Creating a Footprint Map Using AutoCAD from an

Aerial Photograph

Tutorial Created by Brijesh Bhatha, 2004. Updated 2006 by Corinne Stewart (corinnestewart@gmail.com)

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

In this tutorial we will learn to create a footprint map from an aerial photograph Using AutoCAD
STEP I. Creating A New AutoCAD File:
1.
2.
3.

Open AutoCAD.
In the File Menu select New to create a new AutoCAD file.
A dialog box appears, stating Select a Template. Select acad.dwt and hit OK.

File Menu Create New Drawing Dialog box

STEP II. Setting Up the Drawing Units:

1.
In the Format menu, select Units.
2.
A dialog box appears, stating Create a new Drawing. Select the appropriate unit type from the

available options and hit OK.
n
For this tutorial select Engineering as the unit type.

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

STEP III. Creating Layers:

1.
In the Format menu select Layer, OR enter Layer at the Command prompt.
2.
A Layer Properties Manager dialog box will appear.
3.
Select New to create a new layer.
4.
Type in a layer name that identifies the layer content.
Format Menu

Layer Properties Dialog Box

Layer Properties Dialog Box

Name or rename
the created layer

Double-click on the box

to change color

Click on the selected layer

to make it your current
layer

5. Choose a color for the newly created layer by clicking on the color box in the same line as the layer name.

Note: It is advisable to use different colors for different layers as it makes working in AutoCAD easier. One can
identify the layers visually. This is also helpful for printing from AutoCAD.
6.
7.

Double click on the color box to change the layer color.

A Select Color dialog box will appear, select a color from the available color options.

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

Note: AutoCAD has 256 colors in the main color

palette and each color is assigned a number.
The first seven colors from the Standard colors
have names as well as numbers but all other
colors are identified only by numbers. Other colors are available, if color matching is desirable,
in the True Color and Color Books menus.
For now, we will focus on the main Index color
menu.

The colors with both names and numbers (for

now, only use these 9 colors)

The number for the selected color will be seen here

8. Steps 1-7 can be repeated to create different types of layers for different information groups.

For this tutorial create five layers called Aerial, Footprint, Parcel, Curb and Reference. Assign
one color to each layer from the first nine Standard colors. Select red, yellow, green and cyan
for each of these layers respectively.
9. Select a layer with the cursor and click green arrow (
elements or draw in the selected layer. This makes the

) again in the Layer Properties Manager to create

layer current and allows you to draw on it.

Creating and Naming new Layers

Selecting with the

mouse cursor

Selecting a color
by number

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

Note: In order to work efficiently it is important to understand some basic concepts associated with layers. To
comfortably work in the layer environment it is also important to know their symbols.
On/Off: Turns layers on and off. When a layer is on, it is visible and available for plotting. When a layer is off,
it is invisible and not plotted, even if Plot is on.
Freeze/Thaw: Freezes selected layers in all viewports. You can freeze layers to speed up ZOOM, PAN, and
many other operations; improve object selection performance; and reduce regeneration time for complex
drawings. AutoCAD does not display, plot, hide, render, or regenerate objects on frozen layers.
Freeze the layers you want to be invisible for long periods. When you thaw a frozen layer, AutoCAD regenerates and displays the objects on that layer. If you plan to switch between visible and invisible states frequently,
use the On/Off setting. You can freeze layers in all viewports, in the current layout viewport, or in new layout
viewports as they are created.
Lock/Unlock: Locks and unlocks the layers. You cannot edit objects on a locked layer. Locking a layer is useful if you want to view information on a layer for reference but do not want to edit objects on that layer.

Note: To use On/Off, Freeze/ Thaw, Lock/ Unlock for layers, select the required layer and click on the icons
against the layer as shown in the diagram
On/Off

Lock/Unlock

Selected layer

Freeze/Thaw

Color

The layer is turned off

by clicking on the icon

Printing Layer?

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

STEP IV. Bringing an Aerial Photo into AutoCAD:

1.
Select the Aerial layer you have created and make it your current layer.
2.
In the Insert menu select Raster Image...
3.
A Select Image File dialog box will appear.
4.
Browse to find the required image file and hit Open.
Select the image file attached with this tutorial OR the image you created in TUTORIAL # A1.
5.
A new dialog box Image will appear on the screen. Hit OK.

Note: The Specify on screen option for Insertion point and Scale are turned on by default. It is possible
to specify the scaling factor in the Scale by undoing the default selection. However usually it is difficult to
know the actual scale image before inserting it in AutoCAD. Hence it is better scale the image after inserting
the image in the drawing
For this tutorial we will scale the image after inserting it in the drawing.
6.
Provide an insertion point for the image on the screen by clicking the right click of the mouse.
7.
Specify Scale Factor<1>: appears in the command line, hit enter to retain the existing scale of the

image.
8.
The image now appears on the screen and has been inserted into your AutoCAD file.
Image Dialog Box

The cursor below will appear as shown below, select a point on screen by
right-clicking the mouse

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

STEP - V. Scaling the Aerial Photo:

Note: It is advisable to scale the image to real scale i.e. 1:1 before proceeding with drawing the Parcels or
footprints. Some scale indication with the image, usually a graphical scale, is helpful to scale it to the real
scale. However, when a drawing is lacking scale information, Google Earth can be used to measure distances.

Opening the scale

command from the Modify
menu

Scaling the image from the graphic scale

1.
Type Scale in the AutoCAD command line or select Scale from the Modify Menu as shown above.
2.
Select Objects: will appear in the AutoCAD command line, with the help of mouse select the object.

To select the object click an empty area and drag the cursor to define a rectangular selection area.

Enter a selection option. Enter ? to display all selection options.
3.
Specify base point will now appear in the AutoCAD command line, select a point on the scale exactly

on 0 in the graphic scale with the help of the mouse.
4.
Specify scale factor or [Reference]: will appear in the AutoCAD command line, type R for reference.
5.
Specify reference length<1>: now appears, again select the same point previously selected on 0

and specify on the known length in the graphic scale ( in this case select a point where it says

2560 feet). press enter.
6.
Specify new length: now appears, type in the length i.e. 2560 feet as (2560) in the command line

and press enter.
7.
The drawing is now at the real scale, i.e. 1:1.
Diagram showing points to select while
using scale command

STEP VI. Saving the Drawing:

1.
From the File menu select Save.
2.
Save Drawing As dialog box appears.
3.
Create a file name and browse for the location where you want to save the file and hit Save.

Note: It is important to Save the drawing at regular intervals while working with the drawing. The whole
drawing might be lost if the file is closed accidently or if there is a power failure.

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

Drawing Curb Lines, Parcels, and Building Footprints.

To Draw Curb Lines, Parcels and Building Footprints, we will trace information from the aerial image. The process of constructing this drawing is conceptually similar to tracing on a drafting table, but here it will be with
the help of various AutoCAD commands. Line weights for the various lines are assigned at the time of printing,
which means you dont need to worry about line weights while working on this tutorial.
In order to start drawing in AutoCAD one must familiarize with certain basic AutoCAD commands. The following few commands are the ones which will aid in drawing the necessary plans, however many variations and
more complex commands can be used once you are able work in the AutoCAD environment with ease. It is
important to use typed commands, as they greatly increase speed. Any command can be repeated by hitting
the space bar or return key.
Understanding some of the basic AutoCAD Commands:
View Menu Commands:
1.

Redraw: Refreshes the display of all viewports. This is helpful to remove marker blips and display
artifacts (stray pixels) left by editing commands

2.

Regen: REGEN regenerates the entire drawing and recomputes the screen coordinates for all objects
in the current viewport. It also re-indexes the drawing database for optimum display and object
selection performance. It is generally used in case the drawing is not seen the way it is drawn or it
shows display errors.

3.

Zoom: Increases or decreases the apparent size of objects in the current viewport. One can change
the magnification of a view be zooming in and out. Like zooming in a out with a camera, zoom does
not change the absolute size of the objects in the drawing: it changes only the magnification of

the view.

4.

Pan: This command moves the viewport to the selected directions without changing the size of the
object. This is a helpful tool to navigate through the drawing. Pan is also available by holding down the
center mouse button and dragging.

Drawing Menu Commands:

1.

Line: This command is used to create straight line segments. You can specify the endpoints of lines us
ing two-dimensional coordinates. AutoCAD draws a line segment and continues to prompt for points.
You can draw a continuing series of line segments, but each line segment is a separate object.

2.

P-line: Created two dimensional polylines. This command is helpful while drawing complex shapes
which include lines and curves.

3.

Rectangle: Creates a rectangular polyline. This tool is helpful when the objects are orthogonal. For
example while drawing city blocks which are rectangular or square in shape.

4.

Construction line: Creates an infinite line. This is a very important command as it allows us to
create construction lines in the viewports which become helpful reference for drawing objects on it.
The extend till infinity, so they are not confused with the normal drawing area. It is ideal


to create a separate, non-printing layer for the construction lines. This allows us turning on and off of
these lines at various stages of drawing.

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

5.

Spline: SPLINE fits a smooth curve to a sequence of points within a specified tolerance.

6.

Circle: Create a circle with various possible options. For example, by specifying the center and the
radius, specifying the center and diameter, by two tangents etc.

7.

Arc: Creates an arc using various points. Arcs can also be drawn along with a polyline command.

Edit Menu Commands:

1.

Undo: Reverses the most recent action. This command is useful when one wants to revert back to the
previous state. AutoCAD has an infinite number of undos, back to when the drawing was opened.

2.

Redo: Reverses the effects of the previous UNDO or U command. This can only be used after the Undo
command has been used.

Modify Menu commands:

1.

Erase: Removes objects from a drawing. This command is helpful to remove unwanted objects from
the drawing.

2.

Copy: This command is helpful to create duplicates of objects at a specified distance from the original.

3.

Mirror: Creates a mirror image copy of objects

4.

Offset: OFFSET creates a new object at a specified distance from an existing object or through a
specified point

5.

Move: Displaces objects at specified distance in a specified direction.

6.

Rotate: You can rotate objects around a specified point with the help of this command.

7.

Scale: Enlarges or reduces objects proportionally in the X, Y, and Z directions.

8.

Stretch: Moves or stretches objects. AutoCAD stretches arcs, elliptical arcs, lines, polyline segments,
2D solids, rays, traces, and splines that cross the selection window.

9.

Trim: Trims objects at a cutting edge defined by other objects. Objects that can be trimmed include
arcs, circles, elliptical arcs, lines, open 2D and 3D polylines, rays, splines, and xlines

10.

Extend: Extends an object to meet another object. Uses selected objects to define the boundary

edges to which you want to extend the object. Valid boundary objects include 2D and 3D polylines,
arcs, blocks, circles, ellipses, layout viewports, lines, rays, regions, splines, text, and xlines.

11.

Fillet: Rounds and fillets the edges of the objects. FILLET rounds the edges of two arcs, circles,
elliptical arcs, lines, polylines, rays, splines, or xlines with an arc of a specified radius (this is good for
creating curb radii)

12.

UCS: The user coordinate system (UCS) is a movable coordinate system for coordinate entry, planes of
operation, and viewing. Establishes a new coordinate system with the XY plane perpendicular to your
viewing direction (parallel to your screen). The UCS origin remains unchanged. This is helpful when the
objects to be drawn are not parallel or perpendicular to your screen.

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

10

After reviewing and understanding the basic commands you will be ready to start drawing in
AutoCAD.
STEP - VII. Getting Ready to Draw:
1. An object snap mode specifies a snap point at an exact location on an object. To activate various object
snaps, select Drafting Settings in the Tool Menu. Object Snaps can be turned on and off by pressing F8 on
the keyboard.

Select Endpoint, Midpoint, Perpendicular and Intersection from the available options.
These snap modes are the basic snap modes, however you can select others when needed.

Select all the snapping

points you want to
activate

Note: If you are using the attached image file for this tutorial you will find that the streets and building blocks
are not parallel to the drawing viewport. This is often the case as aerial photographs are aligned to the real
north. We will need to rotate the image to make it parallel to the viewport to simplify drawing in AutoCAD. If
you wish the final drawing to have north pointing up, then you must remember to rotate the drawing back
to its original north once you have finished. To make this easier, create a North layer, and draw several lines
perpendicular to the blocks before rotating. Freeze this layer before rotation, and use it to realign the image
later.
2.

3.

Make the Reference layer active by selecting it from the Layer Properties dialog box as discussed
in step III of this tutorial.
Drawing construction lines: From the Draw
Menu select Construction line OR type xline in
the AutoCAD command line.
Specify a point: now appears in the command line,
type H or V for horizontal or vertical construction
lines. For this exercise type H and press enter.
Specify through point: now appears in the
command line, click on a point on the image at an
intersection of a vertical and a horizontal line within
the image with the help of the mouse. (As shown in
the figure)
A horizontal construction line will appear, press enter
Select an intersection
Horizontal
construction to complete the command.
point as shown

Construction
Line

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

11

4.
Rotating the image to make it parallel to the construction line and the viewport.

-
In the Modify menu select Rotate OR type rotate in the AutoCAD line.

-
Select Objects: appears in the command line, select the image with the help of the mouse.

-
Select Objects: appears in the command line again, press enter if the image is selected.

-
Specify base point: now appears in the command line. Select the corner of the object in the

image selected previously for making the construction line. This is also the mid point of

the construction line you have already drawn.

-
Specify rotation angle or [Reference]: appear in the command line. Type R for reference and

press enter.

-
Specify rotation angle or [Rotation]: appear in the command line. Select the same point (

corner of the block and centre of the construction line).

-
Specify second point: will now appear in the command line. Select a point parallel to this point


in the image as shown in the figure.

-
Specify the new angle: now appears, select any point on the construction line as shown.

The image will rotate and the blocks and streets will be parallel and perpendicular to the

drawing viewport.
Note: The construction line might not be seen after
the image is rotated. Use the command Display
Order in the Tools menu to bring forward or send
backwards various objects in relation to each other.
Send Image to back so that all drawn objects are
visible.
Select any point on
the construction line

Select an intersection
point as shown

The second point which is parallel to

the first one has to be on the image

5. Draw parallel and perpendicular construction lines for all curb lines and parcels as shown in the figure below. This grid simplifies the task of drawing the blocks and streets. Drawing parallel and perpendicular construction lines for reference. Take care to note that all blocks are of a consistent size when drawing-this setup
will only work when blocks are rectilinear and of the same size.
Drawing parallel
and perpendicular
construction lines
for reference

The Rotated Aerial Image

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

12

STEP - VIII: Creating Curb lines:

To draw curb lines and parcel lines the rectangle and Pline commands are most useful. The rectangle
command can be used when the blocks are rectilinear and are parallel to the viewport. The attached image
with this tutorial has rectilinear blocks, so we will use rectangle command to create blocks. The method for
creating the curb lines and parcel lines are the same. First we will create a curb line.
1.
2.
3.

4.


5.

Select the Curb layer you have created and make it your current layer.
From the Draw menu select Rectangle OR type Rectangle in the AutoCAD command line.
Specify first Corner: will appear in the command line, specify an intersection of two construction lines
on a block by clicking with the mouse.
Specify other corner point or [Dimensions]: will appear in the command line. Select the diagonally
opposite point of the block to the one you selected previously. A rectangle of the size of the block
will be drawn.
Repeat the steps 1 to 3 for all the blocks to be drawn. If many blocks are similar in all dimensions you
can copy those and place them in the new positions.

First point to be
selected to draw the
rectangle

Second diagonally
opposite point to be
selected to complete
the rectangle

6.

7.

8.

Construction lines

Switch the Aerial and Reference layer off as discussed in the

step III. This will allow you to see the drawn elements clearly.
The curb line usually has curved edges. To draw the curves Fillet
command is useful.
In the Modify menu click on Fillet.

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

9.

10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

15.
16.

13

Current settings: Mode = TRIM, Radius = 0-0

Select first object or [Polyline/Radius/Trim]: will appear in the AutoCAD command line.
Type in r in order to specify the radius.
Specify fillet radius <0-0>: now appear on the screen. Specify 6 as the radius.
Select first object or [Polyline/Radius/Trim]: will appear. Hit enter.
Select Fillet again.
For Current settings: Mode = TRIM, Radius = 0-0
Select first object or [Polyline/Radius/Trim]: will appear, select one edge of the rectangle.
Select second object: will appear, select the second edge as shown in the figure.
The object will have a curved edge as shown in the diagram.

Corner to Fillet

First line to
be selected

First line to be
selected

The corner will appear as

shown above

17.

Repeat these steps for each corner which has to be curved.

Step - IX. Creating Parcel lines:

1.
2.

Select the Parcel layer you have created and make it your current layer.
The method for creating parcel lines is similar to creating the curb lines. Repeat the steps 1 to 3 from
Creating curb lines steps.

First point to be selected to

draw the rectangle

Second diagonally
opposite point to be
selected to complete
the rectangle

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

14

STEP X. Drawing Building footprints:

Note: Creating building footprints in AutoCAD is conceptually similar to creating parcels in AutoCAD. However
the building footprints are usually more complex than just a rectangle, we will need to use a few more commands to draw footprints.
For this tutorial you should familiarize yourself with the AutoCAD commands Pline and Arc
as these commands are useful when drawing footprints.
A.

Drawing an regular and irregular building footprint for buildings without curved forms:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Select the Footprint layer you have created and make it your current layer.
Zoom to the building you want to draw the foot print for by using the Zoom command.
In the AutoCAD command line, type in Pline and press Enter.
Specify start point: now appears in the command line.
Select the start point on one corner of the building by pressing the left button of the mouse.
Specify next point or [Arc/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]: now appears in the command line.
Select the next corner of the building. With each selection the command line will ask for the next point.
Finish the footprint again on the same point you started and type in C for Close when Specify next
point or [Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]: appears in the command line. This will create a
closed polygon which is the footprint of the selected building.

Note: Turning on the Object Snap by pressing F8 will be helpful if the object is orthogonal to the drawing
axis. Turn on ORTHO snaps and/or endpoints and perpendicular line snap settings.
The last point is the same as
the first selected point
The first point
to be selected

The second
point to be
selected

The third point

to be selected

Continue selecting all the corners of the building till you

reach the last point

Note: Above is just an example of how to go about selecting consecutive points, however you can start with
any point for drawing the building footprint.

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

15

B. Drawing an regular and irregular building footprint for buildings with curved forms:
1.
2.
3.

4.

5.
6.


7.

8.


9.

10.

Follow steps 1-6 from the previous section (A).

Select the next corner of the building. With each selection the command line will ask for the next point.
After selecting the point from where the curve begins type in A for Arc in the command line and
press Enter.
Specify endpoint of arc or [Angle/Center/CLose/Direction/Halfwidth/Line/Radius/Second pt/Undo/
Width]: will now appear in the command line.
Type in S for Second point and press Enter.
Specify second point on arc: will now appear in the command line. Specify a second point on the
curve as shown in the figure. This point can be anywhere on the curve, but having it somewhere near
the midpoint of the curve will help the curve to be more accurate.
Specify end point of arc: now appears in the command line. Select the end point of the curve as you
see it on the screen.
Specify endpoint of arc or [Angle/CEnter/CLose/Direction/Halfwidth/Line/Radius/Second pt/Undo/
Width]: will again appear in the command line. To begin drawing a line we have to again change to
drawing a line. Enter L for Line in the command line.
Specify next point or [Arc/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]: now appears in the command line.
Continue drawing the footprint by selecting each corner of the building.
Finish the footprint again on the same point you started and type in C for Close when Specify next
point or [Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]: appears in the command line. This will create a
closed polygon which is the footprint of the selected building.

Note: Turning on the Object Snap by pressing F8 will be helpful if the object is orthogonal to the
drawing axis.
The last point is the same as
the first selected point
The first point
to be selected

The second point

to be selected,
the curved
surfaces start
from this point

Selecting a
second point
of the curve

Finishing the curve

Note: Above is just an example of how to go about selecting points consecutively, however you can start with
any point for drawing the building footprint.

GRAPHICS TUTORIAL # B1
Creating a Foot Print Map Using AutoCAD from an Aerial Photograph
CP-208 Plan Preparation Studio - Prof. Elizabeth Macdonald

16

Once you have drawn all the curbs, parcel lines, and building footprints remember to rotate the
drawing so that north points in the same direction as on the aerial image.

The drawing showing the parcels and the

footprints drawn from the aerial image

Rotate the drawing to align with the north

arrow pointing upwards as the aerial image

Thaw the North layer that you created at the beginning and select all the graphics except those
lines. This can be accomplished by typing SELECT + Enter then typing ALL. Deselect the North
Layer lines by holding down the shift key and selecting the lines.
Rotate the image to align with the North layer. This can be done by selecting the parcels and
rotating until they are perpendicular to the North Layer

1.North
layer
4. Rotate Parcels until
perpendicular with the
North layer
5.Result
2. Parcels

3. Select Parcels

The footprint map will likely be used as a part of a presentation which may include other graphic
images and text. Adobe Illustrator provides greater flexibility in creating and organizing graphics
and text compared to AutoCAD. To ready the footprint map for use in Adobe Illustrator, we first
need to convert it into PDF file format. This is explained in the TUTORIAL # D2