Autocad 2009 Tutorial

AutoCAD 2009 has an Office-like "ribbon" for easier navigation.

AutoCAD is a design application used frequently by architects and engineers in the planning of structures requiring precise measurements. AutoDesk first released AutoCAD in 1982, becoming pioneers of CAD (computer-aided design) for the PC. That first version of AutoCAD had only a few primitive objects for users to create designs with. But by the time AutoCAD 2009 was released, the application had a tool set that enabled users to produce many practical designs. AutoCAD 2009's new features include a highly visible toolbar called the Ribbon, whose clear icons promote faster work flow.

Instructions

1. Open AutoCAD and select the rectangle tool in the "Draw" panel.

2. Click and drag anywhere in the main window to dynamically size the rectangle. Click again to complete rectangle.

3. Move the rectangle: Click the "Move" tool in the "Modify" tab, then select the rectangle you just drew. Press "Return" to complete the selection of the rectangle.

4. Click any point near the rectangle, then drag to make the rectangle "stick" to your mouse pointer. Click again to release the rectangle in a new location.

5. Rotate the rectangle: Click the "Modify" tab's "Rotate" tool, then click the rectangle and press "Enter."

6. Click anywhere near the rectangle to define the point to rotate the rectangle around. Then, drag away from that point, and around the rectangle to rotate the rectangle. Click again to end rotation.

7. Resize the rectangle: Click the "Modify" tab's "Scale" tool, then click the rectangle and press "Enter." Click anywhere near the rectangle, then drag to begin resizing. Click again to end the resizing mode.

8. Re-shape the rectangle: Click anywhere on the rectangle's outline, then click and drag any of its four corners. The corner will stick to your mouse pointer, though the other points will remain stationary. Click again to complete the relocation of the corner.

9. Add a point: Click anywhere on the rectangle's outline to display its points. Then, right-click any edge and select "Polyline Edit." Click "Edit Vertex," choose "Insert," then click on any edge. Press "Escape," then click the rectangle to re-display its points. Notice the new point that you created.

10. Begin working in three dimensions: Select "3D modeling" from the workspace drop-down list at the right of the status bar. Then, choose "3D Wireframe" from the "View" tab's "View style" box.

11. Click the "Modeling" tab's "Extrude" tool, then click the rectangle and press "Return." Notice that the rectangle now has new faces, making it a 3D box.

12. Drag the mouse to change the box's height, then click the mouse to end the box creation mode.

References

• "AutoCAD 2009 & AutoCAD LT 2009 Bible"; Ellen Finkelstein; 2008