Computer Aided Drafting (CAD)

By: Ma. Ellen L. Estrellado

Asst. Professor II

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COURSE OUTLINE:
WEEK TOPIC LEARNING OUTCOMES

Orientation on: a. Learn the readiness of the students in the upcoming semester
1  SSC VMGO/GAD/DRR (MGCQ
Principles) b. Identify their learning outcomes and expectations for the
 Legal Mandates of creating course.
SSC c. Recognize each student’s capacity to learn with this “new
 School Rules and Regulations normal” modality.
 Grading Policy
 GAD Briefing
Introduction to CADD
The Autocadd Interface a. Discuss basic knowledge in CADD.
Units and limits
2-4 UCS Icon b. Understand different coordinates system.
Coordinate System
 Absolute c. Understand the importance ofprecision in each drawing.
 Relative
 Polar
Visual Reference/Status Bar
Commands
 Functions keys
 Draw Tools
 Modify Tools a. Familiarization with the Basic Tools/Commands in
5-6  View Commands AutoCADD.
 Open and Save Files
 Other commands b. Create Simple Drawing using Basic entities.
Drawing Precision
 Grid c. Understanding the importance of precision in each
 Object Snap drawing.
 Polar Tracking
 Ortho
 Dynamic Input
7-9
Dimensioning a. Discuss the different types of dimensions in a drawing.
Layers and Blocks
Lay out b. Understand AutoCADD Layering system.
Plotting/Printing
c. Create, practice and apply learning’s in Plotting and Printing in
your drawing.
10 MIDTERM EXAM Written Midterm Exam

Introduction to 3D Drawing a. Discuss the difference between 2D Drawing and 3D Drawing.

Workspace
 Common UI Elements b. Understands the different workspaces and common UI
3D Views Elements.
11 - 14 3D Visual Styles c. Understand and practice different 3D views, 3D Navigation
3D Navigation Tools tools and Visual styles in 3 Dimensional drawing.
3D Commands d. Practice the basic 3D commands.

Simple Solid Drawing a. Create simple solid objects suing basic 3D commands.
Complex 3D Geometry b. Create/practice solid objects and apply knowledge using
15 - 17 Boolean Operation Boolean operation.
 Union, Subtract, Intersect c. Create 3D modeling using complex 3D Geometry.
18 FINAL EXAM

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A. INTRODUCTION TO CAD

Computer Aided Design (CAD) is simply; a design and drafting with the aid of a computer.
Design is creating a real product from an idea. Drafting is the production of the drawings that are
used to document a design.

AutoCAD is used by every Engineering and Design office in the world. Mechanical and
Electrical Engineers, Civil Engineers, Architect and Aeronautical Engineers plus many other
disciplines.

CAD Software

AutoCAD is a computer aided design software developed by Autodesk Inc. AutoCAD was first
introduced in 1982. By the year 2000, it is estimated that there were over 4 million AutoCAD users
worldwide.

AutoCADD system is a powerful application that can create accurate drawing from 2D (2
Dimensional) to 3D (3 Dimensional) ‘models'; giving the designer absolute control over the design
from start to finish. Object created can be rendered on screen to give an idea of what the finished
“product” looks like.

In order to become effective and efficient in using a CAD system, the students must learn to
create geometric entities quickly and accurately. Lines and circles are the first two, and perhaps the
most important two, geometric entities that one should master the skills of creating and modifying.
Straight lines and circles are used in almost all technical designs. In examining the different types of
planar geometric entities, the importance of lines and circles becomes obvious. Triangles and
polygons are planar figures bounded by straight lines. Ellipses and splines can be constructed by
connecting arcs with different ranges. In this module, the different ways of creating lines and circles
using AutoCAD® 2017 version are examined.

Starting Up AutoCAD 2017:

1. Select the AutoCAD 2017 option on the Program menu or select the AutoCAD 2017 icon on the
Desktop. Click Start Drawing to start a new drawing.

2. Once the program is loaded into memory, the AutoCAD 2017 main drawing screen will appear on
the screen.
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Note: AutoCAD automatically assigns generic names, Drawing X, as new drawings are
created. In our example, AutoCAD opened the graphics window using the default system
units and assigned the drawing name [Link] (.dwg is the filename extension of
AutoCADD).

By default, AutoCADD has four workspaces configurations:

 2D Drafting & annotation

 3D Modelling
 AutoCADD Classic
 Initial SetUp Workspace

B. FAMILARIZATION WITH AUTOCADD INTERFACE

D E G
F
B

A
C I
H
K
J L

A. Visual Styles – workspace visual styles helps users view the different angle of drawing/model
(in 3D) .
B. Application Menu – use to access the commands such as New, Open, Save, Print and Close
C. Ribbon - The ribbon is a UI tool that contains various commands organized into tabs and
panels.
D. Quick access Toolbar - contains icons for the following commands: Qnew, Open, QSave,
SaveAs, Plot, Undo, and Redo. But like most other UI elements, you can customize this to
meet accessibility of some of the commands frequently access in CADD
E. Menu Bar – contains group of commands according to usage.
F. Title Bar- the default filename assigned by AutoCADD system.
G. Navigation Cube – this indicates the perspective you are viewing your drawing from. The
cube contains “TOP,” “FRONT,” “LEFT,” “RIGHT,” “BACK,” and “BOTTOM.”
H. Cursor/Crosshair – the icon used to point to objects in AutoCADD. Usually navigated using
the mouse.

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I. Drawing Area – the black portion area in AutoCADD where the user can create the drawing.
J. UCS Icon – User Coordinate System specifies the 2D XY work plane and 3D X,Y and Z Icon.
The work plane is the plane that all 2D drawings snap to.
K. Command Window - The command window is located at the bottom of the application. All
the commands that the user entered or activated manually are displayed.
L. Status Bar – used to tunt ON and OFF AutoCADD settings/ It contains GRID, OSNAP,ORTHO,
SNAP, POLAR buttons.

THE FUNCTION OF THE MOUSE

The mouse is a very useful and important part of creating a drawing in CADD. As a pointing
device the following are themouse controls for navigating autoCADD Software for your drawing.

C. UNITS AND LIMITS

C.1 UNITS
There are a few steps you should take before you start a drawing with AutoCAD. Firstly, you
should ensure that you’re using the right unit measurements. In the Command window TYPE UNITS
press enter, then setup the Units according to the specification of your drawing:

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C.2 SETTING UP THE DRAWING AREA LIMITS :

Setting the Drawing Limits controls the extents of the display of the grid. It also serves as a
visual reference that marks the working area. It can also be used to prevent construction outside
the grid limits and as a plot option that defines an area to be plotted/printed. Note that this
setting does not limit the region for geometry construction.
 In the command prompt area, the message “Reset Model Space Limits: Specify lower left
corner or *On/Off+ :” is displayed. Press the ENTER key once to accept the default
coordinates .

 In the command prompt area, the message “Specify upper right corner :” is displayed.
Press the ENTER key again to accept the default coordinates .

 Move the graphics cursor near the upper-right corner inside the drawing area and note
that the drawing area is unchanged. (The Drawing Limits command is used to set the
drawing area, but the display will not be adjusted until a display command is used.)
 Move the graphics cursor near the upper-right corner inside the drawing area and note
that the display area is updated.

D. AUTOCAD USER COORDINATE SYSTEM (UCS) ICON

AutoCAD has a User Coordinate System (UCS) Icon, which is a moveable Cartesian coordinate
system that establishes the XY work plane, horizontal and vertical directions, and other geometric
references. Of course, this is a very simplified overview of AutoCAD’s coordinate systems. As with
many other AutoCAD tools, we recommend opening a blank drawing to test everything out. While it
might seem difficult at first, you’ll soon get to grips with it

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When it comes to AutoCAD, everything requires ultimate precision. You’ll start to notice this
when you begin using AutoCAD’s drawing tools, some of which will ask you to specify start points and
end points. In some cases, you’ll be able to specify points with just the click of your mouse. In other
cases, however, you’ll need to specify points by using coordinates. This is vital when you need
extreme precision—for example, architects require everything to be extremely accurate in their floor
plans and blueprints.

In a two-dimensional space, a point can be represented using different coordinate systems.

The point can be located, using a Cartesian coordinate system, as X and Y units away from the origin.
The same point can also be located using the polar coordinate system, as r and θ units away from the
origin.

For planar geometry, the polar coordinate system is very useful for certain applications. In
the polar coordinate system, points are defined in terms of a radial distance, r, from the origin and an
angle θ between the direction of r and the positive X axis. The default system for measuring angles in
AutoCAD® 2017 defines positive angular values as counter-clockwise from the positive X-axis.

D. 1 ABSOLUTE , RELATIVE AND POLAR COORDINATES

AutoCAD® 2017 also allows us to use absolute and relative coordinates to quickly construct objects.
 Absolute coordinates: all input points are specified using standard Cartesian coordinates.

Command: x,y [Enter].

Enter LINE command: L [Enter]

Start line at point A: 0,0 [Enter]
End first line at point B: 2,2 [Enter]
End of second line at point C: 2,3 [Enter]

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 Relative coordinates: after you’ve entered your first point, your next point can be entered by

specifying the next coordinate relative from your first point.

Command: @x,y [Enter].

Enter LINE command: L [Enter]

Start line at point A: 0,0 [Enter]
End first line at point B: @2,2 [Enter]
End of second line at point C: @0,1 [Enter]

 Polar coordinates: are used when you need to draw the next point at a specific angle and

distance. Command: @distance<angle [Enter].

Enter LINE command: L [Enter]

Start line at point A: 0,0 [Enter]
End first line at point B: @2.828<45 [Enter]
End of second line at point C: @1<90 [Enter]

E. VISUAL REFERENCE/STATUS BAR

AutoCAD® 2017 provides us with many tools to aid the construction of our designs. This is
with the help of the buttons located at the Status Bar which consist of SNAP, GRID, ORTHO etc..

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For example, the GRID and SNAP MODE options can be used to get a visual reference as to the
size of objects and learn to restrict the movement of the cursor to a set increment on the screen.
The GRID and SNAP MODE options can be turned ON or OFF through the Status Bar. The Status
Bar area is located at the bottom left of the AutoCAD drawing screen, next to the cursor
coordinates ( SEE FIGURE BELOW).

The second button in the Status Bar is the SNAP MODE option and the third button is the GRID
DISPLAY option. Note that the buttons in the Status Bar area serve two functions: (1) the status
of the specific option, and (2) as toggle switches that can be used to turn these special options
ON and OFF. When the corresponding button is highlighted, the specific option is turned ON.
Using the buttons is a quick and easy way to make changes to these drawing aid options. Another
aspect of the buttons in the Status Bar is these options can be switched on and off in the middle
of another command.

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GRID ON
1. Left-click the GRID button in the Status Bar to turn ON the GRID DISPLAY option. (Notice in the
command prompt area, the message “<Grid ON>” is also displayed; or Hit the function key *F7+
once to turn off /on the display of the Grid lines. A grid is displayed in the drawing area. Notice
that it covers a limited area, the grid limits.

2. Move the cursor inside the graphics window, and estimate the distance in between the grid lines
by watching the coordinates display at the bottom of the screen. To set grid spacing:

 On the status bar, right-click the Grid button. Click Settings.

 In the Drafting Settings dialog box, Snap and Grid tab, ensure that Grid On (F7) is selected.

 Under Grid Spacing, do the following:

 In the Grid X Spacing box, enter 0.5000 to set the horizontal grid spacing in units.

 In the Grid Y Spacing box, enter 0.5000 to set the vertical grid spacing in units.

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 Click OK

TO SET SNAP SPACING

 On the status bar, right-click the Snap Mode button and click Settings.

 In the Drafting Settings dialog box, Snap and Grid tab, ensure that Snap On (F9) is selected.

 Under Snap Spacing, do the following:

 In the Snap X Spacing box, enter 0.5000 to set the horizontal snap spacing value in
units.

 In the Snap Y Spacing box, enter 0.5000 to set the vertical snap spacing value in units.

 Click OK

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OBJECT SNAP

Object snap enables you to snap to “objects” in very specific and accurate locations on the
objects. For example: The endpoint of a line or the center of a circle.

a. Selecting an Object Snap option using the Toolbar: Select View / Toolbars. Select the
toolbar tab and then the Object Snap box. (Close the Customize dialog box)

b. Selecting an Object Snap option using a Popup Menu: (I prefer this method) Method 1:
Press the wheel and the Object Snap menu will appear.

(Note: The command “Mbuttonpan” must be set to 0. Refer to Intro-10) Method 2: While
holding down the shift key, press the right mouse button and the Object Snap menu will appear.

OBJECT SNAP OPTIONS:

Settings for Object Snap

1. Select the Running Object Snap option using one of the following:

TYPE = OS <ENTER>

PULL DOWN = TOOLS / DRAFTING SETTINGS

Right Click on the OSNAP tile, on the Status Bar, and select SETTINGS.

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(The dialog box below will appear.)

2. Select the OBJECT SNAP tab.

3. Select the Object Snap desired (3a) and then OK. (3b)

EXAMPLE:

Endpoint: Midpoint

Centerpoint:

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F. COMMANDS

F. 1 FUNCTION KEYS
LIST OF COMMANDS AND IT’S FUNCTIONS:

F1 Help Explanations of Commands.

F2 Flipscreen Toggles from Text Screen to Graphics Screen.

F3 Osnap Toggles Osnap On and Off.

F4 Tablet Toggles the Tablet On and Off.

F5 Isoplane Changes the Isoplane from Top to Right to Left.

F6 Coordinate Display Changes the display from ON / Off /.

F7 Grid Toggles the Grid On or Off.

F8 Ortho Toggles Ortho On or Off.

F9 Snap Toggles Increment Snap on or off.

F10 Polar Toggles Polar Tracking On or Off.

F11 Otrack Toggles Object Snap Tracking On and Off.

F.2 DRAW TOOLS:

LINE :- This command is used to draw a straight line.

Activation:

1. Draw toolbar => Line icon.

2. Draw menu => Line option.
3. Type Line and press enter or L (shortcut key) and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

A LINE can be one segment or a series of connected segments. Each segment is an individual object.
One segment Series of connected segments.

Lines are drawn by specifying the locations for the endpoints. Move the cursor to the location of the
“first” endpoint then press the left mouse button. Move the cursor again to the “next” endpoint and
press the left mouse button. Continue locating “next” endpoints until you want to stop.

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Note: Please open the link below, select Part 2 - LINE COMMAND
[Link]

CIRCLE :- This command is used to draw a Circle.

There are 6 options to create a circle. The default option is “Center, radius”. (Probably because
that is the most common method of creating a circle.)
We will try the “Center, radius” option first.
1. Start the Circle command by using one of the following:
TYPING = C <Enter>

TOOLBAR = DRAW

2. The following will appear on the command line:

Command: _circle Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]:

3. Locate the center point for the circle by moving the cursor to the desired location in the
drawing area and press the left mouse button.
4. Now move the cursor away from the center point and you should see a circle forming.

5. When it is approximately the size desired, press the left mouse button, or if you want the
exact size, type the radius and then press .

Note: To use one of the other methods described below, first select the Circle command, then press
the right mouse button. A “short cut” menu will appear. Select the method desired by placing the
cursor on the option and pressing the left mouse button. Or you can type 3P or 2P or T, then press .
(The short cut menu is simple and more efficient.)

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Option 1:

Option 2:

Option 3:

Option 4:

Option 5:

Option 6:

Note: Please open the link below, select Part 2 - CIRCLE COMMAND
[Link]
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RECTANGLE

Command/Shortcut: RECTANGLE / REC

Location: Draw > Rectangle
The RECTANGLE command is used to draw a rectangle with sides that are vertical and
horizontal. You can specify the position and size of the rectangle by choosing two diagonal corners.
Essentially, a rectangle is a closed polyline that is automatically drawn for you by AutoCAD.

To create a rectangle you must specify two diagonal corners or Length and Width. The rectangle can
be any size and the sides are always drawn horizontal and vertical. A Rectangle is one object, not four
separate lines.
Command: _REC press Enter
Specify first corner point or [Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]:
Specify the location of the first corner by moving the cursor to a location (P1) and
then press the left mouse button. The following will appear on the command line: Specify
other corner point or [Dimensions]: 4
Specify the location of the diagonal corner (P2) by moving the cursor diagonally from
the first corner (P1) and pressing the left mouse button.

POLYGON

Command/Shortcut: Polygon/Poly
Location: Draw >

Rectangles and other closed polylines are types of polygons, or closed figures with three or
more sides. The AutoCAD POLygon command provides a quick way of drawing regular polygons (all
sides and angles are equal).
Click Polygon from the Rectangle drop-down list on the Draw panel of the Home tab, or type
POL and press Enter.

AutoCAD starts the POLygon command and prompts you to enter the number of sides for the
polygon.

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Drawing lots of polygons in AutoCAD is a practice known as polygony.

Note: Please open the link below, select Part 2 - POLYGON COMMAND
[Link]

ARC
Draw > Arc.

To create an arc, you can specify combinations of center, endpoint, start point, radius, angle,
chord length, and direction values. Arcs are drawn in a counterclockwise direction by default. Hold
down the Ctrl key as you drag to draw in a clockwise direction.

The following prompts are displayed.

Start point

Draws an arc using three specified points on the arc's circumference. The first point is the start point
(1).

Second point

Specify the second point (2) is a point on the circumference of the arc.

End point
Specify the final point (3) on the arc.

You can specify a three-point arc either clockwise or counterclockwise.

Center

Specify the second point (2) is the center of the circle of which the arc is a part.

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End point
Using the center point (2), draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (1) to an
endpoint that falls on an imaginary ray drawn from the center point through the third point (3).

Note: Please open the link below, select Part 2 - ARC COMMAND
[Link]

POLYLINE

Command/Shortcut: PLINE / PL
Location: Draw > Polyline
A polyline is a connected sequence of line or arc segments created as a single object. You can
use this command to create open or closed polylines. These polylines can have a constant width or
different starting and ending widths. Once you’ve specified the first point of the polyline, you can use
the Width option to specify the width of all the subsequently created segments.

Hatch
Command/Shortcut: HATCH / H
Location: Draw > Hatch
A hatch is an object that covers an area with a pattern of lines, dots, shapes, solid fill color, or
gradient fill. When you start this command, the ribbon will display the ‘hatch creation’ tab where you
can pick from a variety of hatch patterns. After you’ve chosen your pattern and the scale, you just
need to click inside an area that’s enclosed by objects. After you’ve created the hatch, you can adjust
the area or delete any surrounding objects to create partial hatches.

METHOD:
 Specify a point in an area that is enclosed by objects.

 Select objects that enclose an area.

 Specify boundary points using the -HATCH Draw option.

 Drag a hatch pattern into an enclosed area from a tool palette or DesignCenter.

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Example:

F. 3 MODIFY COMMANDS:

COPY :- This command is used to create a duplicate of selected object(s) in the same file.

Activation:-

1. Modify toolbar => Copy Object icon.

2. Modify menu => Copy option.
3. Type COPY and press enter or CO and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

Example:

MOVE :- This command is used to change the position of selected object(s) in the same file.

Activation:-
Modify toolbar => Move Object icon.
1. Modify menu => Move option.
2. Type MOVE and press enter or MO and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

Note: Please open the link below, select Part 3 – MOVE AND COPY COMMANDS
[Link]

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TRIM :- This command is used to erase a part of an existing object, beyond a defined
cutting edge.

Activation:-

1. Modify toolbar => Trim icon.

2. Modify menu => Trim option.
3. Type TRIM and press enter or TR and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

EXTEND :- This command is used to extend a part of an existing object, up to a defined

boundary.

Activation:-

1. Modify toolbar => Extend icon.

2. Modify menu => Extend option.
3. Type EXTEND and press enter or EX and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

Note: Please open the link below, select Part 3 – TRIM AND EXTEND COMMAND
[Link]

OFFSET :- This command is used to draw the parallel of selected object.

Activation:-

1. Modify toolbar => Offset icon.

2. Modify menu => Offset option.
3. Type OFFSET and press enter or O and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

MIRROR :- This command is used to create the Mirror image of selected object(s).

Activation:-

1. Modify toolbar => Mirror icon.

2. Modify menu => Mirror option.
3. Type MIRROR and press enter or MI and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

Note: Please open the link below, select Part 3 – OFFSET AND MIRROR COMMAND
[Link]

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CHAMFER:-
1. A chamfer is an angled corner. The Chamfer option automatically draws all 4 corners with
chamfers, (all the same size). You must specify the distance for each side of the corner as distance 1
and distance
2. To create Bevel about a corner.

Activation:-

1. Modify Toolbar => Chamfer icon.

2. Modify menu => Chamfer option.
3. Type CHAMFER and press enter or CHA and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

FILLET :- A fillet is a rounded corner. The fillet option automatically draws all 4 corners with
fillets, (all the same size). You must specify the radius for the rounded corners.

Activation:-
1. Modify toolbar => Fillet icon.
2. Modify menu => Fillet option
3. Type FILLET and press enter or F and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

Note: Please open the link below, select Part 3 – CHAMFER AND FILLET COMMAND
[Link]

ROTATE :- This command is used to Rotate selected object(s).

Activation:-

1. Modify toolbar => Rotate icon.

2. Modify menu => Rotate option.
3. Type ROTATE and press enter or RO and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

Note: Please open the link below, select Part 3 – ROTATE COMMAND
[Link]

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ERASE:- This command is used to delete selected object(s) from the file.

Activation:-

1. Modify toolbar => Erase icon.

2. Modify menu => Erase option.
3. Type Erase and press enter or E and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

ARRAY :- This command is used to create multiple duplicates of selected object(s) at regular
interval.

Activation:-

1. Modify toolbar => Array icon.

2. Modify menu => Array option.
3. Type AR and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

Note: Please open the link below, select Part 3 – POLAR AND RECTANGULAR ARRAY COMMAND
[Link]

EXPLODE :- This command is used to break an object into different segments. Explode
command is used on those objects, which are drawn by Polygon, Polyline commands

Activation:-

1. Modify toolbar => Explode icon.

2. Modify menu => Explode option
3. Type X and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

F. 4 VIEW COMMANDS:

Zoom in on a drawing to better control the order of overlapping objects. The easiest way to
change your view is by using the mouse wheel.

• Zoom in or out by rolling the wheel.

• Pan a view in any direction by holding the wheel down while moving your mouse.

• Zoom in on a specific area for greater detail holding your mouse over the area and clicking
the wheel twice.

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ZOOM :- This command is used to control the display size of an object. This command
does not change the actual size of the object.

Activation:-

1. View menu => Zoom option.

2. Type Zoom and press enter or Z and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.
Example:

PAN :- This command is used to move the drawing sheet dynamically. It can be used as the
substitute of scroll.

Activation:-

1. Standard toolbar => Pan icon.

2. View menu => Pan Real Time option.
3. Type PAN and press enter or P and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.
4. Right click on blank area on screen => Click on Pan option.

F. 5 TO OPEN AND SAVE FILES (More discussion on page 28 )

NEW :- This command is used to create a New File.

Activation:-

1. Standard toolbar => New icon.

2. File menu => New option.
3. Press Ctrl+N from keyboard.

OPEN :- This command is used to open a pre-existing file.

Activation:-

1. File menu => Open option.

2. Standard toolbar => Open icon
3. Press Ctrl+O from keyboard.

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SAVE :- This command is used to store the drawing in the secondary storage device for
future use.

Activation:-

1. Standard toolbar => Save icon.

2. File menu => Save option.
3. Press Ctrl+S from keyboard.

SAVE AS :- This command is used create a copy of the activated file.

Activation:-

1. File menu => Save As option.

F.6 Other Commands

LAYER :- This command is used to create new Layer. (See Lesson 4)

Activation:-

1. Layers toolbar => Layer icon.

2. Format menu => Layer option.
3. Type LAYER and press enter or LA and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

DTEXT (Single Line Text) :- This command is used to create Single Line Text object.

Activation:-

1. Draw menu => Text option => Single Line Text

2. Type DTEXT and press enter or DT and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

MTEXT (Multiline Text) :- This command is used to create Multiline Text object.

Activation:-

1. Draw toolbar => Multiline Text icon.

2. Draw menu => Text option => Multiline Text
3. Type MTEXT and press enter or MT and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

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STYLE :- This command is used to control the Text Style. By this command, we can create a
text style of different formatting effects.

Activation:-

1. Format menu => Text Style option

2. Type STYLE and press enter or ST and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

DDEDIT :- This command is used to modify any text.

Activation:-

1. Modify menu => Object option => Text option.

2. Type DDEDIT and press enter or ED and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

UNITS :- This command is used to control the type of measurement Unit.

Activation:-

1. Modify menu => Unit option (Either in Inches, Meter, Centimeter, etc)
2. Type UNITS and press enter or UN and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

DIMSTYLE (Dimension Style) :- This command is used to control the appearance of

dimensions.

Activation:-

1. Dimension toolbar => Dimension Style icon.

2. Dimension menu => Style option
3. Type DIMSTYLE and press enter or D and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

MVSETUP :- This command is used to draw any object using the R.F.
(Representative Fraction). This command is the combination of “Units” and “Limits” command.

Activation:-

1. Type MVSETUP and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

VIEWPORTS :- This command is used to divide the drawing area in different Viewports. In
these viewports, we can display different views of objects.

Activation:-

1. View menu => Viewports option.

2. Type VPORTS and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

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AREA :- This command is used to see the Area and the Perimeter of a closed plane

Activation:-

1. Tools menu => Inquiry => Area option

2. Type AREA and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

PEDIT (Polyline Edit) :- This command is used to modify previously drawn polyline. By this
command we can join two or more consecutive objects into a single object.

Activation:-

1. Modify menu => Object => Polyline option

2. Type PEDIT and press enter or PE and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

POINT :- This command is used to draw a Point object.

Activation:-

1. Draw toolbar => Point icon.

2. Type POINT and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

POINT STYLE :- This command is used to control the presentation of the point object.

Activation:-

1. Format menu => Point Style icon

DIVIDE :- This command is used to Divide an object into different equal divisions.

Activation:-

1. Draw menu => Point option Divide option.

2. Type DIVIDE and press enter or DIV and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

MEASURE :- This command is used to Divide an object into some divisions of defined equal
length.

Activation:-

1. Draw menu => Point option Measure option.

2. Type MEASURE and press enter or ME and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.
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BLOCK :- This command is used to create a New Block. If we use Block command to create
the block, the created block can be used in the source file only.

Activation:-

1. Type BLOCK and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

WRITE BLOCK :- This command is used to create a New Block. If we use Write Block
command to create Block, the created block can be used in any AutoCAD File.

Activation:-

1. Type WBLOCK and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

INSERT :- This command is used to Insert an existing Block in the active file.

Activation:-

1. Draw toolbar => Insert Block icon.

2. Insert menu => Block option.
3. Type INSERT and press enter or I and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

ATTDEF (Attribute Definition) :- This command is used to add block Attribute to a block. An
attribute is a label or tag that attaches data to a block.

Activation:-

1. Draw menu => Block option => Define Attribute option.

2. Type ATTDEF and press enter or ATT and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

XLINE (Construction Line) :- This command is used to create a endless line.

Activation:-

1. Draw toolbar => Construction Line icon.

2. Draw menu => Construction Line option.
3. Type XLINE and press enter or XL and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

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LENGTHEN:- This command is used to change the Length of an existing line. We can see the
length of a selected line at command prompt also.

Activation:-

1. Modify toolbar => Lengthen option.

2. Type LENGTHEN and press enter or LEN and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

PLOT :- This command is used to Print the Drawing on Paper.

Activation:-
1. Shortcut Key : Ctrl+P
2. File menu => Plot option.
3. Type PLOT and press enter at “COMMAND:” prompt.

G. PRECISION AND DRAWING TOOLS VISIT THIS WEBSITE

Note: Please open the link below, select Part 4 – DRAWING TOOLS
[Link]

ONLINE SOURCES/ REFERENCES:

 [Link]
 [Link]
 ARELLANO, Ernesto I.; (2012)AutoCADD 2D for All (2012). V.C. Deus Printing,
Tarlac City Ph.

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PRACTICE ACTIVITY 1B: SIMPLE PLATE

In this activity, we will sketch this simple L plate.

1. Open a new drawing. Click New

2. Make sure Ortho mode is ON, (it ON when it glow in blue)

click the icon to turn it ON or OFF. (or press F8 to toggle)

3. Type z [Space bar], e [Space bar]. This will zoom extents your drawing area.

4. Activate line command. Click LINE.

5. Specify first point of the line at 0,0. Type 0,0 [Enter].

6. Move your cursor to right side and type 8 [Enter].

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7. Move your cursor up side and type 4 [Enter].

8. Move your cursor to left side and type 4 [Enter].

9. Move your cursor up side and type 4 [Enter].

10. Move your cursor to left side and type 4 [Enter].

11. To close the sketch loop type c [Space bar].

Your sketch should look like this;

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Insert your name below, save your drawing and submit your output.

To confirm input command you can key press [Space bar] or [Enter].

Source ([Link]

ACTIVITY 2A: FILLET

1. Open a new drawing. Click New

2. Make sure Ortho mode is ON, (it ON when it glow in blue)

click the icon to turn it ON or OFF. (or press F8 to toggle)

3. Type z [Space bar], e [Space bar]. This will zoom extents your drawing area.

4. Activate rectangle command. Click Rectangle.

5. Specify first corner point of the rectangle at 0,0. Type 0,0 [Enter].

6. Move your cursor to right side and specify other corner point at 10,6. Type 10,6 [Enter].

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7. On ribbon tools, modify click Fillet.

8. Look at command line status;

After command fillet executed, the current fillet status show the current radius fillet is 0.0

9. Type R [Enter] to specify new fillet radius.

10. Specify fillet radius to 1, type 1 [Enter].

11. Click on first edge of fillet.

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12. Click on second edge of the fillet.

13. Press [Enter] to confirm.

14. Repeat step 7 to 13 to fillet other 3 edges.

15. Press [Esc] key few times to end Fillet command.

SOURCE: [Link]

ACTIVITY 2B: CHAMFER

1. Open a new drawing. Click New

2. Make sure Ortho mode is ON, (it ON when it glow in blue)

click the icon to turn it ON or OFF. (or press F8 to toggle)

3. Type z [Space bar], e [Space bar]. This will zoom extents your drawing area.

4. Activate rectangle command. Click Rectangle.

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5. Specify first corner point of the rectangle at 0,0. Type 0,0 [Enter].

6. Move your cursor to right side and specify other corner point at 10,6. Type 10,6 [Enter].

7. On ribbon tools, modify click Chamfer.

8. Look at command line status;

After command chamfer executed, we need to specify distance1 and distance2 of the chamfer.

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9. Specify chamfer distance to 1 .Type D and enter dist1=1 and dist2=1.

10. Click on first edge of the chamfer.

11. Click on second edge of the chamfer.

12. Press [Enter] to confirm the chamfer.

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13. Repeat step 7 to 12 to chamfer other 3 edges.

14. Press [Esc] key few times to end Chamfer command.

15. Save your [Link] do not forget to include your name below your drawing.

SOURCE: [Link]

ACTIVITY 3: Circle/washer

Learning Objective: To create simple washer using circle tool and centerpoint in Object Snap Bar.

1. Open a new drawing. Click New

2. Type z [Space bar], e [Space bar]. This will zoom extents your drawing area.

3. From the ribbon tools, click CIRCLE

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4. Specify center point of the circle at 0,0. Type 0,0 [Enter]

5. Look at command line, it showing input in radius mode;

to enter input in Diameter mode, type D [Enter].

6. Type 2 for inner diameter [Enter].

7. From the ribbon tools, click CIRCLE.

8. Make sure Object Snap Tracking is ON (1) and snap to center is active (2).

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9. Now point your cursor at center point of the last circle. When your cursor snap at center, click to define
center of new circle.

10. Look at command line, it showing input in radius mode;

to enter input in Diameter mode, type D [Enter].

Type 4 for inner diameter [Enter].

Insert dimension using

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11. Press [Esc] key few times to end circle command. Save your drawing.

Source: [Link]

H. DIMENSIONING
AUTOCADD provides a whole range of dimensioning tools which can be used to quickly
dimension any drawing without the need for measurement. Dimensioning in AUTOCADD is
automatic; lines, aroows and text are all taken care of by he dimension commands. AutoCADD
dimensions are specialblocks whick can easily be edited or erased as necessary.
The correct useof autoCADD dimension tools is akey to producing clear and concise
measured drawings. If you just need to quickly find a description of the various dimension
commands, click on the appropriate button on the QuickFind toolbar belwo.

AutoCADD provides lots of control over the way dimensions look. Using a system similar to text
styles, dimensions styles allow you to design dimensions so that they look just the way you want
them to.

Standard New Styles

For example, the illustration above shows two different dimension styles. The one on the left
is the default style known as STANDARD. If you do not create a style of your own or modify the
standard style, all dimensions will look like this. The dimension line has arrow heads and the
dimension text is positioned above the line and is drawn using the current text style. The dimension
on the right has been drawn using a new style. The arrows have been changed to obliques, the
vertical alignment of the text has been centred and the current text style has been changed.

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There are lots of dimension commands which include facilities for indicating tolerances and alternate
units dimensioning. However, this tutorial aims to cover the most common commands for general
use and constitutes an introduction to dimensioning with AutoCAD. If you would like to learn more
about dimensions, refer to the AutoCAD user manual.

AutoCADD divides dimensions into four main categories: Linear, Radial, Ordinate and
Angular. For the purposes of this tutorial we will only consider some of the commands within the
Linear, Radial and Angular Categories.
When you create dimensions, AutoCAD automatically creates a new layer called "Defpoints". This is a special
layer which cannot be deleted or renamed. AutoCAD uses this layer to store dimension information and you
can effectively ignore it.
When working with dimensions it is very important that line origins are picked accurately so that the
resulting measurement and text are correct. Always use an Osnap to pick dimension line origins. If you have a
lot of dimensioning work to do, it will be worth using a running Osnap. Running object snaps are set using
the Osnap Settings dialogue box. To display this dialogue box type DDOSNAP at the keyboard or select Tools

Object Snap Settings from the Pull-down menu. There is also a keyboard short-cut; you can display the
Osnap Settings dialogue box simply by hitting F3 key.

Selecting Dimension Commands

Selecting and working with the dimension commands in AutoCAD R14 is much easier than in previous
versions. All commands can be accessed from the keyboard and now most commands are also
available from the Dimension pull-down menu and the Dimension toolbar. The Dimension toolbar is
particularly useful because it places all the dimension commands a single mouse click away. Since the
Dimension toolbar is not displayed by default you will need to enable it from the Toolbars dialogue
box. To display the Toolbar dialogue box, select View Toolbars… from the pull-down or
type TOOLBAR at the keyboard. To display the Dimension toolbar click in the checkbox against
"Dimension" in the toolbar list

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H.1 The Linear Dimension Commands

As the name suggests the Linear dimension commands are used to dimension along straight lines.
There are five linear dimension commands, namely: DIMLINEAR, DIMCONTINUE, DIMBASELINE, DIMALIGNED
and DIMROTATED. The DIMLINEAR command is probably the most common dimension command you will use
:

Toolbar :
Pulldown: Dimension >Linear
Keyboard: DIMLINEAR

You can use this command to generate horizontal and vertical dimensions.
Creating a linear dimension is easy. All you have to do is start the command, specify the two points between
which you want the dimension to be drawn and pick a point to fix the position of the dimension line. Consider
the diagram (right) whilst working through the following examples.

Note: Please open the link below,

select Part 5 – DIMENSIONING AND CREATING AND INSERTING TEXT
[Link]

Other sources: [Link]

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ACTIVITY 4A: DIMENSION

Learning Objective: To practice on how to put dimension in your drawing.

1. Open your Activity 1

2. You need layer in your drawing. JuMp to Activity 3B: Layers, page 43& 46 of this module.

Note: If you already know how to create layer, make sure you have at least DIM layer.

2. Make sure DIM layer is selected.

3. From AutoCAD ribbon, Annottation tools click Linear for linear dimensioning.

4. Click at bottom left corner Endpoint of the sketch.

5. Click at bottom right corner Endpoint of the sketch.

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6. Click at drawing to specify gap between drawing and dimension.

7. Repeat step 3 – 6 for other edges. And you final drawing should look like this;

8. Insert your name below. And save your output.

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I. LAYERS:
One drawing can have many layers. And depends on the complexity of the drawing, you may
have a few to dozens of layers.

You can use each layer to draw a specific object type. For example, you can use Wall layer to
draw walls on it. Furniture layer to draw furniture on it, and so on. AutoCAD supports tens of
thousands layers in a single drawing, which is virtually unlimited.

Changing active layer regularly to draw objects might seems tedious and takes longer to complete a
drawing. However, you will find it very useful during the design process and the drawing
presentation.

When are We Using Layers?

The layering system is an essential drawing management in AutoCAD, and you should use
layers in every drawing. The common usage of layers is to draw objects on a layer based on their
function. Create all dimensions on a specific layer. Create walls, doors, windows on separate layers,
and so on.

Layers can be useful in many [Link], because you draw objects on separate layers, it is easier for
you to understand the drawing. You can quickly know an object type by checking the layer. AutoCAD
drawings are just lines and arcs. Using layers can make the drawing easier to understand.

Second, you don’t have to set properties for each object. You only need to set the properties for the
layers. When you draw an object on a particular layer, it will have the same lineweight, color,
linetype, and the other properties. It gives you a better control to plot your drawing.

Third, you can hide/show or lock/unlock a layer. It means you can have greater control of your
drawing. You can lock several layers to prevent they are accidentally modified. You can hide objects
when the drawing becomes too complicated.

Fourth, using layers adds a better control to select and modify objects. Let’s say you want to select all
partition walls in your drawing and copy them to the next typical floor. AutoCAD doesn’t understand

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which lines are partition walls. However, we can tell AutoCAD to select lines on the Partition
Wall layer.

Organizing objects in layers is important when you work on big projects (Architecture for example).
You use layers to organize your project in such a way that every group of similar things is in their own
layers. In the following image, I have created 3 layers (I have given each one a unique color for you to
differentiate between one and the other).

SAMPLE OBJECT

How do layers help?

 Layers allow you to easily control properties of a group of objects; line-weight, color, line-type.
 Layers allow you to turn objects or groups of objects off, both on-screen and on the plot.
Creating Layers in AutoCAD

To create a layer, click on the Layer Properties icon.

The following will pop up, click on the indicated icon to create a new layer. The following shows the
layers I created for the exercise above.

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Each of your layers can be customized, such as having its own Linetype, line weight, transparency and
plot Style. Close the windows when you are done creating layers.

Manipulating Layers
To put an object in a layer, make sure when you are creating that object, its layer is set to current.

Example

If I want to draw a circle in the layer Small Circles, I will make sure I select it first before drawing.
If you created an object in the wrong layer, don’t worry, it is possible to put an already created
element in a different layer.

Simply select the object, select the layers you want that object in, And Press ESC on your keyboard.

Application

Now that you know how to create Layers, use what you have learned to replicate the exercise below,
and do not forget you need to put elements in 3 layers similar to the first image in this post.
Image 1

Note: Please open the link below, select Part 6 – LAYERS AND BLOCKS
[Link]

Other Sources:
[Link]
[Link]

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ACTIVITY 4B: CREATING LAYERS

Learning Objective: To practice AutoCADD layering system.

1. Open your previous Activity. Type LAYER [Enter].

2. Click New Layer.

3. Give DIM for layer name [Enter]. This short for Dimension Layer.

4. Click Color White text to change the current color.

5. Click Cyan, click OK.

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6. Click New Layer.

7. Give HIDDEN for layer name [Enter].

8. Click Color Cyan text to change the current color.

9. Click Magenta, click OK.

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10. Now we want to change the line type of the HIDDEN layer to dash. Click Continuous at Linetype
column.

11. Click Load line type.

12. Select ACAD_ISO02W100, Click OK.

13. At loaded linetype, click at ACAD_ISO02W100 and click OK.

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Now your HIDDEN layer line type changed to dash type.

14. Click New Layer.

15. Give CENTER LINE as layer name.

16. Click on Magenta color to change layer color to Yellow.

17. Click Yellow and click OK.

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18. Click at Linetype column to change the Linetype to long and short dash.

19. Click Load to load new linetype.

20. Select ACAD_ISO08W100 and click OK.

At loaded linetype, click ACAD_ISO08W100 and click OK.

21. Click New Layer.

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22. Give CONSTRUCTION LINE as layer name.

23. Click on layer Color column and change the layer color from yellow to blue.

24. Select blue color and click OK.

25. Click on layer Linetype column,

Change the linetype from dash to Continouos and click OK.

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26. All layers are ready and close the setup box.

27. Your layer are ready to use.

Activity 5 : Instrument Drawing (separate File)

SOURCES:

 [Link]
 [Link]
 [Link]
 ARELLANO, Ernesto I.; (2012)AutoCADD 2D for All (2012). V.C. Deus Printing,
Tarlac City Ph.

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J. LAY OUT /PLOTTING

In AutoCAD there are two different workspaces: model space and Layout / Paper Space. Think of
model space where you make your model, or draw. Think of the Layout Tabs as where you layout the
prints of your drawing or layout the final drawing complete with dimensions, notes, title block, etc.
Look at the images below to see a visual explanation of the concept.
A layout is a page that allows you to set up a plot or printout of your drawing. Below is a sample
of what a layout looks like (a really simple one). You can also create your own floor plan design.

The floor plan and dimensions (above) were created in MODEL SPACE at a 1:1 scale. The
walls were drawn to be 30' or more long. The title block and viewport were created in a LAYOUT TAB
/ PAPER SPACE at a 1:1 scale. The title block is 8-1/2 x 11 inches.

The viewport is a window into "model space". In the image below, the viewport is the heavy
blue rectangle and the contents of the viewport are displayed inside it (shown as grey for this
example). The contents of the viewport are scaled to either fit the viewport or (preferably) to
conform to a specific drafting scale (i.e.: 1"=1')

Below is a visual representation of a layout for a print to be plotted from a Layout tab.

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This conceptual image shows the relationship between model space and a Layout.

Think of paper space as being 'above' model space. To see through 'into' model space, you
have to create a viewport (Make Viewport MV command). Think of a viewport as a window. As soon
as you create the viewport, the window is closed and the extents of your drawing are displayed. You
can see through it, but you can not 'touch' anything in model space.

To have access to your objects in model space from paper space, you have to enter the
viewport by typing MS <ENTER>. This 'opens the window' for access. Type in PS <ENTER> to 'close the
window'.

You may be wondering why you shouldn't just plot from model space. You can, and many
people do, but the advantage of plotting from paper space is that you can have many layouts from
one drawing. You can even add detail views without having to copy and scale your geometry.

Toggle between the two spaces, you can pick on one of the layout tabs and back to the
Model tab. You can also enter the command TILEMODE and set it to 0 for paper space and 1 for
model space. When you do this, you will notice that the UCS icon in the bottom left corner changed
to a triangular icon. This new icon confirms that you are paper space.

When you are in paper space you can draw or insert a title block. In paper space you are still drawing
at a 1:1 scale.

Before we go further, there is a setting that I want you to make. This will make your life a lot easier as
we work through Layouts and when you are creating your own. For some reason, AutoCAD 'hides'
the layout tabs from the screen. We need to turn them on, so this is how you do it. Type in OP (for
options) and go to the Display tab of the dialog box. Check the box shown below for "Display Layout
and Model Tabs". Press OK.

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After you press OK - you'll see that new tabs have shown up on the bottom of your AutoCAD screen:

Start this exercise by drawing a simple title block in the tab called Layout 1. Make sure you
draw it at 1:1 scale. Start with an 8-1/2"x11" rectangle and make sure it overlaps the edge of the
'virtual' sheet you see. Offset it .375 inside and erase the outer rectangle. Make a couple of small
rectangles for the text and add some text as shown below. This ensures that all of your title block will
be printed as many printers do not print to the edge of the paper.

SEE SEPARATE PAGE FOR CREATING TITLE BLOCK

Once your title block is drawn, you can create a floating viewport . This is a 'window' into
your model space. To create a viewport, type in MV (for Make Viewport) and then pick two points
just as if you are drawing a rectangle. Use as much of your title block as possible.

As soon as your viewport is created, you will see all that you have drawn in model space
appear to the extents of the viewport. The next thing you need to do is to scale your viewport for
accurate plotting.

To do this, you have to 'enter' your viewport. Do this by either typing MS (for model space)
or clicking on the square labeled PAPER (it will switch to Model) on the status bar. In newer versions
of AutoCAD you can double-click in the viewport. You will notice that the familiar WCS icon appears

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in the bottom left corner of the viewport. If you have more than one viewport on the screen, left-
click in the one that you want to scale or type CTRL+R to toggle through them to the one you want.
To scale a viewport, you just use the ZOOM command. Type in Z <ENTER>

At the command prompt, you must tell AutoCAD what scale you want the viewport to be.
This coincides with the scale that you will plot at.

The table above gives you some sample scales. Take ¼" = 1' for example. First remember that
1'=12". If you cross-multiply the 12 by the 4, you get 48. Therefore this scale will be at a 1:48 scale
(ratio), or in other terms, your model will be 1/48th the size of real life on paper. To get AutoCAD to
scale the viewport, you must type in Z <ENTER>, 1/48XP <ENTER>. This means 1/48th times (X) in
relation to paper space (P).

Figuring out what scale you require takes some calculation (unless you are told which scale
to use). You can see what your extents in model space are and then see what your viewport size is.
You can also use trial and error to see what fits in your viewport. This can sometimes be quicker than
calculating.
To sum this up, here are the basic steps required for using paper space layouts:

One thing that is very important to remember is that you should use paper space only for
plotting. Do not modify your model in paper space. One reason for this is that you could have layers
turned off in your viewport that are related to the objects you are modifying in the viewport. Return
to true model space for any editing that you need to do. Also, do not draw objects on the Layout
screen that are part of the drawing.
To practice this concept, DRAW THE SIMPLE FLOOR PLAN BELOW OR CREATE YOUR OWN DESIGN

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Change to paper space. Draw or insert a title block. If you do not have one, you can find a good
11x17 (B size) title block in your AutoCAD support folder (filename: ANSI_B.DWG). Maybe you drew
one in this tutorial ? Insert this and then create a viewport. Enter your viewport and scale as
explained above. Return to paper space and print using the settings, EXTENTS / SCALE: 1=1.
Alternately, when you have a viewport selected or active, you will see a list of scale options at the
bottom of the screen to define the scale. Select the viewport, and then select the scale from menu:

K. Printing from a Layout Tab

Now that you have a layout of your drawing scaled, you can start to print it. The first thing
you need to do is right-click on the layout tab and select "Page Setup Manage" as shown below

This is where you will select your printer and other parameters required for printing from the layout
tab. Press the "New" button and give your new Page Setup a name and press OK:

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In the "Page Setup" dialog box, there are a few settings that you will need to make.

1. Select your printer from the list

2. Select the Plotstyle (colors) - I have a B&W laser printer, so I have selected [Link]. If
you have a color printer, try this or select [Link].
3. Select your paper size (usually 'Letter' for most home printers).
4. Set your scale to 1:1 - remember why we're using layouts
5. Center the plot - it just looks better.
6. Check the radio button for either portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal).

Press OK to close the dialog box and save your settings.

Back in the Page Setup Manager, select the Set Current button to apply your new settings to
the layout and then press the Close button.

Now you are ready to print your layout. Press CTRL+P or type PLOT to bring up the plot dialog
box. You should see all of the settings that you just entered. Click the Preview button to see how
your plot will look. If it looks like it should, you can now plot. If you need to make changes, press
Escape and make the needed changes.

Note: Please open the link below, select Part7 – LAY OUT, PLOTING AND PRINTING
 [Link]
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 [Link]

Other SOURCES:
 [Link]
 [Link]
[Link]

 [Link]
 [Link]
 ARELLANO, Ernesto I.; (2012)AutoCADD 2D for All (2012). V.C. Deus Printing,
Tarlac City Ph.

(Note: Individual evaluation of the students should be conducted)

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ACTIVITY6: THE GUIDE PLATE (Additional Activity if needed)

METHOD:

1. Select the Line command icon in the Draw toolbar. In the command prompt area, near the
bottom of the AutoCAD graphics window, the message “_line Specify first point:” is
displayed. AutoCAD expects us to identify the starting location of a straight line.

2. We will locate the starting point of our design at the origin of the world coordinate system.
Command: _line Specify first point: 0,0 (Type 0,0 and press the [ENTER] key once.)
3. Create a horizontal line by entering the absolute coordinates of the second point. Specify
next point or [Undo]: 5.5,0 [ENTER] (see Figure below):

4. Create a vertical line by using the relative rectangular coordinates entry method, relative to
the last point we specified: Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: @0,2.5 [ENTER]

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5. Create the next line by picking the location, world coordinates (8,2.5), on the screen.

6. Next use the relative polar coordinates entry method, relative to the last point we specified:
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: @3<90 [ENTER] (Distance is 3 inches with an angle of 90
degrees.)

7. Using the relative rectangular coordinates entry method to create the next line, we can
imagine a reference coordinate system aligned at the previous point. Coordinates are
measured along the two reference axes. Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: @-1.5,1
[ENTER] (-1.5 and 1 inches are measured relative to the reference point.)

8. Move the cursor directly to the left of the last point and use the direct distance entry
technique by entering 6.5 [ENTER].

9. For the last segment of the sketch, we can use the Close option to connect back to the
starting point. Inside the graphics window, right-mouse-click and a popup menu appears on
the screen.

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10. Select Close with the left-mouse-button to connect back to the starting point and
end the Line command.

11. Create the Circle - select: [Center, Diameter]

12. In the Draw toolbar, click on the little triangle below the circle icon. Note that the
little triangle indicates additional options are available. In the option list, select: [Center,
Diameter]

Notice the different options available under the circle submenu:

• Center, Radius: Draws a circle based on a center point and a radius.
• Center, Diameter: Draws a circle based on a center point and a diameter.

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• 2 Points: Draws a circle based on two endpoints of the diameter.

• 3 Points: Draws a circle based on three points on the circumference.
• TTR–Tangent, Tangent, Radius: Draws a circle with a specified radius tangent to two
objects.
• TTT–Tangent, Tangent, Tangent: Draws a circle tangent to three objects.

13. In the command prompt area, the message “Specify center point for circle or
*3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)+:” is displayed. AutoCAD expects us to identify the location of a
point or enter an option. We can use any of the four coordinate entry methods to identify
the desired location. We will enter the world coordinates (2.5,3) as the center point for the
first circle. Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]: 2.5,3 [ENTER]

14. In the command prompt area, the message “Specify diameter of circle:” is displayed.
Specify diameter of circle: 2.5 [ENTER]

15. Inside the graphics window, right-mouse-click to bring up the popup option menu.

16. Pick Repeat CIRCLE with the left-mouse button in the popup menu to repeat the last
command.

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17. Using the relative rectangular coordinates entry method, relative to the center-point
coordinates of the first circle, we specify the location as (2.5,2). Specify center point for
circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]: @2.5,2 [ENTER]

18. In the command prompt area, the message “Specify Radius of circle: <2.50>” is
displayed. The default option for the Circle command in AutoCAD is to specify the radius
and the last radius used is also displayed in brackets.

19. Inside the graphics window, right-mouse-click to bring up the popup option menu
and select Diameter as shown.

20. In the command prompt area, enter 1.5 as the diameter. Specify Diameter of
circle<2.50>: 1.5 [ENTER]

21. As discussed previously about dimensioning, put dimension in your drawing.

SAVE THE DRAWING:

1. In the Application Menu, select: *Application+ Æ *Save+ ™ Note the command can also be
activated with quick-key combination of [Ctrl]+[S].

2. In the Save Drawing As dialog box, select the folder in which you want to store the CAD
file and enter GuidePlate in the File name box.

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3. Click Save in the Save Drawing As dialog box to accept the selections and save the file.
Note the default file type is DWG, which is the standard AutoCAD drawing format.

Close the Current Drawing ™

1. Several options are available to close the current drawing: Select [Close] Æ [Current
Drawing] in the Application Menu Bar as shown.

2. Enter Close at the command prompt.

3. The third option is to click on the [Close] icon, located at the upper-right-hand corner of the
drawing window.

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(Summary of Modify Tools)

Modify Tools/Commands:
Once you’ve gotten to grips with AutoCAD’s drawing tools, the next logical step is modification tools.
This particular category covers everything from a simple erase command to explode and fillet. If a
geometric object isn’t to your liking, you can use these modification tools to create something else
entirely.

Yet again, AutoCAD has a wide selection of tools on offer. There are simple tools that you’ll
undoubtedly be familiar with, including ‘move‘, ‘copy‘, ‘rotate‘ and ‘erase‘. These tools of course, are
rather self-explanatory—you’ll recognize them from a variety of other software. You can use these
tools by clicking on their icon, locating them by going to ‘Home‘ > ‘Modify‘, or by executing their
command.

To give you a better look at the range of modification tools on offer, we’ve made a table of the top
10 modification tools. This table also includes icons, command shortcuts and a description of what
they do.

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References
[Link]
explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2018/ENU/AutoCAD
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

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Lesson 2: Precision: Precise Points on Objects (Midpoint/Endpoint, Centerpoint)

To set running object snaps

To use the same object snap repeatedly, you can set it as a running object snap. It will stay active
until you turn it off. You can set multiple object snaps, such as Endpoint and Center, as running
object snaps. Running object snaps can be turned on and off from the status bar.

1 On the status bar, right-click the Object Snap button and click Settings.

2 In the Drafting Settings dialog box, Object Snap tab, click Clear All and then select:

 Endpoint

 Midpoint

 Center

Geometry:
In the actual drawing in AutoCAD comes with a wide variety of basic geometric shapes that you can
use in your 2D sketches (we’ll cover 3D shapes in a later section). These objects range
from lines to circles and hatched areas. You can use these objects by clicking on their icons, locating
them in the toolbar, or by typing their command into the Command window. We’ve included a short
list of basic objects below—bear in mind that there are countless more that you should check out
after working your way through this guide.

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Basic Terminology
AutoCAD has a wide selection of tools and capabilities, and with this comes a variety of terms that
you might not be familiar with. To help you along your AutoCAD journey, we’ve put together a small
list of basic AutoCAD terminology. Don’t worry, you’ll be using these terms like a pro before you even
know it! If you come across an unfamiliar term, you can check out the full AutoCAD glossary of
terms.
 Absolute coordinates: a method of inputting points based on the origin.

 [Link]: default template that loads when you start a new drawing.

 Block: a pre-drawn image that you can insert into your drawing.

 Extent: the outer boundaries of the objects you’ve drawn.

 Grid: this can be used as a guide for drawings—you can toggle on/off with F7.

 Linetype: objects are all drawn with a linetype, e.g. solid or dashed.

 Object: any item in the AutoCAD database, otherwise known as an entity.

 Origin: this is the (0,0) point of your coordinate system.

 Ortho Mode: a mode that only permits you to draw perpendicular lines—you can toggle on/off

with F8.
 Onsnap (Object Snap): the method of ‘snapping’ to precise points on an object.

 Pan: to move around your drawing by dragging the drawing area.

 Polar coordinates: a method of inputting points based on distance and angle.

 Relative coordinates: a method of inputting points based on a start point.

 Ribbon: the ribbon runs across the top of the drawing space and contains panels.

 Snap: a drawing mode that lets you snap your cursor to precise points on a grid pattern.

 User Coordinate System (UCS): a Cartesian coordinate system that establishes the XY work

plane, horizontal and vertical directions.

 Viewport: a window that lets you view your drawing—you can have multiple viewports to see

different areas of a drawing.

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