Introduction

Welcome to Mastering AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD LT 2005 . As many readers have already discovered , this book is a unique blend of tutorial and reference that includes everything you need to get started and stay ahead with AutoCAD. With this edition, you get coverage of the latest features of both AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD LT 2005, plus expanded coverage of 3D modeling and customization.

How to Use This Book

Rather than just showing you how each command works, this book shows you AutoCAD 2005 in the context of a meaningful activity. You will learn how to use commands while working on an actual project and progressing toward a goal. This book also provides a foundation on which you can build your own methods for using AutoCAD and become an AutoCAD expert. For this reason, I haven't covered every single command or every permutation of a command response. You should think of this book as a way to get a detailed look at AutoCAD as it is used on a real project. As you follow the exercises, I encourage you to also explore AutoCAD on your own, applying the techniques you learn to your own work.

Both experienced and beginning AutoCAD users will find this book useful. If you are not an experienced user , the way to get the most out of this book is to approach it as a tutorial ” chapter by chapter, at least for the first two parts of the book. You'll find that each chapter builds on the skills and information you learned in the previous one. To help you navigate, the exercises are shown in numbered steps. To address the needs of all readers worldwide, the exercises provide both U.S. (feet/inches) and metric measurements.

After you've mastered the material in Parts I and II, you can follow your interests and explore other parts of the book in whatever order you choose. Part III takes you to a more advanced skill level. There, you'll learn more about storing and sharing drawing data and how to create more complex drawings. If you're interested in 3D, check out Part IV. If you want to start customizing right away, go to Part V. You can check out Chapters 21 and 22 at any time because they give you general information on sharing AutoCAD files with your coworkers and consultants . Chapter 22 focuses on AutoCAD 2005's newest feature, the Sheet Set Manager.

You can also use this book as a ready reference for your day-to-day problems and questions about commands. Optional exercises at the end of each chapter will help you review and look at different ways to apply the information you've learned. Experienced users will also find this book to be a handy reference tool.

Finally, if you run into problems using AutoCAD, see the "When Things Go Wrong" section in Appendix B. You'll find a listing of the most common issues that readers face when first learning AutoCAD.