Autocad getting started 2011

For a reference that automatically updates, you can attach the drawing with the External References palette XREF command instead. Create a Block Definition Instead of creating a drawing file to be inserted as a block, you might want to create a block definition directly in your current drawing. Note: You can create block definitions that include one or more attributes that store and display information.

Typically, attributes include data such as part number, name, cost, and date. You can export block attribute information to a table or to an external file. Recommendations There are several different schemes for saving and retrieving block definitions. You can create an individual drawing file for each block that you intend to use. You save these drawing files in folders, each of which would contain a family of related drawing files. You can include the block definitions for title blocks and common symbols in your drawing template files to make them available immediately when starting a new drawing.

You can create several drawing files, which are sometimes called block library drawings. Each of these drawings contains a family of related block definitions. When you insert a block library drawing into your current drawing, all the blocks that are defined in that drawing become available.

Tip: With online access, you can download AutoCAD drawing files from the web sites of commercial vendors and suppliers. This can save you time, but always check to make sure that they are drawn correctly and to scale. Fully constrained. All relevant geometric and dimensional constraints are applied to the geometry. A fully constrained set of objects also needs to include at least one Fix constraint to lock the location of the geometry.

Thus, there are two general methods for designing with constraints: You can work in an underconstrained drawing and make changes as you go, using a combination of editing commands, grips, and adding or changing constraints.

You can create and fully constrain a drawing first, and then control the design exclusively by relaxing and replacing geometric constraints, and changing the values in dimensional constraints. Note: The program prevents you from applying any constraints that result in an overconstrained condition. Use Constraints with Blocks and Xrefs You can apply constraints between An object in the drawing and an object within a block reference An object within a block reference and an object within a different block reference not between objects within the same block reference The insertion point of an xref and an object or a block, but not to any objects within xrefs When you apply constraints to block references, the objects contained within the block are automatically available for selection.

Note: Applying constraints to dynamic blocks suppresses the display of their dynamic grips. You can still change the values in a dynamic block using the Properties palette, but to redisplay the dynamic grips, the constraints must first be removed from the dynamic block. Remove or Relax Constraints There are two ways to cancel the effects of constraints when you need to make design changes: Delete the constraints individually and later apply new constraints.

While the cursor hovers over a geometric constraint icon, you can use the Delete key or the shortcut menu to delete the constraint. Relax the constraints temporarily on selected objects to make the changes. With a grip selected or when you specify options during an editing command, tap the Shift key to alternate between relaxing constraints and maintaining constraints.

You have drawn your first line! To select and delete a single line Before you learn how to draw a series of lines, select and delete the line you just drew. You know it is selected when three square selection handles appear and the line changes to a dotted line. You have learned how to select a single object and delete it. Click to specify the first point for the line. You have drawn the first line in a series of connected lines.

You have drawn the second line in a series of connected lines. Before you learn how to connect a series of lines to create an object, delete the lines that you just drew. In the steps below, you will use a window selection box to select all of the lines at the same time. After you click, the square selection handles appear and the lines become dotted. Click to specify the first point of the line. As you type the close command, it appears in a small text box in the window. The end of the last line you drew is connected to the beginning of your first line.

This method of directly entering a command into the window is called dynamic input. It is faster and easier than using the command line. You do not need to save it. Lesson 3: Zoom and Pan with the Mouse Wheel. In this lesson, you learn to zoom and pan in a sample drawing.

This is one of the files you downloaded at the beginning of this tutorial.