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

Using Object Snaps

Making precise drawings in AutoCAD is not possible without Object Snaps, also called OSNAPS. Object Snap is an option on the status bar with a bunch of control points. These control points are the geometric points, such as the endpoint, center, midpoint, intersection, and so on, which, if activated, become available for selection in the drawing.

The Object Snap status bar option looks like a box with a tiny box in the top left of it, as shown in the following screenshot:

Figure 3.1: The Object Snap status bar toggle

You can activate Object Snap by clicking on the icon once or by using its function key, F3. When active, the Object Snap icon looks blue and when deactivated, it looks gray, just like the other icons in the status bar.

When you click on the tiny arrow pointing down next to the Object Snap icon, you will see a list of snap points that AutoCAD will recognize when the Object Snap option is activated. The snap point menu is...