AutoCAD, developed by Autodesk Inc., is the most popular PC-CAD system available in
the market. Today, over 7 million people use AutoCAD and other AutoCAD based design
products. 100% of the Fortune 100 firms are Autodesk customers and 98% of the Fortune
500 firms are Autodesk customers. AutoCAD's open architecture has allowed third-party
developers to write an application software that has significantly added to its popularity. For
example, the author of this book has developed a software package "SMLayouf" for sheet
metal products that generates a flat layout of various geometrical shapes such as transitions,
intersections, cones, elbows, and tank heads. Several companies in Canada and the United
States are using this software package with AutoCAD to design and manufacture various
products. AutoCAD also facilitates customization that enables the users to increase their ef-
ficiency and improve their productivity.
This book contains a detailed explanation of AutoCAD 2010 commands and their applications
to solve drafting and design problems. Every AutoCAD command is thoroughly explained
with the help of examples and illustrations. This makes it easy for the users to understand its
function and application in the drawing. After reading this textbook, you will be able to use
AutoCAD commands to make a drawing, create text, create and insert symbols, dimension a
drawing, apply constraints to sketches, create blocks and dynamic blocks, create 3D objects,
mesh objects and solid models, and render a scene.
The book also covers basic drafting and design concepts that provide you with the essential
drafting skills to solve the drawing problems in AutoCAD. These include orthographic
projections, dimensioning principles, sectioning, auxiliary views, and assembly drawings.
While going through this textbook, you will discover some new unique applications of
AutoCAD that will have a significant effect on your drawings. In addition, you will be able to
understand why AutoCAD has become such a popular software package and an international
standard in PC-CAD.