Book Image

Practical Autodesk AutoCAD 2023 and AutoCAD LT 2023 - Second Edition

By : Jaiprakash Pandey, Yasser Shoukry
Book Image

Practical Autodesk AutoCAD 2023 and AutoCAD LT 2023 - Second Edition

By: Jaiprakash Pandey, Yasser Shoukry

Overview of this book

AutoCAD is one of the most versatile software applications for architectural and engineering designs and the most popular computer-aided design (CAD) platform for 2D drafting and 3D modeling. This hands-on 2nd edition guide will take you through everything you need to know to make the most out of this powerful tool, from a simple tour of the user interface to using advanced tools. Starting with basic drawing shapes and functions, you'll get to grips with the fundamentals of CAD designs. You’ll then learn about effective drawing management using layers, dynamic blocks, and groups, and discover how to add annotations and plots like a professional. As you progress, the book will show you how to convert your 2D drawings into 3D models and shapes. You’ll also discover advanced features, such as isometric drawings, drawing utilities for managing and recovering complex files, quantity surveying, and multidisciplinary drawing files using xRefs. Finally, you’ll focus on rendering and visualizing your designs in AutoCAD. By the end of this book, you’ll have developed a solid understanding of CAD principles and be able to work with AutoCAD software confidently to build impressive 2D and 3D creations.
Table of Contents (21 chapters)
1
Part 1: Introduction and 2D Drafting
6
Part 2: Customization, Collaboration, and Using Reusable Content
12
Part 3: 3D Modeling

Understanding the paper space

An AutoCAD working environment is divided into two main parts: the model space and the paper space. The model space is where you do all the drawing or modeling, while the paper space is where you prepare your drawings for printing. The presence of these two separate working spaces allows for easier and better focus during the model’s creation. For example, the user can use the convenient 1:1 scale in the model space during the model’s creation, even if they are planning to print to another scale, which will be adjusted in the paper space (as we will see in the Examples of creating and setting layout tabs and viewports section). You can even create multiple layouts and viewports to print the same model in different scales. The paper space also houses the title block and notes for the drawing, so you don’t need to worry about that interfering with the modeling process.

In this section, we will learn how to switch to or create a paper...