autodesk autocad basics

7/25/2019 Autodesk Autocad Basics

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BasicsDec 16 2015 | In-Product View

Applies to AutoCAD 2016, AutoCAD Architecture 2016, AutoCAD Ciil !D 2016, AutoCAD "lectrical 2016,

AutoCAD #"P 2016, AutoCAD #ap !D 2016, AutoCAD #echanical 2016, AutoCAD P$ID 2016,AutoCAD Plant !D 2016, and AutoCAD %tilit& Desi'n 2016

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.eiew the /asic AutoCAD controls

Ater &ou launch AutoCAD, clic) the tart Drawin' /utton to /e'in a new drawin'

AutoCAD includes a standard ta//ed ri//on across the top o the drawin' area oucan access nearl& all the co33ands presented in this 'uide ro3 the 4o3e ta/ Inaddition, the uic) Access tool/ar shown /elow includes a3iliar co33ands such asew, 7pen, ae, Print, %ndo, and so on
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ote8 I the 4o3e ta/ is not the current ta/, 'o ahead and clic) it

9he Co33and :indow

At the heart o AutoCAD is the Co33and window, which is nor3all& doc)ed at the/otto3 o the application window 9he Co33and window displa&s pro3pts, options,and 3essa'es

ou can enter co33ands directl& in the Co33and window instead o usin' the ri//on,tool/ars, and 3enus #an& lon'-ti3e AutoCAD users preer this 3ethod

otice that as &ou start to t&pe a co33and, it is co3pleted auto3aticall& :hen seeralpossi/ilities are aaila/le such as in the e;a3ple /elow, &ou can 3a)e &our choice /&clic)in' it or usin' the arrow )e&s and then pressin' "nter or the pace/ar


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9he #ouse

#ost people use a 3ouse as their pointin' deice, /ut other deices hae e


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All these settin's can /e saed in a drawing templateile Clic) ew to choose ro3seeral drawin' te3plate iles8

For imperial drawings that assume your units are inches,use acad.dwt or acadlt.dwt.

For metric units that assume your units are millimeters,use acadiso.dwtor acadltiso.dwt.


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9he >9utorial> te3plate iles in the list are si3ple e;a3ples or the architectural or3echanical desi'n disciplines with /oth i3perial *i and 3etric *3 ersions ou 3i'htwant to e;peri3ent with the3

#ost co3panies use drawin' te3plate iles that conor3 to co3pan& standards 9he&will oten use dierent drawin' te3plate iles dependin' on the pro?ect or the client

Create our 7wn Drawin' 9e3plate =ile

ou can sae an& drawin' *.dwg ile as a drawin' te3plate *.dwt ile ou can alsoopen an& e;istin' drawin' te3plate ile, 3odi& it, and then sae it a'ain, with a dierentilena3e i needed


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%nit Displa& ettin's

Ater &ou decide what unit o len'th that &ou want to use, the %I9 co33and lets &oucontrol seeral unit displa& settin's includin' the ollowin'8

Format (or Type). For example a decimal length of 6.5 can be set to

display as a fractional length of 6-!" instead. #recision. For example, a decimal length of 6.5 can be set to display as

6.5$, 6.5$$, or 6.5$$$.

I &ou plan to wor) in eet and inches, use the %I9 co33and to set the unit t&pe toArchitectural, and then when &ou create o/?ects, speci& their len'ths in inches I &ouplan to use 3etric units, leae the unit t&pe set to Deci3al Chan'in' the unit or3atand precision does not aect the internal precision o &our drawin' It aects onl& howlen'ths, an'les, and coordinates are displa&ed in the user interace

Tip:If you need to change the UIT! settings, make sure that you save thedrawing as a drawing template file. "therwise, you will need to change the UIT!

settings for each new drawing.

#odel cale

Alwa&s create &our 3odels at ull sie *181 scale 9he ter3 modelreers to the'eo3etr& o &our desi'n A drawingincludes the 3odel 'eo3etr& alon' with the iews,notes, di3ensions, callouts, ta/les, and the title /loc) displa&ed in thelayout

ou can speci& the scalin' that is necessar& to print a drawin' on a standard-siedsheet later, when &ou create the la&out

.eco33endations

To open %elp with information about the command in progress, simplypress F.


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To repeat the pre&ious command, press 'nter or the pacebar. To see &arious options, select an obect and right-clic*, or right-clic* a

user interface element. To cancel a command in progress or if you e&er feel stuc*, press 'sc.

For example, if you clic* in the drawing area before entering a command,

you will see something li*e the following+

Press "sc to cancel this preselection operation

#arent topic:9he 4itchhi)ers uide to AutoCAD Basics

e$t topic:Viewin'

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Viewin'

Dec 16 2015 | In-Product View

Applies to AutoCAD 2016, AutoCAD Architecture 2016, AutoCAD Ciil !D 2016, AutoCAD "lectrical 2016,AutoCAD #"P 2016, AutoCAD #ap !D 2016, AutoCAD #echanical 2016, AutoCAD P$ID 2016,

AutoCAD Plant !D 2016, and AutoCAD %tilit& Desi'n 2016

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Pan and oo3 in a drawin', and control the order o oerlappin' o/?ects

9he easiest wa& to chan'e &our iew is /& usin' the wheel on &our 3ouse

0oom in or out by rolling the wheel. #an a &iew in any direction by holding the wheel down and then

mo&ing your mouse. 0oom to the extents of your model by clic*ing the wheel twice.

Tip:When you %oom in or out, the location of the cursor is important. Think of

your cursor as a magnifying glass. &or e$ample, if you position the cursor in the

upper-right area of the floor plan as shown 'elow, %ooming in magnifies the

dressing room without shifting the view.

ote8 I &ou cannot oo3 or pan an& 3ore, t&pe ."" in the Co33and window and

press "nter 9his co33and re'enerates the drawin' displa& and resets the e;tents

aaila/le or pannin' and oo3in'
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7erlappin' 7/?ects

I &ou create o/?ects that oerlap each other, &ou 3i'ht need to chan'e which o/?ectsare displa&ed on top or in ront o the others =or e;a3ple, i &ou want the &ellowhi'hwa& to cross the /lue rier rather than the other wa& around, use theD.A:7.D". co33and to reorder the o/?ects

ou can access seeral draw order options ro3 the #odi& panel on the ri//on Clic) to

e;pand the #odi& panel, and then clic) the down-arrow as shown /elow

9he draw order options that are listed include sendin' all hatches to the /ac), all te;t tothe ront, and so on


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eo3etr&




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Create /asic 'eo3etric o/?ects such as lines, circles, and hatched areas

ou can create a lot o dierent t&pes o 'eo3etric o/?ects in AutoCAD, /ut &ou onl&

need to )now a ew o the3 or 3ost 2D drawin's

Tip:If you want to simplify the display while you create geometric o'(ects, press

&)* to turn off dynamic input.

(ines

9he line is the 3ost /asic and co33on o/?ect in AutoCAD drawin's 9o draw a line,clic) the (ine tool

Alternatiel&, &ou can t&pe (I" or ?ust ( in the Co33and window, and then press "nter

or the pace/ar

otice the pro3pt in the Co33and window or a point location
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9o speci& the startin' point or this line, &ou would t&pe in the coordinates 0,0 It is a'ood idea to locate one corner o &our 3odel at 0,0, which is called the ori'in point 9olocate additional points, &ou could speci& additional E, coordinate locations in thedrawin' area, howeer 3ore eicient 3ethods or speci&in' points are aaila/le, andwill /e presented in the Precision topic

Ater &ou speci& the ne;t point, the (I" co33and auto3aticall& repeats itsel, and it)eeps pro3ptin' &ou or additional points Press "nter or the pace/ar to end these


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o3e people li)e wor)in' with 'rid lines as a reerence, while others preer wor)in' in a/lan) area 9o turn o the 'rid displa&, press =F "en with the 'rid turned o, &ou canorce &our cursor to snap to 'rid incre3ents /& pressin' =G

(ines as Construction Aids

(ines can sere as reerence and construction 'eo3etr& such as

#roperty line setbac*s The mirror line of a symmetrical mechanical part /learance lines to a&oid interferences Tra&ersal path lines

Circles

9he deault option o the CI.C(" co33and re


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Alternatiel&, &ou can also enter CI.C(" or ?ust C in the Co33and window and clic) tochoose an option I &ou do, &ou can speci& a center point, or &ou can clic) one o thehi'hli'hted co33and options as shown /elow

Circles can /e useul as reerence 'eo3etr& =or e;a3ple, &ou can see that the twodoors in the illustration can interere with each other


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Pol&lines and .ectan'les

A pol&line is a connected se


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Pol&lines can hae dierent startin' and endin' widths or each se'3ent as shownhere8

A ast wa& to create closed rectan'ular pol&lines is to use the ."C9A co33and*enter ."C in the Co33and window

i3pl& clic) two dia'onal points or the rectan'le as illustrated I &ou use this 3ethod,turn on 'rid snap *=G or precision

4atches and =ills

In AutoCAD, a hatch is a sin'le, co3pound o/?ect that coers a speciied area with apattern o lines, dots, shapes, a solid ill color, or a 'radient ill


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:hen &ou start the 4A9C4 co33and, the ri//on te3poraril& displa&s the 4atchCreation ta/ 7n this ta/, &ou can choose ro3 3ore than F0 industr&-standard i3perialand I7 hatch patterns, alon' with 3an& specialied options

9he si3plest procedure is to choose a hatch pattern and scale ro3 the ri//on, andclic) within an& area that is co3pletel& enclosed /& o/?ects ou need to speci& the

scale actor or the hatch to control its sie and spacin'

Ater &ou create a hatch, &ou can 3oe the /oundin' o/?ects to ad?ust the hatch area,or &ou can delete one or 3ore o the /oundin' o/?ects to create partiall& /oundedhatches8

Tip:If you set a hatch pattern to 'e a solid or gradient fill, also consider setting a

transparency level on the +atch reation ta' for interesting overlap effects.

4ere are so3e e;a3ples o how &ou can use solid-ill hatches8


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Tip:If you need to align the pattern in a hatch, which might 'e the case with the

decking 'oards a'ove, use the !et "rigin option to specify an alignment point.

ote8 I an area is not co3pletel& enclosed, red circles displa& to indicate places to

chec) or 'aps "nter ."D.A: in the Co33and window to dis3iss the red circles


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Precision




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"nsure the precision re


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B& deault, polar trac)in' is turned on and 'uides &our cursor in a horiontal or erticaldirection *0 or G0 de'rees

(oc)in' An'les

I &ou need to draw a line at a speciied an'le, &ou can loc) the an'le or the ne;t point=or e;a3ple, i the second point o a line needs to /e created at a H5 de'ree an'le, &ou

would enter H5 in the Co33and window

Ater &ou 3oe &our cursor in the desired direction alon' the H5-de'ree an'le, &ou canenter the len'th o the line

7/?ect naps

B& ar, the 3ost i3portant wa& or &ou to speci& precise locations on o/?ects is to useo/?ect snaps In the ollowin' illustration, seeral dierent )inds o o/?ect snaps arerepresented /& 3ar)ers


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7/?ect snaps /eco3e aaila/le durin' a co33and wheneer AutoCAD pro3pts &ou tospeci& a point =or e;a3ple, i &ou start a new line and 3oe &our cursor near theendpoint o an e;istin' line, the cursor will auto3aticall& snap to it

et Deault 7/?ect naps

"nter the 7AP co33and to set the deault o/?ect snaps, which are also called>runnin'> o/?ect snaps =or e;a3ple, &ou 3i'ht ind it useul to turn on the #idpointo/?ect snap /& deault

.eco33endations


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3t any prompt for a point, you can specify a single obect snap thato&errides all other obect snap settings. 9ou hold down hift, right-clic* inthe drawing area, and choose an obect snap from the bect nap menu.Then mo&e the cursor to select a location on an obect.

:a*e sure that you ;oom in close enough to a&oid mista*es. n a

densely populated model, snapping to the wrong obect will result in anerror that can propagate throughout your model.

7/?ect nap 9rac)in'

Durin' a co33and, &ou can ali'n points /oth horiontall& and erticall& ro3 o/?ectsnap locations In the ollowin' illustration, &ou irst hoer oer endpoint 1 and thenhoer oer endpoint 2 :hen &ou 3oe &our cursor near location !, the cursor loc)sinto the horiontal and ertical location shown

ou can now inish creatin' the line, circle, or other o/?ect that &ou were creatin' ro3

that location

Veri& our :or)

.echec) &our 'eo3etr& to catch 3ista)es earl& "nter the DI9 co33and *or ?ust DI to3easure the distance /etween an& two points in &our 3odel

=or e;a3ple, &ou 3i'ht need to ind the clearance /etween two points shown, which3i'ht represent the corner o a wall and a s3all ta/le, or perhaps a 2D section o aplastic part and a wire

Ater &ou enter DI9, clic) the endpoint on the corner *1 e;t, hold down hit as &ouri'ht-clic), and then choose Perpendicular ro3 the o/?ect snap 3enu =inall&, clic) thecircle *2


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9he nu3/er o deci3al places and unit st&le displa&ed in the result is controlled /& the%I9 co33and

4and& =unction Je& .eerence9he )e&/oard unction )e&s all hae assi'n3ents in AutoCAD 9he ones that are 3ostco33onl& turned on and o are indicated with a )e&


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ote8 =+ and =10 are 3utuall& e;clusieturnin' either one on will turn the other one

o


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.elated .eerence

1T (/ommand) 3# (/ommand)
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(a&ers




(i)e *! (o'in to li)e this Article

hare

7r'anie &our drawin' /& assi'nin' o/?ects to la&ers

:hen a drawin' /eco3es isuall& co3ple;, &ou can hide the o/?ects that &ou currentl&

do not need to see

In the drawin' /elow, the doors and electrical wirin' were te3poraril& hidden /& turnin'o their la&ers
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ou 'ain this leel o control /& or'aniin' the o/?ects in &our drawin' on la&ers that areassociated with a speciic unction or a purpose It 3i'ht /e helpul to thin) o la&ers asclear plastic sheets8

:ith la&ers, &ou can

3ssociate obects by their function or location 1isplay or hide all related obects in a single operation 'nforce linetype, color, and other property standards for each layer

I3portant8 .esist the te3ptation to create eer&thin' on one la&er (a&ers are the 3ost

i3portant or'aniin' eature aaila/le in AutoCAD drawin's


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(a&er Controls

9o see how a drawin' is or'anied, use the (A". co33and to open the (a&erProperties #ana'er ou can either enter (A". or (A in the Co33and window, or &oucan clic) the (a&er Properties tool on the ri//on

4eres what the (a&er Properties #ana'er displa&s in this drawin'


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As indicated, la&er 10 :A(( is the current layer All new o/?ects are auto3aticall&placed on that la&er In the list o la&ers, the 'reen chec) ne;t to la&er 10 :A((conir3s that it is the current la&er

In the colu3n la/eled 7n, notice that the li'ht /ul/ icons or two la&ers are dar) 9hese

la&ers were turned o to hide the doors and electrical wirin' in the loor plan

otice that each la&er na3e starts with a two-di'it nu3/er 9his conention 3a)es iteas& to control the order o the la&ers /ecause their order does not depend on thealpha/et

Tip:&or comple$ drawings, you might want to consider a more ela'orate layer

naming standard. &or e$ample, layer names could 'egin with digits followed 'y

a naming code that accommodates multiple floors in a 'uilding, pro(ect num'ers,

sets of survey and property data, and so on.

Practical .eco33endations

8ayer $ is the default layer that exists in all drawings and has someesoteric properties. nstead of using this layer, it


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8oc* layers. 9ou loc* layers when you want to pre&ent accidentalchanges to the obects on those layers. 3lso, the obects on loc*ed layers

appear faded, which helps reduce the &isual complexity of your drawing,but still lets you see the obects faintly.

et default properties. 9ou set the default properties for each layer,including color, linetype, lineweight, and transparency. ew obects thatyou create will use these properties unless you o&erride them. &erridinglayer properties is explained later in this topic.

Controls in the (a&er Properties #ana'er9o create a new la&er, clic) the /utton shown and enter the na3e o the new la&er 9o3a)e a dierent la&er the current one, clic) the la&er and then clic) the indicated /utton

uic) Access to (a&er ettin's

9he (a&er Properties #ana'er ta)es up a lot o space, and &ou dont alwa&s need toaccess all the options =or


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7ccasionall&, chec) to 3a)e sure that the o/?ects &ou create will /e on the correct la&erIts eas& to or'et to do this, /ut its also eas& to set Clic) the drop-down arrow todispla& a list o la&ers, and then clic) a la&er on the list to 3a)e it the current la&er oucan also clic) on an& icon in the list to chan'e its settin'

#aintain our tandards

Its criticall& i3portant either to esta/lish or to conor3 to a co3pan&-wide la&erstandard :ith a la&er standard, drawin' or'aniation will /e 3ore lo'ical, consistent,co3pati/le, and 3aintaina/le oer ti3e and across depart3ents (a&er standards areessential or tea3 pro?ects

I &ou create a standard set o la&ers and sae the3 in a drawin' te3plate ile, thosela&ers will /e aaila/le when &ou start a new drawin', and &ou can start wor)in'i33ediatel& Additional inor3ation a/out drawin' te3plate iles is presented in the

Basics topic

u33ar&

(a&ers or'anie &our drawin', ena/lin' &ou to te3poraril& suppress the displa& ounneeded 'raphical data ou can also assi'n deault properties such as color andlinet&pe to each la&er

ote8 o3e e;perienced AutoCAD users set properties onl& with la&ers, while others

set properties independentl& o la&ers or in co3/ination with la&ers Assi'nin'

properties to o/?ects is coered in the Properties topic


#revious topic:Precision

e$t topic:Properties

.elated .eerence

839'2 (/ommand)
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Properties



AutoCAD #"P 2016, AutoCAD #ap !D 2016, AutoCAD #echanical 2016, AutoCAD P$ID 2016,



hare

ou can assi'n properties such as color and linet&pe to indiidual o/?ects, or as deault

properties assi'ned to la&ers

In the ollowin' drawin', the walls, e;terior stone acin', doors, i;tures, ca/inetr&,4VAC, electrical, and te;t were created usin' dierent colors to help dierentiate/etween the3
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9he Properties Palette

9he Properties palette is an essential tool ou can open it with the P.7P".9I"co33and *enter P. in the Co33and window, &ou can press Ctrl K 1, or &ou can clic)the tin& arrow in the Properties panel on the 4o3e ta/whicheer &ou preer

9he Properties palette displa&s a list o all the i3portant propert& settin's ou can clic)an& o the aaila/le ields to chan'e the current settin's In the ollowin' e;a3ple, i noo/?ects are selected, the current color will /e chan'ed ro3 B&(a&er to .ed and the%C icon will /e turned o

Veri& and Chan'e 7/?ect Properties


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ou can use the Properties palette to eri& and chan'e propert& settin's or selectedo/?ects I &ou clic) an o/?ect in &our drawin' to select it, here is what &ou 3i'ht see inthe Properties palette

otice that the current properties or the selected o/?ect are displa&ed in the paletteou can chan'e an& o these properties /& clic)in' and chan'in' the settin'

A propert& that is set to >B&(a&er> inherits its settin' ro3 the la&er In the preiouse;a3ple, the o/?ects that were created on the 20 "("C9.ICA( la&er are purple/ecause that is the deault color o the o/?ects on that la&er

I &ou select seeral o/?ects, onl& their co33on properties are listed in the Propertiespalette I &ou chan'e one o these properties, all the selected o/?ects will chan'e in oneoperation electin' o/?ects is coered in 3ore detail in the #odi&in' topic

ote8 9o clear the current selection, press "sc

uic) Access to Propert& ettin's

9he Properties palette ta)es up a lot o space =or


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#atch the Properties o 7/?ects

=or a ast wa& to cop& the properties o a selected o/?ect to other o/?ects, use the#atch Properties tool, or enter #A9C4P.7P or #A in the Co33and window

elect the source o/?ect, and then select all o the o/?ects that &ou want to 3odi&

(inet&pesDashed and other non-continuous linet&pes are assi'ned ro3 the Properties panelou 3ust irst load a linet&pe /eore &ou can assi'n it

In the (inet&pe drop-down list, clic) 7ther

9his action displa&s the (inet&pe #ana'er dialo' /o;

Peror3 the ollowin' steps in order8

. /lic* 8oad. /hoose one or more linetypes that you want to use. oticethat dashed (non-continuous) linetypes come in se&eral preset si;es.

". /lic* how!%ide details to display additional settings.>. pecify a di=erent ?global scale factor? for all linetypes@the larger the

&alue, the longer the dashes and spaces. /lic* A.


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7nce &oue loaded the linet&pes that &ou plan to use, &ou can select an& o/?ect andspeci& a linet&pe ro3 the Properties panel or the Properties palette Alternatiel&, &oucan speci& a deault linet&pe or an& la&er in the (a&er Properties #ana'er

(inewei'hts

9he (inewei'ht propert& proides a wa& to displa& dierent thic)nesses or selectedo/?ects 9he thic)ness o the lines re3ain constant re'ardless o the scale o the iewIn a la&out, linewei'hts are alwa&s displa&ed and printed in real-world units

(inewei'hts can also /e assi'ned ro3 the Properties panel


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ou can leae the linewei'ht set to B&(a&er, or &ou can speci& a alue that oerridesthe la&ers linewei'ht In so3e cases, the linewei'ht preiews loo) the sa3e /ecausethe& are displa&ed in appro;i3ated pi;el widths on a 3onitor 4oweer, the& will print atthe correct thic)ness

Tip:Its usually 'est to leave lineweights turned off while you work. +eavy

lineweights can o'scure near'y o'(ects when you use o'(ect snaps. /ou might

want to turn them for checking purposes (ust 'efore you print.

9o control the displa& o linewei'hts, clic) the (inewei'ht ettin's /utton at the /otto3o the linewei'ht list In the (inewei'ht ettin's dialo' /o;, &ou can choose whether &ouwant to displa& or hide linewei'hts

.e'ardless o the displa& settin', linewei'hts will alwa&s /e printed at the correct scale


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#revious topic:(a&ers

e$t topic:#odi&in'

.elated .eerence

8'T9#' (/ommand) :3T/%#2# (/ommand) #2#'2T' (/ommand)
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#odi&in'





hare

Peror3 editin' operations such as erase, 3oe, and tri3 on the o/?ects in a drawin'

9he 3ost co33on o these tools are located on the #odi& panel o the 4o3e ta/ 9a)ea 3inute to loo) throu'h the3

"rase

9o erase an o/?ect, use the ".A" co33and ou can enter " in the Co33andwindow, or clic) the "rase tool :hen &ou see the cursor chan'e to a s


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o3eti3es &ou need to select a lar'e nu3/er o o/?ects Instead o selectin' eacho/?ect indiiduall&, &ou can select the o/?ects in an area /& clic)in' an e3pt& location*1, 3oin' &our cursor ri'ht or let, and then clic)in' a second ti3e *2

4ith a crossing selection, any obects within or touching the green area areselected.

4ith a window selection, only the obects completely contained within theblue area are selected.

9he result is called the selection set, the set o o/?ects that will /e processed /& aco33and

Tip:/ou can easily remove o'(ects from the selection set. &or e$ample, if you select 0*

o'(ects, and two of them should not have 'een selected, hold down !hift and then select

the two that you want to remove. Then, press 1nter or the !pace'ar, or right click to end

the selection process.

ote8 Clic)in' and dra''in' results in a dierent selection 3ethod called lassoselection

#oe and Cop&

4eres how &ou would use the C7P co33and to la& out a row o decoratie tilestartin' with a pol&line that represents its shape, &ou need to 3a)e copies that are 1L+>apart

ou clic) the Cop& tool or enter CP in the Co33and window to start the co33and=ro3 here, &ou can choose /etween two 3ethods, dependin' on whats 3oreconenient ou will use these two 3ethods re


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9he Distance #ethod

9he second tile needs to /e a total o G-FL+> K 1L+> M 10> to the ri'ht o the ori'inal tileo, &ou select the tile, press "nter or the pace/ar to end &our selection, and clic)an&where in the drawin' area *1 9his point does not hae to /e located on the tile

e;t, &ou 3oe &our cursor to the ri'ht, rel&in' on the polar trac)in' an'le to )eep thedirection horiontal, and then enter 10 or the distance Press "nter or the pace/ar asecond ti3e to end the co33and

9he speciied distance and a direction ro3 a point *1 is applied to the tile that &ouselected

9he 9wo Points #ethod

Another 3ethod, one that &ou will oten use when &ou dont want to add nu3/ersto'ether, re space /etween the tiles, clic) the #oe tool or enter # in theCo33and window 9he #7V" co33and is si3ilar to the C7P co33and elect thenewl& copied tile, and press "nter or the pace/ar As /eore, clic) an&where in thedrawin' area and 3oe &our cursor to the ri'ht "nter 1L+ or 125 or the distance


42/80

Tip:The two points that define the distance and direction dont need to 'e located on the

o'(ect that you want to copy. /ou can use two points specified anywhere in your model.

Create #ultiple Copies

ou can use the two-points 3ethod as a repeatin' se


43/80

elect the o/?ect *1, speci& the oset distance, and clic) to indicate on which side othe ori'inal that &ou want the result *2 4ere is an e;a3ple o osettin' a pol&line

Tip:2 fast way to create concentric circles is to offset them.

9ri3 and ";tend

A popular techni


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Pressin' "nter or the pace/ar indicates that &oue inished selectin' the /oundaries,and that &oure now read& to select the o/?ects to /e e;tended

Tip:2 faster method is to press 1nter or the !pace'ar right away instead of selecting any'oundary o'(ects. The result is that all o'(ects are availa'le as possi'le 'oundaries.

e;t, &ou select the o/?ects to /e e;tended *near the ends to /e e;tended, and then&ou press "nter or the pace/ar to end the co33and

9he result is that the lines are e;tended to the /oundar&


45/80

9he 9.I# co33and ollows the sa3e steps, e;cept that when &ou select the o/?ects totri3, &ou select the portions to tri3 awa&

#irror9he ollowin' illustration co3es ro3 a tile pro?ect 9he walls in this residential /athroo3are lattened out to /e a/le to la& out the tile pattern and esti3ate the nu3/er o tilesneeded

ou can sae a lot o wor) /& ta)in' adanta'e o the s&33etr& /etween the let andri'ht walls All &ou need to do is create the tiles on one wall and then 3irror the wallacross the center o the roo3


46/80

In the e;a3ple /elow, &ou start the #I..7. co33and *or enter #I in the Co33andwindow, use window selection *1 and 2 to select the 'eo3etr& on the ri'ht wall, press"nter or the pace/ar, and then speci& a 3irror line *! and H correspondin' to thecenterline o the /athroo3

=inall&, decline the option to >"rase source o/?ects> /& pressin' "nter or the pace/ar

Tip:2lways look for symmetry to save yourself e$tra work, even if the symmetry is not

)334 identical.

tretch

ou can stretch 3ost 'eo3etric o/?ects 9his lets &ou len'then and shorten parts o&our 3odel =or e;a3ple, this 3odel 3i'ht /e a 'as)et or the desi'n or a pu/lic par)


47/80

%se the 9."9C4 co33and *or enter in the Co33and window and select theo/?ects with a crossin' selection as shown /elow *1 and 2 9he crossin' selection is3andator&onl& the 'eo3etr& that is crossed /& the crossin' selection is stretched9hen clic) an&where in the drawin' area *!, 3oe the cursor to the ri'ht, and enter 50as the distance 9his distance 3i'ht represent 3illi3eters or eet

9o shorten the 3odel /& a speciied a3ount, &oud 3oe &our cursor to the let instead

=illet

9he =I(("9 co33and *enter = in the Co33and window creates a rounded corner /&creatin' an arc that is tan'ent to two selected o/?ects otice that the illet is createdrelatie to where &ou select the o/?ects

ou can create a illet /etween 3ost t&pes o 'eo3etric o/?ects, includin' lines, arcs,and pol&line se'3ents

Tip:If you specify 3 5%ero6 as the radius of the fillet 5imagine a circle shrinking to a radius

of 36, the result trims or e$tends the selected o'(ects to a sharp corner.

";plode

9he "EP(7D" co33and *enter E in the Co33and window disassociates a co3poundo/?ect into its co3ponent parts ou can e;plode o/?ects such as pol&lines, hatches,and /loc)s *s&3/ols

Ater &ou e;plode a co3pound o/?ect, &ou can 3odi& each resultin' indiidual o/?ect


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"dit Pol&lines

ou can choose ro3 seeral useul options when &ou want to 3odi& a pol&line 9heP"DI9 co33and *enter P" in the Co33and window is located on the drop-down list othe #odi& panel

:ith this co33and, &ou can

Boin two polylines into a single polyline if they share a common endpoint /on&ert lines and arcs into a polyline@simply enter #'1T and select the line

or arc /hange the width of a polyline

Tip:In some cases, the easiest method to modify a polyline is to e$plode it, make themodifications, and then turn the o'(ects 'ack into a polyline using the 7oin option of the

#1DIT command.

rips

rips are displa&ed when &ou select an o/?ect without startin' a co33and rips areoten hand& or li'ht editin' =or e;a3ple, the line /elow accidentall& snapped to thewron' endpoint ou can select the 3isali'ned line, clic) on a 'rip and then clic) tospeci& the correct location


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B& deault, when &ou clic) a 'rip, &ou auto3aticall& start in @@9."9C4@@ 3ode asindicated in the Co33and window I &ou want to e;plore other wa&s o editin' o/?ectswith 'rips, press "nter or the pace/ar to c&cle throu'h seeral other editin' 3odeso3e people peror3 3ost editin' operations usin' 'rips


#revious topic:Properties

e$t topic:Bloc)s

.elated .eerence 38 (/ommand) /#9 (/ommand) '23' (/ommand) 'CT'1 (/ommand)

'C#81' (/ommand) F88'T (/ommand) :222 (/ommand) :D' (/ommand) FF'T (/ommand) #'1T (/ommand) 2T3T' (/ommand) T2'T/% (/ommand) T2: (/ommand)
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todesk.com/support/autocad/getting-started/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/AutoCAD-Core/files/GUID-1C265537-FBAC-48D5-B448-B72E777071E5-htm.htmlhttps://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/getting-started/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/AutoCAD-Core/files/GUID-F000A502-D39E-4D31-A8E2-4A626473FB72-htm.htmlhttps://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/getting-started/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/AutoCAD-Core/files/GUID-B1A185EF-07C6-4C53-A76F-05ADE11F5C32-htm.html


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Bloc)s




(i)e *! (o'in to li)e this Article

hare

Insert s&3/ols and details into &our drawin's ro3 co33ercial online sources or ro3

&our own desi'ns

In AutoCAD, a blockis a collection o o/?ects that are co3/ined into a sin'le na3edo/?ect 9he ollowin' are so3e sa3ple /loc)s at arious scales

o3e o these /loc)s are realistic representations o o/?ects, so3e are s&3/ols, andone o the3 is an architectural title /loc) or a D-sie drawin'

Insert a Bloc)

9&picall&, each o these /loc)s is an indiidual drawin' ile, perhaps saed in a olderwith si3ilar drawin' iles :hen &ou need to insert one into &our current drawin' ile,&ou use the I".9 co33and *or enter I in the Co33and window
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9he irst ti3e &ou insert the drawin' as a /loc), &ou need to clic) Browse to locate the

drawin' ile #a)e sure &ou or'anie &our /loc)s into eas&-to-ind olders

7nce inserted, the block definitionis stored in &our current drawin' =ro3 then on, &oucan choose it ro3 the a3e drop-down list without needin' to clic) the Browse /utton

Tip:The default settings in the Insert dialog 'o$ are usually accepta'le. 2fter you choose

the 'lock name, click "8, and then specify its location in your drawing. /ou can rotate it

later, if necessary.


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otice that when &ou insert a /loc), it is attached to &our cursor at the point indicated9his location is called the insertion point B& deault, the insertion point is the ori'in point*0,0 o the ori'inal drawin'

Ater insertin' the /loc), &ou can select it and a 'rip appears ou can easil& 3oe and

rotate this /loc) usin' this 'rip

In the ollowin' e;a3ple, a drawin' ile is inserted into the current drawin' to proide a

standard detail iew

ote8 Insertin' a drawin' ile as a /loc) proides a static reerence to the speciied drawin' =or

a reerence that auto3aticall& updates, &ou can attach the drawin' with the ";ternal .eerences

palette *E."= co33and instead

Create a Bloc) Deinition

Instead o creatin' a drawin' ile to /e inserted as a /loc), &ou 3i'ht want to create a/loc) deinition directl& in &our current drawin' %se this 3ethod i &ou do not plan toinsert the /loc) into an& other drawin' In that case, use the B(7CJ co33and to createthe /loc) deinition


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=or e;a3ple, this is how &ou could create a 3odule or a cu/icle desi'n

. /reate the obects for the bloc*.". tart the E8/A command.>. 'nter a name for the bloc*, in this case uad-/ube.G. elect the obects that you created for the bloc* (clic* and ").5. pecify the bloc* insertion point.

ou can enter the inor3ation or steps !, H, and 5 into the Bloc) Deinition dialo' /o; inan& order


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Ater creatin' the /loc) deinition, &ou can insert, cop&, and rotate the /loc) as needed

%sin' the "EP(7D" co33and, &ou can e;plode a /loc) /ac) to its co3ponent o/?ectsi &ou need to 3a)e chan'es In the illustration /elow, the cu/icle on the ri'ht wase;ploded and 3odiied

In this e;a3ple, &ou would pro/a/l& create a new /loc) deinition ro3 the o/?ects in thee;ploded /loc)

ote8 ou can create /loc) deinitions that include one or 3ore attri/utes that store and displa&

inor3ation 9he co33and that &ou would use is A99D"= 9&picall&, attri/utes include data such

as part nu3/er, na3e, cost, and date ou can e;port /loc) attri/ute inor3ation to a ta/le or to

an e;ternal ile

.eco33endations

9here are seeral dierent sche3es or sain' and retriein' /loc) deinitions

9ou can create an indi&idual drawing 7le for each bloc* that you intend touse. 9ou sa&e these drawing 7les in folders, each of which would contain a familyof related drawing 7les.

9ou can include the bloc* de7nitions for title bloc*s and common symbols inyour drawing template 7les to ma*e them a&ailable immediately when starting anew drawing.

9ou can create se&eral drawing 7les, which are sometimes called block librarydrawings. 'ach of these drawings contains a family of related bloc* de7nitions.


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4hen you insert a bloc* library drawing into your current drawing, all the bloc*sthat are de7ned in that drawing become a&ailable.

Tip:With online access, you can download 2uto2D drawing files from the we' sites of

commercial vendors and suppliers. This can save you time, 'ut always check to make

sure that they are drawn correctly and to scale. 2utodesk !eek

5http:99seek.autodesk.com96 is a convenient way of accessing I; 5'uilding information

modeling6 li'raries.


#revious topic:#odi&in'

e$t topic:(a&outs

.elated .eerence

E8/A (/ommand) '2T (/ommand)
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(a&outs






hare

Displa& one or 3ore scaled iews o &our desi'n on a standard-sie drawin' sheet

called a la&out

Ater &ou inish creatin' a 3odel at ull sie, &ou can switch to apaper space layouttocreate scaled iews o the 3odel, and to add notes, la/els, and di3ensions ou canalso speci& dierent linet&pes and line widths or displa& in paper space

#odel pace and Paper pace

As &ou )now, &ou create the 'eo3etr& o &our 3odel in model space

7ri'inall&, this was the onl& space aaila/le in AutoCAD All notes, la/els, di3ensions,and the drawin' /order and title /loc) were also created and scaled in 3odel space

Aterpaperspace was introduced, &ou could clic) a la&out ta/ to access a spacedesi'ned speciicall& or la&outs and scalin' In the ollowin' illustration, paper space is
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actie 9here are currentl& onl& two o/?ects in paper space8 a drawin' /order /loc), anda sin'le layout viewport, which displa&s a iew o 3odel space

:or)in' with la&out iewports is descri/ed in 3ore detail later in this topic

=our #ethods or calin'

9here are our dierent 3ethods in AutoCAD that are used to scale iews, notes, la/els,and di3ensions "ach 3ethod has its adanta'es dependin' on how the drawin' will/e used 4eres a /rie su33ar& o each o the 3ethods8

The riginal :ethod. 9ou create geometry, annotate, and print frommodel space. 1imensions, notes, and labels must all be scaled in re&erse.9ou set the dimension scale to the in&erse of the plot scale. 4ith this

method, scaling reHuires a little math. For example, a common scale usedin architecture is !G? I


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The Trans-patial :ethod. 9ou create geometry in model space, createannotations in paper space on a layout with dimension scale set to , andyou print from the layout. This is arguably the easiest, most directmethod, and it is the method of choice for this guide.

9al) to other AutoCAD users in &our discipline a/out these our 3ethods and wh& the&chose the 3ethod that the& use

peci&in' the Paper ie o a (a&out

9he irst thin' that &ou should do when &ou access a la&out ta/ *1 is ri'ht-clic) the ta/*2 and rena3e it *! to so3ethin' 3ore speciic than (a&out 1 =or a D-sie la&out,

A.C4 D or AI D 3i'ht /e 'ood choices

e;t, open the Pa'e etup #ana'er *H to chan'e the paper sie displa&ed in the

la&out ta/


59/80

ote8 ou 3i'ht /e wonderin' wh& there are two entries in the list or eer& sheet sie

9his is /ecause so3e printers and plotters do not reco'nie the drawin' orientation

settin'

(a&out Viewports

A la&out iewport is an o/?ect that is created in paper space to displa& a scaled iew o3odel space ou can thin) o it as a closed-circuit 9V 3onitor that displa&s part o

3odel space In the illustration, 3odel space is actie and accessi/le ro3 within thecurrent la&out iewport

In a la&out, when 3odel space is actie, &ou can pan and oo3, and an&thin' else that&ou could do on the #odel ta/

I3portant8 ou can switch /etween paper space and 3odel space /& dou/le-clic)in'

inside or outside the la&out iewport

=or e;a3ple, lets sa& that &ou created a /ac)&ard dec) desi'n in 3odel space, andnow &ou want to la& out and print &our desi'n ro3 a la&out ta/


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9he iew in the la&out iewport is not &et set to the correct scale

ote8 ou can use the #VI": *3a)e iew co33and to create additional la&out

iewports in paper space :ith seeral la&out iewports, &ou can displa& seeral iews

o 3odel space at the sa3e or at dierent scales

calin' Views and 9rans-patial Annotation

4ere are the steps to ollow i &ou use the trans-spatial 3ethod o annotatin' &ourdrawin'8

. /lic* the layout tab. f you started the drawing with your own customdrawing template 7le, se&eral tas*s might already ha&e been completed+

the layout might already be set to 1-si;e, and the title bloc* mightalready ha&e been inserted in the layout.

". Ey default, paper space is acti&e, so double-clic* within the layout&iewport to ma*e model space acti&e. otice that the edge of the layout&iewport becomes thic*er as a result of switching to model space.

>. 0oom out and center the model space &iew by panning. %owe&er thedisplayed &iew is still not set to the correct scale.

G. 1ouble-clic* outside the layout &iewport to ma*e paper space acti&eagain.

5. pen the #roperties palette and then clic* to select the edge of thelayout &iewport.


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6. n the #roperties palette, specify a standard scale of !G? I


62/80

$. #rint the drawing to paper or as a 14F or #1F 7le.

ote8 Ater &ou hae inished di3ensionin', &ou can use the "EP7.9(A7%9

co33and to 3er'e eer&thin' in 3odel and paper space into the 3odel space o a

separate drawin' ile 9his operation creates a drawin' ile that conor3s to the ori'inal

3ethod o creatin' the 3odel and all annotations in 3odel space#arent topic:9he 4itchhi)ers uide to AutoCAD Basics

#revious topic:Bloc)s

e$t topic:otes and (a/els

.elated .eerence

:D'4 (/ommand)
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otes and (a/els






hare

Create notes, la/els, /u//les, and callouts ae and restore st&le settin's /& na3e

ou create 'eneral notes usin' the #9"E9 co33and *or enter #9 in the Co33andwindow, which stands or multiline text 9he 3ultiline te;t tool is aaila/le on the

Annotation panel
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Ater &ou start the #9"E9 co33and, &ou are pro3pted to create a >te;t /o;> with twodia'onal clic)s

9he e;act sie o the te;t /o; is not that i3portant Ater &ou speci& the te;t /o;, the In-Place "ditor is displa&ed and &ou can easil& chan'e the len'th and width o the note/eore, durin', or ater t&pin' the te;t

All the usual controls are aaila/le in the In-Place "ditor, includin' ta/s, indents, andcolu3ns Also notice that when &ou start the #9"E9 co33and, the ri//on te3poraril&chan'es, displa&in' 3an& options such as te;t st&les, colu3ns, spell chec)in', and soon

To exit the text editor after you 7nish entering the text, clic* anywhereoutside it.

To edit a note, simply double-clic* it to open the text editor.

Tip:/ou can use the #roperties palette to control the te$t style used for one or

more selected multiline te$t o'(ects. &or e$ample, after selecting five notes that

use different styles, click the !tyle column and choose a style from the list.


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Create a 9e;t t&le

As with seeral other annotation eatures, 3ultiline te;t proides a lot o settin's oucan sae these settin's as a text styleusin' the 9(" co33and, and then &ou canaccess the te;t st&les &oue saed /& clic)in' the drop-down arrow on the Annotationpanel 9he current te;t st&le is displa&ed at the top o the drop-down list

9o create a new te;t st&le, clic) the 9e;t t&le control as shown

:hen &ou create a new te;t st&le, &ou 'ie it a na3e, and then choose a ont and a ontst&le 9he order in which &ou clic) the /uttons is shown /elow8


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Tip:!ave any new or changed te$t styles in your drawing template files. This will

save you a lot of time 'y making them availa'le in all new drawings.

#ultileaders

Multileadero/?ects are used to create te;t with leader lines such as 'eneral la/els,reerence la/els, /u//les, and callouts


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Create a #ultileader

9o create a 3ultileader, use the #("AD". co33and Clic) the #ultileader tool in theAnnotation panel or enter #(D in the Co33and window =ollow the pro3pts andoptions in the Co33and window =eel ree to e;peri3ent

Ater &ou create a 3ultileader, select it and then 3odi& it /& clic)in' and 3oin' its'rips

rip 3enus appear when &ou hoer oer arrowhead and leader 'rips =ro3 these3enus, &ou can add leader se'3ents or additional leaders

ou can edit the te;t in a 3ultileader /& dou/le-clic)in' it

Create a #ultileader t&le

ou can create &our own 3ultileader st&les ro3 the drop-down list in the e;pandedAnnotation panel, or /& enterin' #("AD".9(" in the Co33and window


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=or e;a3ple, to create a >detail callout> st&le, start the #("AD".9(" co33and Inthe #ultileader t&les #ana'er, clic) ew and choose a descriptie na3e or the new3ultileader st&le Clic) the Content ta/, choose Bloc), and then Detail Callout asshown

ote8 As with te;t st&les, once &ou create one or 3ore 3ultileader st&les, sae the3 in

&our drawin' te3plate iles


#revious topic:(a&outs

e$t topic:Di3ensions

.elated .eerence

:8'31'2 (/ommand)
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:8'31'2T98' (/ommand) :T'CT (/ommand) T98' (/ommand)

Di3ensions






hare

Create seeral t&pes o di3ensions and sae di3ension settin's /& na3e

4ere is an e;a3ple o seeral t&pes o di3ensions usin' an architectural di3ensionst&le with i3perial units
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(inear Di3ensionsou can create horiontal, ertical, ali'ned, and radial di3ensions with the DI#co33and 9he t&pe o di3ension depends on the o/?ect that &ou select and thedirection that &ou dra' the di3ension line

9he ollowin' illustration de3onstrates one 3ethod or usin' the DI# co33and 7nce&ou start the co33and, press "nter or the pace/ar, select the line *1, and then clic)the location o the di3ension line *2

=or the +-0> di3ension /elow, &ou use another 3ethod ou start the DI# co33and,clic) two endpoints *1 and 2 and then the location o the di3ension line *! 9o line upthe di3ension lines point ! was snapped to the endpoint o the preiousl& createddi3ension line


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Tip:If points ) and * are not on the same hori%ontal line, press !hift to force the

dimension line to 'e hori%ontal. In addition, if the 'uilding or part 'eing

dimensioned is at an angle, enter DI;


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9o open the Di3ension t&le #ana'er, clic) the indicated /utton ou can createdi3ension st&les that 3atch nearl& an& standard, /ut &ou will need to inest ti3e tospeci& the3 co3pletel& =or this reason, &ou should sae an& di3ension st&les that&ou create in one or 3ore drawin' te3plate iles

.eco33endations

4hen you sa&e a dimension style, choose a descripti&e name. f applicable, chec* with your /31 manager regarding existing

dimension style standards and drawing template 7les.


#revious topic:otes and (a/els

e$t topic:Printin'
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.elated .eerence

1: (/ommand) 1:2T3T'1 (/ommand) 1:T98' (/ommand)

Printin'






hare

7utput a drawin' la&out to a printer, a plotter, or a ile ae and restore the printer

settin's or each la&out

7ri'inall&, peopleprintedte;t ro3 printers andplotteddrawin's ro3 plotters ow, &oucan do /oth with either o this 'uide will also use the ter3s print and plotinterchan'ea/l& as eer&one else does

9he co33and to output a drawin' is P(79 and &ou can access it ro3 the uic)Access tool/ar

9o displa& all o the options in the Plot dialo' /o;, clic) the #ore 7ptions /utton

As &ou can see, there are a lot o settin's and options aaila/le or &our use
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=or conenience, &ou can sae and restore collections o these settin's /& na3e9hese are calledpage setups :ith pa'e setups &ou can store the settin's that &ouneed or dierent printers, printin' in 'ra& scales, creatin' a PD= ile ro3 &our drawin',and so on

Create a Pa'e etup9o open the Pa'e etup #ana'er, ri'ht-clic) on the #odel ta/ or a la&out ta/ andchoose Pa'e etup #ana'er 9he co33and is PA""9%P

"ach la&out ta/ in &our drawin' can hae an associated pa'e setup 9his is conenientwhen &ou use 3ore than one output deice or or3at, or i &ou hae seeral la&outs withdierent sheet sies in the sa3e drawin'


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9o create a new pa'e setup, clic) ew and enter the na3e o the new pa'e setup 9hePa'e etup dialo' /o; that displa&s ne;t loo)s li)e the Plot dialo' /o; Choose all theoptions and settin's that &ou want to sae

:hen &ou are read& to plot, &ou si3pl& speci& the na3e o the pa'e setup in the Plotdialo' /o;, and all &our plot settin's will /e restored In the ollowin' illustration, the Plotdialo' /o; is set to use the 4itchhi)er pa'e setup, which will output a D:= *Desi'n:e/ =or3at ile rather than print to a plotter

Tip:/ou can save page setups in your drawing template files, or you can import

them from other drawing files.

7utput to a PD= =ile


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9he ollowin' e;a3ple shows &ou how to create a pa'e setup or creatin' PD= iles

=ro3 the PrinterLplotter drop-down list, chooseAutoCAD PDF (eneralDocumentation!.pc"8

e;t, choose the sie and scale options that &ou want to use8

#aper i;e. The orientation (portrait or landscape) is built into thechoices in the drop-down list.

#lot 3rea. 9ou can clip the area to be plotted with these options, butusually you plot e&erything.

#lot =set. This setting changes based on your printer, plotter, or otheroutput. Try centering the plot or adusting the origin, but remember thatprinters and plotters ha&e a built-in margin around the edges.

#lot cale. /hoose your plot scale from the drop-down list. 3 scale suchas KfracGLO I P-$O is meant for printing to scale from the :odel tab. n

a layout tab, you normally print at a + scale.

9he plot st&le ta/le proides inor3ation a/out processin' colors Colors that loo) 'oodon &our 3onitor 3i'ht not /e suita/le or a PD= ile or or printin' =or e;a3ple, &ou3i'ht want to create a drawin' in color, /ut create 3onochro3e output 4ere is how &ouspeci& 3onochro3e output8


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Tip:2lways dou'le-check your settings with the #review option.

9he resultin' Preiew window includes a tool/ar with seeral controls, includin' Plotand ";it

Ater &ou are satisied with &our plot settin's, sae the3 to a pa'e setup with adescriptie na3e such as >PD=-3onochro3e> 9hen, wheneer &ou want to output to aPD= ile, all that &ou need to do is clic) Print, choose the PD=-3onochro3e pa'e setup,and clic) 7J


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.eco33endations

f you want to share a static image of your drawing, you can output a#1F 7le from a drawing 7le.

f you want to include additional data from your drawing, use 14F(1esign 4eb Format) 7les instead.

f you want to re&iew an 3uto/31 drawing 7le with a person in adi=erent location, consider using 3utodes*

autodesk autocad basics

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