autocad-lecture1

CIV 104 -‐ Computer Aided Engineering Drawing Prof. Carmen Amaddeo 1

Computer Aided Engineering Drawing – CIV 104

Lecture Notes

Spring Semester 2012

Professor Carmen AMADDEO


LECTURE NOTES: 01

AGENDA:

1. Autodesk Exchange in AutoCAD 2012

2. The Default AutoCAD Interface

3. AutoCAD Workspaces

4. Online Help System

5. File Utilities – Starting and Saving a drawing, Opening a existing drawing, File management

6. Entering, Canceling, and Repeating Commands

7. Undo and Redo

8. Basic Draw Commands – Line, Polyline, Polygon, Rectangle, Arc, Circle

1. Initial Setup in AutoCAD 2010

By default, AutoCAD 2012 displays an Autodesk Exchange window at startup which provides a browser based access to the Help system, online support forums, new features demo videos, and an even an Apps category. This window can be closed and then reopened by pressing F1 or by choosing the Exchange icon on the title bar.


2. The Default AutoCAD Interface

This image shows the 2D Drafting and Annotation interface with some of the most important elements highlighted. The current drawing name is always displayed at the top. The Ribbon Control Panels, Quick Access Toolbar and Command window provide access to commands.

The Layout tabs allow you to switch between the drawing and plotting environments. The Application and Drawing Status bars provide access to drawing aids and text scaling options, and the Info Center on the right side of the title bar allows you to search the Help resources by keywords for information on any commands or procedures.

Right-‐clicking with or without a command active, will provide access to an extensive assortment of options and other commands. The Application Menu, under the letter “A” in the top left corner, provides access to all commands and interface elements as well as plotting and file utility options. Exporting and Drawing Utilities are also found in the Application menu.

3. AutoCAD Workspaces

AutoCAD 2012 allows us to select from four separate drawing environments, saved as Workspaces, when starting or working on a drawing. The workspace Switching control window on the Quick Access toolbar, lets us easily choose from one of the available workspaces.

2D Drafting and Annotation is the default workspace in AutoCAD 2012. This workspace uses a series of 2D control panels available through a dock able palette called the Ribbon.

3D Modeling workspace is a working environment that displays all of the 3D related panels in addition to the most common 2D Control Panels with all major 3D commands and options. New


drawings started with a 3D template will use this workspace and start with a 3D view of the work area instead of the plan view used in 2D drawings.

3D Basics workspace provides a streamlined version of the 3D modeling workspace. It hides the Surface and Mesh modeling tools as well as some of the more advanced 2D panels.

AutoCAD Classic workspace is the traditional environment used in older releases of AutoCAD. This workspace uses Toolbars instead of Ribbon Control Panels as the primary means of accessing commands, and was the default workspace in releases prior to version 2008.

Custom Workspaces may also be easily defined by opening and closing various interface elements, such as Ribbon Tabs, Control Panels, Palettes, as well as traditional toolbars. When you have set up the interface in the desired manner, you can use the "Save Current As" option from the Workspace Switching control window, and then give a name to your custom workspace. Named Workspaces allow you to easily change the interface elements to a specific configuration with only the tools required for your style of work.

The Quick Access Toolbar located beside the Application Menu (Red letter A) in the upper left corner of the interface, contains icons for starting new files, opening files, saving files, Undoing and Redoing commands, and Plotting your drawing.

If you choose the triangular arrow at the right end of the Quick Access toolbar, you can add and remove commands from this interface element.


To Open traditional toolbars to add to a custom workspace, use the Toolbars fly out on the Windows panel found on the View tab on the Ribbon. Move the toolbars and dock them around the edges of your screen to provide additional options for accessing commands.

If you Show the Menu bar, from the Tools menu, choose Toolbars / AutoCAD, to display the entire list of available traditional style toolbars. Pick a toolbar name such as Draw, Modify, Layers, etc. to open that toolbar.

The Ribbon groups common commands required for the current workspace in a single area, reducing the need for traditional toolbars. The Ribbon contains all of the commands which were found on the Toolbars in older versions of AutoCAD. The Ribbon replaced the traditional toolbar interface with a series of tabbed control panels which more closely resembles the interface in current versions of Microsoft Office products such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

The Ribbon can display up to nine control panels in each of twelve different tabs or groups of panels. You can hide the control panels that are not currently in use. Select the desired tabs and panels from the right-‐click shortcut menu.

To change the display of the Ribbon, select the arrow at the right end of the tab titles. You can minimize the ribbon so it displays only the tab and panel titles until you move your cursor over one of the panels. You can also open and close the Ribbon.

It is possible to Anchor the Ribbon at the left or right edge of the screen to automatically hide or display as required. Right-‐click on the titlebar to see available options for anchoring, etc.


Some of the Ribbon panels display triangular dropdown arrows which allow you to access less commonly used commands and options in that panel category. Selecting these expand arrows displays a drop down list of commands that won’t fit within default control panel. The expanded panel may be pinned to keep it from auto-‐closing when you move your cursor away from the panel. There are Iso black diagonal arrows at the lower right corner of the some of the ribbon panels. These arrows open related dialog boxes or windows such as the Properties Panel.

4. The Online Help System

There are a number of options available for finding information in AutoCAD. In the upper right corner is the Info Center which allows you to search a number of Resources with a single query.

In the Info Center search bar, you can type one or more keywords (recommended), or alternatively, ask a question and AutoCAD will open the Exchange window as shown in the image above and display the most relevant help topics along with a list of related help topics in a window at the left side.

When entering keywords, you can use quotation marks to specify exact phrases of words and you can use Wildcards such as *, ?, and ~ to further refine the search.

The X icon to the right of the Search icon will open the Exchange window with the Home tab current and displays links to information about product updates, subscriptions, and even RSS feeds. The Star button to the right of the Communication Center button is the Favorites button which displays saved links to topics or locations. (if you sign in to Autodesk Online first!).

AutoCAD Help contains complete information about using AutoCAD. To access the online help system, use the pull down menu and select Help or use the F1 key.


In the Help window, you use the left pane to locate information. The tabs above the left pane give you several ways for finding the topics you want to view. The right pane displays the topics you select.

Find Information in Help -‐ The tabs on the left side of the Help window provide different methods for finding information. The Browse tab allows you to browse books and chapters. The Search tab allows you to type in a word or words and then hit enter to show you a list of matching help entries. You can find information by typing a question phrased in everyday language or by using keywords. The Help Searches can also take advantage of Boolean operators used in Search engines. These include AND, OR, and NOT.

If you start a command and then hit F1, it will open the help system for that command.

5. File Utilities

Starting a New Drawing -‐ There are several methods for starting a new drawing. You can press CTRLN on your keyboard, select the New icon from the Quick Access toolbar, or you can choose the New Drawing fly out from the Application menu.

In AutoCAD 2012, all methods will prompt you to select a Drawing Template and starting a new drawing will take you directly to the templates folder where you can select from a list of templates, some containing title blocks conforming to various international standards. If you want to start a simple drawing with Imperial units, (inches), select the ACAD.dwt template. If you want to work with Metric units, select the ACADISO.dwt template. Ensure you choose the correct template for the system of measure you will be using as many default options will be controlled by the template.


All Drawing template files have a .dwt file extension. Custom template drawings can be created by saving any drawing with a .dwt extension. To start a drawing with a custom template file that is not located in the default templates folder, just browse to the template and double-‐click it.

Saving a Drawing -‐ You save drawing files for later use just as you do with any other computer application. AutoCAD provides an automatic saving feature, backup files, and other options for saving. When you are working on a drawing, you should save it frequently. Saving protects you from losing work in the event of a power failure or other unexpected event. If you want to create a new version of a drawing without affecting the original drawing, you can save it under another name with the SAVEAS command.

The file extension for AutoCAD drawing files is .dwg, and unless you change the default file format in which drawings are saved, drawings are saved in the latest drawing-‐file format.

To save a drawing

On the Quick Access toolbar, click the Save icon. (If you previously saved and named the drawing, AutoCAD does a quick save. If you have never saved the drawing, the Save Drawing As dialog box is displayed. You can also use the shortcut CTRL-‐S to save your drawing.

In the Save Drawing As dialog box under File Name, enter the new drawing name; the file extension is not required. Then click Save. Use the shortcut CTRL-‐SHIFT-‐S to open SAVEAS.

Opening a Drawing -‐ To open an existing AutoCAD drawing, you can use the Open icon on the Quick Access toolbar to display the Select File dialog box or type CTRL-‐O (letter, not zero). You could also choose Open from the Application Menu.

If you use the Application Menu, AutoCAD will display a list of Recent Documents which can be filtered by ordered list, access date, file size, etc. The drawings can also be displayed as thumbnail images as well as filename.


You can double-‐click a drawing in Windows Explorer to launch AutoCAD and open the drawing. If AutoCAD is already running, the drawing opens in the current session rather than in a second session. If you have more than one Autodesk program or version installed, it is a good idea to start the program you want to use before double-‐clicking the file name.

File Management with Windows Explorer – AutoCAD is excellent at creating drawings but is not a sophisticated file management tool. It is very helpful to be able to use Windows Explorer to be able to find and copy your files and organize them into folders. To open Windows Explorer, right-‐click on the Windows start menu and choose “Open Windows Explorer”. The keyboard shortcut, Windows-‐E also provides access to the utility.

The image above shows Windows Explorer. It is divided vertically into two panes: a browser and a contents pane. Use the left pane to find drives and folders, and display their contents, folders and files, in the right pane. If you right click on a file in the right pane, you can copy it to the Windows clipboard.

When you right-‐click over a folder or in an empty area of the contents pane you will see an option to paste the file from the clipboard. Another very useful operation to know is how to create a folder: Right-‐Click in an empty area of the contents pane and choose New / Folder. Give the folder a descriptive name.


6. Entering, Cancelling, and Repeating Commands

There are several methods for entering commands in AutoCAD:

Toolbars – Provide quick access to most of the more commonly used commands. This is the fastest method to access commands unless you are familiar with the keyboard shortcuts for commands.

Command Line – Typing in commands or command shortcuts at the command line and hitting the enter key or the space bar is probably the fastest method for experienced users who are familiar with the command shortcuts. I.e. L for line and C for circle.

Almost all commands can be accessed by typing the first 1, 2, or 3 letters of the command name. i.e. -‐ C for Circle, CO for Copy, and CHA for Chamfer. In AutoCAD 2012, an autocomplete feature will display all available commands which start with the letters you type. See Appendix – Keyboard Shortcuts at the end of these notes for examples.

Application Menu – Provide access to all commands and command options. Here, you can search for commands by typing in the search bar. You can also access common tools for creating, saving, and opening files. Plotting and publishing tools as well as drawing utilities and access to the Options dialog may also be found in the Application menu.

Ribbon – When the 2D drawing and annotation workspace or 3D modeling workspace is selected, the Ribbon will be displayed, providing access to numerous commands through a series of Tabbed Control Panels populated with Tool buttons, Control windows and Options.


The Ribbon will display different control panels depending on the currently selected Tab. The available Tabs, in turn are dependent on the current workspace with the 3D modeling workspace including tabs specific to 3D.

Right-‐click on the Ribbon title bar to access options for managing Tabs, opening and closing Panels, displaying titles, and Undocking the Ribbon. When the ribbon is undocked you can float it in the middle of the drawing area or dock it in a vertical orientation at either side of the screen.

Cursor Menu -‐ Shortcut menus give you quick access to commands relevant to your current activity. You can display different shortcut menus when you right-‐click different areas of the screen, including:

1. Within the drawing area with one or more objects selected;

2. Within the drawing area without any objects selected;

3. Within the drawing area during a command.


Shortcut menus typically include options to

1. Repeat the last command entered

2. Cancel the current command

3. Cut and copy to the Clipboard and paste from the Clipboard

4. Select a different command option

5. Display a dialog box, such as Options or Customize

6. Undo the last command entered

Tool Palettes – Tool Palettes, accessed from the Palettes panel on the View tab of the Ribbon provide another means to access commands. Tabbed sections within the Tool Palettes Window provide further options for accessing tools such as blocks, hatches and custom commands. This method will be covered extensively in the level two course.

To cancel a command, hit the ESC key in the upper left corner of the keyboard or right-‐click your mouse and select the cancel option from the cursor menu.

To repeat the last command, hit the space bar on the keyboard or right-‐click your mouse and select the repeat command option from the cursor menu.

7. Undo and Redo

With AutoCAD, you can undo your recent actions using one of several methods.

Undo a Single Action -‐ The simplest method of backtracking is to use Undo on the Standard toolbar or the U command to undo a single action. Many commands include their own U (undo) option so that you can correct mistakes without leaving the command. When you are creating lines and polylines, for example, enter u to undo the last segment.

Undo Several Actions at Once -‐ You can undo several actions at once with the Undo list on the Quick Access toolbar.

Reverse the Effect of Undo – You can reverse the effect of a single U or UNDO command by REDO immediately after using U or UNDO. You can also redo several actions at once with the Redo list on the Quick Access toolbar.

OOPS – The OOPs command restores the last object deleted from the drawing and can be a valuable alternative to the Undo command. If you accidentally erase an object and then


perform several additional commands, the Undo command would not be very useful to restore the deleted object as you would also undo the additional work since the object was erased. OOPS will retain the last few commands and simply restore the erased object. To access the OOPS command, type it at the command line and hit enter.

8. Basic Draw Commands

Line – Creates straight line segments. Start the command and then pick points on the screen to draw segments. To undo a single segment, type U and enter or right-‐click and choose “Undo”. To create a closed shape draw 2 or more segments and then type C and hit enter or right-‐click and choose “Close”. To continue a line from the endpoint of the last line segment added, start the command and then right-‐click instead of picking a start point for the line.

Polyline – Creates line and arc segments that are end-‐connected and can be selected and modified as a single entity. You can create straight line segments, arc segments, or a combination of the two. Right-‐click and choose Arc or Line to switch between modes. There are several other options for polylines that will be covered in a later class.

Polygon -‐ Creates an equilateral closed polyline with 3-‐1024 segments that can be defined with a radius fitting inside a circle (inscribed) or around a circle (circumscribed). Polygons may also be defined by specifying the endpoints of the first edge. (Edge mode)

Rectangle – Creates a rectangular polyline that is defined by picking or specifying the locations of diagonally opposite corners. The rectangle may optionally be created with chamfered or filleted corners.

Arc – Creates a curved segment that, with the default method, passes through three user specified points. Many other methods may be used to draw the arc depending on the data that is available. Possibilities include the start, centre, and end points, the start, end, and radius of the arc, the start, end, and included angle of the arc.

** To access sub options of a command, view the command line while the command is active and type the capital letters of the options displayed within brackets. Another method would be


to select the specific sub option displayed from the dropdown options on the control panel. Most commands will also display valid sub options in the cursor menu if you start the command and then right-‐click your mouse. These allow you to switch from the initial command type.

Circle – Creates a circle that can be defined by various combinations of center, radius, diameter, points on the circumference or points on other objects. The default method is to pick or specify a centre point and a radius for the circle. Other methods include a circle that passes through 2 or 3 user specified points, or is tangent to 2 or 3 other objects. As with the arc command, you can access options by typing, right-‐clicking, or by choosing the desired method from the dropdown list on the control panel when you start the command.

Revision Cloud – Creates a polyline of sequential arcs to form a cloud shape. These objects are used to highlight specific areas of a drawing, usually for areas that requires a revision.

Spline – Creates a non-‐uniform rational Bezier Spline (NURBS) curve. A spline passes through or near a given set of control points. Tangencies and tolerances further refine the shape of the spline. Splines may be created with Fit Points or Control Vertices.

Ellipse – Creates an ellipse whose shape is derived from two axes defining the length and width of the ellipse. The ellipse can be defined by specifying the endpoints of the axes or by choosing a Center point and then the axis endpoints.

Elliptical Arc – The Elliptical Arc command is actually an option of the Ellipse command which allows you to specify the start and end angle of the included portion of an ellipse.

Multiline Text – Creates a text object. Text is covered in depth in lesson 8.


Create your Autocad Folder

This first exercise can be done without AutoCAD and will simply involve some basic file utility procedures. An understanding of how to manage your files is an essential skill to master.

Open Windows Explorer by selecting the Windows key and the letter E at the same time. You can also open the File explorer by right-‐clicking on the Start menu and choosing “Explore”. The image above shows the Windows Explorer from the Windows Vista operating system. If you are using Windows XP or Windows 7, you will have a slightly different interface but similar options. .

Browse to a location where you would like to save your files for this course. It could be in the My Documents folder or another location. Create a new folder and name the Folder AutoCAD 1.

Double-‐click the new folder name to open it. Create two new folders inside the AutoCAD 1 folder. Name the new folders Practice and Assignments. This is where you will save your drawings as you create them.

It is always a good idea to back up your drawing files by saving them or copying them to a new location.


Practice Drawings: Creating and Saving Drawings

This exercise involves creating and saving several drawings to separate drawing files. Although it would be possible to create all of the drawings in a single file, the exercise is meant to reinforce the concepts of file management and saving files. Each time you complete a drawing exercise, save and close the file. To start the next drawing, start a new file.

The first 2 drawings are not dimensioned and are not drawn to scale. They are merely quick sketches that will serve to familiarize you with some of the most common drawing tools. Do your best to replicate the drawings while estimating the dimensions. Remember to create separate files for each drawing.

Refer to the drawing samples at the end of the lecture notes for this class and reproduce the drawings as shown. Start a new file for each drawing. Use the acad.dwt template to start the files.

After you have started creating the drawings you should save them every 5 or 10 minutes. Use the shortcut keys or open the File menu to access the save options. After you have created all two drawings and saved them to your Practice folder, use the Open option from the File menu to reopen the first practice drawing.

Draw a few new objects and then use the Save As command to save the file with a new name. This method of opening an existing file, editing it and saving it with a new name is a very common practice and a great timesaver.

**TIP – There is a button on the status bar called OSNAP that is very powerful, very helpful and turned on by default. In most cases you work with it enabled, but in your first practice drawings, it may interfere with your progress by “snapping” to the endpoints of lines or other geometric points. Just pick the button to disable it when you have trouble selecting a desired point. Turn it back on whenever possible as it will allow you to draw more accurately.

autocad-lecture1

Documents

d commands

toolbars autocad

autocad workspaces autocad

d modeling workspace

current drawing

default workspace

autocad classic workspace

d basics workspace