This tutorial will quickly show you how to use the AutoCAD software.

The tutorial will

demonstrate the various tools that you can use while designing a simple house layout.
Please take note that there is more then one way to design a house and that every tool has
more then one function. This tutorial will show you the basic steps that will allow you to
design a house, a car or even computer components with a very high degree of quality and
precision.

The first step is to make sure that you screen is set to true colors. To do so, minimize you
screen and on the desktop right click your mouse. Select properties, then settings. Change
your color quality to true color. Click apply and then OK.

To start AutoCAD: Start > Program > Cross Curricular > AutoCAD > AutoCAD

If the Active Assistance window is open, turn off this feature by right-clicking on the
red-plus symbol

on the status bar next to the clock and click on Exit.

You are now ready to start using AutoCAD. Here is what your screen will look like at first.

On the top section you will find the usual MENU bar that most of you are familiar with: File,
Edit, View, Insert etc Directly under that you will find some icons, again some of these will

be familiar. When you bring your cursor on to the icon and leave it on for a second, a pop up
will display the name and function of this tool.

I would like to bring your attention to the last section of icon on the first row which is called
the STANDARD toolbar

Starting with the icon that looks like a hand, this is called the Pan Realtime
This tool allows you to move your drawing in any direction on you screen.

The second icon is called Zoom Realtime.

This one allows you to zoom in and out
of your drawing simply by selecting it and then moving your mouse up and down on your
screen while pressing on the left button.

The third one is called the Zoom Window

This will be your most useful zoom.
Once selected all you will need to do is create a small window (also called marquise)
around the area you need a better view of and voila.

The fourth one is called Zoom Previous

. Like the name states, simply be clicking
on this tool to screen will go back to the previous zoom setting. Very useful to use right
after using the Zoom Window

tool.

function.

The two vertical toolbars located on the left hand side of your screen are the two most
important toolbars that you will need in AutoCAD. Once you have learned to master the tools
on these toolbars you have mastered AutoCAD. We will start be giving you a brief
description of the most important tools on each.

The first toolbar is called the DRAW toolbar

The Line

The Arc

The Circle
diameter.

tool will allow you to draw lines in any direction.

tool will allow you to create arcs all the way up to 360 degrees
tool will allow you to create circles using either the radius or

Now the second tool bar. This one is called the MODIFY toolbar

The Mirror
tool. This one allows you to recreate a mirror image of an object
following a specific mirror line. This tool is very useful when creating objects that are
the same left to right.

The Offset
tool. This one allows you to offset which means recreate a line or on
object at a specified distance.

The Array
tool. This tool allows you to recreate a line or an object many time
at a specified distance in one simple step.

The Move
location

tool. This tool allows you to move a line or an object to an exact

The Rotate

tool allows you to rotate a line or an object to an exact degree

The Scale

The Stretch

The Trim

The Extend

The Fillet
tool allows you to join two line with an arc of various radius, note that
a radius of 0 gives you a right angle.

tool allows you to enlarge or reduce the size of a drawing.

tool allows you to stretch just a section of a drawing.
tool allows you to trim line(s) to an exact intersection.
tool allows you to extend line(s) to an outer object.

I know that this has been a lot of reading but believe me, once you have mastered these 12
simple tools, using AutoCAD will be as easy as putting jam on your toast.

Lets get started.

Make sure that POLAR and OSNAP are on (depressed). These two buttons are located
side by side at the bottom of your screen. OSNAP stands for OBJECT SNAP it allows you to
start a new line at a specific point. POLAR allows you to draw straight lines by
temporarily freezing your object line when it crosses one of the four polar.

Hold your mouse over OSNAP, right click and select setting. This menu should pop up.
Select the same boxes as on the picture below.

Click OK.

You will notice that when we first start drawing our house that our lines will be much
longer then our screen allows, that is normal. I will show you later how to resolve that
situation.

Select the line tool

Click on the lower left corner of your working screen

Point your mouse in the direction that you want to draw you line (in this case to your
right)
Once the line is straight let go of the mouse

Type in the length of your line (dont need to move the mouse, just type 10 000) and
press Enter. Note that AutoCAD uses units, for now the software doesnt know if you
are using cm. or inches.
Press Esc to end the line command
Press Enter. AutoCAD will bring you back to the last command that you have used, in
this case the line tool
Select the left end point of your first line
Point the mouse in the vertical direction
Now type in 8 000 and press Enter.
Press Esc to end the line command.

We now have the two lines that represent the total dimensions of our house. As you have
noticed they are much longer then our screen. To view the whole house, select View from the
menu bar. Now select Zoom followed by Extents. This will reset your drawing limits to the
lines you have just drawn.

Once your drawing is to the right scale complete the outside wall of your house. Remember,
your house is 10 000 mm across and 8 000 mm deep. Once completed your drawing should
look like the following.

SAVE