AutoCAD Environment

(From the top)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Title Bar: Displays the software name and title. Menu Bar: Contains menu items like File, Edit etc. Standard Tool Bar: Contains drawing tools/aids. Drawing Tool Bar (located by the left side): Contains drawing tools. Modifying Tool Bar (located by the right side): Contains modifying tools. Drawing/Working Area: For drawing. Command Line (located just below the drawing area): Contains drawing instructions. Mode Bar (located below command line): Contains help command. Task Bar: The last bar which shows number of programs opened/running.

Customizing the AutoDesk Environment (User Interface)

Step 1: Locate Menu Bar. Step 2: Click on tools menu. Step 3: Point/Click on Workspaces. Step 4: Click on customize. Step 5: Click on New Workspace. An empty workspace is created. Name the new workspace. Step 6: Right click on the new workspace and click on customize workspace. Step 7: Go to Toolbars and menus options and select the needed options. Step 8: Click on Done at the Workspace Contents sub-window. Step 9: Go to the new workspace, right click and click on Set as Current. Step 10: Click on Apply and Ok.

Explaining Mode Bar

1. Snap & Grid Modes: Work hand in hand. Grid creates dotted grid lines while Snap makes sure lines or any drawing follows the grid points. 2. Orthogonal Mode: Draws only vertical and horizontal lines easily. 3. Polar Tracking: Helps to draw vertical, horizontal and diagonal/inclined lines as well as dimension & angles. 4. Object Snap (OSnap): Shows midpoints, endpoints, centres, parallel etc points. 5. Object Track (OTrack): Helps in tracking end lines & points.

6. Dynamic Input (DYN): Displays the nominal size of objects (such as dimensions & angles) 7. Line Weight (LWT): Shows different weights of the lines.

Drawing Tools
Methods of drawing polygon i. ii. Edge method: Select polygon icon. Select no of sides, press enter. Select e, press enter. Click 2 places on the screen. Inscribed circle method: Draw a circle. Select polygon, select the no of sides and press enter. Touch the circle to show the centre. Click on the centre. Select option (i.e. either inscribed or circumscribed). Select the radius of the polygon to tally with the radius of the circle. Press enter. Circumscribed about the circle method: same as in above but with the option circumscribed selected. Methods of drawing rectangle i. ii. Diagonal method: Select rectangle icon, click and drag to your choice. Area method (use when the area and either length or width is known): Click rectangle, click anywhere, select a and enter. Choose area of the rectangle and enter. Select either length or width and enter. Choose length or width value, depending on what you chose earlier and enter. Dimension method (use when the length and width are known): Click on rectangle. Click anywhere, enter d and press enter. Choose length and width and press enter. Then click again on the screen. Methods of drawing arc i. ii. Edge method: Select arc icon and click on 3 places on the screen. Centre method: Select arc icon, press c and click on 3 places. Methods of drawing circle i. ii. iii. iv. Centre method: Click circle icon and click anywhere on the screen for the centre. Type radius value and enter. 3P method: Click icon, type 3p, press enter and click on 3 places on the screen. 2P method: Click icon, type 2p, press enter and click on 2 places. Ttr (Tan tan radius) method: When given 2 lines to draw a circle that touches them tangentially. Click icon, type t and enter. Click the 2 lines and choose the radius of the circle and enter. Make Block

iii.

iii.

This is used to make different objects to be one. Click make blocks, name it, click pick point, click anywhere on the drwg, click select object, highlight drwg, right click and ok. Polyline Edit Type pe and enter. Select polyline (i.e. click on one of the lines), enter Y (yes), choose join, select objects (i.e. lines), right click and escape. Hatch and Gradient To hatch, click icon, select pattern, angle, scale. Pick points or select objects on dialogue box, right click, preview and enter.

Modifying Tools
1. Erase: Click icon, select object(s), right click or select object(s) and select icon. 2. Copy: Select object, click icon, select base point, drag to your choice, click and enter. Or click icon, select object, right click, select base point, drag, click and enter. 3. Move: As in 2 above. 4. Rotate: Click icon, select object, right click, select base point and rotate or choose angle. 5. Mirror: Click mirror, select object, right click, erase or leave original by YES or NO option.

Building Plan in 2-D

1. Offset: Click offset icon and enter offset value, click on the line to be offset, and then click on the desired side to paste. 2. Trim: Click trim icon and select object that will be used to trim, right click, select object to trim off and escape. 3. Extend: Click extend icon, select destination object, right click, and click on the line to be extended. 4. Chamfer: Click icon, type d and enter. Type 1st & 2nd chamfer distances, select 1st & 2nd lines. 5. Fillet: Click icon, type r and enter. Choose radius, select 1st & 2nd lines. 6. Explode: Breaks an object into its separates lines. Click icon, select object and right click