How to Master AutoCAD LT

AutoCAD LT has many of AutoCAD's 2-D design tools, but at a lower price.

AutoCAD LT is a computer-aided design (CAD) program used to produce blueprints and other graphics needed to build structures like furniture and other durable goods and objects. Fortunately, you need only learn a subset of AutoCAD LT's tools to master this program. The following analogy illustrates this truth: An artist wishing to master figure drawing doesn't have to draw every human being on Earth. She need only master anatomy, and the other aspects of drawing that will enable her to draw any human. Thus, your first task toward mastery of AutoCAD LT is to determine which of its tools will build the skills needed by other tools. A hands-on overview of the program will help you begin learning what those tools are.

Things You'll Need

• AutoCAD LT

Instructions

1. Open AutoCAD LT and begin learning the tools used for drawing designs by drawing a polygon. Click the "Draw" menu heading, then click the "Polygon" item. Enter "5" at the prompt "Number of sides," to begin defining a five-sided polygon.

   By learning the polygon tool, you don't need to learn the "Rectangle" tool, which produces shapes that the polygon tool can make.

2. Click anywhere in the main drawing window to position the polygon's center. At the prompt asking whether you want the polygon to be inscribed in (i.e., surrounded by) a circle, or circumscribed about (i.e., surrounding) a circle, choose either option.

3. Drag to define the radius of the polygon's associated circle and the polygon's size. Notice the ToolTip attached to your mouse cursor: it's a prompt after which you can type a number to specify the polygon's size instead of using the mouse. This prompt allows for precise definition of AutoCAD's drawing shapes. Enter any real number under "20" (e.g., 12.75) at the prompt to complete the polygon.

4. Create another polygon using the command prompt: Type "polygon," then press "Enter," to start another polygon. You don't need to select a command window to enter this or other commands, because AutoCAD LT's default mode is the command-entry mode.

   Complete the second polygon by referring to the steps to make the first one. Alternatively, press "Escape" to abandon the second polygon.

5. Modify the polygon: Click anywhere on the polygon's perimeter to select the polygon, and notice the blue handles that appear. These handles allow you to shape the polygon.

6. Click and drag a handle to move it. Click again to end the movement mode.

7. Add a vertex: Click the polygon again, and notice the small pop-up menu that appears. Choose "Add Vertex."

8. Drag to position the polygon's new vertex, then click to complete the addition of the new vertex.

9. Try out each of the commands listed under each of AutoCAD's menu headings. Take notes describing what each command does.

10. Distill your notes into a short list of tools to learn. Include only those tools that require skills and perform operations that another tool can't perform, such as the "polygon" tool used in this lesson.

11. Apply each tool you listed in a drawing, ensuring that you use every option of the tool in doing so.

References

• "AutoCAD 2010 & AutoCAD LT 2010 Bible"; Ellen Finkelstein; 2009