Introduction
Welcome to Mastering AutoCAD for Mac. As many readers of the original Mastering AutoCAD have already discovered, this book is a unique blend of tutorial and reference that includes everything you need to get started and stay ahead with AutoCAD.
Rather than just showing you how each command works, this book shows you AutoCAD for Mac in the context of meaningful activities. You’ll learn how to use commands while working on an actual project and progressing toward a goal. This book also provides a foundation on which you can build your own methods for using AutoCAD and become an AutoCAD expert. For this reason, I haven’t covered every single command or every permutation of a command response. You should think of this book as a way to get a detailed look at AutoCAD as it’s used on a real project. As you follow the exercises, I encourage you to also explore AutoCAD on your own, applying the techniques you learn to your own work.
Both experienced and beginning AutoCAD users will find this book useful. If you aren’t an experienced user, the way to get the most out of this book is to approach it as a tutorial—chapter by chapter, at least for the first two parts of the book. You’ll find that each chapter builds on the skills and information you learned in the previous one. To help you navigate, the exercises are shown in numbered steps. To address the needs of all readers worldwide, the exercises provide both Imperial (feet/inches) and metric measurements.
After you’ve mastered the material in Parts 1 and 2, you can follow your interests and explore other parts of the book in whatever order you choose. Part 3 takes you to a more advanced skill level. There you’ll learn more about storing and sharing drawing data and how to create more complex drawings. If you’re interested in 3D, check out Part 4.
You can also use this book as a ready reference for your day-to-day problems and questions about commands. Optional exercises at the end of each chapter will help you review and look at different ways to apply the information you’ve learned. Experienced users will also find this book a handy reference tool.
In each chapter, you’ll find extensive tips and discussions in the form of sidebars set off from the main text. These provide a wealth of information I have gathered over years of using AutoCAD on a variety of projects in different office environments. You may want to browse through the book and read these boxes just to get an idea of how they might be useful to you.
Another quick reference you’ll find yourself using often is Appendix D, “System Variables and Dimension Styles,” included on the companion website, www.sybex.com/go/masteringautocadmac. It contains descriptions of all the dimension settings with comments on their uses. If you experience any problems, you can consult the section “When Things Go Wrong” in Appendix C, “Hardware and Software Tips,” also included on the companion website.
The Mastering Series
The Mastering series from Sybex provides outstanding instruction for readers with intermediate and advanced skills, in the form of top-notch training and development for those already working in their field and clear, serious education for those aspiring to become pros. Every Mastering book includes the following:
- Real-World Scenarios, ranging from case studies to practical information you can use now, that show how the tool, technique, or knowledge presented is applied in actual practice
- Skill-based instruction, with chapters organized around real tasks rather than abstract concepts or subjects
- Self-review test questions, so you can be certain you’re equipped to do the job right
Mastering AutoCAD for Mac is divided into four parts, each representing a milestone in your progress toward becoming an expert AutoCAD user. Here is a description of those parts and what they will show you.
Part 1: The Basics
As with any major endeavor, you must begin by tackling small, manageable tasks. In this first part, you’ll become familiar with the way AutoCAD looks and feels.
Chapter 1, “Exploring the AutoCAD Interface,” shows you how to get around in AutoCAD.
Chapter 2, “Creating Your First Drawing,” details how to start and exit the program and how to respond to AutoCAD commands.
Chapter 3, “Setting Up and Using AutoCAD’s Drafting Tools,” tells you how to set up a work area, edit objects, and lay out a drawing.
Chapter 4, “Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups,” explores some tools unique to CAD: symbols, blocks, and layers. As you’re introduced to AutoCAD, you’ll also get a chance to make some drawings that you can use later in the book and perhaps even in future projects of your own.
Chapter 5, “Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks,” shows you how to use layers to keep similar information together and object properties such as linetypes to organize things visually.
Part 2: Mastering Intermediate Skills
After you have the basics down, you’ll begin to explore some of AutoCAD’s more subtle qualities.
Chapter 6, “Editing and Reusing Data to Work Efficiently,” tells you how to reuse drawing setup information and parts of an existing drawing.
Chapter 7, “Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References,” details how to use viewing tools and hatches and how to assemble and edit a large drawing file.
Chapter 8, “Introducing Printing and Layouts,” shows you how to get your drawing onto hard copy.
Chapter 9, “Adding Text to Drawings,” tells you how to annotate your drawing and edit your notes.
Chapter 10, “Using Fields and Tables,” shows you how to add spreadsheet functionality to your drawings.
Chapter 11, “Using Dimensions,” gives you practice in using automatic dimensioning (another unique CAD capability).
Part 3: Mastering Advanced Skills
At this point, you’ll be on the verge of becoming a real AutoCAD expert. Part 3 is designed to help you polish your existing skills and give you a few new ones.
Chapter 12, “Using Attributes,” tells you how to attach information to drawing objects and how to export that information to database and spreadsheet files.
Chapter 13, “Copying Existing Drawings into AutoCAD,” details techniques for transferring paper drawings to AutoCAD.
Chapter 14, “Advanced Editing and Organizing,” is where you’ll complete the apartment building tutorial. During this process you’ll learn how to integrate what you’ve learned so far and gain some tips on working in groups.
Chapter 15, “Laying Out Your Printer Output,” shows you the tools that let you display your drawing in an organized fashion.
Chapter 16, “Making ‘Smart’ Drawings with Parametric Tools,” introduces you to parametric drawing. This feature lets you quickly modify a drawing by changing a few parameters.
Chapter 17, “Drawing Curves,” gives you an in-depth look at some special drawing objects, such as splines and fitted curves.
Chapter 18, “Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings,” is where you’ll practice getting information about a drawing and learn how AutoCAD can interact with other applications, such as spreadsheets and page-layout programs. You’ll also learn how to copy and paste data.
Part 4: 3D Modeling and Imaging
Although 2D drafting is AutoCAD’s workhorse application, AutoCAD’s 3D capabilities give you a chance to expand your ideas and look at them in a new light.
Chapter 19, “Creating 3D Drawings,” covers AutoCAD’s basic features for creating three-dimensional drawings.
Chapter 20, “Using Advanced 3D Features,” introduces you to some of the program’s more powerful 3D capabilities.
Chapter 21, “Rendering 3D Drawings,” shows how you can use AutoCAD to produce lifelike views of your 3D drawings.
Chapter 22, “Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids,” takes a closer look at 3D solids and how they can be created, edited, and displayed in AutoCAD.
Chapter 23, “Exploring 3D Mesh and Surface Modeling,” introduces you to free-form 3D modeling using mesh and surface objects. With this latest addition to AutoCAD, there isn’t anything you can’t model in 3D.
The Appendix
Finally, this book has one appendix.
Appendix A, “The Bottom Line,” contains the solutions to the book’s Master It review questions.
What’s on the Book’s Website
The companion website, www.sybex.com/go/masteringautocadmac, contains the sample drawing files from all the exercises in this book. You can pick up an exercise anywhere you like without having to work through the book from front to back. You can also use these sample files to repeat exercises or to just explore how files are organized and put together. In addition, you’ll find the following:
- Links to important resources like video demos of the new features in AutoCAD for the Mac
- A trial version of AutoCAD for the Mac
- Trial software of companion products to AutoCAD for the Mac
- Three appendices and two bonus chapters to further enhance your skills
- Appendix B, “Installing and Setting Up AutoCAD for Mac,” contains an installation and configuration tutorial. If AutoCAD isn’t already installed on your system, follow the steps in this tutorial before starting Chapter 1.
- Appendix C, “Hardware and Software Tips,” provides information about hardware related to AutoCAD. It also provides tips on improving AutoCAD’s performance and troubleshooting and provides more detailed information on setting up AutoCAD’s plotting feature.
- Appendix D, “System Variables and Dimension Styles,” provides a reference to dimension style settings.
- Bonus Chapter 1, “Exploring AutoLISP,” is a primer to AutoCAD’s popular macro language. You’ll learn how you can create custom commands built on existing ones and how you can retrieve and store locations and other data.
- Bonus Chapter 2, “Customizing Toolsets, Menus, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns,” shows you how to use workspaces, customize the user interface, and create custom linetypes and hatch patterns. You’ll also be introduced to the Diesel macro language.
The AutoCAD Free Trial
If you don’t have AutoCAD, you can install a trial version from the companion website. Be aware that the trial is good for only 30 days—don’t start to use it until you’re certain you’ll have plenty of free time to practice using AutoCAD.
The Minimum System Requirements
This book assumes you have an Apple Macintosh computer with an Intel Core Duo or Quad Core processor running OS X Leopard v10.5.8 or later or OS X Snow Leopard v10.6 or later. Generally speaking, any Macintosh released after January 1, 2009 should work. Your computer should have a hard disk with 1 GB or more of free space (3 GB recommended) for the AutoCAD program files and about 120 MB of additional space for sample files and the workspace.
AutoCAD for Mac runs best on systems with at least 2 GB or more of RAM. Your computer should also have a high-resolution monitor and an Nvidia GeForce or ATI Radeon display processor. We also assume you’re using a mouse and have the use of a printer or a plotter. You can use a trackpad, but make sure you are familiar with the click-and-drag (double-tap and drag) and right-click (two-finger tap) emulation on the trackpad. Finally, you’ll need an Internet connection to take full advantage of the support offerings from Autodesk.
If you want a more detailed explanation of hardware options with AutoCAD, see Appendix C on the companion website. You’ll find a general description of the available hardware options and their significance to AutoCAD.
Much care has been taken to see that the stylistic conventions in this book—the use of uppercase or lowercase letters, italic or boldface type, and so on—are the ones most likely to help you learn AutoCAD. On the whole, their effect should be subliminal. However, you may find it useful to be conscious of the following rules:
- Menu selections are shown by a series of options separated by the symbol (for example, choose File New). These are typically used to show selections from a shortcut menu or the menu bar, which you will learn about in Chapter 1.
- Keyboard entries are shown in boldface (for example, enter ROTATE↵).
- Command-line prompts are shown in a monospaced font (for example, Select objects:).
For most functions, this book describes how to select icons or tools from the different AutoCAD panels. In addition, where applicable, I include related keyboard shortcuts and command names. These command names provide continuity for readers accustomed to working at the Command prompt.
I use the standard symbols for the Mac shift, control, option and command keys. These keys are used in conjunction with letter keys to control many of AutoCAD’s features. Here is a list of the symbols and the keys they represent:
Shift key
Control key
Option key
Command key
New Features of AutoCAD for Mac
AutoCAD for Mac has a helpful interface with elements like tooltips and a Web-based help system. A Welcome screen offers short videos to help you learn basic functions. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find that some features can simplify your work so you don’t have to keep track of so many details. Here are some of the features covered in this book:
- Mac-oriented interface with support for Multi-Touch devices allow you to easily navigate your drawing.
- Advanced surface modeling with procedural and NURBS surface tools give you a new level of control in 3D modeling.
- Streamlined materials and rendering tools make it easier to produce presentation-quality renderings from diagrammatic sketches to photo-real presentations.
- Expanded transparency control adds transparency to any pattern or object.
- Multifunction grips give you expanded control over 2D and 3D objects.
- New selection features enable you to isolate and select similar objects quickly and easily.
We hope that Mastering AutoCAD for Mac will be of benefit to you and that, after you’ve completed the tutorials, you’ll continue to use the book as a reference. If you have comments, criticism, or ideas about how the book can be improved, you can contact us at the following addresses:
George Omura: [email protected].
Rick Graham: [email protected]
Rich Graham’s AutoCAD for Mac blog: www.macacad.com
If you find errors, please let the publisher know. Visit the book’s web page, www.sybex.com/go/masteringautocadmac, and click the Errata link to find a form on which you can identify the problem.
And thanks for choosing Mastering AutoCAD for Mac.