AutoCAD2011PreviewGuide

PoweryourdesignprojectsfromconceptthroughcompletionwithAutoCAD2011software.Yourideascan
takeshapewithgreaterclarityandaccuracythaneverbefore,thankstonewsurfacemodelingtoolsandpoint
cloudsupport.Newinferredconstraintscapabilitiesmakeworkingwithparametricseasier,andupdated
productivitytoolshelpyoudeliverfinaldesigndocumentationfasterthanever.Andmajorupdatesto
materialsandsurfaceshelpyoucommunicatedesignintentwiththeimpactyoudemand.Withtheseand
manyothernewcapabilitiesyouvebeenaskingfor,AutoCAD2011helpsyoutakedesignanddocumentation
further.

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

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

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.

Figure4.3DConnexionsettings

TheViewCubehasbeenenhancedtosupportthe2Dwireframevisualstyle,enablingyoutoeasily
changeyourviewpoint.Theclockwiseandcounterclockwisecontrolsareparticularlyusefulforrotating
theviewpointonthe2Dplane.

Figure5.ViewCubenavigation

TheSteeringWheelsSettingsdialogboxhasbeenupdatedforclarityandconsistency.

UCS Icon and 3D Gizmos

TheUCSiconhasbeenupdatedtodisplayadifferentcolorforeachaxis:Xforred,Yforgreen,andZfor
blue.Inaddition,theappearanceof3Dgizmoshasbeenupdatedforclarityandconsistency.

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

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

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,DWFTM,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_LINE,Gas line ----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS-A,.5,-.2,["GAS",STANDARD,S=.1,R=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.25
New:
*GAS_LINE,Gas line ----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
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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Theanalysesarevisualrepresentationssimilartothevisualstyles,exceptthattheycanbeappliedper
object.

Figure78.Exampleofanalysisrepresentations

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

Figure79.Renderribbontab

TheMaterialsBrowserenablesyoutobrowseandsearchformaterialsfromtheAutodeskMaterials
Libraryofthousandsofmaterialsanduserlibraries,aswellasfromthecurrentdrawing.Alistofthe
availablelibrariesandtheircategoriesisavailableinthetreeatthebottomleftoftheMaterials
Browser.

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Figure80.MaterialsBrowser

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

Figure81.AutodeskMaterialslibrary

TheMaterialsEditoroffersmanysettingstomodifypropertiesofamaterial.Youcanaccessitfromthe
dialogboxlauncherinthelowerrightcorneroftheMaterialspanelorfromaniconinthelowerright
corneroftheMaterialsBrowser.

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Figure82.MaterialsEditor

Mesh Modeling
MeshmodelingfunctionalityhasbeenupdatedinAutoCAD2011toprovideyouwithmoreflexibility
andcontrol.YoucanaccesstheMeshmodelingtoolsfromtheMeshtabwhenthe3DModeling
workspaceisactive.

ThenewMergeMeshtoolenablesyoutomergetwoormoreadjacentfacesintoasingleface.

Figure83.MeshMergeexample

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YoucanusetheCloseHoletooltoclosegapsinmeshobjectsbyselectingtheedgesofthesurrounding
meshedges.

Figure84.CloseHoleexample

TheCollapseFaceorEdgetoolenablesyoutoforceverticesofsurroundingmeshfacestoconvergeat
thecenterofaselectededgeorface.

Figure85.CollapseFaceorEdgeExample.

TheSpinTriangleFacetoolmodifiestheshapesoffacesbyrotatingtheedgethatjoinstwotriangular
meshfaces.

Figure86.SpinTriangleFaceexample

Point Clouds
AutoCAD2011enablesyoutoattachanddisplaypointcloudscreatedfrom3Dscanningdevices.You
canaccessthenewPointCloudtoolsfromtheInsertribbontab.

Figure87.PointCloudtools

TheIndextoolenablesyoutoindexscandatafilesfromtwodifferentpointcloudenginesandsave
themaspointcloudfiles.

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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:

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POINTCLOUDDENSITYcontrolsthepercentageofpointsdisplayedatonceforallpointcloudsin
thedrawing.
POINTCLOUDRTDENSITYcontrolsthepercentageofpointsdisplayedduringrealtimezoom,pan,
andorbit.

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.
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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

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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 DWGTM 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

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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
trademarksbelongtotheirrespectiveholders.
2010Autodesk,Inc.Allrightsreserved.

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