Wiley Introducing AutoCAD 2008 978-0-470-12150-4 Manual De Usuario

Autodesk has completely redesigned AutoCAD 2008’s 2D drafting interface, and to show
it off, AutoCAD’s default opening window prominently displays these new features. If
you’ve used AutoCAD before, it will appear as though AutoCAD has completely changed.

Don’t worry; it hasn’t. Through AutoCAD’s workspace feature, you can easily change

AutoCAD’s interface to display the old, familiar toolbars. You’ll get a chance to look at
workspaces later in this chapter. In this section, you’ll look at AutoCAD’s interface
options, and then you’ll switch to the AutoCAD “classic” window.

Although Autodesk has made it much easier to work in 3D, as a new or returning user,

you’ll want to start with the basic 2D operations.

AutoCAD works like most other Windows-based graphics programs, but it also has a

few quirks. This section gives you an overview of AutoCAD’s layout. Although many
elements will be familiar, a few will be new to you.

To start, you’ll see the two ways that AutoCAD displays a drawing. Then for the rest of

this chapter, you’ll focus on the 2D drawing environment. After installing AutoCAD, take
the following steps to get to the 2D workspace:

1. Choose Start 

➔

All Programs 

➔

Autodesk 

➔

AutoCAD 2008 

➔

AutoCAD 2008. (LT

users will click AutoCAD LT 2008 in place of AutoCAD 2008 in the previous menu
selection.) You can also double-click the AutoCAD 2008 icon on your
Windows Desktop. If you have Windows XP set to the Classic Start menu, you will
see Start 

➔

Programs, instead of Start 

➔

All Programs.

AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD 2008 LT are essentially the same programs with some 

differences—both large and small. The LT version has limited 3D capability, and you won’t 

have the 3D workspace. Customization features are also limited in the LT version. With 

the exception of the 3D features, you should be able to use the features discussed in this

book when using AutoCAD 2008 LT.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can go to Chapter 6 to find out more about AutoCAD’s

new 3D tools. LT users will not have the 3D functions.

The 

↵

symbol in this book denotes the Enter key. Whenever you see it, press the Enter key,

also known as the Return key.

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chapter 1: Getting Familiar with AutoCAD

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