The latest version of this perennial favorite, in-depth, reference-tutorialThis top-selling book has been updated by AutoCAD guru and author Ellen Finkelstein to provide you with the very latest coverage of both AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD LT 2012. It begins with a Quick Start tutorial, so you start creating right away. From there, the book covers so much in-depth material on AutoCAD that it is said that even Autodesk employees keep this comprehensive book at their desks. A DVD is included that features before-and-after drawings of all the tutorials and plenty of great examples from AutoCAD professionals.Explains in depth both AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD LT 2012Written by Ellen Finkelstein, a long-time AutoCAD instructor and very popular author of many editions of the AutoCAD BibleStarts with a tutorial on AutoCAD 2012 that covers the basics of creating drawings, using commands, and specifying coordinatesBuilds on early chapters to cover more complex 2D and 3D drawing techniquesDiscusses advanced topics such as customization and programming AutoCAD using AutoLISP and VBAFeatures a DVD with before-and-after drawings for each tutorial, and moreIf you're eager to create 2D and 3D technical drawings with AutoCAD 2012, the AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD LT2012 Bible is what you need!

This Autodesk Official Training Guide teaches Revit to new usersThe perfect introduction to Revit Architecture, Autodesk?s building information modeling (BIM) software, this unique and highly effective guide uses a continuous, step-by-step tutorial to build your skills. You?ll first get to know the Revit interface and basic conventions, then quickly move right into designing, documenting, and modeling a four-story office building. Place walls, windows, and doors; add floors ceilings, railings, and stairs; create construction documentation?and that?s just for starters! You?ll be amazed by how rapidly you can progress.Teaches you how to use Autodesk Revit Architecture, Autodesk?s industry-leading building information modeling (BIM) softwareUses a continuous, step-by-step tutorial that progresses through the book, teaching you how to design, document, and present a four-story buildingCovers structural grids, beams, and foundations; adding text and dimensions; building floors layer by layer; joining exterior and interior walls; creating roofs and ceilings; and much more Introduces embedded families and formulas, crucial site considerations, and importing and exporting to various formatsIncludes a Web site with before-and-after tutorial files so readers can compare their workBest of all, this guide is self-paced. Follow the tutorial sequentially?or jump into just the chapters you want by downloading the project files from the companion Web site.

Go 3D with Google's exciting architectural design software for Mac and WindowsWhether you need to learn 3D modeling for business or you're just eager to see what you can create, Google SketchUp and Google SketchUp 8 For Dummies are for you. Available in both a free hobbyist version and a full-featured professional version, SketchUp explodes the myth that 3D modeling software must be complicated to learn and use. This book will take you step by step through downloading and using both versions on both Mac and Windows. There are even video walkthroughs on the companion Web site.Google's exciting 3D modeling software offers hobbyists as well as architects, engineers, and industrial designers a less complicated tool for architectural rendering, urban planning, set design, game design, and other usesThis guide explains both the free and professional versions for both Windows and MacCovers the basic concepts of 3D modeling and how to build a 3D model, print or share your work online, export your drawing to another design package or Google Earth, and create a detailed set of plansCompanion Web site features video walkthroughs Google SketchUp 8 For Dummies gets you up and running with 3D modeling quickly and easily.

A full-color guide to the #1 architectural drafting program—AutoCAD 2012!AutoCAD is the leading software used to create 2D and 3D technical drawings. Used by engineers, architects, and drafting professionals, it can be complex and is a perfect subject for the tried-and-true For Dummies format. Full-color illustrations make the instructions even easier to follow, because examples in the book appear exactly as they will on the screen.Explains AutoCAD and gets readers quickly up to speed on the latest versionFeatures full-color illustrations that look the same as the AutoCAD 2012 screens, making the interface and the all-important Model view easier to understandCovers all the new features, creating a basic layout, using AutoCAD DesignCenter, drawing and editing, working with dimensions, adding text, and moreNewcomers to AutoCAD will easily master the software with help from this full-color edition of AutoCAD 2012 For Dummies.

Do you like to build things? Are you ever frustrated at having to compromise your designs to fit whatever parts happen to be available? Would you like to fabricate your own parts? Build Your Own CNC Machine is the book to get you started. CNC expert Patrick Hood-Daniel and best-selling author James Kelly team up to show you how to construct your very own CNC machine. Then they go on to show you how to use it, how to document your designs in computer-aided design (CAD) programs, and how to output your designs as specifications and tool paths that feed into the CNC machine, controlling it as it builds whatever parts your imagination can dream up. Don't be intimidated by abbreviations like CNC and terms like computer-aided design. Patrick and James have chosen a CNC-machine design that is simple to fabricate. You need only basic woodworking skills and a budget of perhaps $500 to $1,000 to spend on the wood, a router, and various other parts that you'll need. With some patience and some follow-through, you'll soon be up and running with a really fun machine that'll unleash your creativity and turn your imagination into physical reality. The authors go on to show you how to test your machine, including configuring the software. Provides links for learning how to design and mill whatever you can dream up The perfect parent/child project that is also suitable for scouting groups, clubs, school shop classes, and other organizations that benefit from projects that foster skills development and teamwork No unusual tools needed beyond a circular saw and what you likely already have in your home toolbox Teaches you to design and mill your very own wooden and aluminum parts, toys, gadgets—whatever you can dream up What you’ll learn Build your very own CNC machine Learn about linear movement and motion transmission Who this book is for Build Your Own CNC Machine is the perfect book for hobbyists who like to build and create using wood and metal. It's especially for those who have ever been foiled by lack of specific parts to help realize their creative designs. Build Your Own CNC Machine is also an excellent choice for organizations such as scouting and church groups, school shop classes, and so forth, as it provides an educational project of modest cost that all can work on together. Table of Contents Your CNC Machine Hardware and Tools Tips and Advice Movement Using Rails Joining Methods The Electronics X-Axis, Part 1 X-Axis, Part 2 X-Axis, Part 3 Y-Axis, Part 1 Y-Axis, Part 2 Y-Axis, Part 3 Preparing for the Z-Axis Z-Axis, Part 1 Z-Axis, Part 2 Z-Axis, Part 3 Mounting the Electronics Software and Testing Where to Go from Here

Over its first two editions, this best-selling book has become the de facto standard for training and reference material at all levels of CNC programming. Used in hundreds of educational institutions around the world as the primary text for CNC courses, and used daily by many in-field CNC programmers and machine operators, this book literally defines CNC programming. Written with careful attention to detail, there are no compromises. Many of the changes in this new Third Edition are the direct result of comments and suggestions received from many CNC professionals in the field. This extraordinarily comprehensive work continues to be packed with over one thousand illustrations, tables, formulas, tips, shortcuts, and practical examples.The enclosed CD-ROM now contains a fully functional 15-day shareware version of CNC tool path editor/simulator, NCPlot™. This powerful, easy-to-learn software includes an amazing array of features, many not found in competitive products. NCPlot offers an unmatched combination of simplicity of use and richness of features. Support for many advanced control options is standard, including a macro interpreter that simulates Fanuc and similar macro programs.The CD-ROM also offers many training exercises based on individual chapters, along with solutions and detailed explanations. Special programming and machining examples are provided as well, in form of complete machine files, useful as actual programming resources. Virtually all files use Adobe PDF format and are set to high resolution printing.FEATURES Fully functional shareware version of CNC toolpath simulator/editor, NCPlot(TM), included on the CD-ROM. This powerful software includes an amazing array of features, including those not found in competitive products. Support for many advanced features is standard, and the included macro interpreter can simulate Fanuc and compatible macro toolpath programsDetailed section on CNC lathes with live tooling, including examplesImage files of many actual parts, used as examples More programming examples (both in printed text and on the CD-ROM) Optimized for the latest Fanuc and related control systemsAdditional formulas, calculations and handy reference materialFourth axis programming (indexing and rotary)CD-ROM based projects, including several as interactive PDF formsImproved index for better search of topics

Complete and thorough update to this Autodesk Official Training Guide!With pages of focused discussions, detailed exercises, in-depth coverage, and compelling examples, this comprehensive guide shows you how to implement and use Revit Architecture with spectacular results. You?ll learn how use the interface, how to create fantastic building designs with Revit, how to produce solid documentation?even how to go direct to fabrication with Revit. An Autodesk Official Training Guide, this thorough reference and tutorial also helps you prepare for Autodesk's Certified Associate and Certified Professional exams.?Gets you quickly productive with Revit Architecture?s features and functionsShows you how to document, detail, annotate, and present your designsHelps you improve workflows with worksharing and collaborationPrepares you for the Revit Architecture 2011 Certified Associate and Certified Professional ExamsGives contractors the essentials of modelingExplores using Revit for film and stageMastering Autodesk Revit Architecture is the ultimate real-world reference on this exciting software.

A complete, detailed reference and tutorial for AutoCAD Civil 3DAutodesk's Civil 3D is the industry-leading civil engineering software, and this authoritative Autodesk Official Training Guide has been completely revised and modernized to offer you a fresh perspective on this powerful engineering package. Packed with new examples, new datasets, and new tutorials, this book shows how elements of the dynamic engineering program work together and discusses the best methods for creating, editing, displaying, and labeling all of a civil engineering project's elements.The book features in-depth, detailed coverage of surveying, points, alignments, surfaces, profiles, corridors, grading, LandXML and LDT Project Transfer, cross sections, pipe networks, visualization, sheets, and project management as well as Vault and data shortcuts. Practical tutorials, tips, tricks, real-world examples and easy-to-follow explanations detail all aspects of a civil engineering project. This Mastering book is recommended as a Certification Preparation study guide resource for the Civil 3D Associate and Professional exams. Features in-depth, detailed coverage of AutoCAD Civil 3D, the enormously popular civil engineering softwareShows how elements of the dynamic engineering program work together and discusses the best methods for creating, editing, displaying, and labeling all of a civil engineering project's elementsShares straightforward explanations, real-world examples, and practice tutorials on surveying, points, alignments, surfaces, profiles, corridors, grading, and much moreIn addition to teaching you vital Civil 3D tips, tricks, and techniques, Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D will also help you prepare for the Civil 3D 2011 Certified Associate and Certified Professional exams.

A step-by-step tutorial on AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT basicsAutoCAD is the leading drawing software, used by design and drafting professionals to create 2D and 3D technical drawings. This tutorial is aimed at AutoCAD novices and provides you with the essentials you need so you can acquire the necessary skills to work in AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT immediately. You'll begin with the basics and gradually progress to more advanced topics and features, such as grouping, elevations, hatches, and using text in drawings. Concise explanations, focused examples, and step-by-step instructions round out this hands-on tutorial.Begins with the basics of AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, the leading 2D and 3D drawing software Progresses to more advanced topics and skill sets and covers grouping, hatches, and text in drawings Introduces dimensioning, external references, layouts and printing, and using 3D Contains helpful examples and step-by-step instructions so you can get started using AutoCAD immediately Featuring the most up-to-date techniques, tactics, industry standards, and methods, this tutorial will get you started using AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT right away. 

Get quickly up to speed on Revit Architecture's core features and functionsThis unique new Autodesk Official Training Guide thoroughly covers the fundamentals of Revit Architecture. The fast, focused guide teaches you everything you need to become quickly productive with the software, including how to best use the interface, create floor plans, add content, prepare documentation, annotate, and more. Each chapter features compelling, full-color screenshots to illustrate tutorial steps and concludes with a related and more open-ended project to further reinforce the lessons.Beginners can start anywhere in the book and compare their results with the pros, using downloadable datasets.Contains an introduction to Revit's architectural interface and powerful tools Includes a wealth of hands-on exercises that help to hone your Revit skills Features detailed information on how to visualize, present, and document your design Provides hands-on instruction for working with families, groups, and phasing Includes information to help users prepare for the Revit Associate and Professional Exams The book uses a workflow-based approach that mirrors how projects progress in the real world and features tips and tricks drawn from the authors' extensive professional experience.