Mastering Autocad 2014 And Autocad Lt 2014: Autodesk Official Press

Bonus Chapter 3 Hardware and Software Tips Because some of the items that make up an AutoCAD® system aren’t found on the typical desktop system, we have provided this bonus chapter to help you understand them. This chapter also discusses ways you can improve AutoCAD performance through software and hardware. The Graphics Display There are two issues to consider concerning the graphics display: resolution and performance. Fortunately, nearly all computers sold today have display systems that are more than adequate for AutoCAD, thanks to the popularity of 3D games. You do need to make sure that your resolution is set to at least 1024n768, preferably higher. The higher your resolution, the more detail you’ll be able to see in your drawings. If you have an older system that needs a graphics display upgrade, you should consider the following factors in choosing a new display. Contemporary motherboards use high-speed PCI Express (PCIe) slots that offer the fastest video throughput available. Check that your system is of this type. If you’re doing only 2D work, you can get by with an older Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) graphics card. Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP also provide options for using multiple monitors, an approach that has been popular among AutoCAD users. Multiple monitors enable AutoCAD users to view multiple or large documents more easily. If you want to take full advantage of the new 3D features in AutoCAD, you’ll want one of the Autodesk-certified graphics cards in your system. To get the most up-to-date information on the latest graphics card support, check the Autodesk Service and Support website by doing the following: 1. Enter 3dconfig at the Command prompt. 2. In the Adaptive Degradation And Performance Tuning dialog box, click the Check For Updates button. If your graphics card driver is up-to-date, you see a message telling you so. If not, a message pops up asking if you’d like to update now. You can also go to the following Autodesk web page and download the appropriate driver: www.autodesk.com/autocad-graphicscard. Pointing Devices The basic means of communicating with a computer is through its keyboard and pointing device. Most likely you’ll use a mouse, but if you’re still in the market for a pointing device, 2  | Bonus Chapter 3  Hardware and Software Tips choose an input device that generates smooth cursor movement. Some of the lower-quality input devices cause erratic movement. Because AutoCAD relies on precise input, you may want to upgrade to an optical mouse, which is less likely to wear out or accumulate dirt in its mechanisms. If you need to trace large drawings, you may want to consider a digitizing tablet. It’s usually a rectangular objec