AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies (2006)

xviii AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies

Chapter 4: Moving from 2D to 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	307
Working with Regions ..................................................................................	307
Creating regions..................................................................................	308
Modifying regions...............................................................................	308
Getting more information about regions.........................................	309
3D Polylines and Helixes .............................................................................	310
3D polyline ..........................................................................................	310
Helix .....................................................................................................	310
Creating 3D Objects from 2D Objects........................................................	311
Thickness ............................................................................................	311
Extrude ................................................................................................	311
Loft .......................................................................................................	312
Sweep ...................................................................................................	312
Revolve ................................................................................................	313
Tabulated Mesh ..................................................................................	313
Revolved Mesh ...................................................................................	314
Ruled Mesh..........................................................................................	314
Edge Mesh ...........................................................................................	315
Creating 2D Objects from 3D Objects........................................................	315
Flatshot ................................................................................................	316
Section Plane.......................................................................................	316
Solid Draw, Solid View, and Solid Profile .........................................	317
3D Modify Commands .................................................................................	317
3D Move ...............................................................................................	318
3D Rotate .............................................................................................	318
Align .....................................................................................................	319
3D Align................................................................................................	319
Mirror 3D .............................................................................................	319
3D Array...............................................................................................	319
Chapter 5: Working with Solids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	321
Creating Solid Primitives.............................................................................	321
Polysolid ..............................................................................................	321
Box........................................................................................................	322
Wedge...................................................................................................	322
Cone .....................................................................................................	323
Sphere ..................................................................................................	323
Cylinder ...............................................................................................	324
Torus ....................................................................................................	324
Pyramid................................................................................................	324
Editing Solids ................................................................................................	325
Solid editing ........................................................................................	325
Using grips to edit solids...................................................................	327
Booleans ..............................................................................................	327
Filleting and chamfering ....................................................................	327
Slice ......................................................................................................	328

Table of Contents	xix
Chapter 6: Working with Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .329
Creating Surfaces .........................................................................................	329
3D face .................................................................................................	329
3D mesh ...............................................................................................	330
Planar surface .....................................................................................	330
Box........................................................................................................	331
Wedge...................................................................................................	332
Cone .....................................................................................................	332
Sphere ..................................................................................................	333
Dish and dome ....................................................................................	333
Torus ....................................................................................................	334
Pyramid................................................................................................	334
Editing Surfaces............................................................................................	335
Controlling the visibility of edges ....................................................	335
Using grips to edit surfaces ..............................................................	336
Working with convert to surface ......................................................	336
Thicken ................................................................................................	336
Chapter 7: Rendering: Lights, Cameras, AutoCAD! . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .337
Lighting a Scene ...........................................................................................	337
Default lights .......................................................................................	338
User lights ...........................................................................................	338
Sunlight................................................................................................	340
Getting the Right Look with Materials.......................................................	341
Setting Up a Backdrop .................................................................................	343
Rendering the Final Scene...........................................................................	343
Book VI: Advanced Drafting.......................................	347
Chapter 1: Playing with Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .349
Working with Reusable Content .................................................................	349
Creating Blocks.............................................................................................	350
Accessing the Block Definition dialog box......................................	351
Exploring some advanced options...................................................	353
Inserting Blocks............................................................................................	354
Managing Blocks ..........................................................................................	356
Renaming a block definition .............................................................	356
Redefining a block definition ............................................................	357
Purging a block definition from a drawing ......................................	357
Exporting a block definition..............................................................	358
Enhancing Blocks with Attributes..............................................................	359
Adding an attribute to a block definition ........................................	359
Inserting a block with attributes ......................................................	362
Changing an attribute’s value in a block .........................................	363
Managing attributes in blocks ..........................................................	363
Extracting attribute data from blocks .............................................	363

xx AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies

Chapter 2: Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	.365
What Makes a Block Dynamic?...................................................................	365
Block Editor Environment...........................................................................	366
Components of the Block Editor ......................................................	367
Editing a block definition ..................................................................	369
Going Dynamic .............................................................................................	371
Adding parameters.............................................................................	373
Adding actions ....................................................................................	374
Using parameter sets .........................................................................	376
Visibility states ...................................................................................	376
Using Dynamic Blocks .................................................................................	378
Inserting a dynamic block .................................................................	379
Modifying a dynamic block ...............................................................	379
Dynamic Blocks in Older Releases.............................................................	380
Chapter 3: External References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	381
Blocks versus External References ............................................................	381
Working with External References .............................................................	382
DWG References ...........................................................................................	383
Attaching an xref ................................................................................	384
External reference notification .........................................................	386
Editing an xref .....................................................................................	387
Clipping an xref...................................................................................	389
Increasing the performance of xrefs ................................................	391
Binding an xref....................................................................................	392
Raster Images ...............................................................................................	393
Attaching a raster image ...................................................................	393
Clipping a raster image......................................................................	395
Controlling the appearance of a raster image ................................	396
DWF Underlays .............................................................................................	397
Attaching a DWF underlay.................................................................	397
Clipping a DWF underlay ...................................................................	399
Controlling the appearance of DWF underlay ................................	400
Draw Order ...................................................................................................	400
Object Linking and Embedding (OLE).......................................................	401
Managing External References Outside of AutoCAD ...............................	402
Chapter 4: Organizing Your Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	405
Why Bother to Organize Drawings?...........................................................	405
It’s all in the name ..............................................................................	405
Using the Windows Clipboard ....................................................................	406
Copying objects from a drawing.......................................................	406
Cutting objects from a drawing ........................................................	406
Pasting objects into a drawing .........................................................	407
AutoCAD DesignCenter ...............................................................................	407
Locating resources in drawings........................................................	409
Adding resources to drawings..........................................................	411
Inserting hatches and loading linetypes .........................................	412

Table of Contents	xxi
Using the Tool Palettes Window ................................................................	412
Blocks, xrefs, images, tables, and hatches......................................	413
Command and flyouts tools ..............................................................	413
Modifying tools on a tool palette .....................................................	413
Chapter 5: AutoCAD Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .415
Filtering Objects during Selection..............................................................	415
Quick Select.........................................................................................	415
Filter .....................................................................................................	417
AutoCAD Calculator.....................................................................................	419
Using QuickCalc with the Properties palette..................................	422
Using QuickCalc with a command....................................................	422
Auditing and Recovering Drawings............................................................	423
Auditing a drawing .............................................................................	423
Recovering a drawing ........................................................................	424
Using the Drawing Recovery Manager ............................................	425
Book VII: Publishing Drawings ...................................	427
Chapter 1: Page Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .429
Preparing for Output with Page Setups.....................................................	430
Options of a page setup.....................................................................	430
Working with page setups .................................................................	432
Organizing a Drawing with Layouts ...........................................................	435
Working with layouts .........................................................................	436
Looking at a Model through Viewports.....................................................	441
Defining a viewport’s shape ..............................................................	442
Controlling scale.................................................................................	446
Controlling the display within a viewport.......................................	446
Modifying a viewport .........................................................................	448
Chapter 2: Sheet Sets without Regret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .449
Overview of a Sheet Set...............................................................................	449
Sheet Set Manager ..............................................................................	451
Creating a Sheet Set .....................................................................................	451
Starting from scratch .........................................................................	452
Starting from an existing sheet set...................................................	455
Managing Drawings with a Sheet Set .........................................................	456
Opening a sheet set............................................................................	456
Importing existing drawings as sheets ............................................	457
Organizing with subsets ....................................................................	459
Setting up a sheet set and subset for adding new sheets .............	460
Adding a new sheet ............................................................................	463
Opening a sheet ..................................................................................	464
Removing, renaming, and renumbering a sheet.............................	464

xxii AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies

Sheet set and sheet properties.........................................................	465
Setting up callouts and label blocks ................................................	468
Adding resource drawings ................................................................	472
Adding model views to a sheet.........................................................	473
Publishing, eTransmitting, and Archiving a Sheet Set ............................	476
Chapter 3: Print, Plot, Publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .477
You Say Printing, We Say Plotting, They Say Publishing.........................	477
Working with drivers..........................................................................	478
Configuring a printer or plotter........................................................	479
Putting style in your plots.................................................................	484
Outputting Made Easy .................................................................................	488
Plotting the Model tab .......................................................................	489
Plotting a paper space layout ...........................................................	491
Scaling your drawing .........................................................................	492
More plotting options ........................................................................	492
Publishing Drawings ....................................................................................	494
Book VIII: Collaboration ............................................	497
Chapter 1: CAD Management: The Necessary Evil . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .499
Getting a Handle on the Basics of CAD Management ..............................	499
Managing the Drafting Environment..........................................................	502
Creating a Good Foundation .......................................................................	503
Creating a drawing template file.......................................................	504
Using a drawing template file ...........................................................	505
Specifying a drawing template file for use with QNEW .................	506
Specifying the location of drawing template files ..........................	508
Chapter 2: CAD Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .509
CAD Standards Overview ............................................................................	509
Using AutoCAD’s CAD Standards Tools.....................................................	511
Drawing standards (.DWS) files........................................................	512
Managing standards...........................................................................	513
Translating layers...............................................................................	518
Batch checking drawings ..................................................................	522
Chapter 3: Working with Drawing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .527
It’s All in the Name: Creating Naming Conventions .................................	527
Part of a Drawing Can Be a Good Thing: Working with Partial Open	....528
Controlling What Happens during a Save .................................................	532
Getting a handle on drawing file formats ........................................	532
Indexing the content of a drawing....................................................	533
Protecting Your Drawings ...........................................................................	535
Password-protecting ..........................................................................	535
Digital signatures................................................................................	539

Table of Contents	xxiii
Chapter 4: Sharing Electronic Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. . .547
Sharing Drawings with Non-AutoCAD–based Products ..........................	547
Taking Drawings to the Internet.................................................................	548
Using an FTP site ................................................................................	549
Publishing drawings to the Web.......................................................	551
Using Web-based project sites..........................................................	556
Emulating Paper Digitally............................................................................	558
Design Web Format (DWF) ...............................................................	559
Portable Document File (PDF) ..........................................................	560
Head-to-head comparison .................................................................	560
Working with DWFs......................................................................................	561
Creating a DWF file .............................................................................	562
Viewing a DWF file .............................................................................	563
Electronically marking up a DWF file ...............................................	564
Book IX: Customizing AutoCAD ..................................	567
Chapter 1: The Basics of Customizing AutoCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .569
Why Customize AutoCAD?..........................................................................	569
Customizing the AutoCAD Startup Process..............................................	571
Startup options...................................................................................	571
Using command line switches ..........................................................	572
Changing Options and Working with User Profiles..................................	577
Launching the Options dialog box ...................................................	578
Overview of AutoCAD options..........................................................	578
Working with user profiles ................................................................	579
Creating and Managing Command Aliases................................................	582
Editing the PGP file.............................................................................	582
Working with the AutoCAD Alias Editor ..........................................	584
Chapter 2: Customizing the Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .587
Getting Familiar with the Status Bar..........................................................	587
Getting to know the Icon Tray ..........................................................	589
Powering the status bar with DIESEL ..............................................	592
Training Your Toolbars and Dockable Windows to Stay.........................	593
Locking UI toolbars and dockable windows ...................................	593
Locking and unlocking toolbars and dockable windows ..............	594
Controlling the Appearance and Displays of AutoCAD...........................	595
Window elements ...............................................................................	595
Layout elements .................................................................................	597
Crosshair size......................................................................................	598
Display resolution ..............................................................................	598
Display performance..........................................................................	599
Reference Edit fading intensity.........................................................	600
Organizing Your Space.................................................................................	600
Using the Workspace toolbar............................................................	600
Using the Customize User Interface editor .....................................	602
Maximizing the drawing space .........................................................	605

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Chapter 3: Customizing the Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	607
How Customizing the User Interface Has Changed .................................	607
Getting to Know the Customize User Interface Editor ............................	608
The Customizations In pane .............................................................	608
The Command List pane....................................................................	609
The Dynamic pane..............................................................................	610
Launching the Customize User Interface (CUI) editor ..................	611
Commands in the CUI editor.............................................................	612
Customizing Toolbars and Pull-Down and Shortcut Menus ...................	615
Toolbars...............................................................................................	615
Pull-down menus ................................................................................	617
Shortcut menus ..................................................................................	619
Separator bars ....................................................................................	622
Creating a New Shortcut Key......................................................................	622
Customizing Double-Click Actions.............................................................	623
Migrating and Transferring Customization...............................................	624
Working with Partial and Enterprise Customization Files ......................	626
Loading an enterprise customization file........................................	626
Loading a partial customization file ................................................	627
Chapter 4: Delving Deeper into Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	629
Working from a Script ..................................................................................	629
What is a script file?...........................................................................	630
Creating a script file ...........................................................................	632
Loading and running a script file .....................................................	632
Running a script file at startup .........................................................	633
It’s All in the Linetype..................................................................................	633
Simple linetypes .................................................................................	634
Complex linetypes..............................................................................	637
Getting Familiar with Shapes......................................................................	638
Creating Custom Patterns ...........................................................................	639
The structure of a hatch pattern......................................................	639
Creating a hatch pattern....................................................................	642
Using a custom hatch pattern file ....................................................	643
Working with Express Tools .......................................................................	643
Installing Express Tools.....................................................................	644
Layer tools...........................................................................................	644
Block tools...........................................................................................	645
Text tools.............................................................................................	646
Layout tools ........................................................................................	647
Dimension tools..................................................................................	647
Modify tools ........................................................................................	647
Draw tools ...........................................................................................	648
File tools ..............................................................................................	648
Tools.....................................................................................................	648
Command line only tools...................................................................	649

Table of Contents	xxv
Book X: Programming AutoCAD..................................	651
Chapter 1: The AutoCAD Programming Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .653
Discovering What You Can Do by Programming AutoCAD.....................	654
The advantages of using APIs ...........................................................	654
The other side of the story ...............................................................	655
Getting to Know the Available Programming Interfaces .........................	655
AutoLISP ..............................................................................................	656
ActiveX automation............................................................................	657
VBA.......................................................................................................	658
ObjectARX and ObjectDBX ...............................................................	658
.NET......................................................................................................	659
Comparing Strengths and Weaknesses
of the Programming Interfaces ...............................................................	659
Deciding Which Programming Interface Is Best for You .........................	661
Chapter 2: Using Custom Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .663
Identifying Application Files .......................................................................	663
Loading and Unloading Applications.........................................................	664
The Load/Unload Applications dialog box......................................	664
Loading an AutoLISP file....................................................................	668
Loading and unloading a VBA file ....................................................	669
Loading and unloading an ObjectARX file.......................................	672
Automatically Loading Application Files ..................................................	674
Using the Startup Suite ......................................................................	674
Getting AutoCAD to do some of the work .......................................	676
Running a Program in an Application File.................................................	678
Chapter 3: Introducing AutoLISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. .681
Accessing the AutoLISP Development Environment ...............................	681
Launching the Visual LISP IDE ..........................................................	682
Loading an existing AutoLISP application file ................................	682
Using the VLIDE............................................................................................	683
Controlling color coding in the Text window .................................	685
Controlling text size and font style in the Text window................	686
Navigating the Text window..............................................................	687
Creating a Basic Program............................................................................	688
Creating a new AutoLISP file .............................................................	688
Anatomy of an AutoLISP expression................................................	689
Adding comments ..............................................................................	690
To command or just to function.......................................................	691
Creating your first AutoLISP program .............................................	692
More Than Just the Essentials of AutoLISP ..............................................	694
Supported data types ........................................................................	694
Math functions....................................................................................	695
String functions ..................................................................................	696
List functions ......................................................................................	696

xxvi AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies

Data conversion functions ................................................................	697
Saving and accessing values for later ..............................................	698
Exchanging information with AutoCAD...........................................	699
Getting Information to and from the User.................................................	701
Giving feedback to the user ..............................................................	701
Other functions to note .....................................................................	702
Using the Debug Tools in the Visual LISP IDE...........................................	705
Breakpoints .........................................................................................	705
Watch what is happening ..................................................................	705
Setting up breakpoints and using watch .........................................	706
AutoLISP error messages ..................................................................	708
Going GUI with DCL......................................................................................	709
Basics of DCL ......................................................................................	709
Adding comments ..............................................................................	711
Using AutoLISP to add interaction to DCL ......................................	711
Using ActiveX Automation with AutoLISP ................................................	715
Referencing the AutoCAD Application.............................................	715
Using methods of an object ..............................................................	715
Setting and retrieving a property of an object ...............................	716
Revising the BCIRC command ..........................................................	717

Chapter 4: Visual Basic for AutoCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .719

AutoCAD Commands for VBA.....................................................................	720
VBAIDE.................................................................................................	720
VBALOAD ............................................................................................	720
VBAUNLOAD .......................................................................................	722
VBARUN...............................................................................................	723
VBAMAN ..............................................................................................	724
Other commands................................................................................	725
Working with the IDE ...................................................................................	726
Exploring the IDE................................................................................	726
Project Explorer..................................................................................	726
Properties window .............................................................................	727
Code and UserForm windows...........................................................	728
Object Browser ...................................................................................	728
Parts of a VBA Project .................................................................................	730
Standard code module.......................................................................	731
Class code module .............................................................................	731
Procedures (subroutine or function)...............................................	731
Declaring variables.............................................................................	732
Data types............................................................................................	732
Assigning a value to a variable .........................................................	733
The basics of working with objects .................................................	733
Adding comments ..............................................................................	734
Introducing the AutoCAD Object Model ...................................................	734
Create a basic VBA project................................................................	735

Index........................................................................

741

Introduction

For many reasons, AutoCAD is much different from most applications that you will ever use. The main reason goes back some 20 years to when AutoCAD was first introduced as a low-cost CAD solution on micro-

computers. (CAD stands for Computer-Aided Drafting or Computer-Aided Design, depending on whom you ask.) Most CAD applications back then ran on very large and expensive mainframe computers, not something that you could take on-site with you.

With the introduction of AutoCAD, CAD wasn’t as foreign of a topic as it once was, but it still had an uphill climb against the wide use and adoption of drafting boards. A drafting board, you might be asking yourself? Yes, prior to computers and CAD, all designs were done with pencil and paper; if you were really good, you used ink and paper. Today, paper still plays a role in distributing designs, but most designs are now done in a CAD application that allows you to do much more complex things that were not possible with board drafting.

As times and drafting practices have changed, AutoCAD has either led in setting the pace for change or has forced change with some things. Some of these changes have helped to usher in the era of improved design collaboration across the Internet and better electronic file sharing with non-CAD users. Since all objects in a drawing are electronic, AutoCAD allows you to quickly manipulate and mange them without the need to break out the eraser shield and eraser as you would on a board. Autodesk continues to improve the way you can visualize designs and concepts through improvements in 3D modeling and other features.

AutoCAD 2007 gives you the tools you need to create accurate 2D and 3D designs, but isn’t very easy to just pick up and become productive right away. This book helps you get up to speed faster so that you can be productive in all main areas of the application — which include 2D and 3D drafting, printing and sharing designs, and customizing and programming.

About This Book

The AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies gives you an understanding of all the main features that you need to know in order to be productive with AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT. The All-in-One Desk References For Dummies are much different from other For Dummies books you may have