AutoCAD 2011 & AutoCAD LT 2011 Bible -- About the Author -- Credits -- Contents -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Is This Book for You? -- How This Book Is Organized -- How to Use This Book -- Doing the Exercises -- Conventions Used in This Book -- What the Icons Mean -- About the DVD -- Other Information -- Contacting the Author -- Part I: AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Basics -- Quick Start: Drawing a Window -- Summary -- Chapter 1: Starting to Draw -- AutoCAD's Advantages -- Comparing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT -- Starting AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT -- Creating a New Drawing -- Using the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface -- Creating a New Folder -- Using the Interface -- Saving a Drawing -- Closing a Drawing and Exiting from AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT -- Summary -- Chapter 2: Opening a Drawing -- Creating a New Drawing from a Template -- Working with Templates -- Creating a Drawing with Default Settings -- Opening an Existing Drawing -- Saving a Drawing under a New Name -- Summary -- Chapter 3: Using Commands -- The AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface -- The Command Line and Dynamic Input -- Command Techniques -- Of Mice and Pucks -- Getting Help -- Summary -- Chapter 4: Specifying Coordinates -- Understanding the X, Y Coordinate System -- Displaying Coordinates -- Picking Coordinates on the Screen -- Overriding Coordinate Settings -- Locating Points -- Summary -- Chapter 5: Setting Up a Drawing -- Choosing Unit Types -- Drawing Limits -- Understanding Scales -- Creating a Titleblock -- Specifying Common Setup Options -- Customizing with the MVSETUP Command and Setup Wizards -- Summary -- Part II: Drawing in Two Dimensions -- Chapter 6: Drawing Simple Lines -- Using the LINE Command -- Drawing Rectangles -- Drawing Polygons -- Creating Construction Lines -- Creating Rays -- Summary -- Chapter 7: Drawing Curves and Points -- Drawing Circles.

Drawing Arcs -- Creating Ellipses and Elliptical Arcs -- Making Donuts -- Placing Points -- Summary -- Chapter 8: Viewing Your Drawing -- Regenerating and Redrawing the Display -- Panning -- Using the ZOOM Command -- Using the SteeringWheel -- Creating Named Views -- Working with Tiled Viewports -- Using Snap Rotation -- Understanding User Coordinate Systems -- Creating Isometric Drawings -- Summary -- Chapter 9: Editing Your Drawing with Basic Tools -- Editing a Drawing -- Selecting Objects -- Summary -- Chapter 10: Editing Your Drawing with Advanced Tools -- Copying and Moving Objects -- Resizing commands -- Using Construction Commands -- Creating a Revision Cloud -- Hiding Objects with a Wipeout -- Constraining Objects with Parameters -- Double-Clicking to Edit Objects -- Grips -- Editing with the Quick Properties Palette and the Properties Palette -- Selection Filters -- Groups -- Summary -- Chapter 11: Organizing Drawings with Layers and Object Properties -- Working with Layers -- Changing Object Color, Linetype, Lineweight, and Transparency -- Working with Linetype Scales -- Importing Layers and Linetypes from Other Drawings -- Matching Properties -- Summary -- Chapter 12: Obtaining Information from Your Drawing -- Drawing-Level Information -- Object-Level Information -- Dividing and Spacing Commands -- AutoCAD's Calculator -- Summary -- Chapter 13: Creating Text -- Creating Single-Line Text -- Understanding Text Styles -- Creating Multiline Text -- Creating Tables -- Inserting Fields -- Managing Text -- Finding Text in Your Drawing -- Checking Your Spelling -- Summary -- Chapter 14: Drawing Dimensions -- Working with Dimensions -- Drawing Linear Dimensions -- Drawing Aligned Dimensions -- Creating Baseline and Continued Dimensions -- Dimensioning Arcs and Circles -- Dimensioning Angles -- Creating Ordinate Dimensions -- Drawing Leaders.

Using Quick Dimension -- Creating Inspection Dimensions -- Creating Geometric Tolerances -- Editing Dimensions -- Summary -- Chapter 15: Creating Dimension Styles -- Understanding Dimension Styles -- Defining a New Dimension Style -- Changing Dimension Styles -- Summary -- Chapter 16: Drawing Complex Objects -- Creating and Editing Polylines -- Drawing and Editing Splines -- Creating Regions -- Creating Boundaries -- Creating Hatches -- Creating and Editing Multilines -- Creating Dlines in AutoCAD LT -- Using the SKETCH Command -- Digitizing Drawings with the TABLET Command -- Summary -- Chapter 17: Plotting and Printing Your Drawing -- Preparing a Drawing for Plotting or Printing -- Creating a Layout in Paper Space -- Working with Plot Styles -- Plotting a Drawing -- Summary -- Part III: Working with Data -- Chapter 18: Working with Blocks and Attributes -- Combining Objects into Blocks -- Inserting Blocks and Files into Drawings -- Managing Blocks -- Creating and Using Dynamic Blocks -- Using Windows Features to Copy Data -- Working with Attributes -- Summary -- Chapter 19: Referencing Other Drawings -- Understanding External References -- Editing an Xref within Your Drawing -- Controlling Xref Display -- Managing Xrefs -- Working with DWF, DGN, and PDF Underlays -- Summary -- Chapter 20: Working with External Databases -- Understanding External Database Access -- Preparing for Database Connectivity -- Connecting to Your Database -- Linking Data to Drawing Objects -- Creating Labels -- Querying with the Query Editor -- Working with Query Files -- Summary -- Part IV: Drawing in Three Dimensions -- Chapter 21: Specifying 3D Coordinates -- Working in a 3D Environment -- Using 3D Coordinates -- Using Elevation and Thickness -- Working with the User Coordinate System -- Summary -- Chapter 22: Viewing 3D Drawings -- Working with the Standard Viewpoints.

Using the ViewCube to View Your Drawing -- Creating a Named View with a Camera -- Displaying Parallel and Perspective Projections -- Using 3D Orbit -- Using ShowMotion to Cycle Through Views -- Walking through a Model -- Navigating with the Wheel -- Using DVIEW to Create a Perspective View -- Working with Visual Styles -- Laying Out 3D Drawings -- Printing in 3D -- Summary -- Chapter 23: Creating 3D Surfaces -- Drawing Surfaces with 3DFACE -- Drawing Surfaces with PFACE -- Creating Polygon Meshes with 3DMESH -- Drawing Procedural and NURBS Surfaces -- Creating Plane Surfaces -- Drawing an Extruded Surface -- Drawing Surfaces Between Objects -- Editing and Analyzing Surfaces -- Working with Multiple Types of Objects -- Summary -- Chapter 24: Creating Solids and Editing in 3D -- Drawing Basic Smooth Solids -- Creating Extruded Solids -- Drawing Swept Solids -- Drawing Revolved Solids -- Drawing Lofted Solids -- Drawing Polyline-Like Solids -- Manipulating Solids -- Working with Mesh Shapes -- Creating Complex Solids -- Sectioning and Slicing Solids -- Using Editing Commands in 3D -- Using the SOLIDEDIT Command -- Listing Solid Properties -- Summary -- Chapter 25: Rendering in 3D -- Understanding Rendering -- Creating Lights -- Working with Materials -- Doing the Final Render -- Summary -- Part V: Organizing and Managing Drawings -- Chapter 26: Keeping Control of Your Drawings -- Accessing Drawing Components with the DesignCenter -- Accessing Drawing Content with Tool Palettes -- Setting Standards for Drawings -- Working with Sheet Sets -- Organizing Your Drawings -- Maintaining Security -- Keeping Track of Referenced Files -- Handling Errors and Crashes -- Managing Drawings from Prior Releases -- Summary -- Chapter 27: Working with Other Applications -- Importing and Exporting Other File Formats -- Working with Raster Images.

Pasting, Linking, and Embedding Objects -- Summary -- Chapter 28: Creating Electronic Output -- Sending Drawings -- Opening Drawings from the Web -- Creating Object Hyperlinks -- Publishing Drawings -- Summary -- Part VI: Customizing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT -- Chapter 29: Customizing Commands, Toolbars, and Tool Palettes -- Working with Customizable Files -- Creating Shortcuts for Commands -- Customizing Toolbars -- Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar -- Customizing Tool Palettes -- Summary -- Chapter 30: Creating Macros and Slide Shows -- Creating Macros with Script Files -- Recording Actions -- Creating Slide Shows -- Creating Slide Libraries -- Summary -- Chapter 31: Creating Your Own Linetypes and Hatch Patterns -- Creating Linetypes -- Creating Hatch Patterns -- Summary -- Chapter 32: Creating Shapes and Fonts -- Creating Shapes -- Creating Fonts -- Summary -- Chapter 33: Customizing the Ribbon and Menus -- Working with the Customization File -- Customizing the Interface -- Summary -- Part VII: Programming AutoCAD -- Chapter 34: Understanding AutoLISP and Visual LISP Basics -- Introducing Visual LISP -- Getting Help in Visual LISP -- Working with AutoLISP Expressions -- Using AutoLISP on the Command Line -- Creating AutoLISP Files -- Summary -- Chapter 35: Exploring AutoLISP Further -- Creating Variables -- Working with AutoCAD Commands -- Working with Lists -- Setting Conditions -- Managing Drawing Objects -- Getting Input from the User -- Putting on the Finishing Touches -- Summary -- Chapter 36: Exploring Advanced AutoLISP Topics -- Understanding Global and Local Variables -- Working with Visual LISP ActiveX Functions -- Debugging Code -- Summary -- Bonus Chapter 37: Programming with .NET -- Starting to Work with VB.NET -- Writing VB.NET Code -- Getting User Input -- Creating Dialog Boxes -- Modifying Objects -- Trapping Errors.

Moving to Advanced Programming.