AutoCAD 2018 and AutoCAD LT 2018 Essentials

Scott Onstott

• Publisher: Sybex
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781119386780
• eBook ISBN: 9781119414292
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Digital Media
• Index: Computer Science

The step-by-step, full-color AutoCAD 2018 guide with real-world practicality

AutoCAD 2018 and AutoCAD LT 2018 Essentials provides a full-color, task-based approach to mastering this powerful software. Straightforward, easy-to-follow instruction pairs with real-world, hands-on exercises to help you quickly get up to speed with core features and functions; screenshots illustrate tutorial steps to help you follow along, and each chapter concludes with a more open-ended project so you can dive in and explore a specific topic in-depth. From 2D drawing and organization to 3D modeling, dimensioning, presenting, and more, this helpful guide walks you through everything you need to know to become productive with AutoCAD 2018 and AutoCAD LT 2018. The companion website features downloadable starting and ending files for each exercise, so you can jump in at any point and compare your work to the pros, as well as additional tutorials to help you go as deep as you need to go.

Exercises walk you through the real-world process of drafting while teaching you critical skills along the way.

• Understand the AutoCAD interface and foundational concepts
• Master essential drawing and visualization tools
• Stay organized with layers, groups, and blocks
• Experiment with 3D modeling, add text and dimensions, and much more

AutoCAD is the industry-leading technical drawing software, and complete mastery is a vital skill for any design and drafting professional. AutoCAD 2018 and AutoCAD LT 2018 Essentials is a smart, quick resource that will help you get up to speed with real-world practical instruction.

CHAPTER 1
Getting Started

As we begin this book on the AutoCAD^® program, I’m reminded of a quote by Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” In much the same way, learning AutoCAD is something anyone can do by taking it one step at a time. And I promise that AutoCAD is much easier than walking a thousand miles!

By buying this book, you have already taken the first step in this journey. When you finish, you will have a solid understanding of AutoCAD.

In this chapter, you’ll learn to do the following:

• Sign in to Autodesk® 360 on the Start tab
• Explore the AutoCAD 2018 for Windows user interface
• Set drawing units

Sign In to Autodesk 360 on the Start Tab

Autodesk 360 is a cloud-based service that is integrated with AutoCAD. You have the option of automatically storing up to 5 GB of your drawing files in the cloud for free. The files you store in the cloud can be edited online and shared with others with your permission.

The Start tab appears when you launch the program. You can create new drawings, access existing drawings, connect to AutoCAD 360, receive notifications, and access a live chat with sales on the Try page that appears on trial versions, all on the Start tab.

Exercise 1.1: Configure Autodesk 360

To begin, launch AutoCAD 2018.

1. Click the Sign In button in the Connect section of the Start tab (see Figure 1.1).

   

   FIGURE 1.1 Clicking Sign In on the AutoCAD Start tab

2. Sign in with an Autodesk ID or email address and password. If you don’t already have an Autodesk ID, click the Create Account link and create one online (see Figure 1.2).

   

   FIGURE 1.2 Signing in or creating an Autodesk ID

3. After you sign in using an Autodesk ID, the Default Autodesk 360 Settings dialog box appears. Select Sync My Settings (see Figure 1.3).

   

   FIGURE 1.3 Setting Autodesk 360 options

   
   

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   Take advantage of free cloud storage while you use this book. Storing your files offsite in the cloud is an effective backup strategy.

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4. Click the large Start Drawing button in the Get Started section of the Start tab.

This loads the full AutoCAD user interface, which you will learn about in the next exercise.

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USING AUTODESK 360

Whenever you save your work in AutoCAD, a copy of your file will be uploaded to Autodesk 360 in the background. You can access this content at http://a360 .autodesk.com (as shown here) or within AutoCAD from the A360 tab on the ribbon. You will learn about the ribbon in Exercise 1.3.

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Explore the AutoCAD 2018 for Windows User Interface

Autodesk has recently released new versions of AutoCAD, including the AutoCAD^® 2018 and AutoCAD LT^® 2018 software. The two Windows versions look nearly identical and function in almost the same way. The main difference between them is that AutoCAD LT doesn’t support automation and some of the advanced 3D functions. Although this book was written using AutoCAD 2018 running on Windows 7, you can use it to learn any of the current versions of AutoCAD.

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AutoCAD for Mac has a user interfa...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Copyright
• About the Author
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• CHAPTER 1 Getting Started
• CHAPTER 2 Gaining Basic Drawing Skills
• CHAPTER 3 Using Drawing Aids
• CHAPTER 4 Editing Entities
• CHAPTER 5 Shaping Curves
• CHAPTER 6 Controlling Object Visibility and Appearance
• CHAPTER 7 Organizing Objects
• CHAPTER 8 Hatching and Gradients
• CHAPTER 9 Working with Blocks and Xrefs
• CHAPTER 10 Creating and Editing Text
• CHAPTER 11 Dimensioning
• CHAPTER 12 Keeping In Control with Constraints
• CHAPTER 13 Working with Layouts and Annotative Objects
• CHAPTER 14 Printing and Plotting
• CHAPTER 15 Working with Data
• CHAPTER 16 Navigating 3D Models
• CHAPTER 17 Modeling in 3D
• CHAPTER 18 Presenting and Documenting 3D Design
• Appendix A Making Isometric Drawings
• Appendix B Autodesk™ AutoCAD™ 2018 Certification
• Eula