Subtitles of the Movie

Dialog Boxes in AutoCAD 2010 are commonplace, as they are in most other Microsoft Windows-based applications. Now a Dialog Box is a method of inputting information in AutoCAD, and a very common Dialog Box is on the Home tab at the top of the screen here and it's on the Modify Panel. It's this command here, the Array Command. It's a very good example of a Dialog Box in AutoCAD. Now, a Dialog Box has a Title Bar telling me it's the Array Command, and then it has various methods of inputs. So, for example, these are known as Buttons, so I click there for the rectangular Array button if I want to create a Rectangular Array. I click here on this button if I want a Polar Array. Notice the Input Setup changes in the Dialog Box: Rectangular Array, Polar Array. Now I'm going to create a Rectangular Array in this particular instance where I'm demonstrating a Dialog Box, so I need those settings there. Now, you'll notice you also have Icons. So, I have the option here to select the Objects that I want to Array by clicking on the button it temporarily closes the Dialog Box and allows me to select the Object, my circle here that I'm going to Array. I then press Enter to confirm that selection and it brings back the Dialog Box for me. So, you can see there that there are ways and means of moving in and out of the Dialog Box as well as controlling input within the Dialog Box. Now, what you've also got are standard entries like this: Number of rows and Number of columns for my Rectangular Array. Now, what I'm going to do there, I could enter I want 3 rows, and I want, let's say, 5 columns. Now what that's going to do is, it's going to give me an Array like this in the Preview Pane here, so you can include a little graphical image to show me, just roughly speaking, what my Array is going to look like. So, this Dialog Box is very versatile. It's giving me lots of information, but also allowing me to input various bits of information. Now, my Row Offset is the distance between my rows. I'm going to make that 30 millimeters in this case. It's a metric drawing, and my Column Offset, I'm also going to set that to 30 as well. Now I could change the angle of the Array by putting an angle in there. Notice I've got buttons that will allow me to graphically into the drawing to control my Angle, my offsets in both the Row direction and the Column direction. I can set Row Offset, or I can set Column Offset graphically. Any of these buttons here, these Icon buttons here, will actually close out the Array Dialog Box temporarily to allow me to work within the Drawing Area. Now because I've got Rows, Columns, and an Object selected and my Row Offset and my Column Offset set, I can now preview by hitting the Preview button here, and notice I've got OK. Cancel, and Help as well, but Preview will only work if you've got an Object selected and you've got your settings set up in the Dialog Box. So, I hit Preview, and there's my Array there. Notice: 1, 2, 3 Rows, and 5 Columns. Now you'll notice on the Command Line now, again, the Command Line being versatile here, pick or press Escape to return to the Dialog Box, or I can just right-click on the mouse now to accept the Array if I'm happy with it. If I hit Escape the Dialog Box appears. Notice the Preview also disappears. What I might want there is I might want another Column. Let's say I want six Columns, so I can go in and out and Edit without closing the Command. I can edit in the Dialog Box, again, without closing the Command. I Preview again, and this time I have the appropriate number of columns, which is six, and I just right-click now to accept the Array. Notice that flash there? That's AutoCAD closing down the Array Dialog Box for me when I press Enter. So, as you can see there, Dialog Boxes are an inherent part of AutoCAD for the input of information, but more importantly sometimes gleaning an idea of what something will look like in one of the Preview Panes in a Dialog Box as well.