AutoCAD2011PreviewGuide

PoweryourdesignprojectsfromconceptthroughcompletionwithAutoCAD2011software.Yourideascan takeshapewithgreaterclarityandaccuracythaneverbefore,thankstonewsurfacemodelingtoolsandpoint cloudsupport.Newinferredconstraintscapabilitiesmakeworkingwithparametricseasier,andupdated productivitytoolshelpyoudeliverfinaldesigndocumentationfasterthanever.Andmajorupdatesto materialsandsurfaceshelpyoucommunicatedesignintentwiththeimpactyoudemand.Withtheseand manyothernewcapabilitiesyouvebeenaskingfor,AutoCAD2011helpsyoutakedesignanddocumentation further.

TableofContents
UserInterface...............................................................................................................................................4 DrawingWindow....................................................................................................................................4 QuickAccessToolbar..............................................................................................................................4 Navigation..............................................................................................................................................5 UCSIconand3DGizmos........................................................................................................................6 TheRibbon..............................................................................................................................................7 VisualStyles............................................................................................................................................9 ObjectVisibility.......................................................................................................................................9 ObjectSelection...................................................................................................................................10 ObjectCreation....................................................................................................................................13 ActionRecorder....................................................................................................................................13 Document...................................................................................................................................................14 ParametricConstraints.........................................................................................................................14 GeometricConstraints...................................................................................................................14 DimensionalConstraints................................................................................................................18 Transparency........................................................................................................................................19 HatchesandGradients.........................................................................................................................22 Polylines ...............................................................................................................................................25 . Splines...................................................................................................................................................26 ExternalReferences..............................................................................................................................27 ScaleLists..............................................................................................................................................28 MissingSHXandFontFiles...................................................................................................................30 TextAlignmentinLinetypes.................................................................................................................31 Explore........................................................................................................................................................31 3DModelingWorkspaces.....................................................................................................................31 3DObjectSnaps...................................................................................................................................32 SolidModeling......................................................................................................................................32 SurfaceModeling..................................................................................................................................33 SurfaceCreationTools...................................................................................................................33 SurfaceEditingTools......................................................................................................................35

 AnalysisTools.................................................................................................................................37 ConsistentMaterials ............................................................................................................................38 . MeshModeling ....................................................................................................................................40 . PointClouds..........................................................................................................................................41 LearningResources.....................................................................................................................................43 NewFeaturesWorkshop......................................................................................................................43 OnlineHelpSystem..............................................................................................................................43 AutodeskSeek.............................................................................................................................................44

UserInterface
AutoCAD2011offersavarietyofuserinterfaceenhancementsthatallowyoutodesignwithgreater easeandefficiency.

Drawing Window
ThedrawingwindowhasbeenupdatedinAutoCAD2011todisplayadarkgraybackgroundinmodelspace. YoucaneasilymodifythedrawingwindowcolorfromtheDisplaytaboftheOptionsdialogbox. Thetraditionaldotgridhasbeenreplacedwithhorizontalandverticalgridlinestomoreclosely representengineeringgraphpaper.Whenthegridisenabled,redandgreenlinesextendfromtheUCS icontorepresenttheXandYaxesoftheorigin.

Figure1.AutoCAD2011drawingwindow

Quick Access Toolbar

TheQuickAccesstoolbardisplaysthenameofthecurrentworkspace.Youcaneasilyselectadifferent workspaceandaccessotherworkspacetools.Inaddition,thedefaultQuickAccesstoolbarnowincludes boththeSaveandtheSaveAstools.

Figure2.Workspacemenu

Navigation
AutoCAD2011includesanewNavigationbarwithfrequentlyusednavigationtools,includingAutodesk SteeringWheels,ViewCube,andShowMotion,aswellasPan,Zoom,andOrbit.Itreplacesthe navigationtoolsthatwerepreviouslyaccessibleontheStatusbar.Youcancontrolthedisplayofthe NavigationbarforindividualworkspacesviaapropertyintheCUIdialogbox.

Figure3.CUINavigationbarproperty

TheNavigationbarprovidesintegratedsupportfor3DConnexiondeviceswhenthe3DConnexion systemdriverispresent.

Figure4.3DConnexionsettings

TheViewCubehasbeenenhancedtosupportthe2Dwireframevisualstyle,enablingyoutoeasily changeyourviewpoint.Theclockwiseandcounterclockwisecontrolsareparticularlyusefulforrotating theviewpointonthe2Dplane.

Figure5.ViewCubenavigation

TheSteeringWheelsSettingsdialogboxhasbeenupdatedforclarityandconsistency.

UCS Icon and 3D Gizmos

TheUCSiconhasbeenupdatedtodisplayadifferentcolorforeachaxis:Xforred,Yforgreen,andZfor blue.Inaddition,theappearanceof3Dgizmoshasbeenupdatedforclarityandconsistency.

Figure6.UCSiconand3Dgizmos

The Ribbon
Anewpulldownmenuhasbeenaddedtotheribboncyclebuttonattheendofthelistoftabs.Youcan minimizetheribbontopanelbuttons,tabs,orpaneltitles.

Figure7.Ribboncycleoptions

Whenyouminimizetheribbontopanelbuttons,largeiconsappearforeachpanel.Hoveringoverthe buttoncausesthepaneltoexpand,similartothebehavioryouseewhentheribbonisminimizedto paneltitles.

Figure8.Ribbonpanelbuttons

TheInserttabincludesaPointCloudpaneltosupportthenewPointCloudfunctionality.Inaddition,a newContentpanelprovideseasyaccesstoDesignCenterandAutodeskSeekwebservice.Autodesk SeekhasbeenremovedfromtheOutputtab.

Figure9.Inserttab

 TheViewtabhasbeenupdatedtoincludetheVisualStylespanel,providingyouwitheasyaccessto predefinedvisualstyles,theVisualStylesManager,andothervisualstylescontrols.TheWindowspanel includesnewUserInterfaceandToolbarcontrolsthatenableyoutoeasilytogglethedisplayofvarious userinterfaceelements,includingAutodeskViewCubeandShowMotionnavigationwidgets,the Navigationbar,andtheTextwindow.TheStatusbarcontrols,whichhavebeenremovedfromthe Windowspanel,arestilleasilyaccessiblefromtheStatusbar.

Figure10.Viewtab

CustomizableribbonfunctionalityintheCustomizeUserInterfacedialogboxhasbeenenhancedto includenewFoldpanels.AsyouchangethesizeofyourAutoCADwindoworaddandremovepanels fromatab,Foldpanelsresizehorizontallytofilltheavailablespace.Foldpanelpropertiesenableyouto specifydefault,maximium,andminimumbuttonsizes.

Figure11.CUIRibbonFoldPanel.

Forexample,theFoldpaneldefinedabovecouldhavethefollowingdefault,maximum,andminimum appearances.

Figure12.ExampleFoldpanel

Visual Styles
AutoCAD2011providesfivenewpredefinedvisualstylesincluding:Shaded,ShadedwithEdges,Shades ofGray,Sketchy,andXRay.Withthemostcommoncombinationsofvisualstylepropertiesrightatyour fingertips,visualstylesareeasiertousethanever.

Figure13.Visualstyles

Object Visibility
AutoCAD2011includesnewtoolsthatenableyoutocontrolobjectvisibilityindependentfromlayer visibility.TheObjectVisibilitytoolsareaccessiblefromtherightclickmenuwhenobjectsareselectedas wellaswhennoobjectsareselected.WhenyouusetheIsolateObjectstool,onlytheselectedobjects remainvisibleinthedrawing.Allotherobjectsarehidden.

Figure14.Isolatedobjects

 Alternatively,whenyouusetheHideObjectstool,theselectedobjectsarehidden.

Figure15.Hiddenobjects

YoucanuseacombinationoftheIsolateObjectsandHideObjectstoolstoefficientlydisplayonlythe objectsthatarerelevanttoyourcurrenttask.Forexample,youmightusetheIsolateObjectstoolto selectanareaofthedrawingyouwanttoeditandthenusetheHideObjectstooltohideadditional objectswithinthatarea.Aftercompletingyourtask,youcanquicklyrestorethehiddenobjectsusing theEndObjectIsolationtool.

Figure16.EndObjectIsolationtool

TheOBJECTISOLATIONMODEsystemvariablecontrolswhetherisolated/hiddenobjectspersistbetween drawingsessions.Alightbulbicononthestatusbarindicateswhetherobjectisolationisactiveinthe drawing.

Figure17.ObjectIsolationstatusicon

Inadditiontotheobviousbenefitsobjectvisibilitycontrolsofferfor2Ddesign,theyrejustasvaluable for3Dmodeling.

Object Selection

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 ThenewSelectSimilartoolenablesyoutoselectanobjectandautomaticallyincludeallotherobjectsof thesametypeandwiththesameproperties,inanewselectionset.Youcanaccessitfromtherightclick menuwhenobjectsareselected.

Figure18.SelectSimilartool

ASettingsoption(accessiblewhenyouenterSELECTSIMILARatthecommandline)enablesyouto specifywhichpropertiestofilter.IfonlytheLayerpropertyisenabledwhenyouselectacircle,for example,AutoCADautomaticallyselectsallcirclesonthesamelayerastheoneyouselected.Ifboththe LayerandLinetypepropertiesareenabled,however,AutoCADselectsonlythecirclesonthesamelayer andwiththesamelinetypeastheselectedone.

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Figure19.SelectSimilarSettingsdialogbox

TheSelectSimilartoolalsoenablesyoutoselectmorethanoneobjectandcreatethematching selectionsetaccordingly.Forexample,iftheLayerfilterisenabledandyouselecttwocircles,eachon differentlayers,AutoCADselectsallthecirclesonbothlayers.If,instead,youselectacircleandaline, AutoCADselectsallthecirclesonthesamelayerastheselectedcircleandallthelinesonthesamelayer astheselectedline.Inadditiontogeneralobjectproperties,youcanfilterselectionsbasedonobject specificproperties,includingobjectstyleandreferencename.ObjectStylepropertiesapplytotextand mtext,leadersandmleaders,dimensionsandtolerances,andtablesandmultilines.Referencenames applytoblocksandexternallyreferencedfiles,includingxrefsandimagesaswellasPDF,DWG,or DGNfiles. InadditiontothenewSelectSimilartool,anewoptionhasbeenaddedtothePICKADDsystemvariable. WhenPICKADDissettoavalueof2(asitisnowbydefault),objectsthatyouselectusingtheSELECT commandremainselectedinapickfirststateevenafteryouendtheSELECTcommand. Easilyselectoverlappingobjectsusingthenewselectioncyclingfunctionality.Youcanenableselection cyclingfromacontrolontheStatusbar.Whenyoutrytoselectanobjectthatoverlapsotherobjects, AutoCADdisplaysalistofalltheoverlappingobjects.Asyoupassthecursoroveranobjectinthelist, therelevantobjectinthedrawinghighlights.

Figure20.Selectioncyclingtool

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Object Creation
ThenewAddSelectedtoolenablesyoutoquicklycreateanewobjectinyourdrawingbasedonthe propertiesofanexistingobject.Forexample,ifyouusetheAddSelectedtoolandselectapolyline,AutoCAD automaticallylaunchesthePLINEcommandwithbasicobjectpropertiesincludingcolor,layer,linetype, linetypescale,plotstyle,lineweight,transparency,andmaterialpresettomatchtheselectedobject.

Figure21.AddSelectedtool

Action Recorder
TheActionMacroenablesyoutodeleteorinsertusermessagesforViewChangeoperations.

Figure22.ViewChangeeditingtools

Themacrolistdisplaysthemostrecentlyusedmacrosabovetheseparationbarandallavailablemacros belowit.

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Figure23.Actionmacrolist

Document
AutoCADissynonymouswithdocumentationforgoodreason.Powerfuldocumentationtoolsin AutoCAD2011helpyouworkevenfasterwithautomation,management,andeditingtoolsthat minimizerepetitivetasksandspeedyourtimetocompletion.Nomatteryourprojectssizeorscope, youcanmeetthechallengewithAutoCADcontinuouslyleadingandinnovatingdocumentationfor over25years.

Parametric Constraints
The2DparametricfunctionalityhasbeenenhancedinAutoCAD2011,andincludespredefined commandmacrostoaccessoptionswithinintheGEOMCONSTRAINTandDIMCONSTRAINTcommands. Forexample,insteadoflaunchingtheGEOMCONSTRAINTcommandandthenselectingthe Perpendicularoption,youcanlaunchtheGCPERPENDICULARcommanddirectly.Repeatingthelast commandautomaticallyrepeatsthelastcommandaswellasthespecificoption. Objecthighlightingwhenyourolloveranicononaconstraintbarorwhenyouselectaparameterinthe ParametersmanagersupportstheVisualEffectssettingsyouspecifyontheSelectiontaboftheOptionsdialog box(dashedandthickenedbydefault).Additionalimprovementstogeometricanddimensionalconstraint functionalityenableyoutocreateandeditparametricallyconstrainedgeometryfasterthaneverbefore. GeometricConstraints AutoCAD2011significantlysimplifiestheprocessofaddinggeometricconstraintsto2DAutoCAD geometry.AutoCADcaninfergeometricconstraintsasyoucreateandmodifygeometry.AnewInfer Constraintbuttononthestatusbarenablesyoutotoggleinferredconstraintsonandoffsimilarto togglingobjectsnapsonandoff.ThistoggleisalsoavailableontheGeometrictaboftheConstraint Settingsdialogbox.

Figure24.InferConstraintstool

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 UsinginferredconstraintsautomaticallyappliescoincidentconstraintsforEndpoint,Midpoint,Center, Node,andInsertionobjectssnaps.Forexample,ifyoudrawacirclebysnappingitscentertothe midpointofaline,AutoCADautomaticallyappliesacoincidentconstraintbetweenthecenterofthe circleandthemidpointoftheline.Ifyoumovethecircle,thelinegoeswithit.Thesamepowerful functionalityappliestoeditingcommands.If,forexample,youcopytheinsertionofablocktothe endpointofaline,AutoCADautomaticallyappliesacoincidentconstraintbetweenthosetwopoints. Whenyoumovetheline,theblockmaintainsitspositionattheendpointoftheline.

Figure25.Editingwithinferredconstraints

Inadditiontocreatingpointtopointcoincidentconstraintswiththepreviouslymentionedobjectsnaps, youcanusetheNearestobjectsnaptoapplyacoincidentconstraintbetweenapointandanobject.For example,ifyoudrawthecenterofacircleonalineusingtheNearestobjectsnap,thecenterofthe circlehastheflexibilityofmovinganywherealongthelineincludingthevirtualextensionoftheline.

Figure26.Nearestobjectsnapwithinferredconstraints

ThePerpendicularandTangentobjectsnapsautomaticallyapplyperpendicularortangentconstraints betweentheobjectbeingcreatedoreditedandtheobjectbeingsnappedto.Theyalsoapplyapointto pointorpointtoobjectcoincidentconstraintifappropriate.UsingtheParallelobjectsnapautomatically appliesaparallelconstraintbutnocoincidentconstraintsareappliedsince,bydefinition,thetwo objectsneverintersect.Whenyoudrawhorizontalorverticallinesandpolylinesegments,inferred horizontalandverticalconstraintsautomaticallyapplytothosesegments. Inferredconstraintsenhancethebehaviorofrectangles,fillets,andchamfersbyautomaticallyapplying appropriategeometricconstraints.Forexample,ifyoudrawarectangle(usingtheRECTANGcommand), AutoCADautomaticallyappliesapairofparallelconstraintsandaperpendicularconstrainttotheclosed polyline.Whenyoumodifythesizeandshapeoftherectangle,youcanrestassuredthatitwillremaina rectanglewithparallelsidesandperpendicularcorners.Creatingafilletautomaticallyappliescoincident andtangentconstraintsbetweenthenewlycreatedarcandtheexistingpairoflineshelpingmaintain

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 thefilletevenwhenthearcorlinesaremodified.Similarly,creatingachamferappliescoincident constraintsbetweenthenewlycreatedlineandtheexistingpairoflines.

Figure27.Filletsandchamferswithinferredconstraints

Evenafteryouveappliedconstraints,youcantemporarilyrelaxthembypressingtheCTRLkeywhile editingconstrainedobjects. AutoCAD2011improvesthesupportofgeometricconstraintsforellipsesandtext.Youcannowapply Parallel,Perpendicular,Collinear,Horizontal,andVerticalconstraintsbetweenthemajororminoraxes ofanellipseandotherobjects.

Figure28.Constraininganellipse

Similarly,youcanapplyParallel,Perpendicular,Collinear,Horizontal,andVerticalconstraintstothe rotationangleoftextobjects.Inaddition,textandmtextobjectsbehaveconsistentlyandpredictably, withtheidentifiedinsertionpointoftheobjectbeingtheconstrainablepoint.

Figure29.Constrainingtext

TheAutoConstrainfunctionalityinAutoCAD2011hasbeenupdatedtoincludetheEqualconstraint. WhenyouuseAutoConstrainwiththeEqualoptionenabled,theEqualconstraintisautomatically appliedtolinesandpolylinesegmentsofequallengthandarcsand/orcirclesofequalradius. 16

 Constraintbarsareenhancedtoprovidemorecontrolandflexibility.Youcanselectmultipleobjectsfor showingorhidingconstraintbarsusingstandardselectionmethods,includingWindow,Crossing,Fence, andImpliedWindow/Crossing.Quicklydisplayallconstraintbarsintheiroriginalpositionusingthenew Resetoption.And,anewsettingintheGeometrictaboftheConstraintSettingsdialogsenablesyouto showconstraintbarswhenobjectsareselectedevenifthoseconstraintbarsarecurrentlyhidden.When thegeometryisnolongerselected,thetemporarilydisplayedconstraintbarsare,onceagain,hidden. Whenyoumoveaconstraintbarandthenedittherelatedgeometry,theconstraintbarmaintainsits positionrelativetothegeometry.

Figure30.GeometricConstraintsettings

ThenewconstrainticonsforFix,Horizontal,andVerticalconstraintsvisuallyindicatewhethertheyapply toanobjectortoapoint.Thesymmetricconstrainticonisalsoupdatedtoindicatewhetheritis identifyingasymmetricalpointorobject,orthesymmetricline.

Constraint
Fix Horizontal Vertical Symmetric

Icons

Description
Differenticonsforfixpointandfixobjectconstraints Differenticonsforfixpointandfixobjectconstraints Differenticonsforfixpointandfixobjectconstraints Differenticonsforsymmetricalpoint,object,andsymmetryline

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 DimensionalConstraints TheDIMCONSTRAINTcommandincludesanewConvertoptiontoconvertassociativedimensionsto dimensionalconstraintsratherthanitbeingthedefaultbehavior.

Figure31.DIMCONSTRAINToptions

Whenenteringdimensionalconstraintvaluesinplace,youcanclickonanexistingdimensional constrainttoinserttheconstraintname.Whendynamicdimensionalconstraintsreferenceanother parameter,theparametertextisprependedwithfx:tohelppreventyoufromaccidentallyassigninga constantvaluetoaparameterthatreferencesothervariables.

Figure32.Dimensionalconstraints

NewtoolsontheDimensionalPaneloftheParametrictabprovideyouwithmorecontroloverthe displayofdimensionalconstraints.UsingtheShow/Hidetoolyoucanselectthespecificdimensional constraintsyouwanttoshoworhide.

Figure33.Dimensionalconstraintvisibilitytools

TheParametersManagerofferssignificantimprovementsinAutoCAD2011.ItincludesanewFilters panewhereyoucandefineparametergroupsthatdisplayasubsetoftheparameters.Createnewfilter groupsusingthebuttonatthetopoftheParametersManagerorbyselectingtheoptionfromtheright clickmenu.Withyourfiltergroupscreated,youcanthendragparametersintothem.Therightclick menuforparametersintheParametersManagerisupdatedwithadditionaloptionsincludingtheability todisplaytheFiltertreeandtoremoveparametersfromagroup.

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Figure34.Parametergroupfilters

Anewsearchboxfilterstheparametersdisplayedinthegridcontrolbasedontheparametername. Columntooltipsdisplaythefullnameofthecolumnaswellasadescription. AdditionalenhancementstotheParametersManagersimplifytheterminologyfordimensional constraintsanduservariablescreatedinthedrawingeditorversustheblockeditor.TheShowcolumnin theBlockEditorincludesanewoptiontoconvertbetweendimensionalconstraintparametersoruser parametersdefinedinthedrawingeditorversustheblockeditor.IntheBlockEditor,iconsaredisplayed foractionparameters,attributes,anduserparameters.

Transparency
AutoCAD2011includesanewtransparencypropertythatenablesyoutoapplytransparencytoobjects andlayersinthesamewayyouapplycolors,linetypes,andlineweights.

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Figure35.Transparentobjects

Youcansettransparencybylayer,byblock,orindividuallyforanobject.Thedefaulttransparencyvalue forlayersandobjectsis0,andyoucansetitashighas90. TheLayerPropertiesManager(paletteanddialog),theLayerStatesManager,theLayerFilterdialog, andtheLayerTranslatorhaveallbeenupdatedtoreflectthenewtransparencyproperty.IntheLayer PropertiesManager,anewcolumnforTransparencyisavailableinmodelspaceandlayouts,anda columnforViewport(VP)Transparencyisavailableinlayoutsandfloatingmodelspaceviewports.

Figure36.LayerTransparancyoptions

Youcansettransparencyforindividualobjectsjustlikecolorandlinetype.Settingatransparencyvalue foranindividualobjectoverridesthelayertransparencysettingforthatobject.Youcanaccessobject transparencyfromanumberofplaces:thePropertiespalette,QuickProperties,ortheribbon.Thenew CETRANSPARENCYsystemvariablesetsthetransparencypropertyfornewobjects.

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Figure37.ObjectTransparancyoptions

TheSetByLayerSettingsdialoghasbeenupdatedtoincludeTransparencyasoneoftheavailable properties.

Figure38.SetByLayersettings

TransparencyhasalsobeenaddedtotheQuickSelect,Filter,andMatchPropertySettingsdialogsas wellastheCHPROP,CHANGE,LAYER,VPLAYER,andLISTcommands.

Figure39.Propertysettings

Abuttonhasbeenaddedtothestatusbartoenableyoutotemporarilyturnofftransparencydisplay (TRANSPARENCYDISPLAYsystemvariable),similartothebehaviorofthelineweightdisplaybutton.This doesnotaffectplotting.However,youhavetheoptiontoturnofftransparencywhenplotting.ThePlot

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 andPageSetupdialogsbothincludeacheckboxfortransparency(PLOTTRANSPARENCY),similartothe behaviorforplotstyles.Whenthisoptionisenabled,AutoCADrasterizestheentiredrawingforplotting, slowingdowntheplottingprocess.

Figure40.Plottransparency

PriortoAutoCAD2011,imageshadasetting,alsocalledtransparency,thatcontrolledwhetherthe backgroundofabitonalimagewasclearoropaque.Thispropertyhasbeenrenamedtobackground transparencytodistinguishitfromthenewtransparencyproperty.Youcanapplybothbackground andobjecttransparenciestoimagesinAutoCAD2011.

Hatches and Gradients

TheHatchtoolisstreamlinedinAutoCAD2011forfastercreationandeditingofhatchobjects.Itnow immediatelypromptsyoutoselectaninternalpointwithoutdisplayingtheHatchdialogbox.Instead, thenewHatchCreationcontextualtabprovideseasyaccesstoallhatchandgradientoptions.

Figure41.HatchCreationtab

AHatchEditorcontextualribbondisplayssimilarhatchtoolswhenyouselectanexistinghatch.

Figure42.HatchEditingribbontab

TheHatchPreviewfunctionforthepickpointsmethodhasbeenimproved.Now,passingyourcursor overaneligibleareashowsyouwhatthehatchwouldlooklikeifyouclickedthere.

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Figure43.Hatchpreview

Youcanalsoseetheresultofeachclickasyoupickpointsorobjectsinthedrawing.Keepinmindthat eventhoughitlooksasthoughahatchwascreatedasyouclicked,itwillnotactuallybeaseparate objectunlessyouhavetheCreateSeparateHatchesoptionon.

Figure44.CreateSeparateHatchesoption

AutoCAD2011continuestoexpandobjectgripfunctionalitywithanewcentergripfordirect manipulationofhatchobjects.Youcanusedirectmanipulationtostretchormovethehatchorchange theorigin,angle,orscale.Theseoptionsareavailablewhenyouhoveroverthegrip.Youcaneither chooseanoptionfromthelist,oractivatethegripanduseCTRLtocyclethroughthedifferent behaviors.

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Figure45.Directmanipulationhatchtools

Otherhatchgripbehaviorhasnotchanged,exceptthatstretchisnowthedefaultactionforthe secondaryormiddlegripsonanonassociativehatch.

Figure46.Stretchhatchaction

Hatchesnowsupportbackgroundcolorinadditiontolinecolor.Thisenablesyoutohavetheeffectof layeringhatchesinoneobject.

Figure47.Hatchbackgroundcolor

Younowalsohavetheoptiontosetahatchslayerbeforeyoucreateit.Youcanchooseeithertouse thecurrentlayerortopickonefromyourdrawing.Likecolor,pattern,andotherhatchproperties,layer isapersistentsettingduringyourdrawingsession. ThecommandHATCHTOBACKhasbeenintroducedinresponsetoanitemontheAUGIwishlist.Similar toTEXTTOFRONT,HATCHTOBACKsendshatchesunderneathallotherobjectsinthedrawing.Send HatchestoBackisavailableontheModifypaneloftheHometabundertheDrawOrderflyout,along withBringTexttoFrontandBringDimensionstoFront.

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Figure48.SendHatchestoBacktool

ThenewsystemvariableMIRRHATCHenablesyoutomirrorhatcheswhileretainingtheirorientation. (ThisissimilartotheMIRRTEXTvariable.)Setto0,mirroringhatchesmaintainstheiroriginalangle. WhenMIRRHATCHissetto1,thehatchanglemirrorsalongwiththerestoftheobjects.

Figure49.Hatchmirrorbehavior

TheHatchObjectLimitsystemvariable(HPOBJWARNING)hasbeenincreasedto10,000from1,000to reflectthecapabilitiesofcurrentcomputers.Whenalargenumberofobjectsareselectedforhatch boundarycalculations,itcanresultinslowerperformance.Thankstoincreasedhardwarecapabilities, though,itnowtakesamuchlargernumberofboundaryobjectstoaffectcalculationspeed.Youmay nowalsosetthevalueoftheHatchObjectLimityourself.

Polylines
PolylineobjectsinAutoCAD2011nowhaveextragripstomakeeditingthemeasierthanever.In additiontothefamiliarprimarygripslocatedattheendofeachpolylinesegment,therearenow additionalsecondarygripslocatedatthemidpointofeachsegment.Thesegrips,likethenewhatch grips,aremultifunctional.Theavailablefunctionscanbeseenbyhoveringoveragrip,andyoucan chooseanoptiondirectlyfromthemenuthatappears.

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Figure50.Directmanipulationpolylinetools

Youcanalsoactivatethegripbyclickingonit.Thenyoucancyclethroughtheavailablefunctionsby pressingCTRL,orchoosingoneoftheoptionsfromtherightclickmenu.Iconsnexttothecursor indicatetheactivefunction. SubselectionforpolylineshasbeenrefinedinAutoCAD2011.Tosubselectoneormoresegmentsofa polyline,holddownCTRLwhileleftclickingonthepolyline.

Figure51.Polylinesubobjectselection

Gripbehaviorforsubselectedsegmentsisidenticaltothebehaviorwhentheentirepolylineisselected. YoucannowusetheJOINcommandtoconnectlines,arcs,andpolylinesto3Dpolylines,aslongasthey areallcontiguous(inotherwords,theyshareacommonendpoint).Youmustselectthemostcomplex objectfirst(inthiscase,the3Dpolyline),andtheobjectstobejoineddonotneedtobecoplanar.

Splines
SplineshavebeenupdatedinAutoCAD2011toprovidemoreflexibilityandcontrol.Youcandefinea splineusingfitpointsorcontrolvertices(CV).CVsplinesaremoreappropriateifyouwillbeusingthem with3DNURBSsurfaces.

Figure52.FitsplineandControlVerticesspline

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 Whendrawingafitspline,youcanspecifyadditionalsettingsforitsstartandendtangencies,tolerance (howclosethesplinemustcometothefitpoint),andknotparameterization(controllingtheshapeof thecurveasitpassesthroughthefitpoint). TheonlyoptionforCVsplinesisDegree,whichcontrolshowmanybendsthesplinecantakeinagiven span.

Figure53.CVsplineDegreeC

Easilyswitchmethods,addandremovepoints,oreditendpointtangenciesusingintuitivegripmenus.

Figure54.Splinetangentdirection

TheSPLINEDITcommandalsohasseveralnewoptions,includingimprovedEditVertexoptions.Youcan noweasilyaddkinksorsharpcornerstoaspline.

Figure55.Splinekink

YoucanusetheJOINcommandtoconnectlines,arcs,polylines,3Dpolylines,andhelixestosplines,as longastheyareallcontiguous(inotherwords,theyshareacommonendpoint).Youmustselectthe mostcomplexobjectfirst(inthiscase,thespline),andtheobjectstobejoineddonotneedtobe coplanar.

External References

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 TheselectionofexternallyreferencedfileshasbeenenhancedinAutoCAD2011.Whenyouselecta referenceobjectinthedrawing(xrefs,images,DWFTM,DGN,PDF,dataextractiontables),the correspondingreferenceisselectedintheExternalReferencespalette.Similarly,ifyouselectfile referencesfromtheExternalReferencespalette,thereferencesarehighlighted(butnotselected)inthe drawing,assumingtheyarevisibleinthecurrentview.Youcancontrolthisbehaviorwiththenew ERHIGHLIGHTsystemvariable.

Figure56.ExternalReferencehighlighting

TheExternalReferencespaletteincludesaoptiontoeasilydetachdataextractiontablesfromadrawing.

Figure57.DataExtractionTableDetachoption

Scale Lists
ScalelistfunctionalityhasbeenenhancedinAutoCAD2011tostoreacustomizabledefaultlistof annotationscalesinthefixedprofileoftheregistry.Youcanusethedefaultscalelisttodefinea customizedlistofscalesthatautomaticallydisplaysinallyourdrawings.Ascalelistisstillmaintainedin thedrawing,butyoucaneasilyresetthescalelistinthedrawingtothedefaultlistofscales(metricor

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 imperial)definedintheregistry.Whenthescalelistinadrawingisreset,AutoCADpurgestheunused scalesinthedrawingandthenmergesinthecustomizedlistofscalesfromtheregistryintothedrawing. YoucancustomizetheDefaultScaleListfromtheUserPreferencesTaboftheOptionsdialogbox.You canstilleditthescaleliststoredinthedrawingbyaccessingthescalecontrolontheStatusbarorwith theSCALELISTEDITcommand.

Figure58.UserPreferencestaboftheOptionsdialogbox

TheDefaultScaleListdialogboxissimilartotheexistingEditScaleListdialog,whicheditsthescalesin thedrawing.However,theDefaultScaleListdialogboxincludesadditionalcontrolsforyoutospecify whetherthedefaultscalesaremetricorimperial.

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Figure59.DefaultScalelist

Whenyouresetthescaleslistinadrawing,youarepromptedtoselectMetricscales,Imperialscales,or both.ThedefaultchoiceisgovernedbytheMEASUREMENTvariableinthedrawing.Whenyoucreatea newdrawingwithoutspecifyingatemplate,AutoCADaddsmetricorimperialscalesbasedonthe MEASUREMENTvariable.Whenyoucreateanewdrawingbasedonatemplate,thescalesinthe templateappearinthenewdrawing.Thescalesintheregistryarenotimported.

Missing SHX and Font Files

YounowhavetheoptiontoignoremissingSHXfiles(shapeorfontfiles)whenopeningadrawing.You arenolongerrequiredtospecifyareplacement.ThisdialogmaybesuppressedifFONTALTissetto somethingotherthannone.

Figure60.MissingSHXfiles

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 TextstyleswithmissingfontsarenowidentifiedbyaniconintheTextStyleManager.

Text Alignment in Linetypes

AutoCAD2011nowmakesitpossibletomaintainlinetypereadabilityinanyorientation.

Figure61.Textalignment

ThelinetypesincludedwithAutoCAD2011behavethiswaybydefault.Toupdateyourowncustom linetypes,youneedtochangetherotationoptiontoU,forupright.(Otherpossiblevaluesforthe rotationoptionareR,forrelative,andA,forabsolute.) Anexamplelinetypedefinitionlookslikethis: Old: *GAS_LINE,Gas line ----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS-A,.5,-.2,["GAS",STANDARD,S=.1,R=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.25 New: *GAS_LINE,Gas line ----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS-A,.5,-.2,["GAS",STANDARD,S=.1,U=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.25
Figure62.ExampleLinetypeDefinition.

Explore
AutoCAD2011givesyou3Dpowertoexploreyourideasinalmostanyshapeimaginable.AutoCADand ablankcanvashavealotincommon.Bothgiveyoutheabilitytocreatethepreviouslyunimaginable. ButAutoCADprovidestheflexibilitytoexploredesignideasinboth2Dand3D,withintuitivetoolsthat helpyourconceptsbecomereal.Theworldisyourcanvaswhatwillyoucreatenext?

3D Modeling Workspaces
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 AutoCAD2011includestwo3Drelatedworkspaces,whichyoucanaccessfromtheWorkspacemenuin theQuickAccessToolbar.The3DBasicsworkspaceprovidesasimpleworkspacewiththemostbasic toolsforcreatingandvisualizing3Dsolidmodels.The3DModelingworkspaceprovidesaccesstothe completearrayof3DtoolsinAutoCAD.

Figure63.Workspaceslist

3D Object Snaps
NewtoolsandvariablesinAutoCAD2011separate3Dobjectsnapsfrom2Dobjectsnaps.Anew3D ObjectSnaptoggleisavailableonthestatusbar,enablingyoutotoggle3Dobjectsnapsonandoff. Rightclickingonthestatusbariconprovidesaccesstoamenuofthe3DobjectsnapsandtheSettings option,whichlinkstothenew3DObjectSnaptabintheDraftingSettingsdialogbox.Youcanalso accessthesecontrolsviatheshiftrightclickmenu,oratthecommandlineusingthenew3DOSNAP commandand3DOSMODEsystemvariable.

Figure64.3DObjectsnaps

Solid Modeling
3DmodelingtoolsinAutoCAD2011havebeenupdatedtoprovidemoreflexibilityandincreasedeaseof use.TheEXTRUDE,LOFT,REVOLVE,andSWEEPcommandsnowallowyoutoselectanedgeorsub objectforusingasaprofileorcurvetocreateanewsurface.Youarenolongerlimitedtousingplanar curves. TheSolidribbontabprovidesaccesstonewFilletEdgeandChamferEdgesolideditingtools.Bothof thesetoolsprovideapreviewpriortocompletingtheoperationandtheysupportdirectmanipulation.

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Surface Modeling
Inadditionto3Dsolidandmeshobjects,AutoCAD2011offerstwodifferenttypesofsurfaces: proceduralandNURBS(nonuniformrationalbspline).Proceduralsurfacesareassociativeandhave history.NURBSsurfacesarenotassociativeanddonothavehistory.Instead,theyhavecontrolvertices thatallowyoutosculptshapesinawaythatisclosertohowyouwouldoperateintherealworld.You canuseproceduralsurfacestotakeadvantageofassociativemodelinganduseNURBSsurfacestotake advantageofsculptingwithcontrolvertices.Atypicalsurfacemodelingworkflowmightbe: Createamodelthatcombines3Dsolids,surfaces,andmeshobjects. Convertthemodeltoproceduralsurfacestotakeadvantageofassociativemodeling. ConverttheproceduralsurfacestoaNURBSmodelwiththeCONVTONURBScommandtotake advantageofNURBSediting. Checkforimperfectionsandwrinkleswiththesurfaceanalysistools. Ifnecessary,rebuildthesurfacestorestoresmoothnesswiththeCVREBUILDcommand.

ThenewSurfacetabontheribbonprovideseasyaccesstosurfacemodelingtools.

Figure65.Surfaceribbontab

SurfaceCreationTools AutoCAD2011enablesyoutocreatethreenewanalyticsurfacetypes:Blend,Patch,andNetwork. AblendsurfacecreatesasmoothtransitionbetweenexistingsurfacesusingthenewSURFBLEND command.Youcanspecifyhowtheblendsurfaceflowsattheedgethatmeetsandtouchestheother surfacesusingthegripmenuoptions.

Figure66.Blendedsurface

ThenewPatchsurfacetoolenablesyoutocloseorpatchanopen,closededgeobject.Itgeneratesa newpatchsurfaceforanyboundingedgethatisaclosedloop.

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Figure67.Patchsurface

ThenewNetworktoolenablesyoutocreateasurfacethroughasetofcurvesintheUandVdirections. ItissimilartotheLOFTcommandbutmorestreamlinedandflexible.Youcanevenchooseaselectionof curvesthatarenotconnectedtooneanother.

Figure68.Networksurface

Ifyoudefinetheedgesofanetworkedsurfaceusingedgesfromexistingsurfaces,thenewlycreated surfacewillhaveadditionalgripsenablingyoutocontrolthecontinuityconditionbetweenthenewly createdsurfaceanditsadjacentsurfaces. Theoffsettool(SURFOFFSETcommand)isaccessiblefromtheCreatepaneloftheSurfaceribbontab.It enablesyoutoeasilycreateanewsurfacebyoffsettinganexistingsurface.

Figure69.Offsetsurface

YoucanturnonSurfaceAssociativitypriortoperformingaBlend,Patch,orOffsetoperation,accessible fromtheCreatepaneloftheSurfacesribbontab,toconstrainthenewsurfacesbasedontheoriginating surfaces.Forexample,ifsurfaceassociativityisenabledwhenyoucreateanoffsetsurfaceandablend betweenthetwosurfaces,allthreesurfacesareassociative.Ifyouedittheoffsetdistance,usingthe Propertiespaletteorgrips,theblendsurfacewillupdateaccordingly.

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Figure70.Surfaceassociativity

SurfaceEditingTools AutoCAD2011offersasetofrobustnewsurfaceeditingtoolstofillet,extend,trim,anduntrimsurfaces. YoucancreateafilletwithaspecifiedradiusbetweentwosurfaceedgesusingthenewFillettool (SURFFILLETcommand),availableontheEditpanel.

Figure71.Surfacefillet

ThenewTrimtool,accessiblefromtheEditpanel,enablesyoutocreatecomplexedgesandholesin surfaces.YoucanusetheUntrimtool(UNTRIMcommand)tountrimatrimmedsurface.

Figure72.Surfacetrim

ThenewExtendtool(SURFEXTENDcommand),ontheEditpanel,enablesyoutoextendasurfaceby selectinganedge.

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Figure73.Surfaceextend

ThenewSculpttool(SURFSCULPTcommand),accessiblefromtheEditpanel,enablesyoutocreatea newsolidobjectbasedontheenclosedvolumeofmultipleintersectingsurfaces.

Figure74.Surfacesculpt

ThenewProjectGeometrytools(PROJECTGEOMETRYcommand)enableyoutoprojectgeometryontoa surfacecreatinganewlineorsplineontopofthesurface.UnliketheexistingImprinttool,theprojected geometryisnotconsumedbythesurface.YoucanusetheAutoTrimtooltospecifywhethersurfaces areautomaticallytrimmedwhenyouprojectgeometry.AllofthesetoolsareavailableintheProject GeometrypaneloftheSurfaceribbontab.

Figure75.ProjectGeometrytools

YoucanconvertfromanalyticsurfacestoNURBSsurfacesusingthenewConverttoNURBStool (CONVTONURBScommand)whichisaccessiblefromtheControlVerticespanelontheSurfaceribbon tab.OnceananalyticsurfaceisconvertedtoaNURBSsurfaceyoucanshow/hidethecontrolverticesvia theShowCVandHideCVtools(CVSHOWandCVHIDEcommands)andusethegizmotomovethe controlvertices,reshapingthesurface.AdditionaltoolsintheControlVerticespanelenableyouto

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 rebuildthecontrolvertices(CVREBUILD)oradd(CVADD)andremove(CVREMOVE)vertices.TheCVEdit Bar,locatedontheribbon,isaconvenienttoolthatcombinestheCVADD,CVHIDE,andCVREMOVE functions.

Figure76.NURBSsurface

AnalysisTools AutoCAD2011providesasetofanalysistoolstohelpyouunderstandthecontinuitybetweendifferent surfacesthatmakeupaglobalshape.ThesetoolsareavailableintheAnalysispaneloftheSurface ribbontab.TheZebratoolenablesyoutoanalyzesurfacecontinuitybyprojectingparallellinesontothe surface.TheCurvaturetooldisplaysacolorgradientonthesurface,enablingyoutoidentifyhighand lowareasofcurvature.TheDrafttooldisplaysacolorgradientonthesurface,enablingyouto determineifamodelhasadequatedraftbetweenapartanditsmold.Youcancontrolthedisplayand behaviorforeachoftheanalysistoolsusingtheAnalysisOptionsdialogbox.TheAnalysisOptionsdialog boxisaccessiblefromtheAnalysispanelaswellasfromthe3DModelingtaboftheOptionsdialogbox.

Figure77.Analysisoptions

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 Theanalysesarevisualrepresentationssimilartothevisualstyles,exceptthattheycanbeappliedper object.

Figure78.Exampleofanalysisrepresentations

Consistent Materials
AutoCAD2011providespowerfulandintuitivetoolsforviewing,selecting,andeditingmaterials.Access thesetoolsfromtheMaterialspaneloftheRenderribbontabwhenthe3DModelingworkspaceis active.

Figure79.Renderribbontab

TheMaterialsBrowserenablesyoutobrowseandsearchformaterialsfromtheAutodeskMaterials Libraryofthousandsofmaterialsanduserlibraries,aswellasfromthecurrentdrawing.Alistofthe availablelibrariesandtheircategoriesisavailableinthetreeatthebottomleftoftheMaterials Browser.

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Figure80.MaterialsBrowser

InadditiontotheAutodeskMaterialslibrary,youcancreateandopenyourownmaterialslibraries directlyintheMaterialsBrowser.Createcategorieswithinthematerialslibrarytoorganizeandmanage specifictypesofmaterials.Tofindspecificmaterials,youcansearchonmaterialcharacteristics,suchas blueorceramic.Afterlocatingadesiredmaterialinalibrary,addittothecurrentdrawingviatheright clickmenuordraganddrop.Materialsinthecurrentdrawingaredisplayedintheupperpaneofthe MaterialsBrowser.

Figure81.AutodeskMaterialslibrary

TheMaterialsEditoroffersmanysettingstomodifypropertiesofamaterial.Youcanaccessitfromthe dialogboxlauncherinthelowerrightcorneroftheMaterialspanelorfromaniconinthelowerright corneroftheMaterialsBrowser.

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Figure82.MaterialsEditor

Mesh Modeling
MeshmodelingfunctionalityhasbeenupdatedinAutoCAD2011toprovideyouwithmoreflexibility andcontrol.YoucanaccesstheMeshmodelingtoolsfromtheMeshtabwhenthe3DModeling workspaceisactive.

ThenewMergeMeshtoolenablesyoutomergetwoormoreadjacentfacesintoasingleface.

Figure83.MeshMergeexample

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 YoucanusetheCloseHoletooltoclosegapsinmeshobjectsbyselectingtheedgesofthesurrounding meshedges.

Figure84.CloseHoleexample

TheCollapseFaceorEdgetoolenablesyoutoforceverticesofsurroundingmeshfacestoconvergeat thecenterofaselectededgeorface.

Figure85.CollapseFaceorEdgeExample.

TheSpinTriangleFacetoolmodifiestheshapesoffacesbyrotatingtheedgethatjoinstwotriangular meshfaces.

Figure86.SpinTriangleFaceexample

Point Clouds
AutoCAD2011enablesyoutoattachanddisplaypointcloudscreatedfrom3Dscanningdevices.You canaccessthenewPointCloudtoolsfromtheInsertribbontab.

Figure87.PointCloudtools

TheIndextoolenablesyoutoindexscandatafilesfromtwodifferentpointcloudenginesandsave themaspointcloudfiles.

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 Engine Ambercore LightweightEngine Youcanattachapointcloudfile(ISDorPCG)toanAutoCADdrawinginasimilarmannertoattaching otherreferencefiles. Inputfiles .LAS .XYB,.LAS,.FLS,.FWS Outputfiles .ISD .PCG

Figure88.AttachPointClouddialogbox

Withapointcloudfileattached,youcancreateandeditdrawinggeometrybysnappingtopoints.Adjust thepointdensityusingtheDensitysliderbarintheflyoutofthePointCloudribbonpanel.

Figure89.PointClouddensity

Tosupportpointcloudfunctionality,AutoCAD2011includesfournewsystemvariables: POINTCLOUDDENSITYcontrolsthepercentageofpointsdisplayedatonceforallpointcloudsin thedrawing. POINTCLOUDRTDENSITYcontrolsthepercentageofpointsdisplayedduringrealtimezoom,pan, andorbit.

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 POINTCLOUDLOCKcontrolswhetherthelockpropertyofthepointcloudissettoYesorNo whenapointcloudisattached. POINTCLOUDAUTOUPDATEcontrolswhetherpointcloudsaredynamicallyupdatedwhen transformingthepointcloudorafterzooming,panning,ororbiting.

LearningResources
WhenyoustartAutoCAD2011,aWelcomeScreenisautomaticallydisplayed.FromtheWelcomeScreen youcanlinktoshortvideostolearnaboutkeytopicsinAutoCAD.Additionallinksatthebottomofthe WelcomeScreenprovideeasyaccesstomorelearningresources,includingWhatsNew,LearningPath, andAutoCADOnlineHelp.

New Features Workshop

TheNewFeaturesWorkshophasbeenupdatedtoincludeAutoCAD2011functionality.Thisinteractive learningtoolhelpsyoudiscoverthenewestfunctionalitywithminimaleffort.YoucanaccesstheNew FeaturesWorkshopfromthedropdownmenuontheInfoCentertoolbar,totherightoftheHelp button.

Figure90.Learningtools

Online Help System

AutoCAD2011includesawebbasedhelpsystem,whichyoucanlaunchfromtheHelpicononthe InfoCenter.

Figure91.AutoCADhelp

AcontrolontheSystemtaboftheOptionsdialogboxallowsyoutodisabletheonlinehelp.Doingso displaysalocalversionoftheAutoCADhelpsystem. 43

Figure92.SystemtaboftheOptionsdialogbox

AutodeskSeek
Autodesk Seek web service makes it easy to search for building product information and design files from inside your Autodesk design application, as well as enabling you to download directly into your AutoCAD drawings.

Figure93.Contentpanel

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Figure94.BrowserwindowwithsearchresultsautomaticallyfilteredbyDWG. More than 1,200 manufacturers and 35,000 products are available on Autodesk Seek. You are likely to find something you need among over the 100,000 DWGTM files on Autodesk Seek. In addition, you can share designs with peers by uploading them directly from your AutoCAD files to the Autodesk Seek User Uploads. You can easily access the Share with Autodesk Seek button from the Output panel of the tab.

Figure95.SharewithAutodeskSeekontheOutputpanel You can choose to share the current drawing or select a block definition within the drawing.

Figure96.SharewithAutodeskSeek

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Thumbnails, title, and metadata are automatically extracted and indexed. Shared designs can be searched and downloaded by anyone.

Figure97.MySeekkeepstrackofallsharedfilesinchronologicalorder After you log in, you can access My Seek, where you can delete or edit your design. You can also send a link to others by selecting and clicking on the Send button.

Autodesk,AutoCAD,DWF,Showmotion,SteeringWheels,andViewCubeareregisteredtrademarksortrademarksofAutodesk, Inc.,and/oritssubsidiariesand/oraffiliatesintheUSAand/orothercountries.Allotherbrandnames,productnames,or trademarksbelongtotheirrespectiveholders. 2010Autodesk,Inc.Allrightsreserved.

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