Getting Started

C H A P T E R 1 1

The AutoCAD Interface

Screen Format

This shows the initial AutoCAD drawing screen. It will appear when the program is first accessed. It shows an AutoCAD screen that uses the 2D Drafting & Annotation format

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

AutoCAD Formats

AutoCAD has four screen formats. To change drawing formats, click the arrow to the right of the heading 2D Drafting & Annotation in the Workspace Control box

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

AutoCAD Formats Continued

The different formats are intended to make creating a drawing easier. Each format includes commands most often used with the type of drawing being created.
n n n n

AutoCAD Classic
2D Drafting & Annotation
3D Modeling
3D Basics

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

To start a new drawing

1. Click the large A, the Menu Browser, in the upper left corner of the drawing screen to access the Command Headings box. A listing of command headings will appear. 2. Click the New command. The Select Template dialog box will appear 3. Select the acad template by doubleclicking the acad option.

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Select template

Select the acad template by double-clicking the acad option.

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

The drawing screen, or drawing editor

Drawings are created in this area.

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e
James Bethune,

2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

TABs AND PANELS

The headings across the top of the screen (Home, Insert, etc.) are called tabs, and the groupings of commands under the tabs are called panels.

Tab

Panels

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Additional Commands within a Panel

Additional commands are available by clicking the arrow to the right of the panel s name

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Info Center Box

If you cannot find a command or need further instructions for operating a particular command, use the InfoCenter located at the top right section of the screen.

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

THE COMMAND LINE BOX

The command line box is used to type in commands that do not have their own icons. The command line is also used to enter values.

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

COMMAND TOOLS
A tool is a picture (icon) that represents an AutoCAD command. Most commands have equivalent tools. 1. Locate the cursor arrow on the selected tool (icon). In the example shown, the Line command tool within the Draw panel was selected. 2. Hold the arrow still without pressing any mouse buttons.

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

STARTING A NEW DRAWING

There are three ways to access the Create New Drawing dialog box that is used to name a new drawing: 1. Select the New tool from the Command Headings box 2. Type the word new in response to a command prompt. 3. Hold down the <Ctrl> key and press N.
2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

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James Bethune,

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NAMING A DRAWING
Any combination of letters and numbers may be used as a file name. symbols, such as % and *, may not be used All AutoCAD drawing files will automatically have the extension .dwg added to the given file name.

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

To save a new drawing file

1. Click the large A in the upper left corner of the screen. 2. Select the Save As tool. 3. Enter the drawing name. 4. Select OK.

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

DRAWING UNITS
AutoCAD can work in any of five different unit systems: scientific, decimal, engineering, architectural, or fractional. To specify or to change the drawing units
1. Select the Drawing Utilities heading in the Command Headings box. 2. Select OK 3. Select architectural units by clicking the arrow to the right of the Type box. A listing of the five unit options will cascade down. 4. Select Architectural. Note that the Sample Output, located slightly below the center of the Drawing Units box is in fractional inches. 5. Repeat the procedure and set the units back to Decimal.

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Precision of the units system

Select degree precision" for angles here.

Select two decimal places.

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

**** DRAWING LIMITS***

Drawing limits are used to set the boundaries of the drawing. The drawing boundaries are usually set to match the size of a sheet of drawing paper.
1. Click the File, in the Menu Browser, in the upper left corner of the screen. 2. Click the Print command. Then you can change paper size from Paper Size command. 3. Click the Edit Page Setup for modifications.

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James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Note: A sheet of paper can be sized to match standard sheet sizes using the capabilities of the printer or plotter. Many printers and plotters have built in scaling features, and some list standard sheet sizes that can be applied to a drawing.

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James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Page Setup Manager

Click the File, the Menu Browser, in the upper left corner of the screen" Click the Page! Setup Manager. Click the Edit for modications."

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Paper size box

Click the Paper size box."

A listing of available paper sizes will cascade down."

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

GRID AND SNAP

The Grid command is used to place a lined grid background on the drawing screen The Snap command limits the movement of the cursor to predefined points on the screen

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Define the drawing precision

Click the Format, Menu Browser in the upper left corner of the drawing screen and select the Units command then the units options.

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Calibrate the sheet size

1. Click the File Browser and select the Print option, then the Page Setup option. 2. Click the Edit to modify. 3. Scroll down the available Paper size options 4. Click OK.
Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e
James Bethune,
2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

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The Save and Save As commands

1. Click the File Browser in the upper left corner of the drawing screen and select the Save As option appears. 2. Save the drawing on the driver and enter a new file name, 3. Click the Save box.

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James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

OPEN
The Open command is used to call up an existing drawing so that you may continue working on it, or revise it.

Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2011, 1/e

James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

CLOSE
The Close command allows you to close the current drawing.

Click the File Browser, click Close for close current drawing.

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James Bethune,

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2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.