Introduction to AutoCAD

Software Guides

Information and Learning

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Ashan Kalpage 11/5/2001
 Introduction to AutoCAD 2000

1. Starting AutoCAD .......................................................p1

1.1. The AutoCAD window .........................................p2

2. Coordinate Systems...................................................p3

2.1. Absolute and Relative Coordinates .....................p3

3. 2D Drawings................................................................p4

3.1. Drawing Lines.......................................................p4

3.2. Drawing Circles ...................................................p4

3.3. Drawing Arcs.......................................................p4

3.4. Drawing Ellipses..................................................p4

4. Frequently used commands ......................................p4

4.1. Extending objects ................................................p4

4.2. Object Snap ........................................................p5

4.3. Mirroring ..............................................................p6

1. STARTING AUTOCAD

To open AutoCAD click on the Start button and select Middlesex University local software,
Graphical Applications and then click on AutoCAD 2000.

When AutoCAD starts, a startup dialog box is displayed. The dialog box provides four ways to start
a drawing.

Open an existing drawing

Start a drawing using a template chosen from a list

Open a new drawing with the aid of wizards

Start a new drawing from scratch. This is a quick and easy way to begin a new
drawing

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1.1 The AutoCAD window
Once you have started AutoCAD by selecting one of the four methods described, the AutoCAD
window opens. The following figure shows the main parts of the AutoCAD window.

Draw Menu bar Standard

toolbar Toolbar

Modify
toolbar Crosshairs

Command
Window

Menu Bar: Contains the default AutoCAD menus.

Standard: This contains the frequently used buttons such as Zoom, Undo and
Toolbar Redraw. It also has the Microsoft Standard buttons

Draw and These toolbars provide you with the common draw and modify
Modify commands.
Toolbars

Crosshairs The crosshairs are controlled by the mouse, to locate points and select and
draw objects.

Command The command window displays messages and prompts. In AutoCAD

Window there are three ways of initiating commands:

• Click a button on a toolbar

• Choose an item from a menu
• Enter the command on the command line

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2. COORDINATE SYSTEMS

There are two coordinate systems in AutoCAD.

1) The Cartesian coordinate system has two axes X, Y for 2D drawings and 3 axes X, Y, Z for 3d
drawings. By entering coordinate values you indicate a points distance and its direction along
the X, Y, Z axes relative to the origin.

2) The Polar coordinate system uses an angle and a distance to locate a point. To enter a Polar
coordinate, we first select a point and then enter a distance and an angle. For example if we
were to specify a point 8 units from the origin at an angle of 30 degrees we would enter 8<30.

In AutoCAD you are automatically in the World Coordinate system (WCS) when you start a
new drawing. That is, the X axis is horizontal and the Y axis vertical and the point of origin is
at the left lower most corner of the drawing area. Drawing 2d objects in AutoCAD is
equivalent to producing drawings on a graph paper with relation to X, Y coordinates.

2.1 Absolute and Relative Coordinates

Absolute coordinate values are based on the origin (0,0). Relative coordinate values are based on the
last point entered.

For example if we were to draw a line beginning at X=2, Y=4 and ending at X=4, Y=6 using
absolute coordinate, we would enter the following at the command prompt:

We may use relative coordinates when we know the position of a point in relation to the previous
point. We use the @ symbol when specifying relative coordinates. For example the line which was
drawn using absolute coordinates, can also be drawn using relative coordinates by typing the
following at the command prompt:

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3. 2D DRAWINGS

3.1 Drawing lines

A line is one of the easiest objects to draw. To draw a line in AutoCAD you must specify a start
point and an end point.

To draw a line
1 From the drawing menu choose line, or type line at the command prompt.
2 Specify the start point
3 Then specify the endpoint
4 Finally press the ENTER key to complete the line.

The offset command can be used to create copies of a line offset at a specified distance. This is done
by typing, offset, at the command prompt. Then enter the offset distance and select the line or object
to offset. Finally select the side or point to offset.

3.2 Drawing circles

There are several ways of drawing circles in AutoCAD. The easiest way to do this is to specify the
centre of the circle and the radius

3.3 Drawing Arcs

It is possible to construct arcs in different ways. The default method of creating an arc is by defining
3 points (the start, Centre and end point). It must be noted that, AutoCAD draws arcs
counterclockwise.

3.4 Drawing Ellipses

To draw an ellipse in AutoCAD you have to first define the centre of the ellipse and then the end
points of the first axis followed by the distance of the second axis.

4. FREQUENTLY USED COMMANDS

Apart from the commands that draw lines and other shapes, there are several commands in
AutoCAD that help create drawings more effectively. Several of these are explained below.

4.1 Extending objects

You can extend objects so that they end exactly at the boundary defined by another object.

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 1) Type extend at the command prompt

2) Select a boundary up to which the object is to

extend
3) Select the object to extend

Boundary selected

Objects to extend selected Result

4.2 Object Snap

During drawings it is sometimes necessary to snap the cursor to other objects such as the end point
of a line or the centre of a circle. The following table lists several object snaps that are frequently
used in AutoCAD.

Object Snap Command line Snaps to

Endpoint END Object end points

Midpoint MID Object midpoint

Intersection INT Object Intersection

Centre CEN Centre points of circles, arcs and Ellipses

Quadrant QUA Closest quadrant of arcs, circles and ellipses

Perpendicular PER Object points forming a perpendicular

alignment

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4.3 Mirroring
It is sometimes useful to mirror an object around a mirror line, which is defined by two points. After
mirroring you may retain or delete the original object.

Object selected using Mirror line defined Result, with the original
using a window object retained