AutoCAD 2011 ESS Handout

VERSION NO.: 1.0 LAST UPDATED: SEP 2011

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AutoCAD 2011

Level I Essentials COURSE DURATION : 3 Full Days (24 hours)

EDITOR’S NAME : Badari N.Hiriyur


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Product OverviewProduct OverviewProduct OverviewProduct Overview

Design and shape the world around you with the powerful, flexible features found in AutoCAD® 2011 software, one of the world’s leading 2D design applications. Autodesk has been bringing efficiencies to your design process for more than 26 years. Used by millions of people globally, AutoCAD offers powerful drafting and documentation capabilities.

Course Description This courseware is designed for the new AutoCAD® user who requires comprehensive training in AutoCAD. It incorporates the features, commands, and techniques for creating and editing general designs with AutoCAD 2011 The course is run by one of our Autodesk Approved trainers and combines a mixture of instructor-led tuition and hands-on exercises. Prerequisite: Familiarity with the Microsoft Windows® operating system and a basic understanding of design and drafting concepts.

Objectives

The primary objective of this courseware is to teach the student the basic commands necessary for professional 2D drawing, design, and drafting using AutoCAD 2011. Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to: • Identify and use the key components of the AutoCAD 2011 interface.

• Use the fundamental features of AutoCAD2011

• Use the precision drafting tools in AutoCAD to develop accurate technical engineering drawings.


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Course Outline

Getting Started With AutoCAD 2011

AutoCAD User Interface Toolbars, Menus, Dashboard and the Ribbon Using command prompt and Dynamic input

Understanding Basic Concepts

Co-ordinate systems Creating geometry using co-ordinate system Creating lines & circles Opening drawings Creating new drawings Selecting & Removing Objects Saving Drawings

Utilizing Display Commands

Zoom Pan Real-time Zoom & Pan Aerial view Redraw & Regen

Entity Draw Commands Circle Arc & Ellipse Rectangle & Polygon Donut Point & Point style Pline & Mline and Mline style Ray & Xline DSetting Commands Grid and snap Using object snap & Polar Snap Auto Snap & Auto Track

Editing Tools

Erase Undo & Redo Copy & Move


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Rotate & Scale Stretch & Mirror Offset Break & Trim Extend & Lengthen Chamfer & Fillet Pedit and Mledit Editing with grips Using array Modify & Change Explode Purge Format for a new drawing Color, Line type and Line weight Line type scale factor Units and drawing Limits

Application of Layers

Introduction to layers Creating layers Setting color & line-type Managing layers Changing object properties Express Layer

Enhancing Drawings Annotation

Introduction to Hatching Editing Hatching Text styles Text & Mtext Editing text

Dimensioning Creating dimensions Editing dimensions Dim styles Introduction of Isometric drawing Iso plane Iso circle Iso dimension

Blocks

Creating Blocks Inserting Blocks Updating Block definitions


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Inquiry command Distance, Area List, Id point

Tool Palettes and Design Center Manipulating Blocks with Tool Palettes Customizing Tool Palettes Adding Blocks, Hatch to Tool Palettes

Printing and Housekeeping

Plot Dialog Box Model Space & Paper Space Recovering drawings Copying & renaming files Audit Publish to Web Feature Publishing DWG to DWF Publish to Web Feature DWG to PDF


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Creating a Simple Drawing Section 1: Getting Started with AutoCAD 2011 Section 2: Basic Drawing & Editing Commands

Section 1 Getting Started with AutoCAD 2011 ________________________________________________________________ Key terms Start AutoCAD | AutoCAD Interface | Command line and keyboard | Pointing device | Existing drawing | AutoCAD Cartesian workspace

Start AutoCAD 2011 1. Choose the AutoCAD 2011 icon on the Windows desktop icon by double-clicking.

2. Start > Programs > Autodesk > AutoCAD 2011


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AutoCAD 2011 Interface To use AutoCAD 2011 you first need to be come familiar with the user interface.

Menu Browser

The new Menu Browser provides easy access to a variety of content, including commands and documents, from a single button in the upper-left corner of the AutoCAD display


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Operating Windows The drawing windows are the area of the screen where the drawings appear. The lower left corner of the drawing window may also display a pair of arrows, called the UCS icon that indicates the current drawing plane. Command Line All the commands and functions are issued through this small text window located at the bottom of the screen.

As you work in AutoCAD, pay close attention to the Command Line. This is where AutoCAD will prompt for the information it needs to complete each Command. Remember: Read the Command Line! Status Bar The Status Bar displays and allows you to change many of AutoCAD’s drafting settings. Model/Layout Tabs The layout tabs divide your working area into the Model, where you draw the full-sized drawing, and any number of layouts, where you prepare the drawing to be plotted.

Using Your Pointing Device One of the primary ways of starting commands and inputting information into your drawing will be using the mouse. The most common functions include picking the left or right button, or working a wheel in the middle of the two buttons.

LEFT BUTTON With this button you will pick commands from a menu, point on the screen, or select a tool on the toolbars. You may also double-click on objects or files in a list. RIGHT BUTTON This button brings up a shortcut menu or functions as the <Enter> key.


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WHEEL The wheel on an intellimouse performs zooming, panning, and scrolling functions.

Open an Existing Drawing File The OPEN command allows you to open and edit an existing drawing. When you select the command, the Select File dialog box that appears is similar to the standard Windows file dialog box. Open Command _________________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: File > Open Command prompt: OPEN File Location Options History, My Documents, Favorites, Desktop Navigation and File Options Back to…, Up one level, Search the Web, Delete, Create new folder. Closing a File You can close a file without leaving AutoCAD by selecting: ▲ File > Close ▲ Window > Close (or Close All) Opening a Recently Edited File ▲ The History option lists files that you have opened. ▲ File -> at the bottom of the File pull-down.


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AutoCAD’s Cartesian Workspace

AutoCAD uses Cartesian (X, Y) coordinates to indicate locations in a drawing. Points are located by designating a horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) distance as measured from the origin (0, 0). (There is also a third coordinate, Z, which is used only in 3D drawing.) You can specify the point in one of two basic methods:

1. Picking a point on the screen with the pointing device. 2. Typing in coordinates at the Command: prompt (When it is requesting

point entry) in the form X, Y. How AutoCAD Measures Angles


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AutoCAD measures angles in a counter-clockwise direction relative to the positive X-axis.

________________________________________________________________

Section 2: Basic Drawing & Editing Commands ________________________________________________________________ Key terms Lines | Rectangles | Circles | Erase | GRID and SNAP | Zoom and Pan | Undo | Save LINE Command_________________________________________________________ Pull-down menu: Draw > Line Command prompt: LINE or L ________________________________________________________________ The most fundamental drawing element is the line. Almost any drawing will contain line segments. The LINE command allows the user to add straight-line segments to the drawing as needed. Command Options Specify first point | Specify next point | Close | Undo | Enter| Cancel <Esc>


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ERASE Command_______________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Modify>Erase Command prompt: ERASE or E

Just as in manual drafting, you will often need to correct mistakes or make revisions in an AutoCAD drawing. The ERASE command is used just as you would use an eraser in manual drafting. After you start the command, AutoCAD will ask you to select the objects you will to remove.

Drawing Lines with Direct Distance Entry and Polar Tracking ▲ Direct Distance Entry allows you to draw a line a specific distance by simply typing in the number. The angle of the line is controlled by where you move the crosshairs. ▲ Polar Tracking keeps the line to exact angles. You can set the angles, but for now we will work with standard 90-degree increments to create straight horizontal and vertical lines. ▲To toggle Polar Tracking on and off, pick the POLAR button on the Status Bar, or push <F10>. Polar Tracking_________________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Tools > Drafting Settings > Polar Tracking Function key: F10 (Toggle on/off)


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Another way to draw straight lines is to use ORTHO. It always forces lines to 90-degree angles.

Exercise: Direct Distance Entry and Polar Tracking

Step 1 Create a new drawing

Step 2 Turn on POLAR Step 3 L, 0,0 Step 4 Move the crosshairs straight to the right, type 30, <Enter> Step 5 Move the crosshairs straight up, type 20, <Enter> Step 6 Continue to draw the shape shown above. Step 7 For the last segment, type C <Enter> to close the figure and finish the LINE command. Step 8 Save RECTANGLE Command_________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Draw > Rectangle Command Prompt: RECTANG or REC

Command Options Specify first corner point | Specify other corner point | Dimensions CIRCLE Command______________________________________________________


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Pull-down menu: Draw > Circle Command Prompt: CIRCLE or C

Command Options 3P | 2P | TTR (Tangent, Tangent, Radius) DYNAMIC INPUT Command_______________________________________________________ Pull-down menu: Tools > Drafting Settings Command prompt: DSETTIGS You can enter coordinate values in a tool tip instead of the command line using Dynamic Input. Tool tip information displayed near the cursor is dynamically updated as the cursor moves. When a command is active, the tool tips accept values. Making Dynamic Input ON/OFF


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View Your Drawing The ZOOM and PAN commands allow the user to specify which area of the drawing to display on the screen. There are three main ways to zoom around in your drawing: ▲ Standard AutoCAD Zoom options ▲ Realtime Zoom and Pan ▲ Intellimouse Zoom and Pan ZOOM Command________________________________________________________

Toolbar: Standard or Zoom Pull-down menu: View > Zoom Command prompt: ZOOM or Z Shortcut menu: Right-click on the drawing window, and choose Zoom


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Other useful ZOOM command options Zoom Window | Zoom Previous | Zoom Extents | Zoom All | Zoom Realtime | Zoom object

PAN Realtime PAN lets you shift the display without changing the current magnification. The most useful option, Pan Realtime works similar to Zoom Realtime. .▲ Double-click on the wheel to zoom extents. UNDO Command_______________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Edit > Undo Command prompt: U or UNDO Shortcut menu: Right-click in drawing window with no command active, Choose Undo. ________________________________________________________________ ▲ Click on the UNDO button once to reverse the last command. ▲ You can also undo a series of commands. Select the down arrow beside the button to display a list of recent commands. Select the last command in the list you want to undo, and all actions back to that point will be undone as well.

REDO The REDO command returns your drawing to the state it was in before the last UNDO. It is only available immediately after an UNDO. You can REDO as many steps as you have undone.

Saving Your Work


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SAVE Command_______________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: File > Save Command prompt: QSAVE

Automatic Saves To prevent losing your day’s work in the event of a power interruption, it is a good idea to save your work periodically. AutoCAD can save your drawing automatically to file with the extension SV$.


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Making Your Drawing More Precise Section 1: Drawing Precision in AutoCAD (Object Snap)

Section 2: Making Changes in Your Drawing (Modify commands)

Section 1:

Drawing Precision in AutoCAD

Key terms

OSNAP | Object Snap override | Polar Tracking | Polar Snap | Object Snap Tracking

Using Object Snap When AutoCAD saves information in a drawing file, it does not save images of the

objects you created, but rather geometrical descriptions of the objects. For instance, a line is stored as two endpoints, a circle by its center point and radius, etc. AutoCAD therefore

knows the exact endpoints of each line in the drawing, the exact center of the each circle, and so on. Object Snap allows you to take advantage of this geometrical precision by

snapping to exact points on objects.

Object Snap_____________________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Tools > Drafting Settings > Object Snap

Function key: F3 (Toggle on/off) __________________________________________________________________

Step 1 Open the drawing E_FENCE

Step 2 Snap Setting: Endpoint, Midpoint, Center, Intersection

Step 3 LINE

Step 4 Save and close


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Polar Tracking Settings Earlier in the class we used POLAR to draw horizontal and vertical lines. If you need to

draw lines at other angles-for instance, 15 or 30 degrees-you can change the POLAR

settings.

▲ To access Polar Tracking settings, right-click the POLAR button on the Status Bar and

pick Settings.

▲ Increment Angle-Choose from the list of Increments angles or type in another angle to

use. Whatever angle you choose, AutoCAD will allow you to track to that angle and multiples of it. For example, if you choose 30, you can track to 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, etc.

▲ Additional Angles-Check to use angles other than specified by the increment angle.

Polar Snap (Optional)

▲ Both POLAR and SNAP must be on.

▲ You must choose between using Polar Snap and Grid Snap in the Snap and Grid tab of

the Drafting Settings dialog box.

Polar Snap______________________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Tools > Drafting Settings > Snap and Grid

Function key: F9 (Snap), F10 (Polar), toggle on/off

________________________________________________________________________


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Object Snap Tracking

Using Object Snaps and Polar Tracking can really speed up your work as we saw in the

previous topic. Now let’s add to that a type of tracking that works with Object Snaps.

▲ Object Snap Tracking allows you to locate new points in relation to one or two

existing points.

▲ Tracking builds a new point based on coordinates taken from two other points. The new X coordinate will be from one point and the new Y-coordinate form another.

▲ OSNAP must be on to use OTRACK.

Object Snap Tracking____________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Tools > Drafting Settings > Object Snaps

Function key: F11 (toggle on/off)

________________________________________________________________________


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Drawing Organization and Information

Section 1: Organizing Your Drawing with Layers Section 2: Two More Object Types

Section 3: Getting Information from Your Drawing Section 4: Sheet Set Manager

________________________________________________________________________

Section 1:

Organizing Your Drawing with Layers ________________________________________________________________________

Key terms

Template | Layer | State of Layer

Creating New Drawings

When you start a new drawing you are actually creating a copy of an existing template

file. A template is a drawing that contains all the desired objects and settings that you want to include in new drawings. Some of the settings stored in a template file are units,

limits, layers, layouts with a border and title block, text styles, and dimension styles. We will discuss these settings the second half of this class.

NEW / QNEW Command_________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: File > New

Command prompt: NEW or QNEW

________________________________________________________________________


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Using the Dialog to Select a Template

What are Layers?

One of the most important parts of a template is the layers it contains. AutoCAD allows

the user to create an infinite number of layers in a drawing to organize the objects.

Similar to overlays or transparencies, layers assist with editing, presentation, and system

performance.

Layers organize a drawing into logical categories. For example, in mechanical drafting,

views, hidden lines, sections, symbols, notes, and dimensions might each be placed on


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separate layers. In an architectural drawing, there would be layers for walls, furniture,

plumbing features, etc. By turning layers “on” or “off”, the user can control which part of

the drawing is displayed or plotted.

▲ The current layer is the layer on which newly drawn objects, such as lines, circles,

and text, will be placed.

▲ A color, linetype, and lineweight is assigned to each layer. When a layer is made

current, you are automatically drawing in the assigned color, lintype, and lineweight.

▲ The layer 0 is present in every drawing and cannot be removed or renamed. It is

normally not used as other layers because it has special properties with respect to

blocks.

Setting the Current Layer

Making an Object’s Layer Current


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Copy an Object’s Properties

Match Properties_________________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Modify > Match Properties

Command prompt: MATCHPROP or MA

________________________________________________________________________

To make objects in your drawing have the same properties as another object, use the

Match Properties tool. This command lets you pick one object as a “model”, and then

copies its properties (layer, color, linetype, lineweight, and others) to any objects you

select.

The Properties Toolbar

You can change not only the layer but also the color, linetype, and lineweight of individual objects. The Properties toolbar allows you to set these characteristics for

objects, just like the Layer toolbar lets you set the layer. Normally these properties are set to “Bylayer”. This means that the objects don’t have a

specific color, linetype, or lineweight of their own. Instead, the layer that the objects are on defines these properties.

Lineweight

Linetype Color


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Section 2: Two More Object Types ________________________________________________________________________

Key terms

Arcs | Polylines |

ARC Command__________________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Draw > Arc

Command prompt: ARC or A ________________________________________________________________________


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Definitions

PLINE

Command________________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Draw > Polyline

Command prompt: PLINE or PL

________________________________________________________________________

Converting Polyines to Lines & Arcs

Once a polyine is created, you may wish to break it down into its component parts so that you can remove individual segments or make other changes. Use the EXPLODE

command to change a polyline into the arcs and lines that make it up.

EXPLODE Command____________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Modify > Explode

Command prompt: EXPLODE or X

________________________________________________________________________


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Converting Lines & Arcs to Polylines

Sometimes it is easier to create lines and arcs and then turn them into a polyline rather

than using the PLINE command from the start. While separate lines and arcs will work in

most cases, it can be useful to have them work together as a polyline. For instance, it is

easier to select one object to move rather than all the pieces that make it up.

PEDIT Command________________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Modify > Object > Polyline

Command prompt: PEDIT or PE ________________________________________________________________________

Section 3:

Getting Information from Your Drawing ________________________________________________________________________

Key terms Exact distances | Exact areas | Information about objects

DISTANCE Command____________________________________________________


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Pull-down menu: Tools > Inquiry > Distance Command prompt: DIST or DI

________________________________________________________________________

Exercise: Measuring a Distance Using drawing: E_BIGHOUSE-A

Zoom in on the Living Room. Check its exact length and width. Write the distances here:

Length _________________Width__________________


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AREA Command________________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Tools > Inquiry > Area

Command prompt: AREA or AA _______________________________________________________________________

AREA Options

Object

Lets you select a single closed object (such as a circle or polyline) and reports the area and perimeter.

Add / Subtract

Lets you add or subtract several areas and reports a running total. Use Add first and select

the initial area by either the points or Object method. Then continue in Add mode to add other areas to the total, or switch to Subtract mode to define areas to subtract from the

total.

LIST Command_________________________________________________________


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Pull-down menu: Tools > Inquiry > List

Command prompt: LIST or LI

________________________________________________________________________

The LIST command gives precise information about lines, circles, and other objects in

the drawing. The information is specific for each type of object, such as the end points

and length of a line, or the center and radius of a circle. LIST also reports other features

such as the layer and space of an object.

PROPERTIES Command_________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Modify > Properties

Command prompt: PROPERTIES or PR ________________________________________________________________________

Creating More Complex Objects

Section 1: Advanced Editing Commands

Section 2: Duplication Commands

Section 3: Inserting Blocks

________________________________________________________________________

Section 1: Advanced Editing Commands ________________________________________________________________________

TRIM Command_________________________________________________________


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Pull-down menu: Modify > Trim Command prompt: TRIM or TR

________________________________________________________________________

The TRIM command erases any part of an object that extends past a user-defined cutting

edge. It is as useful as the erasing shield is in hand drafting.

▲ To use TRIM, you must have a cutting edge in the drawing first – that is, something

to trim against

Exercise: TRIM (using drawing E_SHAFT-M)

In this exercise you will use the TRIM command to make the drawing look

EXTEND Command______________________________________________________


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Pull-down menu: Modify > Extend Command prompt: EXTEND or EX

________________________________________________________________________

The EXTEND command could be considered the opposite of TRIM. With EXTEND, any

object that does not reach a boundary edge is lengthened until it meets the boundary.

▲ To use EXTEND, you must have a boundary edge in the drawing first – that is,

something to extend to.


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STRETCH Command____________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Modify > Stretch

Command prompt: STRETCH or S

________________________________________________________________________

The STRETCH command allows parts of objects to be moved, leaving other parts

stationary. In effect, STRETCH combines MOVE, TRIM, and EXTEND in one command.

FILLET Command_______________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Modify > Fillet Command prompt: FILLET or F

________________________________________________________________________

The FILLET command will modify the intersection of two objects. FILLET can be used

to make inside and outside rounded corners. It can also be helpful in cleaning up a

drawing by forcing lines to meet at an exact intersection.


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CHAMFER Command____________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Modify > Chamfer Command prompt: CHAMFER or CHA

________________________________________________________________________


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Section 2:

Duplication Commands _______________________________________________________________________

OFFSET Command______________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Modify > Offset Command prompt: OFFSET or O

_______________________________________________________________________

Frequently it is necessary to construct an object that is parallel or concentric to another object. Examples include walls in a floor plan, a gasket used on a pipe flange, and a triple

line border on a drawing. Rather than draw each line separately, AutoCAD allows the

user to create parallel shapes with a single editing command, OFFSET.

Exercise: Offset (Using drawing OFFSET-A)

MIRROR Command_____________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Modify > Mirror

Command prompt: MIRROR or MI

________________________________________________________________________


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ARRAY Command_______________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Modify > Array Command prompt: ARRAY or AR

________________________________________________________________________

Exercise: POLAR ARRAY (Using drawing E_FLANGE-I)


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Section 3: Inserting Blocks ________________________________________________________________________

What are Blocks?

A group of objects can be converted into a single symbol or block. Since most drawings

are constructed with complex components rather than simple lines or circles, using blocks

is one of the most important and powerful techniques in AutoCAD.

Blocks can be anything from furniture, to schematic symbols, to entire detailed drawings.

Different types of drawings use different blocks: architects need such blocks as doors,

windows, and roof sections; mechanical designers would have a stock of nuts, bolts, and

reusable parts.

How do you make blocks?

BLOCK Command_______________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Draw > Block > Make…

Command prompt: BLOCK or B

________________________________________________________________________


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INSERT BLOCK Command_______________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Insert > Block Command prompt: INSERT or I

________________________________________________________________________

DESIGN CENTER Command_____________________________________________


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Pull-down menu: View > Pallets > DesignCenter

Command prompt: ADC or <Ctrl> +2

________________________________________________________________________

Besides the basic INSERT command, AutoCAD provides several other tools to help organize and access the blocks you use in your drawings. With DeisgnCenter you can

group related blocks together in one drawing file – for example, a set of plants-and drag & drop them via the DeisgnCenter into other drawings as needed.

▲ In addition to blocks, you can copy other named objects through the DesignCenter,

including layers, layouts, and text or dimension styles. Just open DesignCenter, find the drawing with the objects you want, and drag the objects into your current drawing.

▲ Blocks inserted from DesignCenter can be scaled. ▲ DesignCenter can be used to generate Tool Palettes of blocks (see the following

topic)


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Tool Palettes____________________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: Tools > Tool Palettes

Command prompt: TOOLPALETTES or <Ctrl> + 3

________________________________________________________________________


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Tool palettes are designed to give easy access to the blocks and hatch patterns you use

regularly. To make use of them, you must first create palettes that include your standard

blocks and hatches. You can also customize palette tools to insert the blocks with specific

settings for properties such as layer, rotation, or scale.

When you create or delete tool palettes, you are not actually adding or removing block

definitions from the drawing. The icons in the palette define link to “source” drawings

that contain the block definitions (or to hatch pattern files for hatches), changes that you

make to the palettes do not affect these source files. However, the palette tools will not

work if the source files they reference are moved or deleted.

Preparing to Printing Section 1: Setting Up a Layout

Section 2: Printing Your Drawing

________________________________________________________________________

Section 1: Setting Up a Layout ________________________________________________________________________

Printing Concepts

As your drawing takes shape, you will want to print it. Sometimes you will need just a check plot on your laser printer. When the drawing is finished, you may need a full set of

working drawings with dimensioning, text, and title blocks. Depending on the size of your project, you may do all these things from one drawing file or several files.

There are two methods of printing in AutoCAD:

▲ Model Space for check plots

▲ Paper Space Layouts for working drawings

Model Space Printing Everything we have done so far in class has been in AutoCAD’s Model Space. In Model

Space you draw the “model” full-size in its real-world units.


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You can print directly from Model Space for a quick “check plot” of all or part of the

drawing. You can set the scale in the PLOT command to print out the model at a precise

scale factor, such as ¼”=1’. If you only need to get the drawing on paper, without a

border or title block, printing from Model Space is fairly straightforward.

▲ When you print from Model Space you will set a scale in the PLOT command. Do

NOT scale the objects in the drawing.

Model Space printing becomes more confusing, however, if you need a border and title

block, or dimensions printed at a specific size, and other annotation. These non-

representational items will need to be scaled up to the scale of the drawing, so that when

the drawing is “shrunk” down during the PLOT command to fit on the sheet of paper,

their size comes out correctly. In addition, with Model Space printing you cannot easily print multiple views of the same drawing at different scales.

These problems and many others are solved using Paper Space Layouts, which we will

cover in detail in this section.

Paper Space Layout Printing The primary way to print in AutoCAD today is to use Paper Space layouts. Think of the

layout as a sheet of paper. On the paper you will place snapshots of your design in viewports. These snapshots can be from any angle and at any scale. You arrange them on

your paper until satisfied with the results. You can blow up or crop the snapshots to suit your needs.

Using this method of printing separates the tasks of drawing into two stages.

(1) In Model Space all elements are drawn full scale – that is, at their actual real-world

size. (2) In Paper Space all elements are drawn the appropriate size for the sheet of paper, and

you add viewports to show the model.

▲ The border, title block, notes, titles, and most dimensions belong on the layout. They should be the actual size you want them to print on the sheet of paper.

▲ There is only one model per drawing, but you can have multiple layouts. Each layout

can have a different sheet size, different scales, and a different plotter, those settings

are stored in the layout.


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▲ You may have several pages in your printed drawing. Use a separate layout for each

page.

Working in Layout

When you first enter a layout, you are normally in a mode called Paper Space. You can identify this mode because the word PAPER appears on the Status Bar and the Paper

Space Icon appears by default in the lower left corner of the screen. In Paper Space you will add or edit the border and title block, add notes, and create or manipulate the

viewports that display the model.

▲ In layout mode, you see a visual representation of the drawing sheet. A dashed boundary on the sheet represents the printable area.

▲ The size of the layout reflects the actual sheet size specified in the layout settings.

▲ The model is displayed in one or more viewports on the layout.

▲ When working in layouts, you can use any AutoCAD command.


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Switching Between Paper Space and Model Space

To work inside a viewport (Model Space)

To make a viewport the active work area, you switch into Model Space mode. Click on

the word PAPER in the Status Bar (the button will change to say MODEL), or double

-click in the viewport you will to make active.

▲ Only one viewport can be active at a time. The active viewport has a heavier border,

and the crosshair appears inside it. In other viewports and in the “paper” area, the

cursor is an arrow.

▲ To make a different viewport active, pick inside it.

▲ With a viewport active, you can ZOOM or PAN in the viewport to show whichever part of the model you want.

▲ Remember there is only one model. Any change you make through a viewport on the

model objects, such as moving or deleting an object, will be reflected in the drawing and in all other viewports. Usually, you edit the model objects in the Model Tab

itself, not through a viewport.

▲ You can create viewports that overlap, but be careful not to place one completely inside another’s boundaries.

Pull-down menu: View > Viewports > 1 Viewport


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Command prompt: MVIEW or –VPORTS

________________________________________________________________________

Scaling Viewports

You can scale the objects in a viewport to print at a precise scale factor relative to the paper.

1. In Model Space mode, make the viewport you will to change active. (Or, in Paper

Space mode, pick the edge of the viewport to select it.)

2. Pick the desired scale in the Viewports toolbar (Viewport Scale Control).

Creating a New Layout

You can create a new layout by right-clicking on any of the layout tabs and choosing

New layout.


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▲ The first time you enter a new layout, the Pate Setup Manager dialog box will

appear. This dialog box allows you to create a new Page Setup, or modify an existing

Page Setup, or import other drawing Page Setup.

▲ The default layout names are Layout1, Layout 2, etc. You can rename the layout in the Page Setup dialog, or by selecting the layout tab, right-clicking, and selecting


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Section 2: Printing Your Drawing ________________________________________________________________________

PLOT Command_________________________________________________________

Pull-down menu: File > Plot … (Ctrl + P) Command prompt: PLOT or PRINT

________________________________________________________________________


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The Plot dialog box should look familiar. It is very similar to the Page Setup dialog box

for layouts. The settings from the Page Setup will be used as the defaults in the Plot

dialog when you plot a layout.

When you start to plot, you should pay attention the following item first.

▲ The Page setup name area allows you to specify a saved setup for use with the plot

settings.

▲ If Save changes to layout is turned on, changes you make in the Plot dialog will be

saved with the layout settings (in the Page Setup) and become the new defaults when you

plot the layout. You will not ordinarily want to use this option.

Annotating Your Drawing

Section 1: Adding Dimensions and Hatch

Section 2: Text

________________________________________________________________________

Section 1: Adding Dimensions and Hatch ________________________________________________________________________

When working in a production environment, one of the more time-consuming and critical challenges is the

need to dimension a drawing quickly and accurately. Then, if necessary, you must also be able to modify and correct existing dimensions just as quickly and accurately.

Linear Dimension Command


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Toolbar

Pull-down Dimension > Linear Keyboard DIMLINEAR or DIMLIN

Creates linear dimension with a horizontal, vertical or rotated dimension line

Aligned Dimension Command

Toolbar

Pull-down Dimension > Aligned

Keyboard DIMALIGNED

You can create dimensions that are parallel to the locations or objects that you specify.

Ordinate Dimension Command

Toolbar Pull-down Dimension > Ordinate

Keyboard DIMORDINATE

Ordinate dimensions measure the perpendicular distance from an origin point called the datum to a

feature, such as a hole in a part. These dimensions prevent escalating errors by maintaining accurate offsets

of the features from the datum.


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Radius Dimension Command

Toolbar Pull-down Dimension > Radius

Keyboard DIMRADIUS

Radial dimensions measure the radii and diameters of arcs and circles with optional centerlines or a center

mark.

Diameter Dimension Command

Toolbar


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Pull-down Dimension > Diameter

Keyboard DIMDIAMETER

Radial dimensions measure the radii and diameters of arcs and circles with optional centerlines or a center mark.

Arc Length Dimension Command

Toolbar Pull-down Dimension > Arc Length

Keyboard DIMARC

Arc length dimensions measure the distance along an arc or polyline arc segment.

Typical uses of arc length dimensions include measuring the travel distance around a cam or indicating the length of a cable. To differentiate them from linear or angular dimensions, arc length dimensions display an

arc symbol by default.

Angular Dimension Command

Toolbar Pull-down Dimension > Angular

Keyboard DIMANGULAR

Angular dimensions measure the angle between two lines or three points. To measure the angle between

two radii of a circle, you select the circle and specify the angle endpoints. With other objects, you select the objects and then specify the dimension location. You can also dimension an angle by specifying the angle

vertex and endpoints. As you create the dimension, you can modify the text content and alignment before

specifying the dimension line location.


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Quick Dimension Command

Toolbar Pull-down Dimension > Quick Dimension Keyboard QDIM

Baseline Dimension Command

Baseline dimensions are multiple dimensions measured from the same baseline.

Toolbar

Pull-down Dimension > Baseline Keyboard DIMBASELINE


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Continuous Dimension Command

Continued dimensions are multiple dimensions placed end to end.

Toolbar Pull-down Dimension > Continue Keyboard DIMCONTINUE

Multi Leader Command


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A leader object is a line or a spline with an arrowhead at one end and a multiline text

object or block at the other. In some cases, a short horizontal line, called a landing, connects text or blocks and feature control frames to the leader line.

Toolbar Pull-down Dimension > Leader

Keyboard QLEADER

Tolerance Command

Toolbar Pull-down Dimension > Tolerance…

Keyboard QLEADER

Center Mark Command

Toolbar

Pull-down Dimension > Center Mark

Keyboard DIMCENTER

Dimension Edit Command

Toolbar

Pull-down

Keyboard DIMEDIT

Dimension Text Edit Command

Toolbar Pull-down

Keyboard DIMTEDIT


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Dimension Update Command

Toolbar Pull-down Dimension > Update

Keyboard


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Drawing Hatch Patterns When you need to fill an area with a repetitive pattern or a solid fill, you can use the BHATCH command

to create a hatch object. In this section, you will learn to do the following:

● Specify the pattern to be used and the parameters governing the generation of the hatch

● Define the boundaries of the area to be filled

● Edit a hatch pattern ● Control the visibility of hatch objects

● Create your own custom hatch pattern

● Use the BOUNDARY command to create outlines of complex areas

BHATCH command

Toolbar Pull-down Draw > Hatch… Keyboard BHATCH or H


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Specifying a Pattern

Choosing Scale and Angle Settings


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Section 2: Text ________________________________________________________________________

This is a very important part of any drawing. On any given drawing, you may need to draw a single word, a

single sentence, or even paragraphs of text. Being able to efficiently draw and edit text directly affects your productivity. In this chapter, you learn how to do the following:

● Draw and edit single lines of text ● Define and use text styles to control the appearance of your text

● Draw and edit paragraphs of text ● Perform a spelling check on your drawing

● Learn about Text property modification ● Invoke Quick Text mode, mapping fonts, and the Clipboard

Drawing Single Line Text

Toolbar Pull-down Draw > Text > Single Line Text

Keyboard DTEXT or DT

AutoCAD 2011 ESS Handout

Documents

Transcript of AutoCAD 2011 ESS Handout