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

Working with blocks

Blocks are reusable content that can be used again and again in a drawing. You can make these blocks and then save them for use in other drawings. An example of a block is shown here:

Figure 4.43: A sample drawing with blocks in it

In this drawing, the chair, doors, desk, computer, and telephone are blocks that have been made once and used repeatedly wherever needed. Though there are many advantages to using a block over simply copying and pasting the original symbol, the biggest advantage is the ability to modify all references of the block by only modifying one block. In the preceding drawing, if you happen to modify the chair, all the instances where the same chair block is used will modify automatically to reflect the changes made by you in the first block. In this section, we will start by making a simple door block and then move on to use and modify it.

Making blocks

Make a simple door symbol using the rectangle and arc commands...