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November 2020
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Essentials

AutoCAD®
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Mechanical 2021

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Authorized Publisher
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 © 2020 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
Except as otherwise permitted by Autodesk, Inc., this publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in
any form, by any method, for any purpose.

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Certain materials included in this publication are reprinted with the permission of the copyright holder.

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Trademarks

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AutoSnap, AutoTrack, Backburner, Backdraft, Beast, BIM 360, Burn, Buzzsaw, CADmep, CAiCE, CAMduct, Civil 3D,

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Disclaimer
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THIS PUBLICATION AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS MADE AVAILABLE BY AUTODESK, INC. “AS IS.”
AUTODESK, INC. DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY
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Published by:
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ASCENT Center for Technical Knowledge

630 Peter Jefferson Parkway, Suite 175
Charlottesville, VA 22911
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866-527-2368
www.ascented.com
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AS-AMC2101-ESS1MU-SG // IS-AMC2101-ESS1MU-SG
 Contents

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Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

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Exercise Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

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Chapter 1: Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

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Lesson: Interacting with the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Exercise: Interact with the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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Lesson: Common Drawing Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
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Exercise: Create and Use Template Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
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Chapter 2: Object Property and Layer Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
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Lesson: Property Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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Exercise: Automatic Property Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Lesson: Layer Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Exercise: Control Layer Display and Geometry on Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
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Chapter 3: Organizing Drawing Geometry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

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Lesson: Drawing Creation Workflows and Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

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Lesson: Structuring Data in Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Exercise: Create a Drawing Using Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Lesson: Reusing and Editing Structured Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
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Exercise: Reuse and Edit Structured Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

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Chapter 4: Tools for Creating Key Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Lesson: Core Design Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Exercise: Create Geometry Using the Core Design Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
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Lesson: Power Snaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

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Exercise: Configure and Activate Power Snaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Lesson: Centerlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Exercise: Add Centerlines and Holes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Lesson: Construction Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Exercise: Create and Use Construction Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Lesson: Designing with Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Exercise: Draw with Different Line Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Lesson: Adding Standard Feature Data for Holes and Slots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Exercise: Add Holes and Slots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

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 Chapter 5: Tools for Manipulating Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Lesson: Editing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Exercise: Basic Editing Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Lesson: Power Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Exercise: Use Power Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

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Lesson: Associative Hide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Exercise: Create and Edit Associative Hides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

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Exercise: Create and Edit Associative Hides - When Using Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

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Chapter 6: Mechanical Part Generators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

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Lesson: Standard Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

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Exercise: Insert and Notate Standard Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Exercise: Insert from the Content Libraries Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Lesson: Chains and Belts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292

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Exercise: Design Chains and Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

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Lesson: Shaft Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Exercise: Place a Shaft in an Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316

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Lesson: Standard Shaft Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
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Exercise: Insert Standard Shaft Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lesson: Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Exercise: Insert a Spring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
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Chapter 7: Creating Drawing Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345

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Lesson: Model Space Views in Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346

Exercise: Create Viewports and Details in Layouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Lesson: Creating Drawing Sheets in Model Space. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
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Exercise: Create Drawing Sheets in Model Space. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369

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Lesson: Annotation Views When Using Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372

Exercise: Create and Edit Annotation Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
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Lesson: Title Blocks and Drawing Borders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390

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Exercise: Insert Title Blocks and Borders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399

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Chapter 8: Dimensioning and Annotating Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403

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Lesson: Annotation and Annotation Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406

Exercise: Annotate Parts and Subassemblies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
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Lesson: Creating Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438

Exercise: Use the Power Dimension Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
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Exercise: Add Different Power Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460

Exercise: Place Multiple Dimensions Automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465
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Lesson: Editing Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467

Exercise: Edit Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
Lesson: Hole Charts and Fits Lists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Exercise: Add Hole Charts and Fits Lists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487
Lesson: Revision Lists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
Exercise: Create a Revision List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496

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 Chapter 9: Bill of Materials, Parts Lists, and Balloons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499
Lesson: Part References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502
Exercise: Create Part References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Lesson: Bill of Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
Exercise: Create and Edit a Bill of Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 523

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Exercise: Create and Edit a Bill of Materials - When Using Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526
Lesson: Inserting Parts Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529

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Exercise: Insert and Edit Parts Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535
Exercise: Insert and Edit Parts Lists - When Using Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539

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Lesson: Ballooning Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541

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Exercise: Add Balloons to Assembly Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549

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Chapter 10: Design Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
Lesson: Design Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558

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Exercise: Calculate Moments of Inertia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 574

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Exercise: Calculate the Deflection Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576
Exercise: Calculate Shaft Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578

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Exercise: Calculate FEA Stresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580
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Chapter 11: Leveraging Your Existing Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 585
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Lesson: DWG Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 586
Exercise: Remove Mechanical Content from a Drawing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590
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Lesson: IGES Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 592

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Lesson: Model Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594

Exercise: Create Views Associated to an Autodesk Inventor 3D Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600
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Chapter 12: Mechanical Options for the CAD Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605

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Lesson: Standards-Based Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 606

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Exercise: Create and Set a Default Standard Template. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 613

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Lesson: Configure Layer, Text, and Object Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 615

Exercise: Configure Layers and Object Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 623
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Lesson: Configure the Annotation Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 629

Exercise: Set Annotation Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 652
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Lesson: Configure Component Properties, BOMs, Parts Lists, and Balloons . . . . . . . . . 655
Exercise: Configure Properties, BOM, Parts List, and Balloons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 673
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Contents ■ iii
 Introduction

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Welcome to the AutoCAD® Mechanical 2021 Essentials learning guide for use in Authorized
Training Center (ATC®) locations, corporate training settings, and other classroom settings.

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Although this learning guide is designed for instructor-led courses, you can also use it for self-
paced learning. The learning guide encourages self-learning through the use of the

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AutoCAD® Mechanical Help system.

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This introduction covers the following topics:

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Course objectives
■

■
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Prerequisites
Using this guide
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Downloading and installing the Exercise Files
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■ Notes, tips, and warnings

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Feedback
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Free Autodesk software for students and educators
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This learning guide is complementary to the software documentation. For detailed

explanations of features and functionality, refer to the Help in the software.
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Course Objectives
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After completing this learning guide, you will be able to:

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■ Identify the main interface elements, their setup and what Help information is available,
and to create and use drawing template files.
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■
Describe the object property management system in which layers are configured and the
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tools for manipulating layers.

■
Describe the workflows for organizing drawing geometry and create a Mechanical
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structure in a drawing by creating components, component views, and folders.

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■ Describe the core mechanical design tools of rectangle, hatch, fillet, chamfer, holes, slots,
and threads and how to use them to create and modify geometry in your drawings.
■
Modify and edit drawing objects by creating multiple offset copies, scaling them with
separate values for the X and Y direction, or using a power command.
■
Insert industry standard parts into your assembly designs.
■
Create production-ready drawings in model space and layouts of structured and non-
structured geometry and insert title blocks and borders.

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 ■ Notate a drawing through the creation and editing of dimensions, hole charts, fits lists,
and mechanical symbols.
■
Explain how to create and edit a bill of materials, parts list, and balloons.
■ Describe the tools that you can use to verify whether or not the standard parts or custom

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parts within your design meet or exceed the requirements for operational use.
■
Exchange data between CAD systems in the form of Mechanical DWG™ and IGES files and
create Mechanical drawings using Inventor Link.

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■
Create a custom drafting standard and drawing template that includes the configuration

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settings for layers, object properties, symbols, text, BOMs, parts list, balloons, and other

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annotation tools.

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Prerequisites
This guide is designed for users who are new to the AutoCAD® Mechanical 2021 software.

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■ A basic understanding of mechanical drafting or design.
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A working knowledge of the AutoCAD® software.

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■
A working knowledge of the Microsoft® Windows® 10 operating system.
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Using This Guide
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The lessons are independent of each other. However, it is recommended that you complete
these lessons in the order in which they are presented unless you are familiar with the
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concepts and functionality described in those lessons.

Each chapter contains:
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■
Lessons - Usually two or more lessons in each chapter.
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■
Exercises - Practical, real-world examples for you to exercise using the functionality that
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you have just learned. Each exercise contains step-by-step procedures and graphics to
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help you complete the exercise successfully.

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Downloading and Installing the Exercise Files

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The Exercise Files page in this Learning Guide contains a link to all of the data and drawings
required to complete the exercises. To install the data files for the exercises:
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1. Type or click the link, provided on the Exercise Files page of the learning guide, into a
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web browser and download the .EXE file containing the Exercise Files.
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2. Extract the .EXE file to C:\. This should be a directory for which you have read\write
privileges for your user account. A folder called C:\AutoCAD Mechanical 2021
Essentials Exercise Files is created, containing the files that are required for each
exercise in this learning guide.

vi ■ Introduction
 Notes, Tips, and Warnings
Throughout this learning guide, notes, tips, and warnings are called out for special attention.

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Notes contain guidelines, constraints, and other explanatory information.

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Tips provide information to enhance your productivity.

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Warnings provide information about actions that might result in the loss of data, system failures, or

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other serious consequences.

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Feedback

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We always welcome feedback on Autodesk Official Training Courseware. After completing

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this course, if you have suggestions for improvements or want to report an error in the
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learning guide or with the Exercise Files, please send your comments to
feedback@ascented.com.
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Free Autodesk Software for Students and Educators
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The Autodesk Education Community is an online resource with more than five million
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members that enables educators and students to download for free the same software used
by professionals worldwide (see website for terms and conditions). You can also access
additional tools and materials to help you design, visualize, and simulate ideas. Connect with
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other learners to stay current with the latest industry trends and get the most out of your
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designs.
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Get started today. Register at the Autodesk Education Community (www.autodesk.com/

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joinedu) and download one of the many available Autodesk software applications.
Note: Free products are subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license and
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services agreement that accompanies the software. The software is for personal use for
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education purposes only and is not intended for classroom or lab use.
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Introduction ■ vii
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Chapter

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1

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Getting Started

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Chapter1:

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In this chapter, you learn how the AutoCAD® Mechanical interface is set up. You become
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familiar with where to find various commands and learn how to create drawing template
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files and to use them when creating new drawings.

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Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
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■
Identify the main interface elements, their setup, and the available Help information.
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Create and use drawing template files.

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1
 Lesson: Interacting with the User Interface

Overview

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This lesson describes the AutoCAD Mechanical interface, how to change different parts of it,

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and how to access helpful information when required.

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To work comfortably, confidently, and quickly in any software application, you need to learn

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the different parts of its user interface. When you know how to adjust the user interface to
match your workflow requirements, you can work comfortably and efficiently. Learning

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where to access information when you need it helps you to continue to improve your abilities
and skills.

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The following illustration shows the upper-left area of the user interface. The Color scheme has

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been changed to white for printing clarity.

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Objectives
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After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

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■ Describe the parts of the user interface.

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■
Explore and explain the purpose of the Ribbon and control its display.
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Access Help and other useful information using the InfoCenter.
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2 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started

 The User Interface
The AutoCAD Mechanical software has a similar look and feel to the standard AutoCAD®
software because it uses the AutoCAD software at its core. You interact with the AutoCAD

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Mechanical user interface to create and modify geometry as you do in the standard AutoCAD
software. The Ribbon, drop-down lists, toolbars, drawing window, shortcut menus,
Command Line, and Status Bar all function as they do in the standard AutoCAD software,

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depending on which workspace is selected. However, although the interface might feel the

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same and you can use the commands that you are accustomed to, you need to learn how to
interact with the AutoCAD Mechanical software. It contains a number of commands, tools,

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and workflows that were specifically established to help you create mechanical designs and

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drawings more quickly while meeting the requirements of industry and company standards.

Start Screen

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The initial Start window, shown in the illustration below, displays when you launch the
software or when you click on the Start tab while working in an active drawing. It contains two

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frames: Learn and Create.
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The Learn frame: Contains videos, tips, and online resources to help you learn about new
items in the software and how to start using the software.
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■ The Create frame: Contains tools to enable you to create new drawings, open existing
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drawings or samples, and view recently used files. You can also access product updates
and connect to your Autodesk® online account.
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Lesson: Interacting with the User Interface ■ 3

 Parts of the User Interface
The initial display and position of the Ribbon, menus, toolbars, and palettes in the user
interface depends on the active workspace. The AutoCAD Mechanical Ribbon is organized to
align with the AutoCAD Ribbon where possible and includes additional tabs and panels for

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unique AutoCAD Mechanical commands. The Ribbon panels are organized to align with the
tasks for completing a mechanical design and include the unique tools and commands of the

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AutoCAD Mechanical software.

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As you create and edit geometry in the AutoCAD Mechanical software, using the various
palettes can be beneficial. Different palettes help you access commands more efficiently and

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others make it easier and faster to change the properties of objects. Each palette can be

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independently set to dock, anchor, float, or auto hide at a specific location within the user
interface.
The Ribbon, Quick Properties, and Properties palettes are all palettes that are available in the

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standard AutoCAD software and in the AutoCAD Mechanical software. You can use the
Ribbon to access a number of AutoCAD and AutoCAD Mechanical commands from a single

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location. The Properties and Quick Properties palettes enable you to make various edits to all
types of existing drawing objects.
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When you are creating and editing drawings that use the Mechanical structure, you interact
with two additional palettes that are unique to the AutoCAD Mechanical: Browser and
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Structure Catalog. The Browser palette is used to display, hide, move, and edit 2D
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mechanically structured content. You also use it to create and modify viewports in a layout.
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The Structure Catalog palette enables you to access and reuse structured geometry.
In the following illustration, the default workspace Mechanical is active and the different
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primary areas of the user interface are identified.

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4 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started

 1 6

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7

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3

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4
5
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1. Application Menu and Quick Access Toolbar

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2. Ribbon
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3. Drawing Area
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4. Command Window
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5. Status Bar and workspace

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6. InfoCenter and Communication Center

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7. File Tabs
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Lesson: Interacting with the User Interface ■ 5

 Application Menu
You can use the Application Menu to access several key commands as shown in the following
illustration. Most of these commands contain submenus with more detailed options.

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Tasks that you can accomplish include:
■
Saving or exporting files.

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■ Opening recently opened documents.

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■
Accessing the options.

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Searching for a command.

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■ Printing documents.

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6 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started

 Using the Search function, you can locate one or more commands that are related to the
keyword that you in the Search field. For example, if you want to know which commands are
available to draw centerlines, entering center returns all commands that contain the word
center, as shown in the following illustration. The search results list the commands and the
menu in which they are located. Clicking a listed search result starts that command.

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Workspaces
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To help you access the commands that you want to use, the AutoCAD Mechanical software
has several preset workspaces you can use. Each workspace controls the display settings and
location of the Ribbon, toolbars, and Browser. The tabs that are available on the Ribbon also
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change, depending on the selected workspace. These different workspaces can help you
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work more efficiently, and enable you to create a design environment that suits your needs.
You can create a custom workspace from one of the preset workspaces to further refine the
interface with the tools that you want to use. If you change the display settings or position of
items in the interface, you can quickly reset the interface by reselecting the workspace.

Lesson: Interacting with the User Interface ■ 7

 By default, the software includes the following workspace configurations:
■
Mechanical
■
Structure
■ 3D Basics

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■
3D Modeling

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You can switch between defined workspaces by selecting the required workspace from the
Workspace Switching icon in the Status Bar, as shown in the following illustration.

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Exploring the Ribbon

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The Ribbon is an important part of the user interface and it enables you to efficiently access
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multiple commands. As you become increasingly familiar with the Ribbon, you can use it to
improve your design creation and editing time.
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The Ribbon supports the heads-up design process because it is space efficient and eliminates
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the clutter of tool palettes and toolbars. Using the Ribbon alone provides you with more
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space on your screen in the drawing area and enables you to maintain access to the tools and
controls you need.
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About the Ribbon

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The Ribbon is a special tool palette that contains the tools and controls that are relevant to
the active workspace. It is divided into areas that contain groups of tools called panels. Each
separate panel contains related tools, such as those used for adding dimensional constraints,
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adding symbols, or adding hole features. Some panels can be expanded to display more
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tools. You can also customize and save your Ribbon configuration.

8 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started

 Examples of the Mechanical and Structure Ribbons
The following illustration shows the different tabs (Home tab open) of the Ribbon when the
Mechanical workspace is active.

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The following illustration shows the contents of the Ribbon when the Structure workspace is
active. Note the extra Structure tab on the Ribbon for managing Structure.

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Ribbon Controls
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The Ribbon is toggled on by default when you start the software in either the Mechanical or
Structure workspace. The Ribbon is organized into a series of tabs. Each tab includes a
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different set of panels with related commands and controls that can be found on the
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Mechanical Classic toolbars and dialog boxes.

You can toggle the tabs and associated panels in the Ribbon on or off by right-clicking in the
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Ribbon area and selecting Show Tabs or Show Panels. You can also toggle panel titles on or
off by right-clicking on the panel tabs. Additionally, you can save your Ribbon configuration.
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Each tab in the Ribbon has its own set of panels that contain groups of related tools, such as
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those for using content, adding text, or adding dimensions. Some panels can be expanded to
display more tools. Some tools can also be expanded to display more options (such as the
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Power Dimension tool), as indicated by an arrow in the corner of the icon.

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1
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2
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3
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1. Identifies the name of the tabs.

2. Contains groups of related tools that are associated with the selected tool.
3. Identifies the name of the panels. Click and hold the down arrow to display more tools
and options in the selected panel.

Lesson: Interacting with the User Interface ■ 9

 Add or Remove Tabs
To toggle specific tabs on or off, right-click on the Ribbon and select Show Tabs. You can then
select a tab name to display or remove tabs from the Ribbon. Tabs that are currently displayed
are indicated by a checkmark as shown in the illustration below.

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Panels e EN
The AutoCAD Mechanical software uses Ribbon panels as one method of accessing
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commands and settings. Each panel consists of a collection of tools that perform related or
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similar tasks.
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When using the Mechanical workspace, a standard set of panels is displayed on each of the
tabs in the Ribbon at the top of the drawing area. Note that when you select a different tab, a
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different set of panels is displayed.

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By default, each panel is docked at the top of the drawing area in the Ribbon.
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Panel Visibility
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To toggle specific panels on or off, right-click in the Ribbon and select Show Panels. Select to
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display or remove panels from the Ribbon tab. Panels that are currently displayed are
indicated by a checkmark, as shown in the illustration below. Panels containing toolbars
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display in the last position (docked or floating) that they were in before they were removed
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from the display.

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10 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started

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Panel Tools Visibility

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Some panels cascade to reveal additional tools when you select the black arrow in the lower

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right corner of the panel. You can keep these panels open to display all of the tools by
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selecting the thumbtack located in the lower left corner of the expanded panel.
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File Tabs
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The drawing File Tabs enable you to quickly open and close drawings, or create new ones. If
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you close all of the drawings that are currently open or click the Start tab, the initial Start
window displays containing two content frames: Learn and Create. By default, the Start tab is
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always the first tab in the File Tabs. Clicking (New Drawing) in the File Tabs starts a new
blank drawing, which also becomes the active drawing. You can close a drawing by clicking
(Close) in the File tabs. You can also close a single drawing or close all the open drawings
together by right-clicking on a drawing filename in the File Tabs and selecting either Close,
Close All, or Close All Other Drawings.

Lesson: Interacting with the User Interface ■ 11

 Accessing Help Information
A key part of your continual learning is knowing how and where to get more information
when you need it. In the AutoCAD Mechanical software, you can access different areas and
types of information that you can use to help you relearn a topic, expand your understanding

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of a topic, or learn a new topic.

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Accessing Help Information

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Your point of access for additional information is through the InfoCenter toolbar, which is

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located on the title bar of the main AutoCAD Mechanical interface. From the InfoCenter, you
can search the online Help System provided with the software. You can download and install

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offline help onto your system by clicking Download Offline Help, which launches the
Autodesk Knowledge Network website to download offline help.

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The AutoCAD Mechanical Help system window gives you access to a variety of topics on the
Home page. You can directly access product information on specific topics, learn what’s new
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in the latest version of the AutoCAD Mechanical software, and access the online community.
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If you need to access the Help system when you are not connected to the internet, you can
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download the Offline Help system for use during that time.
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12 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started

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Procedure: Accessing Help Information

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To access help information in the AutoCAD Mechanical software, complete the following
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steps:
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1. On the InfoCenter toolbar, type a keyword or phrase and press <Enter>. Alternatively,
to the right of Help, click the drop-down arrow and select Help.
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2. Determine the topic or type of information you need assistance with or are trying to
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learn more about.

Lesson: Interacting with the User Interface ■ 13

 Exercise: Interact with the User Interface

In this exercise, you will interact with the 3. All of the rectangles creating options are
AutoCAD Mechanical user interface by displayed. To create a rectangle with its

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accessing commands using different middle aligned with the center of the
workflows and changing the display of existing circle, select the second rectangle

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different parts of the user interface. in the Center area.

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1. Open Interact with the User Interface.dwg
from the AutoCAD Mechanical 2021

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Essentials Exercise Files folder. A circle

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displays in the Drawing Window.
2. To begin drawing a rectangle, click Home

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tab> Draw panel>expand the Rectangle

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drop-down list.

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4. To set the rectangle location and size:

■
In the drawing area, object snap to the
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center of the circle.

■ Move the cursor horizontally, enter 400
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in the edit box, and then press <Enter>.

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■
Move the cursor vertically, enter 100 in
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the edit box (as shown in the illustration

below) and then press <Enter>.
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14 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started

 5. In the Status Bar, click the workspace 8. To restore the Ribbon, double-click on the
switching icon. In the list of workspaces, Ribbon title bar to cycle through various
select Structure. The Ribbon (containing display options, until the required display
the Structure tab) and Mechanical Browser method is restored.
should display as shown in the following

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illustration. 9. To search for the commands that enable
you to draw centerlines, do the following:

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■ Click Application Menu.

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■
In the Search field, enter centerline.

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■
In the Matches list, click Centerline
Cross to start the command.

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6. To minimize the Ribbon so that only the

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panel titles are displayed, click on the
Ribbon title bar twice to cycle through

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different minimizing options. You can also
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select the Minimize to Panel Titles from the
arrow drop-down list.
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10. In the drawing area, object snap to the

center of the circle and then to a quadrant
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on the circle to create the centerline as

shown in the following illustration.
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7. To remove the Parametric tab from the

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Ribbon, right-click on one of the tab titles in

the Ribbon, select Show Tabs, and then
select Parametric to uncheck it. Review the
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Ribbon to see that the Parametric tab has

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been removed. 11. Save and close the file.

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Lesson: Interacting with the User Interface ■ 15

 Lesson: Common Drawing Setup

Overview

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This lesson describes the creation of drawing template files and the use of drawing templates

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for the creation of a new drawing.

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Using drawing template files, you can maintain a consistent look and style across your

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drawings. Template files can also improve your productivity by decreasing the repetitive task
of configuring the settings in a new drawing.

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Objectives

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After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

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■
Describe the purpose and benefit of drawing template files.

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■
Explain how mechanical standards impact the creation of drawing geometry.
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Create a new drawing based on an existing template file.
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Create a new drawing template file.
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Change the default location from which template files are accessed and saved.
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16 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started

 About Drawing Templates
Learning to create and use template files is easier and more understandable if you know the
purpose and benefits of using drawing templates.

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Definition of Drawing Templates

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You use drawing templates to provide a starting point for all of the new drawings that you
create. In most design environments, the drawings that you create share some common

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properties and settings. Your company might have specific standards that each drawing must

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match, or your client might have specific requirements to which your drawing must adhere.

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Several drawing templates are included with the software. Most of them are suitable for
getting started and you can build on them to create a custom set of templates that are
specific to your drawing requirements. When you save a drawing template, you save all of the

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drawing commonalities, eliminating the need to create or adjust properties and settings each

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time you create a new drawing.

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Commonalities between drawings include:
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Configuration settings in the drawing, such as text styles and unit precision.
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Common blocks that you use to annotate drawings.
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Layout configurations and the insertion of borders and title blocks.
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■ Various settings in the Options dialog box. If the AutoCAD drawing symbol precedes a
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setting in the Options dialog box, any changes you make to that setting are specific to that
drawing or template file. Therefore, ensure that the settings you change from the defaults
are saved as part of your template. The AutoCAD Mechanical software adds seven tabs to
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the Options dialog box with additional configuration options and settings. Each of these
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tabs has AM: as a prefix to its name.

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■
The standard on the AM:Standards tab that you want active in the drawing. Within that
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standard, the different categories, such as layers, dimensions, borders, title blocks, parts
lists, etc., would have their settings configured to match your requirements for the use of
this template.
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Drawing template files are differentiated from drawing files by their DWT file extension.
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Example of Drawing Templates

You can set and save many options in a template file so that they are already configured in
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any drawing created from that template file. For AutoCAD Mechanical software drawing files,
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one of the most important items to configure and set to be current is the mechanical
standard.

Lesson: Common Drawing Setup ■ 17

 In the following illustration, the template file being created has the custom mechanical
Standard of COMPANY XYZ set to active. This standard is based on the ISO standard and is
configured to have all layers, dimensions, hole charts, drawing sheets, etc., match the final
requirements for the drawings that use this template as a starting point.

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About Standards Based Design
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To assist in the communication of design data, different industry organizations have
established different standards. By learning how to configure and use the AutoCAD
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Mechanical software, your drawings conform to these standards and to any variations
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specified by your company.

In the following illustration, the custom standard called COMPANY XYZ is being selected to
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make it the active standard. This custom standard is initially based on one of the industry
standards.
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18 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started

 Definition of Standards Based Design
Standards-based design means that you create geometry and annotation that meets
industry-accepted standards, such as ANSI, ISO, and DIN. It also means that you meet any
company-specific variation to those industry standards. A standard contains multiple

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elements that you can edit to achieve the settings specific to your requirements. Customizing
an existing standard can include, but is not limited to, changing the assigned layer geometry,

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changing how dimensions are to display, selecting which welding symbols can be added to
the drawing, and defining the information to be stored in the BOM. You can activate or

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modify a standard on the AM:Standards tab in the Options dialog box.

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To create design data that meets these standards, you can use the AutoCAD Mechanical

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software tools in place of the AutoCAD software drawing and modifying tools. You can apply
your drawing standards to all new drawings that you create in the AutoCAD Mechanical
software and to previously existing AutoCAD software drawing (DWG™) files that are opened

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in the AutoCAD Mechanical software.

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In the following illustration, the Object Property Settings dialog box displays a list of some of

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the layer and object property configuration settings for the active standard. The settings in
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the active standard help you to ensure that all of the geometry that you create in the drawing
is created on the correct layer with the correct properties. Because the objects are mapped to
a layer that you configure to meet your company standards, you can focus on creating the
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design geometry and not on the layer on which you are creating the geometry.
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Lesson: Common Drawing Setup ■ 19

 Example of Standards Based Design
Using the standards-based drafting and design tools in the AutoCAD Mechanical software,
the two views of a spacer plate for planting corn seed were created following both the
industry standards for notation and the company standards for layer settings and use.

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Creating a New Drawing Based on a Template

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To realize how much time you save when using a template file, you must know how to create
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a new drawing that is based on an existing template.

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In the following illustration, the AutoCAD Mechanical software default templates are shown
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in the Select template dialog box.

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20 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started

 Access
Command Line: NEW
Menu Bar: File>New

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Toolbar: Quick Access Toolbar
Application Menu: New

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If you use the QNEW command, and the Default Template File Name for QNEW option is set

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to a value other than the default None, you are not prompted to select which template to

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use for the new drawing. Also, starting a new drawing from the Start window or clicking
(New Drawing) in the File Tabs uses the most recently used drawing template and does
not open the Select template dialog box.

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Procedure: Creating a New Drawing Based on a Template

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To create a new drawing based on an existing template file, complete the following steps:

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In the Quick Access toolbar, click New.
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2. In the Select Template dialog box, select the DWT template file that best matches your
starting configuration requirements in the default folder or a folder to which you
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navigate.
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Creating a New Template

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You can create multiple templates when your setting requirements for new drawings vary.
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Each of the multiple templates contains the settings that match the requirements for those
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new drawings. To create a single template or multiple templates with varying settings, you
need to learn how to create a new drawing template.
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In the following illustration, a new drawing template file is being saved with the name
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COMPANY XYZ.
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Access
Command Line: SAVEAS
Menu Bar: File>Save As
Toolbar: Quick Access Toolbar
Application Menu: Save As

Lesson: Common Drawing Setup ■ 21

 To save the file as a template after executing the Save As command, you must select AutoCAD
Mechanical Drawing Template (*.DWT) from the Files of type drop-down list in the Save
Drawing As dialog box. When you select this file format, the active folder for saving this file is
changed to the folder specified in the Options dialog box.

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To edit a template file, you can open the file as you would any other standard drawing file.
The exception is in the Select File dialog box in which you can select Drawing Template
(*.DWT) from the Files of type drop-down list. Selecting this file format can change the

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active folder from which you are opening files.

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Procedure: Creating a New Template

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An overview of creating a new drawing template file is shown in the following steps:

1. Open a drawing or template on which you want to base a new template.

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2. Change the mechanical standard and other settings in the opened file to match your
requirements for the new template file.

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3. Click Application Menu>Save As.
4.
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In the Save Drawing As dialog box, in the Files of type drop-down list, select AutoCAD
Mechanical Drawing Template (*.DWT).
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5. Navigate to the folder in which you want to save the template.
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6. Enter a filename for the new template.

7. In the Template Options dialog box, click OK.
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Changing the Location of Templates

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For file security and productivity, you should learn why and how to change the default
location from which template files are accessed and saved.
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In the following illustration, the default folder location from which the template files are
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accessed and saved has been changed. Now when the Select Template dialog box opens, it
automatically accesses this new location. This new location only contains the template files
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that are used by you and members of your design team.

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22 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started

 CAD Management of Templates
For file management purposes, you should save your template files in a central location
within your file backup system. You can then change the path in your installation of the
AutoCAD Mechanical software so that each time you create a new drawing, you can select the

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templates from that central location. If you are working in an environment in which multiple
people need to create new drawings using the same template or set of templates, you can

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locate that central storage for the templates on a network drive and then change the
template file location path to point to that network location.

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It is easy to update templates when they are stored in a single location because you only need

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to edit a single file in a single location. Because everyone who uses the template accesses it

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from a single location, when you save the template with the changes, people automatically
use that template's current settings when they create a new drawing.

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Drawing Template File Location

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To change the location from which the template files are accessed and saved, you can specify

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a new path in the Options dialog box. To access this path setting on the Files tab, click the plus
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sign (+) to expand the tree view for Template Settings and then select Drawing Template File
Location, as shown in the following illustration. To specify a new path, click on the current
path and a new one, or click Browse to navigate to and select the folder.
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By changing the path under the Default Template File Name for QNEW category, you can
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specify which template file should be used automatically when the QNEW command is
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executed.

Lesson: Common Drawing Setup ■ 23

 Procedure: Changing the Location of Templates
To change the folder location for accessing and saving template files, complete the following
steps:

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1. In the Options dialog box, click the Files tab.
2. In the Search paths, filenames, and file locations drop-down list, expand the tree view

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for Template Settings and then select Drawing Template File Location.

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3. Enter a new local or network folder location or click Browse to select one.

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24 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started

 Exercise: Create and Use Template Drawings
.

In this exercise, you will create template 3. To change the display precision for the
drawings and new drawings using one of the units, on the Application Menu, click

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template files. You will also set a new folder Drawing Utilities>Units. In the Drawing
location for saving and accessing template Units dialog box, change the precision to
three decimal places (0.000) and click OK.

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files.

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The completed exercise

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1. Open Common Drawing Setup.dwg. 4. To create a template from this open
drawing, do the following:
2. To change the active mechanical standard,
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On the Application Menu, expand Save
do the following:
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As and select Drawing Template.

■ On the Application Menu, click Options
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In the Save Drawing As dialog box, note
or right-click anywhere in the Drawing that in the Files of type list, AutoCAD
window and select Options. Mechanical Drawing Template (*.dwt)
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■ In the Options dialog box, is automatically selected. Note the

AM:Standards tab, on the Standard list, template files listed in the current
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click PROJECT ABC. folder.

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■ Click OK. ■
Enter Common Setup in the File name
box.
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■ Click Save.
5. In the Template Options dialog box, click
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OK.
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6. Close all open files.

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7. To create a new drawing based on the

template you just created, do the
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following:
■
On the Quick Access Toolbar, click New.
■
In the Select template dialog box,
review the list of available templates
from which you can select.
■
Select Common Setup.dwt.
■ Click Open.

Lesson: Common Drawing Setup ■ 25

 8. On the Application Menu, click Options to 11. To specify a new folder location, do the
ensure that PROJECT ABC is the active following:
standard. ■ Ensure that the path is still selected and
9. To change the folder in which template click Browse.

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drawings are saved and accessed, do the ■
In the Browse for Folder dialog box,
following: expand the folders to the location in

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■
In the Options dialog box, click the which you installed the dataset for this
training guide (C:\AutoCAD Mechanical

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scroll arrow to view the various tabs.
2021 Essentials Exercise Files) and select

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■
Locate and click the Files tab.
the Custom Templates folder.

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■
Click OK.
Note that the Drawing Template File
Location changes to the selected path.

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12. In the Options dialog box, click OK.

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13. To save the file as a template, do the
10. On the Files tab, in the Search paths, file
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names, and file locations list, expand the
following:
tree view for Template Settings and ■
On the Application Menu, expand Save
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expand Drawing Template File Location. As and select Drawing Template.
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Click the listed path. This is the default ■ In the Save Drawing As dialog box, in
Template File location. the Files of type list, note that AutoCAD
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Mechanical Drawing Template (*.dwt)

is automatically selected.
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■
Note the folder location (Custom
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Templates in your Exercise Files folder,

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which you already set) in which this

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template will be saved.

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Enter Common Setup2.
■
Note the current folder location and
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■ Click Save.
path so that you can specify it again
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after completing this exercise. The 14. In the Template Options dialog box, click
default path is C:\Users\<User OK.
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Name>\AppData\ Local\ Autodesk\

AutoCAD Mechanical <version>\ 15. Close all open files.
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<revision>\<language>\acadm\
Template.
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26 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started

 16. Using Windows Explorer, copy the
Common Setup.dwt file from the default
template file location (C:\Users\<user
name>\AppData \Local\Autodesk\AutoCAD
Mechanical <version>\<revision>\

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<language>\Acadm\Template\) and paste
it to the new template path (C:\AutoCAD

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Mechanical 2021 Essentials Exercise Files\

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Custom Templates).

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Note: You might need to enter all or part of
the path if the Appdata subfolder is not

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visible.
17. In the software, on the Quick Access

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Toolbar, click New. Do the following:

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■
Review the available templates.

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■ Select Common Setup.dwt.
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Click Open.
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18. Close all open files.

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Lesson: Common Drawing Setup ■ 27

 Chapter Summary

In this chapter, you learned how to use the AutoCAD Mechanical interface. You also became

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familiar with finding various tools and menus, learned how to create drawing template files,
and how to use drawing templates for the creation of a new drawings.

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Having completed this chapter, you can:

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Identify the main interface elements, their setup, and the available Help information.

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■ Create and use drawing template files.

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28 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started