AutoCAD 2007 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Mark Middlebrook (Author) "Welcome to the community whose members are the users of one of the weirdest, wackiest, and most wonderful computer programs in the world: AutoCAD..." (more)
Key Phrases: drawing scale factor, dynamic input tooltip, crossing selection box, File Edit, Hatch And Gradient, In-Place Text Editor (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

AutoCAD 2007 is a premiere computer-aided designing program that lets you organize the objects you draw, their properties, and their files. It also helps you create great-looking models. But it’s not always easy to figure out how to perform these functions, and many users end up missing out on AutoCAD’s full potential.

AutoCAD 2007 For Dummies will show you how to perform these tasks and more! This hands-on guide lets you discover how to navigate around all the complications and start creating cool drawings in no time. Soon you’ll have the tools you need to use DWG, set up drawings, add text, and work with lines, as well as:

• Draw a base plate with rectangles and circles
• Organize a successful template
• Zoom and pan with glass and hand
• Use the AutoCAD design center
• Navigate through your 3-D drawing projects
• Plot layout, lineweights, and colors
• Design block definitions
• Slice and dice your drawings to create new designs
• Create a Web format using AutoCAD

This book also features suggestions and tips on how to touch up your creations as well as ways to swap drawing data with other people and programs. Written in a friendly, straightforward tone that doesn’t try to overwhelm you, AutoCAD 2007 For Dummies shows you the fun and easy way to draw precise 2-D and 3-D drawings!

From the Back Cover

Meet the newest version of AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT!

Get acquainted with DWG, set up drawings, add text, and work with lines

Welcome to the world of AutoCAD 2007! The program may be complex, but this friendly guide helps you navigate around all the complications and start creating cool drawings quickly. Get the hang of CAD standards, see what makes AutoCAD 2007 different, plot and edit your work, draw in 3D, put your stuff online, and more.

Discover how to

• Understand and use AutoCAD tools
• Work with Zoom and Pan
• Use the AutoCAD Design Center
• Draw lines, polylines, polygons, and circles
• Slice and dice drawings
• Model and manipulate 3D objects

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; Revised edition (May 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471786497
• ISBN-13: 978-0471786498
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #169,444 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Starting Place, August 6, 2006

By	John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you're just getting started with Autocad this is one of the two books I sincerely recommend. Use this one first. But at the same time get a copy of AutoCAD 2007 Bible, by Ellen Finkelstein.

Both books tell you how to get started, but 'For Dummies' gives you a lot more background and a lot more information about what's going on. 'The Bible' then takes over and with three times as many pages goes into a great deal more detail on the wealth of features that are contained in the new version of AutoCAD.

'For Dummies' is written more as a tutorial. It is of the do this and then do that variety. 'The Bible' is more of a reference book where you tend to look up what you want to do and get specific information.

You might consider that 'For Dummies' is the first few pages of 'The Bible' but expanded into a full book format. The pair make an excellent companion for each other to take the beginner as far as he wants to go.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not useful enough, March 8, 2007

By	Kris Williamson (So. CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

While written with a nice amount of wit, this is a typical computer manual. As with other manuals, all it does is tell you what's in the menus and what the buttons do. Obviously that's important to know, but what everyone really wants from any computer program is for it to be useful to them in some way - they want to actually be able to do something with it. What all these manuals need are step-by-step exercises that serve as models for actual tasks that people routinely can use a particular program for. This book will be informative, but it won't give you any effectiveness in Autocad or make the program useful to you.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book to start with !!!, September 29, 2007

By	Oscar_Jimz (Brownsville, TX) - See all my reviews

As a person with no previous experience with AutoCAD, I needed a book that would help me to understand how to use this program quickly and effectively. So far, after reading several chapters and working with it for a couple of weeks, I have come to enjoy this book due to its simple step-by-step format and its humorous way of explaining this huge program. I have to admit. Before ever working with AutoCAD, I was a big doubter of it. I did not have a good impression of it. All I knew was that AutoCAD was a huge program that mostly dealt with 2-D drawings and that it would be too much and too confusing to learn......NOT SO!!! Thanks to this book, my impression of AutoCAD has gone from one of doubt to one of enjoyment, fun, great versatility and good user-friendly control. My hat's off to "AutoCAD 2007 for Dummies"!!!