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AutoCAD 2015 and AutoCAD LT 2015 Bible

The most comprehensive AutoCAD book around!

Tutorial: Draw a 3D threaded bolt – video tutorial

Some people prefer to learn from video, so I’ve created a video of a tutorial that I created on drawing a 3D threaded bolt. The video is 9 minutes long. You can find the text version at “Draw a 3D threaded bolt.”

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Extract data from objects in AutoCAD 2008 and later

One of the new features in AutoCAD 2008 is data extraction. This might make you think of block attributes and data connectivity, but it combines features of both. It’s both simple and powerful.

You start with the new DATAEXTRACTION command, or by starting the TABLE command and choosing the From Object Data in the […]

Return to previous view in pan or zoom realtime, or in 3D Orbit

When you click either the Pan Realtime or Zoom Realtime button on the Standard toolbar, you can drag to pan or zoom. At this time, you’re in a special mode and you need to press Esc or Enter to return to the command line.

If you don’t like the result or just want to return […]

Draw with tiled viewports

Tiled viewports let you divide up the drawing area into tiles and display different parts of your drawing in each. The great thing about tiled viewports is that you can draw from one viewport to another without missing a beat, making them great for large drawings where you need to alternate between working in detail […]

Options you should change

The Options dialog box (Tools > Options or right-click in the Command Line window and choose Options) has many options that significantly affect how AutoCAD functions. If something is not working the way you want, a setting in the Options dialog box may be the answer.

Everyone works in a different environment. Various disciplines have […]

Using 3D orbit for one object

Tharakesh of HOPE Technologies Ltd. in Mumbai, India submitted the following tip.

When using the 3DORBIT command, the portion that you want to see may be hidden by another portion. In that case, before invoking the 3DORBIT command, select the object in which you are interested. Then 3DORBIT displays only the selected object. It’s cool! […]

Use dynamic UCS to speed up 3D drawing

One of the awkward parts about 3D drawing is the fact that you need to constantly change the XY plane. In the past, the only way to do this was to create a new UCS using the UCS command.

Since 2007, however, you can use the dynamic UCS feature, which makes the process of […]

Tutorial: Draw a 3D threaded bolt

A common, but difficult task, is to create a threaded bolt. I recently got a request for more 3D tutorials, so here you go. This tutorial assumes an intermediate knowledge of AutoCAD.

I rummaged around a box of miscellaneous junk and found this bolt. It’s about 3 inches long.

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Tutorial: Create a visual style

Visual styles were introduced in AutoCAD 2007. They bring your ability to control how objects look to a whole new level. You can control how faces and edges look, as well as display a background, shadows, materials, and lights — all without rendering the drawing.

Visual styles are important when you want to create a […]

Tutorial: Create a custom visual style in AutoCAD

In 3D drawings, you’ve had some display options for years: wireframe, hidden, and various types of shading. These were the SHADE or SHADEMODE options on the View menu. AutoCAD 2007 introduced a new concept: visual styles. The main difference is that you can customize them to create your own visual style.

AutoCAD comes with several […]