AutoCAD Lab Tutorial Topics

1. Drawing screen: Pull-down menu, Standard toolbar, Toolbars (right

click on any toolbar for open or close and flyout buttons), Status bar (SNAP, GRID, ORTHO, POLAR, OSNAP, OTRACK, LWT, AND MODEL), Command Line, Coordinate display. However, LWT and MODEL are never used.

2. Customizing AutoCAD screen: Change screen color by picking

Tools/Options/Display, Crosshair size, Fonts.

3. Files extensions Formats: a. AutoCAD uses DWG use file Save b. AutoCAD backup files use BAK automatically created when

DWG file is saved. Turn off BAK save function by using setting in Tools/Options. Students should erase any *.BAK files in their folders to save space. c. Lasercamm uses DXF (Data Interchange File Format) use file Save As and pick AutoCADR12/LT2DXF(*.DXF).

4. Five coordinate entry methods: Define on whiteboard and present

homework assignment. a. Interactive: Pick-use curser to select points on screen. b. Absolute coordinates: X,Y c. Relative rectangular coordinates: @X,Y d. Relative Polar coordinates: @distance<angle e. Direct distance entry: Distance, direction f. Adding text g. Plotting: Always plot Extents and Scale to Fit

5. Layers: Layer Properties Manager dialog box

a. b. c. d.

light bulb icon On/Off sun/snowflake icon Thaw/Freeze padlock icon Lock/Unlock Color tile e. Linetype f. Layer 0 default g. Any linetype other than Continuous, must be loaded.

6. Zoom command:

a. b. c. d. e. f.

Realtime Window pick rectangle uses two points All all objects and all limits Extents all objects disregarding limits Previous automatically changes to previous window Pan moves display area, can use wheel mouse

7. Toolbars: most often used a. Draw create objects such as Line, Circle, Polyline, Arc,

b.

c. d. e.

f.

Mtext(UPPERCASE only), May also use Draw pull-down menu. Mtext vs Dtext. Modify used to change existing objects or to use existing objects to create new objects. May also use Modify pull-down menu. Erase, Undo and Redo. Polar Array. Text- used to enter and edit text. Inquiry used to find Distances, Area, and Mass Properties. May also use Standard Toolbar flyout button. UCS used to create and modify the User Coordinate System. May also use Standard Toolbar flyout button. Solid Editing Contains Region editing buttons for Subtract, Union, and Intersect commands.

8. Object Snap (OSNAP) settings and use

a. Endpoint(endp), Center(cen), Quadrant(qua), Intersection(int)

9. AutoCAD Commands used to draw Escapement Wheel

a. Draw commands: Circle, Line, b. Modify commands: Trim, Move, Array, Fillet, Erase, Mirror c. VIEWRES-set to 10,000 to view circle as circles not polygons

10. Region command: required to calculate Mass Property.

a. Requirements must be closed 2D object such as Plines, Circles, Ellipses, and Polygons. No open or overlapping objects are permitted. b. Boolean operations Subtract, Union, and Intersect are used to modify Regions (see Solid Editing toolbar).

11. Lasercamm presentation

a. Inquiry Toolbar: Mass Properties, Weight, Specific Gravity