KKKL3104 CAD/CAE

JKEES, FKAB, UKM

AutoCAD Basics

Contents

Introduction to
AutoCAD
Introduction to
drawing
Modifying commands
Object snaps
Accurate input
Selection sets

Layers
Dimensioning
Text
Scale
Direct distance entry
Object tracking
Object properties
Zooming and
panning

Introduction to AutoCAD

X,Y coordinate system (Cartesian)

Absolute points are exact points on the drawing space.

Relative points are relative to an object on the drawing space.

Introduction to AutoCAD

Angular measurement

Introduction to AutoCAD

Methods to enter points in AutoCAD:

Absolute coordinate: X,Y
Relative coordinate: @X,Y
Polar coordinate: @D<A

Introduction to AutoCAD screen

Title bar
Pull down menu
Docked toolbar

Info centre
Property toolbar

Drawing space
Floating toolbar

WCS icon
Command line

Status bar

Tool palette
Status bar tray icons

Basic AutoCAD terminology

Absolute coordinate
Acad.dwt
Associated
dimensioning
Backup file
Block
Crosshairs
Cursor
Database
Dialog box

Drawing template file

Extents
Grid
Grips
Layer
Layout tabs
Limits (grid)
Linetype
Model space
Modify

Basic AutoCAD terminology

Object
Origin
Ortho mode
Osnap object snap
Pan
Path
Pick
Plot
Polar coordinate
Property
Relative coordinate

Selection set
Snap
Styles
Units
User Coordinate
System (UCS)
View
Viewport
World Coordinate
System (WCS)
Zoom

Introduction to drawing

The command line tells you what

information AutoCAD requires to
continue

Exercise 1

Exercise 1 create a new file

Start AutoCAD
File New
Select acad.dwt template file
Make sure DYN button in status bar is
depressed

Exercise 1 draw the left square

Using absolute coordinate, in command

line, type:

LINE (or L) <ENTER>

1,2 <ENTER>
1,4 <ENTER>
3,4 <ENTER>
3,2 <ENTER>
1,2 <ENTER>
<ENTER>

Exercise 1 draw the center square

Using relative coordinate, in command

line, type:

LINE
4.5,2
@2,0
@0,2
@-2,0
@0,-2

Exercise 1 draw the right square

Using polar coordinate, in command line,

type:

LINE (or L)
8,2
@1<45
@1<135
@1<225
@1<315 (or C to close)

Exercise 1 draw the circle

In command line, type:

CIRCLE
7,6 (center point)
0.75 (radius)

Exercise 1 draw the border

In command line, type:

RECTANGLE (or REC)
0,0 (starting point)
10,7 (end point)

Modifying commands
TRIM trims objects to a selected
cutting edge
EXTEND extends objects to a
selected boundary edge
OFFSET offsets an object (parallel) by
a set distance

Exercise 2

Exercise 2 draw the left square

Using absolute coordinates, draw a LINE

from 1,2 to 3,2 to 3,4 to 1,4 and type C
to close the line back to the first point.

Exercise 2 draw the center square

Draw a square using RECTANGLE
command by specifying 2 points to
represent the opposite corners.
Enter first point (first corner) as 4.5,2
Enter second point (second corner) using
relative coordinate as @2,2

Exercise 2 draw the right square

Draw the square using MULTILINE.
Before drawing the lines, set the SCALE
(or S) to 0.15 (distance between lines).

Exercise 2 draw the right square

In command line, type:

ML (multiline)
S (scale)
0.15 (distance between lines)
8,2
@1.5,0
@0,1.5
@-1.5,0
@0,-1.5

Exercise 2 draw the right square

Erase the square using ERASE command,
Then redraw the square by typing:

ML (multiline)
S (scale)
0.15 (distance between lines)
8,2
@1.5,0
@0,1.5
@-1.5,0
C

Exercise 2 draw the right square

Exercise 2 draw the right square

Exercise 2 trim
Draw a line (horizontal) from 2,5 to
2,6.5
Draw another line (vertical) from 1,6 to
3,6
Now you have 2 perpendicular lines
Next step is to TRIM off the top of the
vertical line to create a T

Exercise 2 trim
Start the TRIM command.
It will ask for a cutting edge. Select the
horizontal line and press <ENTER>.
It will ask for the object to be
trimmed. Select the vertical line
anywhere above the horizontal (cutting)
line and press <ENTER> to finish the
command.
Next slide shows the command line

Exercise 2 trim
Command: TR <enter> TRIM
Current settings: Projection=UCS, Edge=None
Select cutting edges ...
Select objects: <Select the Horizontal
line>1 found
Select objects: <enter>
Select object to trim or shift-select to extend
or
[Fence/Crossing/Project/Edge/eRase/Undo]: <
Select the vertical line>
Select object to trim or shift-select to extend
or [Project/Edge/Undo]:<enter>

Exercise 2 extend
Draw a LINE from 4,6.5 to 6,6.5
Draw another line from 5,5 to 5,6
Next step is to EXTEND the vertical
line up to meet horizontal line

Exercise 2 extend
Start the EXTEND command
It will ask for a boundary edge. Select
the horizontal line and press <ENTER>
Then it will ask for an object to extend.
Select anywhere in the top half of the
vertical line and press <ENTER>
Press <ENTER> to end the command
Next slide shows what you saw on the
command line

Exercise 2 extend
Command: EX <enter> EXTEND
Current settings: Projection=UCS, Edge=None
Select boundary edges ...
Select objects: <Select the horizontal
line> 1 found
Select objects: <enter>
Select object to extend or shift-select to trim
or
[Fence/Crossing/Project/Edge/Undo]: <Select
the top half of the vertical line>
Select object to extend or shift-select to trim
or [Project/Edge/Undo]:<enter>

Exercise 2 offset
Draw a CIRCLE with a center point
7.5,5.5 and radius of 0.5
Next step will use the OFFSET
command to make another circle
larger
Start the OFFSET command and enter
0.125 as the offset distance
Select the circle and pick anywhere
outside the circle
Press <ENTER> to end the command

Exercise 2 object snaps

Next step is to draw a line from the
center of the circle to the middle of the
vertical line you extend earlier
Use Object Snap (or OSNAP). Type
OS and press <ENTER>
In the Object Snap dialog box, check off
(tick) the boxes of Object Snaps On,
Endpoint, Midpoint, and Center and
press OK

Exercise 2 object snaps

Start the LINE command
Place your cursor on the circle (not the
middle of the circle) until you see a small
purple circle appear at its center. Left
click to make this the start point of the
line.
Move the cursor towards the middle of
the vertical line until you see a small
triangle appear. Left click to accept this as
your endpoint. Press <ENTER> to end.

Selection sets
Group objects together and then modify
them
Most common way is to use a window
to create a selection set
Types of window:

Crossing window
Selection box

Selection sets
Direction

Called

Display

Effect

Right to left

Crossing window

Green (with a
dotted outline)

Selects any object

that either crosses
the boundary or is
inside it

Left to right

Selection box

Blue

Selects on objects
that are
completely within
the box

Next lecture
Layers
Dimensioning
Text
Scale
Direct distance entry
Object tracking
Object properties
Zooming and panning