Wiley AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD LT 2012 Bible 978-1-1180-2221-4 用户手册
产品代码
978-1-1180-2221-4
CHAPTER
I
n this chapter, I explain the essentials that you need to start drawing.
After a little background, I discuss the basics of the screen that you see
when you open AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT, and how to use it. If you’ve
never used AutoCAD before, do the “Quick Start: Drawing a Window”
chapter first.
AutoCAD and its younger sister, AutoCAD LT, are both created by Autodesk.
Together they are the most widely used technical drawing programs any-
where. AutoCAD alone has more than 6,000,000 registered users. According
to Autodesk, CAD stands for computer-aided design, but it can also stand for
computer-aided drafting or drawing.
The first version of AutoCAD, running under DOS, came out in 1982.
AutoCAD was the first significant CAD program to run on a desktop com-
puter. At the time, most other technical drawing programs ran on high-end
workstations or even mainframes. AutoCAD LT was introduced in 1993, as
a less expensive alternative to AutoCAD, for people who don’t need all of
AutoCAD’s advanced features.
Exploring AutoCAD’s Advantages
AutoCAD’s success has been attributed to its famous open architecture —
the flexibility that the end user has to customize the program by using
source code files in plain text (ASCII) format — and programming languages
(such as AutoLISP, VB.NET, C#, and C++).
As a result, AutoCAD is an extremely flexible drafting program, applicable to
all fields. AutoCAD’s support for languages other than English, including
those using other alphabets, is unparalleled, making AutoCAD highly popu-
lar abroad. As a result, AutoCAD is used in all disciplines and in more than
150 countries.
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IN THIS CHAPTER
Getting acquainted with
AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT
Starting a new drawing
Exploring the AutoCAD and
AutoCAD LT interface
Storing your drawing
Closing a drawing and exiting
AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT
Starting to Draw
CHAPTER
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