INTRODUCTION

AutoCAD DesignCenter makes it much easier to manage content within your drawing. Content includes blocks, external references, layers, raster images, hatch and gradient fills, linetypes, layouts, text styles, dimension styles, and custom content created by third-party applications. You can now manage content between your drawing and other sources such as other drawings, whether currently open, stored on any drive, or even elsewhere on a network or somewhere on the Internet. The AutoCAD DesignCenter provides a program window with a specialized drawing file-handling section. It allows you to drag and drop content and images into your current drawing or attach a drawing as an external reference. The DesignCenter also gives immediate and direct access to thousands of symbols, manufacturers' product information, and content aggregators' sites through DC Online. Content in the AutoCAD DesignCenter can be dragged onto a tool palette for use in the current drawing.

After completing this chapter, you will be able to do the following:

• Open, undock, move, resize, dock, and close the AutoCAD DesignCenter

• Locate drawings, files, and their content in a manner similar to Windows Explorer

• Use the DesignCenter content area and Tree View

• Preview images, drawings, content, and their written descriptions

• Customize and use Autodesk Favorites folder

• Manage blocks, layers, xrefs, layouts, dimstyles, textstyles, and raster images

• Manage web-based content and custom content from third-party applications

• Create shortcuts to drawings, folders, drives, the network, and Internet locations

• Browse sources for content and drag and drop (copy) into drawings

• Access symbols and information directly...