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GRAPHIC & DESIGN

Chapter 3
COMPUTER AIDED DRAWING
(CAD)

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GRAPHIC & DESIGN
 3.1 What is CAD?
 An electronic tool that enables you to make quick and
accurate drawings with the use of the computer.
 CAD is an acronym for:
1. Computer Aided Drafting
2. Computer Aided Design
3. Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD)

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GRAPHIC & DESIGN
 3.2 Capabilities of a CAD system
 Flexibility of editing: ability to make quick alterations to a
drawing.
 Units and Accuracy levels: ability to change and work with
different units and create highly accurate drawings.
 Storage and Access for drawings: save space, quick access,
more organized.
 Sharing CADD drawings: electronic files can be transferred
easily and quickly from any location.
 Design: Allows you to quickly change current designs with
accuracy.

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GRAPHIC & DESIGN
 3.3 Function of CAD system
 Draw: add geometry to drawing (lines, arcs, circles, ellipses,
text).
 Edit: change elements of drawings (erase, move, array, copy,
offset).
 Data Output: view/display functions, printing (zoom, pan,
scale, colors).
 System Control: setting drawing environment (layers, line
types, styles, drawing space, drawing aids).
 Data Storage and Management: Filing, Saving drawings (open,
saving, copying, deleting files).

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GRAPHIC & DESIGN
 3.4 Introduction to AUTOCAD
 Everything that you draw in AutoCAD is exact.
• The X-Y Co-orrdinate System
• All objects drawn on the screen are placed there based on a simple X, Y co-
ordinate system.
• In AutoCAD this is known as the World Co-ordinate System (WCS). You must
understand this to know how to put things where you want them.

Fig. 3.2: Orthographic views

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GRAPHIC & DESIGN
 3.4 Navigating the working environment
3.4.1 Overview
Title Bar Menu Bar

Dashboard

Pull-down menus

Main Toolbar

Drawing
area

Crosshairs
WCS Icon

Command window
Status Bar
KEJ3103 Drawing Engineering
 3.4 Navigating the working environment
3.4.1 Overview
Title Bar Menu Bar

Dashboard

Toolbar

Drawing
area

Crosshairs

Command window
Status Bar
KEJ3103 Drawing Engineering
 3.4 Navigating the working environment
3.4.2 Keyboard input: Special keys
 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 command 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
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careful not to press ENTER. GRAPHIC & DESIGN
 3.4 Navigating the working environment
3.4.2 Keyboard input: Function keys
Option Description
F1 Displays Help
F2 Toggles Text Window
F3 Toggles OSNAP
F4 Toggles TABMODE
F5 Toggles ISOPLANE
F6 Toggles UCSDETECT
F7 Toggles GRIDMODE
F8 Toggles ORTHOMODE
F9 Toggles SNAPMODE
F10 Toggles Polar Tracking
F11 Toggles Object Snap Tracking
F12 Toggles Dynamic Input
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The End

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GRAPHIC & DESIGN