6 CHAPTER 1 EXPLORING THE AUTOCAD AND AUTOCAD LT INTERFACE
The AutoCAD Window
The AutoCAD program window is divided into six parts:
◆ Menu bar
◆ Toolbars
◆ Drawing area
◆ Command window
◆ Status bar
◆ Dashboard
Figure 1.1, shown earlier in this chapter, shows a typical layout of the AutoCAD program win-
dow. Along the top is the menu bar, and just below that are the Workspaces and Standard Annotation
toolbars. At the bottom are the Command window and the status bar. To the right is the Dashboard. The
drawing area occupies the rest of the screen. AutoCAD calls the window layout a workspace; you can
save and recall a workspace at any time using the Workspaces toolbar. The workspace in Figure 1.1
is called the 2D Drafting & Annotation workspace.
TIP Your screen may show the drawing area in black. You can set the drawing area background
color by using the Options dialog box. Appendix A describes how to do this. The figures in this
book show the drawing area background in white for clarity.
Figure 1.2 shows AutoCAD’s 3D Modeling workspace, which has a different set of screen elements.
Figure 1.2 also shows a standard AutoCAD drawing file with a few setting changes to give it a 3D
appearance. Beneath these external changes, the underlying program is the same.
TIP You’ll learn more about workspaces later in this chapter and in Chapter 26.
Figure 1.2
The 3D Modeling
workspace offers an
alternative arrange-
ment of the elements
in the AutoCAD
window.
TAKING A GUIDED TOUR 7
The menu bar at the top of the drawing area (as shown in Figure 1.3) includes drop-down menus
from which you select commands in a typical Windows fashion. The toolbars and Dashboard pro-
vide a variety of commands through tool buttons and drop-down lists.
Figure 1.3
Workspaces toolbar Standard Annotation toolbar Communication Center
The menu bar, the
Workspaces toolbar,
and the Standard Menu
Annotation toolbar. bar
LT users may see a
floating Workspaces
toolbar instead of the
docked version shown Dashboard
at far right. (not shown)
The drawing area occupies most of the screen. Everything you draw appears in this area. As you
move your mouse around, crosshairs appear to move within the drawing area. This is the drawing
cursor that lets you point to locations in the drawing area.
At the bottom of the drawing area is a set of tabs. These tabs give you access to the Layout views
of your drawing. These views let you lay out your drawing as in a desktop publishing program.
You’ll learn about the Layout tabs in Chapter 8. The arrows to the left of the tabs let you navigate
the tabs when there are more tabs than can fit in the AutoCAD window.
Turning on the Tabs
If you don’t see the tabs, don’t worry. AutoCAD can be set up to hide the tabs, but you can easily restore them
to view. To turn them on, locate the Model tool in the status bar at the bottom of the AutoCAD window.
Right-click the Model tool, and then select Display Layout and Model Tabs. The tabs will appear just
below the drawing area. To hide the tabs, right-click any tab, and select Hide Layout and Model Tabs.
The Command window, located just below the Layout tabs, gives you feedback about AutoCAD’s
commands as you use them. You can move and resize this window just as you move and resize tool-
bars. By default, the Command window is in its docked position, as shown in Figure 1.4.
Figure 1.4
USC icon
The Command win-
dow and the status bar Command prompt Command window
Coordinate readout Status bar
8 CHAPTER 1 EXPLORING THE AUTOCAD AND AUTOCAD LT INTERFACE
Below the Command window is the status bar (see Figure 1.4). The status bar gives you infor-
mation at a glance about the state of the drawing. For example, the coordinate readout toward the
far left of the status bar tells you the location of your cursor.
Picking Points in the Drawing Area
Now that you’ve seen the general layout of AutoCAD, try using the coordinate readout and the
drawing cursor to get a sense of how the parts of the AutoCAD screen work together:
1. Move the cursor around in the drawing area. As you move it, notice how the coordinate read-
out changes to tell you the cursor’s location. It shows the coordinates in an X, Y, Z format.
2. Place the cursor in the middle of the drawing area, and click the left mouse button. Move the
cursor, and a rectangle follows. This is a window selection; you’ll learn more about this win-
dow in Chapter 2. You also see a coordinate readout following the cursor and a message ask-
ing you to Specify opposite corner:. This display at the cursor is called the dynamic input.
You’ll learn more about it a little later in this chapter.
TIP If you don’t see the dynamic input display, click the button labeled DYN in the status bar to
turn it on.
3. Move the cursor a bit in any direction; then, click the left mouse button again. Notice that the
window selection disappears, as does the dynamic input display.
4. Try picking several more points in the drawing area. Notice that as you click the mouse, you
alternately start and end a window selection.
If you happen to click the right mouse button, a shortcut menu appears. A right-click frequently
opens a menu containing options that are context sensitive. This means the contents of the shortcut
menu depend on the location where you right-click as well as the command that is active at the time
of your right-click. If there are no appropriate options at the time of the right-click, AutoCAD treats
the right-click as an ↵. You’ll learn more about these options as you progress through the book. For
now, if you happen to open this menu by accident, press the Esc key to close it.
The UCS Icon
In the lower-left corner of the drawing area, you see an L-shaped arrow. This is the User Coordinate
System (UCS) icon, which tells you your orientation in the drawing. This icon becomes helpful as
you start to work with complex 2D drawings and 3D models. The X and Y arrows indicate the X and
Y axes of your drawing. The little square at the base of the arrows tells you that you’re in what is
called the World Coordinate System. Chapter 21 discusses this icon in detail. For now, you can use it
as a reference to tell you the direction of the axes.
TAKING A GUIDED TOUR 9
If You Can’t Find the UCS Icon
The UCS icon can be turned on and off, so if you’re on someone else’s system and you don’t see the
icon, don’t panic. If you don’t see the icon or it doesn’t look as it does in this chapter, see Chapter 21
for more information.
The Command Window
At the bottom of the screen, just above the status bar, is a small horizontal window called the Com-
mand window. Here, AutoCAD displays responses to your input. By default, it shows two lines of text.
The bottom line shows the current messages, and the top line shows messages that have scrolled by
or, in some cases, components of the current message that don’t fit in a single line. Right now, the bot-
tom line displays the message Command (see Figure 1.4, earlier in this chapter). This prompt tells you
that AutoCAD is waiting for your instructions. When you click a point in the drawing area, you see
the message Specify opposite corner:. At the same time, the cursor starts to draw a window selec-
tion that disappears when you click another point. The same message appears in the dynamic input
display at the cursor.
As a new user, pay special attention to messages displayed in the Command window and the
dynamic input display because this is how AutoCAD communicates with you. Besides giving you
messages, the Command window records your activity in AutoCAD. You can use the scroll bar to
the right of the Command window to review previous messages. You can also enlarge the window
for a better view. (Chapter 2 discusses these components in more detail.)
Now, let’s look at AutoCAD’s window components in detail.
TIP The Command window and the dynamic input display allow AutoCAD to provide text feed-
back to your actions. You can think of these features as a chat window to AutoCAD—as you enter
commands, AutoCAD responds with messages. As you become more familiar with AutoCAD, you
may find you don’t need to rely on the Command window and dynamic input display as much.
For new and casual users, however, the Command window and dynamic input display can be
helpful in understanding what steps to take as you work.
The Drop-Down Menus
As in most Windows programs, the drop-down menus on the menu bar provide an easy-to-understand
way to access AutoCAD’s general controls and settings. In these menus, you’ll find the commands and
functions that are the heart of AutoCAD. By clicking menu items, you can cut and paste items to and
from AutoCAD, change the settings that make AutoCAD work the way you want it to, set up the mea-
surement system you want to use, access the help system, and much more.
The drop-down menu options perform three basic functions:
◆ Display a dialog box that contains settings you can change.
◆ Issue a command to create or modify your drawing.
◆ Offer an expanded set of the same tools found in the Draw and Modify toolbars.
As you point to commands and options in the menus, AutoCAD provides additional help for
you in the form of brief descriptions of each menu option, which appear in the status bar.
10 CHAPTER 1 EXPLORING THE AUTOCAD AND AUTOCAD LT INTERFACE
Here’s an exercise to let you practice with the drop-down menus and get acquainted with the
way you issue AutoCAD commands:
1. Click View in the menu bar. The list of items that appears includes the commands and set-
tings that let you control the way AutoCAD displays your drawings. Don’t worry if you
don’t understand them yet; you’ll get to know them in later chapters.
WARNING LT users won’t see the Render option in the View menu.
2. Move the highlight cursor slowly down the list of menu items. As you highlight each item,
notice that a description of it appears in the status bar at the bottom of the AutoCAD win-
dow. These descriptions help you choose the menu option you need.
TIP If you look carefully at the command descriptions in the status bar, you’ll see an odd word at the
end. This is the keyboard command equivalent to the highlighted option in the menu or toolbar.
You can type these keyboard commands to start the tool or menu item that you’re pointing to. You
don’t have to memorize these command names, but knowing them will be helpful to you later if
you want to customize AutoCAD.
3. Some of the menu items have triangular pointers to their right. This means the command has
additional choices. For instance, highlight the Zoom item, and another set of options appears
to the right. This second set of options is called a cascading menu. Whenever you see a drop-
down menu item with the triangular pointer, you know that this item opens a cascading
menu offering a more detailed set of options.
4. Other drop-down menu options are followed by an ellipsis (…). This indicates that the
option displays a dialog box. For instance, move the highlight cursor to the Tools option in
the menu bar.
TIP If you prefer, you can click and drag the highlight cursor over the drop-down menu to select
an option.
TAKING A GUIDED TOUR 11
5. Click the Draw option from the menu bar, and then click the Rectangle command. Notice
that the Command window now shows the following prompt:
Specify first corner point or [Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]:
AutoCAD is asking you to select the first corner for the rectangle, and, in brackets, it’s offer-
ing a few options that you can take advantage of at this point in the command. Don’t worry
about those options right now. You’ll have an opportunity to learn about command options
in Chapter 2. You also see the same prompt, minus the bracketed options, in the dynamic
input display at the cursor.
6. Click a point roughly in the lower-left corner of the drawing area, as shown in Figure 1.5.
Now, as you move your mouse, a rectangle follows the cursor, with one corner fixed at the
position you just selected. You also see the following prompt in the Command window,
with a similar prompt in the dynamic input display:
Specify other corner point or [Area/Dimensions/Rotation]:
Figure 1.5
Selecting the first
point of a rectangle
7. Click another point anywhere in the upper-right region of the drawing area. A rectangle
appears (see Figure 1.6). You’ll learn more about the different cursor shapes and what they
mean in Chapter 2.
At this point, you’ve seen how most of AutoCAD’s commands work. Many drawing and editing
functions display messages in the Command window. These messages are also displayed in the
dynamic input display. You’ll find that dialog boxes are displayed when you want to change set-
tings. Also, be aware that many of the drop-down menu items are duplicated in the toolbars, which
you’ll explore next.
12 CHAPTER 1 EXPLORING THE AUTOCAD AND AUTOCAD LT INTERFACE
Figure 1.6
After you’ve selected
the first point of the
rectangle, you see
a rectangle follow the
motion of your mouse.
Communicating with the Command Window and Dynamic Input Display
AutoCAD is the perfect servant: It does everything you tell it to, and no more. You communicate
with AutoCAD by using the drop-down menus and the toolbars. These devices invoke AutoCAD
commands. A command is a single-word instruction you give to AutoCAD, telling it to do some-
thing, such as draw a line (the Line tool in the Draw toolbar) or erase an object (the Erase tool in the
Modify toolbar). Whenever you invoke a command, by either typing it or selecting a menu or tool-
bar item, AutoCAD responds by presenting messages to you in the Command window and the
dynamic input display or by displaying a dialog box.
The messages in the Command window often tell you what to do next, or they display a list of options,
usually shown in square brackets. A single command often presents a series of messages, which you
answer to complete the command. These messages serve as an aid to new users who need a little help.
If you ever get lost while using a command or forget what you’re supposed to do, look at the Command
window for clues. As you become more comfortable with AutoCAD, you’ll find that you won’t need to
refer to these messages as frequently.
As an additional aid, you can right-click to display a context-sensitive shortcut menu. If you’re in the
middle of a command, this menu displays a list of options specifically related to that command. For
example, if you right-click your mouse before picking the first point for the rectangle command in the
previous exercise, a menu opens, displaying the same options that are listed in the Command prompt
plus some additional options.
Finally, the dynamic input display allows you to enter dimensional data of objects as you draw them.
Besides echoing the command-line messages, the dynamic input display shows the coordinates and
angles of objects you’re drawing and editing. As you enter coordinate or angle values through the key-
board, they appear in the dynamic input display. If you’re used to earlier versions of AutoCAD, you can
easily turn off the dynamic input display by clicking the DYN button in the status bar. When the
dynamic input display is turned off, your keyboard input appears in the Command window.
TAKING A GUIDED TOUR 13
The Dashboard
The menu bar provides most of the commands you need in a format that most Windows users will
find easy to understand, and many users are more comfortable using the menu bar. If you prefer
using toolbars with their graphic icons, you can start to use the Dashboard. The Dashboard offers
many of the same commands as the menu bar but in a more compact format that is quicker to access.
The Dashboard is a collection of lists, buttons, and tools that invoke commands. These tools are
grouped into eight control panels, each with an icon that shows its function (see Figure 1.7). In typical
Windows fashion, each tool offers a ToolTip that provides a short description, which helps you under-
stand what the icons represent.
Figure 1.7
The control panels of
the Dashboard
Layers
2D Draw
Annotation Scale
Dimensions
Text
Multileaders
Tables
2D Navigate
NOTE If the Dashboard doesn’t appear on the screen, you can choose Tools Palettes Dash-
board to restore it to the window.
If you move the arrow cursor onto one of the control-panel tools and leave it there for a moment,
you’ll see a ToolTip appear just below the cursor. As a new user, you’ll find these ToolTips helpful
because they show you the name of the tool. In addition, when I ask you to select a tool, I’ll use the name
shown in the ToolTip. For example, if you hover over the icon in the upper-left corner of the Dashboard,
you’ll see a ToolTip appear with the name of the control panel, 2D Draw.
14 CHAPTER 1 EXPLORING THE AUTOCAD AND AUTOCAD LT INTERFACE
Take a moment to examine the top portion of the Dashboard where the 2D Draw control panel
resides. You’ll be instructed to use the tools in this control panel frequently throughout the early
part of this book, so it will be helpful for you to get a feel for their arrangement and what they con-
tain. You’ll get a closer look at the Dashboard and control panels in Chapter 2.
In addition to the visible tools, a few tools are hidden from view. You can expand the list of tools to
select more tools. Click and hold the downward-pointing arrow to the far right of the row of tools (see
Figure 1.8). The set of tools expands into a fly-out toolbar. While continuing to hold down the mouse
button, you can point to the tool you want in the fly-out toolbar and then release the mouse.
Figure 1.8
Click and hold the
downward-pointing
arrow to open the
fly-out toolbar.
Click and hold here.
The toolbar expands to show
more options.
In most cases, you’ll be able to guess what each tool does by looking at its icon. The icon with an
arc in the 2D Draw control panel, for instance, indicates that the tool draws arcs; the one with the
circle shows that the tool draws circles; and so on. For further clarification, the ToolTip gives you
the name of the tool.
The Toolbars
The menu bar and Dashboard offer the most frequently used tools, but you’ll eventually find that
you need to use a set of tools geared toward a specific task. AutoCAD offers a number of toolbars
that contain tools for specific types of drawing functions. For example, the View toolbar offers a set
of tools that quickly give you a 3D view. The Inquiry toolbar contains tools that display information
about your drawing.
AutoCAD displays the Workspaces and Standard Annotation toolbars in its default 2D Drafting
& Annotation workspace. As you work though this book, occasionally you’ll be asked to open other
toolbars. To get familiar with the process, try opening a one now.
1. Right-click the Workspaces or Standard Annotation toolbar. A shortcut menu of toolbars
appears, displaying a long list of toolbars, as shown in Figure 1.9.
2. Locate and select View in the shortcut menu (see Figure 1.9). The View toolbar appears.
TAKING A GUIDED TOUR 15
Figure 1.9
The toolbar
shortcut menu
3. You won’t need the View toolbar right now, so go ahead and close it by clicking the X in the
upper-right corner of the toolbar.
You may have noticed that the shortcut menu displays a check mark next to the name of a tool-
bar that is currently open (see Figure 1.9). You can click a checked toolbar name to close the tool-
bar. AutoCAD remembers your toolbar arrangement between sessions. When you exit and then
reopen AutoCAD later, the AutoCAD window appears just as you left it.
NOTE If your drawing becomes too cluttered with toolbars, you can drag a toolbar to the border of
the AutoCAD window, and it will automatically merge with the border. This is called its docked posi-
tion. If you don’t want the toolbar to dock but instead want it to appear floating near the border of
the AutoCAD window, you can do the following: First, change the shape of the toolbar to conform
to the orientation of the border. Do this by clicking and dragging the toolbar’s border. Next, press
and hold the Ctrl key as you click and drag the toolbar into position near the border. This prevents
the toolbar from automatically falling into a docked position.
Menus versus the Keyboard
Throughout this book, you’ll be told to select commands and command options from the drop-down
menus and toolbars. For new and experienced users alike, menus and toolbars offer an easy-to-remember
method for accessing commands. If you’re an experienced AutoCAD user who is used to the earlier ver-
sions of AutoCAD, you can type commands directly from the keyboard. Most of the keyboard commands
you know and love still work as they did.
Another method for accessing commands is to use accelerator keys, which are special keystrokes that open
and activate drop-down menu options. You may have noticed that the commands in the menu bar and the
items in the drop-down menus all have an underlined character. By pressing the Alt key followed by the key
corresponding to the underlined character, you activate that command or option without having to engage
the mouse. For example, to choose File Open, press Alt, then F, and then finally O (Alt+F+O).