AUTOCAD AutoCAD (Computer-Aided Drafting) is computer software used as a tool to create mechanical drawings. AutoCAD Graphics Window Contains all of the elements and buttons needed to complete a drawing. Ribbon Application Button Tabs/Spaces Command Prompt Docked Command Window Tools SNAP A drawing aid that forces your cursor to only move from dot to dot GRID A drawing aid made up of lines set to a specific size ORTHO A drawing aid that forces your cursor movement to horizontal and vertical directions only when turned on. Aids in drawing straight lines. OSNAP A drawing aid that allows you to precisely select & create objects at designated pick points. DYNAMIC INPUT A drawing aid that displays the command prompt as well as the length and angle of your geometric shape you are drawing next to your cursor LWT A drawing aid that displays the current line-weight of all line segments drawn. Remember, line-weights are exaggerated in MODEL SPACE.
ZOOM COMMAND Allows you to magnify or shrink the image in the drawing area. You can zoom in by rolling the MOUSE WHEEL forward and zoom out by rolling the MOUSE WHEEL backwards. You can zoom to the drawing limits by double-clicking down on the MOUSE WHEEL Creating a New File/Drawing 1. Select NEW>DRAWING (from the pull-down menu)>open DOWN ARROW>OPEN WITH NO TEMPLATE - IMPERIAL 2. Set your LIMITS a. Prompt the LIMITS command>set your limits to 0,0 / 11,8.5 3. Set your DOCKED COMMANDS by selecting them in the Docked Command Window 4. Set-up your LAYERS a. Select the HOME TAB>LAYERS RIBBON>PROPERTIES BUTTON (the Layer Properties Dialog Box will open)>new LAYER (set your layer properties; name, color, line type & line weight) 5. Initially, turn on your grid to be sure you start your drawing somewhere within it. If you do not like drawing with the grid turned on you may now turn it off 6. You are now ready to begin drawing
Saving your Drawing 1. Select SAVE from the pull-down menu / the Save Drawing As dialog box will open 2. Save the drawing into your H-DRIVE and name it: your first name _ first initial of your last name _ drawing name Save in H-Drive PROMTING TOOLS Can be accomplished several ways. You can prompt a tool by finding it in a pull-down menu, by clicking on it in a tool bar or by typing the name of the tool in the command prompt. Once, you prompt a tool, be sure to follow along with the command prompt as it will guide you through the use of every tool. Prompted Command Command Prompt Question Options Default Setting LINE TOOL Is used to draw lines by plotting a start point and an end point. GRIPS Are the small blue squares that appear on an object when an object is selected. They provide a quick way to edit objects when selected by being able to stretch, move, copy, rotate & scale. Grips are turned off by selecting the ESC button on the keyboard
MOVE TOOL Is used to move one or more objects to a new location within your drawing. 1 st select the move tool, select the object/s you want to move, right click, specify the base point then specify the second base point. DIRECT DISTANCE ENTRY COMMAND Is a construction method that allows you to specify a point by moving your cursor to indicate a direction and then typing a distance from the first point selected. This method can be used for nearly every command in AutoCAD that requests points. Changing Linetype Scale 1. Select the HOME TAB>PROPERTIES RIBBON (the Layer Properties Dialog Box will open) 2. Highlight the current linetype scale and reduce the scale until the object changes to the desired size
Printing Procedures 1. Open the drawing you want to print 2. Switch from MODEL space to LAYOUT 1 space 3. Select the OUTPUT TAB 4. On the PLOT RIBBON select PAGE SET-UP MANAGER / MODIFY / the Page Set-up Manager dialog box will open 5. Select the classroom printer, 5200 PCL 5 / select OK / select drawing orientation / paper size ADDING YOUR TITLE BLOCK 1. Select the VIEWPORT 2. Move each corner of the viewport to the corners of the paper. 3. Select the INSERT TAB 4. On the BLOCK RIBBON select INSERT 5. Select the BROWSE button, find your title block / select OPEN / select OK 6. Manually place your title block in the lower left/right corner, within the printer margins 7. Select the ANNOTATE TAB 8. On the TEXT RIBBON select MULTILINE TEXT / create your text box / set the TEXT STYLE to the desired font / the TEXT HEIGHT to the desired size / the JUSTIFICATION to MIDDLE/CENTER 9. Add any remaining text that may not have been a part of the template file SCALING/ZOOMING YOUR DRAWING 1. In LAYOUT 1 SPACE, select PAPER switching it to MODEL 2. Roll the mouse wheel forward & backward until you size the drawing as large as possible while still fitting within the printer margins 3. Your drawing is now scaled/zoomed 4. Switch back to PAPER by selecting the word MODEL CENTERING YOUR DRAWING 1. The computer may have centered the drawing for you, if not, do the following 2. Visually look at the drawing and determine the drawings outside edges. Be sure to include all dimensions, extension lines, center lines, views, etc 3. Select PAPER switching it to MODEL 4. Push & hold straight down on the mouse wheel, the hand will appear on the screen, manually move the mouse around visually centering the drawing top/bottom, left/right 5. Release the mouse wheel 5. Switch back to PAPER by selecting the word MODEL PRINTING 1. Select PRINT from the pull-down menu / PREVIEW and look over your drawing 2. If your drawing looks correct, PRINT 3. If your drawing does not look correct, go back and revise o Text Height: 1/8 o Font Style: Tahoma o Text Line Weight: 0.05 o Title Block Line Weight: 0.3 o The Title Block must be positioned at the bottom right corner of your substrate o The Text should be centered within each block 3 / 8 RHS DRAWING DRAWN BY: YOUR NAME 1 3 / 4 1 5 / 8 3 1 / 8
Drawing Lines Using Coordinate Systems ABSOLUTE coordinates are the most basic of all three coordinate systems where all points are measured relative to the drawing origin 0,0 RELATIVE coordinates are entered/measured relative to the last point plotted. You must precede your coordinate entry with the @ symbol Y-Axis 90 Quadrant II Quadrant I X-Axis 180 0 / 360 Quadrant III Quadrant IV 270 POLAR coordinates are entered/measured by specifying its distance and angle from an existing point. @distance/measurement<angle TEXT TOOL Is used to create single lines of text. Note: Text will only be displayed in your drawing area when a text tool is used, otherwise your text will automatically be placed in the command prompt MULTILINE TEXT TOOL Is used to enter multiple lines of text.
CADD Dimension Settings 1. Follow the visuals below and change the settings to suite your particular needs Note: Place dimensions ¼ away from furthest edge of object and ¼ apart from each other.
LINEAR DIMENSION TOOL Measures straight line, horizontal, vertical, or inclined, distances. RADIUS & DIAMETER DIMENSION TOOLS Are used to dimension the radius and diameter of circles and arcs with Multiline Text Editor option QUICK LEADER TOOL Is used to place leader lines and dimensions or notes on your drawing FILLET TOOL Is used to draw arcs at the interior intersection of two or more surfaces TRIM TOOL Is used to trim objects by 1 st selecting the trim tool, select the object/s to trim against (cutting edge), right click, then select the part of the object to be trimmed EXTEND TOOL Extends an object to meet or intersect another object. 1 st choose the object/s that you would like to extend to, right click, then choose the object you want to extend. ROTATE TOOL Rotates objects around a selected base point. 1 st select the rotate tool, select the object/s to rotate, right click, specify base point then enter rotation angle. ARC TOOL Is used to draw arcs through 3 points, start/center & end points, center, center/start & included angle or start/end/included angle CIRCLE TOOL Is used to draw a circle by either its radius, diameter, through 3 points, through 2 points or its tangent/tangent/radius ELLIPSE TOOL Is used to draw ellipses by specifying its endpoints, arc, center or isocircle, which is for Isometric Drawings CUTTING PLANE LINE Is used to show when an imaginary cut has been made in a Section View Drawing HATCH TOOL Is used to add texture to a shape or object, showing either a specific material type or that a shape or object has been imaginarily cut.
CAD Isometrics Isometric Drawings can be created very easily in AutoCAD by following these instructions. 1. Right click the SNAP dock command 2. Select the SNAP and GRID tab 3. Under snap type & style select ISOMETRIC SNAP 4. To change your cursor so that you can draw in all three axis, you must use the F5 button on the keyboard.