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WELCOME TO THE
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DraftSight Facts
Learning Resources
Available in 12 languages
New features and updates introduced frequently
Offers access to free community support
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Learning Resources
The Learning Resources that youll discover in this chapter, with the exception of the
Getting Started Guide are video-based and take just a few minutes to view.
Getting Started
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+1-978-371-5011
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http://www.solidworks.com/education
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User Interface
Learning Resources
Tips & Tricks
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Understanding the User Interface is an important element of learning how to use DraftSight. This is an
introduction to the design of the product screen, and the communication between the user and DraftSight.
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Creating custom blocks is an important feature in DraftSight. This Make Block Tutorial is designed to help
you get started creating and inserting blocks in your drawing.
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With DraftSight available for the Mac, its important to set up your mouse correctly. Watch this Setting
up your Mouse for DraftSight on the Mac Tutorial for helpful information when using a Mac.
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Mouse Gesture
The Mouse Gesture is a way of combining pointing device movements and clicks which DraftSight
recognizes as a specific command. Mouse gestures can provide quick access to common functions of a
program. They can also be useful for users who have difficulties typing commands.
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Customizing your user environment to increase productivity is key for any proficient user. With DraftSight,
you can create your own custom toolbars as a way of increasing your productivity by grouping commonly
used commands into one specific tool bar.
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Using the power of DraftSight to assist in geometry creation will enhance your productivity. Learning how
to use ETracking and Polar Tracking will save you time, and help you be a more productive DraftSight user.
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Before you start using DraftSight, make sure you customize your user environment. The System Setup
Tutorial will assist you in creating a user friendly work space.
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Trapezoid Command
A fresh new command in DraftSight is the Trapezoid Command. A Trapezoid is a four sided figure with one
pair of parallel sides. Use the Trapezoid command to draw a 2D conical entity. The Trapezoid is created as a
PolyLine entity.
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In this episode of Lets Go Design, Jeremy uses DraftSight to help his productivity. Watch this video,
DraftSight and Lets Go Design, to see how he was able to use 2D legacy data to help create the design
of his field of play.
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3D ContentCentral
Although DraftSight is a 2D product, we invite you to download virtually anything you need for your
design layout at 3D ContentCentral. Most models contained at 3D ContentCentral are available to
download as a 2D .DWG file.
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The Linear Dimension Tutorial command creates horizontal, vertical, and rotated linear dimensions.
Follow this video and learn more about this function.
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Hatch/Fill
Use the Hatch/Fill command to fill enclosed areas or specified entities with a hatch pattern. Hatching a
drawing adds meaning and helps to differentiate the materials and areas. Some drawing applications, such
as construction drawings, require hatch patterns which can increase the clarity and legibility of a drawing.
Along with patterns, you can apply solid hatches to fill in a bounded area with any color by selecting Fill in
the Hatch type dialog.
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Tool Matrix
Learning Resources
Tips & Tricks
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DraftSight for Windows is now in general release. With that, there are some exciting new features that
have been implemented. One such feature is the Tool Matrix. The Tool Matrix is a user interface that
behaves like other palettes, such as the Properties Palette or the Reference Palette.
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Relative Command
When using DraftSight, we often need to locate a point in the Graphics area relative to another point.
The rectangle command is an excellent example. Once you have located your first point, you need to
specify the second point relative to the first one. Use the Relative Command input to do this.
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With its layering functionality and the ability to specify units as Architectural, DraftSight is a great way
to provide your customers with professional grade drawings. They can download DraftSight for free at
DraftSight.com and view your drawings.
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Use the Flip command to create a mirror copy of entities, deleting the source entities. The command
contrasts to the Mirror command in that entities do not remain in their original positions when they move
across the mirror axis. Instead they maintain the same relative position to the symmetry axis, but flip about
the specified mirror axis. You can define the reflection axis freely by specifying two points. Use ortho mode
to force the mirror line to be parallel to the X- or the Y-axis of the coordinate system. To Flip drawing entities
type Flip at the command prompt.
COPY@ TIP:
Use the Copy@ command to copy selected entities and a reference point from the drawing onto the
Windows clipboard. From the clipboard, you can paste the entities into open drawings using the Paste
and PasteAsBlock commands. The entities selected with Copy@ remain on the clipboard until you place
new entities on the clipboard.
Note: The Copy command copies entities in the drawing from a specified base point to target
points within the drawing, but not to the clipboard. To Copy the clipboard with a reference point:
Click Edit>Copy with Reference Point (or type Copy@)
ENTITY PRE-SELECT:
To disable entity getting highlighted when hovering the cursor over it, from the menu, select Tools >
Options > User Preferences > Drafting Options > Entity Selection > Pre-selected highlighting > uncheck the
option of Between commands.
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SPELLCHECK TIP:
You can check the spelling inside your DraftSight Drawing. Type SpellCheck at the command prompt. In the
graphics area, select the Text entities to check and press <Enter>. The SpellCheck dialog box appears if
DraftSight finds a spelling mistake. You can choose to Ignore, Ignore All, Change, Change All and even Look
Up a word to find Synonyms.
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MOUSE NAVIGATIONS:
Use your mouse to easily navigate around in your drawing. Double-click middle-mouse button (MMB) to do
a Zoom > Extents (works ViewPoints on Layouts, too). Press and hold the MMB to start the Pan command. If
you have a wheel mouse, use it to zoom in and out and center the zoom at the same time (DraftSight will use
your cursor for the center of the zoom). And lastly, click and hold Shift+MMB to start the RollView command.
EXPORT DRAWING:
Use the ExportDrawing command to create a DWG file from a Block. Go to File>Export>Export Drawing. In
the dialog select Block as the source and from the drop down list, select the Block that you want to export.
Use the Browse button to select where you want the new DWG file created. You can also export any entities
in a drawing to a new DWG file using the ExportDrawing command.
OPTIONAL FORMAT:
If you need to bring the contents of a drawing into a graphics program (like Corel Paint Shop Pro) and you
need the image to be scalable, use the Print command to create an SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics). Since
SVG files are XML-based, many graphics programs support this format.
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GET AREA:
You can use the GetArea for perimeter information, too. If you have several closed polygonal shapes, and you
need the combined length of the perimeters, use GetArea. Type GETAREA > A >select shapes > press Enter. If
you cant see the results in the Command window, press F2 to launch the text screen.
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DraftSight is more than just a professional-grade, 2D CAD product, it offers added value with affordable
fee-based support services for enterprise and education users.
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The online DraftSight Community provides easy access to the guidance, counsel and support of thousands
of CAD users from around the world. Their experience and know-how is complemented by a wide array of
online training videos, tutorials and instructional materials. For answers to your specific questions, there is
an iQuestions forum. Join the free online community.
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