Comp 311L

ECE CAD
AutoCAD Basics
Ems R. Roque
INTRODUCTION

AutoCAD was one of the first Computer Aided Design/Drafting (CAD) software applications
in the world. The first version of AutoCAD was released at the end of 1982. User can draw
both two-dimensional (2D) technical drawings and three-dimensional (3D) drawings,
drawings in which measurements and precision are important because these kinds of
drawings are often used to build something. The drawings that you create with AutoCAD
must adhere to standards established long ago for hand-drafted drawings. The following
are the advantages of AutoCAD rather than pencil and paper:
Precision: Creating lines, circles and other shapes of the exact dimensions is easier
with AutoCAD than with pencils.
Modifiability: Drawings are much easier to modify on the computer screen than on
paper. CAD modifications are a lot cleaner, too.
Efficiency: Creating many kinds of drawing is faster with a CAD program especially
drawings that involve repetition, such as floor plans in multistory building. But that
efficiency takes skill and practice.
The AutoCAD Screen
By default, AutoCAD opens in the Drafting and Annotatioon workspace, and will continue to
do so until you make another workspace current. The primary methods to reach command
in AutoCAD 2010 will be through Ribbons and Application Menu.

Application Menu
Quick Access Toolbar
Ribbon
Title Bar Info Center
Command Window Status Bar
Graphics Area
Application Menu located at the top-left corner of the AutoCAD window. It presents file-
related command and where you can create new drawings, open existing drawings, save
files, print current file, export the current file to different file format, Close or Exit AutoCAD.
Ribbon it replaces the menus, toolbars, many palettes and dashboard. The Ribbon is
where you fine commands to create and modify objects.
It consists of two parts: (1) Tabs, and (2) the Panel.
In each tab you will see different panels. For example, the Home tab consists of
eight panels: Draw, Modify, Layers, Annotation, Blocks, Properties, Utilities, and
Clipboard. Panel contains a group of tools. Tools are the icon that start the
command you use to draw modify, etc.
Quick Access Toolbar is the small toolbar located at the top left of the screen. Using this
toolbar, you can (1) create a new file, (2) open an existing file, (3) save the current file, (4)
undo and redo, and (5) Print the current file.
Graphics Area it is where you do your actual drawing. You use the crosshairs to specify
points in the X,Y plane. You can monitor the coordinates of the crosshairs using the left side
of the Status bar.
Status Bar displays coordinates readout of the current location of the crosshairs in the
drawing area with respect to the origin point, and allows you too change several drawing
modes, aids, and settings that will affect how you draw and edit in the current window.
Command Window it is where to input commands. AutoCAD uses this space to prompt
you for information.
InfoCenter it gives you the opportunity to type in keywords that will enable AutoCAD to
search both online and offline resources and provide with a list of related topics. You can
still use the conventional Help search by clicking the arrow at the right side of the
InfoCenter.
Crosshair AutoCAD cursor. This mimicked on old t-square or drafting machine in
functionality.
DWG FILES
AutoCAD drawings are saved using the DWG extension, and over the years this has become
a standard format to exchanging technical drawings, to the extent that even programs such
as Microsoft Visio will recognize DWG files.
AutoCAD COMMAND PROMPT
Typing at your computers keyboard is an efficient way to run some commands, and the
only way to run a few others. Here are few tips and tricks for effective keyboarding:
Type the command name and press Enter. Instead of clicking a button or choosing
from a menu, you can start a command by typing the command name and then press
Enter. Even better, for most common commands, you can type the short form for a
command name and press Enter. Most of the short forms (called aliases) of
command names are just one or two letters for example, L for the LINE command,
C is for the CIRCLE and Z for zoom command.
Use the Esc key to bail out of the current operation. If you need to bail out of the
current operation, press Esc one or more times until you sees a blank command line.
The blank command line indicates that the AutoCAD is waiting for your next
command.
Press Enter to accept the default action. AutoCAD uses two kinds of brackets when it
prompts:
o Command options appear in regular square brackets: [Close Undo].
To activate a command option, type the letter(s) that appear in uppercase and
then press Enter. Press the down-arrow key to display additional command
options in row next to the crosshairs.
o A default value or option appears in angled brackets: <4>.
To choose the default value or option, simply press Enter.
Watch the command line. You can discover a lot about how to use the command line
simply by watching it after each action that you take. When you click a toolbar button
or menu choice, AutoCAD displays the name of the command in the Dynamic Input
tooltip and at the command line.
Press the up- and down-arrow key to cycle through the stack of commands that
youve used recently. This is another way to recall and rerun a command. Press the
left- and right arrow keys to edit the command-line text that youve typed and
recalled.
UNDERSTANDING AutoCADs COORDINATE SYSTEMS
Everything that you draw in AutoCAD is exact. It will be more accurate than you will ever
need it to be. All objects drawn on the screen are placed there based on a simple X,Y co-
ordinate system. AutoCAD uses coordinate entry formats:
Absolute Cartesian (rectangular) coordinates in the form X,Y (For example: 7,4)
Relative Cartesian coordinates in the form @X,Y (For example: @3,2)
Relative Polar coordinates in the form @r< (For example: @6<45)
AutoCAD locates absolute rectangular coordinates with respect to 0,0 point (known as
the origin) of the drawing usually its lower left corner. AutoCAD locates relative
rectangular coordinates and relative polar coordinates with respect to previous point that
you typed. In case youre wondering, AutoCAD also understands absolute polar coordinates
in the form of distance<angle, but this format is almost never useful.
BASIC DRAWING TOOLS
Point - Creates a symbol