AutoCAD and Its Applications Advanced

Reference Material

Drafting Symbols
Symbols provide a “common language” for drafters all over the world.
However, symbols can be meaningful only if they are created according to the
relevant standards or conventions. This document describes and illustrates
common dimensioning, GD&T, architectural, piping, and electrical symbols.

Standard Dimensioning Symbols

The size of dimensioning symbols varies with text size, but it should be
consistent with the height of the text. In the following illustration, h = text height.

Standard Dimensioning Symbols

h
Diameter Radius Spherical Spherical Controlled Places
Radius Diameter Radius or By

2h h
1.5 h 90°

h h h
0.6 h
h
2 60°
Symmetrical Counterbore Countersink Depth Dimension
(or Deep) Origin

0.5 h 0.3 h
15° h
0.5 h
h
h 1.5 h
2h
30° Slope

Taper Square Reference

Shape

2.5 h
1.5 h 30°

h
1.5 h 0.8 h
0.3 h

Arc All Statistical

Length Around Tolerance
h = letter height

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Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing Symbols
You can either create your own library of GD&T symbols, or use one of
AutoCAD’s GD&T fonts to insert the symbols as text. The following tables show
how to construct the symbols.

GD&T Symbol Creation

2h Identification letter
Optional shoulder

2h h

Any
needed Filled or unfilled
height 60°
h
Datum Feature Symbol
Target area size Straightness
(when used)
Flatness
Form
Circularity

2h Cylindricity

60° Profile of a line

Profile
Datum Target Profile of a surface
number
Movable Position
Datum target symbol Datum target symbol
without area size with area size Datum Target Location Concentricity
Datum Target Symbol Symbol
Symmetry
90°
Parallelism
Orientation Perpendicularity
2h Angularity
Circular
or runout
Runout
or Total
Target point Target area runout
Target line
Target Point and Target Area Geometric Characteristic Symbols
MMC, maximum RFS, regardless of feature size (no symbol, LMC, least
material condition RFS is assumed unless otherwise specified) material condition
or or
MMB, maximum LMB, least
material boundary 1.5 h 0.8 h material boundary

Material Condition Symbols

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 GD&T Symbol Creation
2X 0.4H

0.8 h 1.5 h

Free Tangent Projected Independency Unequally

State Plane Tolerance Zone Disposed
Pr ofile
2.5 h 30°
3h

0.8 h

0.6 h 0.8 h 1.5 h

Between Statistical Tolerance

With a dimension Combined with

conventional tolerance

In the feature control frame

Statistical Tolerancing Methods

2h

2h h

Feature Control Frame with

Straightness Geometric Characteristic Symbol h = lettering height

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 GD&T Symbol Creation

1.5 h

h h 2h

60°

Feature Control Frame with Flatness

Geometric Characteristic Symbol

1.5 h h 2h

Feature Control Frame with Circularity

Geometric Characteristic Symbol

60°

1.5 h h h 2h

Feature Control Frame with Cylindricity

Geometric Characteristic Symbol

2h

h h

Feature Control Frame with Profile

of a Line Geometric Characteristic
Symbol and a Datum Reference h = lettering height

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 GD&T Symbol Creation
2h

h h

Feature Control Frame with Profile

of a Surface Geometric Characteristic
Symbol and a Datum Reference

0.6 h

1.5 h h 2h

60°

Feature Control Frame with

Parallelism Geometric Characteristic
Symbol and a Datum Reference

1.5 h h 2h

2h

Feature Control Frame with

Perpendicularity Geometric Characteristic
Symbol and a Datum Reference

30°

h 2h

1.5 h

Feature Control Frame with

Angularity Geometric Characteristic
Symbol and a Datum Reference h = lettering height

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 GD&T Symbol Creation

0.8 h 45°

1.5 h h 2h

0.6 h
Circular Runout

45°

1.5 h h 2h

1.1 h
Total Runout

Runout symbols may be drawn open or filled

1.5 h

h h 2h

Positional Geometric Characteristic

Symbol and Tolerance in a Feature Control
Frame with Three Datum References

1.2 h

h
0.5 h
2h

Feature Control Frame with Symmetry

Geometric Characteristic
Symbol and a Datum Reference h = lettering height

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 To create GD&T symbols as text, create a style using the gdt.shx font. Then
use the lowercase alphabet to type the symbols. The following table shows the
symbol produced by each lowercase letter.

Lowercase Letter Symbol Produced

a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z

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 Common Architectural Symbols

Exterior Door Toilet Water Heater

Wall Hung
Toilet
Interior Door
Shower

Pocket Door Urinal

Bifold Door
Oval Shower w/ Seat
Bypass Door Vanity
Sink

Window
Lighting
Rectangular
Outlet
Vanity Sink Tub
Recessed
Lighting
Outlet
Single Kitchen Sink
Wall Lighting
Outlet Washer/Dryer

Fluorescent
Light Fixture
Single Receptacle Double Kitchen Sink
Outlet
220V Range
Duplex Convenience Outlet
Outlet
Weatherproof
Triplex Receptacle Outlet
Outlet
Thermostat Refrigerator
Special Outlet
Doorbell
Floor Single
Receptacle Outlet
Fan Hanger
Floor Duplex Receptacle
Fan
Receptacle Outlet
Clock Hanger
Receptacle
Single Pole Switch
3-Way Switch TV Outlet Conduit

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 Single Line Piping Symbols
Screwed Buttwelded

Name Left Side Front Right Side Left Side Front Right Side

90° Elbow

45° Elbow

Tee

45° Lateral

Cross

Cap

Concentric
Reducer

Eccentric
Reducer

Union

Coupling

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 Common Symbols for Electrical Diagrams

Capacitor,
Polarized Microphone

Amplifier
Twin Triode
Circuit Using Elongated
Breaker Envelope Receiver,
Earphone
Antenna,
General

Resistor,
Ground Voltage Regulator, General
also, Glow Lamp
Antenna,
Dipole
Chassis
Ground Resistor,
Adjustable
Phototube

Antenna, Resistor,
Loop Connectors,
Inductor, Variable
Jack and Plug
Winding,
Reactor,
General
Antenna, Engaged
Counterpoise Connectors
Magnetic Core Transformer,
Inductor General

Battery, Long
Line Positive Adjustable
Inductor
Transformer,
Triode with Directly Magnetic Core
Heated Cathode and
Multicell Envelope Connection
Battery to Base Terminal Ballast Lamp

Shielded
Transformer,
Capacitor, Fluorescent, Magnetic Core
General 2-Terminal Lamp

Capacitor, Pentode Using Incandescent Auto-Transformer,

Variable Elongated Envelope Lamp Adjustable

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