Learning AutoCAD 2013: A Video Introduction

In this course you’ll be introduced to the fundamentals of AutoCAD and computer-aided design. The contents of this course include:

User Interface
In this chapter we will explore the user interface in general and take a closer look at the ribbon and status bar functionality.

AutoCAD Fundamentals
In this chapter you will get acquainted with how AutoCAD works and the type of data that it generates. You’ll learn how to get around drawings, create templates, and configure program and drawing options.

Creating Objects
In this chapter you will learn how to create the basic set of geometric objects including lines, circles, ellipses, arcs, elliptical arcs, polylines, rectangles, polygons, splines, points, rays, and xlines. In the course of drawing these objects, you will also learn about Cartesian and polar coordinates, and a few editing commands as well.

Learning to Draw Accurately
This chapter will teach you how to draw accurately, which is what AutoCAD is all about. You will learn about grid and snap, object snap, object snap tracking, user coordinate systems, and making calculations.

Manipulating Objects
In this chapter you will learn how to alter objects in terms of transforming their positions, orientations, and scales, as well as deforming their shapes using a variety of commands and editing modes. You will also learn how to select objects in different ways and how to create rectangular, polar, and path arrays.

Controlling Object Appearance with Layers and Properties
In this chapter you’ll learn how to control how things look in AutoCAD by assigning properties such as color, linetype, and lineweight to layers. You will typically create objects on specific layers and they will inherit those layers' properties, but you will also learn how to assign properties specifically to objects, overriding the properties of layers.

Understanding Blocks
Blocks are data structures that help you with representing commonly used symbols and drawings. In this chapter you will learn how to define, insert, edit-in-place, and redefine static blocks. In addition you will design a dynamic block with a custom grip menu that you can interact with once it is inserted into a drawing.

Accessing and Managing Content
In this chapter you will learn how to access blocks and styles in other drawings both on your local area network and on Autodesk Seek, a web-based repository of technical drawings supplied by numerous manufacturers of real-world products.

Using Hatch Patterns and Gradients
In this chapter you will create a series of hatch patterns, solid fills, and gradients to visually differentiate the different parts of an engine drawing. You will learn how to edit existing hatch objects and adjust their properties.

Writing and Editing Text
In this chapter you’ll learn how to use the single-line and multi-line text tools and how to style text, create columns of text, and format letters individually.

Working with Data
This chapter looks at attributes, fields, and tables. You will create attributes to store non-graphical data in the drawing, use fields to access object properties and display them in text, and use tables to present extracted attribute values.

Dimensioning
In this chapter you will learn how to add dimensions to a drawing, revealing its real-world measurements. You will be introduced to the various tools that can help you create and edit readable dimension objects.

Using Constraints
In this chapter you will learn how to use constraints to limit how objects can be dynamically transformed. This will allow you to explore a geometric form called an ogive or gothic arch. In the end you will create a dynamic block whose grip drives the complex system of constraints with a simple user interface.

Working in 3D
In this chapter you will model 3D forms and learn how to navigate around and through a model. You will also assign materials, create lights, and produce a photorealistic rendering.

Creating Documentation
In this chapter you’ll learn how to use layouts to represent drawings to scale on sheets. You will create viewports, a title block, and annotative text before finally learning how to create output.

The lessons are wrapped in a feature-rich interface that lets you jump to any topic and bookmark individual sections for later review. Full-Screen mode provides a hi-def, immersive experience, and Watch-and-Work mode shrinks the video into a small window so you can play the videos alongside your application. Also included are exercise files that give you an easy way to try out the techniques you learn.