AutoCAD 2008 For Dummies

AutoCAD 2008 For Dummies
	About the Author
	Dedication
	Author’s Acknowledgments
	Contents at a Glance
	Table of Contents
	Introduction
		What’s Not in This Book
		Who Do I Think You Are?
		How This Book Is Organized
		Icons Used in This Book
		A Few Conventions — Just in Case
		Where to Go from Here
	Part I: AutoCAD 101
		Chapter 1: Introducing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT
			Why AutoCAD?
			The Importance of Being DWG
			Seeing the LT
			Step Up to the Plate with 2008
		Chapter 2: Le Tour de AutoCAD 2008
			AutoCAD Does Windows
			And They’re Off: AutoCAD’s Opening Screen
			Keeping Tabs on Palettes
			Driving Miss AutoCAD
			Fun with F1
		Chapter 3: A Lap around the CAD Track
			A Simple Setup
			Drawing a (Base) Plate
			Get a Closer Look with Zoom and Pan
			Modify to Make It Merrier
			Follow the Plot
		Chapter 4: Setup for Success
			A Setup Roadmap
			A Template for Success
			Making the Most of Model Space
			Setting Up a Layout in Paper Space
			Making Templates Your Own
	Part II: Let There Be Lines
		Chapter 5: Get Ready to Draw
			Managing Your Properties
			Using Named Objects
			Controlling Your Precision
		Chapter 6: Where to Draw the Line
			Introducing the AutoCAD Drawing Commands
			The Straight and Narrow: Lines, Polylines, and Polygons
			(Throwing) Curves
			Scoring Points
		Chapter 7: Edit for Credit
			Commanding and Selecting
			Grab It
			Perfecting Selecting
			Ready, Set, Edit!
			Get a Grip
		Chapter 8: A Zoom with a View
			Zoom and Pan with Glass and Hand
			A View by Any Other Name . . .
			Looking Around in Layout Land
			Degenerating and Regenerating
		Chapter 9: On a 3D Spree
			Entering the Third Dimension
			Go Dashboarding!
			Navigating in Three Dimensions
			Going into Orbit
			Hungry for More?
	Part III: If Drawings Could Talk
		Chapter 10: Text with Character
			Getting Ready to Write
			Using the Same Old Line
			Turning On Your Annotative Objects
			Saying More in Multiline Text
			Gather Round the Tables
		Chapter 11: Entering New Dimensions
			Discovering New Dimensions
			Doing Dimensions with Style(s)
			Drawing Dimensions
			Editing Dimensions
			Bring Out Your Inner Leader
		Chapter 12: Down the Hatch
			Hatch . . . Hatch . . . Hatchoo
			Pushing the Boundary (of) Hatch
			Editing Hatch Objects
		Chapter 13: The Plot Thickens
			You Say Printing, I Say Plotting
			A Simple Plot
			Plotting the Layout of the Land
			Plotting Lineweights and Colors
			It’s a (Page) Setup!
			Continuing the Plot Dialog
			Troubles with Plotting
	Part IV: Share and Share Alike
		Chapter 14: Playing Blocks and Rasteroids
			Rocking with Blocks
			Going External
			Blocks, Xrefs, and Drawing Organization
			Mastering the Raster
			A DWF Is Just a DWF
		Chapter 15: Drawing on the Internet
			The Internet and AutoCAD: An Overview
			Sending Strategies
			Design Web Format — Not Just for the Web
			The Drawing Protection Racket
	Part V: The Part of Tens
		Chapter 16: Ten Ways to Do No Harm
			Be Precise
			Control Properties by Layer
			Know Your Drawing Scale (Factor)
			Know Your Space
			Explode with Care
			Don’t Cram Your Geometry
			Freeze Instead of Erase
			Use CAD Standards
			Save Drawings Frequently
			Back Up Drawings Regularly
		Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Swap Drawing Data with Other People and Programs
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	Index