4
AutoCAD and Its Applications—Advanced
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
select the
UCS Icon
button in the
Viewport Tools
panel of the
View
ribbon tab. Now,
orient your right hand as shown in Figure 1-3 and position it next to the UCS (or WCS)
icon. Your index fi nger and thumb should point in the same directions as the Y and
X axes, respectively. Your middle fi nger will be pointing out of the screen directly
at you, representing the Z axis. See Figure 1-4. Notice the illustration on the right in
the fi gure. This is the shaded UCS icon. It is displayed when the visual style is not
2D
Wireframe. Visual styles are introduced later in this chapter.
The right-hand rule can be used to eliminate confusion when changing the orien-
tation of the UCS. For example, as you will learn in Chapter 4, a simple way to change
the UCS is to rotate it. The UCS can rotate on any of the three axes, just like a wheel
rotates on an axle. Therefore, if you want to visualize how to rotate about the X axis,
keep your thumb stationary and turn your hand either toward or away from you. If
you wish to rotate about the Y axis, keep your index fi nger stationary and turn your
hand to the left or right. When rotating about the Z axis, you must keep your middle
fi nger stationary and rotate your entire arm.
If your 3D visualization skills are weak or you are having trouble visualizing
different orientations of the UCS, use the right-hand rule. It is a useful technique for
improving your 3D visualization skills. Rotating the UCS around one or more of the
axes becomes easier once you begin drawing 3D objects. A complete discussion of
UCSs is provided in Chapter 4.
Basic Overview of the Interface Basic Overview of the Interface
AutoCAD provides different working environments tailored to either 2D drawing
or 3D drawing or annotating a drawing. These environments are called workspaces and
can be quickly restored. There are three default workspaces available in AutoCAD.
The
Drafting & Annotation
workspace is designed for drawing in 2D and annotating a
drawing. The workspace for basic 3D modeling and editing is called
3D
Basics. The full
range of 3D modeling features is found in the
3D Modeling
workspace.
Figure 1-4.
Using the right-hand rule to visualize the X, Y, and Z axis directions.
Right-Hand Rule
X
Z
Y
WCS Icon 3D View UCS Icon