Getting to Know the 3D Modeling Environment

AutoCAD takes on a slightly different persona when you work in 3D. Your drawing area looks a little different and the Tool Sets palette can be changed to show a different set of tools. You also begin to use parts of the menu bar and drawing area that you’ve probably just wondered about until now. To help ease your transition into 3D, take a brief tour of the AutoCAD features you’ll be using in the next several chapters.

Getting to Know the Modeling Tool Sets Palette

Most of this book is devoted to showing you how to work in a 2D drafting environment. The tools you’ve been working with in the Tool Sets palette are set up to make it easy for 2D drafting.

AutoCAD also offers a set of tools designed for 3D modeling. But even with these new tools, AutoCAD behaves in the same basic way, and the AutoCAD files produced are the same regardless of whether they’re 2D or 3D drawings.