chapter one introducing auto - ccdmd autocad for the...

In thIs chapter:

► ExploringAutoCAD’sinterface► WorkingwithAutoCADfiles► Gettingtoknowbasictools► Drawingaroughsketch

Chapter one

Introducing AutoCaD

30 chapter one

Introduction

ThewaythingswereintheElizabethanera,adirectorwouldhaveexpectedasetbuildertoproduceasetbyhandwithoutanydrawings.Overtime,theatrehasembracedthenewestandmostinnovativetechnologies.Ithasprogressedfromcandlestocomputerizedlightingboards,frombackstageFoley artiststosurroundsound,andfromhand-operatedfly systemstomotorizedflysystems.Asanewapproachtodrafting,whichhaslargelybeendonebyhand,manytheatreshavebeguntousecomputer-aideddrafting(CAD,alsocommonlyreferredtoascomputer-aideddesign)software.

Originallydevelopedtolowercostsandreducethetimeneededtocreatecomplexprototypes,CADsoftwaregeneratestwo-andthree-dimensionalgraphicsbyprocessinggeometriccalculations.Thishelpsdesignersfromseveralindustriesprepareaccuratedrawingsandspecificationsforproductionpurposes.IndustriesthatuseCADincludeengineering,manufacturing,architecture,interiordesign,andofcourse,entertainment.1

Fortheatre,CADcanbeusedtogenerateaccurateanddetailedtechnicaldrawingsforsetdesigns,butitalsohasmanyadditionalbenefits.Forexample,drafterswhouseCADcanworkoutcalculations“onthefly,”reducethetimeandenergyneededforlaboriousdrawingtasks,andmakequickalterationstoexistingdrawings.Furthermore,CADdrawingfilescanbeeasilyemailedtotheatresaroundtheworld,wheretheycanbeprintedondemand.

OneofthemostexcitingaspectsofCAD—andwhatreallysetsitapartfromhanddrafting—isthatitallowsthedirectorandproduction teamtovirtually“walkthrough”thesetinthreedimensionstoscrutinize,review,andmodifyitbeforeitisbuilt.It’slikehavingadigitalversionofadesigner’straditionalmaquette.

Inthisbook,we’llintroduceyoutooneofthemorepopularCADapplications,AutoCAD,tostartyouonyourwaytodraftingaccuratetechnicaldrawingsforsetdesigns.Nowlet’sgetthisshowontheroad!

Downloading a Free Copy of AutoCaD

Ifyouareastudent,youareprobablyworkingonalicensededucationalversionofAutoCADatschool.IfyouwouldliketoworkwithAutoCADonyourhomecomputer,youcanobtainafreecopyfromtheAutoDeskEducationCommunityatthefollowinglink:

http://students.autodesk.com1 Yahoo Education Encyclopedia,s.v.“computer-aideddesign,”accessedAugust9,2011,http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry/computerAD.

IntroducIng autocad 31

1Getting Started with the Set-Up

Thoughyou’reprobablyeagertojumprightinandstartdrawing,beforeyoustartdraftinginAutoCAD,youneedtounderstandthebasicsofusingtheapplication.Let’shavealookatAutoCAD’sinterface,drawingfiles,andsomedrawingcommands.ThiswillmakeiteasiertounderstandthebookandcommunicatewithotherAutoCADusers.Nowlet’sgetstarted.

LaunChing autoCaD

AutoCADlaunchesjustlikeanyotherWindowsapplication.

1) Double-clicktheAutoCAD 2011 - Englishshortcut(Fig.1.1)onyourdesktop.Alternatively,launchtheapplicationthroughyourcomputer’sstartmenu:Start>All Programs>Autodesk>AutoCAD 2011>AutoCAD 2011 – English(Fig.1.2a).YourcomputerwillmakesomenoiseandlaunchAutoCAD.

the WeLCome SCreen

WhenyoulaunchAutoCAD2011forthefirsttimeafteritisinstalled,theWelcome Screenwillbethefirstthingyousee.Itincludesvideos,workshops,andotherinformationtohelpyoulearnaboutAutoCAD2011.

1) Fornow,unchecktheboxnexttoShow this dialog at startupat Fig.1.3a.

2) ClosetheWelcome ScreenbyclickingtheXatFig.1.3b.*

Fig. 1.1

Fig. 1.2

Fig. 1.3

a

b

a

* We won’t cover the Welcome Screen in this manual, but any time you would like to browse through its demos and videos, simply open it like this:

1) Click the arrow for the Help drop-down menu on the upper right of the application at a:

2) Select Welcome Screen… (b).

a

b

32 chapter one

Fig. 1.6

a

the appLiCation WinDoW

AutoCADrunswithintheWindowsoperatingsystemandopensasawindowonyourcomputerscreen.2ThisApplication WindowofferscommandsandoptionsforAutoCADdrawingfiles.

HavealookattheApplication Window.Thetitle bar istherowthatrunsacrossthetopofthewindow(seealsoFig.1.12onpage36).Inthecentreofthetitle bar,you’llseeAutoCAD 2011 - Drawing1.dwg,whichisthenameofthecurrentdocument.OntheleftaretheApplication MenuandtheQuick Access Toolbar.OntherightaretheInfoCenterandthebuttonsusedtocontroltheApplication Window.

AswithallWindowsapplications,theAutoCADwindowcanbemanagedwiththebuttonsinthetoprightcornerofthetitle bar.

TestouttheMinimize, Restore,andMaximizebuttons(Table1.1)toseehowtheybehave.NoticehowtheapplicationisminimizedtotheWindowstaskbaratthebottomofyourcomputerscreen(Figs.1.4,1.5).IfyouaccidentallycloseAutoCAD,there’snoneedtoworry;youcaneasilyrelaunchitasshownearlier.

Table 1.1. Window buttons

Full screen window Floating window

Minimize: Shrinks the Application Window to the Windows taskbar at the bottom of your computer screen

Restore: Reduces the Application Window to a smaller floating size

Maximize: Increases the Application Window to full screen

Close: Closes the Autocad application

NoticethatwhenyouclicktheRestore button,itbecomestheMaximizebuttonastheapplicationswitchestoafloatingwindow.Inthisstate,theApplication Windowcanberesizedtosuityourneeds.

1) MovethemousepointertoacorneroranedgeoftheApplication Window.Thepointerwillbecomearesize handle (Fig.1.6a).

2) Pressanddragthemousetoadjustthewindowtoyourliking.

Fig. 1.5

Windows Taskbar: Autocad window floating or maximized

Fig. 1.4

Windows Taskbar: Autocad window minimized

2 AlthoughthereisaversionofAutoCADavailablefortheMac,thisbookwilldealonlywiththeWindowsversion.


1the applIcatIon Menu

WhenyouclickthebigredAatainFig.1.7,theApplication Menu willopen.Itcontainscommoncommandsformanagingfiles,mostofwhichwillbediscussedlaterinthebook.TakenoteoftheDrawing Utilitiesitemat b,whichcontainsoptions,suchasUnits,foradjustingyourdrawing.

AlsohelpfularetheRecent DocumentsandOpen Documentsbuttonsat c.Recent Documentsprovidesyouwithanalphabeticallistofthemostrecentlyopeneddrawings.Tokeepafileinthelistlong-term,clickthepush-pinbuttonatd.

ClickingtheOpen DocumentsbuttonatcshowsyouthelistofdocumentscurrentlyopeninAutoCADandprovidesyouwithaquickwaytoswitchbetweenthem.

Noticethatthismenualsoprovidesyouwithabuttonateforquickaccesstotheapplication’smainOptionsdialogueboxwhereyoucanchangesettings,suchasthebackgroundcolour*ofthedrawingarea.

Fig. 1.7

* Note that a number of words, such as “color,” “center,” “dialog,” etc. are spelled according to American conventions within the Autocad interface.

a

c

d

b

e

34 chapter one

the QuIck access toolbar

TotherightoftheApplication MenuistheQuick Access Toolbar,whichcontainsmanyofthesamecommands.

1) Hoveryourmouseoverthebuttonstoseetheirtooltips:New... (Fig. 1.8a),Open... (b),Save (c),Save As... (d),Undo (e),Redo(f),andPlot... (g)(orPrint...).NoticethattotherightoftheUndoandRedobuttonsateandfaredownwardarrowbuttonsthateachopenadrop-downlistofrecentactionsyouperformedinyourdrawing.Youcanjumptoanyoftheseactionswithjustaclick.

the Infocenter

Includedontherightsideofthetitle baristheInfoCenter.ItstwokeyfeaturesaretheHelpbuttonatFig.1.9aandtheType a keyword or phrasesearchfieldatb.

TheHelpbutton(a)simplylaunchesAutoCAD 2011 Helpinyourdefaultbrowser.

1) ClicktheHelpbutton.TheAutoCAD 2011 Helphomepagewillopen.NoticetheSearchfieldatthetoprightofthewebsiteand,inthenavigationbarontheleft,theUser’s GuideandCommand Referencelinksareparticularlyuseful.*

YoucanalsofindinformationonatopicdirectlywithinAutoCAD.Trythefollowingexample.

1) TypeInfoCenterinthesearchfieldatFig.1.10aandpressEnter.Adrop-downlistappears.Noticethatwithinthelist,majordarkgreyheadingscollapseandexpandverticallywithaclick,andtherearenavigationarrowstotherightofthesubsectionheadings(b)toallowyoutoscrollthroughmoreinformationhorizontally.

2) ClickSearch For Information at cundertheUser’s Guidesection.AbrowserwindowwillopentheappropriatesectionofAutoCAD 2011 Help.

Fig. 1.8

Fig. 1.9

* You can also launch the Help home page by typing “Help” in the command line and pressing Enter.

Fig. 1.10

ab

b

a

c

a b c d e f g


1WorkSpaCeS

Aworkspaceisthecollectionofitemsthataresetuptocreatedifferentuserinterfaces(UI)forspecifictypesofdrawings.IfyoulookatFig.1.12(page36),theworkspaceismadeupoftheribbon,drawing area,command window,andstatus bar.

AutoCADoffersseveraldifferentworkspaces.Setdesignersanddraftersaremostlikelytousethe2D Drafting & Annotationworkspaceandthe3D Modelingworkspace.

Forthetechnicaldrawingsoftheset,we’llworkwith2D Drafting & Annotation,whichopensbydefaultwhenyoulaunchtheapplicationforthefirsttime.We’llalsoworkwiththe3D ModelingworkspaceinChapter6tocreateathree-dimensionaldrawing.

Checktoseewhetheryourworkspaceissettosomethingotherthanthedefault.Ifitis,changeitbacknow:

1) ClicktheWorkspacedrop-downmenuatthetopleftoftheapplication.

2) Select2D Drafting & Annotation atFig.1.11a.

Afterusingaworkspace,youwillquicklybecomeaccustomedtowherethingsarelocatedandbeabletoworkefficiently.

the 2d draftIng & annotatIon Workspace

Nowlet’sexaminesomebasiccomponentsofthetwo-dimensionalworkspace.

Fig. 1.11

a

36 chapter one

Application menu

Fig. 1.12

the ribbon

Belowthetitle barinFig.1.12,youwillfindapalettecalledtheribbonwhichcontainsmanyoftheapplication’scommandsandoptions.

1) ClicktheHome,Insert,etc.,tabsontop.You’llseethateachcontainsdifferentsetsofcommandbuttonsinsiderectangularpanels.

2) IntheHometabatFig.1.13a,clickthearrownexttothetitleoftheDrawpanelatb.Thisopensamenucalledaslide-out orfly-outmenu,whichcontainsadditionalcommands.

3) Clickotherarrowsonthepanelsandyou’llseetheyalsocontainadditionalcommandbuttons.

4) Wheneveryouneedto,clickthepush-pinbutton(Fig.1.14a)tolockaslide-outmenuopen.

Quick Access Toolbar InfoCenter

title bar

ribbon

drawing area

command windowapplication status bar

Fig. 1.14

a

Fig. 1.13 a

b


1tabs and panels

Asyoujustsaw,theribboncontainsbuttonsthatallowyoutoactivateAutoCADcommandsordisplayoptionsandinformation.Thebuttonswe’llusefrequentlyinthebeginningcanbeviewedintheHometabpanels:

DrawactivatesdrawingcommandssuchasLine,Arc,Circle,Rectangle,Polyline,andHatch,whichyouwillusetodrawlinesorobjects.

Modifyactivatescommandsthatallowyoutomodifylinesandobjectsyouhavedrawn.SomeexamplesareErase,Rotate,Scale,Stretch,Copy,Mirror,Offset,andFillet.

Layersactivatescommandstoadddrawinglayers,orhideorlockthem.ThispanelalsocontainscommandstoconfigurelayerLinetypesandColors,andtoselecttheCurrentlayertodrawon.

Propertiescontrolsthepropertiesthatareassociatedwitheachobjectthatyouhavedrawn.Severaldrop-downlistscancontrolobject Color, Lineweight,Linetype,Transparency,andPlot Style.Mostobjectsinheritthedefaultpropertiesassignedtothembythelayer(ByLayer)inwhichtheyaredrawn,butgroupsofobjectscalledblockscanbeassignedtheirownproperties(ByBlock)andindividualobjectscanalsobeassignedtheirownuniqueproperties.

UtilitiescontainscommandsusedtomeasureaDistance,Radius,Angle,andAreainatwo-dimensionaldrawing.Itwillcomeinveryhandywhenwebegindrafting.Besidesthemeasuringcommands,you’llfindtheID Pointbutton,whichisusedtodeterminetheexactlocationofapoint.

Laterwhenweaddmeasurementsandlabelstodrawings,we’llalsoexaminepanelssuchasDimensionsintheAnnotatetabandwe’lllearnaboutpanelsthatarespecificto3Ddrawings.Ifyoudon’tunderstandmuchofthisrightnow,don’tworry;you’llcatchonasweputitintopractice.

tooltIps and the f1 key

Agreatfeaturetotakeadvantageofontheribbonisthetooltip.Pauseyourmousepointeroverabuttonontheinterface,andasmallpop-uptipwillappear.AsyoucanseeintheLinecommandtooltipinFig.1.15,youcanpresstheF1keytoopentherelatedhelptopic(a)whilethetooltipisactiveorafterthecommandisactivated.

38 chapter one

Fig. 1.15

a Fig. 1.16

a

c

b

the MInIMIze rIbbon button

Anotherneatfeatureoftheribbonisthespace-savingMinimizebutton.It’sasmallupwardarrowbuttontotherightoftheExpress Toolstab(Fig.1.16);noticethesmalldrop-downarrownexttoit.

1) Clickthedrop-downarrow(Fig.1.16a).You’llseeamenuwithfouroptionsforminimizingtheribbon.

2) Selectoneofthefirstthreeoptionstosetthelevelofminimizationyouwant.TheCycle through Alloptionat csetsthebuttonsoyoucanalternatebetweenallthreeminimizationlevels.

3) Now,clicktheupwardarrowbuttonat b.Seehowyoucanswitchbetweenthefullribbonandtheminimizedoptionyouchose.

4) Clickitagaintoswitchback.


1

the CommanD WinDoW

AtthebottomoftheApplication Window,you’llfindthecommand window (Fig.1.17).Thisisapalettethatgivesyoufeedbackbydisplayingcommands,options,messages,andvariables.Italsopromptsyouforkeyboardandmouseinput.Thechronologicallistofeverycommandyou’veactivatedduringaworksessioncanbeseenbyusingthescrollingarrowsattherightorbyresizingthewindowusingthe verticalresizehandle onthetopedgeofthepalette.

Theinputlineatthebottomofthecommand windowiscalledthecommand line.ItallowsyoutousethekeyboardtotellAutoCADwhattodo.

Oftenwhenyouactivateacommandbypointingandclickingyourmouse,thecommand windowletsyouknowwhatyournextstepisandwhatinformationyouhavetoenter.

the appLiCation StatuS bar

You’llfindtheapplicationstatus bar (alsocalledthe status bar) atthebottomoftheworkspace.Thestatus barcontainsseveralbuttonsforturningdrawinganddisplayoptionsonandoff.Thesebuttonsarehigh-lightedinbluetoindicatethattheyareturnedon.We’llturnonthesebuttonsasweneedthemthroughoutthemanual.Fornow,togglethemalloff.*

Attheleftendofthestatus bar,you’llseethreesetsofnumbersseparatedbycommas(Fig.1.18a).Thisisthedrawingcoordinatesdisplay.ThefirstnumberistheX coordinateofyourcursorandthesecondoneistheYcoordinate.TheXcoordinatereferstothehorizontallocationofapointonagrid,whereastheYcoordinatereferstotheverticallocationofthesamepoint.Thethirdnumber,knownastheZcoordinate,isonlyactivewhenyoudraftin3D.Together,thesedisplaythecoordinatevaluesofyourcurrentcursorpositionwithinthedrawingarea.

TrymovingyourcursoraroundtoseehowitscoordinateschangeatFig.1.18a.**

Fig. 1.17

command line

Fig. 1.18

a

* You’ll need to pay a little more attention to the Transparency button, which still looks highlighted when it is turned off.

** Looking at the coordinate values, you’ll see that inches are displayed in decimals. This is done for the sake of precision, but it is more common to format inches with fractions. We’ll change this a little later.

FLoating anD DoCking WorkSpaCe eLementS

AutoCADletsyoupersonalizetheworkspacethewayyoulikeit.Bydefault,thetabsandpanelsadheretothedockingregionatthetop,sidesandbottomofthedrawingarea.Butasyou’llsee,youcaneasilydragitemsaroundtheinterface.Forexample,youcandragthetabstochangetheirorder.It’salsopossibletodetachandreattachpalettesandpanelsatyourconvenience.Thisiscalled floatinganddocking.

Tofloatapanel:

1) Clickthepanel’snametodragitintothedrawing area atFig.1.19a.Thepanelwillfloatanditsmovehandlewillappearonitsleft.Youcanmoveitaroundandplaceitwhereyoulike.

2) ClicktheReturn Panels to Ribbonbuttonatbtoresetitintheribbon.Ordragitbackintoplaceontheribbon.

Tofloattheribbon:*

1) Placethecursoroveranytabandright-clicktoseetheribbon’scontextmenu(theright-clickmenu).

2) SelectUndock atFig.1.20a.Theribbonpalettewillfloatonthedrawing area.

3) Right-clickthepalette’smovehandle,whichistheverticalgreybaronitsleft,andyou’llseethePropertiesmenuat Fig.1.21a.(Notethatyoucanalsogetthismenubyclickingthethirdbuttonfromthetop.)Thiswillgiveyouoptionstodocktheribbontotheleftorrightofthedrawingarea.Whenyouneedmorespace,theAuto-hideoptionatFig.121bcanbehandy.Youcanalsopreventapalettefromdockingifyoupreferittofloatbydefault.**

Fornowwe’llreturnthepalettetoitsoriginalspot.

1) Pressandholdthemovehandleanddragitbacktothetopofthedrawing areatoseewhathappens.Whenthepointerapproachestheedge,thepalettewillbereplacedbyarectangularoutlineindicatingitisreadytobedocked.

2) Letgo,andtheribbonwilldockitself.***

Nowthatyouarefamiliarwiththeinterface,youcanrearrangetheworkspacethewayyoulikeit.TheSave Current As…itemoftheWorkspacedrop-downmenuletsyounameandsaveyourcustomizedworkspace.

40 chapter one

Fig. 1.20

a

* The name of the palette becomes visible once it’s floating.

Fig. 1.21

a

b

Fig. 1.19

b

a

** If you accidentally close the float-ing ribbon palette, just enter the word “ribbon” in the command line.

*** You can often double-click the move handle of a floating or docked palette to instantly change its state. Try double-clicking the move handle of the command window to float it. Now do it again to dock it.

the DraWing area

TheareareservedfordrawingfilesisthedarkspaceinFig.1.22.Thisiscalledthedrawing area.AutoCADusesdarkgreyasthedefaultbackgroundcolour.****

Noticethedrawing’s Modeltab(Fig.1.23a)atthebottomleftofthedrawing area.Itshowsyouthatyouarecurrentlyworkinginthedrawing’smodel space.

1) Clickthe Layout 1tabatthebottomleftofthedrawingarea(Fig. 1.23b).TheMODELbutton(notthesameasthetab)ontherightsideofthestatus barwillchangetoPAPERtoshowthatpaper spaceisturnedon.Thiswhitearearepresentsasheetofpaperusedwhenyourdrawingisreadytoprint.

2) ClicktheModeltab(a)atthebottomleftoftheapplicationwindowtoreturntomodel space.

the VIeWcube

YoucanseetheViewCubeintheupperrightcornerofthedrawingarea.WewillcoverthisinChapter6,sowe’llturnitofffornow.

1) ClicktheViewtabontheribbon.2) LocatetheWindowspanel.3) ClickUser Interface.Adrop-downlistwillappear.4) UncheckViewCube.


1

**** Often the drawing area in this manual has been changed to white for the sake of clarity. If you’d like to change the background colour, right-click the drawing area and select Options… from the context menu. Then select Display, click the Colors… button and choose White from the Color: drop-down menu; click the Restore all contexts button to return to the default colours.

Fig. 1.22

World Coordinate System (Wcs)

The drawing’s Minimize, Restore/Maximize, and Close buttons

ViewCube

Navigation bar

Crosshair cursor

Fig. 1.23

a b

42 chapter one

the naVIgatIon bar

Thenavigation barcontainstoolsthathelpyoulookatyourdrawing.Youcandecidewhichtoolsarevisiblebyclickingthearrowforthefly-outoptionsmenuatthebottomofthebar.Themostcommonlyusedtoolsfor2DdrawingsarethePanandZoomtools(see Fig.1.24aandb).We’lllookattheseindetaillater.

the World coordInate systeM (Wcs) and user coordInate systeM (ucs)

Rememberthedrawingcoordinatesattheleftofthestatusbar?Theyaremeasuredinrelationtotheworld coordinate system(WCS).Ifyouthinkofthedrawingasadigitalworld,theWCSisthefixedoriginofthecoordinatesthatdefineadrawing’spoints.WhentheGrid Displaysettingonthestatus barison(turnitoffafteryouexperiment),you’llalsoseearedhorizontallinerepresentingtheX-axisandagreenverticallinefortheY-axisofthecoordinatesystem.

Whentheoriginiswithinthedrawingarea,theWCSiconwilloverlaytheorigin.Iftheoriginisnotinthedrawingarea,theiconwilldockitselfinthelowerleftcornerofthedrawing area.

Sometimesitisusefultomovetheorigintocreateauser coordinate system(UCS),whichgetsitsnamebecauseitisuser-defined.However,whenanobjectwithaUCSiscopiedfromonedrawingtoanother,AutoCADwillalwaysdroptheUCSandreorienttheobjecttotheWCS.Asageneralrule,trytostickwiththeWCS.ThereisnoneedtoworrymuchaboutUCSyet,asthisisafairlyadvancedtopic.

Fig. 1.24

a

b

Fig. 1.25

Docked Wcs with origin outside of drawing areaWcs with origin visible within drawing area

Working with Drawing Files

Drawingfilesarethemostimportantdocumentsforyourprojectbecausetheystoreyourwork.Theyareopenedinthedrawingareaandsavedseparatelyfromtherestoftheworkspace.

Creating neW FiLeS From tempLateS

AutoCADstartsnewdocumentsfromtemplates.Atemplatecontainsasetofpreferencesallowingyoutocreatenewfileswithouthavingtomakechangestothesettingseachtime.Forexample,templatessetdrawing unitsandthebackgroundcolourofthedrawing area.

Aswe’veseeninFig.1.12,whenAutoCADlaunches,anewfilecalledDrawing1.dwgopenswithitbydefault.Thisistypicallyafilemadefromatemplatethatcontainspreferencesfortwo-dimensionaldrafting.

Let’scovertheNewcommandtogiveyouabetterideaoftemplates.*

It’stimetocreateanewfile.

1) ClicktheApplication MenuintheupperleftcornerofAutoCAD.2) SelectNew>Drawingfromthemenuoptions(Table1.2).TheSelect

templatedialogueboxappears.3) Selectacad.dwt (Fig.1.26a),whichisatemplatefile.4) ClicktheOpenbutton(b).AblankdrawingcalledDrawing2.dwg

willopeninthedrawing area.


1* Throughout the manual, tables such as Table 1.2 are provided to show you ways to activate a command either with your mouse or with your keyboard.

Table 1.2. New command

8 Application menu:

>

8 Quick Access Toolbar:

(New/Qnew)

7 Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + N

7 Command line entry: new

Fig. 1.26

a

b

AutoCADisusedinmanydifferentindustries,soitoffersachoiceoftemplatestostartdrawingswith.Thetwothatarecoveredinthismanualaretheclassicacadtemplateandtheacad3D template.Bothhavedecimalformattedimperialinchesasthedefaultunits.Thismeans,forexample,thataquarterofaninchwillbedisplayedas0.25″.

SWitChing anD managing DraWing WinDoWS

JustliketheApplication Window,drawingfilesalsohaveMinimize, Restore, Maximize,andClosebuttonsjustbelowtheribbontotheright(Fig.1.27).Thesebuttonsareparticularlyusefulforswitchingbetweenfileswhenyouareworkingwithmorethanoneatatime.

1) Clicktheactivedrawing’sMinimizebutton.Yourdrawingfilewillminimizewithinthedrawing areaandyou’llalsobeabletoseetheotherdrawingeitherrestoredorminimized.

2) ClicktheMaximizebuttonforoneofyourtwodrawingssothatitfillsthedrawing areaagain.

ProbablythesimplestwaytoswitchbetweenopenwindowsisthroughtheSwitch Windowsbutton.

1) ClicktheViewtab.You’llseetheWindowspanelattherightside.2) ClicktheSwitch WindowsbuttonasshownatFig.1.28a.Adrop-

downlistwillappear,allowingyoutoselectthedrawingyouwanttoswitchto.

YoucanalsousethebuttonsintheApplication MenuthatweredescribedinFig.1.7(seepage33).

1) ClicktheApplication Menu(thebigredA)intheupperleftcornerofAutoCAD.

2) ClicktheOpen Documentsbutton.You’llseetheOpen Documentslistappear,whichallowsyoutoselecttheopendocumentyouwanttoworkon.

Lastly,youcanusetheCtrl+TabandShift+Ctrl+Tabkeycombinationstomoveforwardsandbackwardsthroughthesequenceofopendrawings.

Saving DraWing FiLeS

Savingyourfilesletsyoustoreyourdrawingsuntilyouarereadytoworkonthemagain.TheAutoCADdrawingfileextension is.dwg(anabbreviationof“drawing”),anditisautomaticallyaddedtotheendofthefilenamesyousave(Table1.3).Thisfileextensionletsthecomputerknowwhichapplicationisusedtoopenthedocument.Ifitisnotvisible,yourWindowsoperatingsystemmaybesettohideextensions;ifso,itisusefultochangeyourWindowsfoldersettingstodisplayfileextensions.Iftheextensionisremovedfromafile’sname,youmayencounterdifficultieswhenyoutrytoopenit.*

44 chapter one

Fig. 1.27

CloseMinimize Restore

Fig. 1.28

a

Table 1.3. Sample drawing file

Drawing1.dwg

* Remember that getting into the habit of saving frequently is good practice. This helps you avoid losing your work should Autocad or your computer ever crash.


1ConnectyourUSBdriveifyouhaveone—moreonthislater.Next,

nameandsaveoneofthefilesimmediately:

1) ActivatetheSave As…commandbychoosingamethodinTable 1.5.TheSave Drawing As dialogueboxwillopen(Fig.1.29).

2) ClicktheSave in: drop-downlistshownatFig.1.29a.3) Selectyourmainsavinglocation.Inthisbook,it’saportableUSB

drive,thoughyoumaywanttosavetoanotherlocation.4) Namethedocumentrough_sketchatb.**5) ClicktheSavebutton(c).

Table 1.4. Save command


8 Application Menu:

7 Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + S

7 Command line entry: save

Table 1.5. Save As command


8 Application Menu:

7 Keyboard shortcut: Shift + Ctrl + S

7 Command line entry: saveas

** The way you name your files helps you sort and find them easily. In this book, file names use underscores (_) instead of spaces between words. File names for the set drawings will begin with a capital letter while other drawings will stick with lowercase letters. A rule used to name files is called a naming convention. For other options for naming files effectively, see Appendix A on naming files.

Fig. 1.29

a

b

c

draWIng VersIons

Occasionally,youmayneedtoopenyourdrawingfilesinanolderversionofAutoCAD.Forthissituation,youhavetheoptiontosaveyourdocumentinvariousversionsofAutoCADintheFiles of type:drop-downmenu.Wheneveryouareinsuchasituation,refertotheoptionsinTable1.6todecidewhichfiletypetochoosefortheversionofAutoCADyouwillbeusing.*

46 chapter one

Table 1.6. AutoCaD versions and file types

Autocad Version Files of type

v13, v14, 2000, 2001, Autocad lt97/lt98/r14/2000/2002, 2003 lt2000/Drawing (*.dwg)

2004, 2005, 2006 Autocad 2004/ lt2004 Drawing (*.dwg)

2007, 2008, 2009 Autocad lt2004/2007 (*.dwg)

2010, 2011 Autocad 2010 (*.dwg)

* Note that settings such as drawing units that apply directly to your document will be saved with your file. You won’t need to reset those each time you reopen it. However, workspace settings are not saved with files.

dIsplayIng the full fIle path

IfyouarenewtocomputersandAutoCAD,youmayfinditdifficulttofindyourfiles.Itispossibletoseethecompletepathtoanopenfileinthetitle barifyouchangetheOpen and SaveoptionsintheOptionsdialoguebox:

1) ClicktheApplication Menubutton.2) SelecttheOptionsbuttononthelowerrightsideofthemenu(see

Fig.1.7onpage33).TheOptionsdialogueboxwillopen(Fig.1.30).3) SelecttheOpen and Savetabasshownata.4) LocatetheFile Openboxatthetoprightside.5) CheckofftheDisplay full path in titleoption(Fig.1.31a).

AnotherquickwaytoopentheOptionsdialogueboxistoright-clickthedrawing areaandselectOptionsfromtheright-click(context)menu.

Now,wheneveryouhaveafileopeninAutoCAD,you’llbeabletoseethebreadcrumbtrailwithinthetitle barasshowninFig.1.32.


1

Fig. 1.30

a

Fig. 1.31

a

Fig. 1.32

48 chapter one

proteCting Your Work

Drat!Computersandapplicationscancrash.Filescanbecomecorruptedandimpossibletouse.Harddriveswearoutovertime.USBdrivescanbedamagedorlostandnetworkscanfail.Inordertoprotectthehoursofworkyou’veputintoadrawing,youneedtosaveoften.However,youalsohaveseveralotheralternativestoprotectyourwork.

backup fIles

Generally,whenyousaveanAutoCADfile,AutoCADsavesabackupcopyinthesamelocation(Table1.7).Thisishelpfulifyourcurrentfilegetscorrupted;simplyreplacethe.bakextentionwith.dwgtoregainyourfile.*

fIle hIstorIes and eMaIl

Everytimeyouopenanexistingfile,workonit,andthensaveitagain,youoverwriteyourpreviouswork.Eachtimeyousave,itrepresentsastepinthedevelopmentofyourproject.Ifyouonlysaveasinglefile,youareessentiallykeepingallyoureggsinonebasket,andyouriskhavingtostartalloveragainifthefileevergetscorrupted.

Asimplesolutionistosaveversionsofyourworktocreateahistory.Simplyaddanumbertotheendofthefilenameeachtimeyoumakesignificantprogressinyourproject(Table1.8).Thenstoreolderversionsofyourfilesinaseparatefolder.

Aneveneasierandthriftierwaytocreateafilehistoryistoemailyourselfcopiesofyourfilesafteryourworksessions.ThiswillgiveyouachronologicalseriesofdrawingsinboththeSentandInboxfoldersofyouremailaccount.What’sgreataboutanemailaccountisthatitalsoservesasstoragedeviceifyou’reonatightbudget.

Don’ttaketheriskoflosingallyourwork!Withafilehistory,you’llatleastbeabletoreturntoapreviousstepinyourprojectwithouthavingtostartfromscratch.

hardWare storage deVIces

Anotherwaytosafeguardyourworkisbysavingyourfilestodifferentstoragedevices.Thisisimportantincaseanyonedevicebreaksdown.Toprotectyourwork,takeadvantageofstoragemediasuchasUSB memorydrives,emailaccounts,harddrives,andnetworkserverswhenavailable.

Theruleistokeepcopiesofyourfilesonmorethanonehardwaredeviceatatime.Let’sassumethatyouownaUSBdrive,haveawebemailaccount,andworkonschoolcomputersthatarelinkedtonetworkservers.Thesearefourlocationsthatyoucanusetostorebackupfiles.**

Table 1.7. Backup file example

Drawing1.bak

* Consult the Backup Files Location and Automatic Saving sections of Appendix B for more information on protecting your files.

Table 1.8. Sample file version history

Dussol_Ground_Plan_1.dwg

Dussol_Ground_Plan_1.1.dwg

Dussol_Ground_Plan_1.2.dwg

** Remember that if you remove your usb drive without ejecting first, the file system can be corrupted and you could lose access to your files. Always right-click it and choose Eject from the menu before pulling it out.

For more strategies for protecting your work, see Appendix B on Extended File Protection.

Beginning with Basic Drawing Tools

Andnowforthewordsyou’vebeendesperatelywaitingfor:Let’sdraw!Hereareafewtoolsyouwillneedtostartdrawinglines.

the eSCape keY

Whileyoudraw,it’shelpfultoknowthatwhenyouactivateacommandinAutoCAD,youcannormallyusetheEscape keytodeactivateit.Thesameholdstrueformanyotheroperationsyoumightwanttoescapefrom.Forexample,ifyouaccidentallyclickedtheOpen… Ctrl + OoptionintheApplication Menu,simplypressEscape(seeFig.1.33a)tocanceltheoperationandreturntoyourwork.KeeptheEscapekeyinmindwheneveryou’retrappedinastickysituation.


1Table 1.9. Proposed file storage locations for a student

Main Storage Thrifty Storage Temporary Storage Backup Storage

External usbstorage drive Email account server Computer hard drive Network server

shift

locktab q

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s d f g h j k l ; è

w e r t y u i o p ç à^

shiftctrl

esc

ctrl

ent

bksp ins

psc slk brk

delhmend

pup nlk

7 8 94 5 61 20 .

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ent

pdn

alt alt

F1 F2 F4F3 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10 F11 F12

/ /1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 - =

a

Fig. 1.33

50 chapter one

the Line CommanD

Ifyouhaven’tstoppedworkingsincetheprevioussections,youshouldhavetwodrawingsopen:rough_sketch.dwgandDrawing2.dwg.Ifyoudon’talreadyhaverough_sketchopened,openitnow(seeTable1.12fortheOpencommand).

ThereisachoiceofmethodstoactivatetheLinecommand.Nowisthetimetoexperimentwiththem.

1) ClicktheLinecommandintheHometab(Table1.10).NoticethatwhichevermethodyouusetoactivatetheLinecommand,thecommand windowwillpromptyouwiththismessage:

Command: _ line Specify first point:

Theapplicationisaskingyoutospecifywhereyouwouldliketostartyourline.

2) Placethecursor(alsocalledthecrosshair cursor)anywhereinthedrawingareaandclickthemouse.Thecommand windowwillofferyouthechoiceto…

Specify next point or [Undo]:

Thesecondchoiceinthesquarebracketsmeansthatyoucanenter Utoundothelastpointwithoutdeactivatingthecommand.

3) Moveyourcursoraroundthescreenandyouwillnoticethatalinefollowsitfromthefirstpointyouspecified.Thisisknownastherubber band line.

4) Nowclickanywhereinthedrawingareatocompletethefirstsegmentofyourline.Noticethatthecommand windowkeepspromptingyouforthenextpoint.Youcankeepaddingasmanysegmentstothelineasyouwish.

5) Endthelinebydoingoneofthefollowing:► PressEnteronthekeyboard.► Right-clickinthedrawing areaandselectEnterfromthecontext

menu.► PresstheEscapekey.

Table 1.10. Line command

8 Home tab: Draw panel >

7 Command line entry: l or line *

* Note that only a few commands allow you to type the first letter as a shortcut.

the unDo CommanD

Oftenyou’llfindthatyoumakemistakesandneedtoreturntoanearlierstageinyourdrawingtomakeacorrection.Likemostapplications,AutoCADletsyouundothestepsyou’vecompleted.

BoththeQuick Access Toolbarandthecommand lineallowyoutoundoseveralstepsatonce (Note:Youmusthavecompletedatleastonecommandinordertoundoit).You’llnoticethattheUndobuttonisaccompaniedbyadrop-downlist(Fig.1.34),whichdisplaysahistoryofstepscompleted.Selectoneoftheitemsinthelisttoreturntoapreviousstageofyourwork.

Similarly,whenyouentertheUndo commandinthecommand line,thecommand windowwillpromptyoutoenterthenumberofstepsbackwardsthatyouwouldliketotake.

Command: Undo Current settings: Auto = On, Control = All, Combine = Yes, Layer = Yes

Enter the number of operations to undo or [Auto/

Control/BEgin/End/Mark/Back] <1>:

Somecurrentsettingsaredisplayedinthecommand window,butnoticewhat’swritteninthecommand line:<1>.Thenumberinanglebracketsattheendofthispromptindicatesthedefaultnumberof“undos,”whichissetto1.YoucaneitherjustpresstheEnterkeytoautomaticallyundoonecommandorenteranothernumberandpressEnter.(Notethatanynewnumberyouenterwillbecomethedefault,sotrytostickwith1fornowtoavoidconfusion.)

Guesswhat?YoucanundoanUndo.ThisiscalledRedoandyou’llnoticethattheRedobuttonistotherightoftheUndobutton.

the SpaCe bar

Wheneveryouhaveusedacommandandneedtouseitagain,simplypresstheSpace Bartoreactivateit.Trydrawingaline.NowpresstheSpace BartoreactivatetheLinecommand.Howhandyisthat?

Table 1.11. Undo command


8 Context (right-click) menu: Undo

7 Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Z

7 Command line entry: undo, u


1

Fig. 1.34

52 chapter one

SeLeCting anD ShiFt-SeLeCting

Toselectseverallinesorobjectstherearethreealternatives:

► Simplyclickthemonebyone.► Dragfromlefttorighttodrawawindow selection box (Fig.1.35a)around

themwiththecursor;theobjectsmustbeinsidetheboxtobeselected.Theresultinglight-blueboxhasasolidoutline.

► Dragfromrighttolefttodrawacrossing selection box(Fig.1.36a)thatsimplytouchestheobjectsyouwant.Theresultinglight-greenboxhasadashedoutline.

Wheneveryouselectanobjectinthedrawingarea,itbecomesghosted(Fig.1.37),whichmeansthatthelinepatternchangestodashedandbluegripsappeartohelpyoumanipulateitasshownatFig.1.37a.

Ifyouaccidentallyselecttoomanylines,simplypresstheShiftkeyandclicktheobjectsyouwanttodeselect.

Fig. 1.35

a

Fig. 1.36 Fig. 1.37

a a


1Drawing a Rough Sketch

shakespeare. IwouldlikeyoutocreatearoughsketchofthegroundplanforA Matter of Murder and Peerage in the Scottish Manortogivemeatasteofallthismoderntechnology.IhearthatusingAutoCADfordraftinglooksalittledifferentfromusingapencilandIwouldliketocompare.

Let’sgivethissketchatry.

opening a FiLe

Beforeyoubegin,makesurethatyourexternalstoragedriveisconnectedtothecomputerandthattherough_sketch.dwgfileyoupreviouslysavedisopen.

1) ActivatetheOpencommand(Table1.12).TheSelect Filedialogueboxwillopen(Fig.1.38).

2) NowselectthefileasshownatFig.1.38aandclicktheOpenbuttonatFig.1.38b(orsimplydouble-clickonthefilenametoopenyourdocument).

Table 1.12. Open command


8 Application Menu:

7 Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + O

7 Command line entry: open

Fig. 1.38

a

b

54 chapter one

DraWing FreehanD

Wearegoingtodrawagroundplanfreehandstyle.Sometimesthisiscalledtheinteractivemethodofdrawing;itallowsyoutotestoutyourideasquickly.It’snotquitedraftingbecausethedrawingisnotscaledormeasured,butitwillletyoutogetafeelfordrawingwithAutoCAD.Thismethodcanbeusefulfortestingdifferentpossibilitiesforastagelayout.

Do It Yourself * Referring back to what we’ve already covered, recreate the drawing pictured in Fig. 1.39 as closely as you can.

InFig.1.40,noticethereisaPreviewbox(a).Thisiswhereathumbnailimageofyourdrawingshowsupbeforeyouopenit.Inorderforittoshowyourentiredrawing,yourdrawingneedstobecentredinthedrawing areabeforeyousaveit.

* You’ll notice “do-it-yourself” headings such as the one on the right throughout the manual. They indicate that you can apply what you’ve learned earlier to complete the task on your own.

Fig. 1.39

1) Locatethenavigationbar.2) ClicktheZoomExtentsbutton.(Hoverthepointeroverthebuttons

toseethetooltipsifnecessary.)3) Savethesketch.**

Chapter Summary

SkiLLS LearneD

YounowknowthenamesofAutoCAD’sinterfaceelements.Youcanopen,switchbetween,andsavedrawingfilesaswellasapplystrategiestoprotectyourwork.Finally,youknowhowtousesomebasicdrawingcommandstodrawlines,undoandescapefromcommands,andreactivatecommandsquicklythroughthekeyboard.

projeCt CheCk

Youcreatedandsavedthisfile:rough_sketch.dwg

Fig. 1.40

a

** In general, this book asks you to save to a usb drive. However, Autocad is increasingly available for students to install on their own computers. If you have your own copy of Autocad, feel free to save your drawings to your personal computer.


1