Getting Help

AutoCAD provides a good set of help options that can answer most of the questions you might have while working on a drawing. If you're stuck with an AutoCAD problem, give the AutoCAD help options a try.

To get more familiar with the AutoCAD Help window, try the following:

1. Choose Help è Help from the menu, or press F1 to open the AutoCAD 2008 Help window.

2. Click the Contents tab, which contains a table of contents. The other two tabs-Index and Search-provide assistance in finding specific topics.

   

3. Scan down the screen until you see the topic Command Reference, and double-click it. Both panels of the Help window change to show more topics.

4. In the panel on the right, click the item labeled C just to the right of the command listing. The panel expands to display a list of command names that start with the letter C.

5. Look down the list, and click Copy. A description of the Copy command appears in the panel to the right.

You also have the Concepts, Procedures, and Commands tabs along the top of the panel on the right. These options provide more detailed information about how to use the selected item. If you want to back up through the steps you have just taken, click the Back button on the toolbar.

Using the Search Tab

If you're a beginning AutoCAD user looking for help, the Help window's table of contents might not be as useful as it could be. To use it, you have to know a little about what you want to find. Sometimes it's quicker to use the Search feature of the Help window:

1. Click the Search tab in the left panel. If this is the first time you've selected the Search tab, you might see a message telling you that AutoCAD is setting up an index for searches.

2. Enter Change in the text box at the top of the Search tab, and then click Ask or press ↲. The list box displays all the items in the Help system that contain the word Change.

In this example, the list that is returned is quite large. You can use Boolean AND, OR, NEAR, and NOT in conjunction with other keywords to help filter your searches. Once you've found the topic you're looking for, select it from the Select Topic list, and then click the Display button to display the topic information.

The Index tab lets you locate specific topics in the AutoCAD Help system by entering a word in a list box.

Using Context-Sensitive Help

AutoCAD also provides context-sensitive help to give you information related to the command you are currently using. To see how this works, try the following:

1. Close or minimize the Help window to return to the AutoCAD window.

2. Click the Move tool in the 2D Draw control panel to start the Move command.

   

3. Press F1 or choose Help from the menu bar to open the Help window. A description of the Move command appears in the panel on the right.

   

4. Click the Close button, or press the Esc key.

5. Press the Esc key to exit the Move command.

If you gain some confidence with AutoCAD's Help window, you can go far in helping yourself learn basic AutoCAD commands. But if you really get stuck, this book should help you get past your barriers.

Finding Additional Sources of Help

The Help window is the main source for reference material, but you can also find answers to your questions through the other options in the Help menu. Here is a brief description of the other Help menu options:

• Info Palette (AutoCAD 2008 LT only) A pop-up window that offers immediate help with the command you are using. It's helpful for first-time users. When you issue a command with the Info palette open, you will see an option or a list of options in the palette. These options offer a brief tutorial or other information regarding the current command.

• Additional Resources è Developer Help Information specifically for developers. This includes anyone interested in customizing AutoCAD.

• New Features Workshop Descriptions and tutorials focused on the new features found in AutoCAD 2008. You can update this unique support tool through the Autodesk website.

• Additional Resources è Online Training Resources offers additional options that start your default web browser and open pages in the Autodesk website. You can find the most up-to-date information regarding AutoCAD support and training by using these options.

• About Information about the version of AutoCAD you are using.

Staying Informed with the InfoCenter

Nearly every major Windows program is somehow linked to the Internet to offer the latest news and updates for software. AutoCAD provides the InfoCenter, which appears as a bar in the upper-right corner of the AutoCAD window.

Click the magnifying glass icon to the left of the InfoCenter bar to open the InfoCenter search list.

The InfoCenter provides a way to stay informed about the latest software updates and support issues for AutoCAD. Click the Settings button to open the InfoCenter Settings dialog box.

The InfoCenter works best if you use an "always-on" Internet connection such as a DSL connection or high-speed cable connection. If you don't have such a connection, you can set the Check For New Online Content option to On Demand. You can then check for updates when you connect to the Internet.

Once you've set up the InfoCenter, you can begin to use a wide range of resources on the Internet aimed at the AutoCAD user. If you click the InfoCenter's Communication Center tool, the one that looks like a satellite dish, you'll open a list of topics available.

The list is divided into main topics shown as gray title bars. You can click the arrow to the right of a title bar to close or open a topic.