify the viewport border. You can pan and
zoom within each viewport. Then, when the geometry is displayed the way you want in a particular viewport,
you set the scale for that viewport and then lock the viewport so that you dont accidently change the scale.

LESSON 7

Controlling Viewport Display

Exercise files: PRINT_PLOT_PREP7.DWG
When you create viewports on a Paper Space layout, you also need to control what gets displayed in each
viewport. You do this using layers. You can control the visibility of layers so that you only see what you want
to see, and only plot those objects that you want to plot.
The exercise file already contains three separate viewports that display different portions of the model. Each
viewport displays the geometry at a different scale and each has been locked so that you cant accidently
change the scale.
Suppose that in the upper-left viewport you didnt want to see the wall and door, only the desk and chair.
Double-click in that viewport to make it the active viewport. If you were to then expand the Layer drop-down
and turn off the DOORS and WALLS layers, those layers would no longer be visible in all of the viewports. But
what if you did want them to be visible in the other viewports, but not visible in the current viewport?
Obviously, you need to use a different method. Turn the DOORS and WALLS layers back on again. Notice
that in the Layer drop-down, theres also a control called Freeze or Thaw in Current Viewport. Notice that
when you toggle this setting for the DOORS layer, the doors disappear from the current viewport but remain
visible in the other viewports. Repeat this for the WALLS layer.

You can use the Freeze or Thaw in Current Viewport control in the Layer drop-down to freeze a layer in the current viewport only. The layer remains
visible in other viewports.

If you open the Layer Properties Manager palette and scroll across to the VP Freeze column, you can see that
the DOORS and WALLS layers are frozen in the current viewport. But if you make the floor plan viewport (in
the lower-left) the current viewport, notice that in the Layer Properties Manager palette there are no frozen
layers. You can also see this when you expand the Layer drop-down.
Suppose you dont want the furniture to be visible in the main floor plan viewport. With that viewport selected
as the current viewport, expand the Layer drop-down and click the button to freeze the FURNITURE layer in
that viewport. Notice that now, the furniture is no longer visible in the floor plan viewport, but it remains visible
in the other viewports. And the doors and walls are not visible in the reception desk viewport but remain visible
in the floor plan viewport.
But when you double-click outside the viewports to switch back to paper space, notice that when you look at
the layer settings, none of those layers are frozen. As youve just seen, you can use the Freeze or Thaw in
Current Viewport setting to freeze individual layers within individual viewports, on a viewport by viewport basis,
to control the visibility of layers within each viewport. The layers are only frozen in the individual viewport.
At this point, youre just about ready to print or plot, but theres one more thing that you should do. You
probably dont want to see the viewport borders in the printed output. Since you the viewports on their own
VIEWPORTS layer, you can hide those borders by simply turning off the VIEWPORTS layer.
Since VIEWPORTS is the current layer, when you attempt to turn it off, the program warns you that the
current layer will be turned off. Generally, you wont want to do this, since even though the layer would no
longer be visible, it would still be the current layer. You could still create objects on that layer, but you wouldnt
be able to see those objects until you turned the layer back on again. So its usually better to first make a
different layer the current layer and then turn off the layer. But in this case, youre not going to create any new
geometry. You just want to make sure the layout looks the way you want, so go ahead and turn Ill Turn the
Current Layer Off.

Switch back to the Model tab just to assure yourself that you really havent changed any of the model
geometry. But on the Furniture Plan layout, youve created three viewports and set them so that they display
exactly the way you want them to appear when you print or plot this sheet.

LESSON 8

Placing Annotations on a Layout

Exercise files: PRINT_PLOT_PREP8.DWG
Once you have prepared a layout for printing or plotting, you will probably want to add some annotations,
some text and notes, to the sheet before you actually print it.
To do this, first go to the Layer Properties Manager and, if you have not already done so, create a new layer
on which to create your notes. Call that layer NOTES. Make sure that the layer is currently on, set the color
for the layer (in this case, make it Magenta), and make it the current layer.

Next, switch to the Annotate ribbon tab and use the Text commands to add some text. Notice that you
currently working in Paper Space, so the text you are adding will be placed on the sheet of paper, not in the
model. Also, remember that this sheet of paper is meant to be printed at a scale of 1-to-1. So when you
create text, you are going to specify the exact size that you want that text to appear on the printed sheet.
There is no need to set an annotation scale or calculate the height of the text. When you work in Paper Space,
what you see is what you get.
Use the Single Line text tool, select the start point for the text, specify the height of the text, and make the
text high. Therefore, when prompted for the text height, type .25 and press ENTER. Press ENTER again
to accept the rotation angle of zero and then type the label that you want to appear below the view. Type
FLOOR PLAN. Then click below the reception desk view and type RECEPTION DESK. Finally, click below
the conference table and type CONFERENCE.

You have just placed text directly on the sheet on the Furniture Plan layout. If you switch back to the Model
tab, you will not see that text. If you switch to a different layout tab, you will not see that text. The text you
added only exists on the Furniture Plan layout. It will only appear on that sheet when you print or plot the
Furniture Plan layout. And that is exactly what you want, because that text has nothing to do with the model.
Its only purpose is to identify those views on that sheet.

LESSON 9

Printing the Drawing

Exercise files: PRINT_PLOT_PREP10.DWG
Once youve prepared a layout for printing and plotting, before you actually print or plot the drawing, you
should make sure that the layout is set to the correct scale and will be printed to the correct device.
To do this, you can right-click on the layout tab and choose Plot from the shortcut menu. This displays the Plot
dialog box.

Note that you can also display this dialog by switching to the Output ribbon and then, in the Plot panel, clicking
the Plot tool.

In the Printer/Plotter name field, you should make sure that the device selected is indeed the printer or plotter
to which you want to print. If you followed the logical steps for creating and setting up a layout, this should
already have been selected using the Page Setup Manager. But if you didnt select the printer or plotter at that
time, or if you see that this was set incorrectly, you can change it now.

Note that for the purposes of this lesson, this layout has been set to print to a PDF file, using a driver that
comes with AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT. You would want this to be set to the actual printer or plotter that
youre going to use.
You should also double-check to make sure that the paper size is also set correctly. But again, this is
something that you should have done using the Page Setup Manager when you first set up the layout.
When plotting a paper space layout, the scale should always be set to 1-to-1. You can click Apply to Layout to
save any changes youve made here in the Plot dialog box back to the page setup for the layout, so you
wont have to change them again the next time you print or plot this layout.
Next, you can click the Preview button to view a preview of the output, to make sure that the drawing will look
correct on the sheet. And at this point, you can see that the layout looks pretty good. You can pan and zoom
in this preview to check the output in more detail. Of course, this is just a preview, so you cant edit anything
at this point.

The plot preview shows exactly what the resulting output will look like and provides tools to pan, zoom and start plotting or return to the Plot dialog.

If youre satisfied, you can click the Plot button or right-click and choose Plot from the shortcut menu to
actually send the drawing to the print device. Or, you can click the Close button, or right-click and choose Exit
to return to the Plot dialog.
There may be times when you want to reposition the drawing slightly on the sheet before you actually send it
to the printer. Perhaps when you placed the title block on the sheet, you didnt get it positioned properly within
the printable area. You can do this by adjusting the Plot Offset.
In this case, move it down -0.25 units in the Y-direction and then click the Preview button. You can see that
the image has shifted down in relation to the paper.
Once everything is set the way you want, you can again save the changes to the layout, so that you dont
have to adjust them again the next time you print or plot this sheet. Then, when youre ready to print or plot,
click OK.
Remember that for the purpose of this lesson, the layout is configured to output to a PDF file. So when you
click OK, the program will prompt you for a file name. If youre printing to an actual printer or plotter, you
probably wont see this. Instead, at this point you drawing would begin printing or plotting.

Chapter 12 Review
Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. Tap the button to start the test. Youll be presented
with a series of questions based on the material covered in this chapter. When you choose your answer, youll
immediately see if its correct. If you choose the wrong answer, youll see why the answer is not correct. Use
the Next Question button to advance to the next question. When you finish the last question, or to close the
test, click the X in the upper-left to return to this page.

Test your knowledge with this chapter review assessment. The following questions are based on the material
covered in this chapter.
1. Before you actually print or plot a drawing, you should:
A. Make sure that the drawing contains all of the necessary objects.
B. Make sure that your computer is connected to a printer or plotter.
C. Make sure that the layout is set to the correct scale and will be printed to the correct device.
D. Make sure that youve created a layout.
2. AutoCAD has a unique place or space for creating prints and/or plots to scale. This space is called:
A. Model Space.
B. Layout Space.
C. Printing Space.
D. Paper Space.
3. During the initial steps of setting up a print or plot, choosing a printer and paper size is important
because it determines:
A. How much ink will be used.
B. How long it will take to print the file.
C. The scale the model to be printed at in order to fit on the paper.
D. All of the above.
4. To make the Viewport labeled A active, you would:

A. Double-click while in the viewport.

B. Choose Viewport Display from the View tab in the ribbon.
C. Right-click and choose Active Viewport from the menu.
D. All of the above are correct.
5. The setting shown in the Status bar, 1/2=1-0, is known as the:

A. Plot Scale.
B. Viewport Scale.
C. Annotation Scale.
D. Drawing Scale.
6. You control the display of existing geometry within a viewport with which of these Layer States:
A. Freeze or Thaw in the Current Viewport.
B. Off or On in the Current Viewport.
C. Freeze or Thaw.
D. Lock or Unlock.
7. When plotting a paper space layout, the plot scale should be set to:
A. The scale at which the model was created.
B. The scale of the largest model space viewport.
C. Fit the paper space layout to the actual sheet of paper.
D. A scale of 1-to-1.

Answer Key: 1.c 2.d 3.c 4.a 5.b 6.a 7.d

APPENDIX A
CADLearning for AutoCAD 2014
The lessons included in this eBook represent a subset of the full CADLearning video course for AutoCAD
2014. This appendix lists all of the lessons included in the complete CADLearning for AutoCAD 2014 course.
Lessons included in this eBook are indicated in bold.

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Lesson 1: Starting AutoCAD
Lesson 2: Understanding Activation
Lesson 3: Introducing the Customer Involvement Program
Lesson 4: Introducing the AutoCAD Welcome Screen
Lesson 5: Understanding the Performance Tuner
Lesson 6: Understanding How Tools are Organized
Lesson 7: Switching Workspaces
Lesson 8: Adjusting Workspace Settings
Lesson 9: Using the Application Menu
Lesson 10: Using the Quick Access Toolbar
Lesson 11: Using the InfoCenter Toolbar
Lesson 12: Using and Controlling the Help System
Lesson 13: Understanding Ribbon Fundamentals
Lesson 14: Controlling the Display of the Ribbon
Lesson 15: Changing the Location of the Ribbon
Lesson 16: Working with Sticky Panels
Lesson 17: Introducing the Drawing Aid Tools
Lesson 18: Introducing the Drawing Grid
Lesson 19: Changing Screen Colors
Lesson 20: Working with User Profiles
Lesson 21: Controlling the Application Status Bar
Lesson 22: Working Within the Drawing Window
Lesson 23: Working with Multiple Drawings
Lesson 24: Understanding Model and Layout Tabs
Lesson 25: Understanding Quick View Drawings and Quick View Layouts
Lesson 26: Understanding File Tabs
Lesson 27: Understanding the Command Line
Lesson 28: Typing Commands
Lesson 29: Understanding Dialog Box Fundamentals
Lesson 30: Understanding Palette Fundamentals
Lesson 31: Understanding Toolbar Fundamentals
Lesson 32: Starting a New Drawing from a Template File
Lesson 33: Setting the Default Template

Lesson 34: Starting a New Drawing Using the Startup Wizard

Lesson 35: Saving Drawings Using SAVE and QSAVE
Lesson 36: Saving Drawings Using QSAVE and SAVEAS
Lesson 37: Understanding the Autosave Options
Lesson 38: Understanding Backup Files
Lesson 39: Saving Drawings to Different Versions and Other Save Options
Lesson 40: Opening Drawings in Partial Open and Read-Only Modes
Lesson 41: Opening Drawings Using the Sheet Set Manager
Lesson 42: Importing and Exporting DGN Files
Lesson 43: Using a Mouse in AutoCAD
Lesson 44: Understanding the In-Canvas Viewport Controls
Lesson 45: Understanding the Navigation Bar
Lesson 46: Understanding the UCS Icon
Lesson 47: Understanding the ViewCube
Lesson 48: Understanding the SteeringWheels
Lesson 49: Understanding the Pull-Down Menus
Lesson 50: Using a 3D Mouse

Chapter 2: Drawing Basics

Lesson 1: Drawing Lines Using the Command Line
Lesson 2: Drawing Lines Using Dynamic Input
Lesson 3: Drawing Lines Using the Right-Click Menu
Lesson 4: Repeating the Last Command
Lesson 5: Understanding Command Options
Lesson 6: Drawing Rectangles
Lesson 7: Drawing Rectangles Using the Area Option
Lesson 8: Drawing Rectangles Using the Dimensions Option
Lesson 9: Drawing Rectangles Using the Rotation Option
Lesson 10: Drawing Rectangles with Fillets
Lesson 11: Drawing Rectangles with Chamfers
Lesson 12: Drawing Rectangles Using the Width Option
Lesson 13: Resetting the Rectangle Default Options
Lesson 14: Using the Undo and Redo Commands
Lesson 15: Drawing Circles Using Radius and Diameter
Lesson 16: Drawing 2 Point and 3 Point Circles
Lesson 17: Drawing Circles Using the TTR and TTT Options
Lesson 18: Drawing Circles Using the Default Method
Lesson 19: Drawing Arcs
Lesson 20: Drawing Arcs by Specifying 3 Points
Lesson 21: Understanding Coordinate System Concepts
Lesson 22: Using Absolute Coordinates
Lesson 23: Using Relative Coordinates
Lesson 24: Understanding Drawing Units and Angle Measurements

Lesson 25: Erasing Objects by Picking

Lesson 26: Selecting Objects by Window and Crossing
Lesson 27: Selecting Objects by Window Polygon and Crossing Polygon
Lesson 28: Selecting Objects by Fence and Last
Lesson 29: Selecting Objects Using Undo and Previous
Lesson 30: Selecting Objects Using the Box Option
Lesson 31: Selecting Objects Using Implied Selection
Lesson 32: Selecting Objects Using Select Similar
Lesson 33: Adding New Objects Using Add Selected
Lesson 34: Hiding and Isolating Objects
Lesson 35: Restoring Erased Objects with OOPS
Lesson 36: Selecting and Deselecting Objects
Lesson 37: Selecting All Objects
Lesson 38: Controlling Selection Settings
Lesson 39: Using Selection Cycling

Chapter 3: Drafting Settings

Lesson 1: Using and Adjusting the Grid
Lesson 2: Using Snap Mode
Lesson 3: Using Ortho Mode
Lesson 4: Using Grid and Snap in Combination with Ortho Mode
Lesson 5: Using Direct Distance Entry and Dynamic Input
Lesson 6: Understanding Absolute Angle Measurements
Lesson 7: Using Polar Tracking with Absolute Angles
Lesson 8: Understanding Relative Angle Measurements
Lesson 9: Using Polar Tracking with Relative Angles
Lesson 10: Using Polar Tracking with Incremental and Additional Angles
Lesson 11: Using Polar Tracking and Polar Snaps
Lesson 12: Understanding Object Snap Concepts
Lesson 13: Understanding Running Object Snaps
Lesson 14: Understanding Parallel Object Snap
Lesson 15: Understanding Extension Object Snap
Lesson 16: Using Object Snap Overrides
Lesson 17: Using Object Snap Tracking from One Point Orthogonally
Lesson 18: Using Object Snap Tracking From Two Points Orthogonally
Lesson 19: Using Object Snap Tracking from One Point with Polar Angles
Lesson 20: Using Object Snap Tracking from Two Points with Polar Angles
Lesson 21: Using Object Snap Tracking with a Temporary Track Point
Lesson 22: Using Object Snap Overrides with Mid Between 2 Points
Lesson 23: Using Options to Control Object Snap System Variables

Chapter 4: Display Control

Lesson 1: Zooming Using the Wheel Mouse

Lesson 2: Adjusting the ZOOMFACTOR Setting

Lesson 3: Adjusting the View Transitions
Lesson 4: Using Real-Time Pan and Zoom
Lesson 5: Zooming Using the Ribbon
Lesson 6: Panning Using the Ribbon Panel
Lesson 7: Zooming and Panning Using the Navigation Bar
Lesson 8: Using the View Back and View Forward Tools
Lesson 9: Using the SteeringWheels
Lesson 10: Creating Tiled Viewports
Lesson 11: Naming Tiled Viewports
Lesson 12: Using the View Manager to Restore Named Views
Lesson 13: Using the View Manager to Edit and Update Named Views
Lesson 14: Using the View Manager to Create Named Views

Chapter 5: Managing Layers

Lesson 1: Introducing Layer Concepts
Lesson 2: Establishing the Current Layer
Lesson 3: Understanding the On and Off Layer States
Lesson 4: Understanding the Freeze and Thaw Layer States
Lesson 5: Understanding the Unlock and Lock Layer States
Lesson 6: Understanding the Lock Layer Fade Control
Lesson 7: Controlling the Layer Color
Lesson 8: Introducing the Layer Property Manager Palette
Lesson 9: Adjusting Columns in the Layer Properties Manager
Lesson 10: Controlling the Linetype of a Layer
Lesson 11: Controlling the Transparency of a Layer
Lesson 12: Controlling the Plot or No Plot Layer State
Lesson 13: Controlling the Viewport Freeze Layer State
Lesson 14: Controlling the New VP Freeze Layer State
Lesson 15: Creating a New Layer Frozen in All Viewports
Lesson 16: Freezing Layers in All Viewports Except the Current Viewport
Lesson 17: Freezing Layers in All Viewports
Lesson 18: Thawing Layers in All Viewports
Lesson 19: Isolating Selected Layers
Lesson 20: Merging Layers Using the Layer Properties Manager
Lesson 21: Adjusting Other Layer Settings Using the Shortcut Menu
Lesson 22: Controlling Other Layer States on a Per-Viewport Basis
Lesson 23: Creating a New Layer
Lesson 24: Deleting a Layer
Lesson 25: Adding a Layer Description
Lesson 26: Using Layer Filters
Lesson 27: Creating New Layer Filters
Lesson 28: Working with Layer States

Lesson 29: Making an Objects Layer Current

Lesson 30: Matching Layers
Lesson 31: Restoring the Previous Layer State
Lesson 32: Isolating Layers
Lesson 33: Unisolating Layers
Lesson 34: Freezing Layers
Lesson 35: Turning Layers Off
Lesson 36: Turning All Layers On
Lesson 37: Thawing All Layers
Lesson 38: Locking a Layer
Lesson 39: Unlocking a Layer
Lesson 40: Changing an Object to the Current Layer
Lesson 41: Copying Objects to a New Layer
Lesson 42: Viewing Individual Layers
Lesson 43: Freezing Layers in All Viewports Except the Current Viewport
Lesson 44: Merging Layers
Lesson 45: Deleting a Layer and Its Contents

Chapter 6: Object Properties

Lesson 1: Understanding ByLayer and Object Property Concepts
Lesson 2: Setting the Color ByLayer
Lesson 3: Setting the Linetype ByLayer
Lesson 4: Setting the Lineweight ByLayer
Lesson 5: Setting the Transparency ByLayer
Lesson 6: Controlling the Object Color
Lesson 7: Controlling the Object Linetype
Lesson 8: Controlling the Object Lineweight
Lesson 9: Controlling the Object Transparency
Lesson 10: Understanding Object Property Creation and Control
Lesson 11: Modifying Properties Using the Property Panel and Layer Panel
Lesson 12: Modifying Properties Using the Quick Property Panel
Lesson 13: Controlling the Quick Property Panel Display Properties
Lesson 14: Modifying Properties Using the Properties Palette
Lesson 15: Setting Object Properties to ByLayer
Lesson 16: Understanding In-Canvas Property Preview

Chapter 7: Utility and Inquiry Tools

Lesson 1: Introducing the Measure Tools
Lesson 2: Measuring Distance
Lesson 3: Measuring Radius
Lesson 4: Measuring Angles
Lesson 5: Measuring the Area of a Space
Lesson 6: Measuring the Area of an Object

Lesson 7: Performing Area Calculations

Lesson 8: Measuring Volume
Lesson 9: Using the Quick Calculator
Lesson 10: Applying Object Selection Filters
Lesson 11: Using Quick Select
Lesson 12: Listing Selected Objects
Lesson 13: Displaying the Coordinates of a Point

Chapter 8: Complex Objects

Lesson 1: Understanding Polyline Property Concepts
Lesson 2: Drawing Polyline Line Segments
Lesson 3: Drawing Polyline Arc Segments
Lesson 4: Drawing Polylines with Variable Width
Lesson 5: Drawing Polylines Using Option Combinations
Lesson 6: Drawing Donuts
Lesson 7: Drawing Inscribed Polygons
Lesson 8: Drawing Circumscribed Polygons
Lesson 9: Drawing Polygons Using the Edge Option
Lesson 10: Editing Polylines Using the Close and Open Options
Lesson 11: Editing Polylines to Join Selected Segments
Lesson 12: Editing Polylines to Join Multiple Segments
Lesson 13: Converting Lines into Polylines
Lesson 14: Converting Polylines into Fit and Spline Curves
Lesson 15: Editing Polyline Vertices
Lesson 16: Exploding Polylines
Lesson 17: Drawing Ellipses Using the Center Option
Lesson 18: Drawing Ellipses Using the Axis End Option
Lesson 19: Drawing Isocircles
Lesson 20: Drawing Elliptical Arcs
Lesson 21: Drawing Points
Lesson 22: Understanding Point Styles
Lesson 23: Drawing Splines
Lesson 24: Editing Splines
Lesson 25: Drawing Construction Lines
Lesson 26: Creating Rays
Lesson 27: Creating Regions
Lesson 28: Creating Boundaries
Lesson 29: Creating Revision Clouds
Lesson 30: Creating Wipeouts

Chapter 9: Annotation Objects

Lesson 1: Understanding Annotation Object Concepts
Lesson 2: Understanding Annotation Scaling

Lesson 3: Creating Single-Line Text

Lesson 4: Controlling Single-Line Text Justification
Lesson 5: Creating Text Styles
Lesson 6: Modifying Text Styles
Lesson 7: Creating Multiline Text
Lesson 8: Controlling Multiline Text Justification
Lesson 9: Editing Text Objects
Lesson 10: Editing Text Objects Using the Properties Palette
Lesson 11: Performing a Spell Check
Lesson 12: Finding and Replacing Text
Lesson 13: Controlling Multiline Text Paragraphs
Lesson 14: Combining Multiple Paragraphs
Lesson 15: Converting Text to Uppercase or Lowercase
Lesson 16: Adding a Background Mask to Multiline Text
Lesson 17: Importing Text
Lesson 18: Importing Text Using Drag-and-Drop and Cut-and-Paste
Lesson 19: Inserting Special Text Characters
Lesson 20: Removing Multiline Text Formatting
Lesson 21: Undoing and Redoing Changes to Multiline Text
Lesson 22: Creating Stacked Text for Fractions
Lesson 23: Controlling Text Editor Settings
Lesson 24: Scaling Text
Lesson 25: Changing the Text Justification
Lesson 26: Creating Tables
Lesson 27: Controlling Table Appearance Using Table Styles
Lesson 28: Editing Text Within a Table
Lesson 29: Modifying Tables
Lesson 30: Linking Data in Tables
Lesson 31: Working with Fields
Lesson 32: Introducing Hatches and Gradient Fills
Lesson 33: Adding Hatch Objects
Lesson 34: Selecting the Hatch Pattern to Apply
Lesson 35: Selecting the Hatch Pattern Layer
Lesson 36: Setting the Hatch Colors Transparency
Lesson 37: Setting the Scale and Angle of the Hatch Pattern
Lesson 38: Controlling Hatch Pattern Island Detection
Lesson 39: Selecting and Retaining Hatch Boundary Objects
Lesson 40: Controlling the Hatch Pattern Gap Tolerance
Lesson 41: Understanding Associative Hatch
Lesson 42: Understanding Annotative Hatch
Lesson 43: Controlling the Hatch Origin
Lesson 44: Creating Separate Hatches
Lesson 45: Matching the Properties of an Existing Hatch

Lesson 46: Controlling Hatch Pattern Draw Order

Lesson 47: Controlling Hatch Settings
Lesson 48: Modifying Existing Hatch Objects
Lesson 49: Adding Gradient Fills
Lesson 50: Adding Hatch Patterns and Gradient Fills Using the Tool Palette
Lesson 51: Introducing Multileaders
Lesson 52: Creating Multileaders
Lesson 53: Changing the Order of Multileader Content Creation
Lesson 54: Selecting Multileader Options
Lesson 55: Adding a Multileader with Block Content
Lesson 56: Controlling the Multileader Style
Lesson 57: Adding and Removing Leaders
Lesson 58: Aligning Multileaders
Lesson 59: Collecting Multileaders
Lesson 60: Editing Multileaders

Chapter 10: Modifying Objects Manipulation Commands

Lesson 1: Introducing the Manipulation Commands
Lesson 2: Using the Move Command
Lesson 3: Using the Move Command with Object Snap
Lesson 4: Using the Move Command with Object Snap Tracking from One Point
Lesson 5: Using the Move Command with Object Snap Tracking from Two Points
Lesson 6: Using the Copy Command
Lesson 7: Using the Copy Command with Object Snap
Lesson 8: Using the Copy Command with Object Snap Tracking
Lesson 9: Using the Copy Command with the Array Option
Lesson 10: Using the Mirror Command
Lesson 11: Controlling Text Display with the Mirror Command
Lesson 12: Controlling Hatch Display with the Mirror Command
Lesson 13: Creating a Rectangular Array
Lesson 14: Adjusting Rectangular Array Rows and Columns
Lesson 15: Changing the Properties of Rectangular Arrays
Lesson 16: Editing Array Source Objects
Lesson 17: Removing Items from the Array
Lesson 18: Changing the Angle of Rectangular Arrays
Lesson 19: Creating Associative and Non-Associative Arrays
Lesson 20: Creating a Polar Array
Lesson 21: Adjusting Polar Arrays
Lesson 22: Creating a Path Array
Lesson 23: Changing the Base Point of a Path Array
Lesson 24: Changing the Path of a Path Array
Lesson 25: Replacing Items within an Array
Lesson 26: Using the Rotate Command

Lesson 27: Using the Rotate Command with a Reference Angle

Lesson 28: Using the Offset Command
Lesson 29: Offsetting Polylines with Fillets and Chamfers
Lesson 30: Using the Align Command
Lesson 31: Using the Reverse Command
Lesson 32: Creating and Working with Groups
Lesson 33: Modifying Groups

Chapter 11: Modifying Objects Alteration Commands

Lesson 1: Introducing Alteration Commands
Lesson 2: Breaking an Object At One Point
Lesson 3: Breaking an Object Between Two Points
Lesson 4: Understanding Practical Uses for the Break Command
Lesson 5: Using the Trim Command with Pick Selection
Lesson 6: Using the Trim Command with Fence Selection
Lesson 7: Using the Trim Command with Edge Extend Mode
Lesson 8: Using the Extend Command
Lesson 9: Using Extend and Trim Together
Lesson 10: Understanding Practical Uses for the Trim and Extend Commands
Lesson 11: Using the Fillet Command with Fillet Radius
Lesson 12: Adding Fillets to Multiple Segments and Polylines
Lesson 13: Using the Chamfer Command with Distance and Angle
Lesson 14: Adding Chamfers to Multiple Segments and Polylines
Lesson 15: Using the Blend Command
Lesson 16: Using the Stretch Command
Lesson 17: Using the Join Command
Lesson 18: Using the Lengthen Command
Lesson 19: Using the Explode Command
Lesson 20: Deleting Duplicate Objects
Lesson 21: Using the Scale Command
Lesson 22: Using the Scale Command with Scale Reference

Chapter 12: Modifying Objects Grips

Lesson 1: Introducing Grip Concepts
Lesson 2: Understanding Grip Status
Lesson 3: Using Grips to Modify Lines
Lesson 4: Using Grips to Modify Arcs
Lesson 5: Using Grips to Modify Hatch Objects
Lesson 6: Using Grips to Modify Polylines
Lesson 7: Using Grips to Modify Splines
Lesson 8: Using Grips to Move Objects
Lesson 9: Using Grips to Mirror Objects
Lesson 10: Using Grips to Rotate Objects

Lesson 11: Using Grips to Scale Objects

Lesson 12: Using Grips to Stretch Objects
Lesson 13: Changing the Base Point While Grip Editing
Lesson 14: Copying Objects While Grip Editing
Lesson 15: Changing the Reference Angle While Grip Editing
Lesson 16: Understanding Practical Applications of Grip Editing
Lesson 17: Changing Grip Option Settings
Lesson 18: Changing Grip Option Selection Modes
Lesson 19: Dragging While Grip Editing
Lesson 20: Moving Objects Using Nudge

Chapter 13: 2D Parametric Drawings

Lesson 1: Introducing Parametric Drawings
Lesson 2: Displaying Geometric Constraints
Lesson 3: Applying Geometric Constraints
Lesson 4: Applying Coincident Geometric Constraints
Lesson 5: Applying Collinear Geometric Constraints
Lesson 6: Applying Concentric Geometric Constraints
Lesson 7: Applying Fixed Geometric Constraints
Lesson 8: Applying Parallel Geometric Constraints
Lesson 9: Applying Perpendicular Geometric Constraints
Lesson 10: Applying Horizontal Geometric Constraints
Lesson 11: Applying Vertical Geometric Constraints
Lesson 12: Applying Tangent Geometric Constraints
Lesson 13: Applying Smooth Geometric Constraints
Lesson 14: Applying Symmetric Geometric Constraints
Lesson 15: Applying Equal Geometric Constraints
Lesson 16: Removing Individual Geometric Constraints
Lesson 17: Applying Auto Constrain
Lesson 18: Controlling Auto Constraint Settings
Lesson 19: Applying Geometric Constraints Using Inferred Constraints
Lesson 20: Applying Dimensional Constraints
Lesson 21: Applying Linear Dimensional Constraints
Lesson 22: Applying Aligned Dimensional Constraints
Lesson 23: Applying Horizontal Dimensional Constraints
Lesson 24: Applying Vertical Dimensional Constraints
Lesson 25: Applying Angular Dimensional Constraints
Lesson 26: Applying Radius Dimensional Constraints
Lesson 27: Applying Diameter Dimensional Constraints
Lesson 28: Creating Dynamic or Annotational Dimensional Constraints
Lesson 29: Converting Dimensions into Dimensional Constraints
Lesson 30: Controlling Dimensional Constraint Settings
Lesson 31: Showing and Hiding Dimensional Constraints

Lesson 32: Controlling Other Dimensional Constraint Settings

Lesson 33: Avoiding Over-Constrained Geometry
Lesson 34: Understanding the Parameters Manager
Lesson 35: Changing an Expression Using the Parameters Manager
Lesson 36: Adding User Variables Using the Parameters Manager
Lesson 37: Deleting Parameters Using the Parameters Manager
Lesson 38: Changing Dimensional Constraints Using Grip Editing

Chapter 14: Dimensioning

Lesson 1: Introducing Dimensioning Concepts
Lesson 2: Understanding Associative Dimensions
Lesson 3: Creating Linear Horizontal and Vertical Dimensions
Lesson 4: Creating Linear Aligned Dimensions
Lesson 5: Creating Linear Baseline Dimensions
Lesson 6: Creating Linear Continued Dimensions
Lesson 7: Creating Angular Dimensions
Lesson 8: Creating Angular Baseline Dimensions
Lesson 9: Creating Angular Continued Dimensions
Lesson 10: Dimensioning Circles and Arcs Using Radius and Diameter Dimensions
Lesson 11: Dimensioning Circles and Arcs Using Arc Length Dimensions
Lesson 12: Dimensioning Circles and Arcs Using Jogged Dimensions
Lesson 13: Creating Ordinate Dimensions
Lesson 14: Adding and Modifying Dimension Text
Lesson 15: Changing the Location of Dimension Components
Lesson 16: Adjusting Spacing Between Dimensions
Lesson 17: Breaking Dimension and Extension Lines
Lesson 18: Jogging Dimension Lines
Lesson 19: Dimensioning Multiple Objects Using Quick Dimensions
Lesson 20: Dimensioning Multiple Objects Using Ordinate Quick Dimensions
Lesson 21: Controlling the Appearance of Dimensions Using Dimension Styles
Lesson 22: Creating New Dimension Styles
Lesson 23: Applying a New Dimension Style
Lesson 24: Updating Dimension Styles
Lesson 25: Overriding Dimension Styles Using Properties

Chapter 15: Interface Customization

Lesson 1: Introducing Tool Palettes
Lesson 2: Controlling Tool Palette Display
Lesson 3: Using Palette Tools
Lesson 4: Creating Palettes
Lesson 5: Controlling Palette Tool Properties
Lesson 6: Creating Palette Tools for Hatch
Lesson 7: Creating Palette Tools for Blocks

Lesson 8: Creating Palette Tools Using Objects and Flyouts

Lesson 9: Creating Palette Tools Using DesignCenter
Lesson 10: Customizing the User Interface
Lesson 11: Customizing the Ribbon Tabs
Lesson 12: Customizing the Ribbon Panel
Lesson 13: Adding a Tab and Panel to Workspaces
Lesson 14: Customizing the Quick Properties Palette
Lesson 15: Customizing Rollover Tooltips
Lesson 16: Customizing Menu Search Tags
Lesson 17: Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar

Chapter 16: Print and Plot Preparation

Lesson 1: Introducing Print and Plot Concepts
Lesson 2: Understanding Model Space and Paper Space
Lesson 3: Choosing a Printer
Lesson 4: Placing a Title Block on a Layout
Lesson 5: Creating Layout Viewports
Lesson 6: Setting a Layout Viewport Scale
Lesson 7: Controlling Viewport Display
Lesson 8: Placing Annotations on a Layout
Lesson 9: Changing the Space of an Object
Lesson 10: Printing the Drawing
Lesson 11: Previewing Plotted Output
Lesson 12: Controlling Plot Options and Orientation
Lesson 13: Viewing Print and Publish Details
Lesson 14: Understanding Plot Style Tables
Lesson 15: Accessing the Plotter Manager
Lesson 16: Plotting or Publishing Multiple Drawings

Chapter 17: Blocks and Attributes

Lesson 1: Understanding Block Concepts
Lesson 2: Creating Blocks from Existing Objects
Lesson 3: Understanding Block Properties
Lesson 4: Changing Block Properties
Lesson 5: Using Blocks within a Drawing
Lesson 6: Using Multiple Blocks at Once
Lesson 7: Exploding Blocks into Objects
Lesson 8: Changing the Insertion or Reference Point
Lesson 9: Understanding Dynamic Blocks Concepts
Lesson 10: Understanding Dynamic Block Examples
Lesson 11: Creating Dynamic Blocks from Existing Blocks
Lesson 12: Adding Parameters to Dynamic Blocks
Lesson 13: Adding Constraints to Dynamic Blocks

Lesson 14: Adding Additional Parameters to Dynamic Blocks

Lesson 15: Changing the Properties of Dynamic Block Parameters
Lesson 16: Changing Dynamic Block Parameters by Using Lists
Lesson 17: Changing the Appearance of Dynamic Blocks
Lesson 18: Adding Additional Constraints to Dynamic Blocks
Lesson 19: Controlling Dynamic Blocks Using Block Tables
Lesson 20: Adding Special Properties to Blocks
Lesson 21: Introducing Attributes
Lesson 22: Adding an Attribute to a Block
Lesson 23: Adding Additional Attributes to a Block
Lesson 24: Controlling the Visibility of Attributes
Lesson 25: Synchronizing Attribute Data
Lesson 26: Managing Attributes
Lesson 27: Extracting Attribute Data from a Drawing
Lesson 28: Dividing and Measuring Using Blocks

Chapter 18: External References and Reusable Content

Lesson 1: Understanding Reusable Content Concepts
Lesson 2: Understanding External References Concepts
Lesson 3: Understanding Practical Applications of External References
Lesson 4: Attaching and Detaching External References
Lesson 5: Loading and Unloading External References
Lesson 6: Adjusting the External Reference Path
Lesson 7: Understanding the Difference Between Attachment and Overlay
Lesson 8: Changing the External Reference Attachment Type
Lesson 9: Clipping an External Reference
Lesson 10: Binding and Inserting External References
Lesson 11: Editing Blocks and External References
Lesson 12: Copying Nested Objects
Lesson 13: Working with Images
Lesson 14: Using DesignCenter
Lesson 15: Attaching a DWF File as an Underlay
Lesson 16: Attaching a PDF File as an Underlay
Lesson 17: Attaching a DGN File as an Underlay
Lesson 18: Using Autodesk Seek
Lesson 19: Using Autodesk Content Explorer
Lesson 20: Inserting OLE Objects
Lesson 21: Attaching Hyperlinks
Lesson 22: Using the Geographic Location Settings
Lesson 23: Setting the Geographic Location
Lesson 24: Editing the Geographic Location
Lesson 25: Reorienting the Geo-Marker
Lesson 26: Changing the Latitude or Longitude of the Geographic Marker

Lesson 27: Changing the Current Map View

Lesson 28: Marking Geographic Positions
Lesson 29: Hiding and Displaying the Geographic Marker
Lesson 30: Removing a Location

Chapter 19: AutoCAD Utilities

Lesson 1: Removing Unused Items
Lesson 2: Checking the Drawing for Errors
Lesson 3: Changing the Display Order
Lesson 4: Importing Files from Other Programs
Lesson 5: Using the Drawing Recovery Manager
Lesson 6: Recovering Damaged Drawings
Lesson 7: Converting AutoCAD Drawing Files

Chapter 20: Command Customization

Lesson 1: Introducing the Action Recorder
Lesson 2: Using Existing Action Macros
Lesson 3: Creating Simple Action Macros
Lesson 4: Editing Action Macros
Lesson 5: Sharing Action Macros
Lesson 6: Creating and Editing Complex Action Macros
Lesson 7: Controlling Action Macro Dialog Settings
Lesson 8: Creating Command Aliases
Lesson 9: Customizing the AutoCorrect List
Lesson 10: Customizing the Synonym List

Chapter 21: 3D Basics

Lesson 1: Introducing 3D Concepts
Lesson 2: Introducing the 3D Workspace
Lesson 3: Using the ViewCube to View 3D Models
Lesson 4: Using 3D Orbit to View 3D Models
Lesson 5: Using 3D View Presets to View 3D Models
Lesson 6: Using SteeringWheels to View 3D Models
Lesson 7: Using 3D Object Snap
Lesson 8: Understanding Visual Styles
Lesson 9: Understanding 3D Coordinate Systems
Lesson 10: Understanding Dynamic UCS
Lesson 11: Manipulating the User Coordinate System

Chapter 22: Creating 3D Objects

Lesson 1: Creating a Solid Box
Lesson 2: Creating a Solid Cylinder
Lesson 3: Creating a Solid Cone

Lesson 4: Creating a Solid Sphere

Lesson 5: Creating a Solid Pyramid
Lesson 6: Creating a Solid Wedge
Lesson 7: Creating a Solid Torus
Lesson 8: Creating 3D Objects by Extruding 2D Objects
Lesson 9: Creating 3D Objects by Revolving 2D Objects
Lesson 10: Creating 3D Objects by Lofting 2D Objects
Lesson 11: Creating 3D Objects by Sweeping 2D Objects
Lesson 12: Creating 3D Objects Using Polysolid
Lesson 13: Creating 3D Objects Using Presspull
Lesson 14: Creating a 3D Mesh Box
Lesson 15: Creating a 3D Mesh Cone
Lesson 16: Creating a 3D Mesh Cylinder
Lesson 17: Creating a 3D Mesh Pyramid
Lesson 18: Creating a 3D Mesh Sphere
Lesson 19: Creating a 3D Mesh Wedge
Lesson 20: Creating a 3D Mesh Torus
Lesson 21: Creating a 3D Revolved Mesh
Lesson 22: Creating a 3D Edge Mesh
Lesson 23: Creating a 3D Ruled Mesh
Lesson 24: Creating a 3D Tabulated Mesh
Lesson 25: Controlling Mesh Primitive Options
Lesson 26: Creating a 3D Helix
Lesson 27: Creating a 3D Polyline

Chapter 23: Modeling 3D Mesh Objects

Lesson 1: Introducing Mesh Editing
Lesson 2: Converting Objects into Meshes
Lesson 3: Smoothing More
Lesson 4: Smoothing Less
Lesson 5: Refining a Mesh
Lesson 6: Adding a Crease
Lesson 7: Removing a Crease
Lesson 8: Controlling Mesh Tessellation Options
Lesson 9: Splitting a Mesh Face
Lesson 10: Extruding a Mesh Face
Lesson 11: Merging Mesh Faces
Lesson 12: Creating a Hole in a Mesh
Lesson 13: Closing a Hole in a Mesh
Lesson 14: Collapsing a Face or Edge
Lesson 15: Spinning a Triangle Face
Lesson 16: Converting a Mesh to a Solid
Lesson 17: Converting a Mesh to a Surface

Lesson 18: Deforming a Mesh

Chapter 24: Working with Surface Objects

Lesson 1: Introducing Surface Modeling
Lesson 2: Creating a Network Surface
Lesson 3: Creating a Lofted Surface
Lesson 4: Creating a Swept Surface
Lesson 5: Creating a Planar Surface
Lesson 6: Creating an Extruded Surface
Lesson 7: Creating a Revolved Surface
Lesson 8: Creating a Blend Surface
Lesson 9: Creating a Patch Surface
Lesson 10: Creating an Offset Surface
Lesson 11: Filleting a Surface
Lesson 12: Trimming a Surface
Lesson 13: Untrimming a Surface
Lesson 14: Extending a Surface
Lesson 15: Sculpting a Surface
Lesson 16: Converting a Surface into a NURBS Surface
Lesson 17: Editing Control Vertices on a NURBS Surface
Lesson 18: Displaying and Hiding Control Vertices on NURBS Surfaces
Lesson 19: Rebuilding Control Vertices
Lesson 20: Adding Control Vertices
Lesson 21: Removing Control Vertices
Lesson 22: Extracting Isolines
Lesson 23: Projecting Curves onto a Surface
Lesson 24: Performing Surface Continuity Analysis
Lesson 25: Performing Surface Curvature Analysis
Lesson 26: Performing Draft Analysis

Chapter 25: Working with Point Clouds

Lesson 1: Introducing Point Clouds
Lesson 2: Creating Point Clouds from Scan Files
Lesson 3: Attaching a Point Cloud
Lesson 4: Controlling Point Cloud Density
Lesson 5: Working with Color Maps to Display Point Cloud Intensity
Lesson 6: Clipping Point Clouds
Lesson 7: Creating Geometry Using Point Clouds
Lesson 8: Starting Autodesk ReCap
Lesson 9: Importing Scan Files
Lesson 10: Saving and Exporting a Project
Lesson 11: Viewing and Navigating in ReCap
Lesson 12: Changing the Appearance of a Point Cloud

Lesson 13: Selecting and Clipping Points

Lesson 14: Limiting Volumes within a Point Cloud
Lesson 15: Working with Scan Regions
Lesson 16: Working with Scan Locations
Lesson 17: Deleting Points
Lesson 18: Adding Dimensions
Lesson 19: Inserting Notes

Chapter 26: Modifying 3D Objects

Lesson 1: Using Gizmos
Lesson 2: Using Object Culling
Lesson 3: Mirroring Objects in 3D
Lesson 4: Moving Objects in 3D
Lesson 5: Aligning Objects in 3D
Lesson 6: Rotating Objects in 3D
Lesson 7: Creating a 3D Rectangular Array
Lesson 8: Creating a Stepped 3D Rectangular Array
Lesson 9: Creating a 3D Polar Array
Lesson 10: Creating a Stepped 3D Polar Array
Lesson 11: Creating a 3D Path Array
Lesson 12: Scaling Objects in 3D
Lesson 13: Editing Solid Primitives
Lesson 14: Editing 3D Sub-objects
Lesson 15: Creating Composite Solids Using Boolean Operations
Lesson 16: Creating a Composite Solid Using Boolean Union
Lesson 17: Creating a Composite Solid Using Boolean Subtract
Lesson 18: Creating a Composite Solid Using Boolean Intersect
Lesson 19: Adding a Chamfer to a Solid
Lesson 20: Adding a Fillet to a Solid
Lesson 21: Chamfering Edges of a Solid
Lesson 22: Filleting Edges of a Solid
Lesson 23: Editing a Subobject within Composite Solids
Lesson 24: Extracting Edges from 3D Objects
Lesson 25: Editing Edges of a Solid by Imprinting onto a Solid
Lesson 26: Editing Edges of a Solid by Changing the Edge Color
Lesson 27: Editing Edges of a Solid by Copying Edges
Lesson 28: Editing Faces of a Solid by Extruding Faces
Lesson 29: Editing Faces of a Solid by Tapering Faces
Lesson 30: Editing Faces of a Solid by Moving Faces
Lesson 31: Editing Faces of a Solid by Copying Faces
Lesson 32: Editing Faces of a Solid by Offsetting Faces
Lesson 33: Editing Faces of a Solid by Deleting Faces
Lesson 34: Editing Faces of a Solid by Rotating Faces

Lesson 35: Editing Faces of a Solid by Changing the Color

Lesson 36: Editing Entire Solids by Separating Solids
Lesson 37: Editing Entire Solids by Cleaning Solids
Lesson 38: Editing Entire Solids by Shelling Solids
Lesson 39: Editing Entire Solids by Checking Solids
Lesson 40: Checking Solids for Interference
Lesson 41: Slicing Solids
Lesson 42: Creating a Solid by Thickening a Surface
Lesson 43: Creating Curves by Offsetting Edges
Lesson 44: Creating Sections Using Section Planes
Lesson 45: Adding Jogs to a Section Plane
Lesson 46: Creating and Updating Cross Sections
Lesson 47: Creating Elevations Using Section Planes
Lesson 48: Controlling Section Settings
Lesson 49: Creating a 2D Representation of a 3D Object
Lesson 50: Creating Orthographic Views with Solid View
Lesson 51: Adjusting Orthographic Views with Solid Drawing
Lesson 52: Adding 2D Profile Views with Solid Profile

Chapter 27: Model Documentation

Lesson 1: Creating Drawings from 3D Models
Lesson 2: Creating a Base View
Lesson 3: Creating a Base View of a Model Created in Inventor
Lesson 4: Creating a Base View in a Drawing with Multiple Parts
Lesson 5: Creating Projected Views
Lesson 6: Editing Drawing Views
Lesson 7: Creating Section Views
Lesson 8: Creating a Full Section View
Lesson 9: Creating a Half Section View
Lesson 10: Creating an Offset Section View
Lesson 11: Creating an Aligned Section View
Lesson 12: Creating a Section View from an Object
Lesson 13: Creating Cross Section Views
Lesson 14: Changing the Hatch Pattern of a Component in a Section View
Lesson 15: Editing Section Views
Lesson 16: Modifying the Cutting Plane
Lesson 17: Modifying the Section Line Identifier
Lesson 18: Modifying the Section View Label
Lesson 19: Excluding Components from Drawing Views
Lesson 20: Creating Detail Views
Lesson 21: Creating a Circular Detail View
Lesson 22: Creating a Rectangular Detail View
Lesson 23: Modifying Detail Views

Lesson 24: Editing the Detail View Boundary

Lesson 25: Modifying the Detail View Identifier
Lesson 26: Modifying the Detail View Label
Lesson 27: Constraining Drawing Views to Model Geometry
Lesson 28: Controlling the Section View Style
Lesson 29: Controlling the Detail View Style
Lesson 30: Setting the Drafting Standards for Drawing Views
Lesson 31: Updating Drawing Views
Lesson 32: Monitoring Drawing View Annotations

Chapter 28: Collaborating with Others

Lesson 1: Exporting to PDF
Lesson 2: Sending Models to a 3D Print Service
Lesson 3: Sending Electronic Transmittal Sets
Lesson 4: Exporting to DWF
Lesson 5: Exporting a Model to a 3D DWF
Lesson 6: Working with Autodesk 360
Lesson 7: Syncing Your Settings Online
Lesson 8: Choosing Which Settings are Synchronized
Lesson 9: Configuring Online Options
Lesson 10: Saving and Opening Drawings Using Autodesk 360
Lesson 11: Managing Autodesk 360 Documents
Lesson 12: Sharing Documents with Others
Lesson 13: Collaborating Using AutoCAD WS
Lesson 14: Using Design Feed
Lesson 15: Working with Marked-up DWF Files
Lesson 16: Using the Layer Translator
Lesson 17: Configuring Drawing Standards
Lesson 18: Checking for Standards Violations

Chapter 29: Rendering

Lesson 1: Introducing Rendering in AutoCAD
Lesson 2: Working with Lights
Lesson 3: Placing a Point Light
Lesson 4: Placing a Spot Light
Lesson 5: Placing a Distant Light
Lesson 6: Placing a Web Light
Lesson 7: Working with Sunlight
Lesson 8: Controlling the Sky Background and Illumination
Lesson 9: Using Luminaire Objects
Lesson 10: Controlling the Location and Properties of Lights
Lesson 11: Working with Materials
Lesson 12: Applying Materials to Objects and Faces

Lesson 13: Creating and Modifying Materials

Lesson 14: Using Texture Maps
Lesson 15: Working with Procedural Maps
Lesson 16: Creating Your Own Materials
Lesson 17: Saving Materials to a User Library
Lesson 18: Adjusting Material Mapping
Lesson 19: Creating a Rendering
Lesson 20: Setting the Render Destination
Lesson 21: Rendering Portions of What You See
Lesson 22: Setting the Render Output Resolution
Lesson 23: Understanding Render Settings
Lesson 24: Controlling the Rendering Environment
Lesson 25: Placing Cameras and Creating Views
Lesson 26: Adding a Background to a View
Lesson 27: Saving and Redisplaying Rendered Images
Lesson 28: Rendering in the Cloud
Lesson 29: Understanding the Render Gallery
Lesson 30: Creating Walkthroughs and Flythroughs