Tutorial: Getting Started

- Basics

Products: AutoCAD 2011 for Mac or later

Audience: New users
Prerequisites: None
Time to complete: 15 minutes
Download the Tutorial File
Before beginning the lessons, download the tutorial.
Download getting_started_basics_acdmac.zip from
http://www.autodesk.com/autocadformac-tutorials.

In This Tutorial
Complete the lessons in this tutorial in the presented order. Earlier lessons include information
that is needed in later lessons. In this tutorial, you learn how to do the following:
Start the product and work with commands

Create and remove objects

Change the view of a drawing

Find more information on using the product

NOTE For more information on the topics covered in this tutorial, see the product Users Guide.

Lesson: Start the Product and Work with Commands

In this lesson, you learn how to start the program. You also learn about the
basic areas of the application window, and how to undo or cancel commands
and actions.

To start AutoCAD
1 Do one of the following to start the program:
In the Mac OS X Dock, click AutoCAD.

In Finder, on the Mac OS X menu bar, click Go Applications.

Expand Autodesk AutoCAD <release> and double-click AutoCAD.

NOTE Close the Welcome Screen, if displayed.

The program starts with an empty drawing file named Drawing1.dwg.
2 Before proceeding to the next lesson, identify the areas of the program.

To start a command or action

Many of the options in the user interface start a command that requires some
form of input or performs an action on a selected object.
Do one of the following to start a command:
Click an icon from the Tool Sets palette. The Tool Sets button allows you
to switch between categories of commands.

2 | Chapter 1 Tutorial: Getting Started - Basics

Click a menu caption on the menu bar, and then an item under that menu.

Enter the name of a command or command alias at the Command prompt.

Click a control on the status bar to enable common drafting aids.

To provide input to a command

Commands often require additional information after they are started. These
requests for information are displayed in the form of prompts at the Command
prompt or in a dialog box.
Do one of the following at a command prompt:
Enter a numeric or string value. You might need to enter a distance, the
name of a symbol, or a coordinate value (X,Y).

Use the cursor to specify a point in the drawing area or select an object.

Enter a command option. The letter or letters that need to be entered to

use a command option are displayed in capitalized letters.

To undo or cancel commands or actions

During the remaining tutorials, if you make a mistake or want to restart a
lesson, you can undo completed commands or cancel active commands and
actions.
To undo a command, on the menu bar, click Edit menu Undo. Repeat
to undo additional commands.

To cancel a command or action (such as inadvertently clicking in the

drawing area or displaying a shortcut menu), press Esc.

Lesson: Create and Remove Objects

In this lesson, you learn how to draw a line, a series of connected lines, and
a closed object created with lines. In addition, you learn how to select and
erase lines.

To draw a line
1 On the Tool Sets palette, click the Tool Sets button, and then click
Drafting.

2 In the Drafting tool set Open Shapes tool group, click Line.

Lesson: Create and Remove Objects | 3

3 Use the mouse or trackpad to position the cursor over the drawing area.
Three dynamic input boxes appear near the cursor.

NOTE If the dynamic input boxes are not visible, click Dynamic Input in the
status bar.

The Specify first point box is called the dynamic prompt. Dynamic
prompts allow you to keep your eyes on your work without having to
look at the command line.
The other two text boxes show the cursors X and Y coordinates. Notice
that the coordinates update as you move the cursor.
4 In the drawing area, click to specify the lines start point.
The dynamic prompt changes to Specify next point or.

5 Drag the cursor in any direction and click to specify the lines end point.

4 | Chapter 1 Tutorial: Getting Started - Basics

A new dynamic prompt appears with additional information about the

line. You can ignore this for now.
6 Press Enter to end the line and exit the LINE command.

To select and remove a single line

Before you learn how to draw a series of lines, select and remove the line you
just drew.
1 Move the cursor over the line to highlight it; the line appears bold and
dashed.
2 Click to select the line.
Three square selection handles (or grips) appear and the line changes to
a dotted line. Grips are used to modify the selected object.

Lesson: Create and Remove Objects | 5

3 On the Tool Sets palette, click Drafting tool set Explode and Erase
tool group Erase.

NOTE You can also press Delete to remove the line.

To draw a series of connected lines

1 On the Tool Sets palette, click Drafting tool set Open Shapes tool
group Line.
2 Position the cursor over the drawing area. Click to specify the lines start
point.
3 Drag the cursor in any direction and specify the lines next point.
4 Drag the cursor and specify another point to draw a second, connected

line.

6 | Chapter 1 Tutorial: Getting Started - Basics

5 Continue to drag the cursor and specify points to draw more lines.
6 End the series of lines by pressing Enter.

To select and delete a series of lines

Before you learn how to connect a series of lines to create form a closed object,
delete the lines that you just drew. This procedure uses a window selection
box to select all of the lines at once.
1 Move the cursor above and to the left of the lines.
2 Click and hold down the left mouse button or perform a double-click
and hold on the trackpad.
A selection box is started.
3 Drag rightward and downward to complete the selection box around
the lines.

4 Release the mouse button or remove your finger from the trackpad to
select all of the lines inside the box.
Grips appear and the lines become dashed.

Lesson: Create and Remove Objects | 7

5 On the Tool Sets palette, click Drafting tool set Explode and Erase
tool group Erase.
NOTE You can also press Delete to remove the lines.

To connect a series of lines to form a closed object

1 On the Tool Sets palette, click Drafting tool set Open Shapes tool
group Line.
2 Position the cursor over the drawing area. Click to specify the lines start
point.
3 Drag the cursor in any direction and click to specify the lines next point.
NOTE To increase the precision of your drawing, use the drafting aids
available from the status bar or from the DSETTINGS command.

4 Continue specifying points to create a few more lines.

5 After you specify the last point, enter c. As you type, a small text box
appears near the cursor.
6 Press Enter to complete the Close option.
A line segment is drawn between the first and last points specified while
using the LINE command.

8 | Chapter 1 Tutorial: Getting Started - Basics

The dynamic input method that was used to directly enter the Close
option into the window is faster and easier than using the command
line.
NOTE You can also press the Down Arrow to display a menu of available
options at the dynamic prompt, which can be seen in the previous image.

Lesson: Create and Remove Objects | 9

7 Before proceeding to the next lesson, click File menu Close to close
the current drawing. Click Dont Save to ignore the changes you made
to the drawing.

Lesson: Change the View of a Drawing

In this lesson, you learn to zoom and pan in a sample drawing.

To open the sample drawing

1 On the menu bar, click File menu Open.
2 In the Open dialog box, browse to and select kitchens.dwg.
This is one of the files contained in the ZIP file that you downloaded
before starting this tutorial.
3 Click Open.

10 | Chapter 1 Tutorial: Getting Started - Basics

4 Make sure you are working in model space. Model should be listed in
the Model/Layout pop-up menu on the status bar. If not, click the pop-up
menu and click Model.

To zoom using the pointing device

The easiest way to change the views magnification is with the mouse wheel,
Magic Mouse, or trackpad.
1 With the cursor in the drawing area, do one of the following to zoom
in to a section of the drawing:
On a mouse with a wheel, scroll up the mouse wheel.

On a Magic Mouse, swipe with a single finger up.

On a trackpad, pinch two fingers together.

Lesson: Change the View of a Drawing | 11

2 To zoom back out, do one of the following:

On a mouse with a wheel, scroll down the mouse wheel.

On a Magic Mouse, swipe with a single finger down.

On a trackpad, drag two fingers apart.

To display the entire drawing in the drawing area using the mouse wheel
1 Use the mouse wheel to zoom in a section of the drawing.
2 To display the entire drawing, double-click the mouse wheel.
TIP If you zoom in and notice that arcs and circles lose their smoothness,
or if you cannot zoom in or out beyond a limit, regenerate the display. Enter
regenall at the Command prompt and press Enter.

To display the entire drawing using the ZOOM command

1 On the status bar, click Zoom.

2 Enter e at the Command prompt and press Enter.

12 | Chapter 1 Tutorial: Getting Started - Basics

To pan using the mouse wheel

You can pan to reposition the view without changing the magnification level.
1 With the cursor in the drawing area, press and hold the mouse wheel.
A hand icon appears.
2 Drag the cursor to pan the view.
3 Release the mouse wheel to stop panning.

To pan using the PAN command

1 On the status bar, click Pan.

2 Click and hold the left mouse button or double-click and hold on the
trackpad. Drag the cursor to pan the view.
3 Release the mouse button or trackpad to stop panning.
TIP Another method for panning is to press and hold the Spacebar while
moving the mouse or swiping on the trackpad.
4 Before proceeding to the next lesson, on the menu bar, click File menu
Close to close the current drawing. Click Dont Save to ignore the
changes you made to the drawing.

Lesson: Find More Information on Using the

Product
In this lesson, you learn how to access and use the AutoCAD Help and how
to locate menu items on the menu bar.

To access Help
In AutoCAD, do one of the following:
On the menu bar, click Help menu AutoCAD Help (or press Fn-F1).
If no command or dialog box is active, the Help home page is displayed.
If a command or dialog box is active, the related help topic is displayed.

On the command line, click the ? button that displays when a command
is active.

Lesson: Find More Information on Using the Product | 13

The related help topic is displayed.

To navigate Help
1 On the menu bar, click Help menu AutoCAD Help (or press Fn-F1).
2 On the Help home page, click one of the books located along the left
side.
The books topics are displayed in the middle of the page.
3 Click a topic link and do one of the following:
View the topic content in the middle of the page.

Access related external links along the right side of the page.

Use the navigation bar on the left side to navigate to additional topics
in the current book.

To search Help
1 On the menu bar, click Help menu AutoCAD Help (or press Fn-F1).
2 In the upper-right corner of the Help home page, enter a search string
in the Search box and press Enter.
The search results are displayed.
3 Click a book along the left side to filter the search results.
4 Click a topic link to view the topic.

To locate menu items on the menu bar

1 On the menu bar, click Help menu.
2 In the Search box, enter a search string, such as Line, to locate all menu
items containing the search string.

14 | Chapter 1 Tutorial: Getting Started - Basics

3 Click the X in the Search box to clear the search results and return to
the standard Help menu.

Lesson: Find More Information on Using the Product | 15

16