Glossary

A Microsoft® technology that allows programs to run within other software. The software that holds the program, such as Internet Explorer® or Microsoft® Word, is called the container. The program that runs inside it, such as Design Review, is called the control.

Application Programming Interface. A programming language used to enable applications to communicate with each other.

The button that is displayed in the top-left corner of the application. If you click the application button, the application menu is displayed.

The menu that is displayed when you click the application button. The application menu contains common tools for creating, saving, and publishing a file.

An object in a 3D model. An assembly can be made up of smaller objects called subassemblies or subobjects.

A meaningful set of geometric shapes. Also known as an object or assembly.

Bill Of Materials. A hierarchical list, like a parts list. A BOM describes a product in terms of its component parts.

Batch Print Job. A file that stores saved batch print settings for several DWF files.

Computer Aided Design. The process of using a computer program to design drawings and models of physical objects.

The primary viewing and markup area for a sheet or model.

A cap is the flat surface displayed after using the Cross Section tool. Disabling caps allows you to see parts as if they are hollow.

In a command-line interface, the command prompt is an indicator that shows the computer is ready to receive a command.

A coordinate system is a method used to indicate the position of 3D content in dimensional space.

A section made by cutting a model at an angle, usually to display an interior view.

A mapped reference point from which GPS measurements can be made. Each datum includes both an ellipsoid, which specifies the size and shape of the earth, and a base point for latitude and longitude. If two maps use different datums, points on the map may not line up.

A method used to maintain file authenticity and to provide a safe environment for sending and receiving data.

A method used to improve rendering 3D graphics.

Dots Per Inch. A method of measuring image or text resolution.

DWG refers to the file extension (.dwg) of an AutoCAD file.

Drawing EXchange Format. A file format that enables the exchange of drawings between AutoCAD and other programs. DXF is a predecessor of DWF. Also known as “Drawing Interchange Format.”

Finite Element Analysis. A way to use colors to identify stresses, displacements, heat transfer, fluid dynamics, or electromagnetism in mechanical objects as defined by the DWF file publisher.

The area that can be seen when looking through a device from a specific location, or vantage point. By decreasing or increasing the angle of view, you can narrow or widen the field of view, thereby controlling how much can be seen through the device.

File Transfer Protocol. A method of moving files (larger than 10 megabytes) from one location to another over the Internet.

A 2D sheet within a DWF file published by Autodesk® Map 3D 2008 or later that contains a global coordinate system and defined latitude and longitude coordinates based on the WGS84 datum.

Global Positioning System. A satellite navigation system that can locate the latitude and longitude of a GPS device on Earth.

A color fill or pattern that uses a smooth transition between darker shades and lighter tints of one or two colors.

A small circle that displays when you select a markup object. Each object has several handles. Handles are used to resize the markup. All markups have handles except for freehand shapes.

A section in the Markup Properties palette, History shows note and status changes saved in all markups.

A way to associate graphical objects with related documents, such as other drawings, bills of materials, or project schedules.

A company-specific network used to share information between co-workers.

A part with variations that have been published and are embedded in a DWF file.

Published by the author of a DWF file, a layer is a way to group similar information in a drawing by function and to enforce line type, color, and other standards. Layers are the primary organizational tool used in drawing. Layers are the equivalent of the overlays used in paper-based drafting.

Messaging Application Programming Interface. The Microsoft® Windows® messaging system that allows various email applications to send and receive email.

A meaningful collection of 3D objects. Also a generic way to refer to 3D content.

A list of views created and saved in Design Review. My Views is shown in the Views palette.

A view created and named in Autodesk products. Each named view is shown in the Views palette.

An electrical and data transmission standard used by GPS devices defined by the National Marine Electronics Association.

A section in the Markup Properties palette that can be used to add a note to a markup.

Generically, any item on the canvas, Markups palette, or Model palette. Objects created in Design Review are called markup objects. Objects created in the DWF publishing program are called published objects. An object in a 3D model is sometimes called an assembly or part.

A method used to improve rendering of 2D and 3D graphics.

A view of a 3D model in which all lines on each axis are parallel to each other.

A group of related tools that enable you to find and display sheets, their markups, layers, views, and properties.

Portable Document Format. A file format created by Adobe used to transmit and display documents regardless of the software of the sender or receiver. It includes fonts, formatting, and graphics.

In order to give the illusion of depth, a view of a 3D model where parallel lines appear to converge toward a vanishing point.

A unit of measure used to determine text height or line width. One point equals 1/72nd of an inch.

Attributes of a sheet, markup, or object displayed in the applicable Properties palette. These properties may include the author name, time of creation, and, for markups, their Status and Notes.

A push pin-shaped button used on the ribbon and in the application menu. On the ribbon, push pins are used to keep a ribbon panel expanded. In the application menu, push pins keep an item in the list of recently opened items.

A type of graphic file, such as a BMP file, made up of individual pixels.

The degree of sharpness with which an image is displayed. Images are composed of points called pixels. The greater the number of pixels, the better the resolution. Too many pixels can create large files, which may transfer slowly over the Internet and may perform sluggishly when viewed.

The horizontal area of the application window that contains task-based tabs and panels with tools for viewing, marking up, and sharing DWF files.

A point on an object that acts like a magnet, allowing you to attach one object to another at a precise point.

A way to indicate the current condition of a markup or sheet. Markup status is indicated in the Markup Properties palette. Each sheet may have custom stamps applied to indicate its status.

A row of icons that represent related tools. Each icon, when clicked, invokes an action.

A cluster of graphical buttons, called wedges, which follows the mouse pointer as you move it around the canvas, tracking it.

Lines in a DWF file animation that show the relationship of a component to the assembly. In an animation, trails indicate the distance and the path along which a component was moved to create the view.

TWentIeth of a Point. A unit of measure, a twip equals 1/1440th of an inch.

User Coordinate System. A user-defined coordinate system enables you to set up a point of reference for a particular set of point location measurements.

Universal Naming Convention. A standard for identifying servers, printers, and other resources in a network. A UNC path uses double slashes to represent the drive and directories in which the server can be found. The disk and directories are separated with a single slash or backslash, as follows:

Unix: //servername/path

DOS and Windows: \\servername\path

A type of graphic file made up of individual objects, such as lines and shapes. Vector images retain a high quality at any scale.

A window area on a layout sheet that reveals various views of the same drawing.

World Coordinate System. A coordinate system used as the basis for defining all objects and other coordinate systems. In Design Review, Y is up. In AutoCAD and Inventor, Z is up.

A clickable button on a wheel.

A set of various views of a drawing combined onto a sheet, originally for printing. In AutoCAD products, each layout sheet (sometimes referred to as “paper space” or paper mode) has a defined paper size, orientation, and other page settings.