sfuoco Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Hi, I have 3 general questions: 1) Is it recommended that I learn AutoCAD using commands or the Ribbon toolbar? 2) When using the zoom command, why would someone use the Dynamic zoom? Window zoom seems to be similar and easier to use. 3) In the units dialog, what is the reason for having a dropdown for "lighting"? Thank you very much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana W Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 (edited) 1. Yes to both. I am being serious. You will look back some day and realize typing commands or alias short cuts with the left hand and mousing about with the right hand will make you probably 1/3 faster than a strict ribbon clicker. Oh, and don't miss out on what the F1 key can do for you. It will tell you what the defaults for the other F keys do. Among other things. Nice stuff. 2. Dynamic zoom?. Forget that altogether. I didn't even know it was there, and I have been using AutoCad off and on for longer than I want to admit. Apparently one can use it to simulate a "viewport" in modelspace. I just now went to look so I would know what it was. >>shrug Zoom and downclick pan with the scroll wheel to randomly move about the drawing spaces. That is full and almost instantaneous dynamic and real time zooming. Zoom Window or Object is handy IF you know where the thing you want to zoom is. Suppose you have 40 or 50 pages of stuff all over modelspace and you can't make anything out when zoomed All or Extents? The wheel will help you search. Set the system variable ZOOMFACTOR to about 20. The default is 60. It goes from 1 to 100. 60 is way too fast until you get used to it. It controls how fast your wheel zooms in and out. 3. Lighting has units of intensity. In rendering you will need them. Edited March 12, 2014 by Dana W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwake Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 You will develop your own preferences for 1) & 2), but personally I agree 100% with Dana on those points. I did use zoom dynamic up until about Autocad 2000?, whenever it was that support for a mouse with a wheel came in, but since then I don't need to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSasu Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Regarding Dynamic Zoom - one particularity of AutoCAD is its backward compatibility; this will ensure that third-part developed tools will still work in newer versions, but also means that there are many obsolete commands or options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobDraw Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I just heard that the ribbon will not be a part of the AutoCAD interface in a couple of versions. It will be migrating to something like floating fly out menus. Get those keyboard commands down. They won't be going away just yet. While I don't use it personally, I know a couple of people that use dynamic zoom quite effectively. Just like anything else, unless you actually use something, you cannot realize the true value of it. Of course, it also depends on the type of drafting you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfuoco Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 Thank you all for the info, greatly appreciated! You're all helping me out a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGAL Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Item 3 is that for when your working late at night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana W Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Item 3 is that for when your working late at night There should be item #4. How do I stay awake all night long and still draw effectively? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperCAD Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 There should be item #4. How do I stay awake all night long and still draw effectively? Lots of coffee. After a while you'll build up a tolerance and may have to switch to something stronger like espresso. When that won't work, a caffeine drip from an IV bag will do the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana W Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Lots of coffee. After a while you'll build up a tolerance and may have to switch to something stronger like espresso. When that won't work, a caffeine drip from an IV bag will do the trick.:lol:Yeah, well. I have the awake part down, it's the effective part I have issues with. You'll see by my previous post time of 10:52 pm EDT that I was already up late and 1 hour into a 5 hour drawing. It's done but now I have to do an hour of editing to fix a lot of it. I miss some things about having to operate under someone else's office hours. I can't turn off my lights and lock the doors at 5:00 pm. You know of course that in real life caffeine is one of those chemicals that acts like a stimulant in small quantities, and a depressant in large quantities. I am already at the point where I can drink a 14 oz coffee first thing in the morning, and then immediately take a 2 hr nap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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