Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Tips &
Tricks
for Using AutoCAD 2007 Software
®
User Interface
User Interface
Tip: Press Ctrl+9 to turn the traditional Quick Command and Recent Data Distinguishable Windows
Dynamic Input
command line on or off. Access Standard and crossing windows are
Now you can have your command line con- Creating existing geometry and grip edit- The AutoComplete functionality finishes distinguishable by transparent windows
veniently follow your cursor. From the status ing enable you to change the length or your input for you. This feature comes in of differing colors. You can control the
bar, simply turn Dynamic Input on. Select angle of existing objects by directly enter- handy if you forget how to spell a specific functionality and colors in the Selection
the Down Arrow key to display any com- ing the new value on the screen. To do so, system variable or infrequently used com- tab of the Options dialog box.
mand options (or use the familiar right-click be sure Enable Dimension Input Where mand. Key in the text you know and use
Possible is selected. Note: Use the Tab key the Tab key to cycle through all the pos- Controlling Toolbar and Tool Palette
shortcut menus). Placement
to toggle between the two values. sibilities.
1. Right-click DYN to view the Dynamic If you have all your toolbars and palettes
Input tab of the Drafting Settings dialog A Recent Input option appears on your
right where you want them—lock them up!
box. Here you can indicate how much shortcut menus, making it easy to recall a
Right-click the lock symbol at the end of
(or how little) information you want to previously used value.
the status bar and select what you want to
display. lock from the shortcut menu. Use the Ctrl
2. To display the command line input and key to temporarily override locking.
prompts from the cursor, make sure Show You can also choose to attach your pal-
Command Prompting and Enable Pointer ettes to an anchor tab based on the left or
Tip: Set the system variable TOOLTIP-
Input are selected. right side of the drawing area. Palettes roll
MERGE to 1 to display both the indicated
Tip: To turn on Dynamic Input you can also object snap and the command prompts. open or closed as the cursor moves over
press the F12 key. them, keeping them out of the way but
If you enter an unacceptable value, the available for quick access. You can easily
software automatically highlights the stack several on each side of the screen for
value so you can reenter it. maximum productivity. Simply right-click
the name bar and choose Anchor Left or
Clean Screen Anchor Right from the shortcut menu.
Use the new Clean Screen button located
Rollover Object Selection Features
in the lower-right corner of the screen to As you move your cursor over an object,
turn off everything except for the status the object is highlighted, helping to ensure
bar, menu bar, and command window. that you select the correct object and
making it easy to distinguish entire objects
from individual objects such as plines
versus lines.
3D Tools
3D Tools
OPTIONS 3D Modeling Tab Visual Style While Creating 3D Objects: One
Plenty of new 3D tools are available to This new tab focuses entirely on the new means of switching Visual Styles (I prefer
make your experience in 3D effortless. 3D functionality. Here are some highlights: the dashboard).
Dynamic Input Deletion Control While Creating 3D Objects:
Dashboard
This key setting controls whether the pro-
The new Dashboard palette makes it easy Adds a Z coordinate field when using
file and path curves are deleted once your
to navigate the new 3D tools. It can be dynamic input. Be sure to turn this on!
3D object is created. You may also choose
found under Tools>Palettes>Dashboard or to be prompted each time.
by entering the DASHBOARD command.
The dashboard consists of seven control U and V Isolines on Surfaces and Meshes:
panels: Controls the number of isolines for sur-
faces and meshes.
• 2D Draw (hidden by default): Access
standard 2D drawing commands 3D Navigation
If you’ve used Autodesk Inventor® soft-
• 3D Make: Easily access 3D solids and
ware, you’ve noticed the wheel zoom is the
surfaces
opposite of AutoCAD® software. Now you
• 3D Navigate: Set up various 3D views and can match them!
animations
This section also enables you to control
• Lights: Add lighting to your model walk, fly, and animation settings.
• Visual Styles: Create and move from one 3D Objects
visual style to another Controls the display of 3D solids and
surfaces.
• Materials: Apply materials and textures
to objects
• Render: Quickly access basic rendering
functions
Right-click any of the control panels to
hide or display them. It’s also easy to
resize, dock, auto-hide, and expand the
control panels.
3D Solids & Surfaces
3D Tools
3D Viewing
Creating Composite Solids Tip: If you are having trouble selecting the
Union, Subtract, Intersect, Fillet, and correct face or edge, use the spacebar to
cycle through all the possibilities!
3D Orbiting and Viewing
Chamfer create composite solids. Use the
Use the improved 3DORBIT command to
Show History option in the Properties
view your 3D models. Dragging the cursor
palette (or the SHOWHIST command) to
horizontally moves the camera parallel to
display wireframes of the original forms
the XY plane; dragging it vertically moves • Similar to Adjust Distance, Zoom
that make up the composite.
it parallel to the Z axis. The shortcut menu simulates moving the camera closer or
Editing Solids lets you choose from a variety of naviga- further away (3DZOOM).
Easily edit existing solids in the Properties tion modes. • Pan moves the view in the direction you
palette or by grip editing the solid. Use Navigation modes are as follows: drag (3DPAN).
Ctrl to select the face or edge or to select
objects within a composite solid. You can • The new Constrained Orbit mode keeps Tip: Press Shift+middle mouse button for
also use the grip tool to move along an axis you from rolling the geometry complete- quick access to 3DORBIT.
or plane by hovering over the Move grip of ly over (3DORBIT). Perspective
Checking for Interference
a selected solid. • Free Orbit mode returns you to previous Easily toggle from Perspective to
Use INTERFERE to identify solids that behavior and allows orbiting in any direc-
interfere with one another. You can even Parallel from the dashboard, or use the
tion (3DORBIT). PERSPECTIVE system variable.
select blocks and xrefs when searching for
interferences and individual nested solids • Continuous Orbit allows you to set Walk-Throughs
within a block or xref. Where solids inter- the objects in continuous motion Use 3DWALK to walk through your design
sect, the software creates and highlights (3DORBIT). using the four arrow keys. Alternatively,
temporary solids. • Adjust Distance controls the distance use W, forward; A, left; S, back; D, right.
Align toward or away from the objects Drag the mouse in the direction you want
Align works dynamically with 3D objects (3DDISTANCE). to look. Perspective mode must be on.
so you see the selected geometry align as • Swivel simulates the effect of swiveling Tip: Use the mouse wheel to roll in a walk-
you specify the destination points. the camera on a tripod (3DSWIVEL). through and the left mouse button to swivel
• Walk through a model at a fixed height to a new direction.
above the XY plane (3DWALK). Adjust the step size and speed in the
• Fly through the model without any Navigation control panel.
height restrictions (3DFLY). Tip: You can also create an animation of
your walk-through (ANIPATH command).
Productivity Tips
3D Viewing
Productivity Tips
Creating Cameras Visual Styles
Use the CAMERA command to set up Use Visual Styles to quickly change the QUICKCALC—A Handy Calculator!
cameras for viewing your design. A camera display of edges and shading in a viewport.
Derived from the Geometric Calculator
icon is added to the drawing with a cor- Create your own Visual Styles in the Visual
command (CAL ), QUICKCALC can be
responding named view. Style Manager.
used to
• Location: The point from which you are • 2D Wireframe: Displays objects using
• Perform a full range of calculations
viewing the model. lines and curves to represent boundaries
with model space colors. • Convert from one system of units to
• Target: The point that you are viewing
another
(center of the view). • 3D Wireframe: Displays objects using
lines and curves with a 3D look and feel. • Perform more advanced functions with
• Lens Length: Magnification properties of
2D objects such as raster images, OLE the Scientific panel
the camera’s lens. The greater the lens
length, the narrower the field of view. objects, linetypes, and lineweights are • Pass values back and forth to a command
not visible. or the Properties palette
• 3D Hidden: Wireframe representation, • Set variables for use across AutoCAD
hidden lines removed. drawings and sessions
• Realistic: Shades the objects and
smoothes the edges. Materials are Layer Tips
displayed. New Layer Filter Warning
• Conceptual: Shades the objects and The new system variable LAYERFILTER-
smoothes the edges using the Gooch ALERT warns you when you have too many
face style. Objects are outlined. Less layer filters and can be used to delete any
realistic but easier to see. unwanted ones. For maximum flexibility
• Front and Back Clipping Planes: Specifies be sure to set LAYERFILTERALERT to 3.
the boundaries that define or clip a view. Tip: Use the FILTERS command to quickly
Everything between the camera and the removed extra layer filters.
front clipping plane is hidden. Everything
between the back clipping plane and the Note: Selecting the Indicate Layers in Use
target is hidden. option in the Layer Properties Manager could
dramatically slow down software perfor- Tip: Quickly access the calculator by
Tip: Use the drop-down menu in the Naviga- mance. entering QC or pressing Ctrl+8.
tion control panel of the dashboard to quickly
restore a camera’s view.
Productivity Tips
Productivity Tips
Layer Express Tools Now Integrated into Express MTEXT Creating 2D Drawings from 3D
Core AutoCAD True in-place editing! The text in the Section
Under Format>Layer Tools, you’ll find MTEXT dialog box looks identical to the Use the new sectioning functionality to
popular commands such as resulting text. cut away geometry and create 2D draw-
• Layer Walk: This powerful command • Bullets, numbering, and lettering are ings (in the form of a block) from your
makes it easy to see which objects reside available and automatically recalculate if 3D geometry. The new SECTIONPLANE
on which layer. something is added or removed from the command easily creates the section. The
list. shortcut menu makes it easy to position it
• Layer Isolate: Isolate a layer (turn all correctly with live sectioning. If you need a
other layers off) by selecting an object • Control paragraph width by sliding the section line that has jogged segments, the
on the desired layer. end of the ruler bar. Draw Section option lets you pick multiple
• Copy to Layer: Copy objects from one • Double-click the end of the ruler bar points throughout the 3D model.
layer to another. to resize MTEXT box (such as the Right-click any section line to access the
• Isolate Layer to Current Viewport: Freezes Microsoft® Excel® application). Section Settings dialog box. Here you’ll
the layer in all but the current viewport. • Use Shift+Tab to remove one level of find all the settings for your section views.
• Layer Delete: Deletes the layer of a nesting from a numbered or bulleted list.
Tip: If you update your model, you can also
selected object and all objects on the Tip: Now the MTEXT editor zooms in when update the section view block by selecting
layer, and purges the layer from the text is too small as long as MTEXTFIXED is Replace Existing Block in the Generate Sec-
drawing. This command takes no set to 2. tion/Elevation dialog box—think of all the
prisoners! time you’ll save!
Tip: The new DTEXTED setting of 2 enables
• Layer Merge: Merges selected layers you to select anywhere in the drawing to cre- Tip: Select a section plane and use the grip
together. ate new single-line text blocks in the DTEXT to switch between section plane, section
• Chspace: Moves objects from paper or TEXT commands. volume, and section boundary.
space to model space, or vice versa. The Flatten
moved object is scaled appropriately in
Use the new FLATSHOT command to
the new space.
create 2D line drawings from your 3D
geometry. The result is in the form of a
block—all hidden lines are captured.
Visualization
Visualization
• Distant Lights: Distant lights are useful Tip: You might find it easier to attach Take advantage of these advanced render-
for lighting objects uniformly. They materials in parallel mode than in perspec- ing tips:
Lighting emit uniform parallel light rays in one tive mode.
Good lighting is key for visualizing and • For better performance use default light-
direction. The From and To points define ing and turn off shadows.
rendering a shaded 3D model. By default, the direction. The intensity remains the
the lighting is from two distant sources that same over distance (no light glyphs). • Don’t go crazy with the lights! Too many
follow the viewpoint as you move around could slow you down.
the model. All faces are illuminated, and you Tip: Distant lights are the least performance
intensive. • Intersecting faces don’t render as well.
control the brightness and contrast. Use Boolean commands such as UNION
Creating Lights Sun Studies and INTERSECT to correct.
You can create point, spot, and distant Similar to distant light, you define the
• Faces that overlap and lie in the same
lights for more control over lighting (LIGHT geographic location, date, and time of day.
plane (coplanar) occasionally produce
command). Most user-created lights display Sun studies are valuable for showing the
ambiguous results, especially if they use
glyphs. effects of shadows throughout the day.
differing materials. Move the objects so
You can change the intensity and the color
Use LIGHTLIST to display all your lights. the faces don’t occupy the same plane.
of the light (SUNPROPERTIES). The rays
of the sun are parallel and have the same • Twisted faces don’t render well. Be sure
intensity at any distance. to create your faces with the corners in
the proper order.
Tip: Easily perform a dynamic sun study
from the dashboard. AutoCAD® 2007 includes more than 300
materials and textures.
Applying Materials Tip: Use Ctrl to drag a material to a face
It’s easy to attach a material to an object rather than the entire object.
• Point Lights: Similar to light bulbs, point or face by dragging the material from
lights radiate light in all directions. The the various Materials tool palettes or the Rendering
intensity diminishes over distance, unless Materials window onto the object. You can
attenuation is set to None. It’s easier than ever to create a realistic
also apply materials per layer. Once you at- 2D image based on your 3D scene. The
• Spotlights: Spotlights are useful for tach a material, it is added to the drawing updated RENDER command launches right
highlighting specific areas in your model and displayed as a swatch in the Materials into rendering your images without you
because they emit a directional cone of window. having to answer all types of technical
light. The intensity of spotlights diminishes questions. Rendering presets are tailored
over distance. for quick preview renderings as well as
high-quality ones.
Hatching &
Dynamic Blocks
The new Dynamic Blocks enable you to cre- • Edit individual components of a block. 2. Select the action you want to assign Selecting the properties of a parameter
ate powerful and flexible blocks like never You can even assign specific increments to that parameter. Place the action enables you to specify increments as well
before. Some of the many advantages are as for stretching or rotating with minimum somewhere near the parameter. Most as minimum and maximum values.
follows: and maximum values. parameters must have at least one ac-
Visibility parameters are used to assign
tion.
• One block, multiple definitions that could multiple definitions to one block. Lookup
drastically reduce the size of your block li- Tip: Try one parameter or action pair at a parameters might be used to assign
braries. For example, one bed block, many time to help ensure that you get the proper multiple sizes of a specific block. A simple
options. results. right-click enables you to change from one
size to another.
Step Savers
Offset Simplified XREF Notification FIND Command
Updates to Popular Editing • Erase the source object. A simple click on Reload Modified Xrefs Find permits wildcards!
Commands • Specify whether the new object is cre- saves you time.
IMAGEFRAME
Undo Options ated on the current layer or the same
Set IMAGEFRAME to 2 to display but not
• Undo options have been added to Copy, layer as the source object.
plot the frame.
Offset, Fillet, Chamfer, Trim, and Extend. • New Multiple option lets you continue
Fillet and Chamfer offsetting a specific distance—no need Customizable Scale List
• If you just want to trim corners, use to reselect a source object. Use the SCALELISTEDIT command to
the Shift key to force a zero radius or Rotate and Scale add, delete, edit, and rearrange the scale
distance, which is quite handy! Select list used in PLOT, PAGESETUP, Viewport
• Copy option allows you to create a copy Join Command toolbar, and so on.
the first object, and then hold down the while you rotate or scale an object.
Shift key to select the second object. It This command combines individual seg-
doesn’t reset the fillet radius! • The last rotation angle or scale value is ments of like objects into a single object.
available as a default. The objects do not have to meet. You can
Trim and Extend also use Join to combine lines and arcs
• Pick any two points to specify a new
• Select All defaults to select all visible angle or scale. You are no longer limited with plines (although I prefer PEDIT for
objects as cutting/boundary edges. to using the base point as one of the polylines). Join works on plines, lines, arc,
• Crossing/Fence options added as object reference points. elliptical arcs, and splines.
selection options for the objects to
trim/extend. Rectangle
The Rectangle command has two addi-
• Erase Option in Trim so you can also
tional options:
erase those extra objects along the way.
• Area option, where you define the length More Flexible MLINES
Stretch Command
of one side and then total area
• Now supports multiple crossing windows Trim and Extend work on MLINES. Fields
and standard object selection. • Rotate option
Zoom Improvements Object fields have been updated, enabling
• Only those objects selected with a you to select objects between paper space
• Smooth Transition Zoom makes it easy and model space. LISP variables are also
crossing window or crossing polygon are to maintain orientation (system variable
physically stretched. All other objects supported in fields.
VTENABLE).
are moved.
• Undo/Redo combines multiple pans and
zooms (Options dialog box).
Customize
Customize
Step Savers
Tables Creating Palettes from the CUI Tip: For you Autodesk Inventor users, why
The table formula function has been up- Now you can customize your AutoCAD Now you can drag from the command list not assign 3DORBIT to the F4 key in the
dated to recognize a comma as a period. application with the new, friendly CUI onto tool palettes. CUI? It will make the transition between the
command. The old menu files (MNU, MNS, two products so much easier!
Model/Layout Tabs Tip: Tired of pressing the F1 key by mistake?
and MNC) are out—the new XML-based Workspaces
Change F1 from Help to Escape by setting
Regain valuable screen space by hiding CUI is in!
up a keyboard shortcut in the CUI. Simply Workspaces control the display of
the layout and model tabs. Right-click
drag Cancel from the command list to the toolbars, menus, all tool and command
over the model or layout tabs and choose
shortcut keys listing. Highlight Cancel and palettes, and the command line. You can
Hide Model and Layout Tabs. Get to your
assign it to F1! store workspaces for the different ways
layouts by selecting them from the status
bar buttons (speedy!). you choose to work. For example, your 3D
workspace would be very different from
Views your 2D workspace.
By default, layer visibility is stored with
named views. Use the View Manager, and
select Update Layers to update the named
view to use the current layer settings.
Tip: Named views are a speedy means of
restoring a viewpoint and layers, as well
as other properties such as section planes.
They are available for quick access from the Double-Clicking
dashboard. When you double-click an object, a com-
Migrate Existing Menu Files
mand is launched. Now you can assign
It’s easy to migrate existing menu files to which command is executed for each type
the new CUI format using the Transfer tab of object! For example, when you double-
in the CUI command. click an attribute definition, the DDEDIT
Use the Customize tab to modify pull- command is executed, allowing you to edit
down menus, toolbars, keyboard short- only the attribute value. Maybe you’d pre-
cuts, shortcut menus, and input device fer the EATTEDIT command, which allows
buttons. This friendly drag-and-drop sys- you to edit all the properties in addition to
tem makes it easy to personalize AutoCAD the attribute value. Simply replace DDEDIT
to your individual needs. in the macro with EATTEDIT or drag Edit
Attribute from the command list to the
double-click menu.
Share
Share
Use the DWFADJUST command to make External References Access to DWG Files
Sharing your drawing information is display adjustments: The XREF command can now be used AutoCAD 2007 lets you open DWG™
important, and AutoCAD 2007 software • Fade: The greater the value (0 to 80) to see all externally referenced files in a files all the way back to AutoCAD version
makes it even easier to do so. the lighter the linework. A high contrast central location, including drawing files, 2.0. And free DWG format conversion
value can also blend the underlay into images, and DWF underlays. and viewer tools let you access files and
Using DWF Files as Underlays the background. exchange data regardless of file version.
The new DWFATTACH command enables
• Contrast: The greater the value (0 to • Backward and forward conversion
you to use a DWF TM file as an underlay
100), the more each pixel is forced to its of DWG files from AutoCAD Release 14
(similar to raster images). The DWF file is
primary or secondary color. to AutoCAD 2007 using DWG
linked and not physically embedded into
TrueConvert™ software.
the drawing file, thus keeping the file size • Monochrome: Controls the color satura-
down. tion of all linework. • Share AutoCAD drawings easily and
accurately with DWG TrueView™ tech-
You can snap to attached DWF files, and Plotting to PDF nology. You can view, plot, and publish
all layers from the DWF file are flattened
Use the Add-a-Plotter wizard to print your designs to the DWG format as well as
into a single layer. The physical underlay is
drawings to PDF format. Under Manufac- publish files in the DWF format for quick
placed on the current layer.
turers, select Autodesk ePlot (PDF) and and easy review and markup.
under Models, select PDF. You can download DWG TrueConvert and
DWG TrueView for free* (and we all love
free!) at www.autodesk.com/dwg.