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DMX3305 AutoCAD Lecture Note 1

The document provides an overview of the AutoCAD workspace, including its advantages over manual drafting, what AutoCAD is, how to start AutoCAD, the basic AutoCAD workspace and how to set up the classic workspace. It also discusses mouse operations and customizing the workspace.

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57 views11 pages

DMX3305 AutoCAD Lecture Note 1

The document provides an overview of the AutoCAD workspace, including its advantages over manual drafting, what AutoCAD is, how to start AutoCAD, the basic AutoCAD workspace and how to set up the classic workspace. It also discusses mouse operations and customizing the workspace.

Uploaded by

Lakshika
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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AutoCAD- Lecture 01

Workspace

Contents
Introduction to CAD
2.1 Advantages of CAD over Manual Drafting 1
2.2 What is AutoCAD? 1
2.3 Starting AutoCAD 2
2.4 Auto CAD workspace 2

Introduction to CAD

Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) is the use of computer software to design


and document designing process of a product. Engineering drawing entails
the use of graphical symbols such as points, lines, curves, planes and
shapes.
CAD is becoming more and more popular and it overrides the use of manual
drafting in the product development process.

2.1 Advantages of CAD over Manual Drafting

1. Facilities and tools are provided for high precession drawings.


2. Flexibility to organize the drawing information.
3. Excellent drawing quality, independent of the skill of the user.
4. CAD is relatively easy to learn.
5. Reusability and Editing ability of drawings
6. Capability of 3D modelling and virtual realistic presentations

2.2 What is AutoCAD?

AutoCAD is a commercial Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) software


application, developed and marketed by the “Autodesk” company in United
States. AutoCAD was first released in December 1982 as a desktop app
running on microcomputers with internal graphics controllers.

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AutoCAD is used across a wide range of industries, by architects, project
managers, engineers, graphic designers, city planners and many other
professionals.

2.3 Starting AutoCAD

You can open AutoCAD using the start menu or the AutoCAD icon on the
desktop. Once the software is loaded, you can open an existing file or a new
drawing.

Figure 2.1

Then the system will open your drawing in the default screen arrangement
called the workspace.

2.4 Auto CAD Workspace

Workspaces are sets of user-interface components, such as ribbon tabs and


panels, toolbars, palettes, and menu bars, which are grouped and organized
so that you can work in a custom, task-oriented drawing environment.
You can modify the workspace according to your requirements. In this book
we will be using a workspace called AutoCAD Classic due to its flexibility,
efficiency and version independency.
The Classic Workspace consists of a set of toolbars while, tabs and panels
are inactive in this workspace.

Dr. Neel Gunasekera


Notations used in this book:
 = Enter
© = Left Click
® = Right Click
 = Continuation (Menu selections)
 = Important Tips

2.5 AutoCAD Classic Workspace

Figure 2.2
Appearance of AutoCAD Classic Workspace

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2.5.1 How to set up the Classic workspace

Figure 2.3
Available Workspaces in AutoCAD 2014

The AutoCAD Classic workspace is available as the default workspace for


AutoCAD versions up to AutoCAD 2014 (Figure 1.3).

Figure 2.4
Available Workspaces-AutoCAD 2015

The AutoCAD Classic workspace is not available in the versions after


AutoCAD 2014 (Figure 1.4).
The default workspace of AutoCAD 2015 does not contain any toolbar. You
need to follow the following steps in order to set up the classic workspace
for the versions - AutoCAD 2015, AutoCAD 2016, AutoCAD 2017 and
onwards.

 Command: -toolbar
 Name of the Toolbar: Draw
 Enter an option: Show

The “Draw” toolbar is now visible on the screen

Dr. Neel Gunasekera


 How to load the required toolbars on to the screen
1. Right Click (®) on any icon of any toolbar
[The available toolbar list will appear.]
2. Select the name of the required toolbar (e.g.: Dimension)

Figure 2.5
Available Workspaces-AutoCAD 2015

To change the location of a toolbar

Figure 2.6:
You can press and drag the move_handle of a toolbar to change its current
location.

Organizing the Workspace


The user interface of any application software contains a collection of
graphical objects (i.e. command buttons, icons, check boxes, menus etc...) in
order to access the commands.
Organizing such tools in an efficient manner is crucial for productive
operations.
The following items and the arrangement might be useful to you as a
beginner on the subject, but later on you can change the set up if you wish to
do so.

1. Quick Access Tool Bar:

2. AutoCAD Menu Bar :[File / Edit / View / Insert / Format / …. ]

19
3. Toolbars:

Draw toolbar

Modify toolbar

Object Snap toolbar

Layer toolbar

Standard toolbar

Figure 2.7
4. Command Line :

Figure 2.8

 If the command line is not available, use “ctrl+9” to load it.


 Command Line use to input commands and data to the system
 Respond to Command Prompts
After you enter a command, you may see a series of prompts
displayed at the command line.
For example:
Command: C  (C - short_cut for CIRCLE command )

Figure 2.8

Now,
You can enter the coordinate of the center of the circle (eg: 5,5 )

Dr. Neel Gunasekera


Or you can select an option (3P or 2P or T )
 You can use Esc-Key, to clear the command prompt

5. Status bar (switch bar):


Initially required switches
 Coordinates
 Model space
 Grid
 Ortho
 Object Snap
 Snap

Customization of status bar


You can customize the switch bar (status bar) in the following manner
AutoCAD 2014: Status Bar ®  Status Toggle  Activate / Remove

19
Figure 2.9
Status bar - AutoCAD 2015

 If you want to remove an unwanted switch from the status bar,


 Activate the switch
 Set-off the switch
 Remove the switch
 You may encounter some unexpected behaviours when the following
switches are on…Remove these switches from the status bar
[Dynamic UCS / Dynamic Inputs / 3D Object Snap / Infer Constraints/
Polar tracking]
Now your Workspace should looks like…

Dr. Neel Gunasekera


Figure 2.10
User Interface - AutoCAD 2015

Mouse Operations in AutoCAD

Figure 2.11
Functions of Mouse

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Activity 2-1:
Command : L 
Specify first point: © any point
Specify next point: © another point
Specify next point: ® (Right click to exit)

Now you will get this short cut menu in the drawing area
Select Enter from the list, to exit from the command

Once you exit from a command, the command line is ready for a new
command.

Now Right_Click (®) in the drawing area

Another short cut menu will appear in the drawing area,


If you want to Repeat the line, you can select the first option of the list

Dr. Neel Gunasekera


Right click customization of mouse
We can customize the ® (Right Click operations)such as,
1. To Exit when a command is in progress
2. ToRe-activate the last command when the command line is free

for that, the following setting should be done,


Tools  Options  User Preference  Window Standard behaviour

Figure 2.12
Customization of Mouse

Remove the  - short cut menus in drawing area,


Now, you can use ® to repeat the last command and directly exit from the
current operation without using short cut menus.

Ex: Try this


1. Command: Draw  Line
2. First point : © - any point
3. Next point : © - another point
4. Next point : ® - to exit
5. Command : ® ( to repeat the line command)
6. First point : © - any point
7. Next point : © - another point
8. Next point : ® - to exit

19

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