Beginning AutoCAD® 2024 Exercise Workbook

For more than 20 years, AutoCAD students, instructors, and professionals have relied on the AutoCAD Exercise Workbooks to develop and hone their use of this incredibly versatile program. Whether you are a complete beginner, seeking to improve your 2D drawing capabilities, or just interested in learning about the latest updates, the bestselling Beginning AutoCAD® 2024 Exercise Workbook is the perfect resource.

With clear explanations, step-by-step instructions, inside tips, and numerous exercises, these AutoCAD experts help users make real progress in their drawing capabilities. For easy entry into working with drawing commands, users can download preset drawing templates from the provided link, or by visiting Industrial Press’s print or eBook website product pages.

The new AutoCAD 2024 software builds on the features of previous releases. Improvements include a reinvented icon on the main menus, and revisions of the Shared Views Palette, making it easier than ever to collaborate with colleagues on AutoCAD projects. The new Automatic Block Placement Tool assists with positioning of commonly used blocks, facilitating quick and precise creation of detailed layouts.

New and/or Improved Features in Beginning AutoCAD 2024:

• Automatic Block Placement Tool — This new capability assists with quickly positioning and inserting a new block into a drawing by providing placement suggestions, based on existing blocks of the same type that have already been inserted into the drawing. (Included in Lesson 29)
• Shared Views Palette — The design of this important tool set, intentionally created to facilitate seamless communication and collaboration on drawings, has been subtly streamlined for this latest edition. (Included in Lesson 30)
• Global AutoCAD 2024 Updates — New illustrations and detailed explanations and instructions throughout this new Exercise Workbook reflect the very latest in AutoCAD tools, dialog boxes, and other key elements.

Introduction

• About this Workbook
• About the Authors
• Configuring Your System
• Customizing Your Wheel Mouse

Lesson 1

• Starting AutoCAD
• AutoCAD Application Window
• ToolTip Help

Lesson 2

• Creating a Template
• Using a Template
• Selecting a Command
• Drawing Lines
• Methods for Selecting Objects
• Erase
• Undo and Redo
• Starting a New Drawing
• Opening an Existing Drawing File
• Opening Multiple Files
• Using Floating File Tabs
• Saving a Drawing File
• Automatic Save
• Back Up Files and Recover
• Exiting AutoCAD
• Exercises for Lesson 2

Lesson 3

• Circle
• Rectangle
• Grid and Increment Snap
• Layers
• Lineweights
• Transparency
• Creating New Layers
• Loading and Selecting Layer Linetypes
• Exercises for Lesson 3

Lesson 4

• Object Snap
• Running Object Snap
• Zoom
• Drawing Setup
• Exercises for Lesson 4

Lesson 5

• Polygon
• Ellipse
• Donut
• Point
• More Object Snaps
• Exercises for Lesson 5

Lesson 6

• Break
• Trim
• Extend
• Move
• Drag
• Nudge
• Explode
• Exercises for Lesson 6

Lesson 7

• Copy Multiple Copies
• Copy “Array” Option
• Mirror
• Fillet
• Chamfer
• Exercises for Lesson 7

Lesson 8

• Single Line Text
• Multiline Text
• Tabs, Indents, and Spell Check
• Columns
• Paragraph and Line Spacing
• Editing Text
• Exercises for Lesson 8

Lesson 9

• Coordinate Input
• Direct Distance Entry (DDE)
• Measure Tools
• ID Point
• Exercise: Creating a Border
• Basic Plotting from Model Space
• More Exercises for Lesson 9

Lesson 10

• Moving the Origin
• Displaying the UCS Icon
• Exercises for Lesson 10

Lesson 11

• Polar Coordinate Input
• Dynamic Input
• Using Dynamic Input and Polar Coordinates
• Polar Tracking
• Using Polar Tracking and DDE
• Polar Snap
• Using Polar Tracking and Polar Snap
• Exercises for Lesson 11

Lesson 12

• Offset
• Properties Palette
• Quick Properties Panel
• Offsetgaptype
• Exercises for Lesson 12

Lesson 13

• Array
• Exercises for Lesson 13

Lesson 14

• Scale
• Stretch
• Rotate
• Exercises for Lesson 14

Lesson 15

• Hatch
• Hatch Properties
• Hatch Types
• Editing Hatch Set Properties
• Exercises for Lesson 15

Lesson 16

• Dimensioning
• Linear Dimensioning
• Continue Dimensioning
• Baseline Dimensioning
• Dimension Styles
• Ignoring Hatch Objects
• Exercises for Lesson 16

Lesson 17

• Editing Dimension Text Values
• Editing the Dimension Position
• Modifying an Entire Dimension Style
• Overriding a Dimension Style
• Editing an Individual Existing Dimension
• Dimension Breaks
• Jogging a Dimension Line
• Adjusting the Distance Between Dimensions
• Exercises for Lesson 17

Lesson 18

• Dimensioning Diameters
• Dimensioning Radii
• Angular Dimensioning
• Center Mark – Automatic
• Center Mark – Manual
• Centerline
• Flip Arrow
• Creating a Dimension Sub-Style
• Exercises for Lesson 18

Lesson 19

• Multileader
• Creating a Multileader Style
• Aligned Dimensioning
• Special Text Characters
• Prefix and Suffix
• Exercises for Lesson 19

Lesson 20

• Dim Command
• Exercises for Lesson 20

Lesson 21

• Match Properties
• Match Layer
• Creating a Revision Cloud
• Converting an Object to a Revision Cloud
• Selecting the Revision Cloud Style
• Wipeout
• Exercises for Lesson 21

Lesson 22

• Drawing an Arc
• Dimensioning Arc Lengths
• Dimensioning a Large Curve
• Exercises for Lesson 22

Lesson 23

• Understanding and Creating Polylines
• Exercises for Lesson 23

Lesson 24

• Editing Polylines
• Join Command
• Exercises for Lesson 24

Lesson 25

• Creating New Text Styles
• Selecting a Text Style
• Deleting a Text Style
• Changing the Effects of a Text Style
• Divide Command
• Measure Command
• Exercises for Lesson 25

Lesson 26

• Serious Business
• Model and Layout Options
• Model and Layout Tabs
• Viewports
• How to Reach Into a Viewport
• Pan
• Locking a Viewport
• Creating a Page Setup
• Using the Layout
• Plotting from a Layout Tab
• Annotative Property
• Exercises for Lesson 26

Lesson 27

• Creating Scaled Drawings
• Adjusting the Viewport Scale
• Annotative Objects
• Paper Space Dimensioning
• Exercises for Lesson 27

Lesson 28

• Assigning Multiple Annotative Scales
• Removing an Annotative Scale
• Annotative Hatch
• Exercises for Lesson 28

Lesson 29

• Blocks
• Inserting Blocks
• Re-Defining a Block
• Automatic Block Placement
• Count the Number of Blocks in a Drawing
• Purge Unwanted and Unused Blocks
• Multileader and Blocks
• Collect Multileader
• Exercises for Lesson 29

Lesson 30

• Text – Arc Aligned
• Text – Modify Text
• Text – Convert to MText and Auto Number
• Text – Enclose in Object
• Draw – Break-Line Symbol
• Tools – Command Aliases
• Creating a Group
• Import a PDF File into AutoCAD
• Import a PDF file with SHX fonts
• Drawing Compare
• Shared Views
• Exercises for Lesson 30

Appendixes

• Add a Printer / Plotter B Dynamic Input
• Frequently Asked Questions

Index

Final Notes about AutoCAD®