AutoCAD 2007

Design, visualise, and document your ideas clearly and efficiently with AutoCAD software.  From conceptual design through to drafting and detailing, AutoCAD 2007 enables you to explore ideas as never before.

Create, edit, and develop design alternatives using realistic solids and surfaces in an updated design environment.  With AutoCAD 2007 you can communicate your ideas with powerful sketch, shadow, and rendering tools, including intuitive walk-through animations. Then turn your concepts into a set of documents with the new section and flatten functionality.

Additional 2D functionality hasn’t been forgotten in AutoCAD 2007 either.  You can now attach DWF files and reference them within your AutoCAD editing session.  There is also a new Adobe PDF publishing option to help with creating standard electronic output format.-

 

Using Conceptual Design Tools

Accessing Conceptual Design Tools

AutoCAD 2007 includes a new “Dashboard” palette to help centralise the many conceptual design tools.

The Dashboard includes various control panels with tools for creating, editing, and viewing your conceptual designs.  A right-click menu enables you to display any combination of the control panels including:

2D Draw control panel

3D Make control panel

3D Navigate control panel

Light control panel

Visual Style control panel

Materials control panel

Render control panel

Setting Conceptual Design Options”

A new 3D Modelling tab has been added to the Options dialog box

in AutoCAD 2007 for controlling your conceptual design environment.

You can:

·          Customize the appearance of the 3D crosshairs

·          Specify when to display the UCS ICON

·          Enable the Z-field for pointer input.

·          Apply visual styles.

·          Specify object deletion behaviour for profiles and other defining geometry.

·          Specify the number of U and V lines on surfaces and meshes.

·          Reverse the behaviour of the mouse wheel zoom.

Specify the navigation settings for walk-throughs and animations.

Designing with Dynamic Feedback

New dynamic geometric feedback enables you to visualise the objects in your conceptual design while you draw.

For example, as you draw a box in AutoCAD 2007, the size, shape, and location of the box dynamically displays in the drawing.  You can enter dimensions using Dynamic Input or you can drag the cursor to visually specify the length, width, and height.

Changing Workplanes

New Dynamic UCS functionality automatically switches your current workplane reducing the need for you to manually change your UCS.  The Dynamic UCS is enabled by default and you can toggle it on or off with the DUCS option on the status bar.  With DUCS enabled, you can pass your cursor over the edge of a face; the face will highlight indicating that it is being used to establish a temporary UCS.

Tracking Object Snaps

Drawing aids have been enhanced in AutoCAD 2007, offering more powerful functionality for conceptual design as well as 2D drafting.  When tracking from an acquired point, you can view and edit the distance using dynamic input functionality and direct distance entry.  AutoTracking and Object snaps have been enhanced to detect and track in the Z direction.  This even works in Perspective mode!

Designing and Drafting with Consistency

In AutoCAD 2007 you can design solid primitives in an intuitive manner taking advantage of your familiarity with 2D AutoCAD drafting tools.  For example, when you begin drawing a circular solid such as a cylinder, cone, sphere, or torus, the process is similar to creating a circle and when you begin drawing a rectangular solid such as a box or a wedge, the process is similar to creating a rectangle.  

Creating Helical Shapes

In AutoCAD 2007 you can easily create a wireframe helix by specifying the height, base and top radii, number of turns, height of turns, and direction (clockwise or anti-clockwise).

After you create a wireframe helix, you can use it as a path for a 2D profile enabling you to create a variety of helical shapes. .

Extruding 2D Geometry

The EXTRUDE command has been updated in AutoCAD 2007 to create either surfaces or solids based on the original profile.  Extruding open geometry produces surfaces and extruding closed geometry produces solids. You can select multiple 2D objects (open and closed) in one operation and AutoCAD will automatically produce the appropriate shape.

In addition to extruding a 2D profile, you can use the face of an existing solid or surface to create a new solid. When prompted to select the objects to extrude, press the CTRL key and select a face.

Revolving 2D Geometry

The REVOLVE command has been updated to produce either surfaces or solids based on the profile and axis of rotation.  Using the REVOLVE command on a closed 2D profile will produce a solid.  Using the REVOLVE command on an open 2D profile will produce a surface unless the axis of revolution “closes” the profile.

Sweeping Profiles Along a Path

The new SWEEP command in AutoCAD 2007 provides considerable flexibility for sweeping profiles along a path.  It can automatically align a profile with a path and you can specify a variety of options including scale factor, twist angle, and banking.  Depending on whether the profile is an open or closed curve, the SWEEP command will create a surface or solid.  Combining the sweep options with the flexibility of paths and profiles, the design possibilities are virtually endless..

Lofting Surfaces Between Profiles

The new LOFT command in AutoCAD 2007 interpolates a surface or solid through a set of cross section curves.  If the cross section curves are open, AutoCAD 2007 creates a surface and if they are closed, it creates a solid.  You can select any number of cross sections and the order in which you select the cross sections affects the results.

A Settings option provides access to the Loft Settings dialog box where you can specify how the surface should behave at the cross sections. .

Slicing Solids with Surfaces

The SLICE command has been updated in AutoCAD 2007 to enable you to select a surface as the slicing object. .