8.The dimension text clearly states that the window is 3'8" wide, which is 42 inches.

9.Choose Window drawing1.dwg.

10.Type 42 to create the circle. If necessary, choose View Zoom Out until you can see the entire drawing.

11.Close abqs-01.dwg. Do not save drawing1.dwg.

Looking at the prompts for the transparent use of the ZOOM command carefully, note three features:

The ZOOM command is preceded by an apostrophe. This is the sign of a transparent command.

The prompt for the transparent command is preceded by >>. This helps you distinguish between the prompts of the original command and the transparent command that is embedded in it.

When the transparent command is complete, the prompt tells you. In this case, you see

Resuming CIRCLE command.

Experiment using transparent commands, and you’ll soon find them indispensable.

Of Mice and Pucks

For the sake of simplicity, this book assumes that you’re using a mouse, but some people use a digitizing tablet and a puck (or a stylus). A typical digitizing tablet and puck are shown in Figure 3-6. A puck often has more buttons than a mouse and also has crosshairs on a transparent area that you can use for accurately picking points from a paper drawing.

Figure 3-6: A digitizer and puck.

The digitizing tablet is generally configured to include an area that represents the screen you draw on as well as a customizable command area that you use for commands. This command area of the tablet functions as another menu. Figure 3-7 shows the default tablet provided with AutoCAD. (AutoCAD LT has a similar one.) Usually, you would customize the tablet to suit individual needs. Each square is equivalent to a toolbar button and executes a command when you click it. The top area is left blank for you to include your own commands. This area is often used to insert parts from a library of standardized parts. Examples would be gaskets and valves in a mechanical drawing environment or doors and windows in an architectural environment.

Figure 3-7: The standard tablet menu.

The square area in the right-center represents the drawing area. In this area, the puck functions like a mouse to draw, as well as to access menus and dialog box options. The tablet can also be used for a process called digitizing, which means transferring data from paper into AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT. This transference is often done by putting a paper document directly on the tablet and using the entire tablet as a drawing area. Because the puck has crosshairs on a transparent surface, you can pick points on the drawing, which then become endpoints of lines, for example.

Getting Help

AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT have so many commands with so many options that every user needs help at some time. AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT come with a very complete Help system. A complete set of links and tabs makes navigating through the topics and finding related material easy.

Getting help on a command

The easiest way to get help on a command is to start the command and press F1. The help screen for that command opens up. Figure 3-8 shows the screen that opens when you type zoom and then press F1.

Figure 3-9: Click the Learn about Plotting hyperlink to go to a Help page on plotting.

Using the main Help system

When you have a question, try the Help system. AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT come with the most complete Help documentation I have ever seen in a program.

Clicking F1 (with no command active) or choosing Help Help opens the User Documentation window, shown in Figure 3-10. Click the Show button to display four tabs to the left.

Figure 3-10: The main Help window in AutoCAD.

The Help system has four tabs that offer different ways of finding the help you need. You might need to drag the border between the tabs and the right panel to see the rightmost tab.

The Contents tab

The Contents tab displays help organized by topic. It’s like the table of contents of a book. Double-click the icon of a book to open that topic and see subtopics. Click a topic to see it displayed in the right panel. Double-click Command Reference on the Contents tab to get help on commands and system variables. Double-click User’s Guide for the “how-to” manual.

The Index tab

If you have an idea in your head but don’t know the command name, you may want to use the index. The index is an alphabetical listing of topics. In the text box, type the first few letters of the word or words for which you want help. As you type, the list jumps to the closest match.

When you’ve found the topic you want, highlight it and click Display (or double-click it). Sometimes subtopics appear from which you can choose.

The Search tab

The Search tab enables you to find keywords from all the words in the Help screens. Type a word in the text box and click List Topics. Choose a topic and click Display (or double-click the topic) to display it on the right.

The Ask Me tab

The Ask Me tab enables you to ask a question in real English and get the answer you want — hopefully. Type a question or phrase and press Enter. Then click one of the suggested links to see the topic displayed in the right pane.

Working with Help screens

The Help screens have several features that you should know so you can make the best use of them. Many of the topics displayed on the right have three tabs:

Concepts: The overall description

Procedures: How to do it

Reference: Related commands

After you arrive at the Help screen you want, look for links to related topics.

At the top of most screens are several buttons. The selection of buttons depends on which aspect of Help you’re accessing. These buttons help you navigate the Help system quickly and easily:

Hide/Show: Hides the left pane so that you can work and look at a Help screen at the same time. When hidden, the button becomes a Show button that displays the left pane.

Back: Returns you to the previous Help screen you viewed.

Print: Prints the topic.

Options: Offers further options such as going to the Home Help page and refreshing the screen.

Using the Info palette

The Info palette offers you context-sensitive Quick Help as you work. It’s great for beginners, but you’ll eventually find it a nuisance because it takes up screen space.

To open the Info palette, choose Help Info Palette or press Ctrl+5. As you use commands, a brief explanation appears. Figure 3-11 shows the screen that appears when you start the ARC command.

Figure 3-11: The Info palette displays Help for the command you’re using.

You can close the Info palette by clicking its Close box at the top of the palette title bar or pressing Ctrl+5.

Getting more help

The Help menu has some additional options that provide assistance that is more specialized. When you choose Help from the menu bar, choose one of these four other items:

Info Palette: Opens the Info palette with the Quick Help feature, explained in the previous section.

New Features Workshop: Provides a combination of explanation, tutorials, and animated demos on new AutoCAD 2006 and AutoCAD LT 2006 features.

Support for Subscribers: If you are a member of Autodesk’s Subscription program, you see four items especially for subscribers. These items connect you to online e-learning resources as well as access to support services, but are not available for AutoCAD LT.

Additional Resources: Connects you to various support and training options on Autodesk’s Web site, Developer Help (the Help system for topics relating to programming AutoCAD. (AutoCAD only.), and Autodesk User Group International (AUGI, the Autodesk user group organization).

In this exercise, you practice using the Help system.

STEPS: Using AutoCAD Help

1.If AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT is not open, start the program with the acad.dwt or aclt.dwt template. If the program is already open, you can do this exercise with any drawing on the screen.

2.Choose Circle from the Draw toolbar. At the prompt, press F1 on the keyboard. The Circle Help screen opens. (If it doesn’t open, click the Help window’s button on the Windows taskbar.)

3.Click 2P (Two Points), which appears underlined. The 2P description appears. Read the description of the 2P option.