AutoCAD Introduction

AutoCAD is a software application for 2D and 3D computer-aided design (CAD) and

drafting available since 1982 as a desktop application and since 2010 as a mobile web- and
cloud-based app, currently marketed as AutoCAD 360.
Developed and marketed by Autodesk, Inc., AutoCAD was first released in December 1982
having been purchased a year prior in its original form by Autodesk founder John Walker. The
software is currently marketed in its eighteenth generation.
As Autodesk's flagship product, by March 1986 AutoCAD had become the most
ubiquitous microcomputer design program worldwide, with functions such as "polylines" and
"curve fitting". Prior to the introduction of AutoCAD, most other CAD programs ran
on mainframe computers or minicomputers, with each CAD operator (user) working at a
graphical terminal or workstation.
AutoCAD is used across a range of industries, including architects, project managers and
engineers, among other professions, with 750 training centers established worldwide as of 1994.

AutoCAD is shown here with the 2D Drafting & Annotation workspace active.
Keyboard Input

Using the keyboard is familiar to everyone who works with computers. For much of the work
that we do in AutoCAD we use the keyboard, but we use a few keystrokes more often than
others.

Special Keys

We use the following keys most often. These keys have special meaning to the software.

Use the ESC key to cancel all current actions and return to the Command: prompt.
Press the ENTER key following all keyboard input. You also complete many commands
by pressing ENTER.
Pressing the SPACEBAR is equivalent to pressing the ENTER key and is often easier to
use.
Pressing the SPACEBAR or ENTER at the Command: prompt repeats the last command
used.
Pressing the UP and DOWN arrow keys will cycle through previous commands used.
The TAB key is especially useful to navigate in a dialog box. You should use the TAB
key to move from field to field. Be careful not to press ENTER.
 COMMANDS LIST

1. Units (un)
2. Limits (limits)
3. Zoom (z)
4. Pan (p)
5. Line (l)
6. Save (ctrl+s)
7. Polyline (pl)
8. Rectangular (rec)
9. Circle (c)
10. Spline (sp)
11. Ellipse (el)
12. Polygon (pol)
13. Move (m)
14. Copy (co)
15. Offset (o)
16. Trim (tr)
17. Extend (ex)
18. Erase (e)
19. Mirror (mi)
20. Chamfer (cha)
21. Fillet (f)
22. Stretch (sc)
23. Explode (x)
24. Scale (sc)
25. Rotate (ro)
26. Array (ar)
27. Break (br)
28. Dimension (d)
29. Layer (la)
30. Block (b)
31. Insert (i)
32. Hatch (h)
33. Mtext (mt)
34. Divide (div)
35. Region (reg)
36. Area (area)
Navigating the Working Environment
This lesson describes theworking environment and the types of interface elements that you must
become familiar with if you are to become proficient in the software.
Before you begin creating drawings, you should familiarize yourself with the interface.
After completing this lesson, you will be able to start the application, activate the appropriate
workspace, and identify key parts of the interface.
The following image identifies key interface elements:

Application Menu Drawing Area

Quick Access Toolbar Crosshairs

Info Center Command Window

Title Bar Status bar

Ribbon
Working with Files
This lesson describes how to open, create, and save drawings.
Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Open drawings, create drawings, and save drawings.

Drawings are created and saved in the DWG drawing file format. To access this data, you must
learn how to create a new drawing, save a drawing, and open these file types.
Use the Quick Access toolbar to create, open, and save new drawings.

Open a Drawing
To open a drawing, use the Open command and select the files that you want to open.

Command Access

Open

Command Line: OPEN

Application Menu: File > Open
Toolbar: Quick Access
Working with Units

When you create drawings, one of the first things you must do is define the current working
units. The
units settings determine how you enter distances as well as how the values are returned to you.
Setting Units
You use the Units command to set up the units for the drawing. You can change the drawing
units at any time, but it is recommended that you do so at the beginning of each drawing you
create. When you use drawing templates or the New Drawing wizard, the units for the drawing
are set accordingly.
Command Access

Units

Command Line: UNITS

Application menu: Drawing Utilities > Units

When you start the Units command, the Drawing Units dialog box is displayed. You set the unit
types for length, angle, and insertion scale. You can set the precision for both length and angle
units and you can also set the angle direction. The precision options are displayed in the selected
unit format.
To set your drawing units, select the appropriate unit in the Length and Angle lists and then set
the unit's precision with the Precision lists for length and angle.
Wheel Mouse Features
The wheel mouse is a variant of the standard pointing device that is modified with a small wheel
between the left and right buttons. You can rotate this wheel in small increments. You can use
the wheel to zoom and pan in your drawing without using any commands. When zooming in, the
location near your cursor is the focal point of the zoom and thus remains on the screen.

The ZOOMFACTOR system variable controls the incremental change, whether forward or
backward. The higher the number of the variable, the greater the zoom.

How to Use the Wheel Mouse:-

Do this.. To.
Roll the wheel forward Zoom In

Roll the wheel backward Zoom Out

Double-click the wheel button Zoom Extents

Hold down the wheel button and drag the mouse Pan

Press and hold the SHIFT key and the wheel button Constrained Orbit
and drag the mouse
Line Command
Use the Line command to create a single line or multiple line segments from a start point to an
endpoint.
The following illustration shows a line segment being drawn using the dynamic input interface to
specify the length (1) and angle (2) of the segment.

Command Access

Line

Command Line: Line, L

Ribbon: Home tab > Draw panel > Line

Menu Bar: Draw > Line

Circle Command

Use the Circle command to create circles in the drawing. When you start the Circle
command, you are prompted to select a center point, then specify the radius. Use the data input
methods discussed earlier to input these values.
In the following image, the circle center point is selected and you are prompted to specify
a radius.

Command Access

Circle

Command Line: CIRCLE, C

Menu Bar: Draw > Circle > choose option
Ribbon: Home tab > Draw panel > Circle
Rectangle Command

Use the Rectangle command to create rectangular objects. A single polyline object is created
with this command. The simplest method for creating a rectangle is to specify the first corner,
then the opposite corner. Other options for creating the rectangle include the Area, Dimension,
and Rotation options.
This illustration shows a rectangle with the point used to create it specified.

Command Access

Rectangle

Command Line: RECTANGLE, REC

Menu Bar: Draw > Rectangle
Ribbon: Home tab > Draw panel > Rectangle
Trim and Extend Commands

You can use the Trim command to shorten and the Extend command to lengthen existing
geometry to meet the edges of other objects. This means that you can create an object such as a
line and later adjust it to fit precisely between other objects.
When you use the Trim command, you select objects to use as cutting edges and trim geometry
back to those objects. You select the portion of the object to trim, not the portion to keep.
In the following image, the arrows indicate where you would click to trim the lines.

When you use the Extend command, you select objects to use as boundary edges and extend
geometry to those objects.
In the following illustration, the boundary edge (2) is indicated with an arrow. Selecting the lines
(1) at the location of the arrows extends each line to the first boundary edge it encounters. The
completed command is illustrated in the image on the right.

Before extend and after extend

Command Access

Trim

Command Line: TRIM, TR

Ribbon: Home tab > Modify panel > Trim

Menu Bar: Modify > Trim

Command Access

Extend

Command Line: EXTEND, EX

Ribbon: Home tab > Modify panel > Extend

Menu Bar: Modify > Extend

Offsetting Objects

The Offset command creates a new object whose shape parallels the shape of a selected object.
For example, in the following image, the inside shape has been offset twice using the
Offset command with the Multiple option.

Command Access

Offset

Command Line: OFFSET, O

Ribbon: Home tab > Modify panel > Offset

Application Menu: Modify > Offset

Procedure:-

The following steps give an overview of offsetting geometry a specified distance.

1. On the ribbon, click Home tab > Modify panel > Offset.
2. Specify the offset distance by selecting two points.
Note: You can enter a value instead of selecting points.

3. Select the object to offset.

4. Select a point on the side where you want to place the new objects.

5.Select another object to offset or exit the command.

Array Command
Using the Array command, you can duplicate existing objects in a rectangle or circular (polar)
pattern.
You can select which type of array to use in the Array dialog box. Click the Rectangular or Polar
options to see point, distance, and method requirements for each type.
The following illustration shows a rectangular and polar array.

Command Access

Array

Command Line: ARRAY, AR

Ribbon: Home tab > Modify panel > Array
Procedure: Creating a Rectangular Array of Objects

The following steps give an overview of creating rectangular arrays.

1. On the ribbon, click Home tab > Modify Panel > Array.
2. In the Array dialog box, click the Rectangular option. Click Select Objects and select the
objects to include in the array.

3. Enter row and column values, or click Pick Offset to define the row and column offset values.

4. If required, enter an angle for the array.

5. Click Preview to preview the array.
6. Right-click to accept and create the array, or press ESC to return to the dialog box.
Creating Dimensions
This lesson describes how to use the various dimension commands to place dimensions on your
drawings.
Dimensions are a vital element of annotation. They display measurements and illustrate how
your drawings meet specifications.

Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Create different types of dimensions on linear objects.
Create different types of dimensions on curved objects.
Enhance dimensions for clarity of purpose.
Procedure
Use the following command to create horizontal or vertical Linear dimensions:

Command Line: DIMLINEAR, DIMLIN

Ribbon: Annotate tab > Dimensions panel > Linear

The following steps give an overview of creating a Linear dimension:

1. Start the Dimlinear command.
2. Press ENTER to select the object or, using object snap, select the first extension line origin (1)
and the second extension line origin (2).

3. Click to position the dimension (3).

Hatching Objects

This lesson describes how to hatch and fill objects in your drawing using the Hatch and Gradient
commands.
Hatching is used across all design disciplines to enhance drawing views, to clarify design
features, and to show areas that were modified in drawings when you communicate with your
clients.
For example, you can add hatching when you draft roof or floor tiles or create section views of
manufactured parts. You can also use hatching in construction, steelwork, or road design.

Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Describe the characteristics of hatch and fill patterns.
Describe the characteristics of associative hatch patterns.
Create hatch patterns and fills.

Command Access

Hatch

Command Line: HATCH, H

Ribbon: Home tab > Draw panel > Hatch
Type and Pattern
You use the Type and Pattern area of the Hatch and Gradient dialog box to select the hatch
pattern.
You can select patterns from the Pattern list or click the browse button or Swatch area to open
the Hatch Pattern Palette dialog box. Using this dialog box, you can select patterns based on a
visual swatch.

Hatch Pattern Palette Dialog Box