CAD

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Computer Aided Design
Computer-aided design (CAD), also known as computer-aided design and drafting
(CADD), is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-
documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer.
CADD software, or environments, provide the user with input-tools for the purpose of
streamlining design processes; drafting, documentation, and manufacturing processes. CADD
output is often in the form of electronic files for print or machining operations. The
development of CADD-based software is in direct correlation with the processes it seeks to
economize; industry-based software (construction, manufacturing, etc.) typically uses vector-
based (linear) environments whereas graphic-based software utilizes raster-based (pixelated)
environments.

CAD may be used to design curves and figures in two-dimensional (2D) space; or curves,
surfaces, and solids in three-dimensional (3D) objects. Current computer-aided design
software packages range from 2D vector-based drafting systems to 3D solid and surface
modellers. Modern CAD packages can also frequently allow rotations in three dimensions,
allowing viewing of a designed object from any desired angle, even from the inside looking
out. Some CAD software is capable of dynamic mathematic modeling, in which case it may
be marketed as CADD (computer-aided design and drafting).

CAD is used in the design of tools and machinery and in the drafting and design of all types
of buildings, from small residential types (houses) to the largest commercial and industrial
structures (hospitals and factories). CAD is mainly used for detailed engineering of 3D
models and/or 2D drawings of physical components, but it is also used throughout the
engineering process from conceptual design and layout of products, through strength and
dynamic analysis of assemblies to definition of manufacturing methods of components. It can
also be used to design objects.

Types of CAD

There are several different types of CAD. Each of these different types of CAD systems
require the operator to think differently about how he or she will use them and he or she must
design their virtual components in a different manner for each.

3D wireframe is basically an extension of 2D drafting. Each line has to be manually inserted

into the drawing. The final product has no mass properties associated with it and cannot have
features directly added to it, such as holes. The operator approaches these in a similar fashion
to the 2D systems, although many 3D systems allow using the wireframe model to make the
final engineering drawing views.

3D "dumb" solids (programs incorporating this technology include AutoCAD) are created
in a way analogous to manipulations of real world objects. Basic three-dimensional geometric
forms (prisms, cylinders, spheres, and so on) have solid volumes added or subtracted from
them, as if assembling or cutting real-world objects. Two-dimensional projected views can
easily be generated from the models. Basic 3D solids don't usually include tools to easily
allow motion of components, set limits to their motion, or identify interference between
components.
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3D parametric solid modeling requires the operator to use what is referred to as "design
intent". The objects and features created are adjustable. Any future modifications will be
simple, difficult, or nearly impossible, depending on how the original part was created. One
must think of this as being a "perfect world" representation of the component. If a feature was
intended to be located from the center of the part, the operator needs to locate it from the
center of the model, not, perhaps, from a more convenient edge or an arbitrary point, as he
could when using "dumb" solids. Parametric solids require the operator to consider the
consequences of his actions carefully.

Applications of CAD

• CAD is an important industrial art extensively used in many applications, including

automotive, shipbuilding, and aerospace industries, industrial and architectural
design,
• CAD is also widely used to produce computer animation for special effects in movies,
advertising and technical manuals.
• CAD has been a major driving force for research in computational geometry,
computer graphics (both hardware and software), and discrete differential geometry.

Advantages of CAD:

• Can be easily erased and changed

• Can be zoomed in for more detailed sections
• Can be copied and pasted many times
• Can be quicker
• Can be sent to elsewhere quickly
• Can be stored in a safe place
• Can be checked for measurements by the computer

Disadvantages of CAD:

• If computer problem, all data will be lost

• If not checked properly, the object created can go very wrong
• Can be very expensive
• Can be hard to do and handling needs training

Computer-aided techniques:

• CAD (computer-aided design)

• CADD (computer-aided design and drafting).
• CAE (computer-aided engineering)
• CAM (computer-aided manufacturing)
• CAPP (computer-aided process planning)
• CAQ (computer-aided quality assurance)

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AutoCAD
AutoCAD is a CAD (Computer Aided Design or Computer Aided Drafting) software
application for 2D and 3D design and drafting. It was developed and sold by Autodesk, Inc.
First released in December 1982, AutoCAD was one of the first CAD programs to run on
personal computers, notably the IBM PC. At that time, most other CAD programs ran on
mainframe computers or mini-computers which were connected to a graphics computer
terminal for each user.

AutoCAD is a general–purpose computer–aided drafting (CAD) program which can be used

to create all kinds of line drawings. It is one of the most widely used CAD packages and is
used for all types of drawing in a variety of different disciplines. Here are just a few of the
applications for which AutoCAD is being used:

1. Architectural drawings of all kinds

2. Interior design and facility
3. Work–flow charts and organisational diagrams
4. Proposals and presentations
5. Drawings for electronic, chemical, civil, mechanical, automotive, and aerospace
engineering applications
6. Topographic maps and nautical charts
7. Yacht design
8. Plots and other representations of mathematical and scientific functions
9. Theatre set lighting designs
10. Musical scores
11. Technical illustrations and assembly diagrams
12. Company logos
13. Greetings cards
14. Line drawings for the fine arts

AutoCAD is run in an interactive, menu–driven way and is designed to be reasonably easy to

learn and use. It provides help to the user when requested which is very useful for
self-teaching.

The Drawing Editor

Most of the time in an AutoCAD session is spent using the Drawing Editor, which appears as
soon as AutoCAD is invoked. The Drawing Editor is used to create, modify or display your
drawings. This section gives an overview of the facilities of the Drawing Editor. The
Drawing Editor of AutoCAD, in common with other drawing or draughting packages,
provides facilities for:

1. Creation and modification of geometry

2. Re–use of geometry
3. Viewing of geometry
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There are various benefits of using a computer for these operations. For instance, geometry
can be created much more quickly; an accurate circle can be drawn by just providing its
centre and radius; geometry can be erased by just pointing at an object; geometry can be re–
used by making copies of existing objects in different orientations; geometry can be viewed
in different ways in 2D and 3D without the need to re–draw manually.

Creation of Geometry

AutoCAD provides facilities for drawing:

1. Lines (in 2D or 3D, in dot–dash types), arcs and circles (in dot–dash types), and
points (in 2D or 3D)
2. 3D objects such as solids and 3D polygon meshes and surfaces
3. Text (in a variety of fonts and sizes)
4. Traces (2D solid filled lines)
5. Solid–filled regions (2D triangular or quadrilateral sections)
6. Blocks (compound entities)
7. Shapes (small objects defined outside AutoCAD which can be placed on a drawing at
various scales or angles)
2D Geometry in AutoCAD is created using a fixed Cartesian co–ordinate system with the X
axis horizontal and the Y axis vertical. Points are expressed as co–ordinate pairs (X,Y).

Modification of Geometry

It is often necessary to modify geometry as it is created, and new drawings can very often be
obtained by modifying old ones. AutoCAD provides several facilities for doing this, for
example:

1. Changing properties of elements such as their colour or linetype

2. Breaking lines, arcs etc.
3. Chamfering corners (taking an angular line)
4. Dividing elements into parts
5. Erasing elements
6. Extending lines, arcs, etc.
7. Filleting corners
8. Trimming lines, arcs etc.

Re–Use of Geometry

Drawings often contain a high degree of duplication. Very often one part of a drawing can be
obtained by performing some sort of transformation on existing geometry. For example, a
drawing which has symmetry about a line can be created by drawing half of it and the rest
obtained by mirroring about the line of symmetry. AutoCAD supports several facilities for
this sort of transformation:

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1. Creating rectangular or circular arrays of objects
2. Copying objects at different positions on the drawing
3. Mirroring geometry
4. Moving geometry from one place to another
5. Offsetting geometry
6. Rotating, stretching, scaling geometry
Another powerful feature of AutoCAD is the ability to create compound entities (called
BLOCKS in AutoCAD) of any complexity and to duplicate them at several places on a
drawing. For example, in a drawing of the front elevation of a house it is convenient to draw
the shape and detail of a window once and then place the window at several positions in the
wall.

Viewing of Geometry

The ability to view drawings in different ways is especially important when using a
computer–aided draughting system, since the screen is invariably quite small compared with
the actual drawing size. AutoCAD provides good facilities for viewing drawings, such as the
ability to zoom in on a part of a drawing so that the detail can be seen clearly. Various
methods are provided which are convenient in different situations.

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AutoCAD Commands
The Draw commands can be used to create new objects such as lines and circles. Most
AutoCAD drawings are composed purely and simply from these basic components. A good
understanding of the Draw commands is fundamental to the efficient use of AutoCAD. If you
just need information quickly, use the QuickFind toolbar below to go straight to the
command you want or select a topic from the contents list above.

In common with most AutoCAD commands, the Draw commands can

be started in a number of ways. Command names or short-cuts can be
entered at the keyboard, commands can be started from the Draw pull-
down menu, shown on the right or from the Draw toolbar. The method
you use is dependent upon the type of work you are doing and how
experienced a user you are. Don't worry too much about this, just use
whatever method feels easiest or most convenient at the time. Your
drawing technique will improve over time and with experience so don't
expect to be working very quickly at first.

If you are working with the pull-down menus, it is worth considering

the visual syntax that is common to all pull-downs used in the
Windows operating system. For example, a small arrow like so " "
next to a menu item means that the item leads to a sub-menu that may
contain other commands or command options. An ellipsis, "…" after a
menu item means that the item displays a dialogue box. These little
visual clues will help you to work more effectively with menus because
they tell you what to expect and help to avoid surprises for the
newcomer.

Lines
Lines are probably the most simple of AutoCAD objects. Using the Line command, a line can
be drawn between any two points picked within the drawing area. Lines are usually the first
objects you will want to draw when starting a new drawing because they can be used as
"construction lines" upon which the rest of your drawing will be based. Never forget that
creating drawings with AutoCAD is not so dissimilar from creating drawings on a drawing
board. Many of the basic drawing methods are the same.

Anyone familiar with mathematics will know that lines drawn between points are often called
vectors. This terminology is used to describe the type of drawings that AutoCAD creates.
AutoCAD drawings are generically referred to as "vector drawings". Vector drawings are
extremely useful where precision is the most important criterion because they retain their
accuracy irrespective of scale.
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The Line Command

Toolbar Draw
Pull-down Draw - Line
Keyboard LINE short-cut L

With the Line command you can draw a simple line from one
point to another. When you pick the first point and move the
cross-hairs to the location of the second point you will see a
rubber band line which shows you where the line will be
drawn when the second point is picked. Line objects have two
ends (the first point and the last point). You can continue
picking points and AutoCAD will draw a straight line between
each picked point and the previous point. Each line segment drawn is a separate object and
can be moved or erased as required. To end this command, just hit the key on the
keyboard.

Command Sequence

Command: LINE
Specify first point: (pick P1)
Specify next point or [Undo]: (pick P2)
Specify next point or [Undo]: (to end)

You can also draw lines by entering the co-ordinates of their end points at the command
prompt rather than picking their position from the screen. This enables you to draw lines that
are off screen, should you want to. (See Using Co-ordinates for more details). You can also
draw lines using something called direct distance entry. See the Direct Distance Entry tutorial
for details.

The Construction Line Command

Toolbar Draw
Pull-down Draw Construction Line
Keyboard XLINE short-cut XL

The Construction Line command creates a line of infinite length which passes through two
picked points. Construction lines are very useful for creating construction frameworks or
grids within which to design. Construction lines are not normally used as objects in finished
drawings, it is usual, therefore, to draw all your construction lines on a separate layer which
will be turned off or frozen prior to printing. See the Object Properties tutorial to find out
how to create new layers. Because of their nature, the Zoom Extents command option ignores
construction lines.
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Command Sequence

Command: XLINE
Specify a point or [Hor/Ver/Ang/Bisect/Offset]: (pick a point)
Specify through point: (pick a second point)
Specify through point: (to end or pick another point)

You may notice that there are a number of options with this command. For example, the
"Hor" and "Ver" options can be used to draw construction lines that are truly horizontal or
vertical. In both these cases, only a single pick point is required because the direction of the
line is predetermined. To use a command option, simply enter the capitalised part of the
option name at the command prompt. Follow the command sequence below to see how you
would draw a construction line using the Horizontal option.

Command Sequence

Command: XLINE
Hor/Ver/Ang/Bisect/Offset/<From point>: H
Through point: (pick a point to position the line)
Through point: (to end or pick a point for another horizontal line)

The Ray Command

Toolbar custom
Pull-down Draw - Ray
Keyboard RAY

The Ray command creates a line similar to a construction line except that it extends infinitely
in only one direction from the first pick point. The direction of the Ray is determined by the
position of the second pick point.

Command Sequence

Command: RAY
Specify start point: (pick the start point)
Specify through point: (pick a second point to determine direction)
Specify through point: (to end or pick another point)

The Polyline Family

Polylines differ from lines in that they are more complex objects. A single polyline can be
composed of a number of straight-line or arc segments. Polylines can also be given line
widths to make them appear solid. The illustration below shows a number of polylines to give
you an idea of the flexibility of this type of line.

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You may be wondering, if Polylines are so useful, why bother using ordinary lines at all?
There are a number of answers to this question. The most frequently given answer is that
because of their complexity, polylines use up more disk space than the equivalent line. As it
is desirable to keep file sizes as small as possible, it is a good idea to use lines rather than
polylines unless you have a particular requirement. You will also find, as you work with
AutoCAD that lines and polylines are operationally different. Sometimes it is easier to work
with polylines for certain tasks and at other times lines are best. You will quickly learn the
pros and cons of these two sorts of line when you begin drawing with AutoCAD.

The Polyline Command

Toolbar Draw
Pull-down Draw - Polyline
Keyboard PLINE short-cut PL

The Polyline or Pline command is similar to the line command except that the resulting
object may be composed of a number of segments which form a single object. In addition to
the two ends a polyline is said to have vertices (singular vertex) where intermediate line
segments join. In practice the Polyline command works in the same way as the Line
command allowing you to pick as many points as you like. Again, just hit to end. As with
the Line command, you also have the option to automatically close a polyline end to end. To
do this, type C to use the close option instead of hitting. Follow the command sequence
below to see how this works.

Command Sequence

Command: PLINE
Specify start point: (pick P1)
Current line-width is 0.0000
Specify next point or
[Arc/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]:
(pick P2)
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]: (pick P3)
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]: (pick P4)
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]: (pick P5)
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]: (or C to close)

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In the illustration on the right, the figure on the left was created by hitting the - key after the
fifth point was picked. The figure on the right demonstrates the effect of using the Close
option.

It is worth while taking some time to familiarise yourself with the Polyline command as it is
an extremely useful command to know. The Undo option is particularly useful. This allows
you to unpick polyline vertices, one at a time so that you can easily correct mistakes.
Polylines can be edited after they are created to, for example, change their width. You can do
this using the PEDIT command, Modify-Object-Polyline from the pull-down menu.

The Rectangle Command

Toolbar Draw
Pull-down Draw - Rectangle
Keyboard RECTANGLE short-cuts REC, RECTANG

The Rectangle command is used to draw a rectangle whose sides are vertical and horizontal.
The position and size of the rectangle are defined by picking two diagonal corners. The
rectangle isn't really an AutoCAD object at all. It is, in fact, just a closed polyline which is
automatically drawn for you.

Command Sequence

Command: RECTANG
Specify first corner point or

[Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]: (pick P1)

Specify other corner point or [Dimensions]: (pick P2)

The Rectangle command also has a number of options. Width works in the same way as for
the Polyline command. The Chamfer and Fillet options have the same effect as the Chamfer
and Fillet commands, see the Modifying Objects tutorial for details. Elevation and Thickness
are 3D options.

Notice that, instead of picking a second point to draw the rectangle, you have the option of
entering dimensions. Say you wanted to draw a rectangle 20 drawing units long and 10
drawing units wide. The command sequence would look like this:

Command Sequence

Command: RECTANG
Specify first corner point or

[Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]: (pick a point)

Specify other corner point or [Dimensions]: D
Specify length for rectangles <0.0000>: 20

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Specify width for rectangles <0.0000>: 10
Specify other corner point or [Dimensions]: (pick a point to fix the orientation)

This method provides a good alternative to using relative cartesian co-ordinates for
determining length and width.

The Polygon Command

Toolbar Draw
Pull-down Draw - Polygon
Keyboard POLYGON short-cut POL

The Polygon command can be used to draw any regular polygon from 3 sides up to 1024
sides. This command requires four inputs from the user, the number of sides, a pick point for
the centre of the polygon, whether you want the polygon inscribed or circumscribed and then
a pick point which determines both the radius of this imaginary circle and the orientation of
the polygon. The polygon command creates a closed polyline in the shape of the required
polygon. This command also allows you to define the polygon by entering the length of a
side using the Edge option. You can also control the size of the polygon by entering an exact
radius for the circle. Follow the command sequence below to see how this command works.

Command Sequence

Command: POLYGON
Enter number of sides <4>: 5
Specify center of polygon or [Edge]: (pick P1 or type E to define by edge length)
Enter an option [Inscribed in circle/Circumscribed about circle] <I>: (to accept the inscribed
default or type C for circumscribed)
Specify radius of circle: (pick P2 or enter exact radius)

In the illustration above, the polygon on the left is inscribed (inside the circle with the
polygon vertexes touching it), the one in the middle is circumscribed (outside the circle with
the polyline edges tangential to it) and the one on the right is defined by the length of an
edge.
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The Donut Command

Toolbar custom
Pull-down Draw - Donut
Keyboard DONUT short-cut DO

This command draws a solid donut shape, actually it's just a closed polyline consisting of two
arc segments which have been given a width. AutoCAD asks you to define the inside
diameter i.e. the diameter of the hole and then the outside diameter of the donut. The donut is
then drawn in outline and you are asked to pick the centre point in order to position the donut.
You can continue picking centre points to draw more donuts or you can hit - to end the
command. Surprisingly, donuts are constructed from single closed polylines composed of two
arc segments which have been given a width. Fortunately AutoCAD works all this out for
you, so all you see is a donut.

Command Sequence

Command: DONUT
Specify inside diameter of donut <0.5000>:
(pick any two points to define a diameter or
enter the exact length)
Specify outside diameter of donut <1.0000>:
(pick any two points to define a diameter or
enter the exact length)
Specify center of donut or <exit>: (pick P1)
Specify center of donut or <exit>: (to end or
continue to pick for more doughnuts)

As an alternative to picking two points or entering a value for the diameters, you could just
hit - to accept the default value. Most AutoCAD commands that require user input have
default values. They always appear in triangular brackets like this <default value>.

The Revcloud Command

Toolbar Draw
Pull-down Draw - Revision Cloud
Keyboard REVCLOUD

The Revcloud command is used to draw a "freehand" revision cloud or to convert any closed
shape into a revision cloud.

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Command Sequence

Command: REVCLOUD
Minimum arc length: 66.6377
Maximum arc length: 116.6159
Specify start point or [Arc length/Object] <Object>:
(Pick P1)
Guide crosshairs along cloud path...
Move the mouse to form a closed shape; the command
automatically ends when a closed shape is formed.

Revision cloud finished.

You can use the "Arc length" option to control the scale of the revision cloud. This is
achieved by specifying the minimum and maximum arc length. The "Object" option is used
to transform any closed shape, such as a polyline, spline or circle into a revision cloud.

The 3D Polyline Command

Toolbar custom
Pull-down Draw - 3D Polyline
Keyboard 3DPOLY

The 3D Polyline command works in exactly the same way as the Polyline command. The
main difference between a normal polyline and a 3D polyline is that each vertex (pick point)
of a 3D polyline can have a different value for Z (height). In normal (2D) polylines, all
vertexes must have the same Z value.

3D polyline objects are not as complex as their 2D cousins. For example, they cannot contain
arc segments and they cannot be given widths. However, they can be very useful for 3D
modeling.

Command Sequence

Command: 3DPOLY
Specify start point of polyline: (pick a point)
Specify endpoint of line or [Undo]: (pick another point)
Specify endpoint of line or [Undo]: (pick a third point)
Specify endpoint of line or [Close/Undo]: (to end, C to close or continue picking points)

Notice that you are not prompted for a Z value each time you pick a point. You must either
use one of the Object Snaps to pick a point with the required Z value or use the ".XY" filter to
force AutoCAD to prompt for a Z value.

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Circles, Arcs etc.
Along with Line and Polyline, the Circle command is probably one of the most frequently
used. Fortunately it is also one of the simplest. However, in common with the other
commands in this section there are a number of options that can help you construct just the
circle you need. Most of these options are self explanatory but in some cases it can be quite
confusing. The Circle command, for example, offers 6 ways to create a circle, while the Arc
command offers 10 different methods for drawing an arc. The sections below concentrate
mainly on the default options but feel free to experiment.

The Circle Command

Toolbar Draw
Pull-down Draw – Circle - Center, Radius
Keyboard CIRCLE short-cut C

The Circle command is used to draw circles. There are a number of ways you can define the
circle. The default method is to pick the centre point and then to either pick a second point on
the circumference of the circle or enter the circle radius at the keyboard.

Command Sequence

Command: CIRCLE
Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]:
(pick P1)
Specify radius of circle or [Diameter] <50.0195>: (pick P2 or
enter the exact radius)

As you can see from the command prompt above the default options are always indicated in
triangular brackets like so <Default> and command options appear within square brackets
like so [Option]. Each option is separated by a forward slash like this /. You can choose to
use the alternative options by typing them at the prompt.

For example, the circle command gives you three extra options to
define a circle. 3P which uses any three points on the circumference, 2P
which uses two points on the circumference to form a diameter and Ttr
which stands for Tangent Tangent Radius. Obviously to use this last
option you need to have drawn two lines which you can use as tangents
to the circle. Try these options out to see how they work. Note that to
invoke a command option, you need only type the upper-case part of
the option name.

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For example, if you want to use the Ttr option, you need only enter "T". There are two more
circle options on the pull-down menu that enable you to draw a circle by defining the center
and diameter or by using 3 tangents.

The Arc Command

Toolbar Draw
Pull-down Draw - Arc - 3 Points
Keyboard ARC short-cut A

The Arc command allows you to draw an arc of a circle. There are numerous ways to define
an arc, the default method uses three pick points, a start point, a second point and an end
point. Using this method, the drawn arc will start at the first pick point, pass through the
second point and end at the third point. Once you have mastered the default method try some
of the others. You may, for example need to draw an arc with a specific radius. All of the Arc
command options are available from the pull-down menu.

Command Sequence

Command: ARC
Specify start point of arc or [Center]: (pick P1)
Specify second point of arc or [Center/End]: (pick P2)
Specify end point of arc: (pick P3)

It is also possible to create an arc by trimming a circle object. In practice, many arcs are
actually created this way.

The Spline Command

Toolbar Draw
Pull-down Draw - Spline
Keyboard SPLINE short-cut SPL

The Spline command creates a type of spline known as a nonuniform rational B-spline,
NURBS for short. A spline is a smooth curve that is fitted along a number of control points.
The Fit Tolerance option can be used to control how closely the spline conforms to the
control points. A low tolerance value causes the spline to form close to the control points. A
tolerance of 0 (zero) forces the spline to pass through the control points. The illustration on
the right shows the effect of different tolerance values on a spline that is defined using the
same four control points, P1, P2, P3 and P4.

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Splines can be edited after they have been created
using the SPLINEDIT command, Modify-
Object-Spline from the pull-down menu. Using
this command, you can change the tolerance, add
more control points move control points and
close splines, amongst other things. However, if
you just want to move spline control points, it is
best to use grips.

Command Sequence

Command: SPLINE
Specify first point or [Object]: (Pick P1)
Specify next point: (Pick P2)
Specify next point or [Close/Fit tolerance] <start
tangent>: (Pick P3)
Specify next point or [Close/Fit tolerance] <start
tangent>: (Pick P4)
Specify next point or [Close/Fit tolerance] <start
tangent>:
Specify start tangent: (pick a point)
Specify end tangent: (pick a point)

You can create linear approximations to splines by smoothing polylines with the PEDIT
command, Modify-Polyline from the pull-down menu. However, you can also turn polylines
into true splines using the Object option of the Spline command.

The Ellipse Command

Toolbar Draw
Pull-down Draw – Ellipse - Axis, End
Keyboard ELLIPSE short-cut EL

The Ellipse command gives you a number of different creation options. The default option is
to pick the two end points of an axis and then a third point to define the eccentricity of the
ellipse. After you have mastered the default option, try out the others.

Command Sequence

Command: ELLIPSE
Specify axis endpoint of ellipse or [Arc/Center]: (pick P1)
Specify other endpoint of axis: (pick P2)
Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]: (pick P3)

The ellipse command can also be used to draw isometric circles.

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The Ellipse Arc Command

Toolbar Draw
Pull-down Draw - Ellipse - Arc
Keyboard ELLIPSE - A short-cut EL - A

The Ellipse Arc command is very similar to the Ellipse command, described above. The only
difference is that, in addition to specifying the two axis end points and the "distance to other
axis" point, you are prompted for a start and end angle for the arc. You may specify angles by
picking points or by entering values at the command prompt. Remember that angles are
measured in an anti-clockwise direction, starting at the 3 o'clock position.

In truth, the Ellipse Arc command is not a new or separate

command; it is just an option of the Ellipse command and
it therefore has no unique command line name. It is curious
why Autodesk considered this option important enough to
give it it's own button on the Draw toolbar. Still, there it is.

Command Sequence

Command: ELLIPSE
Specify axis endpoint of ellipse or [Arc/Center]: A
Specify axis endpoint of elliptical arc or [Center]: (pick P1)
Specify other endpoint of axis: (pick P2)
Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]: (pick P3)
Specify start angle or [Parameter]: 270
Specify end angle or [Parameter/Included angle]: 90

The Region Command

Toolbar Draw
Pull-down Draw - Region
Keyboard REGION short-cut REG

A region is a surface created from objects that form a closed shape, known as a loop. The
Region command is used to transform objects into regions rather than actually drawing them
(i.e. you will need to draw the closed shape or loop first). Once a region is created, there may
be little visual difference to the drawing. However, if you set the shade mode to "Flat
Shaded", View – Shade - Flat Shaded, you will see that the region is, in fact, a surface and
not simply an outline. Regions are particularly useful in 3D modeling because they can be
extruded.

19
Before starting the Region command, draw a closed shape such as a
rectangle, circle or any closed polyline or spline.

Command Sequence

Command: REGION
Select objects: (Pick P1)
Select objects:
1 loop extracted.
1 Region created.

You can use the boolean commands, Union, Subtract and Intersect to create complex regions.

The Wipeout Command

Toolbar custom
Pull-down Draw - Wipeout
Keyboard WIPEOUT

A Wipeout is an image type object. Most commonly it is used to "mask" part of a drawing for
clarity. For example, you may want to add text to a complicated part of a drawing. A Wipeout
could be used to mask an area behind some text so that the text can easily be read, as in the
example shown on the right.

The Wipeout command can be used for 3 different operations. It can be used to draw a
wipeout object, as you might expect, but it can also be used to convert an existing closed
polyline into a wipeout and it can be used to control the visibility of wipeout frames.

Command Sequence

Command: WIPEOUT
Specify first point or [Frames/Polyline] <Polyline>: (Pick P1)
Specify next point: (Pick P2)
Specify next point or [Undo]: (Pick P3)
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: (Pick P4)
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]:

You can use as many points as you wish in order to create the shape
you need. When you have picked the last point, use right-click and
Enter (or hit the Enter key on the keyboard) to complete the command
and create the wipeout.

You may find that it is easier to draw a polyline first and then convert
that polyline into a wipeout. To do this, start the Wipeout command
and then Enter to select the default "Polyline" option. Select the

20
polyline when prompted to do so. Remember, polylines must be closed before they can be
converted to wipeouts.

In most cases, you will probably want to turn off the wipeout frame.

Command Sequence

Specify first point or [Frames/Polyline] <Polyline>: F (the Frames

option)
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: OFF
Regenerating model.

The Frames option is used to turn frames off (or on) for all wipeouts in the current drawing.
You cannot control the visibility of wipeout frames individually. You should also be aware
that when frames are turned off, wipeouts cannot be selected. If you need to move or modify
a wipeout, you need to have frames turned on.

It is often more convenient to draw the wipeout after the text so that you can see how much
space you need. In such a case, you may need to use the DRAWORDER command (Tools -
Display Order - Option) to force the text to appear above the wipeout.

Tip: If you have the Express Tools loaded, you can use the very useful TEXTMASK
command, which automatically creates a wipeout below any selected text. Find it on your
pull-down at Express – Text - Text Mask

Points and Point Styles

Points are very simple objects and the process of creating them is also very simple. Points are
rarely used as drawing components although there is no reason why they could not be. They
are normally used just as drawing aids in a similar way that Construction Lines and Rays are
used. For example, points are automatically created when you use the Measure and Divide
commands to set out distances along a line.

When adding points to a drawing it is usually desirable to set the point style first because the
default style can be difficult to see.

The Point Command

Toolbar Draw
Pull-down Draw – Point - Single Point
Keyboard POINT short-cut PO

The point command will insert a point marker in your drawing at a position which you pick
in the drawing window or at any co-ordinate location which you enter at the keyboard. The
default point style is a simple dot, which is often difficult to see but you can change the point
21
style to something more easily visible or elaborate using the point style dialogue box. Points
can be used for "setting out" a drawing in addition to construction lines. You can Snap to
points using the Node object snap. See the Object Snap tutorial for details.

Command Sequence

Command: POINT
Current point modes: PDMODE=0 PDSIZE=0.0000
Specify a point: (pick any point)

Strangely, in Multiple Point mode (the default for the Point button on the Draw toolbar) you
will need to use the escape key (Esc) on your keyboard to end the command. The usual right-
click or enter doesn't work.

The Point Style Command

Toolbar none
Pull-down Format - Point Style…
Keyboard DDPTYPE

You can start the point style command from the

keyboard by typing DDPTYPE or you can start it
from the pull-down menu at Format - Point
Style… The command starts by displaying a
dialogue box offering a number of options.

To change the point style, just pick the picture of

the style you want and then click the "OK" button.
You will need to use the Regen command,
REGEN at the keyboard or View - Regen from the
pull-down to force any existing points in your
drawing to display in the new style. Any new
points created after the style has been set will
automatically display in the new style.

One interesting aspect of points is that their size

can be set to an absolute value or relative to the
screen size, expressed as a percentage. The default is for points to display relative to the
screen size, which is very useful because it means that points will remain the same size,
irrespective of zoom factor. This is particularly convenient when drawings become complex
and the drawing process requires a lot of zooming in and out.

22
Multilines
Multilines are complex lines that consist of between 1 and 16 parallel lines, known as
elements. The default multiline style has just two elements but you can create additional
styles of an almost endless variety. The Multiline Style command enables you to create new
multiline styles by adding line elements, changing the colour and linetype of elements,
adding end caps and the option of displaying as a solid colour.

The Multiline Command

Toolbar custom
Pull-down Draw - Multiline
Keyboard MLINE short-cut ML

The Multiline command is used to draw multilines. This process of drawing is pretty much
the same as drawing polylines, additional line segments are added to the multiline as points
are picked. As with polylines, points can be unpicked with the Undo option and multilines
can be closed. When you start the Multiline command you also have the option to specify the
Justification, Scale and Style of the multiline. The Justification option allows you to set the
justification to "Top", the default, "Zero" or "Bottom". When justification is set to top, the top
of the multiline is drawn through the pick points, as in the illustration below. Zero
justification draws the centreline of the multiline through the pick points and Bottom draws
the bottom line through the pick points. Justification allows you to control how the multiline
is drawn relative to your setting out information. For example, if you are drawing a new road
with reference to its centre line, then Zero justification would be appropriate.

The Scale option allows you to set a scale factor, which effectively changes the width of the
multiline. The default scale factor is set to 1.0 so to half the width of the multiline, a value of
0.5 would be entered. A value of 2.0 would double the width. The Style option enables you to
set the current multiline style. The default style is called "Standard". This is the only style
available unless you have previously created a new style with the Multiline Style command.
Follow the command sequence below to see how the Multiline command works and then try
changing the Justification and Scale options.

Command Sequence

Command: MLINE
Current settings: Justification = Top, Scale = 20.00,
Style = STANDARD
Specify start point or [Justification/Scale/STyle]:
(Pick P1)
Specify next point: (Pick P2)
Specify next point or [Undo]: (Pick P3)
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: (to end or continue picking or C to close)

23
The Multiline Style Command

Toolbar none
Pull-down Format - Multiline Style…
Keyboard MLSTYLE

The Multiline style command is used to

create new multiline styles, which can
then be used with the Multiline
command. When you start the command
for the first time, you will see the
Multiline Styles dialogue box indicating
that the Standard style is "Current". To
create a new style, enter a new style
name in the "Name" edit box by
overwriting "STANDARD" and enter an
optional description in the "Description"
edit box. The dialogue box should now
look something like the one on the right. When you are happy with the new name and
description, simply click on the "Add" button. Your new style will now appear in the
"Current" box. The new style you have created is simply a copy of the Standard style, so the
next step is to change the style to suit your own purposes. Click on the "Element
Properties…" button to proceed.

You will now see the Element Properties

dialogue box appear. This dialogue box
allows you to add new line elements or
delete existing ones and to control the
element offset, colour and linetype. Click
the "Add" button to add a new element. A
new line element now appears with an
offset of 0.0, in other words, this is a
centre line. Highlight the top element in
the "Elements" list and change the offset to
1.0 by entering this value in the "Offset"
edit box. Now do the same with the bottom
element remembering to enter a value of -1.0 because this is a negative offset. You now have
a multiline that is 2 drawing units wide with a centre line. Let's now change the colour and
linetype of the centre line.

Highlight the 0.0 offset element by clicking it in the "Elements" list. To change the colour,
simply click on the Colour… button and select an appropriate colour from the palette. When
a colour has been selected, click the "OK" button on the palette to return to the Element
Properties dialogue box.

24
Changing the linetype is a little more complicated because we will need to load the required
linetype first. However, click on the "Linetype…" button to proceed.

The Select Linetype dialogue

box appears with just a few
solid linetypes listed, ByLayer,
ByBlock and Continuous.
Click on the "Load…" button.
The Load or Reload Linetypes
dialogue box now appears.
Scroll down the list of
linetypes until you find one
called "Hidden". Highlight
Hidden and then click the
"OK" button. You will now see
the Hidden linetype appear in
the "Loaded linetypes" list in the Select Linetype dialogue box, which should now look
similar to the one shown above. Finally, highlight Hidden and click the "OK" button. Your
Element Properties dialogue box should now look similar to the one in the illustration above.
To complete our new style, we will add some end caps and a solid fill. Click on the
"Multiline Properties…" button to proceed.

In the Multiline Properties dialogue box, click in the "Line" check boxes under "Start" and
"End". This will have the effect of capping the ends of the multiline with a 90 degree line. As
you can see from the dialogue box, you can
change this angle if you wish to give a
chamfered end. Next, click the "On" check
box in the "Fill" section and then click on the
Colour… button and select the fill colour
from the palette. The Multiline Properties
dialogue box should now look like the one in
the illustration on the left. Finally, click the
"OK" button in the Multiline Properties
dialogue box and again in the Multiline Style
dialogue box. You are now ready to draw
with your new multiline.

Start the Multiline command, pick a number

of points and admire your handiwork. If you
have followed this tutorial closely, your new multiline should look something like the one in
the illustration on the right. Notice the effect of the various changes you have made compared
with the Standard multiline style.

One limitation of multiline styles is that you cannot modify a style if there are multilines
referencing the style in the current drawing. This is a shame because it means that it is not
possible to update multiline styles in the same way as it is possible to update text or

25
dimension styles. You also cannot change the style of an existing multiline. If you really want
to modify a multiline style, you will have to erase all multilines that reference the style first.

If you are new to AutoCAD, the whole process of working with multilines and creating
multiline styles may appear a little bewildering because it touches upon a number of aspects
of the program with which you may not be familiar. If this is the case, it may be a good idea
to return to this tutorial in the future. Multilines are useful because they can save lots of time
but their use is fairly specific and you should think carefully before using them. It may, for
example, be more convenient simply to draw a polyline and to create offsets using the Offset
command.

Tips & Tricks

You will have noticed that many of the draw commands require the - key on the keyboard to
be pressed to end them. In AutoCAD, clicking the right mouse key and
selecting "Enter" from the context menu has the same effect as using the - key
on the keyboard. Using the right-click context menu is a much more efficient
way of working than using the keyboard.

You can also use the - key or right mouse click to repeat the last command
used. When a command has ended, you can start it again by right clicking and
selecting "Repeat command" from the context menu rather that entering the command at the
keyboard or selecting it from the pull-down or toolbar. By this method it is possible, for
example, to repeat the line command without specifically invoking it. The command
sequence might be something like the one below.

Command Sequence

Command: LINE
Specify first point: (pick P1)
Specify next point or [Undo]: (pick P2)
Specify next point or [Undo]: (right-click and
select Enter)
Command: (right-click and select Repeat Line)
Specify first point: (pick P1)
Specify next point or [Undo]: (pick P2)
Specify next point or [Undo]: (right-click and
select Enter)
Command: (right-click and select Repeat
Line)…

You could continue this cycle as long as you needed, using only the mouse for input.

You can change the Linetype of any of the objects created in the above tutorial. By default all
lines are drawn with a linetype called "Continuous". This displays as a solid line. However,
lines can be displayed with a dash, dash-dot and a whole range of variations. See the Object
Properties tutorial for details.

26
Examples

The examples in this section are designed to give you a feel for how AutoCAD works and to
show you some basic drawing techniques. There are instructions to be followed for each
example, and in the first few examples every single step is described. In the later examples,
only the steps that involve new menu items or commands are fully detailed.

For each example, there is a construction summary which gives a brief overall description of
the main phases involved in creating the drawing. This is followed by step–by–step specific
instructions.

Conventions

The precise meanings of the instructions used in the examples are shown below.

Press Enter Means press the Enter key on the keyboard. There is often a button on the
mouse which provides the same function. This instruction usually signals
either that you want to close a list of selected objects or that you want to
accept the current value for some variable. For example, AutoCAD might
produce the message, LlNETYPE(CENTER). If you press Enter, then the
current value for LlNETYPE (which happens to be CENTER) continues to be
the current value.

Type string Means type the specified string of characters on the command line and then
press Enter to submit the string to AutoCAD for processing.

Select Item Means move the cursor to the specified item on the Ribbon and press the left
button on the mouse..Sometimes the instruction will look like this Select
Item1 | Item2 | Item3. This means that you are to select the Item1 tab on the
top row of the ribbon then from the Item2 set, select Item3.

Click Item Means move the cursor to the specified item on the big red A or Quick
Access or the icons in the Application Status area on the bottom and press the
left button on the mouse. You will be informed in these cases where the item
is. Sometimes the instruction will look like this Click Item1 | Item2 | Item3.
This means that you are to select Item1 then click item 2 then click Item3.

Pick Object Means move the cursor in the drawing area until it meets the specified object
or a desired position and then press the left button on the mouse.

Choose Item Is used when a toolbar or dialogue box is on the screen. It means move the
cursor to the icon representing the item or to the little box beside the specified
item. Then press the left button of the mouse.

Key string Means type the specified string of characters to appear on a line in a dialogue
box. You would probably not press Enter in this case.

27
Example 1 — Drawing Triangles

This example draws two equilateral triangles. One of the triangles in the drawing is to be
dimensioned. You should be in the Drawing Editor of AutoCAD. Remember that the
meanings of such words such as key, pick and select are defined in the subsection
Conventions at the start of Section 4.

Preview of Example 1
In order to draw triangles using the menu system, you will be doing the following tasks,
outlined later:

• Start a new drawing

• Draw one triangle
• Do a quick save of the drawing
• Set SNAP parameters
• Set GRID parameters
• Draw the next triangle
• Dimension one line
• Dimension one angle
• Change the view
• Add some text to the drawing
• Use the ERASE function
• Save the drawing and leave AutoCAD
A full set of instructions for completing the tasks is given below:

➢ Start a New Drawing

You should be in the drawing editor of AutoCAD. Check that the screen looks like the one on
P6. If it is not, then return to the instructions on that page.

 Click the big red A at top left and then New to start a new drawing

28
 Check that the default template is called acadiso.dwt in the list of
templates and then choose Open on the dialogue box
 Select View | Navigate and then select the little arrow by the Zoom tool
and choose All. Notice that each tooltip gives some information about
the choice that you make. Normally the default zoom operation is Zoom
Extents – notice that All becomes the new default for the Zoom
operation.
➢ Draw One Triangle
You are going to draw three lines by specifying the coordinates of three points. Notice that if
you move the mouse around, the coordinates in the status bar give the current position of the
cursor. You should be able to see that the origin is at the bottom left of the screen and that the
top right position is roughly (500,300), depending on the size of the window. You will be
shown in a later example how to change the drawing size and how to move around the
drawing.

 Select Home | Draw | Line. This icon is on the left.

 Type 50,50 for the start point of one line. Notice that a line is drawn
from the start point to the current cursor position.
 Type @200,0 and a line is drawn to the point (250,50). The @ character
means a relative displacement.
 Type @200<120 and a new line is drawn starting at point (250,50) with
length 200 at an angle of 1200. Note that angles are measured anti–
clockwise from the positive X direction.
 Type CL — this means close the line; i.e. join up the last point with the
start point.
➢ Do a Quick Save of the Drawing
 Click the Big Red A and then Save. Since you have not already given a
name for your drawing, you are asked where you want to store your
drawing.
 Navigate to the directory M:\ACAD2010 and give a name of
EXAMPLE1.DWG
Snap and GRID — Using Function Keys
(If you want to omit this section on a first reading, move to the next task)

Some of the function keys have special meanings in AutoCAD. They are used as toggle keys
and are very useful. In the following descriptions of toggle keys, there are references to the
Application Status bar — this is to be found at the bottom of the AutoCAD window.

TOGGLE Sets snap mode on or off. If snap mode is on, then all
SNAP input co–ordinates are snapped to nearest point on the
snap grid. Use the SNAP command to specify the snap
spacing of the snap grid. Press F9 or click the SNAP icon
on the status bar to toggle the snap mode.

TOGGLE Switches between a visible or invisible grid of points. The

GRID GRID command is used to set a desired grid spacing. It is
common to set the grid to be the snap spacing. Press F7 or
29
click GRID on the status bar to toggle the grid mode.

TOGGLE Sets ortho mode on or off. If ortho mode is on and the

ORTHO cursor is used to pick points in the work area, then lines
are drawn parallel to the horizontal or vertical axes only.
Press F8 or click ORTHO on the status bar to toggle the
ortho mode.

Some of the other items on the status bar are not discussed further in this User Guide. You
will meet Object Snap or OSNAP in the next exercise.

➢ Set Snap Parameters

If SNAP is on, AutoCAD will only allow points on a snap grid to be picked. Normally, when
you enter the Drawing Editor, snap is set off and the snap spacing is 10. SNAPping can be
switched on or off using the TOGGLE SNAP key (by either pressing F9 or clicking the
SNAP box near the bottom)

 Right-click the Snap icon at bottom in the Application Status bar

and choose Settings from menu.
 The Drafting Settings dialog box appears. Notice that the Snap and Grid
tab is current. This allows the snap and grid increments to be set.
 Choose Snap On for the Snap and key 20.0 in the box by Snap X spacing
 Click the box by Snap Y spacing and this sets the snap spacing to be 20
in both X and Y directions. Do not choose OK yet.
➢ Set Grid Parameters
It is possible to have a visible grid of dots in the drawing area which may help you in your
drawing. Also, the grid spacing can be adjusted.

 Choose Grid On — this allows a grid to be made visible

 Key 20.0 to set the values for Grid X spacing and Grid Y spacing. It is
common to make the grid spacing identical to the snap spacing.
 Choose OK and notice there is a grid of dots on the screen.
 Try the TOGGLE GRID ( by pressing F7 or clicking the GRID button
near the bottom) a couple of times.
 Try the TOGGLE SNAP ( by pressing F9 or clicking the SNAP button
near the bottom) a couple of times. Make sure that SNAP is ON before
moving onto the next task.
➢ Draw the Next Triangle
 Select Home | Draw | Line (look on left near the top).
 Pick the point (200,200) by moving the mouse to that point and press the
left button. The mouse coordinates appear on the bottom left of the status
bar. If you have SNAP set to 20.0, this point should be easy to find and it
is the starting point of the next line which is to the right of the other
triangle.
 Type @200<—60 and this line is drawn at —600 to the horizontal.
30
 Type @200<60 and another line is drawn at 600 to the horizontal.
 Type CL to close the line.
Dimensioning
Dimensioning of an object usually involves four or five stages:

• Select the type of dimensioning

• Select the object
• Choose a position for the dimension
• Decide on the dimension text.(optional)
• Choose a position for the text
You are now going to be shown how to dimension the top line and one of the angles of the
second triangle.

➢ Dimension One Line

 Select Annotate | Dimensions and choose Linear from the list under
Dimension. You are about to add a dimension to the top line of the
second triangle.
 AutoCAD allows you either to specify two points for the ends of the
extension lines or to pick a line for dimensioning. You want to do the
latter so press Enter first
 Then pick the top line of the second triangle. Notice that when you move
the mouse in the work area, a little square appears. You can move the
mouse so that the little square is anywhere along the line and press the
left button.
 Pick a point above the line. The dimension text will be centered on the
midpoint of the line and placed at the chosen level.
➢ Dimension One Angle
 Select Annotate | Dimensions | Dimension and choose Angular. An angle
of 60 is to be dimensioned.
 Pick the top line of the triangle. The order in which the two lines are
picked is unimportant.
 Pick line at 60 degrees. If SNAP has been set on, you may still be able to
pick the line, near one of the grid points but it is probably safer to press
F9 to toggle snap off.
 Pick a point between the two lines. This is where the dimension arc is to
go.
➢ Change the View
 Select View | Navigate | Window. This allows you to zoom in or out of a
drawing on the screen. The geometry and dimensions are not changed,
just the view is altered. . If you cannot find Window on the Navigate
panel, click the Down arrow and choose Window.

31 Down
arrow
 Look at the drawing and decide on a window containing a part of the
drawing which will fill the screen when this command is finished. Pick
one point which is to be one of the window corners. Notice when you
move the mouse, a box appears and the shape depends on the cursor
position.
 Pick another point. This is the opposite corner of the window. If there is
nothing in the drawing area, this means you picked two points where
there was no geometry.
 Select View | Navigate | Window and choose All. This scales the
drawing so that the drawing limits or its current extent (whichever is
greater) fill the screen, i.e. you will see all the drawing on the screen.
The drawing limits can be changed with the LIMITS command, which
you will meet in later examples
 Select View Navigate | All and choose Previous This returns to the
previous view, i.e. the one you created in ZOOM WINDOW above.
Repeat so that all the drawing is on the screen.
➢ Add some Text to the Drawing
 Select Annotate | Text | Multi–line Text. This allows one or more lines of
text to be added to the drawing.
 Pick a point above first triangle for the text starting point and drag to a
point above the second triangle. Text is justified on the left unless one of
the other options is chosen first.
 Type Two triangles and choose OK to leave the TEXT command. The
text is too small. We could change the character height using a command
but instead we are going to practise erasing objects
➢ Use the ERASE Function
The ERASE command allows you to delete one or more objects at a time. You pick the
objects which are then stored in a ‘selection set’. It reports each time on whether you have
picked any objects. When you have finished deciding what is in your set, you then press
Enter and the objects in the set are deleted.

 Select Home | Modify | Erase. Pick the text and you should receive the
message Select objects : 1 found.
 Press Enter. This ends the selection of objects and erases all those found
in the selection set. In this case just the text disappears.
 Select Annotate | Text | Multi Line Text. Repeat the operation of adding
text to the drawing, but on the Text Formatting box, key 6.0 for the
character height. Notice that text input is one of the few occasions when
lower–case letters are significant
Saving a Drawing and leaving AutoCAD
When you are in the drawing editor and you want to finish, AutoCAD prompts you to save
the drawing if you have altered the drawing since the last save. If you exit the Drawing Editor
32
without saving the drawing (perhaps by accidentally turning off your computer), you will lose
all the work that you have done in the current drawing session. It is often desirable to save
your changes periodically in case of machine malfunctions, power failures etc., so we
encourage you to save often by clicking the big red A then choosing Save (you can also type
the command QSAVE) which writes the current drawing, if it has already been named, to the
named disk file. If the drawing has no name, then a dialogue box appears, prompting you to
give a name to the drawing.

If the drawing has already been named, you can save it in another file by selecting the Save
As command on the big red A menu. This produces a dialogue box in which you can type a
new name for the current drawing file and then the drawing is saved under the new name.
Note that after either of these commands has been used, you still remain in the Drawing
Editor.

➢ Save the Drawing and Leave AutoCAD

 Click Quick Access | Save As (or on the big red A menu) so it can be
saved in a new file and key NEWEX1 as name for new drawing. Check
that the directory is still M:\ACAD2010
 Choose OK to accept NEWEX1 for the name of the new drawing.
 Click Exit from the Big Red A menu to leave AutoCAD.
Specifying Points and Using Object Snap
(If you want to omit this section on a first reading, move to the next example)

As you have already learnt, there are a number of ways of specifying points to the Drawing
Editor:

Using absolute Type the absolute Cartesian co–ordinates. For example,

Cartesian co– type
ordinates. 50,60

and press Enter.

Using relative Type co–ordinates relative to another point by prefixing

co–ordinates the displacement with @. For example, if the last point was
at (20.29,36.14) and you typed
@3,2

then the new point is at (23.29,38.14).

Using polar co– Type the relative displacement in polar co–ordinates. The <
ordinates sign is used to indicate the angle. For example, if the last
point was at (20,30) and you typed
@100<45

this would mean that the new point would be 100 units
away from (20,30) along a line 45o to the positive X

33
direction.

Using the Move the mouse. As you do this, the cross–hair cursor
mouse moves around the screen. When you press the left button
on the mouse, the current co–ordinates of the cross–hairs
are transmitted to AutoCAD.

Using grids Lock or snap points to a user–defined grid.

Using entities Lock on to various entity features such as the midpoint of a

line or the centre of a circle or to the point of intersection
between two objects..

The last way of specifying points is very important and is called Object Snap. This is a quick
way of locating exact positions on an object without having to know the co–ordinates or draw
construction lines.

You can specify a single object snap or you can turn on one or more Running Object Snaps
which stay active until you turn them off again.

34
Example 2 — Using Object Snap

This example shows how to retrieve a drawing, how to erase more than one element, how to
add some circles and lines, using Object Snap, and how to ask for help in AutoCAD.

Preview of Example 2
To draw the objects shown in the above figure, you will be doing the following tasks:

• Retrieve an old drawing

• Erase text and dimensions
• Use HELP to obtain information on Object Snap.
• Add circles touching the sides of the two triangles (using TAN Object
Snap).
• Add the line joining the circle centres (using CENTER Object Snap)
• Add the other four circles
• Add the two lines joining vertices of triangles (using INTERSECT
Object Snap)
• Save as a new drawing
A full set of instructions for completing the tasks is given below:

➢ Retrieve an Old Drawing

 Load AutoCAD again and click Open | Drawing on the Big Red A menu.
Choose NEWEX1.DWG for the name of the drawing. then choose OK
➢ Erase Text and Dimensions
 Select Home | Modify | Erase and pick the text and both dimensions.
These three objects are now all in a selection set. When you have
received a message that the total is 3, then press Enter. All three objects
disappear from the drawing.
➢ Use HELP to Obtain Information on Object Snap
Details are provided for each command (eg Osnap) via Help. There is also an online
introduction to concepts and features in AutoCAD, plus an online tutorial.

Here is how to find the Help pages describing how to snap to various points on objects.

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 Choose the Help icon (last on the right of the Help menu at the very top
right) and choose the Contents tab to get help on a particular concept.
Then choose Open User’s Guide then Create and Modify Objects then
Use Precision Tools then choose Snap to Locations on Objects. Read the
information about the OSNAP command.
 If you want help on another command, you can open more books in the
User’s Guide or you can choose the Index tab to find a specific
command.
 Close the AutoCAD Help window and return to the Drawing Editor.
➢ Add Circles Touching the Sides of the Two Triangles (using TAN Object Snap)
 Right-click the Object Snap icon on the bottom left and choose
Settings. This is equivalent to using the OSNAP command
 Choose Clear All first then choose Tangent.

 Make sure that the box for Object Snap On has a tick and choose OK on
the dialog box. This means you have established a tangential relationship
between the objects you pick and the objects you want to create. For
example, if you want to create a line and you pick a circle in response to
the From point or the To point prompt, then the line will be tangential to
that circle.
 Select the down arrow by Home | Draw | Circle and choose 3-Point.
This means to draw a circle through 3 points. You may need to press F9
to set Snap off before picking the lines. Notice how the cursor changes
as you approach a line to show the OSNAP setting that will be applied if
you pick the line.
 Pick the three lines of the left triangle. A circle appears — this is
touching the three sides of the triangle.
 Create a circle touching the three sides of the other triangle. Note that
you do not have to reset the Object Snap mode since it should still be set
to Tangent.
➢ Add the Line Joining the Circle Centres (using CENTER Object Snap)
 Right-click the Object Snap icon again and choose Settings
 Choose Tangent first to remove that setting (there should be no tick now)
then choose Center. Then choose OK on the dialog box.
 Select Home | Draw | Line and then pick one of the two circles
somewhere along its circumference. The line starts from the centre of
that circle.
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 Pick the other circle and a line is drawn to the centre of that circle.
 Press Enter to finish the line.
➢ Add the Other Four Circles
 Right-click the Object Snap icon, choose Settings and check that Center
is still the Object Snap mode
 Select Home | Draw | Circle and first pick the circle inside the left
triangle. The centre of that circle is to be the centre of a new circle.
 Type 20 for the radius. A new circle is drawn.
 Press Enter to repeat the Circle command. Pick the circle inside the
other triangle and then press Enter for the radius. Notice that AutoCAD
provides a default value for the radius which is the same as the radius of
the last circle you have drawn and you can accept that value by pressing
the Enter key.
 Right-click the Object Snap icon, choose Settings and switch off Center
for the Object Snap mode. There should be no Object Snap modes
available now.
 Select the arrow by Home | Draw | Circle and choose Tan Tan Radius —
since you are about to create a circle which is tangent to two lines,
having a radius of 15.
 Pick the baseline and leftmost line of the left triangle. Then type 15 for
the radius.
 Draw the last circle yourself.
➢ Add Two Lines Joining Vertices of Triangles (using INTERSECT Object Snap)
 Select Home Draw | Line and then right-click a point near the top vertex
of the left triangle. You do not have to try and hit the vertex exactly —
only make sure that there is a yellow cross on the vertex. Choose
Intersect. The line starts from that vertex.
 Use the same procedure for the top left vertex on the other triangle. A
line is drawn joining the two points. Press Enter to finish the line. Note
that the Osnap is set temporarily for that operation, only.
 Press Enter to repeat the Line command and draw the last line.
➢ Save as a New Drawing
 Add any necessary dimensioning, including the radii of two circles,
which have values of 20 and 15.
 Annotate the drawing.
 Click Quick Access | Save and save the drawing with the file name
EXAMPLE2, to create a new file, so you are able to retrieve NEWEX1
again.
Object Selection Methods
Before you can edit objects, you need to create a selection set of the objects you want to edit.
A selection set can consist of a single object or it can be a group of objects.

When you use an editing command such as ERASE or TRIM, AutoCAD prompts you to
pick the objects to form part of the selection set. You can choose to add more or remove
objects from the selection set. It is only when the Enter key is pressed that the selection set is
complete and AutoCAD then proceeds with the rest of the command.
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Normally, to add more than one object to the selection set, you can pick the objects using the
mouse. As an alternative, you can use the Window option and then define a rectangular area
in which the objects are entirely contained. The window is defined by picking two points for
the diagonal of the rectangle. You can also use the Wpolygon option and this allows you to
select objects which lie entirely in a polygon-shaped area.

To remove objects from a selection set, you have to use the Remove option. This sets up
Remove mode and any subsequent objects picked are removed from the selection set. To
switch off the Remove mode, use the Add option.

There are many options associated with the selection of objects. The AutoCAD User’s Guide
via the online help pages gives full details on methods of selecting objects. There is also a list
of options at the end of this document.

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Example 3 — Trimming and Extending Elements

The first part of this example shows you how to trim lines and extend elements.

Preview of Example 3
To draw the objects shown in the above figure, you will be doing the following tasks:

• Start new drawing and set the drawing extents.

• Construct the triangle and the vertical line and the circle.
• Extend the angled lines to meet the circle.
• Trim the circle.
• Dimension the drawing.
A full set of instructions for completing the tasks is given below:

➢ Start New Drawing and Set the Drawing Extents

 Click Quick Access | New to begin a new drawing. Choose Acadiso.dwt
from the list of templates and then choose Open
 Set the SNAP spacing to 2.5 (see Example 1 for details of using the
SNAP command).
 Type Limits in the Command Area. Then type —40,—30 for the bottom
left of the drawing area and type 40,30 for the top right of the drawing
area. To view this area, select View | Navigate | Zoom All
 If the UCS icon is not in the centre, then select View | Coordinates |
Show UCS Icon at Origin and the UCS icon moves to the centre
of the drawing area.
➢ Construct the Triangle and the Vertical Line and the Circle
 Select Home | Draw | Line. Construct a triangle through the points (0,0),
(7.5,—17.5), (—7.5,—17.5). Picking the points should be easy if you
have set SNAP to be 2.5 since you can see on the status bar what your
current position is.

39
 Press Enter to repeat the LINE command and pick the points (0,0), (0,—
17.5).
 Select Home | Draw | Circle and construct circle, centre (0,0), radius 25.
➢ Extend the Angled Lines to Meet the Circle
 Select Home | Modify | Extend. (Extend can be found by clicking on
arrow by Trim). This command allows you to lengthen existing objects
so that they end precisely at a boundary.
 Pick the circle since this is the boundary for the angled lines. If you get
into difficulties with SNAP set to ON, press the TOGGLE SNAP key.
When done, you should have the message, 1 found
 Press Enter to end the selection of boundaries. Next you have to pick
objects to be extended.
 Pick the angled lines near their bottom ends and press Enter to finish off
the EXTEND command. The two lines have been extended to meet the
circle.
➢ Trim the Circle
 Select Home | Modify | Trim. The TRIM command first asks you to pick
a set of cutting lines.
 Pick the 2 angled lines. When done, you should have had a message, 2
total.
 Press Enter to end the selection of cutting elements. Next you have to
pick objects that are to be trimmed.
 Pick the circle. Notice that TRIM deletes the part that you picked! If
necessary, key UNDO and pick circle again.
 Press Enter to end the TRIM command.
➢ Dimension the Drawing
 If you have switched snap off, you may need to set it back on again.
 Select Annotate | Dimensions | Linear and dimension the vertical line
yourself. You should have a text of 17.5. Notice that the text and arrow
sizes are far too big.
 Click the small arrow in bottom right of Annotate | Dimensions and a
dialog box appears Little arrow
 Choose Modify | Fit. Notice there are lots of options that could be altered
and we are interested in the Scale for Dimension Features section first.
 Key 0.4 for the Use overall scale feature
 Then finish off the dimensioning yourself.
Note that the radius dimension is not ideally placed but there are more advanced
dimensioning facilities in AutoCAD which do allow you to place dimensions in better
positions. To obtain the pictures in future examples, the more advanced facilities were used
but we do NOT give the instructions in this workbook on how to produce the dimensioning in
these pictures. You need to see the online help pages for more details if you are interested.

You may like to save this example as a drawing file (call it EXAMPLE3) but don’t leave
AutoCAD and don’t start a new drawing since you are going to use the last drawing in the
next example.

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Example 4 — Using the ARRAY Command

Preview of Example 4
To draw the objects shown in the above figure, you will be doing the following task:

• Use Polar Array to do a copy

A full set of instructions for completing the tasks is given below:

➢ Use Polar Array to do a Copy

 Remove the three dimensions and then select Home | Modify | Array.
 Choose the Select Objects icon so you can pick what you want to be
copied and type W. Create a box to include all the elements, by picking
two points as opposite corners.
 Press Enter to end the selection set of objects. The Array dialog box
returns.
 Choose Polar array and then make sure that the centre point of the polar
array is 0,0. The method you require is Total number of items and angle
to fill. Type 3 for the number of items. Make sure that the total angle to
fill is 360 degrees.
 There should be a tick by Rotate items as copied. Choose OK to finish.
 Click Quick Access | Save As to save the drawing. If you saved the
dimensioned drawing for the last example, you will need to give this
drawing a different name, say EXAMPLE4.
Setting the Scales
(If you want to omit this section on a first reading, move to the next example)

We met the LIMITS command in the last example and you may be wondering now about
how to set a scale for a particular drawing.

41
In common with many other CAD packages, AutoCAD is flexible about the specification of
the drawing units or scale. In many cases, it is only at the plotting stage that care has to be
taken to determine a suitable scaling.

Suppose you have a drawing A units x B units; for example, 400 metres x 290 metres or 6ft x
3ft. The drawing is to fit in an area of C units x D units. The units of the paper are not
necessarily the same as the units in the drawing; for example, the paper size could be 200mm
x 150mm or 10inches x 6inches. The procedure to follow is:

 Set the size of the drawing area in the drawing editor to be A x B by

using the LIMITS command. However, remember that several
AutoCAD settings, such as text size, linetype scale, hatching scale are
fixed by default and these will need to be changed if you set the limits to
be very different from the default positions.
For example, if you set the limits to be (0,0) and (5,3), any dimensions
are drawn at a scale nearly 100 times more than is pleasing to the eye. To
change the dimension scales, see the previous example.

In the TEXT command (used to add text or symbols), AutoCAD, in

requesting the text height, offers a default size. This can be easily altered
to a more suitable value. Similarly, the HATCH command offers default
scaling values which can be changed. For linetype scaling, use the
LTSCALE command.

 Use the UNITS command to change the format of the coordinates if

necessary. The default units are decimal but it may be preferred to work
in scientific units or other units. (See the AutoCAD User’s Guide via the
online help pages for details).
 When you plot your drawing, you can specify the size of the plotting
area in either millimetres or inches. You can then ask for your drawing
to fit the plotting area. AutoCAD automatically scales your drawing up
or down uniformly in both the vertical and horizontal directions to cover
the maximum possible area of the paper size given.

So if a drawing area of 360km x 320km is to be plotted at a scale of l mm =2km, this means a

plotting area of 180mm x 160mm. You would set the limits to be (0,0) to (360,320) in the
drawing editor. When plotting, you would specify the plotting units to be millimetres and the
plotting area to be 180 x 160. Then you could specify that the limits of the drawing are to fit
on the plotting sheet.

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Example 5 — Using Polylines and Corners

This example introduces polylines and corners. Polylines are combinations of straight lines
and arcs. Each polyline is treated as one object, unlike line segments formed by the LINE
command. The POLYLlNE command allows width variations. As usual, you should start
from the Drawing Editor of AutoCAD for this example.

Preview of Example 5
To draw the objects shown in the above figure, you will be doing the following tasks:

• Start a new drawing, set the drawing limits and resize drawing.
• Construct a square as a POLYLlNE.
• Create circular corners and finish off.
A full set of instructions for completing the tasks is given below:

➢ Start a New Drawing, Set the Drawing Limits and Resize Drawing
 Create a new drawing. Use acadiso.dwt again and use the LIMITS
command to change the limits to (—80,—60), (80,60).
 Select View | Navigate | Zoom | All so that the drawing area fills the
screen.
➢ Construct a Square as a POLYLlNE
 Set snap and grid spacing on (default is 10 units) so you can pick points
easily.
 Select Home | Draw | Polyline.
 Either type —50,—50 or pick the point if you have set snap on.
 Type W to change the width of the polyline.
 Type 4 for both the starting and ending width of the polyline. Continue
creating a square, 100 x 100, using CL to close.
➢ Create Circular Corners and Finish Off
 Select Home | Modify | Fillet.
43
 Type R for a curved corner instead of a straight corner and type 12.5 for
the radius.
 Type P for polyline and type L for the last polyline. If only three filleted
corners appear, you did not use CL to join the 4th point to the 1st point of
the polyline.
 Dimension the drawing and save it.
Methods of Specifying AutoCAD Commands
As you have probably realised, there are several ways of telling AutoCAD what to do next.
The following list shows the ways in which commands or options can be given:

Using Toolbars By selecting items from icon menus on toolbars.

At Command Line By typing the command name on the prompt line

and pressing the Enter key.

Using the Cursor menu This appears when you press the Shift and Right
mouse button together (or middle mouse button on a
3 button mouse) and contains Object snap modes
and various filters. It may be customised.

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Example 6 — A Simple Engineering Component

The techniques covered in Examples 1 to 5 can be used to produce the drawing shown below.

Preview
• Draw four little circles (radius 5)
• Draw 4 bigger circles (radius 10)
• Draw lines tangential to the bigger circles
• Trim circles
• Dimension drawing
No further instructions are given — it is left as an exercise for the user.

45
Example 7 — A Simple Engineering Component

The techniques covered in Examples 1 to 5 can be used to produce the drawing shown. No
preview or further instructions are given — it is left as an exercise for the user.

46
Using Blocks

A block is a collection of individual objects that belong together (another name for block
would be symbol). Often, it is required to create libraries of frequently used symbols or
blocks which can be used in different drawings.

To create a block, a set of objects are drawn first. A block is given a name, an insertion point
and the set of objects. This set is removed from the display but are still part of the drawing,
stored now as a block.

Preliminary Example of Using Blocks

Preview
In order to draw the objects shown in the above figure using the menu system, you will be
doing the following tasks, outlined later:

• Draw a shape
• Create a block from the shape
• Insert several blocks on the drawing area
• Edit the block
A full set of instructions for completing the tasks is given below:

➢ Draw a Shape
 Create a new drawing with limits of -20,-20 to 340,220 and do a Zoom
All
 Draw a triangle through (0,0), (50,90), (80,40)
 Right-click the Object Snap icon and choose Settings. Choose Tangent.
 Select Home | Draw | Circle | 3 Point and draw a circle touching all three
sides of triangle
➢ Create a Block from the Shape
 Select Home | Block | Create Block. The Block set of commands handles
blocks, their creation and manipulation.

47
 Type TRICIR for the name of the block.
 The pick point is to be left as 0, 0. Some people may prefer to call this
the pivot point.
 Choose the Select objects icon and add the three lines and circle to the
selection set for the block. Alternatively, use the WINDOW option.
 Choose Delete and then choose OK to end the block creation. The block
disappears from the screen but is still part of the drawing.
➢ Insert Several Blocks on the Drawing Area
 Select Home | Block | Insert Block and a dialogue box appears. You are
ready to insert the shape which is stored as a block.
 Choose TRICIR for the block. The position is at 60,100.
 Keep the X scale of 1.0, Y scale of 1.0 and rotation angle 0.0 and make
sure that the box by Explode is not checked so that the inserted block is
treated as one entity and choose OK
 Insert another block at the insertion point of 300,30 but scale it by a
factor of 2.0 for both X and Y and rotate it by 80 degrees.
 Select Home | Block | Insert Block and choose TRICIR again.
 Accept a scale of 1.0 and rotation angle 0.0.
 This time, choose Explode and type 100,25 for the insertion point - this
will explode the block into its constituent parts. You can check this by
picking the various objects.
➢ Edit the Block
To edit a block, you can use the Block Editor. This process is much easier now - in previous
versions, to edit a block, the block had to be put back on the drawing area, any necessary
alterations were done and then the block was redefined.

 Select Home | Block | Block Editor and retrieve TRICIR for the block
name.
 Draw a line from (0,0) to the centre of the circle
 Select Close from the top right to re–create the block. Notice that the
unexploded blocks show the extra line.

48
Example 8 — More Usage of Blocks

This example is to consolidate what you have already learnt about the use of blocks and
introduces the use of colours and line types. In this particular example, there are 12 shapes
which are the same and one shape is created as a block. The block is then inserted into the
main drawing and it is realised it is incomplete. So the block is edited and saved again. Since
the shape is not needed in other drawings, it remains part of this drawing as a block, but is not
written to external storage to be used in other drawings.

Preview
To draw the objects shown in the above figure, you will be doing the following tasks:

• Start new drawing, set the drawing limits etc.

• Construct one shape.
• Create a block from the shape and then add 12 shapes.
• Add four circles to the drawing.
• Edit the block.
A full set of instructions for completing the tasks is given below:

➢ Start New Drawing, Set the Drawing Limits etc.

 Create new drawing. Change the limits to (—50,—50) and (100,100).

49
 Zoom in so that the drawing limits fill the window. Make sure that snap
is off.
➢ Construct One Shape
 Draw two circles. The first one has centre at 50,0 and radius 8 and the
second one has centre at 90,0 and radius 15
 Change the OSNAP mode to TANGENT
 Draw two lines tangential to both circles.
 Select Home | Modify | Trim and trim the two circles. Remember that
TRIM deletes the part of the object where you pick it.
 Click on the small arrow on bottom right of Home | Properties. You are
about to change the colour of the shape.
 On the new docked Properties panel, choose the Select Objects icon and
then type W. Create a window large enough to include the whole shape.
Then press Enter to finish the selection–set. (4 objects found)
 Back on the Properties panel, choose Colour then click on the down
arrow and choose Red. Close the Properties box and press Enter again..
➢ Create a Block from the Shape and then Add Twelve Shapes
 Select Home | Block | Create Block and create a block called SLOT with
insertion point at 0,0.
 Choose the Select Objects icon. Add two arcs and two lines to the
selection set for the block. Alternatively, use the WINDOW option.
Press Enter to return to the dialog box. Keep Delete selected and choose
OK to end the creation of the block. The block disappears from the
screen but is still part of the drawing.
 Change the limits to (—150,—150) and (150,150).Then do a Zoom |
All
 Select Home | Block | Insert Block and insert an unexploded copy of the
block SLOT at the insertion point of 0,0
 Select Home | Modify | Array and choose the Select Objects icon.
 Pick the shape and notice that the whole shape is highlighted
immediately since it is treated as one item. Press Enter to end the
selection–set.
 Choose Polar and then type 0,0 for the centre of the polar array. Type 12
for the number of items and to accept 360 degrees as the angle to fill and
to rotate the shapes as they are copied.
➢ Add Four Circles to the Drawing
 Create four circles centred at (0,0) with radii 15, 90, 50, 120. Change
their colour to Blue.
➢ Edit the Block
It has been decided that the shape needs a centre line so the block has to be edited.

 Select Home | Block | Block Editor and choose SLOT for the block to be
redefined.
 Create a line from 0,0 to 150,0.

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 Type LTYPE (this enables you to load linetypes into the drawing),
choose Load and choose the CENTER linetype. See if you can make the
linetype of this line CENTER, by using Home | Properties.
 Then choose Close Block Editor. Make sure that your picture is similar
to the one at the start of this example. Save the drawing when finished.

51
Example 9 — Using Layers

This example shows the use of layers in AutoCAD. Layers are used to group elements of a
certain type together, usually for colouring and for making elements visible or invisible. For
example, architects and designers using AutoCAD might put furnishings on one layer, water
pipes on one layer, electrical wiring on another layer and so on.

Preview of Example 9
In order to learn about layers, you will be doing the following tasks, outlined later:

• Create a new drawing

• Create a new layer, colour it and make it current
• Draw objects on that layer
• Create another layer, colour it and make it current
• Draw objects on that layer
• Transfer some objects to other layers
• Learn what freezing and thawing mean
A full set of instructions for completing the tasks is given below:

➢ Create a New Drawing

 Select Quick Access | New to create a new drawing, using acadiso.dwt.
Use limits of 0,0 and 250,250 and do a Zoom All
➢ Create a New Layer, Colour it and make it Current
 Select Home | Layers. Notice the line showing the properties of the
current layer. There is only one layer so far.

52
 For more details on the different layer properties, select Home | Layers |
Layer Properties. The current layer where any new objects are added has
a Name of 0. Notice you can turn layers on and off, freeze or thaw them,
set colours to a layer so that any new objects on that layer will be drawn
in that colour.
 Choose the New Layer icon and key LCIRC for the name of the layer.
 Choose LCIRC in list of layers and choose the Set Current icon. Make
sure that the layer is not locked. (Look at the ‘lock’ symbol)
 Choose the Color icon for layer LCIRC and then choose Red | OK to
change the layer colour to red. Use the standard palette at the bottom of
the dialog box.
 Close the Layer Properties dialog box. Notice that the line showing the
current layer has changed. The current layer is now LCIRC and there is a
small red box to show that any subsequent drawn objects will be red.
➢ Draw Objects on that Layer
All the objects drawn in this task should be red!

 Switch off all OSNAP modes (via Settings on Object Snap icon at
bottom).
 Construct the first inner circle which is centred at (80,80) and has radius
40.
 Draw a line from the centre of the circle at an angle of 45 to the
horizontal with length of 80.
 Construct another circle with the same radius but with the centre at other
end of line just drawn. (Hint — use ENDPOINT for a temporary Object
Snap mode)
 Construct the third circle, touching other two on their top side with a
radius of 40 (using Tan Tan Radius)
 Construct the 3-Point outer circle which is tangent to all three inner
circles. Do NOT remove the construction line.
➢ Create another Layer, Colour it and make it Current
 Select Home | Layers | Layer properties so we can use the Layer
Dialogue box
 Choose the New Layer icon and key LSQUA for name of new layer. See
if you can make this layer current and set its colour to Blue. Make sure
that the layer is not locked. (Look at the ‘lock’ symbol)
➢ Draw Objects on that Layer
 Select Home | Draw | Polygon. To find the polygon icon, you have to
click the down arrow by Draw. As an exercise — add square boxes
touching the outer circle and inside one of the inner circles as shown in
the picture at the start of the example. You should use the CENTRE and
QUADRANT object snap modes to do this. Notice the boxes are blue.
 Create the small circle between the large outer circle and two of the
inner circles. This is blue.
➢ Transfer some Objects to other Layers
 Pick the blue circle which has been just created in layer LSQUA. The
Properties window appears.
53
 Choose Layer from the list of properties. This is to change the layer of
the circle.
 Choose LCIRC and close the Properties window. The object just picked
is now drawn in red since it has been transferred to LCIRC where
objects are drawn in red.
 Create a new layer called LLINE, make it green and transfer the
construction line (the one at 45 to horizontal) to that layer.
➢ Learn what Freezing and Thawing mean
In this task, we are going to freeze and then thaw the layer LLINE. This means that layer will
disappear from the drawing and then reappear. The ability to freeze layers is very useful since
it enables us to view various layers separately and also to plot them separately.

 Select Home | Layers | Layer Properties and make any layer current
except LLINE.
 Choose LLINE. Note that current layers cannot be frozen.
 Choose Freeze and close the Properties dialog box. The line which was
in layer LLINE now disappears from the drawing — it has become
invisible. It is still present in the drawing.
 Try thawing the layer LLINE and the green line should reappear.

54
Example 10 — Design of an Office, Before and After

In this example an office plan is produced, and then objects are moved.

In order to produce the drawing (about 150mm x 100mm) shown above, you should think in
terms of the following tasks:

• Construct the drawing Before on left.

• Make a copy for After and shift to right.
• Move the furniture round on After.
• Reverse the door on After (use Modify | Mirror).
• Move the door on After (use Modify | Stretch).

This has been left as an exercise for the user. Although it is not difficult to construct, it is by
no means as trivial as it looks.

55
References
1. www.wikipedia.com
2. www.cadtutor.net
3. www.liv.ac.uk

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CAD Practicals
1. Study of Line, Construction Line, Ray and Polyline Commands.
2. Study of Rectangle and Polygon commands.
3. Study of Circle, Arc, Spline, Ellipse, Ellipse Arc commands
4. Study of Donut and Revcloud, Region commands
5. Study of Multiline command.
6. Draw the schematic diagram:
a) To control one light by a one way switch
b) To control two lights simultaneously by one single way switch using looping
system of wiring. The lamps are located at different places.

7. Draw the schematic diagram:

a) To independently control two lamps with two switches. The lamps are located
at different places. The switches are installed on one switch board.
b) To control two lights and one fan by their individual switches. The Switches
and fan regulators are installed on one Switch board and light/ fan points are
located at different places.

8. Draw the schematic diagram for the circuits of five electric lamps are to be controlled
in the following manner: Two lamps are to be controlled separately by their individual
switches are to be placed on one switch board.

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9. Draw the schematic diagram:
a) To control one lamp and one bell from first switch board and one 5 ampere
socket from second switch board. Each point is controlled by its own switch/
push button.
b) For two lamps controlled by two switches from two different locations.

10. Draw the schematic diagram to control in looping system of wiring to control two
light points, two fan points and one 5 amps Socket outlet. The socket outlet and
switches are installed at one switch board along with two fan regulators. The lights
and fan points are located at different places.

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CAD Assignments
1. What is Computer-Aided Drafting?

2. What is CAD software and briefly explain the features of any popular CAD software.

3. What are the applications of Computer-Aided Drafting.

4. What is the need of CAD in Electrical/Mechanical/Civil/Automobile Engineering

application?

5. Name various CAD packages available in the market.

6. What are the different Computer-aided techniques?

7. Differentiate between CAD and CAM?

8. What are advantages and disadvantages of CAD?

9. What is AutoCAD? What are the features of AutoCAD?

10. Explain any 10 commands of AutoCAD with their syntax.

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