1

Part 1

INTRODUCTION TO AUTOCAD AND PRELIMINARY SETTINGS

I will give to assume that you have the software already installed on your computer and ready for use.

If you do not have the program, you can download a trial version from Autodesk's website at following address:

http://www.autodesk.com/products/autocad-lt/free-trial

Below I show you some pictures of the interface of different versions of AutoCAD, from the oldest to the most recent, which the various control

buttons are been slightly updated in both graphically and in the layout.

Do not worry for now; keep in mind that in general the symbols represented are the same.

AutoCAD is produced in LT (light) version and in the normal version, (Full).

The light version does not have the ability to create 3D designs (three-dimensional), but can open and view it, and with the most comprehensive and

expensive full version, you can create it, through dedicated instruments and additional functions.

This course will describe the basic functions of the 2D software.

2

AutoCAD 2007/2008

3

Over here an “old” version of AutoCAD that as you can see, similarly to almost all programs for Windows, it appeared with a line of pop-up menu at

the top, with the commands “File, Edit, View, Insert etc...”.

We have also various “toolbars”, that is all those buttons corresponding to the various commands that we will see later, which are divided into groups

that can be customized by making them visible or not visible and moved to the desired position.

In subsequent years, the interface has changed.

Image above AutoCAD 2010 – Image below AutoCAD 2012

4

5

Above AutoCAD 2014 “drafting workspace”, below “classic workspace”

6

7

Above AutoCAD LT 2015 with classic interface settings, below AutoCAD LT 2016

8

9

From version 2009 onwards has been made a fairly significant update of the program interface, in particular it has been given a completely different

layout to the command buttons now grouped in a “Ribbon” at the top on the screen, in groups that previously (but also now) distinguished individual

“toolbar”, we will see shortly.

Depending on your preferences, we can work with the classic interface, or with the most recent.

Up to version 2014, this was rather simple since it was present a special command that allowed to quickly switching between one interface and the

other, usually positioned in the lower right and upper left of AutoCAD screen, marked by a symbol similar to a gear. This is the “Workspace” key.

Clicking this button and selecting “AutoCAD Classic”, we got back the old interface with toolbars.

In the latest versions 2015 and 2016 is the key to set the work area, but was taken off the setting “AutoCAD Classic”.

Is still possible get it but we will have to set manually, I will explain in a moment how.

First, to start anything you need to open a new design, with the latest versions of AutoCAD, on the screen that appears when you start the program

click on “Start Drawing”.

10

11

This will open a new design and we can start working.

At this point, a particular note is that in versions with the “ribbon” is not initially present the “menu” bar:

Do not confuse it with the entries below "Home, Insert, Annotation, etc. which are the names of tabs containing groups of commands.

In the upper left, there is a small “toolbar” for quick access, by clicking the arrow to the right of this bar you can tick the "Show Menu Bar" to make it

appear.

On the same menu, tick also “Workspace”.

12

It will be necessary for the indications that I will give you during the course.

Then we have the central area, or drawing area (usually a black background), with the center of the cursor or “crosshairs” controlled by the mouse.

In addition to this in the bottom left, still in the drawing area, you should see an icon with two arrows and the letters X, Y.

This is the icon called “UCS” and represents the coordinate axes X, Y on which you move the crosshairs.

Another very important part, and I ask you to remember is the “command line”, which is the window at the bottom on two or more lines where you see

write “Type a command:”.

13

It is very important especially in the beginning you pay attention on what is write in this window when you run the command, AutoCAD every time

you use a command, here shows you the steps to run it.

The command line, in the course of the updates has changed slightly aspect; in particular, in the latest versions 2015 and 2016 it has reduced to a small

line located at the bottom in the drawing area.

It is manageable as a toolbar that can be closed also, be careful not to do it and eventually just press CTRL + 9 to reactivate it.

Under the command line, we have another button bar, which we will call the “bottom bar”.

On older versions of AutoCAD it was different and on each key there was a name that called the function in question, with the latest software versions

these names were replaced by symbols.

We can use these buttons to set some important functions that we will see during the course.

14

Introduction to “Ribbon” and “Toolbars”

We have seen that over older versions, for several years now have been grouped commands of AutoCAD in a "ribbon" which includes several groups

of commands that were previously included in the various "toolbar" of the classic interface.

The "ribbon" is composed of several tabs "Home, Insert, Annotate, etc." Which in turn contain groups of commands such as "Draw, Modify, Layers,

etc.; these groups of commands are the same as also related to the "toolbar" of classic interface. Most of the functions normally required for the work,

are grouped on the "Home" tab. This shows the main toolbars, which main commands report a key larger than others do, besides, all symbols or items

that are accompanied by a small downward pointing arrow, hide more commands that can be viewed by click on this arrow and then activated by

clicking on the desired one. Another feature of the Ribbon, you can reduce the size by clicking in sequence on the little button to the right of the tab

names of the bar, we can reduce this to smaller, in a row of buttons, or tabs and group titles, only tabs, and bring it back to the initial size. See pictures

below:

Main Ribbon

Minimize to panel buttons

15

Minimize to panel titles

Minimize to tabs

In each of these settings, when we go with the cursor over one of the buttons, titles or tabs, these will expand showing all its commands.

The classic "Toolbars".

If we want to use the classic interface with the toolbars, with versions 2015/2016 we can proceed as follows:

- Sets the menu bar so that it is visible

- In the menu bar go to "Tools" > "Palettes" and click on the item "Ribbon".

This way you disable the ribbon.

16

Then again go to "Tools" > Toolbars > AutoCAD LT, and you will see the following pop-up list:

17

18

The entries in this menu correspond to the various "toolbar" visible and invisible, and as you have already understood, from here you can enable or

disable it.

Then click on the items "Draw" and "Modify" to make these toolbars visible.

If appear in the drawing area you can be moved it by clicking and hold on, to their left edge and dragging them (one at a time) on the left side of the

screen, at some point you will see that it will automatically become vertically, at this point release the left mouse button.

The "Draw" toolbar.

The "Modify" toolbar.

Now to activate additional toolbar, simply click with the right button over any toolbar already open and will open the pop-up where it can activate or

deactivate other toolbars.

In this way, you can customize the program interface as you want, by activating the toolbar that you use frequently and placing them where you want,

to the right, to the left, at the top, or on the drawing area.

Following an example of AutoCAD LT 2015 with custom interface and the toolbars places in the “classic” style of the program.

From the pop-up list, you can see that have been activated.

19

20

After setting the interface, you can save it to reload if necessary.

Select the menu "Workspace" and click "Save As ...

Then type the name you want and click OK, as you see I have called “AutoCAD Classic” and if necessary, it can be load from this menu.

21

Preliminary Settings

Before you begin drawing, we look at other useful settings.

Click with the mouse on the symbol of AutoCAD in the top left and then on the "Options" button or on the menu "Tools > Options ..." as in the

following images.

You will see a window containing various tables from which you can set all sorts of things about the interface of AutoCAD, such as the background

colour and other parameters that affect the operation of the program.

22

Ok, now click the "Open and Save" tab and under the "Save as" open the popup menu by clicking the arrow to the side.

23

It's the one highlighted in blue in the previous image...

In this menu, you will see some entries with the words:

AutoCAD 2013 drawing (*.dwg)

AutoCAD 2010/LT2010 drawing (*.dwg)

AutoCAD 2007/LT2007 drawing (*.dwg)

etc.

These entries written on the side (*. dwg) represent the types of files that our program can open and save. More specifically, for example by setting this

item to "AutoCAD 2010" set AutoCAD that every time you save a drawing, it is saved in AutoCAD 2010 format.

What does this mean?

As we have seen there are several versions of AutoCAD and every year comes out a new, sometimes is also updated the format of the generated files.

The most important difference between the "release" of program is that older versions cannot open drawings created by the later versions, unless those

who have saved the file has not set his program for saving in an old version, as explained before.

This is very important to know especially when collaborating with other users and you have to give or receive drawings.

Beyond this, every file saved from AutoCAD will be of type "dwg", the files that normally AutoCAD manage have "dwg" extension.

For example, if we save a drawing and call it "Plan" or "kitchen" it will automatically save in this way:

plan.dwg

kitchen.dwg

Where the point . separates the filename from its extension, which identifies a file type to another.

There are indeed many types of files with many different extensions:

"Pianta.doc" would be a text document

"Pianta.bmp", .Gif, .Jpg, .Tiff and others, would rather the images.

I digress a bit from AutoCAD but if you are not already aware, this information will be useful.

The "dwg" however, is not the only type of file that can be read and saved from AutoCAD, but we will see this later.

Then return to the Options window of AutoCAD, and always in the "open and save” tab.

24

Look further down the "Automatic Save", which should already be enabled, and the window of the "Minutes Between saves" type such as 10.

In this way, AutoCAD perform an automatic save every 10 minutes of the drawing you are working on, and put it in a specific folder.

This feature is very useful for not losing your work, as you will see that sometimes the program crashes, or it happens a blackout or accidentally delete

the file you were working.

You will then be possible (and useful) to go back to the file that was saved from AutoCAD automatically, as we shall see....

We are now going to set the right click of the mouse.

Also in the options window, click on the tab "User Preferences” and then again click on the button at the top left "Right-click Customization”.

In the window that appears, activate the first box for each item, click on it, for the following items.

Default mode, Edit mode, Command mode

According to the release of AutoCAD you have, you can alternatively check the first entry is in the window, “Turn on time-sensitive right-click”.

Finally, click on "Apply & Close".

In this way, clicking the right mouse button, after completing a command, AutoCAD will repeat it.

If you just finished drawing a line for example, after clicking the right button will be repeated the command "line", and so for all other commands.

25

This feature helps a lot to speed up the work, accustomed to use it, during the course you will often put into practice.

On the tab "Display", next to "Color scheme", you can select the "light", so the toolbar will become gray, similar to older versions of AutoCAD

If you click on the "colors", will open the window you see below and here you can set the colors of the program interface.

26

On this window select in the central area at the top, the first item "Background" and then open the color menu on the right and select the desired color

for the background. Usually used black.

After click on "Apply & Close" to assign changes made to the colors.

Now click "OK" at the bottom of options window, to close it and accept the changes.

What has been said so far are general settings to be done only once, the next time you open AutoCAD will not need to repeat them.

If for any reason the AutoCAD crashes before you've closed and reopened, the settings you just made will be lost.

Background Grid and Snap to Grid

In the background of the drawing should be present by default a “grid”, light gray and in slightly contrast with the background.

If we press the "F7" key on the keyboard is off the grid and the background is cleaner.

By pressing again F7 is reactivated and we see that the bottom bar is present the corresponding button that changes color accordingly, the grid can also

be managed by that button.

I have always drawn with grid set to off, use it according to your preferences it has no particular importance.

Very important is the key next to that of the grid, the "snap" to the grid, which also corresponds to the key "F9".

If we activate this key, the cursor will be bound to the grid and we can therefore draw only on grid intersections.

You may notice that when this feature is on, the cross-hairs is jerky, especially if we are close to the grid with the zoom.

This feature must be disabled.

SUMMARY:

1) Open AutoCAD and if necessary customize the interface by activating the toolbar and placing them at will on the screen.

2) Open the window using the menu "Tools > options..." and set the auto-save and if necessary set saving files on older versions. (For the moment,

leave as is with the default setting).

3) Again in the “options” window set preferences for the right mouse button, in the "User preferences" tab.

4) On “Display” tab, you can set as you like the background color of the workspace.

5) Turn on or off the background grid according to your preference "F7"

6) Always leave off the snap to grid "F9"