Apr
29
I recently received a copy of the new AutoCAD LT 2010 from Autodesk. I was pretty excited to try out this new version of AutoCAD LT because I hadn’t used this drafting software since 2003. I knew there had been lots of changes in both the layout and features of AutoCAD LT since then, but I had never had the chance to try out a new version until now.
My first impression of the new AutoCAD LT 2010 upon loading the program was how clean the new layout looked. No longer were there command toolbars crowding the workspace on the top, left and right sides. All of the commands are neatly organized into the new “ribbon” at the top of the page. The ribbon contains individual panels that can be customized and rearranged with very little effort.
I also noticed that I was able to just type in commands without having to first click on the command line at the bottom of the window. This is a serious time saver. There are also dynamic menus that appear by your cursor as you work through a command, again, saving you from having to type in the command line.
There is also an export to PDF feature in the new Application menu that lets you create high-res PDF’s for instant output that you can send to anyone, whether they are a CAD user or not. This is an excellent feature that will definitely help people share and mark-up drawings much easier.
Once I became familiar with the new controls in AutoCAD LT 2010, I began drawing some simple shapes. For those of you that are new to AutoCAD, I included a brief demo of how to get started drawing right away in the video below. These tips should be very helpful in figuring out how to draw in AutoCAD LT for the first time.
AutoCAD LT 2010 also includes a great new command called “align”. This command lets you align and scale one object to another, just by specifying alignment points. Talk about a true time-saver. I give a tutorial of how this command works and how to use it in the video below. If you are an experienced user and just want to see this part of the tutorial, skip to 7:50 in the video.
AutoCAD LT 2010 Tutorial – Getting Started & Align Command
Click HD and then Full Screen to see this video in detail.
For more information on this great new CAD software, check out the Autodesk website. We also carry AutoCAD LT 2010 at discount prices at SoftwareMedia. If you happen to be a recently unemployed CAD user, Autodesk is offering a free download of AutoCAD and other popular Autodesk products. Check out my previous blog post about Free Autodesk Software for more details.
EDIT: Autodesk just released a new promotion for upgrading to the new AutoCAD LT 2010. You can save $400 per seat with this offer. See my blog post on the topic for all the details.
Let me know what you think of this demo video. If you would like to see a particular topic covered in a future AutoCAD tutorial, let me know in the comments.
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