BASIC CONCEPTS IN COMPUTER

AIDED DESIGN (CAD)

KISHAN GUNESEGERAN
INTI INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY NILAI
WHAT IS AUTOCAD?

• AutoCAD is a CAD (Computer Aided Design or Computer Aided Drafting)

software application for 2D and 3D design and drafting.
INTRODUCTION
• This topic explains all the important basic concepts and commands used in
AutoCAD.
• The basic concepts included in this topic are the coordinate system used in
AutoCAD, entry of commands, User Coordinate System (UCS) and World
Coordinate System (WCS).
• The second par of this topic covers basic commands such as commands,
objects snap and editing commands.
• This topic is organized systematically for beginners to learn AutoCAD in the
simplest manner or in the shortest time
INTRODUCTION TO AUTOCAD

• According to the Wisegeek website, AutoCAD was one of the Computer Aided
Design programmes to be made available on personal computers.
• It is built to help people design buildings, products or public spaces without
having to draw up plans by hand.
• It was released in 1982 by Autodesk, Inc. and offered a personal solution to
software that was previously released only for larger workstations.
• Do you know the advantages of using AUTOCAD?
INTRODUCTION TO AUTOCAD

• The advantages of using AUTOCAD for drawing are the working environment,
interface and the uniformity that exist in most Windows applications.
• Figure down shows the AutoCAD screen menu area.
• AutoCAD uses both standard toolbars and a pull down menu,
STEPS!
• Choose NEW from the File Menu or type NEW at the command prompt.
• The File New dialogue box, similar to the following illustrations in figure below
appear on the screen.
• If you want to give a name for your new drawing, enter a name for the drawing in
the New Drawing Names edit box. (If you prefer, you can ignore this option first)
• Click OK, so as to execute the command. Upon selection OK, if the system asked for
replacement of File, this is to inform you that the Filename you gave already exits.
• If you want to overwrite the previous file, then select YES or else click NO
ENTERING COMMANDS
The following are steps in entering a command;

a) Command Entry

All commands in AutoCAD can be entered from the keyboard, icons and the
pull-down menu.
ENTERING COMMANDS

b) Data Entry
When a command is used, you usually have to supply additional information to
specify how, where or upon what the requested action should be performed.

One can respond to the AutoCAD prompt by entering Numeric Value, Specifying
Points Angles and Distance
ENTERING COMMANDS
c) Entity Selection
The user can select one or more entities for processing.
The collection of entities is called Selection Set.
One can interactively add entities to (just continue Clicking) or remove entities
form (using [Shift] + Click) the selection set.
AutoCAD highlights the selected entities using dotted lines to assist the user
COORDINATE SYSTEMS

• AutoCAD`s drawing environment is based on the Cartesian coordinate system

which is used to locate point in space.
• In to Two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, two infinitely long axed
are placed at right angles in a single plane.
• The horizontal axis is called the X-axis and the vertical axis is called the Y-
axis.
• The planes that contain these axes are called the X-Y plane.
WAY TO PROVIDE COMMAND
1.

2.

3.
• This system is two-dimensional only a single x-y plane can exist within it and all
point must lie somewhere on the plane.
• The x-axis and the y-axis intersect at a single point, called the origin.
• Equidistant point, called coordinates, are placed along these axes.
• Points on the x-axis to the right of the origin are positive in value and increase as
they move farther from the origin.
• Points on the x-axis to the left of the origin are negative in value and decrease
as they become more distant from the origin.
• Similarly, coordinate points on the y-axis are positive above the origin and
negative below the origin.
• The origin point itself is given x-y coordinated of zero
• We can identify any point by associating an x and y coordinate point pair
with it, relative to the x- and y- axes.
• Imagine a point that is not located on either the x- or y axis. By extending a
line from that point perpendicular to the x-axis, we obtain the x-coordinate
value.
• Extending a line perpendicular to the y-axis will obtain a y- coordinate point.
• This combination of x and y coordinates is unique to that point and ay point
on that plane can be identified and located in this fashion.
• Points, line, arcs, circles and other 2-D drawing entities can be placed
anywhere on the plane and their specific location can be obtained by
determined the minimum set of coordinate points necessary to define them.
• For example, a point requires a set of x and y coordinates, while a line
segment requires 2 coordinate points.
• An arc can be defined by 3 points, for example , two end point and a centre
point. ( Z- axis.)
• To specify 3D point, you may add a third element to the coordinate
designation.
ABSOLUTE X,Y

• Represent the absolute real value of the drawing limits.

• Example : LINE from 50,50 to 100,100 will draw a line from the position
vector of 50,50 to the position vector of 100,100
100,100

100,100

50,50 0

0 Column1
RELATIVE: @DELTA X, DELTA Y

• Represents the relative position of x and y coordinates of the new point

compared to the previous point.
• For example, LINE from 50,50 to @100.0 will draw a line from the position
vector of 50,50 to the position that is 100 units away from the previous point
in the positive x direction
• You can specify a point as an offset from the last point you entered.
• Simply type “@” before the rest of the specification
POLAR: @DIST < ANGLE
• This is similar to the relative coordinate addressing.
• This system make use of the distance and the direction angle of the new point away
from the previous point.
• For example, LINE from 50,50 to @50<0 will draw a line form the position vector of
50,50 to the position that is 50 units away from the previous point in the Zero degree
direction.
• You can specify a point by entering its distance from the current User Coordinate
System (UCS) origin and its angle in the XY plane, separated by <, for example
@60<45
HOW AUTOCAD WORKS
There is a co-ordinate system used in AutoCAD.
Every drawing shows its co-ordinate.
In above next slide the line shows its co-ordinate that is ( 9,6 ) and (-10,-4).
There is so many commands like copy, move ,rotate ,mirror in 2D, path array ,
rectangular array, polar array & more.

Different types of drawing can be made in the same time by using a command that
is LAYER.

Using line , arc , circle , rectangle , ellipse & polygon , so many drawing of different
type can be made.
CO-ORDINATE SYSTEM
• Every thing that we draw in AutoCAD is exact.
• All object drawn on screen is based on simple X-Y co-ordinate system.
• In AutoCAD it is known as world co-ordinate system (WCS).
• We are drawing a line, so we have two
points A(-10,-4) and B(9,6).
SELF CHECK 1

1. What are the advantages of using CAD in engineering drawing compare to

manual drafting?
2. Why does a CAD drawing need coordinate systems to locate or position an
object of a drawing?
3. What systems is used to construct drawings in AutoCAD?