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AutoCAD 2015 and AutoCAD LT 2015 Bible

The most comprehensive AutoCAD book around!

Create 3D shapes with the 3D command

AutoCAD’s surfaces have evolved over the years. First, you could add thickness to 2D objects. I’m not sure when that happened (let me know if you do), but it was in the mid-1980s, perhaps around Release 2.6. This is still the only type of 3D objects that AutoCAD LT can create.

Later (again, I’m not […]

Marking revisions with a revision cloud

A revision cloud is an often-used means to indicate that certain areas of a drawing contain revisions. The cloud draws attention to the revision. It’s similar to using Track Changes in Microsoft Word, or highlighting text. The revision cloud circles the revised objects.

A revision cloud

To add a revision cloud, choose Home tab> […]

Working with Blocks: The BASE command, the Basepoint option, and the Basepoint parameter

Blocks and basepoints go hand-in-hand. Knowing how to work with basepoints can make your life much easier. It’s so frustrating to insert a block and have it disappear into outer space because the basepoint is in the wrong location!

The Basepoint option of the INSERT command

When you insert a block, a Basepoint option appears […]

Tips for working with layers

Everyone works with layers. Most of the time, you set up your layers in a template and that’s that. But when you need to make changes, a few tips can help make the process easier. Here are some of mine:

Create a similar layer: When you create a new layer, often you want its properties […]

AutoCAD Tutorial: Use parametric constraints to constrain models

AutoCAD 2010 introduced a great new feature, parametric constraints. You can constraint objects in two ways:

Geometrically: You can constrain objects to meet at a point, be horizontal, be vertical, be perpendicular, be concentric, and more Dimensionally: You can constrain the dimensions of objects. For example, a you can constraint a line to be 4 […]

The flexible CHANGE command

The CHANGE command changes the endpoint of a line and the radius of a circle. The CHANGE command works differently, depending on whether you select lines or circles, so it’s best not to choose lines and circles at the same time.

Note: You can use the CHANGE command to change text , the text and […]

AutoCAD tutorial: Save and use layer states to streamline your work

Layer states let you save configurations of layer properties and states. For example, you might want a layer to be red sometimes, and blue at other times. You may need certain layers to be locked, off, or frozen when you’re editing one part of the drawing, but unlocked, on, or thawed when you’re editing another […]

Create a rectangle with an adjustable corner, Part 2: Using a dynamic block

In a previous post, “Create a rectangle with a flexible corner,” I showed how to create a rectangle whose upper-right corner is stretchable, creating a flexible rectangle that doesn’t lose its shape. In this post, I show how to do the same with a dynamic block.

Thanks to Joel, whose comment to the earlier post […]

Tips on viewing your drawing

The faster you can display the section of your drawing where you need to work, the faster you can get started drawing and editing. With that in mind, here are some tips for viewing your drawing:

Use the mouse wheel

The mouse wheel is the key to fast view changes:

You can zoom in and […]

Productivity boost ideas

Note: This is an article by Fran Golding, Senior Drafter at Parsons Brinckerhoff, a large planning, environment and infrastructure firm with offices in Australia and New Zealand. Perhaps you can add your own productivity boost ideas.

When I first started to drive a car, I had the feeling that I was not the one in […]