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

Making Arrays

The Array command helps us to make patterns of objects along a path. In AutoCAD, you can make an Array along a circular path (called a Polar Array), a linear path (called a Rectangular Array), and any open path (called a Path Array).

We will start the next section with the Rectangular Array and then move on to the other Array tools.

The Rectangular Array

Here, we have a drawing of a window on a simple wall. We want to replicate the window object, which is shown in Figure 4.18, and make two horizontal rows and five vertical columns of windows on this wall, separated at equal distances. For this, we can use the Rectangular Array option:

Figure 4.18: A sample drawing to use for the Rectangular Array

In the following example, we will learn how to make multiple copies of the window using the Rectangular Array command:

  1. Click on the arrow next to the Array icon in the Modify panel of the Home tab. Then, select Rectangular Array from...