Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    AutoCAD LT 2020 for Designers, 13th Edition
    AutoCAD LT 2020 for Designers, 13th Edition
    AutoCAD LT 2020 for Designers, 13th Edition
    Ebook1,545 pages14 hours

    AutoCAD LT 2020 for Designers, 13th Edition

    By Sham Tickoo

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    The AutoCAD LT 2020 for Designers, 13th Edition book explains commands, tools and their applications to solve drafting and design problems. In this textbook, every AutoCAD LT command is thoroughly explained with the help of examples and illustrations. This makes it easy for the users to understand the functions of the tools and their applications in the drawing. After reading this AutoCAD LT book, the user will be able to use AutoCAD LT commands to make a drawing, dimension a drawing, apply constraints to sketches, insert symbols as well as create text, blocks and dynamic blocks.
     

    Special emphasis has been laid on the introduction of concepts, which have been explained using text, along with graphical examples. The examples and tutorials used in the AutoCAD MEP 2020 for Designers book ensure that the users can relate the information provided in this textbook with the practical industry designs.
     

    Salient Features

    • Comprehensive book with chapters organized in a pedagogical sequence
    • Detailed explanation of all commands and tools
    • Summarized content on the first page of the topics that are covered in the chapter
    • Hundreds of illustrations for easy understanding of concepts
    • Step-by-step instructions to guide the users through the learning process
    • More than 30 real-world mechanical engineering designs as examples
    • Additional information throughout the book in the form of notes and tips
    • Self-Evaluation Tests and Review Questions at the end of each chapter to help the users assess their knowledge
    • Additional learning resources at https://allaboutcadcam.blogspot.com
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCADCIM Technologies
    Release dateJan 25, 2024
    ISBN9781640570665
    AutoCAD LT 2020 for Designers, 13th Edition
    Author

    Sham Tickoo

    Prof. Sham Tickoo is professor of Manufacturing Engineering at Purdue University Northwest, USA where he has taught design, drafting, CAD and other engineering courses for over nineteen years. Before joining Purdue University, Prof. Tickoo has worked as a machinist, quality control engineer, design engineer, engineering consultant, and software developer. He has received a US patent for his invention Self Adjusting Cargo Organizer for Vehicles. Professor Tickoo also leads the team of authors at CADCIM Technologies to develop world-class teaching and learning resources for Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and related technologies.

    Read more from Sham Tickoo

    Related to AutoCAD LT 2020 for Designers, 13th Edition

    Related ebooks

    Technology & Engineering For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • UNLIMITED

      State Of The Art

      Aug 10, 2018

      State Of The Art
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Adobe Dimension CC

      Apr 17, 2019

      Adobe Dimension CC
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Computer-aided Design

      Jul 25, 2023

      Computer-aided Design
      13 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Autodesk Maya 2020

      Mar 25, 2020

      Autodesk Maya 2020
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Fusion 360

      Aug 14, 2019

      Fusion 360
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Alibre Atom3D

      May 5, 2020

      Alibre Atom3D
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      3DCoat 2024

      Jul 16, 2024

      3DCoat 2024
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      19 Workflow Tips For Blender

      Jul 10, 2020

      Brandon Hix LOCATION: US Brandon is a Blender foundation certified trainer, and founded a Blender-centric online training academy The Orange Guild. https://ifxm.ag/b-hix Blender is a rare example of a high-calibre tool that’s dedicated to remaining f

      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      3ds Max 2025

      May 21, 2024

      3ds Max 2025
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Canvas X Draw 7.0

      Dec 8, 2020

      Canvas X Draw 7.0
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Clever CAD Coding For Clients And Cigars

      Apr 2, 2024

      Credit: http://openscad.org Tam Hanna’s minimal creative capability makes him ideally suited to teaching all kinds of workarounds for problems that require the use of creativity. Catch up by ordering back issues on page 58! The experiments performed

      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Canvas X Draw

      Dec 3, 2020

      Canvas X Draw
      1 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Substance 3D Stager 2.0.0

      May 16, 2023

      Substance 3D Stager 2.0.0
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Fast And Easy Image Processing

      Apr 4, 2023

      Credit: https://github.com/oguzhaninan/korkut Shashank Sharma is a trial lawyer in New Delhi and an avid Arch user. He’s been writing about open source software for 20 years and lawyering for 10. You wouldn’t think of the command line as the go-to re

      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Artist Q&A

      Jun 21, 2022

      Artist Q&A
      10 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      10 Tips For Modo 17.0

      Apr 23, 2024

      10 Tips For Modo 17.0
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Updates To Parametric Design Tool

      Jun 27, 2021

      Updates To Parametric Design Tool
      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      3ds Max 2023

      May 24, 2022

      3ds Max 2023
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Design A Video Game Weapon

      Nov 2, 2021

      Design A Video Game Weapon
      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for AutoCAD LT 2020 for Designers, 13th Edition

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      AutoCAD LT 2020 for Designers, 13th Edition - Sham Tickoo

      Chapter 1

      Introduction to AutoCAD LT

      Learning Objectives

      After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

      • Start AutoCAD LT

      • Understand the usage of the components of the initial AutoCAD LT screen

      • Invoke AutoCAD LT commands from the keyboard, menus, toolbars, shortcut menus,

      Tool Palettes, and Ribbon

      • Work with File Tabs

      • Understand the usage of components of dialog boxes in AutoCAD LT

      • Start a new drawing using the New tool, File tabs, and Startup dialog box

      • Save the work using various file-saving commands

      • Close a drawing

      • Open an existing drawing

      • Quit AutoCAD LT

      • Understand various options of AutoCAD LT help

      • Understand the use of Active Assistance, Learning Assistance, and other interactive help options

      • Understand the concept of Design Feed

      Key Terms

      • Initial Setup

      • AutoCAD LT Screen Components

      • Ribbon

      • Application Menu

      • Tool Palettes

      • Menu Bar

      • Toolbar

      • New

      • Save

      • Save As

      • Close

      • STARTUP

      • Open

      • Partial open

      • Drawing Recovery Manager

      • Workspaces

      • Help

      • A360

      • Autodesk Cloud

      • Design Feed

      • File Tabs

      401.png

      AutoCAD LT Screen Components

      The initial AutoCAD LT screen comprises of drawing area, command window, menu bar, several toolbars, Model and Layout tabs, and Status Bar, as shown in Figure 1-1. A title bar that has AutoCAD LT symbol and the current drawing name is displayed on top of the screen.

      c01_sc23.tif

      Figure 1-1 Screen components in the Drafting & Annotation workspace of AutoCAD LT

      Start Tab

      In AutoCAD LT, the Start tab is displayed in the AutoCAD LT environment when you close all the drawing templates or when there are no drawings open. The Start tab contains two sliding pages, Create and Learn, refer to Figure 1-2. These frames are discussed next.

      Create

      When you click on Create, the Create page is displayed. In the Create page, you can access sample file, recent files, templates, product updates, as well as connect with the online community. The CREATE page is divided into three columns: Get Started, Recent Documents, and Notifications/Connect.

      Learn

      When you click on Learn, the Learn page is displayed. The Learn page provides tools to help you learn AutoCAD LT 2020. You slide to the Learn page from the Create page by clicking on Learn at the bottom of the page. This page is divided into three columns: What’s New, Getting Started Videos for AutoCAD LT, and Learning Tips/Online Resources with Security Updates.

      c01_sc01.tif

      Figure 1-2 The Start tab in AutoCAD LT

      Drawing Area

      The drawing area covers the major portion of the screen. In this area, you can draw the objects and use the commands. To draw the objects, you need to define the coordinate points, which can be selected by using your pointing device. The position of the pointing device is represented on the screen by the cursor. The window also has the standard Windows buttons such as close, minimize, and so on, on the top right corner. These buttons have the same functions as for any other standard window.

      Command Window

      The command window at the bottom of the drawing area has the Command prompt where you can enter the commands. It also displays the subsequent prompt sequences and the messages. You can change the size of the window by placing the cursor on the top edge (double line bar known as the grab bar) and then dragging it. This way you can increase its size to see all the previous commands you have used. By default, the command window displays only three lines. You can also press the F2 key to display AutoCAD LT Text Window, which displays the previous commands and prompts.

      tip.pcx

      Tip

      You can hide all toolbars displayed on the screen by pressing the CTRL+0 keys or by choosing View > Clean Screen from the menu bar. To turn on the display of the toolbars again, press the CTRL+0 keys. You can also choose the Clean Screen button in the Status Bar to hide all toolbars.

      Auto Correct the Command Name

      In AutoCAD LT, if you type a wrong command name in the Command prompt, a suggestion list with most relevant commands will be displayed, refer to Figure 1-3. You can invoke the desired command by selecting the required option from this list.

      Auto Complete the Command Name

      When you start typing a command name in the Command prompt, the complete name of the command will be displayed automatically. Also, a list of corresponding commands will be displayed, as shown in Figure 1-4. The commands that have not been used for a long time will be grouped in folders at the bottom of the list.
      c01_sc02.tif

      Figure 1-3 Suggestion list with relevant commands

      c01_sc03.tif

      Figure 1-4 Command bar displaying complete command name automatically

      Internet Search

      You can get more information about a command by using the Search in Help and Search on Internet buttons available adjacent to the command name in the Command line, refer to Figure 1-5. If you choose the Search in Help button, the Autodesk AutoCAD LT 2020 -Help dialog box will be displayed. In this dialog box, you can find information about the command. By using the Search on Internet button, you can find information about the command on internet. Note that these buttons will be available adjacent to the selected command name in the suggestion list.

      c01_sc04.tif

      Figure 1-5 The Search in Help and Search on Internet buttons displayed in the suggestion list

      Synonym Suggestions

      In AutoCAD LT, you can invoke a command by entering synonyms of the command name. By entering the synonym in the Command prompt, the command related to the synonym entered will be displayed. For example, if you enter ROUND in the Command prompt, then the FILLET command will be displayed, as shown in Figure 1-6.

      C01_SC05.TIF

      Figure 1-6 Suggestion list displayed after entering a synonym of command name in the Command prompt

      Input Search Options

      In AutoCAD LT, you can enable or disable the functions such as Auto Complete and Auto Correct by using the options available in the Input Search Options dialog box. To invoke this dialog box, right-click on the Command prompt; a shortcut menu will be displayed. Next, choose Input Search Options from the shortcut menu; the Input Search Options dialog box will be displayed, refer to Figure 1-7. You can now enable or disable the required functions by using this dialog box.

      Snap7.tif

      Figure 1-7 The Input Search Options dialog box

      Navigation Bar

      The Navigation Bar is displayed in the drawing area and contains navigation tools. These tools are grouped together, refer to Figure 1-8. The tools in the navigation bar are discussed next.

      2D wheel (SteeringWheels)

      The 2D wheel (SteeringWheels) has a set of navigation tools such as pan, zoom, and so on. You will learn more about the 2D wheel (SteeringWheel) in the later chapters.

      Pan

      This tool allows you to view the portion of the drawing that is outside the current display area. To do so, choose this tool, press and hold the left mouse button, and then drag the drawing area. Press ESC to exit this command.

      c01sc0108.pcx

      Figure 1-8 Tools in the Navigation Bar

      Zoom

      The tools to enlarge the view of the drawing on the screen without affecting the actual size of the objects are grouped together. You will learn more about zoom tools in later chapters.

      Status Bar

      The Status Bar is displayed at the bottom of the screen and is also called the Application Status Bar. It contains some useful information and buttons that make it easy to change the status of some AutoCAD LT functions, refer to Figure 1-9. You can toggle between the on and off states of most of these functions by choosing them. You can add or remove these buttons in the Status Bar by selecting respective options from the Customization flyout.

      c01_sc06.tif

      Figure 1-9 The Status Bar displayed in the Drafting & Annotation workspace

      Coordinates

      The information about the coordinates is displayed at the left corner of the Status Bar near the Model and Layout tabs. You can choose the coordinates button to toggle between the on and off states. The COORDS system variable controls the type of display of the coordinates. If the value of the COORDS variable is set to 0, the coordinate display is static, that is, the coordinate values displayed in the Status Bar change only when you specify a point. If the value of the COORDS variable is set to 1, 2, or 3, the coordinate display is dynamic. When the variable is set to 1, AutoCAD LT constantly displays the absolute coordinates of the graphics cursor with respect to the UCS origin. The polar coordinates (lengthCOORDS variable is set to 2. By default, the COORDS variable is set to 1. You can also click on the Drawing Coordinates area to change the coordinate status from on to off and vice-versa.

      MODEL

      The MODEL button is chosen by default because you will be working in the model space to create drawings. You will learn more about the model space in later chapters.

      GRIDMODE

      In AutoCAD LT, the grid lines are used as reference lines to draw objects. If the GRIDMODE button is chosen, the Display drawing grid is on and the grid lines are displayed on the screen. The F7 function key can be used to turn the grid display on or off.

      SNAPMODE

      If the SNAPMODE button is chosen, the snap mode is on. So, you can move the cursor in fixed increments. The F9 key acts as a toggle key to turn the snap off or on.

      Dynamic Input

      The Dynamic Input button is used to turn the Dynamic Input mode on or off. Turning it on facilitates the heads-up design approach because all commands, prompts, and dimensional inputs will now be displayed in the drawing area and you do not need to look at the Command prompt all the time. This saves the design time and also increases the efficiency of the user. If the Dynamic Input mode is turned on, you will be allowed to enter the commands through the Pointer Input boxes, and the numerical values through the Dimensional Input boxes. You will also be allowed to select the command options through the Dynamic Prompt options in the graphics window. To turn the Dynamic Input on or off, use the F12 key.

      ORTHOMODE

      If the ORTHOMODE button is chosen, you can draw lines at right angles only. You can use the F8 function key to turn ortho on or off.

      Polar Tracking

      If you turn the polar tracking on, the movement of the cursor is restricted along a path based on the angle set as the polar angle. Choose the Polar Tracking button to turn the polar tracking on. You can also use the F10 function key to turn on this option. Note that turning the polar tracking on, automatically turns off the ortho mode.

      Isometric Drafting

      In AutoCAD LT, you can activate the required working plane. To activate the required working plane, choose the Isometric Drafting button from the Status Bar. On choosing this button, a flyout is displayed with the isoplane Left, isoplane Top, and isoplane Right options. You can choose the required option from this flyout to activate the respective work plane.

      Object Snap Tracking

      When you choose this button, the inferencing lines will be displayed. Inferencing lines are dashed lines that are displayed automatically when you select a sketching tool and track a particular keypoint on the screen. Choosing this button turns the object snap tracking on or off. You can also use the F11 function key to turn the object snap tracking on or off.

      Object Snap

      When the Object Snap button is chosen, you can use the running object snaps to snap on to a point. You can also use the F3 function key to turn the object snap on or off. The status of OSNAP (off or on) does not prevent you from using the immediate mode object snaps.

      Show/Hide Lineweight

      Choose this button in the Status Bar to turn on or off the display of lineweights in the drawing.

      Transparency

      This button is available in the Status Bar and is chosen to turn on or off the transparency set for a drawing. You can set the transparency in the Properties panel or in the layer in which the sketch is drawn.

      Selection Cycling

      When this button is chosen, you can cycle through the objects to be selected, if they are overlapping or close to other entities. On selecting an entity when this button is chosen, the Selection list box with a list of the entities that can be selected will be displayed. You can use CTRL+W as a shortcut key to toggle this button.

      Show annotation objects

      This button is used to control the visibility of the annotative objects that do not support the current annotation scale in the drawing area.

      Add Scales to annotative objects when the annotative scale changes

      This button, if chosen, automatically adds all the annotation scales that are set current to all the annotative objects present in the drawing.

      Annotation Scale of the current view

      The annotation scale controls the size and display of the annotative objects in the model space. The Annotation Scale button has a flyout that displays all the annotation scales available for the current drawing.

      Workspace Switching

      In AutoCAD LT, you can switch between different environments or workspaces, by using the Workspace Switching button that is available at the right of the Status Bar. On clicking the Workspace Switching button, a flyout will be displayed with the list of all available workspace. You can select the required workspace to invoke. You will learn more about workspaces later in this chapter.

      Annotation Monitor

      The Annotation Monitor button is used to turn the Annotation Monitor on or off. If it is turned on, all the non-associative annotations will get highlighted by placing a badge on them, as shown in Figure 1-10. In this figure, the Line leader is not associated with line.

      c01sc00005.pcx

      Figure 1-10 The non-associative annotation

      Current drawing units

      The Current drawing units button displays and controls the units of drawing. It has a flyout that displays all the unit systems available for drawing.

      Quick Properties

      If you select a sketched entity with this button is chosen in the Status Bar, the properties of the selected entity will be displayed in a panel. You can use CTRL+SHIFT+P as a shortcut key to toggle this button.

      Lock UI

      This button is used to lock/unlock the toolbars/pannels.

      Graphics Performance

      This button is used to set the performance of the software to an acceptable level.

      Isolate Objects

      This button is used to hide or isolate objects from the drawing area. On choosing this button, a flyout will be displayed with two options. Choose the Isolate Objects option from this flyout and then select the objects to hide or isolate. To end isolation or display a hidden object, click on this button again and choose the End Object Isolation option.

      Clean Screen

      The Clean Screen button is available at the lower right corner of the screen. This button, when chosen, displays an expanded view of the drawing area by hiding all the toolbars except the command window, Status Bar, and menu bar. The expanded view of the drawing area can also be displayed by choosing View > Clean Screen from the menu bar or by using the CTRL+0 keys. Choose the Clean Screen button again to restore the previous display state.

      Customization

      The Customization button is available at right corner of the Status Bar. Using this button, you can customize to add or remove tools in the Status Bar.

      Plot/Publish Details Report Available

      Snap10.tif  This icon is displayed in the Status Bar when some plotting or publishing activity is performed in the background. When you click on this icon, the Plot and Publish Details dialog box, which provides the details about the plotting and publishing activity, will be displayed. You can copy this report to the clipboard by choosing the Copy to Clipboard button from the dialog box.

      Manage Xrefs

      c01sc010.pcx The Manage Xrefs icon is displayed in the Status Bar whenever an external reference drawing is attached to the selected drawing. This icon displays a message and an alert whenever the Xreffed drawing needs to be reloaded. To find detailed information regarding the status of each Xref in the drawing and the relation between the various Xrefs, click on the Manage Xrefs icon; the External References Palette will be displayed. The Xrefs are discussed in detail in Chapter 17, understanding External References.

      Invoking Tools in AutoCAD LT

      On starting AutoCAD LT, when you are in the drawing area, you need to invoke AutoCAD LT tools to perform an operation. For example, to draw a line, first you need to invoke the Line tool and then define the start point and the endpoint of the line. Similarly, if you want to erase objects, you must invoke the Erase tool and then select the objects for erasing. AutoCAD LT has provided the following methods to invoke the commands:

      Keyboard

      You can invoke any AutoCAD LT command from the keyboard by typing the command name and then pressing the ENTER key. As you type the first letter of command, AutoCAD LT displays all available commands starting with the letter typed. If theDynamic Input is on and the cursor is in the drawing area, by default, the command will be entered through the Pointer Input box. The Pointer Input box is a small box displayed on the right of the cursor, as shown in Figure 1-11. However, if the cursor is currently placed on any toolbar or menu bar, or if the Dynamic Input is turned off, the command will be entered through theCommand prompt. Before you enter a command, the Command prompt is displayed as the last line in the command window area. If it is not displayed, you must cancel the existing command by pressing the ESC (Escape) key.

      c01_sc07.tif

      Figure 1-11 The Pointer Input box displayed when the Dynamic Input is on

      The following example shows how to invoke the LINE command using the keyboard:

      Command: LINE or L  (L is command alias)

      Ribbon

      In AutoCAD LT, you can also invoke a tool from the Ribbon. The tools for creating, modifying, and annotating the 2D designs are available in the panels instead of being spread out in the entire drawing area in different toolbars and menus, refer to Figure 1-12.

      c01_sc08.tif

      Figure 1-12 The Ribbon for the Drafting & Annotation workspace

      When you start the AutoCAD LT session for the first time, by default the Ribbon is displayed horizontally below the Quick Access Toolbar. The Ribbon consists of various tabs. The tabs have different panels, which in turn, have tools arranged in rows. Some of the tools have small black down arrow. This indicates that the tools having similar functions are grouped together. To choose a tool, click on the down arrow; a drop-down will be displayed. Choose the required tool from the drop-down displayed. Note that if you choose a tool from the drop-down, the corresponding command will be invoked and the tool that you have chosen will be displayed in the panel. For example, to draw a circle using the 2-Point option, click on the down arrow next to the Center, Radius tool in the Draw panel of the Home tab; a flyout will be displayed. Choose the 2-Point tool from the flyout and then draw the circle. You will notice that the 2-Point tool is displayed in place of the Center, Radius tool.

      Choose the down arrow to expand the panel. You will notice that a push pin is available at the left end of the panel. Click on the push pin to keep the panel in the expanded state. Also, some of the panels have an inclined arrow at the lower-right corner. When you left click on an inclined arrow, a dialog box is displayed. You can define the setting of the corresponding panel in the dialog box.

      You can reorder the panels in the tab. To do so, press and hold the left mouse button on the panel to be moved and drag it to the required position. To undock the Ribbon, right-click on the blank space in the Ribbon and choose the Undock option. You can move, resize, anchor, and auto-hide the Ribbon using the shortcut menu that will be displayed when you right-click on the heading strip. To anchor the floating Ribbon to the left or right of the drawing area in the vertical position, right-click on the heading strip of the floating Ribbon; the shortcut menu is displayed. Choose the corresponding option from this shortcut menu. The Auto-hide option will hide the Ribbon into the heading strip and will display it only when you move the cursor over this strip.

      You can customize the display of tabs and panels in the Ribbon. To customize the Ribbon, right-click on any one of the tools in it; a shortcut menu will be displayed. On moving the cursor over one of the options, a flyout will be displayed with a tick mark before all options and the corresponding tab or panel will be displayed in the Ribbon. Select/clear appropriate option to display/hide a particular tab or panel.

      Application Menu

      The Application Menu is available at the top-left of the AutoCAD LT window. It contains some of the tools that are available in the Standard toolbar. Click the down arrow on the Application Menu to display the tools, refer to Figure 1-13. You can search for tools or commands by using the search field on the top of the Application Menu. To search a tool or command, enter its complete or partial name in the search field; the list of related tools and commands will be displayed. If you click on a tool from the list, the corresponding command will get activated.

      By default, the Recent Document button is chosen in the Application Menu. Therefore, the recently opened drawings will be listed. If you have opened multiple drawing files, choose the Open Documents button; the documents that are opened will be listed in the Application Menu. To set the preferences of the file, choose the Options button available at the bottom-right of the Application Menu. To exit AutoCAD LT, choose the Exit Autodesk AutoCAD LT 2020 button next to the Options button.

      c01_sc09.tif

      Figure 1-13 The Application Menu

      Tool Palettes

      AutoCAD LT has provided Tool Palettes as an easy and convenient way of placing and sharing hatch patterns and blocks in the current drawing. By default, the Tool Palettes are not displayed. Choose the Tool Palettes button from the Palettes panel in the View tab or choose the CTRL+3 keys to display the Tool Palettes as a window in the drawing area. You can resize the Tool Palettes using the resizing cursor that is displayed when you place the cursor on the top or bottom extremity of the Tool Palettes. The Tool Palettes are discussed in detail in Chapter 11, Hatching Drawings.

      Menu Bar

      You can also select commands from the menu bar. Menu Bar is not displayed by default. To display the menu bar, click on the down arrow in the Quick Access Toolbar; a flyout is displayed. Choose the Show Menu Bar option from it; the menu bar will be displayed. As you move the cursor over the menu bar, different tabs are highlighted. You can choose the desired item by left-clicking on it; the corresponding menu is displayed directly under the title. For example, to draw an ellipse using the Center option, choose the Draw menu and then choose the Ellipse option; a cascading menu will be displayed. From the cascading menu, choose the Center option. In this text, this command selection sequence will be referenced as choosing Draw > Ellipse > Center from the menu bar.

      Toolbar

      In AutoCAD LT, toolbars are not displayed by default. To display a toolbar, choose Tools > Toolbars > AutoCAD LT from the Menu Bar; a list of toolbars will be displayed. Select the required toolbar. Figure 1-14 shows the Draw toolbar.

      c01_sc10.tif

      Figure 1-14 The Draw toolbar

      Shortcut Menu

      AutoCAD LT has provided shortcut menus as an easy and convenient way of invoking the recently used tools. These shortcut menus are context-sensitive, which means that the tools present in them are dependent on the place/object for which they are displayed. A shortcut menu is invoked by right-clicking and is displayed at the cursor location. You can right-click anywhere in the drawing area to display the general shortcut menu. It generally contains an option to select the previously invoked tool again, apart from the common tools for Windows, refer to Figure 1-15.

      If you right-click in the drawing area while a command is active, a shortcut menu is displayed, containing the options of that particular command. Figure 1-16 shows the shortcut menu when the Polyline tool is active.

      c01sc019.pcx

      Figure 1-15 Partial view of the shortcut menu with the recently used tools

      Snap123.tif

      Figure 1-16 Shortcut menu displayed when the Polyline tool is active

      File Tabs

      l11.tif The File Tabs button is available in the Interface panel of the View tab. It is used to toggle the display of the File tab bar which displays all opened files. You can easily switch between multiple opened drawings by clicking on them.

      You can also create a new drawing file by clicking on the (+) sign available at the end of the File tab bars. When you click on the (+) sign, the New Tab will be displayed. You can create a new drawing by clicking on the Start Drawing icon on the left side of the New Tab in the Get Started area. Figure 1-17 shows the File Tabs button chosen in the Ribbon.

      c01_sc11.tif

      Figure 1-17 The File Tabs button chosen in the Ribbon

      In the File tab bar, all the tabs added get arranged in the sequence in which the respective drawings are opened or created. You can change the sequence of tabs in the File tab bar by using the left mouse button. To do so, press and hold the left mouse button on any tab and drag it to the desired location, refer to Figure 1-18.

      c01_sc13.tif

      Figure 1-18 Tab dragged in the File tab bar

      In AutoCAD LT, if a large number of files are opened, some of the files will not be visible in the File tab bar and therefore an overflow symbol will be displayed on the right end of the File tab bar. To open any tab which is not visible in the File tab bar, click on the overflow symbol; the names of all the tabs will be displayed in a flyout. Also, when you move the cursor on a tab name, previews of the Model, Layout1, Layout2, and so on will be displayed, refer to Figure 1-19. You can open the desired environment by clicking on its preview.

      c01_sc14.tif

      Figure 1-19 Flyout with file tab names and preview of their respective drawings

      If you move the cursor over a file tab, the preview of the model and layouts will be displayed. When you move the cursor over any preview, the corresponding preview will be displayed in the drawing area, refer to Figure 1-20.

      c01_sc15.tif

      Figure 1-20 Previews of model and layouts

      There are two buttons available at the top of preview window: Plot and Publish. By using Plot, you can plot the drawing and by using Publish, you can publish the drawing. When you right-click on a file tab, a shortcut menu containing various options such as New, Open, Save, Save As, Close, and so on will be displayed, refer to Figure 1-21. You can choose the option from the shortcut menu as per your requirement.

      c01_sc16.tif

      Figure 1-21 Shortcut menu displayed on right-clicking on the File tab bar

      There are two icons displayed on the file tab: Asterisk icon and Lock icon. The Asterisk icon Snap24.pcx indicates that the file is modified but not saved. The Lock icon Snap25.pcx indicates that the file is locked and the changes cannot be saved with the original file name, although you can use the SaveAs tool to create another copy.

      To open a drawing as a locked file, first select the Open option from the shortcut menu displayed on right-clicking over the file tab; the Select File dialog box will be displayed. Select the desired file and then select the Open Read-Only option from the Open drop-down list, as shown in Figure 1-22. On doing so, the file will be opened as a locked file in the drawing area. You can also open the file as a locked file by using the Open button from the Quick Access Bar.

      Snap15.tif

      Figure 1-22 Selecting the Open Read-Only option

      AutoCAD LT dialog boxes

      There are certain commands, which when invoked, display a dialog box. A dialog box is a convenient method of a user interface. When you choose an item in the menu bar with the ellipses [...], it displays the dialog box. For example, Options in the Tools menu displays the Options dialog box. A dialog box contains a number of parts like the dialog label, radio buttons, text or edit boxes, check boxes, slider bars, image boxes, and command buttons. These components are also referred to as tiles. Some of the components of a dialog box are shown in Figure 1-23.

      Snap16.tif

      Figure 1-23 Components of a dialog box

      You can select the desired tile of the dialog box by using the pointing device, which is represented by an arrow when a dialog box is invoked. The titlebar displays the name of the dialog box. The tabs specify the various sections with a group of related options under them. The check boxes are toggle options for making the particular option available or unavailable. The drop-down list displays an item and an arrow on the right which when selected displays a list of items to choose from.

      You can make a selection in the radio buttons. Only one can be selected at a time. The image displays the preview image of the item selected. The text box is an area where you can enter a text such as a file name. It is also called an edit box, because you can make changes to the text entered. In some dialog boxes, there is the [...] button, which displays another related dialog box. There are certain buttons (OK, Cancel, Help) at the bottom of the dialog box. The name implies their functions. The button with a dark border is the default button. The dialog box has the Help button for getting help on the various features of the dialog box.

      Starting a New Drawing

      Application Menu: New > Drawing Menu Bar: File > New

      Quick Access Toolbar: New Command: NEW or QNEW

      l2.tif You can open a new drawing using the New tool in the Quick Access Toolbar. When you invoke the New tool, by default AutoCAD LT will display the Select template dialog box, as shown in Figure 1-24. This dialog box displays a list of default templates available in AutoCAD LT. The default selected template is acadlt.dwt, which starts the 2D drawing environment. You can select the acadlt.dwt template to start the drawing environment. Alternatively, you can select any other template to start a new drawing that will use the settings of the selected template. You can also open any drawing without using any template either in metric or imperial system. To do so, choose the down arrow on the right of the Open button and choose the Open with no Template-Metric option or the Open with no Template-Imperial option from the flyout.

      c01_sc17.tif

      Figure 1-24 The Select template dialog box

      You can also open a new drawing using the Start from Scratch, Use a Template, or Use a Wizard option from the Create New Drawing dialog box. To invoke the Create New Drawing dialog box, enter STARTUP in the command window and then enter 1 as the new value for this system variable. After setting 1 as the new value for the system variable, whenever you invoke the New tool, the Create New Drawing dialog box will be displayed, as shown in Figure 1-25. The options in this dialog box are discussed next.

      1-25-1.TIF

      Figure 1-25 The Create New Drawing dialog box

      Open a Drawing

      By default, this option is not available. This option will be available when you start a new session of AutoCAD LT. This option will be discussed later in this chapter.

      Start from Scratch

      When you choose the Start from Scratch button, refer to Figure 1-25. AutoCAD LT provides you with options to start a new drawing that contains the default AutoCAD LT setup for Imperial (Acadlt.dwt) or Metric drawings (Acadltiso.dwt). If you select the Imperial default setting, the limits are 12X9, text height is 0.20, and dimensions and linetype scale factors are 1.

      Use a Template

      When you choose the Use a Template button in the Create New Drawing dialog box, AutoCAD LT displays a list of templates, refer to Figure 1-26. The default template file is acadlt.dwt or acadltiso.dwt, depending on the installation. You can directly start a new file in the 2D sketching environment by selecting the acadlt.dwt or acadltiso.dwt template. If you use a template file, the new drawing will have the same settings as specified in the template file. All the drawing parameters of the new drawing such as units, limits, and other settings are already set according to the template file used. The preview of the template file selected is displayed in the dialog box. You can also define your own template files that are customized to your requirements (see Chapter 14, Template Drawings). To differentiate the template files from the drawing files, the template files have a .dwt extension whereas the drawing files have a .dwg extension. Any drawing file can be saved as a template file. You can use the Browse button to select other template files. When you choose the Browse button, the Select a template file dialog box is displayed with the Template folder open, displaying all the template files.

      Snap19.tif

      Figure 1-26 The default templates displayed on choosing the Use a Template button

      Use a Wizard

      The Use a Wizard option allows you to set the initial drawing settings before actually starting a new drawing. When you choose the Use a Wizard button, AutoCAD LT provides you with the option for using the Advanced Setup or Quick Setup, refer to Figure 1-27. In the Advanced Setup, you can set the units, limits, and the different types of settings for a drawing. In the Quick Setup, you can specify the units and the limits of the work area.

      Snap20.tif

      Figure 1-27 The wizard options displayed on choosing the Use a Wizard button

      Advanced Setup

      This option allows you to preselect the parameters of a new drawing such as the units of linear and angular measurements, type and direction of angular measurements, approximate area desired for the drawing, precision for displaying the units after decimal, and so on. When you select the Advanced Setup wizard option from the Create New Drawing dialog box and choose the OK button, the Advanced Setup wizard is displayed. In this wizard, the Units page is displayed by default, as shown in Figure 1-28.

      Snap36.tif

      Figure 1-28 The Units page of the Advanced Setup wizard

      This page is used to set the units for measurement in the current drawing. You can select the required unit of measurement by selecting the respective radio button. You will notice that the preview image is modified accordingly. The different units of measurement you can choose from are Decimal, Engineering, Architectural, Fractional, and Scientific. You can also set the precision for the measurement units by selecting it from the Precision drop-down list.

      Choose the Next button to open the Angle page, as shown in Figure 1-29. You will notice that an arrow appears on the left of Angle in the Advanced Setup wizard. This implies that this page is current.

      Snap22.tif

      Figure 1-29 The Angle page of the Advanced Setup wizard

      This page is used to set the units for angular measurements and its precision. The units for angle measurement are Decimal Degrees, Deg/Min/Sec, Grads, Radians, and Surveyor. The units for angle measurement can be set by selecting any one of these radio buttons as required. The preview of the selected angular unit is displayed on the right of the radio buttons. The precision format changes automatically in the Precision drop-down list depending on the angle measuring system selected. You can then select the precision from the drop-down list.

      The next page is the Angle Measure page, as shown in Figure 1-30. This page is used to select the direction of the baseline from which the angles will be measured. You can also set your own direction by selecting the Other radio button and then entering the value in its edit box. This edit box is available when you select the Other radio button.

      Snap23.tif

      Figure 1-30 The Angle Measure page of the Advanced Setup wizard

      Choose Next to display the Angle Direction page, refer to Figure 1-31 to set the orientation for the angle measurement. By default, the angles are positive, if measured in a counterclockwise direction. This is because the Counter-Clockwise radio button is selected. If you select the Clockwise radio button, the angles will be considered positive when measured in the clockwise direction.

      Snap24.tif

      Figure 1-31 The Angle Direction page of the Advanced Setup wizard

      To set the limits of the drawing, choose the Next button; the Area page will be displayed, as shown in Figure 1-32. You can enter the width and length of the drawing area in the respective edit boxes.

      Snap25.tif

      Figure 1-32 The Area page of the Advanced Setup wizard

      note.pcx Note

      Even after you increase the limits of the drawing, the drawing display area is not increased. You need to invoke the Zoom All tool from the Navigation Bar to increase the drawing display area.

      Quick Setup

      When you choose the Quick Setup option and then choose the OK button, the Quick Setup wizard is displayed. This wizard has two pages: Units and Area. The Units page is opened by default, as shown in Figure 1-33. The options in the Units page are similar to those in the Units page of the Advanced Setup wizard. The only difference is that you cannot set the precision for the units in this wizard.

      Snap26.tif

      Figure 1-33 The Units page of the QuickSetup wizard

      Choose Next to display the Area page, as shown in Figure 1-34. The Area page of the Quick Setup is similar to that of the Advanced Setup wizard. In this page, you can set the drawing limits.

      Snap27.tif

      Figure 1-34 The Area page of the QuickSetup wizard

      tip.pcx

      Tip

      When you open an AutoCAD LT session, a drawing opens automatically. But you can open a new drawing using options such as Start from Scratch and Use a Wizard before entering into AutoCAD LT environment using the Startup dialog box. As mentioned earlier, the display of the Startup dialog box is turned off by default. Refer to the section Starting a New Drawing to know how to turn on the display of this dialog box.

      Saving Your Work

      Application Menu: SAVE AS, SAVE Menu Bar: File > Save or Save As

      Quick Access Toolbar: Save or Save As Command: QSAVE, SAVEAS, SAVE

      c01sc038.pcx   c01sc039.pcx

      You must save your work before you exit the drawing editor or turn off your system. Also, it is recommended that you save your drawings at regular intervals, so that in the event of a power failure or an editing error, the work will be retained.

      AutoCAD LT has provided the QSAVE, SAVEAS, and SAVE commands that allow you to save your work. These commands allow you to save your drawing by writing it to a permanent storage device, such as a hard drive or in any removable drive.

      When you choose the Save tool from the Quick Access Toolbar or the Application Menu, the QSAVE command is invoked. If the current drawing is unnamed and you save the drawing for the first time in the current session, the SAVEAS command will be invoked and you will be prompted to enter the file name in the Save Drawing As dialog box, as shown in Figure 1-35. You can enter the name for the drawing and then choose the Save button. If you have saved a drawing file once and then edited it, you can use the Save tool to save it, without the system prompting you to enter a file name. This allows you to do a quick save.

      c01_sc18.tif

      Figure 1-35 The Save Drawing As dialog box

      When you choose SaveAs from the Application Menu or choose the Save As tool from the Quick Access Toolbar, the Save Drawing As dialog box is displayed, similar to that shown in Figure 1-35. Even if the drawing has been saved with a file name, this tool gives you an option to save it with a different file name. In addition to saving the drawing, it sets the name of the current drawing to the file name you specify, which is displayed in the title bar. This tool is used when you want to save a previously saved drawing with a different file name. You can also use this tool when you make certain changes to a template and want to save the changed template drawing but leave the original template unchanged.

      Save Drawing As Dialog Box

      The Save Drawing As dialog box displays the information related to the drawing files on your system. The various components of the dialog box are discussed next.

      Places List

      A column of icons is displayed on the left side of the dialog box. These icons contain the shortcuts to the folders that are frequently used. You can quickly save your drawings in one of these folders. The History folder displays the list of the most recently saved drawings. You can save your personal drawings in the Documents or the Favorites folder. The FTP folder displays the list of the various FTP sites that are available for saving the drawing. By default, no FTP sites are shown in the dialog box. To add a FTP site to the dialog box, choose the Tools button on the upper-right corner of the dialog box to display a shortcut menu and select Add/Modify FTP Locations. The Desktop folder displays the list of contents on the desktop. You can add a new folder in this list for an easy access by simply dragging the folder on to the Places list area. You can rearrange all these folders by dragging them and then placing them at the desired locations. It is also possible to remove the folders, which are not in frequent use. Right-click on the particular folder and then select Remove from the shortcut menu. Now, you can also save the document to new location of Autodesk Cloud. The option for saving the document is discussed next.

      File name Edit Box

      To save your work, enter the name of the drawing in the File name edit box by typing the file name or selecting it from the drop-down list. If you select the file name, it automatically appears in the File name edit box. If you have already assigned a name to the drawing, the current drawing name is taken as the default name. If the drawing is unnamed, the default name Drawing1 is displayed in the File name edit box. You can also choose the down arrow located on the right of the edit box to display the names of the previously saved drawings and choose a name here.

      Files of type Drop-down List

      The Files of type drop-down list, refer to Figure 1-36 is used to specify the drawing format in which you want to save the file. For example, to save the file as an AutoCAD LT 2004 drawing file, select AutoCAD LT 2004/LT2004 Drawing (*.dwg) from the drop-down list.

      c01_sc19.tif

      Figure 1-36 The Files of type drop-down list

      Save in Drop-down List

      The current drive and path information is listed in the Save in drop-down list. AutoCAD LT will initially save the drawing in the default folder, but if you want to save the drawing in a different folder, you have to specify the path. For example, to save the present drawing as house in the C1 folder, choose the arrow button in the Save in drop-down list to display the drop-down list. Select C: from the drop-down list; all folders in the C drive will be listed in the File list box. Double-click on the C1 folder, if it is already listed there or create a folder C1 by choosing the Create New Folder button. Select house from the list, if it is already listed there, or enter it in the File name edit box and then choose the Save button. Your drawing (house) will be saved in the C1 folder (C:\C1\house.dwg). Similarly, to save the drawing in the D drive, select D: in the Save in drop-down list.

      tip.pcx

      Tip

      The file name you enter to save a drawing should match its contents. This helps you to remember the drawing details and make it easier to refer to them later. Also, the file name can be 255 characters long and can contain spaces and punctuation marks.

      Views drop-down list

      The Views drop-down list has the options for the type of listing of files and displaying the preview images, refer to Figure 1-37.

      c01sc043.pcx

      Figure 1-37 The Views drop-down list

      List, Details, and Thumbnails Options

      If you choose the Details option, it will display the detailed information about the files (size, type, date, and time of modification) in the Name list box. In the detailed information, if you click on the Name label, the files are listed with the names in alphabetical order. If you double-click on the Name label, the files will be listed in reverse order. Similarly, if you click on the Size label, the files are listed according to their size in ascending order. Double-clicking on the Size label will list the files in descending order of size. Similarly, you can click on the Type label or the Date Modified label to list the files accordingly. If you choose the List option, all files present in the current folder will be listed in the File list box. If you choose the Thumbnails option, the list box displays the preview of all the drawings, along with their names displayed at the bottom of the drawing preview.

      Create New Folder Button

      c01sc000044.pcx  If you choose the Create New Folder button, AutoCAD LT creates a new folder under the name New Folder. The new folder is displayed in the File list box. You can accept the name or change it to your requirement. You can also use the ALT+5 keys to create a new folder.

      Up one level Button

      c01sc000043.pcx  The Up one level button displays the folders that are up by one level. For example, if you are in the Sample subfolder of the AutoCAD LT 2020 folder, then choosing the

      Up one level button will take you to the AutoCAD LT 2020 folder. You can also use the ALT+2 keys to do the same.

      Search the Web

      c01sc046.pcx  When you choose this button, the Browse the Web - Save dialog box is displayed that enables you to access and store AutoCAD LT files on the Internet. You can also use the ALT+3 keys to browse the Web when this dialog box is available on the screen.

      Tools drop-down List

      The Tools drop-down list, refer to Figure 1-38 has an option for adding or modifying the FTP sites. These sites can then be browsed from the FTP shortcut in the Places list. The Add Current Folder to Places and Add to Favorites options are used to add the folder displayed in the Save in edit box to the Places or the Favorites folder. The Options button is used for invoking Saveas Options dialog box where you can save the proxy images of the custom objects. It has the DWG Options and DXF Options tabs. The Digital Signature button is used to invoke the Digital Signatures dialog box, which is used to configure the securityoptions of the drawing.

      Snap29.tif

      Figure 1-38 The Tools drop-down list

      Automatic Timed Save

      AutoCAD LT allows you to save your work automatically at specific intervals. To change the time intervals, you can specify the intervals duration in minutes in the Minutes between saves text box in the File Safety Precautions area in the Options dialog box (Open and Save tab). This dialog box can be invoked by choosing the Options button from the Application Menu. Depending on the power supply, hardware, and type of drawings, you should decide on an appropriate time and assign it to this variable. AutoCAD LT saves the drawing with the file extension .sv$. You can also change the time interval by using the SAVETIME system variable.

      tip.pcx

      Tip

      Although the automatic save feature saves your drawing after a certain time interval, you should not completely depend on it because the procedure for converting the ac$ file into a drawing file is cumbersome. Therefore, it is recommended that you save your files regularly using the QSAVE or SAVEAS command.

      Creating Backup Files

      If the drawing file already exists and you use Save or Save As tool to update the current drawing, AutoCAD LT creates a backup file. AutoCAD LT takes the previous copy of the drawing and changes it from a file type .dwg to .bak, and the updated drawing is saved as a drawing file with the .dwg extension. For example, if the name of the drawing is myproj.dwg, AutoCAD LT will change it to myproj.bak and save the current drawing as myproj.dwg.

      Changing Automatic Timed Saved and Backup Files into AutoCAD LT Format

      Sometimes, you may need to change the automatic timed saved and backup files into AutoCAD LT format. To change a backup file into AutoCAD LT format, open the folder, in which you have saved the backup or the automatic timed saved drawing. Now, choose the View tab and select

      the File name extensions check box from the Show/hide area. Rename the automatic saved

      drawing or the backup file with a different name and also, change the extension of the drawing from .sv$ or .bak to .dwg.

      Using the Drawing Recovery Manager to Recover Files

      The files that are saved automatically can also be retrieved by using the Drawing Recovery Manager. You can open the Drawing Recovery Manager by entering DRAWINGRECOVERY at the Command prompt.

      If the automatic save operation is performed in a drawing and the system crashes accidentally, the next time you run AutoCAD LT, the Drawing Recovery message box will be displayed, as shown in Figure 1-39. The message box informs you that the program unexpectedly failed and you can open the most suitable among the backup files created by AutoCAD LT. Choose the Close button from the Drawing Recovery message box; the Drawing Recovery Manager is displayed on the left of the drawing area, as shown in Figure 1-40.

      Snap41.tif

      Figure 1-39 The Drawing Recovery message box

      FIG_1.43_C01.pcx

      Figure 1-40 The DRAWING RECOVERY MANAGER

      The Backup Files rollout lists the original files, the backup files, and the automatically saved files. Select a file; its preview will be displayed in the Preview rollout. Also, the information corresponding to the selected file will be displayed in the Details rollout. To open a backup file, double-click on its name in the Backup Files rollout. Alternatively, right-click on the file name and then choose Open from the shortcut menu. It is recommended that you save the backup file at the desired location before you start working on it.

      Closing a Drawing

      You can close the current drawing file without actually quitting AutoCAD LT by choosing Close > Current Drawing from the Application Menu or by entering CLOSE in the Command prompt. If multiple drawing files are opened, choose Close > All Drawings from the Application Menu. If you have not saved the drawing after making the last changes to it and you invoke the CLOSE command, AutoCAD LT displays a dialog box that allows you to save the drawing before closing. This box gives you an option to discard the current drawing or the changes made to it. It also gives you an option to cancel the command. After closing the drawing, you are still in AutoCAD LT from where you can open a new or an already saved drawing file. You can also use the close button (X) of the drawing area to close the drawing.

      Opening an Existing Drawing

      Application Menu: Open > Drawing Quick Access Toolbar: Open

      Menu Bar: File > Open Command: OPEN

      You can open an existing drawing file that has been saved previously. There are three methods that can be used to open a drawing file: by using the Select File dialog box, by using the Create New Drawing dialog box, and by dragging and dropping.

      Opening an Existing Drawing Using the Select File Dialog Box

      c01sc050.pcx   If you are already in the drawing editor and you want to open a drawing file, choose the Open tool from the Quick Access Toolbar; the Select File dialog box will be displayed, as shown in Figure 1-41. You can select the drawing to be opened using this dialog box. This dialog box is similar to the standard dialog boxes. You can choose the file you want to open from the folder in which it is stored. You can change the folder from the Look in drop-down list. You can then select the name of the drawing from the list box or you can enter the name of the drawing file you want to open in the File name edit box. After selecting the drawing file, you can choose the Open button to open the file. Here, you can choose Drawing1 from the list and then choose the Open button to open the drawing.

      c01_sc20.tif

      Figure 1-41 The Select File dialog box

      When you select a file name, its image is displayed in the Preview box. If you are not sure about the file name of a particular drawing but know the contents, you can select the file names and look for the particular drawing in the Preview box. You can also change the file type by selecting it in the Files of type drop-down list. Apart from the dwg files, you can open the dwt (template) files or the dxf files. You have all the standard icons in the Places list that can be used to open drawing files from different locations. The Open button has a drop-down list, as shown in Figure 1-42. You can choose a method for opening the file using this drop-down list. These methods are discussed next.

      c01sc01026.pcx

      Figure 1-42 The Open drop-down list

      Open Read-Only

      To view a drawing without altering it, you must select the Open Read-Only option from the drop-down list. In other words, Open Read-Only option protects the drawing file from changes. AutoCAD LT does not prevent you from editing the drawing, but if you try to save the opened drawing with the original file name, AutoCAD LT warns you that the drawing file is write protected. However, you can save the edited drawing to a file with a different file name using the Save Drawing As dialog box. This way you can preserve your drawing.

      Select Initial View

      A view is defined as the way you look at an object. Select the Select Initial View check box if you want to load a specific view initially when AutoCAD LT loads the drawing. This option will work, if the drawing has saved views. This is generally used while working on a large complicated drawing, in which you want to work on a particular portion of the drawing. You can save that particular portion as a view and then select it to open the drawing next time. You can save a desired view, by using AutoCAD LT’s VIEW command (see Creating Views topic, Chapter 6). If the drawing has no saved views, selecting this option will load the last view. If you select the Select Initial View check box and then choose the OK button, AutoCAD LT will display the Select Initial View dialog box. You can select the view name from this dialog box, and AutoCAD LT will load the drawing with the selected view displayed.

      tip.pcx

      Tip

      1. Apart from opening a drawing from the Startup dialog box or the Select File dialog box, you can also open a drawing from the Application Menu. By default, the Recent Documents option is chosen in the Application Menu. As a result, the most recently opened drawings will be displayed and you can open the required file from it.

      2. It is possible to open an AutoCAD LT 2000 drawing in AutoCAD LT 2020. However, when you save this drawing, it is automatically converted and saved as an

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1