Understanding the AutoCAD Window

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.

The ↲ symbol in this book denotes the Enter key. Whenever you see it, press the Enter key, also known as the Return key.

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.

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.

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 è All Programs è Autodesk è AutoCAD 2008 è 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 è Programs, instead of Start è All Programs.

   AUTOCAD 2008 VERSUS AUTOCAD 2008 LT

   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.

   The opening greeting, called a splash screen, appears momentarily; then if this is a new installation, AutoCAD will display the Workspaces message box. This message box offers an option to select 2D Drafting & Annotation, 3D Modeling, or AutoCAD Classic.

2. Click 2D Drafting & Annotation. You'll see the AutoCAD window with a blank default document named Drawing1.dwg, as shown at the top of Figure 1.1. If this is a new installation, you will also see the New Features Workshop window. If this happens, select Maybe Later, and then click OK.

   In some installations, you might see a Startup dialog box. If this happens to you, click Cancel, and AutoCAD will display the blank default document.

3. The default document appears to be an empty 2D space. You'll also see a special tool palette, called the Dashboard, to the right of this space. This is a set of 2D drafting and annotation tools that gives you ready access to the most common drafting functions.

Figure 1.1: AutoCAD when opened into a 2D Drafting & Annotation workspace

If this is a completely new installation, you may see the Autodesk Impressions toolbar in the middle of the AutoCAD window. Autodesk Impressions is an adjunct program to AutoCAD which lets you edit your drawings in a way similar to Adobe Illustrator. You can close this toolbar as I will not discuss this Autodesk product in this book.

If you are using AutoCAD 2008, try the following exercise to see how to get to the 3D Modeling workspace (this workspace is not available in AutoCAD 2008 LT):

1. In the upper-left corner of the AutoCAD window, you'll see a drop-down list that shows 2D Drafting & Annotation. Click this drop-down list, and select 3D Modeling. (Notice that this drop-down list contains the same three options found in the Workspaces message box that appears in step 1 of the previous procedure.)

   

   The current default file, Drawing1.dwg, is set up for 2D drafting, but you can open a new file using a file template already set up for 3D modeling.

   CHANGING 3D VIEWS TO 2D VIEWS AND BACK

   Even though the default 2D file looks completely different from the new 3D file you created using the acad3D.dwt template, they really are basically the same. They just have different display settings turned on.

   You can change the Drawing2.dwg 3D view to a 2D view by doing the following:

   1. Choose View è Visual Styles è 2D Wireframe.

   2. Choose View è 3D Views è Plan View è World UCS.

   Your 3D view changes to look like a typical 2D drawing. Likewise, you can convert a 2D view into a 3D one:

   1. Choose View è Visual Styles è Realistic.

   2. Choose View è 3D Views è SE Isometric.

   3. Enter Perspective↲ 1↲ to turn on the Perspective view.

   4. Click the Grid button in the status bar at the bottom of the AutoCAD window.

   The file that started out with a 3D view now shows your drawing in 2D.

2. Choose File è New. The Select Template dialog box appears.

   

3. Select acad3D.dwt from the list, and click Open. A new file, called Drawing2.dwg, appears. Notice that this drawing is in a 3D space. You'll learn more about 3D modeling in Chapter 6.

   

4. Select 2D Drafting & Annotation from the Workspaces toolbar. You'll be working in this workspace for most of this book.

5. Exit the 3D Drawing2.dwg file by choosing File è Close.

You have AutoCAD set up for 2D drawing, so you'll now take a more detailed look at the AutoCAD window. You'll find that, for the most part, it is a typical Windows-style graphics program window with a few twists.

Getting to Know the Window Components

The AutoCAD window consists of several parts that are common to most Windows graphics programs:

• Menu bar

• Toolbars

• Drawing area

• Status bar

• Dashboard

• Tool palettes

• Properties palette

Your AutoCAD window should look like Figure 1.1, which shows the default configuration for a new AutoCAD installation. Since AutoCAD is so easily customizable, you might not see exactly the same layout, but the basic components should be there.

As with typical Windows programs, AutoCAD has a menu bar along the top that contains most of the common functions you'll need to use (see Figure 1.2). Below that are toolbars for quick access to settings and the more common Windows functions such as Save, Undo, Redo, and Print. You also have the Dashboard to the right of the window that offers the most common 2D drafting tools.

Figure 1.2: The components on the top of the Auto-CAD window

Just as you can do in other Windows programs, you can move toolbars and reshape them to your liking. The default location of the toolbars is in their docked position, which just means they are merged with the outer edge of the window to save space. You can drag them into the drawing area and reshape them if you want, and you can reposition them anywhere on the screen. When toolbars are away from the edge of the window and appear "free floating," they are said to be floating toolbars, as opposed to docked. Many other toolbars are available but are not displayed in the AutoCAD window. Later in this chapter, you'll learn how to find and retrieve these hidden toolbars.

In the middle is the drawing area where you'll do your actual drawing. One difference between Figure 1.1 and what you see on your screen is the background color in the default AutoCAD drawing area. The color you see on your screen is black, because that helps with the visibility of lines on the computer screen. In this book, you'll see the drawing area background in white because drawings with a white background are easier to see in print.

At the bottom of the screen is the status bar, which provides information regarding many of the settings you'll use in AutoCAD. Just above the status bar is the command line, which is somewhat unique to AutoCAD.

The command line is a text window that displays commands as you use them as well as your keyboard input. Messages often appear here that prompt you to perform a step in a command. You'll learn more about the command line a bit later in this chapter; see the "Using the Command Line" section.

Another unique item in AutoCAD's window is the set of tool palettes shown in Figure 1.3. These palettes let you keep your favorite tools and drawing components in one convenient place for quick access. The AutoCAD tool palettes and Properties palette might not appear in the AutoCAD window, but you can open these palettes by choosing Tools è Palettes è Tool Palettes and by choosing Tools è Palettes è Properties.

Figure 1.3: The tool palettes and the Properties palette

You can also easily retrieve these palettes by clicking buttons on the Standard Annotation toolbar at the top of the AutoCAD window.

Now let's look at some important parts of the AutoCAD window. The drawing area, the status bar, and the command line work together to give you feedback while you create and edit your drawing. As you move your cursor over the drawing area, you'll see the cursor appear as a crosshair cursor. If you click the drawing area, a pair of numbers and a selection window appear. Click again, and the selection window disappears.

The crosshair cursor lets you point to portions of the drawing area, and the numeric display, known as the Dynamic Input display, tells you your XY coordinate within the drawing area. The selection window lets you select objects in the drawing area. You'll learn more about coordinates in AutoCAD in Chapter 2, and you'll look at selection windows a bit later in this chapter.

If you don't see the Dynamic Input display, go to the bottom of the AutoCAD window to the status bar, and click the DYN button. This is the Dynamic Input setting.

Along with the Dynamic Input display, the command line and status bar just below the drawing area provide feedback as you work with AutoCAD commands (see Figure 1.4). You can also see the XY coordinate in the far left of the status bar in the lower-left corner of the AutoCAD window.

Figure 1.4: The status bar and the command line work with the drawing area to give you feedback as you draw.

Getting Familiar with the Drawing Area

As you might imagine, the drawing area in the middle of the AutoCAD window is the space where you'll be spending a lot of time. It pays to get a feel for how it behaves early on. As your introduction to the drawing area, try the following exercise:

1. Move the cursor around in the drawing area. As you move the cursor, notice that the coordinate readout in the status bar gives the X and Y coordinates and adds the Z coordinate.

   CONTROLLING THE STATUS BAR DISPLAY

   To the far right of the status bar, you'll see a downward-pointing triangle, or arrow; click this arrow to open a menu that controls the display of the status bar. You use this menu to turn the items in the status bar on or off. A check mark by an item indicates it is currently on.

   If for some reason you do not see all the buttons mentioned in the previous discussion, check this menu to make sure that all the status bar options are turned on. Note that the LT version does not have an Otrack option in the status bar.

2. Click in the middle of the drawing area. You have just selected a point. Move the cursor, and a rectangle follows. This is a selection window; if any objects appear in the drawing area, this window allows you to select them for editing. A coordinate display appears at the cursor showing your coordinates in an X, Y format. Also notice the words Specify opposite corner in the Dynamic Input display. This tells you that you have started a selection window and you need to select the opposite corner for the window.

3. Move the cursor a bit in any direction; then click again. Notice that the selection window disappears. Had there been objects within the selection window, they would be selected. This is similar to the way the cursor behaves on the Windows Desktop; however, in Windows, you have to drag the cursor to create a selection window.

4. Try selecting several more points in the drawing area. Notice that as you click, you alternately start and end a selection window.

As you click the drawing area, you might notice that, depending on whether you click to the right or to the left of the previous point, the selection window displays a different color. If you click from left to right, the selection window appears blue. From right to left, it's green. These colors indicate a different mode of selection, which you'll learn about in chapter 4.

If you right-click, a shortcut menu appears. Just as with most other Windows applications, a right-click frequently opens a menu that contains options that are context sensitive. This means the contents of the shortcut menu depend on where you right-click as well as the command that is active at the time of your right-click. If no options are applicable at the time of the right-click, AutoCAD treats the right-click as ↲. You'll learn more about these options as you progress through the book. For now, if you happen to open this menu by accident, press the Esc key to close it.

Finally, as with any window, you can expand the drawing area or contract it into a smaller window by clicking the Restore Down icon in the upper-right corner of the drawing area.

When the drawing area is in the Restore Down position, it appears as a separate window within the AutoCAD window. You can then resize the window to any rectangular shape you need. This is helpful when you have multiple AutoCAD drawing files open.

Clicking the UCS Icon

The UCS icon is the L-shaped icon you see at the lower-left corner of the drawing area (shown earlier in Figure 1.4). It helps you see your orientation at a glance by pointing to the positive X and Y directions. UCS stands for user coordinate system. That name is a hint that you can create and use other coordinates besides the default one that exists in new drawings. The default X direction is from left to right, and the Y direction is from bottom to top, but AutoCAD lets you alter your view orientation as well as include additional coordinate systems that can be oriented in different directions. The UCS icon is especially helpful when you start to use these other coordinate systems and display modes, but right now, just be aware that it is there to help you get your bearings.

You might notice a small square at the base of the UCS icon. This square tells you that you are in the world coordinate system, which is the base coordinate on which other coordinate systems can be built. You'll learn more about the UCS in Chapter 5.

Using the Command Line

The horizontal window at the bottom of the AutoCAD window is called the command line. Besides the drawing area, this is where you can get feedback from AutoCAD. As you work in AutoCAD, the command activity appears in the bottom line of the command line and scrolls upward.

When AutoCAD is waiting for input, you'll see the word Command: at the bottom of the Command line. This is the command prompt. As you click a point in the drawing area, you'll see the message Specify opposite corner in the command line. Simultaneously, a selection window appears in the drawing area. Click another point without selecting anything, and the selection window disappears, and the command prompt returns.

You'll want to pay close attention to the command line as you start using AutoCAD because it tells you what AutoCAD expects you to do. It also lists information when you query AutoCAD for certain types of information, which you'll learn about in later chapters.

In addition to getting feedback from the command line, you'll also see the command prompt at the cursor whenever you have Dynamic Input display turned on.

The command line is a little like a chat window when you're online. You "chat" with AutoCAD by responding to messages that appear in the command line. When AutoCAD asks for specific data, the command line allows you to enter data using the keyboard. It is also an area that provides information about your drawing when you request it.

"CHATTING" WITH AUTOCAD

AutoCAD communicates its needs to you through messages in the command line. These messages often tell you what to do next or offer options, usually shown in square brackets. Commands often display a series of messages, which you answer to complete the command. If you aren't sure what to do, check the command line for clues.

As an additional aid, you can right-click to display a context-sensitive shortcut menu. If you are in the middle of a command, this menu provides a list of options specifically related to that command. For example, if you right-click before selecting the first point for the Rectangle command, a menu appears, offering the same options that are listed at the command prompt, plus some additional options.

Using the Menu Bar

The command line is a little unusual for a Windows program, so the AutoCAD menu bar provides a familiar means to finding commands. You'll see many of the standard Windows commands such as Open and Save as well as AutoCAD's version of the Print command, which is called Plot.

You'll also find other commands and options that are pure AutoCAD, but the basic operation of the menu bar is the same as that of other Windows programs. The menu bar lets you issue commands and open dialog boxes to change settings.

The icons shown to the left of many menu options are a helpful feature of the menu bar. These icons help you connect the option names with their equivalent toolbar options. For example, if you open the Modify menu, you'll see that the options there have the same icons that appear in the 2D Draw control panel of the Dashboard, located along the right side of the AutoCAD window.

Another menu bar feature is the command description in the status bar. As you open a menu from the menu bar and point to options, you'll see a brief description of the option in the status bar. Try the following exercise to get a feel for how the menu bar works:

1. Click Modify in the menu bar. The list of items that appears includes the commands and settings that let you control the way AutoCAD displays your drawings.

2. Move the cursor slowly down the list of menu items. As you highlight each item, notice that a description of the item appears in the status bar at the bottom of the AutoCAD window. These descriptions help you choose the menu option you need. At the end of the description, you'll see a single word in capital letters. This is the keyboard command equivalent to the highlighted option in the menu or toolbar. You can actually enter these keyboard commands to start the tool or menu item to which you are pointing. You don't have to memorize these command names, but knowing them will help you later if you want to customize AutoCAD.

3. Some of the menu items won't show anything in the status bar but will have arrows to their right. This means the menu option has additional choices. For instance, highlight the Object item, and you'll see another set of options appear to the right of the menu. This second set of options is called a cascading menu. Whenever you see a menu item with the arrows, you know that it opens a cascading menu with a more detailed set of options.

Opening Dialog Boxes

You might have noticed that other drop-down menu options are followed by an ellipsis (…). This indicates that the option displays a dialog box, as the following exercise demonstrates:

1. Click the Tools option in the menu bar.

2. Click the Options item at the bottom of the menu to open the dialog box.

   

The Options dialog box is like the Preferences dialog box in other programs. In it, you can find most of the general settings that affect AutoCAD's behavior. Numerous settings are divided into tabs across the top of the dialog box. The Options dialog box is one of many dialog boxes available through the menu bar.

Starting Commands

Another type of item you'll find in a menu is a command that directly executes an AutoCAD operation. Try this exercise to explore a typical command:

1. First, turn off the Dynamic Input display by clicking the DYN button in the status bar. It should look like it is in the off position, or that it is not pressed down. You'll start your exploration of commands with this feature turned off, because it can be somewhat confusing to first-time users. You'll get a chance to try the Dynamic Input feature in later chapters, starting with Chapter 2.

   

2. If the tool palettes are open, click the X in the upper-right or upper-left corner to close them. This will give you a larger drawing area.

3. Click the Draw option in the menu bar, and then click the Rectangle command.

   Notice that the command line now shows the following prompt:

    Specify first corner point or [Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]: 

   AutoCAD is asking you to select the first corner for the rectangle, and in brackets, it is offering a few options that you can take advantage of at this point in the command. Don't worry about those options right now. You'll have an opportunity to learn about command options in Chapter 2.

4. Click a point roughly in the lower-left corner of the drawing area, as shown in Figure 1.5. Now as you move your cursor, you'll see a rectangle follow the cursor with one corner fixed at the position you just selected. You'll also see the following prompt in the command line:

    Specify other corner point or [Area/Dimensions/Rotation]: 

5. Click another point anywhere in the upper-right region of the drawing area. A rectangle appears (see Figure 1.6). You'll learn more about the different cursor shapes and what they mean later in this chapter.

Figure 1.5: Selecting the first point of a rectangle

Figure 1.6: Once you've selected the first point of the rectangle, you'll see a rectangle follow the motion of your mouse.

Next try deleting the rectangle you just drew:

1. Place the cursor on top of the rectangle, but don't do anything yet. Notice that as you pass the cursor over the rectangle, it is highlighted. In a crowded drawing, this highlighting can help you determine exactly what will be selected should you click an object.

2. With the cursor on the rectangle and the rectangle highlighted, click the rectangle. The rectangle is selected.

3. Press the Delete key. The rectangle is removed from the drawing.

In step 1, AutoCAD shows you exactly what the cursor is pointing to by highlighting objects that will be selected with the next click.

In drawing and erasing the rectangle, you were exposed to the most common processes you need to know about to work in AutoCAD: you selected a command from the menu bar, and then you selected points in the drawing area while following the messages in the command line. Commands from the toolbars work in the same way, as you'll see next.

Using the Dashboard

The menu bar provides most of the commands you'll need in a format that most Windows users will find easy to understand, and many users are more comfortable using the menu bar. If you prefer using toolbars with their graphic icons, you can start to use the Dashboard. The Dashboard offers many of the same commands as the menu bar but in a more compact format that is quicker to access.

Specifically, the Dashboard is a collection of lists, buttons, and tools that invoke commands. These tools are grouped into eight control panels, each with an icon that shows its function (see Figure 1.7). In typical Windows fashion, each tool offers a ToolTip that provides a short description, which helps you understand what the icons represent.

Figure 1.7: The control panels of the Dashboard

If the Dashboard does not appear on the screen, you can choose Tools è Palettes è Dashboard to restore it to the window.

If you move the arrow cursor onto one of the Control Panel tools and leave it there for a moment, you'll see a ToolTip appear just below the cursor. As a new user, you'll find these ToolTips helpful because they show you the name of the tool. In addition, when I ask you to select a tool, I'll use the name shown in the ToolTip. For example, if you hover over the icon in the upper-left corner of the Dashboard, you'll see a ToolTip appear with the name of the control panel, 2D Draw.

In the next section, you'll start to work in the drawing area by drawing some lines. Before you do that, take a moment to examine the top portion of the Dashboard where the 2D Draw control panel resides. You will be instructed to use the tools in this control panel frequently throughout this book, so it will be helpful for you to get a feel for their arrangement and what they contain.

Besides the visible tools, a few tools are hidden from view. You can expand the list of tools to select more tools. Click and hold the downward-pointing arrow to the far right of the row of tools (see Figure 1.8). The set of tools expands into a fly-out toolbar. While continuing to hold down the mouse button, you can point to the tool you want in the fly-out toolbar and then release the mouse.

Figure 1.8: Click and hold the downward-pointing arrow to open the fly-out toolbar.

You'll also have an opportunity to use the 2D Navigate control panel, which offers the tools you'll need to get around in your drawing.

In most cases, you'll be able to guess what each tool does by looking at its icon. The icon with an arc in the 2D Draw control panel, for instance, indicates that the tool draws arcs; the one with the circle shows that the tool draws circles; and so on. For further clarification, the ToolTip gives you the name of the tool.

UNDERSTANDING THE COMMAND, TOOL, AND OPTION RELATIONSHIP

One of AutoCAD's greatest assets is its ability to adjust to your way of performing tasks. If you prefer using toolbars, you can gain access to nearly all the AutoCAD functions through toolbars. If you prefer using options from the menu bar, again, you can perform most of what you need through them. And the Dashboard offers the most commonly used functions in AutoCAD. Hard-core users know how to use the command line and know nearly all the commands by heart.

The AutoCAD commands are really at the heart of its operations. Menu bar options, the Dashboard, and toolbar buttons are really just different ways to invoke AutoCAD commands. When you click a toolbar button or a menu option, you are really initiating a command through AutoCAD's menu system, sometimes with predetermined options already selected. In fact, if you watch the command line as you click a menu option or toolbar button, you'll see that the messages in the command line are the same regardless of where you invoked the command.

For this reason, I'll often intermix the terms tool, option, and command, because at a practical level, they are really all the same. Just be aware that menu options and toolbar buttons invoke commands.

Using Other Toolbars

I mentioned earlier that not all the AutoCAD toolbars are open and visible. If they were, you wouldn't have any room for a drawing area. Table 1.1 provides a brief description of the toolbars that are available in AutoCAD.

Table 1.1: AutoCAD Toolbars
Open table as spreadsheet

COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
3D Navigation	Tools for controlling 3D views (not available in LT).
CAD Standards	Tools for checking the layer, dimension, and text styles against standards you have created (not available in LT).
Camera Adjustment	Tools for controlling camera objects.
Dimension	Commands for helping you dimension your drawings. Many of these commands are duplicated in the Dimension drop-down menu. See Chapter 10.
Draw	Commands for creating common objects, including lines, arcs, circles, curves, ellipses, and text. This toolbar appears in the AutoCAD window by default. Many of these commands are duplicated in the Draw drop-down menu.
Draw Order	Commands for arranging the order of overlapping objects. If an object covers another object that you need visible, you can use the Draw Order toolbar to "move" an object behind another or to the back of a set of objects (not available in LT).
Inquiry	Commands for finding distances, point coordinates, object properties, mass properties, and areas.
Insert	Commands for importing other drawings, raster images, and OLE objects.
Layers	Drop-down list and tools for controlling layer properties located just below the Standard toolbar.
Layers II	Additional tools for managing layers (formerly Express Layer tools).
Layouts	Tools for setting up drawing layouts for viewing, printing, and plotting.
Lights	Tools for adding and controlling lights in 3D models.
Mapping	Tools for adding texture maps in 3D models.
Modeling	Tools for creating and editing 3D objects.
Modify	Commands for editing existing objects. You can move, copy, rotate, erase, trim, extend, and so on. Many of these commands are duplicated in the Modify drop-down menu.
Modify II	Commands for editing special complex objects such as polylines, multilines, 3D solids, and hatches.
Multileader	Tools for adding leader notes to your drawing.
Object Snap	Tools for selecting specific points on objects, such as endpoints and midpoints. See Chapter 3.
Orbit	Tools for controlling 3D views.
Properties	Commands for a set of drop-down lists and tools for manipulating the properties of objects. This toolbar is ordinarily docked to the right of the Layer toolbar, just below the Standard toolbar.
Refedit	Tools for making changes to symbols or background drawings that are imported as external reference drawings (not available in LT).
Reference	Commands for controlling the cross-referencing of drawings. See Chapter 8.
Render	Commands for operating AutoCAD's rendering feature (not available in LT).
Solids Editing	Command for editing 3D solids (not available in LT). See Chapter 6.
Standard	The most frequently used commands for view control, file management, and editing. This toolbar is ordinarily docked below the menu bar.
Standard Annotation	An abbreviated version of the Standard toolbar.
Styles	Tools for controlling style options such as text styles and dimension styles.
Text	Tools for creating and editing text. See Chapter 9.
UCS	Tools for setting up a plane on which to work. This is most useful for 3D modeling, but it can be helpful in 2D drafting as well. See Chapter 6.
UCS II	Tools for selecting from a set of predefined user coordinate systems.
View	Tools for controlling the way you view 3D models. See Chapter 6 for more on 3D views.
Viewports	Tools for creating and editing multiple views of your drawing. See Chapter 6 for more about viewports.
Visual Styles	Tools for controlling the way 3D models are displayed.
Walk and Fly	Tools for controlling motion through a 3D model.
Web	Tools for accessing the World Wide Web.
Workspaces	Tools for managing workspaces.
Zoom	Commands for navigating your drawing.

Besides the standard toolbars you see at the top of the AutoCAD window, you can also open any of the other toolbars that are focused on a particular function. For example, the Draw toolbar contains the same tools as those found in the Draw portion of the Dashboard. As you saw in Table 1.1, AutoCAD also has toolbars for editing 3D object or for working with views.

Opening a toolbar is fairly simple, but unless you know where to look, you might never find them. The following steps show you how to open the Draw toolbar:

1. To open the Draw toolbar, right-click any toolbar near the top of the AutoCAD window. A shortcut menu of toolbars appears.

2. Click Draw in the shortcut menu. The Draw toolbar appears in its docked position at the left side of the AutoCAD window. (Again, docked just means that the toolbar is merged with the border of the AutoCAD window to keep it out of the drawing area.)

3. You can "undock" a toolbar by clicking and dragging the toolbar's grab bar. The grab bar is the pair of lines you see at the top or left end of the toolbar. (Again, the toolbar then is called a floating toolbar and shows its title bar.) In its floating position, you can click the X in the upper-right corner of the Draw toolbar to close it.

   

You can dock toolbars to the top, bottom, or sides of the AutoCAD window to keep them out of the drawing area.

If you do not want the toolbar to dock but instead want it to appear "floating" near the border of the AutoCAD window, you can press the Ctrl key before you click and drag the toolbar into position. This prevents toolbars from automatically falling into a docked position.

AutoCAD remembers your toolbar arrangement between sessions. When you exit and then reopen AutoCAD later, the AutoCAD window appears just as you left it.