AUGIWorld Magazine - March/April 2008 - (Page 12) Figure 5: Editing the properties for objects has never been quicker. object is selected in the drawing, the Quick Properties panel displays a set of properties identical to those for rollover tooltips. From the Quick Properties panel, you can edit and view the properties of the selected object. Figure 5 shows the Quick Properties panel with the properties shown for a hatch object. The properties that are displayed for rollover tooltips and the Quick Properties panel can be customized using the Customize User Interface Editor. One might expect that the user interface would get a few more minor tweaks this time as well, but that is not the case with AutoCAD 2009. The user interface in this new release has been given a complete overhaul, and for some, the change might be shocking at first. available in AutoCAD. The ViewCube feature (Figure 7) allows you switch between 26 preset views, define and restore a familiar view of the model known as the Home view, and Figure 6: Navigating open drawings with Quick View. switch between parallel and perspective projection modes. In addition, clicking and dragging on the ViewCube allows you to orbit the model. SteeringWheels, also known as wheels, combine 2D and 3D navigation tools into a single interface that tracks with the movement of the cursor (Figure 8). A wheel is divided into multiple wedges, which, when clicked and dragged, activate a navigation tool. In some cases, a single click over a Figure 7: ViewCube displays the current viewpoint of the model. wedge will activate a navigation tool. Most the tool, create a layout or view, create a of the navigation tools that you find on a new drawing, or open an existing drawing, wheel are 3D in nature, but you can also find tools that allow you to pan, zoom, and and much more. If you use AutoCAD for modeling or restore a previous view. viewing 3D drawings, you will find the ViewCube and SteeringWheels welcome additions to the 3D navigation tools already Improved navigation Navigating an object drawing has never been easier with AutoCAD 2009. Next to modifying objects, a lot of time is spent on navigating a drawing to locate an object that needs to be modified, zoom to the area in which a new object needs to be created, or control which part of the drawing needs to be plotted. The new navigation tools in AutoCAD 2009 allow you to navigate between open drawings, layouts, and named views of a drawing, adjust the viewpoint of a 3D model, and quickly access common 2D and 3D navigation tools right at the cursor. To navigate drawings, layouts, and views with AutoCAD 2009, you can use the Quick View and Show Motion tools. Both are accessible from the status bar. When Quick View Layouts or Quick View Drawings are clicked on the status bar, the Quick View tool is displayed. The Quick View tool allows you to navigate the layouts of the current drawing or any open drawings by selecting one of the thumbnail previews. Figure 6 shows the Quick View Drawings tool, which allows you to switch between open drawings and one of the layouts in the drawing. ShowMotion is similar to the Quick View tool, except that it allows you to navigate to a named view in a drawing and play back any motion that might have been defined for the named view. Along with the thumbnails that are displayed for the Quick View or Show Motion tools, a control panel is also displayed below the tool. The control panel offers different tools including the ability to pin Other drafting enhancements In addition to some of the major and more obvious changes that AutoCAD 2009 has to offer, there are also a number of small features and changes that can increase your productivity. The following is a snapshot of the many “featurettes” in AutoCAD 2009. Enhanced Layer Properties Manager – The Layer Properties Manager has now gone mode-less, allowing you to see your layer changes in real time and easily create new layers. w w w. A U G I . c o m Figure 8: A SteeringWheel allows you access multiple navigation tools from a single interface. 12 http://augi.com
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