Mastering AutoCAD® for Mac®

Book description

The Best Resource on the Market for Learning AutoCAD for Mac software!

This comprehensive Autodesk Official Training Guide has everything you need to quickly become proficient with every aspect of Autodesk's new AutoCAD for Mac software. Award-winning author George Omura, whom most CAD designers know and respect from his all-time bestselling Mastering AutoCAD books, now applies his legendary AutoCAD expertise, approachable style, and thorough Mastering coverage to Mastering AutoCAD for Mac. You'll quickly and efficiently build skills, whether you're just beginning or are already a seasoned AutoCAD user.

  • Teaches you to design and draft using AutoCAD for Mac

  • Helps you quickly master basic, intermediate, and advanced skills

  • Covers using hatches, fields, and tables effectively; manipulating dynamic blocks and attributes; rendering 3D views with lighting and materials; exploring parametric modeling; transforming 2D drawings into 3D renderings; and more

  • Provides step-by-step instruction and exercises, as well as real-world examples and case studies

  • Functions as both a detailed tutorial and also a one-stop, stand-alone reference

  • Mastering AutoCAD for Mac is also an Autodesk Official Training Guide

The world's best AutoCAD resources—George Omura and the Mastering AutoCAD series from Sybex—are now available to help you master AutoCAD for Mac.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dear Reader,
  5. Dedication
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. About the Authors
  8. Foreword
  9. Introduction
    1. How to Use This Book
    2. Getting Information Fast
    3. What to Expect
    4. The Minimum System Requirements
    5. Doing Things in Style
    6. New Features of AutoCAD for Mac
    7. Contact the Authors
  10. Part 1: The Basics
    1. Chapter 1: Exploring the AutoCAD Interface
      1. Taking a Guided Tour
      2. Getting Familiar with AutoCAD
      3. The Bottom Line
    2. Chapter 2: Creating Your First Drawing
      1. Getting to Know the Tool Sets palette
      2. Starting Your First Drawing
      3. Specifying Exact Distances with Coordinates
      4. Interpreting the Cursor Modes and Understanding Prompts
      5. Selecting Objects
      6. Editing with Grips
      7. Using Dynamic Input
      8. Getting Help
      9. Displaying Data in the Command Line Palette
      10. Displaying the Properties of an Object
      11. The Bottom Line
    3. Chapter 3: Setting Up and Using AutoCAD’s Drafting Tools
      1. Setting Up a Work Area
      2. Exploring the Drawing Process
      3. Planning and Laying Out a Drawing
      4. Using the AutoCAD Modes as Drafting Tools
      5. The Bottom Line
    4. Chapter 4: Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups
      1. Creating a Block
      2. Inserting a Symbol
      3. Modifying a Block
      4. Understanding the Annotation Scale
      5. Grouping Objects
      6. The Bottom Line
    5. Chapter 5: Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks
      1. Organizing Information with Layers
      2. Using Objects to Control Layers
      3. Keeping Track of Blocks and Layers
      4. The Bottom Line
  11. Part 2: Mastering Intermediate Skills
    1. Chapter 6: Editing and Reusing Data to Work Efficiently
      1. Creating and Using Templates
      2. Copying an Object Multiple Times
      3. Developing Your Drawing
      4. Finding an Exact Distance along a Curve
      5. Changing the Length of Objects
      6. Creating a New Drawing by Using Parts from Another Drawing
      7. The Bottom Line
    2. Chapter 7: Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References
      1. Assembling the Parts
      2. Taking Control of the AutoCAD Display
      3. Using Hatch Patterns in Your Drawings
      4. Understanding the Boundary Hatch Options
      5. Using External References
      6. The Bottom Line
    3. Chapter 8: Introducing Printing and Layouts
      1. Print a Plan
      2. Understanding the Print Settings
      3. WYSIWYG Printing Using Layout Views
      4. Examining Output-Device Settings
      5. Understanding Plot Styles
      6. Printer Hardware Considerations
      7. The Bottom Line
    4. Chapter 9: Adding Text to Drawings
      1. Preparing a Drawing for Text
      2. Setting the Annotation Scale and Adding Text
      3. Understanding the Text Style Dialog Box Options
      4. Exploring Text Formatting in AutoCAD
      5. What Do the Fonts Look Like?
      6. Adding Simple Single-Line Text Objects
      7. Using the Check Spelling Feature
      8. Finding and Replacing Text
      9. The Bottom Line
    5. Chapter 10: Using Fields and Tables
      1. Using Fields to Associate Text with Drawing Properties
      2. Adding Tables to Your Drawing
      3. Editing the Table Line Work
      4. Adding Formulas to Cells
      5. Exporting Tables
      6. The Bottom Line
    6. Chapter 11: Using Dimensions
      1. Understanding the Components of a Dimension
      2. Creating a Dimension Style
      3. Drawing Linear Dimensions
      4. Editing Dimensions
      5. Dimensioning Non-orthogonal Objects
      6. Adding a Note with a Leader Arrow
      7. Applying Ordinate Dimensions
      8. Adding Tolerance Notation
      9. The Bottom Line
  12. Part 3: Mastering Advanced Skills
    1. Chapter 12: Using Attributes
      1. Creating Attributes
      2. Editing Attributes
      3. The Bottom Line
    2. Chapter 13: Copying Existing Drawings into AutoCAD
      1. Methods for Converting Paper Drawings to AutoCAD Files
      2. Importing a Raster Image
      3. Working with a Raster Image
      4. The Bottom Line
    3. Chapter 14: Advanced Editing and Organizing
      1. Using External References (Xrefs)
      2. Managing Layers
      3. The Bottom Line
    4. Chapter 15: Laying Out Your Printer Output
      1. Understanding Model Space and Paper Space
      2. Working with Paper Space Viewports
      3. Creating Odd-Shaped Viewports
      4. Understanding Line Weights, Linetypes, and Dimensions in Paper Space
      5. The Bottom Line
    5. Chapter 16: Making “Smart” Drawings with Parametric Tools
      1. Why Use Parametric Drawing Tools
      2. Connecting Objects with Geometric Constraints
      3. Controlling Sizes with Dimensional Constraints
      4. Editing the Constraint Options
      5. Putting Constraints to Use
      6. The Bottom Line
    6. Chapter 17: Drawing Curves
      1. Introducing Polylines
      2. Editing Polylines
      3. Creating a Polyline Spline Curve
      4. Using True Spline Curves
      5. Marking Divisions on Curves
      6. The Bottom Line
    7. Chapter 18: Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings
      1. Finding the Area of Closed Boundaries
      2. Getting General Information
      3. Using the DXF File Format to Exchange CAD Data with Other Programs
      4. Using AutoCAD Drawings in Page-Layout Programs
      5. The Bottom Line
  13. Part 4: 3D Modeling and Imaging
    1. Chapter 19: Creating 3D Drawings
      1. Getting to Know the 3D Modeling Environment
      2. Drawing in 3D Using Solids
      3. Creating 3D Forms from 2D Shapes
      4. Isolating Coordinates with Point Filters
      5. Moving around Your Model
      6. Getting a Visual Effect
      7. Turning a 3D View into a 2D AutoCAD Drawing
      8. The Bottom Line
    2. Chapter 20: Using Advanced 3D Features
      1. Setting Up AutoCAD for This Chapter
      2. Mastering the User Coordinate System
      3. Understanding the UCS Options
      4. Using Viewports to Aid in 3D Drawing
      5. Creating Complex 3D Surfaces
      6. Creating Spiral Forms
      7. Creating Surface Models
      8. Moving Objects in 3D Space
      9. The Bottom Line
    3. Chapter 21: Rendering 3D Drawings
      1. Testing the Waters
      2. Creating a Quick-Study Rendering
      3. Simulating the Sun
      4. Creating Effects Using Materials and Lights
      5. Controlling Render Quality
      6. Printing Your Renderings
      7. The Bottom Line
    4. Chapter 22: Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids
      1. Understanding Solid Modeling
      2. Creating Solid Forms
      3. Creating Complex Solids
      4. Editing Solids
      5. Streamlining the 2D Drawing Process
      6. Visualizing Solids
      7. The Bottom Line
    5. Chapter 23: Exploring 3D Mesh and Surface Modeling
      1. Creating a Simple 3D Mesh
      2. Editing Faces and Edges
      3. Creating Complex Meshes
      4. Understanding 3D Surfaces
      5. Editing Surfaces
      6. Visualizing Curvature: Understanding the Surface Analysis Tools
      7. The Bottom Line
  14. Appendix A: The Bottom Line
    1. Chapter 1: Exploring the AutoCAD Interface
    2. Chapter 2: Creating Your First Drawing
    3. Chapter 3: Setting Up and Using AutoCAD’s Drafting Tools
    4. Chapter 4: Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups
    5. Chapter 5: Keeping Track of Layers and Blocks
    6. Chapter 6: Editing and Reusing Data to Work Efficiently
    7. Chapter 7: Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References
    8. Chapter 8: Introducing Printing and Layouts
    9. Chapter 9: Adding Text to Drawings
    10. Chapter 10: Using Fields and Tables
    11. Chapter 11: Using Dimensions
    12. Chapter 12: Using Attributes
    13. Chapter 13: Copying Existing Drawings into AutoCAD
    14. Chapter 14: Advanced Editing and Organizing
    15. Chapter 15: Laying Out Your Printer Output
    16. Chapter 16: Making “Smart” Drawings with Parametric Tools
    17. Chapter 17: Drawing Curves
    18. Chapter 18: Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings
    19. Chapter 19: Creating 3D Drawings
    20. Chapter 20: Using Advanced 3D Features
    21. Chapter 21: Rendering 3D Drawings
    22. Chapter 22: Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids
    23. Chapter 23: Exploring 3D Mesh and Surface Modeling
  15. Index
  16. Bonus Appendix B: Installing and Setting Up AutoCAD for Mac
    1. Before Installing AutoCAD
    2. Proceeding with the Installation
    3. Configuring AutoCAD
    4. Turning On the Grips Feature
    5. Setting Up the Tracking Vector Feature
  17. Bonus Appendix C: Hardware and Software Tips
    1. The Graphics Display
    2. Pointing Devices
    3. Output Devices
    4. Fine-Tuning the Appearance of Output
    5. Memory and AutoCAD Performance
    6. AutoCAD and Your Hard Disk
    7. Using Spatial and Layer Indexes to Conserve Memory
    8. When Things Go Wrong
  18. Bonus Appendix D: System Variables and Dimension Styles
    1. System Variables
    2. Taking a Closer Look at the Dimension Style Dialog Boxes
  19. Bonus Chapter 1: Exploring AutoLISP
    1. Putting AutoLISP to Work
    2. Understanding the Interpreter
    3. Using Arguments and Functions
    4. Creating a Simple Program
    5. Selecting Objects with AutoLISP
    6. Controlling the Flow of an AutoLISP Program
    7. Converting Data Types
    8. Storing Your Programs as Files
    9. The Bottom Line
  20. Bonus Chapter 2: Customizing Toolsets, Menus, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns
    1. Customizing the User Interface
    2. Creating Macros for Tools and Menus
    3. Pausing for User Input
    4. Understanding the Diesel Macro Language
    5. Creating Custom Linetypes
    6. Creating Hatch Patterns
    7. The Bottom Line

Product information

  • Title: Mastering AutoCAD® for Mac®
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: November 2010
  • Publisher(s): Sybex
  • ISBN: 9780470932346