Beginning AutoCAD® 2024 Exercise Workbook

For more than 20 years, AutoCAD students, instructors, and professionals have relied on the AutoCAD Exercise Workbooks to develop and hone their use of this incredibly versatile program. Whether you are a complete beginner, seeking to improve your 2D drawing capabilities, or just interested in learning about the latest updates, the bestselling Beginning AutoCAD® 2024 Exercise Workbook is the perfect resource.

With clear explanations, step-by-step instructions, inside tips, and numerous exercises, these AutoCAD experts help users make real progress in their drawing capabilities. For easy entry into working with drawing commands, users can download preset drawing templates from the provided link, or by visiting Industrial Press’s print or eBook website product pages.

The new AutoCAD 2024 software builds on the features of previous releases. Improvements include a reinvented icon on the main menus, and revisions of the Shared Views Palette, making it easier than ever to collaborate with colleagues on AutoCAD projects. The new Automatic Block Placement Tool assists with positioning of commonly used blocks, facilitating quick and precise creation of detailed layouts.

New and/or Improved Features in Beginning AutoCAD 2024:

• Automatic Block Placement Tool — This new capability assists with quickly positioning and inserting a new block into a drawing by providing placement suggestions, based on existing blocks of the same type that have already been inserted into the drawing. (Included in Lesson 29)
• Shared Views Palette — The design of this important tool set, intentionally created to facilitate seamless communication and collaboration on drawings, has been subtly streamlined for this latest edition. (Included in Lesson 30)
• Global AutoCAD 2024 Updates — New illustrations and detailed explanations and instructions throughout this new Exercise Workbook reflect the very latest in AutoCAD tools, dialog boxes, and other key elements.

To download the provided AutoCAD template files mentioned in the book, please click here.

Cheryl Shrock is a retired Professor and Chairperson of Computer Aided Design at Orange Coast College in California. She developed the world-reknowned AutoCAD^® Exercise Workbooks for classroom and self-study use as a result of both her teaching skills and extensive industry experience. An acclaimed AutoCAD expert, she is an Autodesk^® registered author.

Steve Heather is a former Lecturer of Mechanical Engineering and Computer Aided Design in England. For more than a decade, he has been a Beta Tester for Autodesk, testing the latest AutoCAD software. Previous to teaching, and for over 30 years, Heather worked as a Precision Engineer in the aerospace and defense industries. In addition to co-authoring the Beginning and Advanced AutoCAD^® Exercise Workbooks and the AutoCAD^® Pocket Reference, he also is author of AutoCAD^® 3D Modeling and the Engineers Precision Data Pocket Reference and is a key engineering consultant and contributor to the Machinery’s Handbook. Steve welcomes inquiries about his books; you can reach him by emailing info@industrialpress.com.

Meet Author Steve Heather!

To read an interview with this world-class AutoCAD expert,

click here for our 3D Modeling newsletter.

Table of Contents

Introduction
About this Workbook
About the Authors
Configuring Your System
Customizing Your Wheel Mouse

Lesson 1
Starting AutoCAD
AutoCAD Application Window
ToolTip Help

Lesson 2
Creating a Template
Using a Template
Selecting a Command
Drawing Lines
Methods for Selecting Objects
Erase
Undo and Redo
Starting a New Drawing
Opening an Existing Drawing File
Opening Multiple Files
Using Floating File Tabs
Saving a Drawing File
Automatic Save
Back Up Files and Recover
Exiting AutoCAD
Exercises for Lesson 2

Lesson 3
Circle
Rectangle
Grid and Increment Snap
Layers
Lineweights
Transparency
Creating New Layers
Loading and Selecting Layer Linetypes
Exercises for Lesson 3

Lesson 4
Object Snap
Running Object Snap
Zoom
Drawing Setup
Exercises for Lesson 4

Lesson 5
Polygon
Ellipse
Donut
Point
More Object Snaps
Exercises for Lesson 5

Lesson 6
Break
Trim
Extend
Move
Drag
Nudge
Explode
Exercises for Lesson 6

Lesson 7
Copy Multiple Copies
Copy “Array” Option
Mirror
Fillet
Chamfer
Exercises for Lesson 7

Lesson 8
Single Line Text
Multiline Text
Tabs, Indents, and Spell Check
Columns
Paragraph and Line Spacing
Editing Text
Exercises for Lesson 8

Lesson 9
Coordinate Input
Direct Distance Entry (DDE)
Measure Tools
ID Point
Exercise: Creating a Border
Basic Plotting from Model Space
More Exercises for Lesson 9

Lesson 10
Moving the Origin
Displaying the UCS Icon
Exercises for Lesson 10

Lesson 11
Polar Coordinate Input
Dynamic Input
Using Dynamic Input and Polar Coordinates
Polar Tracking
Using Polar Tracking and DDE
Polar Snap
Using Polar Tracking and Polar Snap
Exercises for Lesson 11

Lesson 12
Offset
Properties Palette
Quick Properties Panel
Offsetgaptype
Exercises for Lesson 12

Lesson 13
Array
Exercises for Lesson 13

Lesson 14
Scale
Stretch
Rotate
Exercises for Lesson 14

Lesson 15
Hatch
Hatch Properties
Hatch Types
Editing Hatch Set Properties
Exercises for Lesson 15

Lesson 16
Dimensioning
Linear Dimensioning
Continue Dimensioning
Baseline Dimensioning
Dimension Styles
Ignoring Hatch Objects
Exercises for Lesson 16

Lesson 17
Editing Dimension Text Values
Editing the Dimension Position
Modifying an Entire Dimension Style
Overriding a Dimension Style
Editing an Individual Existing Dimension
Dimension Breaks
Jogging a Dimension Line
Adjusting the Distance Between Dimensions
Exercises for Lesson 17

Lesson 18
Dimensioning Diameters
Dimensioning Radii
Angular Dimensioning
Center Mark – Automatic
Center Mark – Manual
Centerline
Flip Arrow
Creating a Dimension Sub-Style
Exercises for Lesson 18

Lesson 19
Multileader
Creating a Multileader Style
Aligned Dimensioning
Special Text Characters
Prefix and Suffix
Exercises for Lesson 19

Lesson 20
Dim Command
Exercises for Lesson 20

Lesson 21
Match Properties
Match Layer
Creating a Revision Cloud
Converting an Object to a Revision Cloud
Selecting the Revision Cloud Style
Wipeout
Exercises for Lesson 21

Lesson 22
Drawing an Arc
Dimensioning Arc Lengths
Dimensioning a Large Curve
Exercises for Lesson 22

Lesson 23
Understanding and Creating Polylines
Exercises for Lesson 23

Lesson 24
Editing Polylines
Join Command
Exercises for Lesson 24

Lesson 25
Creating New Text Styles
Selecting a Text Style
Deleting a Text Style
Changing the Effects of a Text Style
Divide Command
Measure Command
Exercises for Lesson 25

Lesson 26
Serious Business
Model and Layout Options
Model and Layout Tabs
Viewports
How to Reach Into a Viewport
Pan
Locking a Viewport
Creating a Page Setup
Using the Layout
Plotting from a Layout Tab
Annotative Property
Exercises for Lesson 26

Lesson 27
Creating Scaled Drawings
Adjusting the Viewport Scale
Annotative Objects
Paper Space Dimensioning
Exercises for Lesson 27

Lesson 28
Assigning Multiple Annotative Scales
Removing an Annotative Scale
Annotative Hatch
Exercises for Lesson 28

Lesson 29
Blocks
Inserting Blocks
Re-Defining a Block

Automatic Block Placement
Count the Number of Blocks in a Drawing
Purge Unwanted and Unused Blocks
Multileader and Blocks
Collect Multileader
Exercises for Lesson 29

Lesson 30
Text – Arc Aligned
Text – Modify Text
Text – Convert to MText and Auto Number
Text – Enclose in Object
Draw – Break-Line Symbol
Tools – Command Aliases
Creating a Group
Import a PDF File into AutoCAD
Import a PDF file with SHX fonts
Drawing Compare
Shared Views
Exercises for Lesson 30

Appendixes
Add a Printer / Plotter B Dynamic Input
Frequently Asked Questions

Index

Final Notes about AutoCAD®