To start the Torus command, you can type the command name TORUS (or just type TOR) and then press Enter. Alternatively, you can click on the Torus button found in the Create panel in the 3D Basics workspace, as shown in the following screenshot. If you are using the 3D Modeling workspace, you will find the Torus button in the Modeling panel under the Home tab, or in the Primitive panel under the Solid tab, as shown in the following screenshot:

The Torus command can be used to quickly and easily create 3D solid Torus objects, as shown in the following step-by-step example:

1. After starting the command, use the mouse to specify the center point location of the Torus. Alternatively, you can enter the coordinates using the keyboard.
2. Move the mouse and click to specify the radius of the Torus. Alternatively, you can enter the radius value using the keyboard.
3. Move the mouse cursor to specify the tube radius and then click to finish. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard to enter the radius value and then press Enter to finish.

The following screenshot is an illustration of the previous steps:

If you select the Wedge object, you will find a collection of different types of grab (control) points, and these can be divided into three types as follows:

• On the tube circumference, there are four small arrows to control the tube radius.
• On the center line of the tube, there is a small arrow to control the Torus radius.
• At the center point, you will find the Torus base point, highlighted as a small square, as shown in the following screenshot:

The small arrows found on the tube circumference can be used to modify the tube radius, as shown in the following step-by-step example:

1. Use the mouse cursor to pick one of the tube radius control points.
2. Move the arrow to modify the tube radius. Observe that the shape of the Wedge will change dynamically as the mouse moves.
3. Click again to finish.

The following screenshot is an illustration of the previous steps:

The small arrow on the tube's center line can be used to modify the Torus radius, as shown in the following step-by-step example:

1. Pick the arrow on the Torus tube center line.
2. Move the arrow to modify the Torus radius. Observe that the shape of the Torus will change dynamically as the mouse moves. Alternatively, you can enter the desired value using the keyboard.
3. Click again to finish.

The following screenshot is an illustration of the previous steps:

And finally, the base point (highlighted as a square in the center point) can be used to pick and move the Torus.

There are a number of options associated with the Torus command. These options make provision for alternative methods in creating the Torus. The first set of options appears in the command bar right after you start the command, as shown in the following screenshot:

The Torus is created by drawing a circle, which is the center line of the Torus tube, and then specifying the Torus tube radius. The options in this set are alternative methods for creating that circle. They are identical to the first set of options in the Cylinder command. Please refer to the Creating Cylinders section for details of these three options:

The second set of options appears after you specify the center point of the Torus. This set contains one option called Diameter. By selecting this option, you will specify the diameter of the Torus instead of the radius in the default setting.

The third set of options appears after the tube center line circle is created. This contains two options. The first one is 2Point. This option is an alternative method for specifying the radius of the Torus tube. It is exactly the same as the 2Point option in the Box command. For further details, please refer to the Creating Boxes section.

The second option is called Diameter. This can be selected to specify the diameter of the Torus tube instead of the radius in the default setting:

We have learned how to create the seven primitive 3D solid objects. These simple shapes can be combined together or modified to create more complex 3D models, as will be shown in the following chapters. For now, let's have a look at another type of 3D solid object in AutoCAD, which is known as a Polysolid.