Figure , shown earlier in this chapter, shows a typical layout of the AutoCAD program window. Along the top is the menu bar, and just below that are the Workspaces and Standard Annotation toolbars. At the bottom are the Command window and the status bar. To the right is the Dashboard. The drawing area occupies the rest of the screen. AutoCAD calls the window layout a workspace; you can save and recall a workspace at any time using the Workspaces toolbar. The workspace in Figure is called the 2D Drafting & Annotation workspace | 6 CHAPTER 1 EXPLORING THE AUTOCAD AND AUTOCAD LT INTERFACE The AutoCAD Window The AutoCAD program window is divided into six parts Menu bar Toolbars Drawing area Command window Status bar Dashboard Figure shown earlier in this chapter shows a typical layout of the AutoCAD program window. Along the top is the menu bar and just below that are the Workspaces and Standard Annotation toolbars. At the bottom are the Command window and the status bar. To the right is the Dashboard. The drawing area occupies the rest of the screen. AutoCAD calls the window layout a workspace you can save and recall a workspace at any time using the Workspaces toolbar. The workspace in Figure is called the 2D Drafting Annotation workspace. TIP Your screen may show the drawing area in black. You can set the drawing area background color by using the Options dialog box. Appendix A describes how to do this. The figures in this book show the drawing area background in white for clarity. Figure shows AutoCAD s 3D Modeling workspace which has a different set of screen elements. Figure also shows a standard AutoCAD drawing file with a few setting changes to give it a 3D appearance. Beneath these external changes the underlying program is the same. TIP You ll learn more about workspaces later in this chapter and in Chapter 26. Figure The 3D Modeling workspace offers an alternative arrangement of the elements in the AutoCAD window. TAKING A GUIDED TOUR 7 The menu bar at the top of the drawing area as shown in Figure includes drop-down menus from which you select commands in a typical Windows fashion. The toolbars and Dashboard provide a variety of commands through tool buttons and drop-down lists. Figure The menu bar the Workspaces toolbar and the Standard Annotation toolbar. LT users may see a floating Workspaces toolbar instead of the docked version shown at far right. Menu bar Communication Center Workspaces toolbar Standard Annotation toolbar Dashboard not shown The .
