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AutoCAD Overview and Tool Usage Guide

The document provides an overview of Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) and the AutoCAD software. It discusses that AutoCAD is a CAD program used for 2D and 3D design and was one of the first CAD programs that could run on personal computers. It also summarizes some of the key tools and functions in AutoCAD like drawing, modifying, and dimensioning tools. The document then provides examples of how to use several commands in AutoCAD like line, circle, rectangle, and hatching.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
303 views10 pages

AutoCAD Overview and Tool Usage Guide

The document provides an overview of Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) and the AutoCAD software. It discusses that AutoCAD is a CAD program used for 2D and 3D design and was one of the first CAD programs that could run on personal computers. It also summarizes some of the key tools and functions in AutoCAD like drawing, modifying, and dimensioning tools. The document then provides examples of how to use several commands in AutoCAD like line, circle, rectangle, and hatching.

Uploaded by

Harly Carinal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Introduction to CAD
  • Coordinate System in AutoCAD
  • Dimensioning and Hatching in AutoCAD
  • Unit 1: Introduction to The AutoCAD Interface
  • Introduction to Toolbars in AutoCAD

Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) Reviewer

What is AutoCAD?
 AutoCAD is a computer-aided design (CAD) program used for 2-D and 3-D design and drafting. 
 AutoCAD is developed and marketed by Autodesk Inc. and was one of the first CAD programs that could be
executed on personal computers.

American Ivan Sutherland invented CAD in 1961 when he described a computerized sketchpad in a doctoral thesis while
attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Auto Cad was first released in Dec. 27, 1982
“Mike Riddle, the father of AutoCAD and innovator of much of what the CAD industry is today,

Industry
 CAD (Computer Aided Design)
 CID (Computer Integrated Design)
 CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing)

Advantages Of Computer Aided Design (CAD) Over Manual Drafting


 Lay Out The Drawing Conveniently
 CAD Is Flexible To Organize Drawing Information. ...
 Establish Drafting Standards. ...
 Draw Accurately. ...
 View Your Drawing. ...
 Create Dimensions and Text. ...
 Modify Your Drawing.

Orthographic Projection
CO-ORDINATE SYSTEM

 Every thing that we draw in AutoCAD is exact.


 All Object drawn in screen is based on simple X-Y co-ordinate
system.
 In AutoCAD it is known as world co-ordinate system (WCS)
 We are drawing a line, so we have two points A (-10, -4) and B (9,6).
As shown in figure.

TOOLS USED IN 2D
DRAW TOOL BAR
MODIFY TOOL BAR
 Line
 Erase
 Rectangle
 Copy
 Circle
 Offset
 Spline
 Move

DRAW TOOLBAR AND MODIFY TOOLBAR


Following image shows two very basic tool bars, these will be heavily used as you progress towards the end of your
drawing. You can access these tool bars under Home tab.

As we move cursor over any tool in the tool bar a tooltip appears stating the name of that too. And if we wait for about
three seconds, it turns into a brief description about that particular tool. As shown by the following image.
For more details we can press F1 key. Now I am going to draw a simple object. My purpose is to introduce you with the
Line, Circle, Offset, Erase, Move, Fillet, and Chamfer commands. But first let us decide about unit system, we are going
to use
STATUS TOOL BAR

 GRID
 ORTHO
 POLAR
 OSNAP

COMMAND TOOL BAR

 Command tool bar is used for activating all the commands which are used in AutoCAD by typing.
 It is also the easiest way to give the command to the command bar and also to activate it.,
DIMENSION TOOLBAR
AutoCAD provides a whole range of dimensioning tools which can be used to quickly dimension any drawing without the
need for measurement. Dimensioning in AutoCAD is automatic; lines, arrows and text are all taken care of by the
dimension commands. AutoCAD dimensions are special blocks which can easily be edited or erased as necessary,
AutoCAD provides lots of control over the way dimensions look. Using a system similar to text styles, dimension styles
allow you to design dimensions so that they look just the way you want them to.

We can use the following dimensional commands like The Linear Dimension, The Continue Dimension Command, The
Baseline Dimension Command, The Aligned Dimension Command, Changing the text, The Radial Dimension
Commands, Angular Dimensions, Annotation with Leaders, Editing Dimensions, The Dimension Edit Command etc.
DRAWING DEPICTING USE OF DIMENSIONING

HATCHING IN AUTOCAD:

Hatching is used to add shaded patterns to objects and shapes within an Autocad drawing. Hatch patterns can be used to
indicate material to be used, such as a concrete hatch.

 You will pick:


 Pattern
 Scale
 Angle
 Points
UNIT 1 : introduction To The AutoCAD Interface

Objectives:
 Be able to identify, describe and/or apply…
 The key components of AutoCAD interface
 The AutoCAD help and search tools
 The Quick access toolbar
 The Infocenter toolbar
 The AutoCAD ribbon layout
 AutoCAD command line, drawing aides and Status bar
 The difference between Model and Layout space
TOOL BAR IN AUTOCAD

Introduction to Toolbars in AutoCAD

• AutoCAD is commercial aided designing software used for different designing purposes. When you learn about
AutoCAD very first you have to learn about the toolbars. Herewith this tutorial, you will have good command on
the toolbars and once you have good command working on AutoCAD becomes an easy game for you.

In Toolbars, we learn about the different types of designing tools such as line command, circle command, dimensions
command, text command, and many more. Let us start our tutorial with great enthusiasm and make AutoCAD an easy
task for us.

Familiarize yourself with Toolbars of AutoCAD

• Here we learn about all major tools of toolbars in a step by step manner. We also learn about setting a limit in
AutoCAD according to our drawing because it is a necessary part of AutoCAD drawing. We will also have a
look at how to restore Toolbars if it is not showing in our working area.

Restoring of Toolbar

Step 1:  For the restoring toolbar just clicks on AutoCAD symbol i.e ‘A’ and click on the options button.

Step 2:  Then click on Profile and choose the blue highlighted option as shown in the below image and click on the
Reset button.

Step 3: After resetting, a dialog box will open as shown in the below image then click on Yes or press OK.

Step 4: Your Toolbars will be restored now and you can see it here.

Setting Limit in AutoCAD

• Step 1:  Type the first three letters of limit command i.e lim and it will automatically show limits option then
choose it and press Enter key it will ask lower limit of your workspace and upper limit one by one.

• Step 2:  I will set a lower limit (0,0) Here I am considering units in mm. and after applying limit press Enter and
again ‘z’ then Enter and again ‘A’ then Enter.

• Step 3: And setting upper limit according to my drawing suppose (100, 100). Here I am considering units in
mm. and after applying limit press Enter and again ‘z’ the Enter and ‘A’ then Enter.

Group of Tools

 Line Tool
 Polyline Tool
 Circle Tool
 Arc Tool
 Ellipses Tool
 Rectangle Tool
 Pentagon Tool
Line Tool

• Step 1:  Take line command from draw group tool by simply left-clicking on it.

• Step 2:  Next, we will specify the first point from where we want to start our line by simply clicking on the
working area and then set a length of 60 mm- then press Enter key.

• Step 3:  For creating straight-line turn ‘Orth On’ by pressing F8 on the keyboard or click on the Orth option at
the lower right corner.

• Step 4:  Here you can also draw a line with any angle and first give length then press the tab key and give
angles. I will give length 40 mm and angle 30 degrees and press Enter key.

• Step 5:  For exiting from any command press Enter or Esc key on the keyboard.

Polyline Tool

• Step 1: Take polyline command to draw toolbar group and follow the same steps as we did in the line
command.

• Step 2: The major difference in line and polyline is that the object created by line does not work as one object
but polyline makes one object as shown in the below image.

Circle Tool

• Step 1: Take circle command from the Drag tool group.

• Step 2: Now specify the first point.

• Step 3: Give the radius and press Enter key.

• Step 4: We have different types of circle drawing options in circle command you can use them according to
your requirement.

Arc Tool

• Step 1: Arc command is used for creating an arc in different types of drawings.

• Step 2: Take arc command and specify the start point by clicking on any point

• Step 3: Give the value of the second point where you want the arc.

• Step 4: Specify endpoint or value where you can connect the arc or end the arc.

• Step 5: We have different types of arcs here which we use according to our requirement.

Rectangle Tool

• Step 1: Take a rectangle tool from the draw tool group.

• Step 2: Give the first corner from where you want to draw a rectangle.

Pentagon Tool

• Step 1: Take the pentagon command from the draw tool group. For drawing it first give the number of sides
press Enter key.

• Step 2: Give the center point of the pentagon.

• Step 3: It will ask now whether it is inscribed in a circle or circumscribed about circle, select anyone according
to your requirement.
• Step 4: Give radius and press Enter to complete command.

Ellipses Tool

• Step 1: Take the ellipses tool from the draw tool group.

• Step 2: Specify center point and give endpoint.

• Step 3: Set the radius according to your requirement and left click to complete the command.

Common questions

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The dimension toolbar in AutoCAD is crucial because it automates the process of adding dimensions to designs, which include lines, arrows, and text. This automation not only saves time but also improves accuracy and consistency, allowing designers to focus on the creative aspects of the design process. Additionally, dimensions can be easily edited or erased, providing flexibility and control over the final presentation .

Restoring a missing toolbar in AutoCAD involves clicking on the AutoCAD symbol 'A', selecting the options, navigating to the profile section, choosing the highlighted option, and clicking on the Reset button. This functionality is necessary to ensure users can customize their workspace and access essential tools, thus maintaining productivity and allowing for a personalized working environment that suits the user’s specific needs and preferences .

The toolbox layout in AutoCAD increases productivity by allowing quick access to a comprehensive range of tools under the toolbar categories such as Draw and Modify. This organized layout enables efficient navigation and swift execution of commands, minimizing time spent searching for tools and enhancing workflow fluidity .

The world coordinate system (WCS) in AutoCAD is essential for ensuring drawing accuracy because it provides a precise grid-based framework within which objects can be placed using exact X-Y coordinates. This rigid structure ensures that every element in a design is placed precisely as intended, reducing the margin for error and enhancing the reliability of the design .

AutoCAD's coordinate system supports precision in engineering designs by providing an absolute framework where each component can be placed using exact coordinates. This system is particularly vital for drafting complex mechanical or architectural designs, as it ensures every element of the drawing is meticulously positioned, supporting high precision and accuracy necessary in engineering applications .

The line tool in AutoCAD creates individual segments where each segment acts as a separate object, meaning modifications to one segment do not affect others. Conversely, the polyline tool creates a series of connected segments that are treated as a single object, allowing for consistent styling and easier manipulation of complex shapes using fewer commands .

AutoCAD provides several advantages over manual drafting, including the ability to lay out drawings conveniently and organize drawing information flexibly. It establishes drafting standards, ensures accuracy, allows for easy viewing and modification of drawings, creates dimensions and text automatically, and provides the ability to modify the drawing efficiently .

The distinction between Model and Layout space in AutoCAD is important because it allows users to separate the environment where they create designs (Model space) from where they prepare designs for printing or plotting (Layout space). This separation helps in managing complex projects efficiently by providing a dedicated space for design and another for presentation, allowing designers to focus on each aspect without clutter .

Designers might prefer the chamfer command over the fillet command when they need to create a beveled edge at an angle on corners for functional or aesthetic reasons, such as to mitigate stress concentrations in mechanical parts. Chamfering is often used in mechanical designs where sharp edges must be avoided without using curved transitions, while fillets are used for smooth curved transitions .

AutoCAD allows for the integration of raster images, which can enhance the design process by enabling designers to incorporate existing physical elements into their digital projects. This capability can be particularly useful for layering design aspects or tracing over images to create precise CAD models, thereby broadening the scope and versatility of design within AutoCAD .

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