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AutoCAD2011PreviewGuide

PoweryourdesignprojectsfromconceptthroughcompletionwithAutoCAD

2011software.Yourideascan
takeshapewithgreaterclarityandaccuracythaneverbefore,thankstonewsurfacemodelingtoolsandpoint
cloudsupport.Newinferredconstraintscapabilitiesmakeworkingwithparametricseasier,andupdated
productivitytoolshelpyoudeliverfinaldesigndocumentationfasterthanever.Andmajorupdatesto
materialsandsurfaceshelpyoucommunicatedesignintentwiththeimpactyoudemand.Withtheseand
manyothernewcapabilitiesyouvebeenaskingfor,AutoCAD2011helpsyoutakedesignanddocumentation
further.

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TableofContents
UserInterface...............................................................................................................................................4
DrawingWindow....................................................................................................................................4
QuickAccessToolbar..............................................................................................................................4
Navigation..............................................................................................................................................5
UCSIconand3DGizmos........................................................................................................................6
TheRibbon..............................................................................................................................................7
VisualStyles............................................................................................................................................9
ObjectVisibility.......................................................................................................................................9
ObjectSelection...................................................................................................................................10
ObjectCreation....................................................................................................................................13
ActionRecorder....................................................................................................................................13
Document...................................................................................................................................................14
ParametricConstraints.........................................................................................................................14
GeometricConstraints...................................................................................................................14
DimensionalConstraints................................................................................................................18
Transparency........................................................................................................................................19
HatchesandGradients.........................................................................................................................22
Polylines................................................................................................................................................25
Splines...................................................................................................................................................26
ExternalReferences..............................................................................................................................27
ScaleLists..............................................................................................................................................28
MissingSHXandFontFiles...................................................................................................................30
TextAlignmentinLinetypes.................................................................................................................31
Explore........................................................................................................................................................31
3DModelingWorkspaces.....................................................................................................................31
3DObjectSnaps...................................................................................................................................32
SolidModeling......................................................................................................................................32
SurfaceModeling..................................................................................................................................33
SurfaceCreationTools...................................................................................................................33
SurfaceEditingTools......................................................................................................................35

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AnalysisTools.................................................................................................................................37
ConsistentMaterials.............................................................................................................................38
MeshModeling.....................................................................................................................................40
PointClouds..........................................................................................................................................41
LearningResources.....................................................................................................................................43
NewFeaturesWorkshop......................................................................................................................43
OnlineHelpSystem..............................................................................................................................43
AutodeskSeek.............................................................................................................................................44

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UserInterface
AutoCAD2011offersavarietyofuserinterfaceenhancementsthatallowyoutodesignwithgreater
easeandefficiency.
Drawing Window
ThedrawingwindowhasbeenupdatedinAutoCAD2011todisplayadarkgraybackgroundinmodelspace.
YoucaneasilymodifythedrawingwindowcolorfromtheDisplaytaboftheOptionsdialogbox.
Thetraditionaldotgridhasbeenreplacedwithhorizontalandverticalgridlinestomoreclosely
representengineeringgraphpaper.Whenthegridisenabled,redandgreenlinesextendfromtheUCS
icontorepresenttheXandYaxesoftheorigin.

Figure1.AutoCAD2011drawingwindow
Quick Access Toolbar
TheQuickAccesstoolbardisplaysthenameofthecurrentworkspace.Youcaneasilyselectadifferent
workspaceandaccessotherworkspacetools.Inaddition,thedefaultQuickAccesstoolbarnowincludes
boththeSaveandtheSaveAstools.

Figure2.Workspacemenu
Navigation
AutoCAD2011includesanewNavigationbarwithfrequentlyusednavigationtools,includingAutodesk
SteeringWheels,ViewCube,andShowMotion,aswellasPan,Zoom,andOrbit.Itreplacesthe
navigationtoolsthatwerepreviouslyaccessibleontheStatusbar.Youcancontrolthedisplayofthe
NavigationbarforindividualworkspacesviaapropertyintheCUIdialogbox.

Figure3.CUINavigationbarproperty
TheNavigationbarprovidesintegratedsupportfor3DConnexiondeviceswhenthe3DConnexion
systemdriverispresent.

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Figure4.3DConnexionsettings
TheViewCubehasbeenenhancedtosupportthe2Dwireframevisualstyle,enablingyoutoeasily
changeyourviewpoint.Theclockwiseandcounterclockwisecontrolsareparticularlyusefulforrotating
theviewpointonthe2Dplane.

Figure5.ViewCubenavigation
TheSteeringWheelsSettingsdialogboxhasbeenupdatedforclarityandconsistency.
UCS Icon and 3D Gizmos
TheUCSiconhasbeenupdatedtodisplayadifferentcolorforeachaxis:Xforred,Yforgreen,andZfor
blue.Inaddition,theappearanceof3Dgizmoshasbeenupdatedforclarityandconsistency.

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Figure6.UCSiconand3Dgizmos
The Ribbon
Anewpulldownmenuhasbeenaddedtotheribboncyclebuttonattheendofthelistoftabs.Youcan
minimizetheribbontopanelbuttons,tabs,orpaneltitles.

Figure7.Ribboncycleoptions
Whenyouminimizetheribbontopanelbuttons,largeiconsappearforeachpanel.Hoveringoverthe
buttoncausesthepaneltoexpand,similartothebehavioryouseewhentheribbonisminimizedto
paneltitles.

Figure8.Ribbonpanelbuttons
TheInserttabincludesaPointCloudpaneltosupportthenewPointCloudfunctionality.Inaddition,a
newContentpanelprovideseasyaccesstoDesignCenterandAutodeskSeekwebservice.Autodesk
SeekhasbeenremovedfromtheOutputtab.

Figure9.Inserttab

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TheViewtabhasbeenupdatedtoincludetheVisualStylespanel,providingyouwitheasyaccessto
predefinedvisualstyles,theVisualStylesManager,andothervisualstylescontrols.TheWindowspanel
includesnewUserInterfaceandToolbarcontrolsthatenableyoutoeasilytogglethedisplayofvarious
userinterfaceelements,includingAutodeskViewCubeandShowMotionnavigationwidgets,the
Navigationbar,andtheTextwindow.TheStatusbarcontrols,whichhavebeenremovedfromthe
Windowspanel,arestilleasilyaccessiblefromtheStatusbar.

Figure10.Viewtab
CustomizableribbonfunctionalityintheCustomizeUserInterfacedialogboxhasbeenenhancedto
includenewFoldpanels.AsyouchangethesizeofyourAutoCADwindoworaddandremovepanels
fromatab,Foldpanelsresizehorizontallytofilltheavailablespace.Foldpanelpropertiesenableyouto
specifydefault,maximium,andminimumbuttonsizes.

Figure11.CUIRibbonFoldPanel.
Forexample,theFoldpaneldefinedabovecouldhavethefollowingdefault,maximum,andminimum
appearances.

Figure12.ExampleFoldpanel
Visual Styles
AutoCAD2011providesfivenewpredefinedvisualstylesincluding:Shaded,ShadedwithEdges,Shades
ofGray,Sketchy,andXRay.Withthemostcommoncombinationsofvisualstylepropertiesrightatyour
fingertips,visualstylesareeasiertousethanever.

Figure13.Visualstyles
Object Visibility
AutoCAD2011includesnewtoolsthatenableyoutocontrolobjectvisibilityindependentfromlayer
visibility.TheObjectVisibilitytoolsareaccessiblefromtherightclickmenuwhenobjectsareselectedas
wellaswhennoobjectsareselected.WhenyouusetheIsolateObjectstool,onlytheselectedobjects
remainvisibleinthedrawing.Allotherobjectsarehidden.

Figure14.Isolatedobjects

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Alternatively,whenyouusetheHideObjectstool,theselectedobjectsarehidden.

Figure15.Hiddenobjects
YoucanuseacombinationoftheIsolateObjectsandHideObjectstoolstoefficientlydisplayonlythe
objectsthatarerelevanttoyourcurrenttask.Forexample,youmightusetheIsolateObjectstoolto
selectanareaofthedrawingyouwanttoeditandthenusetheHideObjectstooltohideadditional
objectswithinthatarea.Aftercompletingyourtask,youcanquicklyrestorethehiddenobjectsusing
theEndObjectIsolationtool.

Figure16.EndObjectIsolationtool
TheOBJECTISOLATIONMODEsystemvariablecontrolswhetherisolated/hiddenobjectspersistbetween
drawingsessions.Alightbulbicononthestatusbarindicateswhetherobjectisolationisactiveinthe
drawing.

Figure17.ObjectIsolationstatusicon
Inadditiontotheobviousbenefitsobjectvisibilitycontrolsofferfor2Ddesign,theyrejustasvaluable
for3Dmodeling.
Object Selection

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ThenewSelectSimilartoolenablesyoutoselectanobjectandautomaticallyincludeallotherobjectsof
thesametypeandwiththesameproperties,inanewselectionset.Youcanaccessitfromtherightclick
menuwhenobjectsareselected.

Figure18.SelectSimilartool
ASettingsoption(accessiblewhenyouenterSELECTSIMILARatthecommandline)enablesyouto
specifywhichpropertiestofilter.IfonlytheLayerpropertyisenabledwhenyouselectacircle,for
example,AutoCADautomaticallyselectsallcirclesonthesamelayerastheoneyouselected.Ifboththe
LayerandLinetypepropertiesareenabled,however,AutoCADselectsonlythecirclesonthesamelayer
andwiththesamelinetypeastheselectedone.

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Figure19.SelectSimilarSettingsdialogbox
TheSelectSimilartoolalsoenablesyoutoselectmorethanoneobjectandcreatethematching
selectionsetaccordingly.Forexample,iftheLayerfilterisenabledandyouselecttwocircles,eachon
differentlayers,AutoCADselectsallthecirclesonbothlayers.If,instead,youselectacircleandaline,
AutoCADselectsallthecirclesonthesamelayerastheselectedcircleandallthelinesonthesamelayer
astheselectedline.Inadditiontogeneralobjectproperties,youcanfilterselectionsbasedonobject
specificproperties,includingobjectstyleandreferencename.ObjectStylepropertiesapplytotextand
mtext,leadersandmleaders,dimensionsandtolerances,andtablesandmultilines.Referencenames
applytoblocksandexternallyreferencedfiles,includingxrefsandimagesaswellasPDF,DWG,or
DGNfiles.
InadditiontothenewSelectSimilartool,anewoptionhasbeenaddedtothePICKADDsystemvariable.
WhenPICKADDissettoavalueof2(asitisnowbydefault),objectsthatyouselectusingtheSELECT
commandremainselectedinapickfirststateevenafteryouendtheSELECTcommand.
Easilyselectoverlappingobjectsusingthenewselectioncyclingfunctionality.Youcanenableselection
cyclingfromacontrolontheStatusbar.Whenyoutrytoselectanobjectthatoverlapsotherobjects,
AutoCADdisplaysalistofalltheoverlappingobjects.Asyoupassthecursoroveranobjectinthelist,
therelevantobjectinthedrawinghighlights.

Figure20.Selectioncyclingtool

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Object Creation
ThenewAddSelectedtoolenablesyoutoquicklycreateanewobjectinyourdrawingbasedonthe
propertiesofanexistingobject.Forexample,ifyouusetheAddSelectedtoolandselectapolyline,AutoCAD
automaticallylaunchesthePLINEcommandwithbasicobjectpropertiesincludingcolor,layer,linetype,
linetypescale,plotstyle,lineweight,transparency,andmaterialpresettomatchtheselectedobject.

Figure21.AddSelectedtool
Action Recorder
TheActionMacroenablesyoutodeleteorinsertusermessagesforViewChangeoperations.

Figure22.ViewChangeeditingtools
Themacrolistdisplaysthemostrecentlyusedmacrosabovetheseparationbarandallavailablemacros
belowit.

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Figure23.Actionmacrolist
Document
AutoCADissynonymouswithdocumentationforgoodreason.Powerfuldocumentationtoolsin
AutoCAD2011helpyouworkevenfasterwithautomation,management,andeditingtoolsthat
minimizerepetitivetasksandspeedyourtimetocompletion.Nomatteryourprojectssizeorscope,
youcanmeetthechallengewithAutoCADcontinuouslyleadingandinnovatingdocumentationfor
over25years.
Parametric Constraints
The2DparametricfunctionalityhasbeenenhancedinAutoCAD2011,andincludespredefined
commandmacrostoaccessoptionswithinintheGEOMCONSTRAINTandDIMCONSTRAINTcommands.
Forexample,insteadoflaunchingtheGEOMCONSTRAINTcommandandthenselectingthe
Perpendicularoption,youcanlaunchtheGCPERPENDICULARcommanddirectly.Repeatingthelast
commandautomaticallyrepeatsthelastcommandaswellasthespecificoption.
Objecthighlightingwhenyourolloveranicononaconstraintbarorwhenyouselectaparameterinthe
ParametersmanagersupportstheVisualEffectssettingsyouspecifyontheSelectiontaboftheOptionsdialog
box(dashedandthickenedbydefault).Additionalimprovementstogeometricanddimensionalconstraint
functionalityenableyoutocreateandeditparametricallyconstrainedgeometryfasterthaneverbefore.
GeometricConstraints
AutoCAD2011significantlysimplifiestheprocessofaddinggeometricconstraintsto2DAutoCAD
geometry.AutoCADcaninfergeometricconstraintsasyoucreateandmodifygeometry.AnewInfer
Constraintbuttononthestatusbarenablesyoutotoggleinferredconstraintsonandoffsimilarto
togglingobjectsnapsonandoff.ThistoggleisalsoavailableontheGeometrictaboftheConstraint
Settingsdialogbox.

Figure24.InferConstraintstool

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UsinginferredconstraintsautomaticallyappliescoincidentconstraintsforEndpoint,Midpoint,Center,
Node,andInsertionobjectssnaps.Forexample,ifyoudrawacirclebysnappingitscentertothe
midpointofaline,AutoCADautomaticallyappliesacoincidentconstraintbetweenthecenterofthe
circleandthemidpointoftheline.Ifyoumovethecircle,thelinegoeswithit.Thesamepowerful
functionalityappliestoeditingcommands.If,forexample,youcopytheinsertionofablocktothe
endpointofaline,AutoCADautomaticallyappliesacoincidentconstraintbetweenthosetwopoints.
Whenyoumovetheline,theblockmaintainsitspositionattheendpointoftheline.

Figure25.Editingwithinferredconstraints
Inadditiontocreatingpointtopointcoincidentconstraintswiththepreviouslymentionedobjectsnaps,
youcanusetheNearestobjectsnaptoapplyacoincidentconstraintbetweenapointandanobject.For
example,ifyoudrawthecenterofacircleonalineusingtheNearestobjectsnap,thecenterofthe
circlehastheflexibilityofmovinganywherealongthelineincludingthevirtualextensionoftheline.

Figure26.Nearestobjectsnapwithinferredconstraints
ThePerpendicularandTangentobjectsnapsautomaticallyapplyperpendicularortangentconstraints
betweentheobjectbeingcreatedoreditedandtheobjectbeingsnappedto.Theyalsoapplyapointto
pointorpointtoobjectcoincidentconstraintifappropriate.UsingtheParallelobjectsnapautomatically
appliesaparallelconstraintbutnocoincidentconstraintsareappliedsince,bydefinition,thetwo
objectsneverintersect.Whenyoudrawhorizontalorverticallinesandpolylinesegments,inferred
horizontalandverticalconstraintsautomaticallyapplytothosesegments.
Inferredconstraintsenhancethebehaviorofrectangles,fillets,andchamfersbyautomaticallyapplying
appropriategeometricconstraints.Forexample,ifyoudrawarectangle(usingtheRECTANGcommand),
AutoCADautomaticallyappliesapairofparallelconstraintsandaperpendicularconstrainttotheclosed
polyline.Whenyoumodifythesizeandshapeoftherectangle,youcanrestassuredthatitwillremaina
rectanglewithparallelsidesandperpendicularcorners.Creatingafilletautomaticallyappliescoincident
andtangentconstraintsbetweenthenewlycreatedarcandtheexistingpairoflineshelpingmaintain

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thefilletevenwhenthearcorlinesaremodified.Similarly,creatingachamferappliescoincident
constraintsbetweenthenewlycreatedlineandtheexistingpairoflines.

Figure27.Filletsandchamferswithinferredconstraints
Evenafteryouveappliedconstraints,youcantemporarilyrelaxthembypressingtheCTRLkeywhile
editingconstrainedobjects.
AutoCAD2011improvesthesupportofgeometricconstraintsforellipsesandtext.Youcannowapply
Parallel,Perpendicular,Collinear,Horizontal,andVerticalconstraintsbetweenthemajororminoraxes
ofanellipseandotherobjects.

Figure28.Constraininganellipse
Similarly,youcanapplyParallel,Perpendicular,Collinear,Horizontal,andVerticalconstraintstothe
rotationangleoftextobjects.Inaddition,textandmtextobjectsbehaveconsistentlyandpredictably,
withtheidentifiedinsertionpointoftheobjectbeingtheconstrainablepoint.

Figure29.Constrainingtext
TheAutoConstrainfunctionalityinAutoCAD2011hasbeenupdatedtoincludetheEqualconstraint.
WhenyouuseAutoConstrainwiththeEqualoptionenabled,theEqualconstraintisautomatically
appliedtolinesandpolylinesegmentsofequallengthandarcsand/orcirclesofequalradius.

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Constraintbarsareenhancedtoprovidemorecontrolandflexibility.Youcanselectmultipleobjectsfor
showingorhidingconstraintbarsusingstandardselectionmethods,includingWindow,Crossing,Fence,
andImpliedWindow/Crossing.Quicklydisplayallconstraintbarsintheiroriginalpositionusingthenew
Resetoption.And,anewsettingintheGeometrictaboftheConstraintSettingsdialogsenablesyouto
showconstraintbarswhenobjectsareselectedevenifthoseconstraintbarsarecurrentlyhidden.When
thegeometryisnolongerselected,thetemporarilydisplayedconstraintbarsare,onceagain,hidden.
Whenyoumoveaconstraintbarandthenedittherelatedgeometry,theconstraintbarmaintainsits
positionrelativetothegeometry.

Figure30.GeometricConstraintsettings
ThenewconstrainticonsforFix,Horizontal,andVerticalconstraintsvisuallyindicatewhethertheyapply
toanobjectortoapoint.Thesymmetricconstrainticonisalsoupdatedtoindicatewhetheritis
identifyingasymmetricalpointorobject,orthesymmetricline.
Constraint Icons Description
Fix

Differenticonsforfixpointandfixobjectconstraints
Horizontal

Differenticonsforfixpointandfixobjectconstraints
Vertical

Differenticonsforfixpointandfixobjectconstraints
Symmetric

Differenticonsforsymmetricalpoint,object,andsymmetryline

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DimensionalConstraints
TheDIMCONSTRAINTcommandincludesanewConvertoptiontoconvertassociativedimensionsto
dimensionalconstraintsratherthanitbeingthedefaultbehavior.

Figure31.DIMCONSTRAINToptions
Whenenteringdimensionalconstraintvaluesinplace,youcanclickonanexistingdimensional
constrainttoinserttheconstraintname.Whendynamicdimensionalconstraintsreferenceanother
parameter,theparametertextisprependedwithfx:tohelppreventyoufromaccidentallyassigninga
constantvaluetoaparameterthatreferencesothervariables.

Figure32.Dimensionalconstraints
NewtoolsontheDimensionalPaneloftheParametrictabprovideyouwithmorecontroloverthe
displayofdimensionalconstraints.UsingtheShow/Hidetoolyoucanselectthespecificdimensional
constraintsyouwanttoshoworhide.

Figure33.Dimensionalconstraintvisibilitytools
TheParametersManagerofferssignificantimprovementsinAutoCAD2011.ItincludesanewFilters
panewhereyoucandefineparametergroupsthatdisplayasubsetoftheparameters.Createnewfilter
groupsusingthebuttonatthetopoftheParametersManagerorbyselectingtheoptionfromtheright
clickmenu.Withyourfiltergroupscreated,youcanthendragparametersintothem.Therightclick
menuforparametersintheParametersManagerisupdatedwithadditionaloptionsincludingtheability
todisplaytheFiltertreeandtoremoveparametersfromagroup.

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Figure34.Parametergroupfilters

Anewsearchboxfilterstheparametersdisplayedinthegridcontrolbasedontheparametername.
Columntooltipsdisplaythefullnameofthecolumnaswellasadescription.
AdditionalenhancementstotheParametersManagersimplifytheterminologyfordimensional
constraintsanduservariablescreatedinthedrawingeditorversustheblockeditor.TheShowcolumnin
theBlockEditorincludesanewoptiontoconvertbetweendimensionalconstraintparametersoruser
parametersdefinedinthedrawingeditorversustheblockeditor.IntheBlockEditor,iconsaredisplayed
foractionparameters,attributes,anduserparameters.
Transparency
AutoCAD2011includesanewtransparencypropertythatenablesyoutoapplytransparencytoobjects
andlayersinthesamewayyouapplycolors,linetypes,andlineweights.

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Figure35.Transparentobjects
Youcansettransparencybylayer,byblock,orindividuallyforanobject.Thedefaulttransparencyvalue
forlayersandobjectsis0,andyoucansetitashighas90.
TheLayerPropertiesManager(paletteanddialog),theLayerStatesManager,theLayerFilterdialog,
andtheLayerTranslatorhaveallbeenupdatedtoreflectthenewtransparencyproperty.IntheLayer
PropertiesManager,anewcolumnforTransparencyisavailableinmodelspaceandlayouts,anda
columnforViewport(VP)Transparencyisavailableinlayoutsandfloatingmodelspaceviewports.

Figure36.LayerTransparancyoptions
Youcansettransparencyforindividualobjectsjustlikecolorandlinetype.Settingatransparencyvalue
foranindividualobjectoverridesthelayertransparencysettingforthatobject.Youcanaccessobject
transparencyfromanumberofplaces:thePropertiespalette,QuickProperties,ortheribbon.Thenew
CETRANSPARENCYsystemvariablesetsthetransparencypropertyfornewobjects.

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Figure37.ObjectTransparancyoptions
TheSetByLayerSettingsdialoghasbeenupdatedtoincludeTransparencyasoneoftheavailable
properties.

Figure38.SetByLayersettings
TransparencyhasalsobeenaddedtotheQuickSelect,Filter,andMatchPropertySettingsdialogsas
wellastheCHPROP,CHANGE,LAYER,VPLAYER,andLISTcommands.

Figure39.Propertysettings
Abuttonhasbeenaddedtothestatusbartoenableyoutotemporarilyturnofftransparencydisplay
(TRANSPARENCYDISPLAYsystemvariable),similartothebehaviorofthelineweightdisplaybutton.This
doesnotaffectplotting.However,youhavetheoptiontoturnofftransparencywhenplotting.ThePlot

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andPageSetupdialogsbothincludeacheckboxfortransparency(PLOTTRANSPARENCY),similartothe
behaviorforplotstyles.Whenthisoptionisenabled,AutoCADrasterizestheentiredrawingforplotting,
slowingdowntheplottingprocess.

Figure40.Plottransparency
PriortoAutoCAD2011,imageshadasetting,alsocalledtransparency,thatcontrolledwhetherthe
backgroundofabitonalimagewasclearoropaque.Thispropertyhasbeenrenamedtobackground
transparencytodistinguishitfromthenewtransparencyproperty.Youcanapplybothbackground
andobjecttransparenciestoimagesinAutoCAD2011.
Hatches and Gradients
TheHatchtoolisstreamlinedinAutoCAD2011forfastercreationandeditingofhatchobjects.Itnow
immediatelypromptsyoutoselectaninternalpointwithoutdisplayingtheHatchdialogbox.Instead,
thenewHatchCreationcontextualtabprovideseasyaccesstoallhatchandgradientoptions.

Figure41.HatchCreationtab
AHatchEditorcontextualribbondisplayssimilarhatchtoolswhenyouselectanexistinghatch.

Figure42.HatchEditingribbontab
TheHatchPreviewfunctionforthepickpointsmethodhasbeenimproved.Now,passingyourcursor
overaneligibleareashowsyouwhatthehatchwouldlooklikeifyouclickedthere.

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Figure43.Hatchpreview
Youcanalsoseetheresultofeachclickasyoupickpointsorobjectsinthedrawing.Keepinmindthat
eventhoughitlooksasthoughahatchwascreatedasyouclicked,itwillnotactuallybeaseparate
objectunlessyouhavetheCreateSeparateHatchesoptionon.

Figure44.CreateSeparateHatchesoption
AutoCAD2011continuestoexpandobjectgripfunctionalitywithanewcentergripfordirect
manipulationofhatchobjects.Youcanusedirectmanipulationtostretchormovethehatchorchange
theorigin,angle,orscale.Theseoptionsareavailablewhenyouhoveroverthegrip.Youcaneither
chooseanoptionfromthelist,oractivatethegripanduseCTRLtocyclethroughthedifferent
behaviors.

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Figure45.Directmanipulationhatchtools
Otherhatchgripbehaviorhasnotchanged,exceptthatstretchisnowthedefaultactionforthe
secondaryormiddlegripsonanonassociativehatch.

Figure46.Stretchhatchaction
Hatchesnowsupportbackgroundcolorinadditiontolinecolor.Thisenablesyoutohavetheeffectof
layeringhatchesinoneobject.

Figure47.Hatchbackgroundcolor
Younowalsohavetheoptiontosetahatchslayerbeforeyoucreateit.Youcanchooseeithertouse
thecurrentlayerortopickonefromyourdrawing.Likecolor,pattern,andotherhatchproperties,layer
isapersistentsettingduringyourdrawingsession.
ThecommandHATCHTOBACKhasbeenintroducedinresponsetoanitemontheAUGIwishlist.Similar
toTEXTTOFRONT,HATCHTOBACKsendshatchesunderneathallotherobjectsinthedrawing.Send
HatchestoBackisavailableontheModifypaneloftheHometabundertheDrawOrderflyout,along
withBringTexttoFrontandBringDimensionstoFront.

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Figure48.SendHatchestoBacktool
ThenewsystemvariableMIRRHATCHenablesyoutomirrorhatcheswhileretainingtheirorientation.
(ThisissimilartotheMIRRTEXTvariable.)Setto0,mirroringhatchesmaintainstheiroriginalangle.
WhenMIRRHATCHissetto1,thehatchanglemirrorsalongwiththerestoftheobjects.

Figure49.Hatchmirrorbehavior
TheHatchObjectLimitsystemvariable(HPOBJWARNING)hasbeenincreasedto10,000from1,000to
reflectthecapabilitiesofcurrentcomputers.Whenalargenumberofobjectsareselectedforhatch
boundarycalculations,itcanresultinslowerperformance.Thankstoincreasedhardwarecapabilities,
though,itnowtakesamuchlargernumberofboundaryobjectstoaffectcalculationspeed.Youmay
nowalsosetthevalueoftheHatchObjectLimityourself.
Polylines
PolylineobjectsinAutoCAD2011nowhaveextragripstomakeeditingthemeasierthanever.In
additiontothefamiliarprimarygripslocatedattheendofeachpolylinesegment,therearenow
additionalsecondarygripslocatedatthemidpointofeachsegment.Thesegrips,likethenewhatch
grips,aremultifunctional.Theavailablefunctionscanbeseenbyhoveringoveragrip,andyoucan
chooseanoptiondirectlyfromthemenuthatappears.

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Figure50.Directmanipulationpolylinetools
Youcanalsoactivatethegripbyclickingonit.Thenyoucancyclethroughtheavailablefunctionsby
pressingCTRL,orchoosingoneoftheoptionsfromtherightclickmenu.Iconsnexttothecursor
indicatetheactivefunction.
SubselectionforpolylineshasbeenrefinedinAutoCAD2011.Tosubselectoneormoresegmentsofa
polyline,holddownCTRLwhileleftclickingonthepolyline.

Figure51.Polylinesubobjectselection
Gripbehaviorforsubselectedsegmentsisidenticaltothebehaviorwhentheentirepolylineisselected.
YoucannowusetheJOINcommandtoconnectlines,arcs,andpolylinesto3Dpolylines,aslongasthey
areallcontiguous(inotherwords,theyshareacommonendpoint).Youmustselectthemostcomplex
objectfirst(inthiscase,the3Dpolyline),andtheobjectstobejoineddonotneedtobecoplanar.
Splines
SplineshavebeenupdatedinAutoCAD2011toprovidemoreflexibilityandcontrol.Youcandefinea
splineusingfitpointsorcontrolvertices(CV).CVsplinesaremoreappropriateifyouwillbeusingthem
with3DNURBSsurfaces.

Figure52.FitsplineandControlVerticesspline

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Whendrawingafitspline,youcanspecifyadditionalsettingsforitsstartandendtangencies,tolerance
(howclosethesplinemustcometothefitpoint),andknotparameterization(controllingtheshapeof
thecurveasitpassesthroughthefitpoint).
TheonlyoptionforCVsplinesisDegree,whichcontrolshowmanybendsthesplinecantakeinagiven
span.

Figure53.CVsplineDegreeC
Easilyswitchmethods,addandremovepoints,oreditendpointtangenciesusingintuitivegripmenus.

Figure54.Splinetangentdirection
TheSPLINEDITcommandalsohasseveralnewoptions,includingimprovedEditVertexoptions.Youcan
noweasilyaddkinksorsharpcornerstoaspline.

Figure55.Splinekink
YoucanusetheJOINcommandtoconnectlines,arcs,polylines,3Dpolylines,andhelixestosplines,as
longastheyareallcontiguous(inotherwords,theyshareacommonendpoint).Youmustselectthe
mostcomplexobjectfirst(inthiscase,thespline),andtheobjectstobejoineddonotneedtobe
coplanar.
External References

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TheselectionofexternallyreferencedfileshasbeenenhancedinAutoCAD2011.Whenyouselecta
referenceobjectinthedrawing(xrefs,images,DWF
TM
,DGN,PDF,dataextractiontables),the
correspondingreferenceisselectedintheExternalReferencespalette.Similarly,ifyouselectfile
referencesfromtheExternalReferencespalette,thereferencesarehighlighted(butnotselected)inthe
drawing,assumingtheyarevisibleinthecurrentview.Youcancontrolthisbehaviorwiththenew
ERHIGHLIGHTsystemvariable.

Figure56.ExternalReferencehighlighting
TheExternalReferencespaletteincludesaoptiontoeasilydetachdataextractiontablesfromadrawing.

Figure57.DataExtractionTableDetachoption
Scale Lists
ScalelistfunctionalityhasbeenenhancedinAutoCAD2011tostoreacustomizabledefaultlistof
annotationscalesinthefixedprofileoftheregistry.Youcanusethedefaultscalelisttodefinea
customizedlistofscalesthatautomaticallydisplaysinallyourdrawings.Ascalelistisstillmaintainedin
thedrawing,butyoucaneasilyresetthescalelistinthedrawingtothedefaultlistofscales(metricor

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imperial)definedintheregistry.Whenthescalelistinadrawingisreset,AutoCADpurgestheunused
scalesinthedrawingandthenmergesinthecustomizedlistofscalesfromtheregistryintothedrawing.
YoucancustomizetheDefaultScaleListfromtheUserPreferencesTaboftheOptionsdialogbox.You
canstilleditthescaleliststoredinthedrawingbyaccessingthescalecontrolontheStatusbarorwith
theSCALELISTEDITcommand.

Figure58.UserPreferencestaboftheOptionsdialogbox
TheDefaultScaleListdialogboxissimilartotheexistingEditScaleListdialog,whicheditsthescalesin
thedrawing.However,theDefaultScaleListdialogboxincludesadditionalcontrolsforyoutospecify
whetherthedefaultscalesaremetricorimperial.

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Figure59.DefaultScalelist
Whenyouresetthescaleslistinadrawing,youarepromptedtoselectMetricscales,Imperialscales,or
both.ThedefaultchoiceisgovernedbytheMEASUREMENTvariableinthedrawing.Whenyoucreatea
newdrawingwithoutspecifyingatemplate,AutoCADaddsmetricorimperialscalesbasedonthe
MEASUREMENTvariable.Whenyoucreateanewdrawingbasedonatemplate,thescalesinthe
templateappearinthenewdrawing.Thescalesintheregistryarenotimported.
Missing SHX and Font Files
YounowhavetheoptiontoignoremissingSHXfiles(shapeorfontfiles)whenopeningadrawing.You
arenolongerrequiredtospecifyareplacement.ThisdialogmaybesuppressedifFONTALTissetto
somethingotherthannone.

Figure60.MissingSHXfiles

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TextstyleswithmissingfontsarenowidentifiedbyaniconintheTextStyleManager.

Text Alignment in Linetypes

AutoCAD2011nowmakesitpossibletomaintainlinetypereadabilityinanyorientation.

Figure61.Textalignment
ThelinetypesincludedwithAutoCAD2011behavethiswaybydefault.Toupdateyourowncustom
linetypes,youneedtochangetherotationoptiontoU,forupright.(Otherpossiblevaluesforthe
rotationoptionareR,forrelative,andA,forabsolute.)
Anexamplelinetypedefinitionlookslikethis:
Old:
*GAS_LI NE, Gas l i ne - - - - GAS- - - - GAS- - - - GAS- - - - GAS- - - - GAS- - - - GAS- -
A, . 5, - . 2, [ " GAS" , STANDARD, S=. 1, R=0. 0, X=- 0. 1, Y=- . 05] , - . 25
New:
*GAS_LI NE, Gas l i ne - - - - GAS- - - - GAS- - - - GAS- - - - GAS- - - - GAS- - - - GAS- -
A, . 5, - . 2, [ " GAS" , STANDARD, S=. 1, U=0. 0, X=- 0. 1, Y=- . 05] , - . 25
Figure62.ExampleLinetypeDefinition.
Explore
AutoCAD2011givesyou3Dpowertoexploreyourideasinalmostanyshapeimaginable.AutoCADand
ablankcanvashavealotincommon.Bothgiveyoutheabilitytocreatethepreviouslyunimaginable.
ButAutoCADprovidestheflexibilitytoexploredesignideasinboth2Dand3D,withintuitivetoolsthat
helpyourconceptsbecomereal.Theworldisyourcanvaswhatwillyoucreatenext?
3D Modeling Workspaces

32
AutoCAD2011includestwo3Drelatedworkspaces,whichyoucanaccessfromtheWorkspacemenuin
theQuickAccessToolbar.The3DBasicsworkspaceprovidesasimpleworkspacewiththemostbasic
toolsforcreatingandvisualizing3Dsolidmodels.The3DModelingworkspaceprovidesaccesstothe
completearrayof3DtoolsinAutoCAD.

Figure63.Workspaceslist
3D Object Snaps
NewtoolsandvariablesinAutoCAD2011separate3Dobjectsnapsfrom2Dobjectsnaps.Anew3D
ObjectSnaptoggleisavailableonthestatusbar,enablingyoutotoggle3Dobjectsnapsonandoff.
Rightclickingonthestatusbariconprovidesaccesstoamenuofthe3DobjectsnapsandtheSettings
option,whichlinkstothenew3DObjectSnaptabintheDraftingSettingsdialogbox.Youcanalso
accessthesecontrolsviatheshiftrightclickmenu,oratthecommandlineusingthenew3DOSNAP
commandand3DOSMODEsystemvariable.

Figure64.3DObjectsnaps
Solid Modeling
3DmodelingtoolsinAutoCAD2011havebeenupdatedtoprovidemoreflexibilityandincreasedeaseof
use.TheEXTRUDE,LOFT,REVOLVE,andSWEEPcommandsnowallowyoutoselectanedgeorsub
objectforusingasaprofileorcurvetocreateanewsurface.Youarenolongerlimitedtousingplanar
curves.
TheSolidribbontabprovidesaccesstonewFilletEdgeandChamferEdgesolideditingtools.Bothof
thesetoolsprovideapreviewpriortocompletingtheoperationandtheysupportdirectmanipulation.

33
Surface Modeling
Inadditionto3Dsolidandmeshobjects,AutoCAD2011offerstwodifferenttypesofsurfaces:
proceduralandNURBS(nonuniformrationalbspline).Proceduralsurfacesareassociativeandhave
history.NURBSsurfacesarenotassociativeanddonothavehistory.Instead,theyhavecontrolvertices
thatallowyoutosculptshapesinawaythatisclosertohowyouwouldoperateintherealworld.You
canuseproceduralsurfacestotakeadvantageofassociativemodelinganduseNURBSsurfacestotake
advantageofsculptingwithcontrolvertices.Atypicalsurfacemodelingworkflowmightbe:
Createamodelthatcombines3Dsolids,surfaces,andmeshobjects.
Convertthemodeltoproceduralsurfacestotakeadvantageofassociativemodeling.
ConverttheproceduralsurfacestoaNURBSmodelwiththeCONVTONURBScommandtotake
advantageofNURBSediting.
Checkforimperfectionsandwrinkleswiththesurfaceanalysistools.
Ifnecessary,rebuildthesurfacestorestoresmoothnesswiththeCVREBUILDcommand.

ThenewSurfacetabontheribbonprovideseasyaccesstosurfacemodelingtools.

Figure65.Surfaceribbontab
SurfaceCreationTools
AutoCAD2011enablesyoutocreatethreenewanalyticsurfacetypes:Blend,Patch,andNetwork.
AblendsurfacecreatesasmoothtransitionbetweenexistingsurfacesusingthenewSURFBLEND
command.Youcanspecifyhowtheblendsurfaceflowsattheedgethatmeetsandtouchestheother
surfacesusingthegripmenuoptions.

Figure66.Blendedsurface
ThenewPatchsurfacetoolenablesyoutocloseorpatchanopen,closededgeobject.Itgeneratesa
newpatchsurfaceforanyboundingedgethatisaclosedloop.

34

Figure67.Patchsurface
ThenewNetworktoolenablesyoutocreateasurfacethroughasetofcurvesintheUandVdirections.
ItissimilartotheLOFTcommandbutmorestreamlinedandflexible.Youcanevenchooseaselectionof
curvesthatarenotconnectedtooneanother.

Figure68.Networksurface
Ifyoudefinetheedgesofanetworkedsurfaceusingedgesfromexistingsurfaces,thenewlycreated
surfacewillhaveadditionalgripsenablingyoutocontrolthecontinuityconditionbetweenthenewly
createdsurfaceanditsadjacentsurfaces.
Theoffsettool(SURFOFFSETcommand)isaccessiblefromtheCreatepaneloftheSurfaceribbontab.It
enablesyoutoeasilycreateanewsurfacebyoffsettinganexistingsurface.

Figure69.Offsetsurface
YoucanturnonSurfaceAssociativitypriortoperformingaBlend,Patch,orOffsetoperation,accessible
fromtheCreatepaneloftheSurfacesribbontab,toconstrainthenewsurfacesbasedontheoriginating
surfaces.Forexample,ifsurfaceassociativityisenabledwhenyoucreateanoffsetsurfaceandablend
betweenthetwosurfaces,allthreesurfacesareassociative.Ifyouedittheoffsetdistance,usingthe
Propertiespaletteorgrips,theblendsurfacewillupdateaccordingly.

35

Figure70.Surfaceassociativity
SurfaceEditingTools
AutoCAD2011offersasetofrobustnewsurfaceeditingtoolstofillet,extend,trim,anduntrimsurfaces.
YoucancreateafilletwithaspecifiedradiusbetweentwosurfaceedgesusingthenewFillettool
(SURFFILLETcommand),availableontheEditpanel.

Figure71.Surfacefillet
ThenewTrimtool,accessiblefromtheEditpanel,enablesyoutocreatecomplexedgesandholesin
surfaces.YoucanusetheUntrimtool(UNTRIMcommand)tountrimatrimmedsurface.

Figure72.Surfacetrim
ThenewExtendtool(SURFEXTENDcommand),ontheEditpanel,enablesyoutoextendasurfaceby
selectinganedge.

36

Figure73.Surfaceextend
ThenewSculpttool(SURFSCULPTcommand),accessiblefromtheEditpanel,enablesyoutocreatea
newsolidobjectbasedontheenclosedvolumeofmultipleintersectingsurfaces.

Figure74.Surfacesculpt
ThenewProjectGeometrytools(PROJECTGEOMETRYcommand)enableyoutoprojectgeometryontoa
surfacecreatinganewlineorsplineontopofthesurface.UnliketheexistingImprinttool,theprojected
geometryisnotconsumedbythesurface.YoucanusetheAutoTrimtooltospecifywhethersurfaces
areautomaticallytrimmedwhenyouprojectgeometry.AllofthesetoolsareavailableintheProject
GeometrypaneloftheSurfaceribbontab.

Figure75.ProjectGeometrytools
YoucanconvertfromanalyticsurfacestoNURBSsurfacesusingthenewConverttoNURBStool
(CONVTONURBScommand)whichisaccessiblefromtheControlVerticespanelontheSurfaceribbon
tab.OnceananalyticsurfaceisconvertedtoaNURBSsurfaceyoucanshow/hidethecontrolverticesvia
theShowCVandHideCVtools(CVSHOWandCVHIDEcommands)andusethegizmotomovethe
controlvertices,reshapingthesurface.AdditionaltoolsintheControlVerticespanelenableyouto

37
rebuildthecontrolvertices(CVREBUILD)oradd(CVADD)andremove(CVREMOVE)vertices.TheCVEdit
Bar,locatedontheribbon,isaconvenienttoolthatcombinestheCVADD,CVHIDE,andCVREMOVE
functions.

Figure76.NURBSsurface
AnalysisTools
AutoCAD2011providesasetofanalysistoolstohelpyouunderstandthecontinuitybetweendifferent
surfacesthatmakeupaglobalshape.ThesetoolsareavailableintheAnalysispaneloftheSurface
ribbontab.TheZebratoolenablesyoutoanalyzesurfacecontinuitybyprojectingparallellinesontothe
surface.TheCurvaturetooldisplaysacolorgradientonthesurface,enablingyoutoidentifyhighand
lowareasofcurvature.TheDrafttooldisplaysacolorgradientonthesurface,enablingyouto
determineifamodelhasadequatedraftbetweenapartanditsmold.Youcancontrolthedisplayand
behaviorforeachoftheanalysistoolsusingtheAnalysisOptionsdialogbox.TheAnalysisOptionsdialog
boxisaccessiblefromtheAnalysispanelaswellasfromthe3DModelingtaboftheOptionsdialogbox.

Figure77.Analysisoptions

38
Theanalysesarevisualrepresentationssimilartothevisualstyles,exceptthattheycanbeappliedper
object.

Figure78.Exampleofanalysisrepresentations
Consistent Materials
AutoCAD2011providespowerfulandintuitivetoolsforviewing,selecting,andeditingmaterials.Access
thesetoolsfromtheMaterialspaneloftheRenderribbontabwhenthe3DModelingworkspaceis
active.

Figure79.Renderribbontab
TheMaterialsBrowserenablesyoutobrowseandsearchformaterialsfromtheAutodeskMaterials
Libraryofthousandsofmaterialsanduserlibraries,aswellasfromthecurrentdrawing.Alistofthe
availablelibrariesandtheircategoriesisavailableinthetreeatthebottomleftoftheMaterials
Browser.

39

Figure80.MaterialsBrowser
InadditiontotheAutodeskMaterialslibrary,youcancreateandopenyourownmaterialslibraries
directlyintheMaterialsBrowser.Createcategorieswithinthematerialslibrarytoorganizeandmanage
specifictypesofmaterials.Tofindspecificmaterials,youcansearchonmaterialcharacteristics,suchas
blueorceramic.Afterlocatingadesiredmaterialinalibrary,addittothecurrentdrawingviatheright
clickmenuordraganddrop.Materialsinthecurrentdrawingaredisplayedintheupperpaneofthe
MaterialsBrowser.

Figure81.AutodeskMaterialslibrary
TheMaterialsEditoroffersmanysettingstomodifypropertiesofamaterial.Youcanaccessitfromthe
dialogboxlauncherinthelowerrightcorneroftheMaterialspanelorfromaniconinthelowerright
corneroftheMaterialsBrowser.

40

Figure82.MaterialsEditor
Mesh Modeling
MeshmodelingfunctionalityhasbeenupdatedinAutoCAD2011toprovideyouwithmoreflexibility
andcontrol.YoucanaccesstheMeshmodelingtoolsfromtheMeshtabwhenthe3DModeling
workspaceisactive.

ThenewMergeMeshtoolenablesyoutomergetwoormoreadjacentfacesintoasingleface.

Figure83.MeshMergeexample

41
YoucanusetheCloseHoletooltoclosegapsinmeshobjectsbyselectingtheedgesofthesurrounding
meshedges.

Figure84.CloseHoleexample
TheCollapseFaceorEdgetoolenablesyoutoforceverticesofsurroundingmeshfacestoconvergeat
thecenterofaselectededgeorface.

Figure85.CollapseFaceorEdgeExample.
TheSpinTriangleFacetoolmodifiestheshapesoffacesbyrotatingtheedgethatjoinstwotriangular
meshfaces.

Figure86.SpinTriangleFaceexample
Point Clouds
AutoCAD2011enablesyoutoattachanddisplaypointcloudscreatedfrom3Dscanningdevices.You
canaccessthenewPointCloudtoolsfromtheInsertribbontab.

Figure87.PointCloudtools
TheIndextoolenablesyoutoindexscandatafilesfromtwodifferentpointcloudenginesandsave
themaspointcloudfiles.

42
Engine Inputfiles Outputfiles
Ambercore .LAS .ISD
LightweightEngine .XYB,.LAS,.FLS,.FWS .PCG

Youcanattachapointcloudfile(ISDorPCG)toanAutoCADdrawinginasimilarmannertoattaching
otherreferencefiles.

Figure88.AttachPointClouddialogbox
Withapointcloudfileattached,youcancreateandeditdrawinggeometrybysnappingtopoints.Adjust
thepointdensityusingtheDensitysliderbarintheflyoutofthePointCloudribbonpanel.

Figure89.PointClouddensity
Tosupportpointcloudfunctionality,AutoCAD2011includesfournewsystemvariables:
POINTCLOUDDENSITYcontrolsthepercentageofpointsdisplayedatonceforallpointcloudsin
thedrawing.
POINTCLOUDRTDENSITYcontrolsthepercentageofpointsdisplayedduringrealtimezoom,pan,
andorbit.

43
POINTCLOUDLOCKcontrolswhetherthelockpropertyofthepointcloudissettoYesorNo
whenapointcloudisattached.
POINTCLOUDAUTOUPDATEcontrolswhetherpointcloudsaredynamicallyupdatedwhen
transformingthepointcloudorafterzooming,panning,ororbiting.
LearningResources
WhenyoustartAutoCAD2011,aWelcomeScreenisautomaticallydisplayed.FromtheWelcomeScreen
youcanlinktoshortvideostolearnaboutkeytopicsinAutoCAD.Additionallinksatthebottomofthe
WelcomeScreenprovideeasyaccesstomorelearningresources,includingWhatsNew,LearningPath,
andAutoCADOnlineHelp.
New Features Workshop
TheNewFeaturesWorkshophasbeenupdatedtoincludeAutoCAD2011functionality.Thisinteractive
learningtoolhelpsyoudiscoverthenewestfunctionalitywithminimaleffort.YoucanaccesstheNew
FeaturesWorkshopfromthedropdownmenuontheInfoCentertoolbar,totherightoftheHelp
button.

Figure90.Learningtools
Online Help System
AutoCAD2011includesawebbasedhelpsystem,whichyoucanlaunchfromtheHelpicononthe
InfoCenter.

Figure91.AutoCADhelp
AcontrolontheSystemtaboftheOptionsdialogboxallowsyoutodisabletheonlinehelp.Doingso
displaysalocalversionoftheAutoCADhelpsystem.

44

Figure92.SystemtaboftheOptionsdialogbox
AutodeskSeek
Autodesk

Seek web service makes it easy to search for building product information and design files from inside
your Autodesk

design application, as well as enabling you to download directly into your AutoCAD

drawings.

Figure93.Contentpanel

45

Figure94.BrowserwindowwithsearchresultsautomaticallyfilteredbyDWG.
More than 1,200 manufacturers and 35,000 products are available on Autodesk Seek. You are likely to find
something you need among over the 100,000 DWG
TM
files on Autodesk Seek.
In addition, you can share designs with peers by uploading them directly from your AutoCAD files to the Autodesk
Seek User Uploads. You can easily access the Share with Autodesk Seek button from the Output panel of the tab.

Figure95.SharewithAutodeskSeekontheOutputpanel
You can choose to share the current drawing or select a block definition within the drawing.

Figure96.SharewithAutodeskSeek

46
Thumbnails, title, and metadata are automatically extracted and indexed. Shared designs can be searched and
downloaded by anyone.

Figure97.MySeekkeepstrackofallsharedfilesinchronologicalorder
After you log in, you can access My Seek, where you can delete or edit your design. You can also send a link to
others by selecting and clicking on the Send button.

Autodesk,AutoCAD,DWF,Showmotion,SteeringWheels,andViewCubeareregisteredtrademarksortrademarksofAutodesk,
Inc.,and/oritssubsidiariesand/oraffiliatesintheUSAand/orothercountries.Allotherbrandnames,productnames,or
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