autocad 2009 & autocad lt 2009 all-in-one desk reference for dummies

by Lee Ambrosius
AutoCAD
®
2009 &
AutoCAD LT
®
2009
ALL-IN-ONE DESK REFERENCE
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
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AutoCAD
®
2009 &
AutoCAD LT
®
2009
ALL-IN-ONE DESK REFERENCE
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
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by Lee Ambrosius
AutoCAD
®
2009 &
AutoCAD LT
®

2009
ALL-IN-ONE DESK REFERENCE
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
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AutoCAD
®
2009 & AutoCAD LT
®
2009 All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies
®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permit-
ted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written
permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the
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Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, and related trade
dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United

States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT
are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2008925782
ISBN: 978-0-470-24378-7
Manufactured in the United States of America
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About the Author
Lee Ambrosius works for Autodesk as a technical writer for the Platform

Solutions and Emerging Business (PSEB) division and is based out of his
home office. Before that, he worked as an independent consultant for more
than three years, and before that he was a resident of a cubicle farm for about
eight years, where he worked as a systems analyst creating custom applications.
Even though Lee doesn’t work for himself anymore, he still runs his Web site,
www.hyperpics.com, and his blog, hyperpics.blogs.com. He has been
using AutoCAD since 1994, when he was first exposed to Release 12 for DOS,
and has been customizing and programming AutoCAD since 1996. Lee was an
AutoCAD consultant and trainer for more than ten years, and has been teach-
ing at Autodesk University since 2004.
For over a decade, Lee has authored a variety of works that include articles
for CAD magazines and white papers for Autodesk and has been a contribut-
ing author on a few occasions for AutoCAD books. He has been a technical
editor for the recent editions of AutoCAD For Dummies and AutoCAD and
AutoCAD LT Bible. The first version of this book, AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT
All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies, was his first venture into being a co-
author for a book before going off and authoring the book AutoCAD 2008 3D
Modeling Workbook For Dummies.
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Dedication
To my grandmother, Theresa Severa (Grams, GG and all the other names
you go by), for always being there. I also can’t forget the influence you
have on my family and of course all the perks of having such a loving
person in our family.
Author’s Acknowledgments
I have to give a special thanks to the great folks at Wiley for being supportive
through this entire project. There is always that one shining star on a project
that keeps things moving like a well-oiled machine, and that individual was
my project and copy editor for this edition, Susan Pink. A special thanks also

goes out to my technical editor, Mark Douglas, for agreeing to work with me
on this edition of the book.
Thanks to all the folks at Autodesk, who are all dedicated to the work they
do. An extra thanks to Shaan Hurley and Bud Schroeder. Before joining
Autodesk, they were always willing to take time out of their busy days to
answer my questions during this project.
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Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form
located at www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media
Development
Project Editor: Susan Pink
Acquisitions Editors: Tiffany Ma, Kyle Looper
Technical Editor: Mark Douglas
Editorial Manager: Jodi Jensen
Media Development Manager:
Laura VanWinkle
Editorial Assistant: Amanda Foxworth
Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case
Cartoons: Rich Tennant
(www.the5thwave.com)
Composition Services
Project Coordinator: Erin Smith
Layout and Graphics: Claudia Bell,
Stacie Brooks, Reuben W. Davis,
Melissa K. Jester, Julie Trippetti,
Christine Williams
Proofreaders: David Faust, Bonnie Mikkelson

Indexer: Potomac Indexing, LLC
Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies
Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher
Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher
Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director
Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director
Publishing for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher
Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director
Composition Services
Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services
Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction 1
Book I: AutoCAD Basics 11
Chapter 1: One-on-One Time with AutoCAD 13
Chapter 2: Drawing on and in AutoCAD 31
Chapter 3: Navigating the AutoCAD Interface 37
Chapter 4: All about Files 65
Chapter 5: Basic Tools 85
Chapter 6: Setting Up Drawings 97
Chapter 7: Precision Tools 125
Book II: 2D Drafting 155
Chapter 1: Drawing Objects 157
Chapter 2: Modifying Objects 185
Chapter 3: Managing Views 215
Book III: Annotating Drawings 235
Chapter 1: Text: When Pictures Just Won’t Do 237
Chapter 2: Dimensioning 267

Chapter 3: Hatching Your Drawings 303
Chapter 4: Scaling Mt. Annotation 313
Book IV: LT Differences 321
Chapter 1: The LT Difference 323
Chapter 2: Extending AutoCAD LT 331
Chapter 3: Mixed Environments 339
Book V: 3D Modeling 347
Chapter 1: Introducing the Third Dimension 349
Chapter 2: Using the 3D Environment 357
Chapter 3: Viewing in 3D 369
Chapter 4: Moving from 2D to 3D 381
Chapter 5: Working with Solids 393
Chapter 6: Rendering: Lights, Camera, AutoCAD! 403
Book VI: Advanced Drafting 415
Chapter 1: Playing with Blocks 417
Chapter 2: Dynamic Blocks 433
Chapter 3: External References 449
Chapter 4: Organizing Your Drawings 479
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Book VII: Publishing Drawings 491
Chapter 1: Page Setup 493
Chapter 2: Sheet Sets without Regret 515
Chapter 3: Print, Plot, Publish 543
Book VIII: Collaboration 565
Chapter 1: CAD Management: The Necessary Evil 567
Chapter 2: CAD Standards 579
Chapter 3: Working with Drawing Files 597
Chapter 4: Sharing Electronic Files 617
Book IX: Customizing AutoCAD 637
Chapter 1: The Basics of Customizing AutoCAD 639

Chapter 2: Customizing the Interface 657
Chapter 3: Customizing the Tools 675
Chapter 4: Delving Deeper into Customization 705
Chapter 5: Recording Your Actions 717
Bonus Chapters On the Web
Bonus Chapter 1: Working with Surfaces BC1
Bonus Chapter 2: The AutoCAD Programming Interfaces BC13
Bonus Chapter 3: Using Custom Programs BC23
Bonus Chapter 4: Introducing AutoLISP BC41
Bonus Chapter 5: Visual Basic for AutoCAD BC79
Bonus Chapter 6: AutoCAD Utilities BC101
Bonus Chapter 7: Creating Custom Linetypes, Shapes, and Hatch Patterns BC115
Index 727
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Table of Contents
Introduction 1
About This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 2
Conventions Used in This Book 2
Menu browser access 2
Ribbon access 3
Toolbar access 5
Menu bar (“classic menu”) access 5
How This Book Is Organized 6
Book I: AutoCAD Basics 6
Book II: 2D Drafting 7
Book III: Annotating Drawings 7
Book IV: LT Differences 7
Book V: 3D Modeling 7
Book VI: Advanced Drafting 7

Book VII: Publishing Drawings 8
Book VIII: Collaboration 8
Book IX: Customizing AutoCAD 8
Bonus Content 8
Icons Used in This Book 8
Book I: AutoCAD Basics 11
Chapter 1: One-on-One Time with AutoCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Starting AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT 14
Accessing the right tools for the right job 14
Creating a new drawing 15
What is created should be saved 16
Drawing Setup 16
Getting snappy and griddy 16
Establishing the limits 17
Organizing objects with layers 18
Drawing and Editing Objects 20
Walking the straight and curved 20
Modifying objects 25
Annotating with Text and Dimensions 27
Expressing yourself through text 27
Entering the drafting dimension 28
Fast Track to Plotting 29
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Chapter 2: Drawing on and in AutoCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Understanding AutoCAD Files and Formats 32
Seeing the LT 33
Using AutoCAD’s Latest-and-Greatest Feature Set 34
Chapter 3: Navigating the AutoCAD Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Starting the Application 37
Creating Start menu shortcuts 38
Using desktop shortcuts 39
Accessing files from Windows Explorer 40
Touring the AutoCAD Interface 41
Title bars 41
AutoCAD menus and menu browser 42
AutoCAD toolbars 44
Quick Access toolbar 46
Palettes 46
Drawing area 49
Crosshairs 50
The floating command window 51
The status bar 51
Communicating with Your Software 56
The command line 56
Dynamic input 57
Dialog boxes 58
Running AutoCAD Commands 58
Grasping the AutoCAD difference 58
Repeating a command 58
Canceling a running command 59
Invoking transparent commands 59
Reaching for AutoCAD Help 60
Using built-in Help 60
Tooltips 61
InfoCenter 62
Finding online resources 63
Chapter 4: All about Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
File Types in AutoCAD 65

Starting a New Drawing 68
Starting from scratch 70
Using a wizard 70
Using a drawing template 72
Saving a Drawing 73
Save 74
Save As 74
QSAVE 76
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Opening an Existing Drawing 76
Open command 76
Recent drawings 78
Using Windows Explorer 79
The Multiple-Drawing Environment 80
Closing Windows 81
File Management for AutoCAD 82
Naming drawing files 82
Storing your files 83
Backing Up Is Hard to Do . . . 83
Chapter 5: Basic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Drawing Lines 85
Creating Circles 88
Taking a Closer Look 91
Checking out realtime zoom 91
Using realtime pan 91
Modifying Objects 93
Erasing and Unerasing Stuff 94
Using the digital eraser 94

Unerasing objects 95
Ready . . . Undo, Undo, Redo . . . 96
Chapter 6: Setting Up Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
Choosing Units of Measurement 97
AutoCAD units 99
Imperial or metric 100
System variables 100
Setting units in your drawing 101
Setting Limits for Your Drawings 102
Understanding Drawing Scale 104
Scaling on the drawing board 104
Scaling in AutoCAD 105
Scale factors 105
Using scale factors to establish drawing settings 106
Lost in Space: Model or Paper? 107
A Layered Approach 108
Creating layers 109
Defining layer properties 110
Setting layer modes 112
Modifying layer settings 113
The Layer Control drop-down list 118
Layer tools 119
Object Properties 120
Using AutoCAD’s color systems 122
Using linetypes 122
Setting Up Standards 123
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Chapter 7: Precision Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125

Understanding Accuracy and Precision 125
Understanding Coordinate Systems 126
The world coordinate system 128
Entering coordinates 129
Direct distance entry 135
Dynamic input and coordinate entry 137
Setting Grid and Snap 141
Understanding Ortho and Polar Tracking 143
Using ortho mode 144
Using polar tracking 144
Working with Object Snaps 147
Using Point Filters 151
Working with Object Snap Tracking Mode 153
Book II: 2D Drafting 155
Chapter 1: Drawing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Locating and Using the Drawing Tools 157
Let’s Get Primitive 161
Keeping to the straight and narrow 161
Going around in circles 163
Arcs of triumph 164
The point of the exercise 165
Creating Construction Geometry 166
Xlines for X-men 167
A little ray of sunshine 168
Without a Trace 169
A Bit Sketchy 170
Drawing Parallel Lines 171
Complex Curves 174
Lucy, you have some splining to do! 174
Solar ellipses 176

Complex Objects and Shapes 178
2D solids 178
Rectang, Polygon, Donut 179
Polylines 180
Ahhhh . . . Wipeout 182
Chapter 2: Modifying Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Setting Selection Options 185
Selecting Objects 187
Selecting multiple objects 187
Object selection modes 189
Selection preview 191
Object groups 192
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AutoCAD’s Editing Commands 193
Removing stuff 197
Relocating and replicating 197
Rotating and resizing 205
Breaking, mending, and blowing up real good 207
Double-barrel commands 208
Specialized commands 210
Changing properties 211
Changing your mind 213
Coming to Grips with Grips 213
Chapter 3: Managing Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215
A Zoom of One’s Own 219
Wheeling through your drawing 222
Realtime zooming 222
Pan in a Flash 224

Get a Grip on the Wheel and Hang On 226
Name That View 228
Creating views 229
Other view options 231
Having AutoCAD Put on a Show 232
To Regen or to Redraw . . . That Is the Question 234
Book III: Annotating Drawings 235
Chapter 1: Text: When Pictures Just Won’t Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237
Text in AutoCAD 237
Getting familiar with text terminology 238
Will that be one line or two? 239
Justification 240
Where should text go? 242
Fonts 244
Types used by AutoCAD 245
Using fonts in drawings 245
Working with Text Styles 245
Creating Single Line Text 249
Working with Multiline Text 252
Creating Multiline Text 253
Formatting options 254
Numbered and bulleted lists 255
Controlling the flow of text 256
Fields, masks, and other multiline text delights 257
Editing Text 258
Editing single-line text 258
Editing multiline text 259
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Turning the Tables 259
Setting the table with styles 260
Creating and editing tables 261
Link me up Scotty 263
Finding Text and Spell Checking 264
Chapter 2: Dimensioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267
Understanding What a Dimension Is Made Of 267
Types of Dimensions 269
Associative dimensions 269
Nonassociative dimensions 269
Exploded dimensions 270
Creating New Dimensions as Associative 270
Using and Creating Dimension Styles 271
Working with Dimension Style Manager 271
Creating a dimension style 272
Stylizing dimensions 273
Defining the scale for dimensions 277
Dimension variables 279
Setting a dimension style current 280
Modifying a dimension style 280
Renaming a dimension style 282
Deleting a dimension style 282
Comparing dimension styles 283
Importing a dimension style 283
Creating Dimensions 283
Linear and aligned dimensions 287
Baseline and continued dimensions 288
Angular dimensions 289
Arc length dimensions 290
Radius, diameter, and jogged dimensions 290

Ordinate dimensions 292
The Quick Dimension command 292
Trans-spatial dimensions 293
Editing Dimensions 293
Adding overrides to a dimension 293
Editing the dimension text 294
Using grips to edit dimensions 294
Associating dimensions 294
Breaking and spacing dimensions 295
Inspecting dimensions 295
Leaders 296
Make way for multiple leaders 297
Legacy leaders 300
Working with Geometric Tolerances 301
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Chapter 3: Hatching Your Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .303
Adding Hatch Patterns and Fills 304
Adding hatch to a drawing 305
Hatching and tool palettes 307
Hatching and DesignCenter 307
Advanced settings for additional control 307
Working with Hatch Patterns and Solid Fills 309
Predefined patterns 309
User-defined patterns 309
Custom hatch patterns 310
Using Gradient Fills 310
Editing Hatch Patterns and Fills 311
Chapter 4: Scaling Mt. Annotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .313

The What, With, and Why of Annotation Scaling 313
Making Styles and Objects Annotative 314
Annotative styles and block definitions 315
Annotative objects 316
Adding and Removing Annotation Scales 317
Controlling the Annotation Scale for Output 319
Book IV: LT Differences 321
Chapter 1: The LT Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323
Understanding the Boundaries and Limitations of AutoCAD LT 323
Determining Whether AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT Is Best for You 329
Chapter 2: Extending AutoCAD LT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .331
Customizing AutoCAD LT 331
It’s all in the script 331
Linetype and hatch patterns 332
Blocks and DesignCenter 332
Tool palettes 333
Changing the user interface with the CUI Editor 333
Diesel 333
Command aliases 334
Desktop icons 334
Object Enabler Technology 334
Additional Utilities Available from Autodesk 335
DWG TrueView 2009 335
Viewers 335
Companion Products from Autodesk 336
Autodesk Symbols 2000 336
Autodesk VIZ 2008 336
Autodesk Impression 336
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Third-Party Custom Solutions 337
Block utilities/libraries 337
Viewers 338
Chapter 3: Mixed Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .339
Using AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD in the Same Office 339
Budgeting 339
Training 340
Communication 340
Environment 340
Customization 341
Installation and deployment 341
Making the Trip from AutoCAD to AutoCAD LT 341
2D drafting 342
3D modeling 342
Annotation 343
Viewing 344
Visualization 344
CAD Standards 344
Collaboration and sharing 345
Book V: 3D Modeling 347
Chapter 1: Introducing the Third Dimension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349
Understanding the Different Types of 3D Models 350
Entering Coordinates above the x,y Plane 351
Manually inputting coordinates 352
Point filters 354
Object snaps 354
Object snap tracking and moving orthogonally 355
Elevation . . . going up 355
Chapter 2: Using the 3D Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .357

Setting Up AutoCAD for 3D 357
Orienting yourself in the drawing window 358
Customizing crosshairs and dynamic input 359
Using workspaces to switch between 2D and 3D drafting 360
Introducing toolbars and ribbon tabs for 3D 360
Accelerating your hardware 361
Understanding What the UCS Icon Is Telling You 362
Orientating yourself with the UCS icon 362
Controlling the display of the UCS icon 364
Using the Coordinate System for 3D Drawing 365
Understanding the coordinate system 365
Adjusting the UCS 366
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Chapter 3: Viewing in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .369
Expressing Your Point of View 369
Using preset views 369
Finding your way with the compass and tripod 371
Cameras 371
Perspective versus parallel 373
Orbiting around a 3D Model 373
Navigating a 3D Model 375
Hugging the Corners with the SteeringWheels 376
Cube with a View 377
Adding Color and Style to a 3D Model 378
Visual styles in AutoCAD 379
Shademode in AutoCAD LT 380
Chapter 4: Moving from 2D to 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381
Working with Regions 381

Creating regions 382
Modifying regions 382
Getting more information about regions 383
3D Polylines and Helixes 384
3D polyline 384
Helix 384
Creating 3D Objects from 2D Objects 385
Thickness 385
Extrude 385
Loft 386
Sweep 387
Revolve 387
Creating 2D Objects from 3D Objects 388
Flatshot 388
Section Plane 388
Solid Draw, Solid View, and Solid Profile 389
3D Modify Commands 390
3D Move 390
3D Rotate 391
Align 391
3D Align 391
3D Mirror 392
3D Array 392
Chapter 5: Working with Solids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .393
Creating Solid Primitives 393
Polysolid 394
Box 395
Wedge 396
Cone 396
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Sphere 397
Cylinder 397
Torus 398
Pyramid 398
Editing Solids 399
Solid editing 399
Using grips to edit 3D solids 400
Complex solids 401
Filleting and chamfering 401
Slice 402
Chapter 6: Rendering: Lights, Camera, AutoCAD! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .403
Lighting a Scene 403
Default lights 404
User lights 404
Sunlight 407
Getting the Right Look with Materials 409
Setting Up a Backdrop 410
Rendering the Final Scene 411
Book VI: Advanced Drafting 415
Chapter 1: Playing with Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .417
Working with Reusable Content 417
Creating Blocks 418
Accessing the Block Definition dialog box 419
Exploring some advanced options 421
Inserting Blocks 422
Managing Blocks 424
Renaming a block definition 424
Redefining a block definition 425

Purging a block definition 425
Exporting a block definition 426
Enhancing Blocks with Attributes 427
Adding an attribute to a block definition 428
Inserting a block with attributes 430
Editing an attribute’s value in a block 431
Managing attributes in blocks 431
Extracting attribute data from blocks 432
Chapter 2: Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .433
What Makes a Block Dynamic? 433
Block Editor Environment 434
Components of the Block Editor 435
Editing a block definition 437
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Going Dynamic 439
Adding parameters 440
Adding actions 442
Using parameter sets 443
Visibility states 443
Using Dynamic Blocks 446
Inserting a dynamic block 446
Modifying a dynamic block 447
Dynamic Blocks in Older Releases 448
Chapter 3: External References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .449
Blocks versus External References 449
Working with External References 450
Path to success with xrefs 451
Attaching an xref 452

External reference notification 454
Editing an xref 455
Clipping an xref 458
Increasing the performance of xrefs 460
Binding an xref 460
Raster Images 462
Attaching a raster image 462
Clipping a raster image 464
Controlling the appearance of a raster image 465
DWF and DWFx Underlays 466
Attaching a DWF underlay 467
Clipping a DWF underlay 469
Controlling the appearance of DWF underlay 470
DGN Underlays 470
Attaching a DGN underlay 471
Clipping a DGN underlay 473
Controlling the appearance of a DGN underlay 474
Draw Order 475
Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) 475
Managing External References Outside AutoCAD 476
Chapter 4: Organizing Your Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .479
Why Bother to Organize Drawings? 479
Using the Windows Clipboard 480
Copying objects from a drawing 480
Cutting objects from a drawing 481
Pasting objects into a drawing 481
AutoCAD DesignCenter 482
Locating resources in drawings 483
Adding resources to drawings 485
Inserting hatches and loading linetypes 486

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Using the Tool Palettes Window 486
Blocks, xrefs, images, tables, and hatches 487
Command and flyouts tools 488
Modifying tools on a tool palette 488
Customizing and organizing tool palettes 489
Book VII: Publishing Drawings 491
Chapter 1: Page Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .493
Preparing for Output with Page Setups 494
Options of a page setup 494
Working with page setups 496
Organizing a Drawing with Layouts 500
Working with layouts 501
Looking at a Model through Viewports 506
Defining a viewport’s shape 506
Controlling scale 510
Controlling the display within a viewport 511
Modifying a viewport 513
Chapter 2: Sheet Sets without Regret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .515
Overview of a Sheet Set 515
Sheet Set Manager 517
Creating a Sheet Set 517
Starting from scratch 518
Starting from an existing sheet set 522
Managing Drawings with a Sheet Set 522
Opening a sheet set 523
Importing existing drawings as sheets 523
Organizing with subsets 525

Setting up a sheet set and subset for adding new sheets 526
Adding a new sheet 529
Opening a sheet 530
Removing, renaming, and renumbering a sheet 530
Sheet set and sheet properties 531
Setting up callouts and label blocks 534
Adding resource drawings 537
Adding model views to a sheet 538
Publishing, eTransmitting, and Archiving a Sheet Set 541
Chapter 3: Print, Plot, Publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .543
You Say Printing, I Say Plotting, They Say Publishing 543
Working with drivers 544
Configuring a printer or plotter 545
Putting style in your plots 550
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Output Made Easy 555
Plotting the Model tab 555
Plotting a paper space layout 558
Scaling your drawing 559
More plotting options 559
Publishing Drawings 561
Book VIII: Collaboration 565
Chapter 1: CAD Management: The Necessary Evil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .567
Getting a Handle on the Basics of CAD Management 568
Managing the Drafting Environment 570
Creating a Good Foundation 571
Creating a drawing template file 573
Using a drawing template file 574

Specifying a drawing template file for use with QNEW 575
Specifying the location of drawing template files 576
Chapter 2: CAD Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .579
CAD Standards Overview 579
Using AutoCAD’s CAD Standards Tools 581
Drawing standards (DWS) files 581
Managing standards 582
Translating layers 588
Batch checking drawings 591
Chapter 3: Working with Drawing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .597
It’s All in the Name: File-Naming Conventions 597
Part of a Drawing Can Be a Good Thing: Working with Partial Open 598
Controlling What Happens during a Save 601
Getting a handle on drawing file formats 602
Indexing the contents of a drawing 603
Protecting Your Drawings 604
Password-protecting 604
Digital signatures 608
Chapter 4: Sharing Electronic Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .617
Sharing Drawings with Non-AutoCAD-based Products 617
Taking Drawings to the Internet 618
Using an FTP site 619
Publishing drawings to the Web 622
Using Web-based project sites 626
Emulating Paper Digitally 628
Design Web Format (DWF and DWFx) 629
Portable Document File (PDF) 630
Head-to-head comparison 630
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