AutoCAD 2018 and AutoCAD LT 2018 Essentials

The step-by-step, full-color AutoCAD 2018 guide with real-world practicality AutoCAD 2018 and AutoCAD LT 2018 Essentials provides a full-color, task-based approach to mastering this powerful software. Straightforward, easy-to-follow instruction pairs with real-world, hands-on exercises to help you quickly get up to speed with core features and functions; screenshots illustrate tutorial steps to help you follow along, and each chapter concludes with a more open-ended project so you can dive in and explore a specific topic in-depth. From 2D drawing and organization to 3D modeling, dimensioning, presenting, and more, this helpful guide walks you through everything you need to know to become productive with AutoCAD 2018 and AutoCAD LT 2018. The companion website features downloadable starting and ending files for each exercise, so you can jump in at any point and compare your work to the pros, as well as additional tutorials to help you go as deep as you need to go. Exercises walk you through the real-world process of drafting while teaching you critical skills along the way. Understand the AutoCAD interface and foundational concepts Master essential drawing and visualization tools Stay organized with layers, groups, and blocks Experiment with 3D modeling, add text and dimensions, and much more AutoCAD is the industry-leading technical drawing software, and complete mastery is a vital skill for any design and drafting professional. AutoCAD 2018 and AutoCAD LT 2018 Essentials is a smart, quick resource that will help you get up to speed with real-world practical instruction.

Table of Contents:
Introduction xiii Chapter 1 Get ting Star ted 1 Sign In to Autodesk 360 on the Start Tab 1 Exercise 1.1: Configure Autodesk 360  1 Explore the AutoCAD 2018 for Windows User Interface  4 Exercise 1.2: Explore the Graphical User Interface   4 Exercise 1.3: Control the AutoCAD Ribbon   9 Set Drawing Units  13 Exercise 1.4: Set the AutoCAD Drawing Units  14 Chapter 2 Gaining Basic Drawing Skills 17 Navigate 2D Drawings  17 Exercise 2.1: Navigate a Drawing 17 Draw Lines and Rectangles  21 Exercise 2.2: Draw Lines  21 Exercise 2.3: Draw Rectangles 24 Cancel, Erase, and Undo  25 Exercise 2.4: Correct Mistakes 25 Use Coordinate Systems  27 Exercise 2.5: Use Absolute Coordinates  27 Exercise 2.6: Use Relative Coordinates 28 Exercise 2.7: Use Polar Coordinates 29 Draw Circles, Arcs, and Polygons 33 Exercise 2.8: Create Circles   33 Exercise 2.9: Create Arcs  36 Exercise 2.10: Draw Polygons  38 Use Fillet and Chamfer  40 Exercise 2.11: Join Nonparallel Lines  40 Exercise 2.12: Join Crossed Lines with Fillet  41 Chapter 3 Using Drawing Aids 43 Use Grid and Snap  43 Exercise 3.1: Draw with Grid and Snap 44t e n t s Employ Ortho and Polar Tracking  47 Exercise 3.2: Draw with Ortho and Polar Tracking  47 Use PolarSnap  48 Exercise 3.3: Draw with PolarSnap 49 Select Running Object Snaps   51 Exercise 3.4: Draw with Running Object Snaps  51 Harness the From Snap 54 Exercise 3.5: Use the From Snap 54 Apply Object Snap Tracking  55 Exercise 3.6: Use Object Snap Tracking  55 Chapter 4 Editing Entities 59 Create Selection Sets 59 Exercise 4.1: Create a Selection Set at the Select Objects: Prompt  60 Exercise 4.2: Create a Selection Set Before Deciding on a Command   62 Use Move and Copy  66 Exercise 4.3: Move and Copy  66 Use Rotate and Scale 70 Exercise 4.4: Rotate and Scale 70 Work with Arrays  73 Exercise 4.5: Create a Rectangular Array 74 Exercise 4.6: Create a Polar Array 75 Use Trim and Extend 77 Exercise 4.7: Trim and Measure  77 Use Lengthen and Stretch  78 Exercise 4.8: Lengthen and Stretch 79 Use Offset and Mirror 80 Exercise 4.9: Offset and Mirror 80 Edit with Grips  82 Exercise 4.10: Edit with Grips  83 Chapter 5 Shaping Curves 85 Draw and Edit Curved Polylines  85 Exercise 5.1: Draw and Edit Curved Polylines  85 Draw Ellipses 91 Exercise 5.2: Draw Ellipses   91 Shape Splines 93 Exercise 5.3: Work with Control Vertices 94 Exercise 5.4: Work with Fit Points 98 Blend Between Objects with Splines 101 Exercise 5.5: Blend Splines  102 Chapter 6 Controlling Object Visibility and Appearance 105 Change Object Properties  105 Exercise 6.1: Edit Object Properties  106 Set the Current Layer  109 Exercise 6.2: Choose the Current Layer 110 Alter the Layer Assignments of Objects 113 Exercise 6.3: Assign Layers  113 Control Layer Visibility  116 Exercise 6.4: Toggle Layer Status 116 Exercise 6.5: Isolate Layers  118 Exercise 6.6: Save Layer States  120 Apply Linetype  121 Exercise 6.7: Use Linetype   122 Assign Properties by Object or by Layer 125 Exercise 6.8: Assign Properties  125 Manage Layer Properties  126 Exercise 6.9: Control Layer Properties  126 Isolate Objects  128 Exercise 6.10: Isolate and Hide Individual Objects  128 Chapter 7 Organizing Objects 131 Define Blocks  131 Exercise 7.1: Draw a Chair and Define It as a Block 132 Exercise 7.2: Draw a Door and Define It as a Block  135 Insert Blocks  137 Exercise 7.3: Use Blocks  137 Edit Blocks  141 Exercise 7.4: Edit Block Definitions  142 Exercise 7.5: Assign Floating Properties   143 Exercise 7.6: Nest Blocks  145 Exercise 7.7: Explode Blocks  147t e n t s Redefine Blocks  148 Exercise 7.8: Redefine Block Definitions   148 Work with Groups  151 Exercise 7.9: Create Groups  151 Chapter 8 Hatching and Gradients 155 Specify Hatch Areas 155 Exercise 8.1: Pick Points to Determine Boundaries 155 Exercise 8.2: Select Objects to Define Boundaries  159 Associate Hatches with Boundaries 161 Exercise 8.3: Associate Boundaries  161 Hatch with Patterns 163 Exercise 8.4: Specify Properties 164 Exercise 8.5: Separate Hatch Areas  165 Hatch with Gradients  168 Exercise 8.6: Create Gradients  168 Chapter 9 Working with Blocks and Xrefs 171 Work with Global Blocks  171 Exercise 9.1: Write a Local Block Definition to a File  171 Exercise 9.2: Insert a Drawing as a Local Block   175 Exercise 9.3: Redefine Local Blocks with Global Blocks  177 Access Content Globally  179 Exercise 9.4: Access Global Content  179 Store Content on Tool Palettes  180 Exercise 9.5: Add to the Tool Palettes 180 Reference External Drawings and Images 183 Exercise 9.6: Use Xrefs  183 Chapter 10 Creating and Editing Text 189 Style Text  189 Exercise 10.1: Create Text Styles 189 Write Lines of Text  191 Exercise 10.2: Create Text to Fit 191 Exercise 10.3: Justify Text   193 Exercise 10.4: Transform and Create Text  194 Write and Format Paragraphs Using MTEXT  197 Exercise 10.5: Write and Format with MTEXT   197t Edit Text   200 Exercise 10.6: Edit Content and Properties  201 Exercise 10.7: Work with Columns 202 Recognize and Combine Text  203 Exercise 10.8: Import, Recognize, and Combine Text from PDF  204 Chapter 11 Dimensioning 209 Style Dimensions  209 Exercise 11.1: Create Dimension Styles 210 Add Dimensions  215 Exercise 11.2: Use Inquiry Commands  215 Exercise 11.3: Add Dimension Objects  218 Exercise 11.4: Add and Style Multileaders  222 Edit Dimensions  223 Exercise 11.5: Alter Dimension Objects 223 Chapter 12 Keeping In Control with Constraints 227 Work with Geometric Constraints 227 Exercise 12.1: Use Geometric Constraints  227 Apply Dimensional Constraints  230 Exercise 12.2: Create Dimensional Constraints   231 Constrain Objects Simultaneously with Geometry and Dimensions 234 Exercise 12.3: Use Simultaneous Constraints  234 Make Parametric Changes to Constrained Objects   236 Exercise 12.4: Alter Constraint Parameters  237 Chapter 13 Working with Layouts and Annotative Objects 239 Create Annotative Styles and Objects 239 Exercise 13.1: Work with Annotative Text  240 Exercise 13.2: Work with Annotative Dimensions 243 Create Layouts  245 Exercise 13.3: Configure Layouts 245 Adjust Floating Viewports 248 Exercise 13.4: Work on Layout1 249 Exercise 13.5: Work on Layout2 252 Override Layer Properties in Layout Viewports  254 Exercise 13.6: Override Layer Properties   255 Draw on Layouts  256 Exercise 13.7: Lay Out Geometry 256on t e n t s Introduction xiii Chapter 1 Get ting Star ted 1 Sign In to Autodesk 360 on the Start Tab 1 Exercise 1.1: Configure Autodesk 360  1 Explore the AutoCAD 2018 for Windows User Interface  4 Exercise 1.2: Explore the Graphical User Interface   4 Exercise 1.3: Control the AutoCAD Ribbon   9 Set Drawing Units  13 Exercise 1.4: Set the AutoCAD Drawing Units  14 Chapter 2 Gaining Basic Drawing Skills 17 Navigate 2D Drawings  17 Exercise 2.1: Navigate a Drawing 17 Draw Lines and Rectangles  21 Exercise 2.2: Draw Lines  21 Exercise 2.3: Draw Rectangles 24 Cancel, Erase, and Undo  25 Exercise 2.4: Correct Mistakes 25 Use Coordinate Systems  27 Exercise 2.5: Use Absolute Coordinates  27 Exercise 2.6: Use Relative Coordinates 28 Exercise 2.7: Use Polar Coordinates 29 Draw Circles, Arcs, and Polygons 33 Exercise 2.8: Create Circles   33 Exercise 2.9: Create Arcs  36 Exercise 2.10: Draw Polygons  38 Use Fillet and Chamfer  40 Exercise 2.11: Join Nonparallel Lines  40 Exercise 2.12: Join Crossed Lines with Fillet  41 Chapter 3 Using Drawing Aids 43 Use Grid and Snap  43 Exercise 3.1: Draw with Grid and Snap 44t e n t s Employ Ortho and Polar Tracking  47 Exercise 3.2: Draw with Ortho and Polar Tracking  47 Use PolarSnap  48 Exercise 3.3: Draw with PolarSnap 49 Select Running Object Snaps   51 Exercise 3.4: Draw with Running Object Snaps  51 Harness the From Snap 54 Exercise 3.5: Use the From Snap 54 Apply Object Snap Tracking  55 Exercise 3.6: Use Object Snap Tracking  55 Chapter 4 Editing Entities 59 Create Selection Sets 59 Exercise 4.1: Create a Selection Set at the Select Objects: Prompt  60 Exercise 4.2: Create a Selection Set Before Deciding on a Command   62 Use Move and Copy  66 Exercise 4.3: Move and Copy  66 Use Rotate and Scale 70 Exercise 4.4: Rotate and Scale 70 Work with Arrays  73 Exercise 4.5: Create a Rectangular Array 74 Exercise 4.6: Create a Polar Array 75 Use Trim and Extend 77 Exercise 4.7: Trim and Measure  77 Use Lengthen and Stretch  78 Exercise 4.8: Lengthen and Stretch 79 Use Offset and Mirror 80 Exercise 4.9: Offset and Mirror 80 Edit with Grips  82 Exercise 4.10: Edit with Grips  83 Chapter 5 Shaping Curves 85 Draw and Edit Curved Polylines  85 Exercise 5.1: Draw and Edit Curved Polylines  85 Draw Ellipses 91 Exercise 5.2: Draw Ellipses   91 Shape Splines 93 Exercise 5.3: Work with Control Vertices 94 Exercise 5.4: Work with Fit Points 98 Blend Between Objects with Splines 101 Exercise 5.5: Blend Splines  102 Chapter 6 Controlling Object Visibility and Appearance 105 Change Object Properties  105 Exercise 6.1: Edit Object Properties  106 Set the Current Layer  109 Exercise 6.2: Choose the Current Layer 110 Alter the Layer Assignments of Objects 113 Exercise 6.3: Assign Layers  113 Control Layer Visibility  116 Exercise 6.4: Toggle Layer Status 116 Exercise 6.5: Isolate Layers  118 Exercise 6.6: Save Layer States  120 Apply Linetype  121 Exercise 6.7: Use Linetype   122 Assign Properties by Object or by Layer 125 Exercise 6.8: Assign Properties  125 Manage Layer Properties  126 Exercise 6.9: Control Layer Properties  126 Isolate Objects  128 Exercise 6.10: Isolate and Hide Individual Objects  128 Chapter 7 Organizing Objects 131 Define Blocks  131 Exercise 7.1: Draw a Chair and Define It as a Block 132 Exercise 7.2: Draw a Door and Define It as a Block  135 Insert Blocks  137 Exercise 7.3: Use Blocks  137 Edit Blocks  141 Exercise 7.4: Edit Block Definitions  142 Exercise 7.5: Assign Floating Properties   143 Exercise 7.6: Nest Blocks  145 Exercise 7.7: Explode Blocks  147t e n t s Redefine Blocks  148 Exercise 7.8: Redefine Block Definitions   148 Work with Groups  151 Exercise 7.9: Create Groups  151 Chapter 8 Hatching and Gradients 155 Specify Hatch Areas 155 Exercise 8.1: Pick Points to Determine Boundaries 155 Exercise 8.2: Select Objects to Define Boundaries  159 Associate Hatches with Boundaries 161 Exercise 8.3: Associate Boundaries  161 Hatch with Patterns 163 Exercise 8.4: Specify Properties 164 Exercise 8.5: Separate Hatch Areas  165 Hatch with Gradients  168 Exercise 8.6: Create Gradients  168 Chapter 9 Working with Blocks and Xrefs 171 Work with Global Blocks  171 Exercise 9.1: Write a Local Block Definition to a File  171 Exercise 9.2: Insert a Drawing as a Local Block   175 Exercise 9.3: Redefine Local Blocks with Global Blocks  177 Access Content Globally  179 Exercise 9.4: Access Global Content  179 Store Content on Tool Palettes  180 Exercise 9.5: Add to the Tool Palettes 180 Reference External Drawings and Images 183 Exercise 9.6: Use Xrefs  183 Chapter 10 Creating and Editing Text 189 Style Text  189 Exercise 10.1: Create Text Styles 189 Write Lines of Text  191 Exercise 10.2: Create Text to Fit 191 Exercise 10.3: Justify Text   193 Exercise 10.4: Transform and Create Text  194 Write and Format Paragraphs Using MTEXT  197 Exercise 10.5: Write and Format with MTEXT   197t Edit Text   200 Exercise 10.6: Edit Content and Properties  201 Exercise 10.7: Work with Columns 202 Recognize and Combine Text  203 Exercise 10.8: Import, Recognize, and Combine Text from PDF  204 Chapter 11 Dimensioning 209 Style Dimensions  209 Exercise 11.1: Create Dimension Styles 210 Add Dimensions  215 Exercise 11.2: Use Inquiry Commands  215 Exercise 11.3: Add Dimension Objects  218 Exercise 11.4: Add and Style Multileaders  222 Edit Dimensions  223 Exercise 11.5: Alter Dimension Objects 223 Chapter 12 Keeping In Control with Constraints 227 Work with Geometric Constraints 227 Exercise 12.1: Use Geometric Constraints  227 Apply Dimensional Constraints  230 Exercise 12.2: Create Dimensional Constraints   231 Constrain Objects Simultaneously with Geometry and Dimensions 234 Exercise 12.3: Use Simultaneous Constraints  234 Make Parametric Changes to Constrained Objects   236 Exercise 12.4: Alter Constraint Parameters  237 Chapter 13 Working with Layouts and Annotative Objects 239 Create Annotative Styles and Objects 239 Exercise 13.1: Work with Annotative Text  240 Exercise 13.2: Work with Annotative Dimensions 243 Create Layouts  245 Exercise 13.3: Configure Layouts 245 Adjust Floating Viewports 248 Exercise 13.4: Work on Layout1 249 Exercise 13.5: Work on Layout2 252 Override Layer Properties in Layout Viewports  254 Exercise 13.6: Override Layer Properties   255 Draw on Layouts  256 Exercise 13.7: Lay Out Geometry 256on t e n t s Chapter 14 Printing and Plot ting 261 Configure Output Devices  261 Exercise 14.1: Set Up a System Printer  262 Exercise 14.2: Set Up an AutoCAD Plotter  262 Create Plot Style Tables  265 Exercise 14.3: Create a Named Plot Style Table  265 Use Plot Style Tables  267 Exercise 14.4: Configure New Drawings for Named Plot Style Tables  267 Exercise 14.5: Assign Plot Styles by Layer or by Object  270 Plot in Model Space 273 Exercise 14.6: Plot from Model Space 273 Plot Layouts in Paper Space   277 Exercise 14.7: Plot from Paper Space 277 Export to an Electronic Format 280 Exercise 14.8: Export to DWF 281 Exercise 14.9: Export to PDF 282 Exercise 14.10: Share Design Views 284 Chapter 15 Working with Data 287 Geolocate Projects  287 Exercise 15.1: Geolocate a Drawing  288 Import SketchUp Models  292 Exercise 15.2: Import a SketchUp Model   292 Define Attributes and Blocks   293 Exercise 15.3: Define Attributes and a Block  294 Insert Attributed Blocks  298 Exercise 15.4: Insert Block References with Attributes  298 Edit Table Styles and Create Tables 300 Exercise 15.5: Alter a Table Style and Make a Table  300 Use Fields in Table Cells  305 Exercise 15.6: Create Fields  305 Edit Table Data  308 Exercise 15.7: Alter Table Data  308 Chapter 16 Navigating 3D Models 317 Use Visual Styles  317 Exercise 16.1: Explore Visual Styles  318 Work with Tiled Viewports  322 Exercise 16.2: Tile Viewports 322 Navigate with the ViewCube   324 Exercise 16.3: Use the ViewCube to Navigate  324 Orbit in 3D  326 Exercise 16.4: Orbit  326 Use Cameras 328 Exercise 16.5: Utilize Virtual Cameras  328 Navigate with SteeringWheels  331 Exercise 16.6: Use SteeringWheels to Navigate  331 Save Views 334 Exercise 16.7: Save Views  334 Chapter 17 Modeling in 3D 337 Create Surface Models  337 Exercise 17.1: Make Planar Surfaces  338 Exercise 17.2: Revolve a 2D Profile to Create a 3D Model  339 Exercise 17.3: Sweep Out 3D Geometry 340 Exercise 17.4: Extrude 2D Geometry into 3D   342 Edit Surface Models  344 Exercise 17.5: Trim Surfaces with Other Surfaces 344 Exercise 17.6: Project Edges on Surfaces  345 Exercise 17.7: Trim Surfaces with Edges  348 Create Solid Models 350 Exercise 17.8: Extrude Solid Objects 350 Exercise 17.9: Loft Solid Objects 354 Edit Solid Models  356 Exercise 17.10: Perform Boolean Operations  356 Exercise 17.11: Edit Solids   359 Smooth Mesh Models  363 Exercise 17.12: Create, Edit, and Smooth Mesh  363 Live-Section Models 365 Exercise 17.13: Create and Edit a Section Plane   365 Chapter 18 Presenting and Documenting 3D Design 369 Assign Materials  370 Exercise 18.1: Apply Materials  370t e n t s Place and Adjust Lights  376 Exercise 18.2: Add Artificial Lights  376 Exercise 18.3: Simulate Natural Light  382 Create Renderings 383 Exercise 18.4: Make Realistic Renderings in the Cloud 383 Document Models with Drawings  387 Exercise 18.5: Document Models 387 Appendix A Making Isometric Drawings 393 Appendix B Autodesk™ AutoCAD™ 2018 Certif ication 399 Index 403 Configure Output Devices  261 Exercise 14.1: Set Up a System Printer  262 Exercise 14.2: Set Up an AutoCAD Plotter  262 Create Plot Style Tables  265 Exercise 14.3: Create a Named Plot Style Table  265 Use Plot Style Tables  267 Exercise 14.4: Configure New Drawings for Named Plot Style Tables  267 Exercise 14.5: Assign Plot Styles by Layer or by Object  270 Plot in Model Space 273 Exercise 14.6: Plot from Model Space 273 Plot Layouts in Paper Space   277 Exercise 14.7: Plot from Paper Space 277 Export to an Electronic Format 280 Exercise 14.8: Export to DWF 281 Exercise 14.9: Export to PDF 282 Exercise 14.10: Share Design Views 284 Chapter 15 Working with Data 287 Geolocate Projects  287 Exercise 15.1: Geolocate a Drawing  288 Import SketchUp Models  292 Exercise 15.2: Import a SketchUp Model   292 Define Attributes and Blocks   293 Exercise 15.3: Define Attributes and a Block  294 Insert Attributed Blocks  298 Exercise 15.4: Insert Block References with Attributes  298 Edit Table Styles and Create Tables 300 Exercise 15.5: Alter a Table Style and Make a Table  300 Use Fields in Table Cells  305 Exercise 15.6: Create Fields  305 Edit Table Data  308 Exercise 15.7: Alter Table Data  308 Chapter 16 Navigating 3D Models 317 Use Visual Styles  317 Exercise 16.1: Explore Visual Styles  318 Work with Tiled Viewports  322 Exercise 16.2: Tile Viewports 322 Navigate with the ViewCube   324 Exercise 16.3: Use the ViewCube to Navigate  324 Orbit in 3D  326 Exercise 16.4: Orbit  326 Use Cameras 328 Exercise 16.5: Utilize Virtual Cameras  328 Navigate with SteeringWheels  331 Exercise 16.6: Use SteeringWheels to Navigate  331 Save Views 334 Exercise 16.7: Save Views  334 Chapter 17 Modeling in 3D 337 Create Surface Models  337 Exercise 17.1: Make Planar Surfaces  338 Exercise 17.2: Revolve a 2D Profile to Create a 3D Model  339 Exercise 17.3: Sweep Out 3D Geometry 340 Exercise 17.4: Extrude 2D Geometry into 3D   342 Edit Surface Models  344 Exercise 17.5: Trim Surfaces with Other Surfaces 344 Exercise 17.6: Project Edges on Surfaces  345 Exercise 17.7: Trim Surfaces with Edges  348 Create Solid Models 350 Exercise 17.8: Extrude Solid Objects 350 Exercise 17.9: Loft Solid Objects 354 Edit Solid Models  356 Exercise 17.10: Perform Boolean Operations  356 Exercise 17.11: Edit Solids   359 Smooth Mesh Models  363 Exercise 17.12: Create, Edit, and Smooth Mesh  363 Live-Section Models 365 Exercise 17.13: Create and Edit a Section Plane   365 Chapter 18 Presenting and Documenting 3D Design 369 Assign Materials  370 Exercise 18.1: Apply Materials  370t e n t s Place and Adjust Lights  376 Exercise 18.2: Add Artificial Lights  376 Exercise 18.3: Simulate Natural Light  382 Create Renderings 383 Exercise 18.4: Make Realistic Renderings in the Cloud 383 Document Models with Drawings  387 Exercise 18.5: Document Models 387 Appendix A Making Isometric Drawings 393 Appendix B Autodesk™ AutoCAD™ 2018 Certif ication 399 Index 403

About the Author :
About the Author Scott Onstott is a consultant, former university professor, author, and independent video producer with more than 19 years of experience teaching and writing about design visualization software. He is the author of the six previous editions of AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Essentials, Photoshop CS6 Essentials, Enhancing Architectural Drawings and Models with Photoshop, and five other software training books published by Sybex.