how to create hidden lines

just starting to experiment with mechanical 2008. i read in the user guide that mechanical automatically places lines on the correct layer. it's easy enough with center lines, because there is a separate command to create them. how about hidden lines? i haven't found a way to make a hidden line that mechanical will automatically recognize.

You have to use a Hide Situation and it will do the Hidden line breaking for you. Are you using Structure, Layers, or Block Organization?

Just returned from 3 weeks in America and saw your reply. Thanks. I have started to "use" Structure after working through most of the User Guide, (which I didn't find to be too very helpful). I haven't yet been converted. Can you suggest any purchaseable or downloadable resources?

This book is pretty good, but its the only real one on that market and I use to to teach the software. I usually modify the course based on the client though because as with anything AutoCAD there are three ways to do everything and the same goes for Mechanical. Here are some reasons I use Structure:

Inner and Outer Contour for Geometry creation

Automatic BOMs without having to use Part Reference

Using the Structure Catalog is a lot cleaner than blocks and standard x-refs

Standard Content will create structure automatically

...just to name a few reasons...

If you look in my signature at my blog I try to put up Mechanical topics from time to time too. Really my passion is Inventor and ACADm really is a little brother that will never be as successful as his big brother, but you get most of the same concepts from Inventor used in Mechanical in the form of organization, but not the 3D and advanced analysis and geometry methods.

This is the book I was referring to...

http://store.autodesk.com/store/adsk/en_US/pd/productID.127072500?resid=S-kfxQoBAiMAABBwTqIAAAAJ&rests=1275220020900

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to digest the price for a few days though, before I decide to order the book!