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 “SMLayout” 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 efficiency and improve their productivity.
The AutoCAD 2011: A Problem Solving Approach textbook contains a detailed explanation of
AutoCAD 2011 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, surface objects, mesh objects and solid models, apply
materials, 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.