AutoCAD Basics

The AutoCAD Interface

Draw Tool Palette

Pull-down Menus

Zoom Tool Palette

Edit Tool Palette

AutoCAD Basics
The Drawing and Editing Interface
A thorough understanding of absolute, relative and polar coordinates is suggested for utilizing AutoCADs drawing engine. Absolute = exact x,y position on the screen. Relative = going from a known position @x,y to the new position. Polar = moving from a known position @distance < theta (q). Line Circle

Use the command line to assist you in the what to do next process of drawing. It is located at the bottom of the screen and acts as the message line in Graphite. All of the creation tools are on the
drawing tool palette. The Line tool allows you to draw continuous lines starting with the first point. Each subsequent point will generate a segment between them. The line is terminated by hitting Enter, the Space bar or right mouse clicking and selecting Enter. Circles are started with the default value for the Radius. Be sure to double the value or change the default to Diameter by typing D and Enter before clicking the circles center

Erase

Trim

The Erase tool show a pencil eraser icon and is used to delete the entire entity. Make sure that you select the icon, then select the object, and hit Enter to delete the entity or entities. The Trim works similar to Graphite. First select the tool, then select the boundary, hit Enter and select the part of the entity you wish to remove.

AutoCAD Basics
The A-size Prototype
Procedure 1.Open the AutoCAD program. 2. Select the Line tool. 3. Type the following coordinate positions: 0,0 + Enter,10,0 + Enter, 10,7.5 + Enter, 0,7.5 + Enter, C or 0,0 + Enter. This will draw our border 10 inches wide by 7.5 inches high. Type the letter Z + E + Enter 4. Select the Offset Tool ( looks like a race track on the Modify tool palette. 5. Click the bottom line with the little square pick box. Type the value of .38 + Enter. Select the side or direction you want to copy the new line. Click any where above the bottom line on the screen. 6. Select the Offset tool again and offset the horizontal spaces for the title block moving left to right with the spaces of 3.25, 3.25, reselect tool and offset 1, reselect and offset 1.25, reselect tool and offset .75. Figure 1

AutoCAD Basics
The A-size Prototype
Procedure 7. Select the Trim tool. 8. Select the .38 offset line. 9. Hit Enter and click all the lines above the .38 inch offset line 10. Select the Format menu. 11. Select the Text Style option and set the Font to Arial and the Height to .125. Select Apply and Close.

12. Select the Text tool. Click the Osnap button at the bottom of the screen.
13. Make a text box across the first box in the title block. Look for the yellow box to mark the endpoint of the lines for the width and height. Select the Font to Arial and clink the Properties tab and select Middle Center and click the Character tab and type the generic name for your drawing title. 14. Complete the rest of the title block using the same procedure.

AutoCAD Basics
The A-size Prototype
Procedure 15. Select the Format menu. 16. Select the Layer option. 17. Select the New button. 18. Create all of the following layers: Visible, Hidden, Center, Phantom, Construction, Dimension and Hatch. 19. Click on the color tab next to each layer and assign the appropriate colors for each layer. 20. Click on the line tab next to each layer and load the hidden2, center2 and the phantom2 linetypes.

AutoCAD Basics
The A-size Prototype
Procedure The completed layer settings will like the figure to the right..

AutoCAD Basics
The A-size Prototype