BCP 122 – Computer Aided Design 2D ZPPSU - Siay
1.0 - The CAD
Anticipated Problem: What is CAD? What is CADD? How is CAD
software used? What are typical industrial and commercial applications?
There are many uses for CAD software. Every year, more and more
industries utilize CAD capabilities in the construction of everything from
cars to dresses. Some of these uses and basic CAD definitions will be
approached in this lesson.
CAD: Computer-aided drafting (CAD) is software used to create
precision drawings, technical illustrations, or models according to specific
industry or company standards. CAD can be used to create 2D drawings,
2D and 3D surfaces, or 3D models. CAD software is used to increase
productivity, to improve communications through documentation, and to
create a database for manufacturing. CAD utilizes international, national,
and industry-specific standards. Standards are the guidelines that specify
drawing requirements, techniques, operating procedures, record-keeping
methods, and appearance. CAD output is often in the form of electronic
files. These files are used for:
Printing hard copies
Storing work in the cloud for collaborative purposes
Storing drawings on a hard drive
Sending files directly to CNC (computerized) machinery
CADD: Computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) is CAD
with additional drafting and design features. With CADD, you can design
and visualize 2D drawings and/or 3D models. A 2D drawing (2D) is an
illustration that occupies two dimensions and resides only on the x- and y-
axes. A 3D model (3D) is a drawing that occupies three dimensions, the x-,
y-, and z-axes. For example, you use CADD to design an I-beam for a
bridge system. This I-beam must support the load of the entire structure.
If not calculated correctly, the bridge would collapse. The creation of this
design involves more than just shapes. The output of CADD must convey
3D information to correctly identify:
Materials
Processes
Dimensions
BCP 122 – Computer Aided Design 2D ZPPSU - Siay
Tolerances
MANUFACTURING: There are many CADD applications in the
manufacturing sector.
1. Aerospace: Aerospace is a high-tech industry that manufactures
space vehicles, satellites, aircraft, missiles, and equipment
components. The price tag on any single aerospace product can be
several million dollars, and CAD software plays an integral role in
making sure things are built to spec. Before the product is
constructed, every detail is thoroughly planned using CAD software.
2. Architecture: Architectural designs that are created for large,
expensive buildings (or small, cost-savings ones) require tedious
planning. CAD is used to design 2D and 3D floor plans and
schematics for, houses, office buildings, and industrial structures.
Aside from the actual architecture and layout of a structure, CAD is
used to determine proper equipment, building, and material
specifications prior to construction.
3. Automotive: Automotive companies use CAD software in every
aspect of vehicle design. It’s used to create prototypes of new body
styles and to design auto components such as tires, engines,
circuitry boards, upholstery, and more.
BCP 122 – Computer Aided Design 2D ZPPSU - Siay
4. Cartography: Cartography is the creation of maps. Throughout
history, most maps were drafted by hand. Modern cartographers use
CAD to chart climates, roadways, and topographic maps. Autodesk
has a Maps 3D CAD system that can create realistic geographic and
topographic maps.
5. Civil Engineering: Civil engineers are urban planners. They use
CADD software to design municipal infrastructure elements,
including bridges, parks, industrial units, office complexes, and
more.
6. Fashion Design: Fashion designers often sketched one-of-a-kind
creations by hand. Now, they can not only use CAD software in the
latter part of the design process to provide more detail for
manufacturers, they can also use integrated touchscreen pads to
BCP 122 – Computer Aided Design 2D ZPPSU - Siay
draw. Clothing manufacturers use CAD software to determine the
most efficient use of materials and to adjust the scale of patterns to
different sizes. Using virtual models, the software can even be used
to show how clothing will fit and move.
7. Interior Design: Interior designers bring their visions to life
through detailed 2D and 3D CADD designs. This software allows
designers to show clients how a room will look, right down to the
paint color.
8. Landscape Architecture: Landscape architects use CAD software
to conceptualize stunning outdoor creations and to determine the
best placement of various landscaping components, such as trees,
fences, gardens, patios, etc.
1.1 CAD Interface
Anticipated Problem: How do you begin to interface with
AutoCAD? What is an interface? What are examples of CAD interfaces?
BCP 122 – Computer Aided Design 2D ZPPSU - Siay
An interface is any device used to input data, such as the keyboard
and mouse, and the devices used to receive computer inputs, such as the
monitor. A CAD interface is a windows-style tool that includes an
application menu bar, ribbon, dialog boxes, AutoCAD toolbars, and other
CAD-specific items. This lesson will show AutoCAD 2018 interface features
and basic CAD principles. These basic principles will apply to all versions.
A. OPEN PROGRAM:
First, the user opens AutoCAD by one of the following methods:
1. Double-clicking the CAD program icon on desktop.
2. Right-clicking the CAD program icon on desktop and then
selecting Open.
3. Clicking on the Windows Start button and then clicking on
the CAD program.
B. START TAB:
The Start tab is an element of the AutoCAD tab system that displays
immediately upon launching the program. This tab provides easy access
to drawing template files, recently opened files, and online learning
options.
1. Start Drawing opens a blank illustration or diagram.
BCP 122 – Computer Aided Design 2D ZPPSU - Siay
2. Recent Documents shows nine recently opened drawings or sheets. In
newer versions, the top right-hand corner of each file image has a
thumbtack icon. If clicked, the file will be “pinned” to always appear in
recent documents.
3. Notifications shows any product updates or tips.
4. Connect provides instant access to online services.
C. GUI: The graphical user interface (GUI)
is an onscreen feature that allows the user to interact with the
software. This is a drafting and annotation workspace that activates when
a user begins a new drawing. It displays interface features above and
below a large drawing window (also called the graphics window), and it
contains the commands and options used most often for 2D drawing. A
workspace is a preset work environment containing specific interface
tools. An existing workspace display can be converted to a different
workspace, such as 3D Basics, or 3D Modeling. The use of CAD controls is
similar to using controls in another windows-based program.
D. SHORTCUTS:
A shortcut menu (also known as a cursor menu, right-click menu, or
pop-up menu) is a general or context-sensitive menu available by right-
clicking on interface items or objects. Since the menus are context-
sensitive (tied to a specific, active command or option), they pop up for
specific functions. For example:
1. Left-clicking the mouse picks an item on the screen.
2. Right-clicking the mouse activates shortcut menus for that
selected item.
E. SPACE BAR:
BCP 122 – Computer Aided Design 2D ZPPSU - Siay
The space bar (the long key on a keyboard) can be substituted for
the Enter Key or used to redeploy the previous command.
F. TOOLBAR:
A toolbar is an interface that contains buttons that start commands.
A toolbar can be floating or docked, and it can be hidden or displayed. A
floating toolbar is an interface that contains tool buttons (in a drop-
down list) that the user can display at any location in the graphics window.
It can be dragged to a new location, resized, or docked. A docked
toolbar is an interface that contains tool buttons or drop-down lists that
are locked to a specific location in the graphics window.
G. ESCAPE:
The escape key [Esc] allows the user to break out of a command,
option, or dialog box.
H. APPLICATION MENU:
The application menu is a list of commands relating to the drawing
as a whole, such as creating new drawings, opening drawing files,
printing, etc. Below is a list of menu options usually found.
1. New
2. Open
3. Save
4. SaveAs
5. Import
6. Export
7. Publish
8. Print
9. Drawing Utilities
10. Close
I. QUICK ACCESS:
Quick access toolbars are interfaces that contain tool buttons
representing a CAD command or option. They are the quickest, most
effective ways to manage certain drawing settings. Default tool buttons
include New, Open, Save, SaveAs, Plot, Undo, and Redo.
BCP 122 – Computer Aided Design 2D ZPPSU - Siay
J. RIBBON:
A ribbon is a series of tabs organized into panels that contain many
of the tools and controls available in toolbars. A ribbon panel is a
collection of panes divided into groups of commands. It provides a
convenient location from which to select commands and options that
traditionally require access by extensive typing. The ribbon docks
horizontally below the CAD title bar by default. It contains the base menus
for all functions. The tabs include Home, Insert, Annotate, Parametric,
View, Manage, Output, Add-ins, A360, Express Tools (2018 version),
Featured Apps (2018 version), and the minimize/maximize button.
K. PALETTE:
A palette (Tool palettes in AutoCAD) is a special window containing
tool buttons and features for specific graphics or commands. They have
controls for many CAD functions, such as list boxes, scroll bars, line
weights, arrow styles, modeling functions, etc. Palettes can remain open
while other commands are active. A drafter can create their own Tool
palette for use of commonly used commands and graphic controls.
BCP 122 – Computer Aided Design 2D ZPPSU - Siay
L. STATUS BAR:
The status bar controls a variety of drawing aids and commands,
and it is often the easiest way to manage certain drawing settings. The
status bar appears along the lower right edge of the CAD window, below
the command line.
M. DIALOG BOX:
A dialog box is a windows-style interface that contains various
settings and information. Many dialog boxes are available during a
drawing session, including those used to create, save, and open files. An
AutoCAD interface opens with a startup dialog box that is used to create
or setup the first drawing file (from scratch, using a setup wizard or a
template file). Dialog boxes contain many of the same features found in
other interface items, such as icons, text, buttons, and fly-outs. [NOTE: A
default value is a setting that AutoCAD maintains until the user changes
that setting. Default values are inside the chevrons at the end of each
question AutoCAD asks the user when a command is executed.
N. COMMAND:
BCP 122 – Computer Aided Design 2D ZPPSU - Siay
The command line is a palette that can float, be docked, or be
resized, and receive typed commands. The command line is located at the
bottom of the graphic user interface and above the status bar. The user
can type any command in the open command box, otherwise known as
the command prompt.
O. SHORTCUT:
A keyboard shortcut is a command alias (a code name) for a
complete keyboard entry; usually a one-, two-, or three-key shortcut that
issues a command or selects an option. Keyboard shortcuts allow the user
to perform CAD functions quickly. Many keys on the keyboard are known
as shortcut keys. Some examples include:
1. Pressing the L key = creates straight line segments
2. Pressing the C key = creates a circle
3. Pressing the E key = erase
4. Pressing the PL keys = a PLINE creates a 2D polyline (on the
ribbon, displayed as Polyline)
P. TOOLTIP:
A ToolTip is a small context-sensitive menu that pops-up when the
user hovers over an icon.
Q. SAVING WORK:
Work should be saved every 10 to 15 minutes. Some drawings and
3D models can get very large, which can cause the system to crash when
too many files are open on the desktop. Frequent or automatic file saving
can keep work from being lost. A user can choose the autosave feature by
right-clicking in an empty drawing file. In the pop-up menu, the user would
choose Options. In the Open and Save tab, Automatic save should be
checked. If there is a crash, these files can be found with an “sv$” file
extension. Users should not rely on autosave features. Saving work every
10 to 15 minutes keeps multiple headaches from happening.