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AUTOCADD ASSIGNMENT - Reference volume - I WORKSPACES

There are three major workspace available in Autocad 2011. They are 2D Drafting and Annotation 3d modeling Autocad classic This is how to change the work space as required. By selecting the drop up menu available at the application status bar we can switch the workspaces.

Ribbon command: ribbon to close the ribbon : command: ribbonclose

Ribbon : Ribbons are floating panels containing tools that are required at 2d drafting &3d modeling workspaces Drawing status bar : It consists of the status of the drawing, (i.e) the ratio of the drawing etc..,

Tool tips : Basic tool tips extended tool tips

Basic tool tips : It is the tip which is available, when the pointer is placed over the tool to be used Extended Tool Tip: It is the extended information given when the pointer is placed over the tool for a little more period.

Extended tool tips

Basic tool tip

CO ORDINATE SYSTEM:
Co-ordinates is defining the positions of the points on the application. They are respectively to the x axis and y axis of the drawing. There are three main co ordinate systems available in autocad they are:

Absolute co ordinate system. Relative rectangular co ordinate system Relative polar co ordinate system

Absolute co ordinate system:


Specify a point by entering its x and y values in the format X,Y.
Absolute Coordinates uses the Cartesian System to specify a position in the X, Y, and (if needed) Z axes to locate a point from the 0-X, 0-Y, and 0-Z (0,0,0) point. To locate a point using the Absolute Coordinate system, type the X-value, Y-value, and, if needed, the Z-value separated by commas (with no spaces). Example: If you type 12,8 for a position, AutoCAD will locate an entity or part of an entity 12 along the X-axis and 8 along the Y-axis.

Suppose if u want to draw a line using line command co ordinate input to the drawing is command : L (shortcut for line command ) specify first point : 0,0 specify next point : 12,8

Advantages :
Absolute drawings can be drawn to the respective co ordinates Disadvantages We should know the positions of the co ordinates for all points which is not possible in drawing complicated diagrams

RELATIVE RECTANGULAR COORDINATE


A RELATIVE RECTANGULAR COORDINATE allows you to specify a position along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis (if needed) to locate a point relative to the last point you specified. To locate a point using the Relative Rectangular Coordinate system, type @ and then the X-value, Y-value, and, if needed, the Z-value, separated by commas and no spaces.

Example: If your last point was at 12,8 (see FIGURE below), you can type @11,7

and AutoCAD will locate an entity or point 11 along the x axis and 7 along the y axis from the 12,8 point.

The equivalent absolute coordinate of @11,7 would be 23,15 or 12+11 on the X-axis, and 8+7 on the Y-axis.

RELATIVE POLAR COODINATES


RELATIVE POLAR COODINATES allow you to select a point that is a specific length and at a specific angle to the last point indicated. To locate a point using a Relative Polar Coordinate: type @, the length of the line, a more than symbol (< ) followed by the desired angle of the line. DO NOT add spaces between the @, the line length value, the < symbol, and the angle value. (SEE EXAMPLES BELOW) Example: 1 If you are in the Line command and type @11<45, AutoCAD selects a point that is 11mm long and at a 45 degree angle from the last point given.

Drawing Commands

line : It is used to create a line with two specific points using co ordinate system. command : line Shortcut command : L specify first point : select any point on the window specify next point : use any one of the coordinate system, or select the point over the application screen to make a point

Using LINE Command

The LINE command lets you create lines, much like the name implies. It could be easily found in the "Draw" panel of the "Home" tab in the ribbon interface.

Entering "L" in the command line or activating the command from the menu will display the following lines:
Command: _LINE LINE Specify first point:

As a line is defined by two points, you obviously need to specify at least two points to create a line.

Drawing using 2 points

Command: l LINE Specify first point: (1) Specify next point or [Undo]: (Specify the other point) (2) Specify next point or [Undo]: [ENTER] (hit enter to finish)

Notice that AutoCAD asked for the second point after we specified the first one. You may continue to specify points if you wish, or finish by hitting ENTER. Drawing a continuous line You can continue drawing lines as long as you want without exiting the command.

The series of lines above can be drawn with the;


Command: l LINE Specify Specify next Specify next Specify next Specify next Specify next first point point point point point point: (1) or [Undo]: (2) or [Undo]: (3) or [Close/Undo]: (4) or [Close/Undo]: (5) or [Close/Undo]: [ENTER]

command line sequence. We constructed random lines by selecting random

points on the screen till now. You may wish to use coordinate input techniques to construct specific lines. Using the 'Close' feature Finishing the LINE command with the "Close" option will join the two ends of the lines to create a closed shape. Let's see that in action:

Command: l LINE Specify Specify next Specify next Specify next Specify next

first point point point point

point: (1) or [Undo]: (2) or [Undo]: (3) or [Close/Undo]: (4) or [Close/Undo]: c (enter "c" to close the shape)

Continuing with the last object AutoCAD let's you continue where you left off with other objects, using the ARC or LINE commands. This means that you can continue drawing arcs or lines attached onto previous arcs or lines. See an example below

shows how you can draw lines from the point the previous object (in this case, an arc) ends, effectively attaching the line onto the arc. We now have a line tangent to the arc. Best regards.

Circle : To create a circle for drafting. There are 4 methods involved in creating a circle. command: circle shortcut command: basic method : command : circle specify the center point of the circle or [ 3p/2p/ttr]: specify a point in the circle specify the radius of the circle or [diameter] : enter (D) for diameter or enter radius value for circle

For 3 point Function command : circle specify the center point of circle or [3p/2p/ttr(tan tan radius)]: 3p specify first point on the circle: select the point on the drawing. specify second point on the circle : select the point on the drawing. specify third point on the circle: select the point on the drawing.

For 2p function in circle


command : circle specify the center point of circle or [3p/2p/ttr(tan tan radius)]: 2p specify first point on the circle: select the point on the drawing. specify second point on the circle : select the point on the drawing.

For ttr function in circle


command : circle specify the center point of circle or [3p/2p/ttr(tan tan radius)]: ttr specify point on object for first tangent: select the object. specify point on obejct for the second tangent : select the object. specify radius of circle <2.000>: specify the radius required

Using CIRCLE Command

The circle can be found in the "Draw" panel of the "Home" tab.

Constructing a circle by specifying Center and Radius/Diameter

Constructing a circle specifying Center and radius. Upon entering the command, you'll be prompted to specify the center point.
Command: _circle Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]: (Specify the center point 1) Specify radius of circle or [Diameter]: (Specify the radius 2)

At this stage, you may use the "D" (diameter) option to specify the diameter. Constructing a Circle using 3 Points (3P) A further inspection of the command options or the CIRCLE menu, will reveal that there are other ways of drawing a circle.

Any three points on a plane are enough to define a circle. You can specify three random points to construct a circle.

Command: _circle Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]: 3p (passing thru 3 points) Specify first point on circle: (1) Specify second point on circle: (2) Specify third point on circle: (3)

You may also draw a circle tangent to three lines or three objects using this option. All you have to do is to activate the TAN (tangent) option before specifying the points (1), (2) and (3).

Command: _CIRCLE Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]: 3p Specify first point on circle: tan to (pick) Specify second point on circle: tan to (pick) Specify third point on circle: tan to (pick)

Constructing a Circle Passing through two points (2P) The circle command also has another option, labelled "2P". This option helps us to construct a circle by defining 2 points (which define the diameter).

Command: _CIRCLE Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]: 2p (passing through 2 points) Specify first end point of circle's diameter: (1) specify Specify second end point of circle's diameter: drag up direction and 60 (ENTER)

While the command is running, the "Specify second end point of circle's diameter:" expression asks us to either specify the second point or to enter the diameter of the circle (two points define the circle, anyway). I constructed a circle with 60 units radius in my example. Drawing a Circle Tangent to 2 objects, with a known radius (TTR) In some drawings, we may have to construct a circle of known radius, that should be tangent to two objects. You can conveniently use the "TTR" (tangent, tangent, radius) option for such cases.

Command: _CIRCLE Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]: ttr Specify point on object for first tangent of circle: (1) Specify point on object for second tangent of circle: (2) Specify radius of circle <1.2773>: (enter radius or specify 2 points)

Erase :
To Erase or delete the objects on the drawing select objects : pick an object to delete. select objects : pick an object or press enter to terminate

oops: Its an undo command after erase. command: oops

shortcut command:

Arc Its a part of a circle used in various places of drawing . It is used for an round headed finish over the drawing. Basic method of arc is 3 point method command : arc shortcut command:

Using ARC Command


6/14/2010 Orhan Toker in Basics , Command , Tutorials labels. 0 yorum

[All AutoCAD versions. Basic drawing commands] Hello dear readers,

One of AutoCADs basic drawing tools is the ARC. This command is used for drawing all sorts of arcs, as well as complex curves. This article aims at enlightening us with all the features of the ARC command.

Fig.1 The ARC command can be found in the Draw panel under the Home tab, in the ribbon menu. The command can also be accessed by typing ARC or A in the command line.

Fig.2 Lets have a better look at what happens in the command line, to be able to draw an arc as in Fig.2

Command: _ARC Specify start point of arc or [Center]: (1)specify starting point Specify second point of arc or [Center/End]: (2) specify second point Specify end point of arc: (3) specify end point

As you can see, we constructed a random ARC. Like in many other commands, there are some techniques that give you the control while the command is running. Lets learn more about the options in the ARC menu and see how they all work with an an example each.

Fig.3
1. Constructing an Arc Starting with a Point

A closer look at the ARC menu shows us that starting with an initial point, there are 7 methods of drawing an arc, including specifying 3 random points. Lets see: 1.a. Start, Center, End

This method helps us to construct arcs with a known center point by specifying the starting and ending points.

Fig.4 The command line will look like this:


Command: ARC Specify start point of arc or [Center]: (1) specify a starting point. Specify second point of arc or [Center/End]: c (this tells the command that youll be specifying a center point ). Specify center point of arc: (2) specify the center point. Specify end point of arc or [Angle/chord Length]: (3) specify the end point.

While using this technique, please keep in mind that the arc is drawn counterclockwise. Starting with the point marked (3) would have resulted in something like this instead:

Fig.5 1.b. Start, Center, Angle This is used for drawing an arc with the starting point, the center point and the sustained angle.

Fig.6 Lets examine Fig.6 altogether.

Command: _arc Specify start point of arc or [Center]: (1) Specify the start point Specify second point of arc or [Center/End]: _c (we'll be specifying the center point) Specify center point of arc: (2) mark the center point Specify end point of arc or [Angle/chord Length]: _a (we'll be specifying the sustained angle) Specify included angle: 45 (specify the angle on-screen or enter numerical value) Start, Center, Length

Besides the starting point and the center point of the arc, if the chord length is known, an arc can be constructed.

Fig.7
Command: _arc Specify start point of arc or [Center]: (1) Specify second point of arc or [Center/End]: _c (well be specifying the center point) Specify center point of arc: (2) mark the center point Specify end point of arc or [Angle/chord Length]: _l (well enter the length of the chord) Specify length of chord: (either specify on-screen or enter numeric value) Start, End, Angle

Allows you to construct an arc of known starting and ending points by specifying the angle sustained.

Fig.8 Lets draw the object in Fig.8.


Command: _arc Specify start point of arc or [Center]: (1) Specify second point of arc or [Center/End]: _e (well be specifying the end point) Specify end point of arc: (2) mark the end point Specify center point of arc or [Angle/Direction/Radius]: _a (well be specifying the angle) Specify included angle: 90 (specify the angle on-screen or enter numerical value)

Note: Specifying the points in reverse sequence will give you a reversed arc with this option too. 1.c. Start, End, Direction

This technique is actually the most useful among all, and if it hadnt been included in the menu, theres no way we could access it from the command prompt. In the example above (Fig.8), we specified the end point (2) so that the arc will sustain a 90-degree angle. This caused the arc to actually intersect the door just a little bit. Lets retry with our new technique. Itll be more accurate this time.

Fig.9
Command: _arc Specify start point of arc or [Center]: (1) Specify second point of arc or [Center/End]: _e (well be specifying the end point) Specify end point of arc: (2) mark the end point Specify center point of arc or [Angle/Direction/Radius]: _d (well be specifying direction) Specify tangent direction for the start point of arc: (90 degrees and upwards)

As you can see, specifying the tangent direction of the desired arc enables us to define an arc ending correctly at the specified point. 1.d. Start, End, Radius We can construct Fig.9 by entering the radius too.

Fig.10
Command: _arc Specify start point of arc or [Center]: (1) starting point for the arc

Specify Specify Specify Specify

second point of arc or [Center/End]: _e (well be specifying the end point) end point of arc: (2) mark the end point center point of arc or [Angle/Direction/Radius]: _r (well be specifying the radius) radius of arc: (specify on screen or enter numerical value)

2. Constructing an Arc Using the Center Point 2.a. Center, Start, End

Fig.11 Lets re-do the same sample using the center point.
Command: _arc Specify start point of arc or [Center]: _c (well be specifying the center point) Specify center point of arc: (1) mark the center point Specify start point of arc: (2) mark the starting point Specify end point of arc or [Angle/chord Length]: (3) mark the end point of arc.

Note: It is important to specify the points in counter-clockwise (AutoCADs angle direction). Doing it the other way will result in a complementing arc. 2.b. Center, Start, Angle

Fig.12
Command: _arc Specify start point of arc or [Center]: _c (well be specifying the center) Specify center point of arc: (1) mark the center Specify start point of arc: (2) mark the start point Specify end point of arc or [Angle/chord Length]: _a (well be specifying the sustained angle) Specify included angle: (specify the angle on-screen or enter numerical value) (3)

2.c Center, Start, Length This could have been excluded from the menu :) Although its not often used, Id like to mention it.

Fig.13
Command: _arc Specify start point of arc or [Center]: _c (well be specifying the center point) Specify center point of arc: (1) mark the center Specify start point of arc: (2) mark the start point Specify end point of arc or [Angle/chord Length]: _l (well be specifying the length) Specify length of chord: (specify the length of the chord on-screen or enter numeric value) (3)

3. Constructing Complex Curves Using the Continue Feature We've talked about arc-arc and line-arc continuity in our diaries. AutoCAD let's you continue constructing from the end point of the last object you created. If the object happens to be an arc, the second arc will be tangent to the first arc. Lets construct a spiral using this feature.

Fig.14 1. Lets create a helping line for the spiral. 2. Use the DIVIDE command to split the line into 9 pieces. 3. If you cant see the divided parts, set the PMODE system variable to 3 to make them visible. 4. Make sure NODE is selected in the object snap settings. 5. Lets construct an arc of known starting and ending points, sustaining 180 degrees, by marking points 1 and 2. 6. Now run the arc command again. AutoCAD will prompt you with Specify start point of arc:. Hit ENTER to select the Continue option. 7. You should now have a second arc appearing at the tip of your cursor. 8. Select the point mark 3 and continue until your spiral is complete.

Ellipse ellipse are drawn in 2 methods Defining the full length of the one axis and giving half of the length of the other axis Defining the center point and giving half of t length of other two axis Axis end point : (Defining one axis fully and other half) command : ellipse shortcut command: el

new save

open

Polygon To draw a equilateral closed polyline. command :polygon shortcut command: consider we need to draw a bolt. common bolt sizes: M3, M4, M5, M6, M8,M10,M12,M16, M20, M24, M30,M36 before drawing we need to know : inscribed/circumscribed Inscribed : Polygon inside the circle

Circumscribed : polygon outside the circle radius polygon is defined by the radius. lets consider drawing bolt M6 for this polygon command. command : polygon enter number of sides<4>: enter a positive integer specify the center of polygon or [edge]:fix the point required enter an option[Inscribed in circle/Circumscribed in circle]<I>: I specify the radius of circle: Specify the radius of imaginary circle.

ARRAY : Creating and array of objects The array command in AutoCAD is used to make multiple copies of objects. Although you can use the copy command to duplicate objects, the array command is more flexible and precise. One advantage of using the

array command is that it allows you to copy objects in a defined angle and exact number of copies. Therefore, you can create array in various pattern. For example, you can show multiple objects in a row, column, or irregular pattern such as a spiral. Lets look at a few examples below:

To create an array of objects follow the steps below. Rectangular array 1. Type Array in the command line or select from the modify toolbar. 2. Select the object you would like to array. 3. Input the number of rows. (negative number for downward array) 4. Input the number of columns. (negative number will point array to the left) 5. Pick or input the distance for the Row offset. 6. Pick or input the distance for the Column offset. 7. Enter the Angle for the array. (Use the default 0 degree). 8. Select the Preview button to see the sample array before you hit the Ok button. You can accept the array or modify it. (Optional step).

Polar array 1. Type Array in the command line or select from the modify toolbar. 2. Select the object you would like to array. 3. Enter or select the center point of rotation for the object.

4. Select a method of array. (3 methods to choose from see terms definitions below). 5. Enter the number of items to array. (Methods 1 and 2). 6. Enter the array angle. (Methods 1 and 3). 7. Enter the angle between the objects. (Methods 2 and 3). 8. Make sure to check Rotate items as copied if you would like to copy the objects as selected. 9. For Object base point use the default selected. (Optional step). 10. Select the Preview button to see the sample array before you hit the Ok button. You can accept the array or modify it. (Optional step).

Using COPY Command The COPY command is one of the most frequently used commands in AutoCAD. Some parts have to be used multiple times in a drawing and the COPY command helps you reproduce objects with ease. The COPY command can even be used to COPY a circle. This command is one of the most basic AutoCAD commands an it is entry-level. If you haven't read it, I suggest you read "Understanding Coordinate Input in AutoCAD" before using the command. Accessing the Command:

The easiest way of accessing the command is by using the keystroke shortcut, typing CP in the command line and hitting ENTER. Typing COPY and hitting ENTER may be a good finger-exercise, but current versions offer a simpler, easier and quicker access through the ribbon interface (Fig.2).

The Command at Work: Like all editing commands, the COPY command needs you to select the objects and specify the parameters. Copying takes place from one point to the other, so apart from selecting objects, the parameters are starting and destination point. Command:_COPY Select objects: (select objects) Specify base point or [Displacement/mOde] : (initial point) Specify second point or : (destination point) Specify second point or [Exit/Undo] : ENTER The command can help you create multiple copies of an object. After specifying the destination point, hit the ESC or the ENTER key to end the command. A simple application can be to select an object and specify two points.

Operating the command is actually pretty simple. There are different techniques you can employ to make things easier.

We've constructed a circle inside the square and we want to place a circle inside the other squares. Constructing circles individually is surely timeconsuming. We can use the COPY command for a simpler, more elegant

solution.

If the lower left corner of the square is specified as the base point as in Fig.5, the new copies will be placed using their lower left corners. Prompts list: Select objects: Select the objects to be copied. Specify base point or [Displacement/mOde/Multiple]: Specify the point that the objects will be held onto from, or select an option. Displacement: Prompts you to specify two more points to denote a distance. The length and the direction of the line you specify will be used in displacing the copies of the object. Mode: Changes the COPYMODE system variable. 0 = the command repeats itself until you end it. 1 = The command is run only once. Multiple: Activates the multiple copying mode regardless of the previous settings.

AutoCAD MOVE Command


10/21/2009 Orhan Toker in Basics , Command , Modify labels. 5 yorum [All AutoCAD Versions. Level: Basic]

Hello Daily AutoCAD readers, MOVE is one of the simplest commands that you can use in AutoCAD. MOVE is an editing command that we use very frequently to carry an entity from one location to another. You can access MOVE command either from edit menu or toolbar.

Command: _MOVE Select objects: (Select the entities that will be moved) Specify base point or [Displacement] <Displacement>: (1st point) Specify second point or <use first point as displacement>: (2nd point)

Fig.1 Hold your mouse cursor over the upper right corner of the door for some time and drag it towards right direction. In this example, you can see how to move a window that is not in its usual

location to upper side of a door. After executing the command, select the entities that will make up the window by using an appropriate selection method. Then, you will come up against the Specify base point or [Displacement]: message. At this stage, you will move the entities that you have selected from one location to another and the second point that you will select is very important. In the example, I told you that we will move the upper side of window to the upper side of door. This means that, we can select any point that is on the upper side of the window as reference point. Here, I chose the upper left corner. Now, AutoCAD will prompt you to select the second point. In order for the second point to be on the upper side of door, you should make aligning by using tracking method (hold your mouse cursor on the corner of the door and drag it towards right direction in the same alignment. If there is a dashed alignment line is seen, then it is OK.). And, move your window to this point.

Using BREAK Command


3/18/2010 Erhan Toker in Command , Modify labels. 1 yorum [Level: Intermediate] BREAK command, which is applicable to entities like line, arc, circle, polyline, donut etc., opens a space between two selected photos.

Fig.1 Execution of the command is quite simple. You select the entity that will be broken and then you select the two points. At the end the spacing between the selected points over the entity is removed from drawing.
Command : BREAK Select object: Specify second break point or [First point]: F

It is very important to examine how the command works at this stage. BREAK command accepts the point where you selected the entityf as first point. For this reason, you have to do the selection by using any of the OSNAP commands. However, this is not possible all the time. In addition, the break point also has a second line on it as it can be seen in the example. For this reason, I always select the entity from a random point and then I use the First option to select the first point properly once more. Thus, if you select F option from command line after executing the

command, you get:


Specify first break point: Specify second break point:

As soon as you select the two points, then the breaking operation will be executed. Indeed, these two points do not have to be over the entity. AutoCAD will accept the perpendicular projection of points on the entitiy as the breaking point.

Fig.2 As you can see in Fig. 2, even though the two points are not on the entity but on the other line, the breaking operation is carried out on the line that is selected. Another important point is the sequence of selection of breaking points especially on circles.

Fig.3 As it can be seen in Fig. 3, the spacing between the two breaking points is removed in counter clockwise direction. By this final tip, we have seen all of the features of BREAK command.

Using AutoCAD MIRROR Command


10/28/2010 Erhan Toker in Command , Modify labels. 0 yorum

Figure.1 The MIRROR command, which has been developed to duplicate mirror images of the selected objects, is one of AutoCADs most used commands. The command allows you to jump several steps. For example, something that you would otherwise achieve by using MOVE/ROTATE or COPY/ROTATE combinations can be done in a single operation with the MIRROR command. This command, which is appropriately all about reflecting objects, needs an axis of symmetry. We need to prepare this axis before using the command. In many examples given on this command, a half of a symmetrical object is drawn and the other half is put in place using the MIRROR command. However, drawing half of a symmetrical object may actually be harder than drawing the full object itself. A more useful example may be to draw half of a block of flats and then copy the other half into place using the command. In our example, we will use the MIRROR command to place the remaining chairs around the table. The MIRROR Command The command can be accessed from the ribbon interface or through the command prompt. Entering Mirror or just the shortcut MI will launch the command.

Command:MIRROR Select objects: Specify first point of mirror line: <1> Specify second point of mirror line: <2>

Figure.2 In our example, the axis of symmetry bisects the drawing. This axis can be specified with two points. In our example, the midpoints of the short edges of the table can be used to specify this axis. In some drawings, we may not have the points required for defining the axis of symmetry. AutoCAD drags the objects around with your cursor once you specify one of the points. This gives you a preview of what it will all look like.

Figure.3
Erase source objects? [Yes/No] <n>:[ENTER]

At the end of the command, you will be prompted as to whether the source objects should be erased or not. Entering yes will cause the original objects we selected to be erased from our drawing, leaving us with only symmetrical copies of the original objects. Now lets complete this tutorial with an interesting example.

Figure.4 Let us begin with a vertical object as seen in Figure.4. We will be using the MIRROR command to complete this line into a cross like the + sign.
Command:MIRROR Select objects: (select LINE) Specify first point of mirror line: (select middle point of LINE) Specify second point of mirror line: @1<45 Erase source objects? [Yes/No] <n>: [ENTER]

Figure.5 As you can see, any 45 degree lines passing from the midpoint of the line as the axis of reflection (135, 225, 315) will do. We specified an axis line of 1 unit length with 45 degree inclination and completed the process. You will also find out many creative uses of AutoCAD commands. Dont forget to share your findings with us. You may want to read the following article using MIRROR command to construct centerlines.

Using OFFSET Command


10/11/2010 Orhan Toker in Command , Modify , System Variables , Tutorials labels. 0 yorum

The OFFSET command, which is one of AutoCAD basic editing commands, helps you creates instances of an object offset by a distance, as the name implies. Any LINE, ARC, CIRCLE, SPLINE or PLINE object can be OFFSET. If the object is a closed PLINE, you can offset to the inside or outside of the object; open LINE objects can be offset to either of their sides. Typing O or OFFSET in the command line is enough to run the command. For those who wish to use the ribbon interce, you can access the command on the MODIFY panel of the HOME tab.

Fig.1
Command: _OFFSET Current settings: Erase source=No Layer=Source OFFSETGAPTYPE=0 Specify offset distance or [Through/Erase/Layer] <throughg>: Specify through point or [Exit/Multiple/Undo] <exit>:

As you can see in Fig.2, you can use the through option if you know the spot that the object will be offset to.

Fig.2 OFFSET by Entering Distance You first of all need to know the OFFSET distance to be able to use a distance value for offsetting. In our example, we need to offset by 18 units.
Specify offset distance or [Through/Erase/Layer] <through>: 18 [ENTER] Select object to offset or [Exit/Undo] <exit>: Specify point on side to offset or [Exit/Multiple/Undo] <exit>: Select object to offset or [Exit/Undo] <exit>:

Selecting the object and then on the side we need to offset will be sufficient while using distances for OFFSET. OFFSET Closed Objects Offsetting objects like CIRCLE and PLINE are simpler. Specifying the object and then clicking either on the inside or the outside will be enough.

Fig.3

Options in the Command


Through: To specify the distance on screen by defining a line of desired length. Erase: Controls whether the original object is deleted after the offsetting. Layer: Allows you to specify which layer the new offset object will be created in. Multiple: Used for activating continious offsetting.. Exit: Used to exit the command, hitting the ESC key works all the same. Undo: Undo the last offset operation.

SCALE Command
8/27/2009 Orhan Toker in Command , Modify labels. 5 yorum

In AutoCAD, we use SCALE command to change the sizes of entities. Even if the dictionary meaning of this command is scaling, we use this command to enlarge and shrink the entities. This command, use of which is quite simple, is one of the least used commands in AutoCAD. However, it is not of course of useless.

Fig.1 It is quite simple to use scale command You can reach SCALE command both from modify menu, modify toolbar, or simply by entering SCALE into the command line.
Command:_SCALE Select objects: // Select the entites to be scaled Specify base point: // Select the base point for scaling Specify scale factor or [Copy/Reference] <1.0>: // Enter the scale factor or use any of the c or r options.

Scale Factor: You must enter how many times you will enlarge or shrink the entity. For example, if you would like to shrink the entity to its half size, then you should enter or 0.5 value. Copy: This option creates a copy of the entity that you are about to scale. Reference: This option enables you to enter a reference value as a scaling factor. This option was explained by Erhan in detail in his article REFERENCE feature in SCALE and ROTATE. You can check out this article and learn about this option in detail.

Rotate and align command


Example 1 - Loading Dock When you are doing a survey and measuring rooms, it goes quickly as long as you have nice rectangle walls that the contractors built square, and you don't have to deal with angles or other problems. This example will deal with drawing a room that has angles. Below is the room you will be drawing, notice that some of the walls are at an angle, and you don't know those angles.

Here is the drawing with all the dimensions on it (print it out if you can). Imagine that you have just sketched out all the measurements and you need to draw it now. How do you start? The best way to start is to draw what you can - in this case, you can draw the horizontal and vertical lines easily. Next draw the lines for the angles lines, but draw them horizontal and vertical as well (as shown below):

Now you should have all the lines drawn, and the door blocks inserted or drawn in. Make sure that everything is on the right layer. Finally you will adjust the 'soon to be angled lines' using the Align command. Comma Keystrok Ico nd e n Align ALIGN Location Home > Modify > Align Result Aligns (and scales) selected objects to specific points.

This command requires that you follow the command line prompts carefully. Start the command and use the input shown below. You are selecting source points (where it starts) and destination points (where it will end up). Choose the endpoints nearest the text.

Command: ALIGN Select objects: <SELECT BOTTOM AND RIGHT SIDE LINES> Specify opposite corner: 28 found Select objects: <ENTER> Specify first source point: <1S> Specify first destination point: <1D> Specify second source point: <2S> Specify second destination point: <2D> Specify third source point or <continue>: <ENTER>

Scale objects based on alignment points? [Yes/No] <N>: N If everything went correctly, your lines should have aligned properly. If it didn't, make sure you had your OSnaps on and selected the points in the right order. Of course in the real world, your lines won't usually line up 'exactly'. When that happens, you'll need to re-check your measurements, and correct the lines. Just so you know, the 3rd source point is used in 3D drawing. Also, if you have drawn your lines to specific lengths, you don't want to scale them.

But what if you have AutoCAD LT? It doesn't have the align command. You're screwed, right? Not really - you can use the Rotate command. Undo the align command so that your lines are back to horizontal and vertical. Here's how you can use the rotate command to to rotate objects at an angle you don't know. Once again, follow the command line prompts carefully. What you need to do is tell AutoCAD what the existing angle is (Reference angle) and what the new angle is.

Command: ROTATE Current positive angle in UCS: ANGDIR=counterclockwise ANGBASE=0.0000 Select objects: <SELECT OBJECTS> Specify opposite corner: 28 found

Select objects: <ENTER> Specify base point: <1R> Specify rotation angle or [Copy/Reference] <329.8507>: R Specify the reference angle <0.0000>: <1R> Specify second point: <2R> Specify the new angle or [Points] <0.0000>: <N> Both commands work well and quickly. Which one you use depend on the situation. If your lines are connected like they were in this example, the Rotate command works fine. If they aren't then the align command works easier. Personally, I use the Align command each time for consistency.

Trim
This command is similar to Break command but the only difference is the way you cut the object. In Trim command the cutting edge is defined by other object. Objects that can be trimmed include arcs, circles, elliptical arcs, lines, open 2D and 3D polylines, rays, splines, floating viewports, regions, text, and xlines. For example, first create a circle in the autocad drawing area. Then create another circle that overlaps the other circle ( See Fig. 1). In this point you have to select which of the two circle will be your cutting edge. In this exercise, we will choose circle #2. To invoke the command, got to the menu area and select MODIFY>TRIM then AutoCAD will prompt Select cutting edgesSelect objects: which is asking you to select your cutting edge. Select circle #2. After selecting, right click you mouse or just press enter on the keyboard. Then it will prompt you again Select object to trim or [Project/edge/Undo]: and you will see the circle you selected highlighted. Autocad is asking you to select the edge of the object you want to cut or trim. In this example choose the overlapping edge of circle #1(See Fig.2) and it will immediately disappear ( See Fig. 3). Then press enter on the keyboard to terminate the command loop. You can also use this command on many types of objects like circle to ellipse, line to arc, arc to circle, triangle to square.

Fig. 1 Draw Circles that Overlap Each Other

Fig. 2 Select and Overlapping Edge

Fig. 3 The Circle was Trimmed

Extend
Extend - The extend command is similar to the trim command in how it functions, except it extends a selected line to a point of intersection of another selected object. In order to successfully use the command, you have to make sure that when the line is extended it will actually intersect the object selected which the line is to extend to! 1) Download the trim tutorial file above and use the trim command we learnt to trim the yellow lines to the circle as shown below:

We will now use the extend command to extend the yellow lines back up to the edge of the rectangle 1) Select the extend command 2) When asked to select an object select the boundary edge which the lines will be extended to. In this case we want to extend to the rectangle, so select the rectangle. 3) We are now asked to select the object to extend. As with the trim command, the effect of the command is dependant upon whereabouts along the length of the object it is selected. Autocad will always extend the end of the line which is nearer to the point where the line was selected. Select each end of the yellow lines (near the intersection with the circle) to extend each line up to the rectangular boundary edge we selected. 4) Hit enter to end the command.

Joining Broken Objects With JOIN Command


8/19/2009 Erhan Toker in Command , How To , Modify labels. 6 yorum

Sometimes, you would like to combine LINEs or ARCs. Or, we notice that the lines that have been drawn in a drawing are made up of pieces. The reason of this is that the draftsman has not made the proper editing over the project . Here is the solution for all these problems, JOIN command. It has a very simple way of working. You select an entity first and then the other entities that will be joined to the first one that you have selected, and thats it the operation is completed. The one rule is that the selected entities are not identical and they are on the same path.

Fig.1

Command: JOIN Select source object: Select arcs to join to source or [cLose]: Select arcs to join to source: 1 found

In Fig.1, you can see how the JOIN command works for two different arcs that has the same center and radius and have space in between them. After selecting the first arc, the cLose option appears. If we select this option, then our arc will be closed to form a circle. Instead, if we select the second and the third lines than all of them will be combined. What we should pay attention to is to make

our selection in counter clock wise direction. In the example, the arc that is on the right side is selected first.

Fig.2
Command: JOIN Select source object: Select lines to join to source: 1 found Select lines to join to source: ENTER 1 line joined to source

In fig. 2, we are joining two lines that are on the same line. Even though the execution of the command is same the messages and options that appear are quite different. JOIN command is as simple as this. Before I finish, let me list the type of entities that can be used with the command: LINE, POLYLINE, ARC, ELLIPTICAL ARC, SPLINE, HELIX.

STRETCH Command In AutoCAD


9/14/2009 Orhan Toker in Basics , Command , Modify labels. 0 yorum

[All AutoCAD versions] STRETCH is probably one of the most useful and frequently used AutoCAD commands.

Fig.1 STRETCH is probably the first command that you learned... When you click on a rectangle that you have drawn, then there will be red highlighted points on its corners. These points are called GRIP. If you pick any of the GRIPs and drag it, then you will have made your first STRETCH command. This dragging operation is only a beginning. You will start getting the real benefits as soon as you enter STRETCH command. Then, lets immediately enter the command.
Command:_STRETCH Select objects to stretch by crossing-window or crossing-polygon

After you execute the command, you will be promptd to select the entities

that will be stretched by using either a CROSSING POLYGON or CROSSING WINDOW. As you may not be familiar with the selection methods, at this moment, it will be enough if you just learn how to use the Crossing Windowmethod. If we make the selection of entities as shown in figure, by picking the 1 and 2 points, then we will obtain a rectangle bounded by dashed lines. This area is called crossing window.

Fig.3 Use CP when using STRECH command. When you press ENTER to exit selection, then you will get the following question:
Specify base point or [Displacement] : (Pick point 1) Specify second point or : (Pick three units on the right

side)

Fig.4 You can stretch it as you like.

As you can see, STRETCH moves only the entities that are bounded completely by the crossing window. In order to get use of this property a little more, then we can move the window shown in Fig.4 a little more on the right side. Please do this exercise by yourself.

Fig.5 In order to move the window to the right side, take care of the window that we use for selection.

Fig.6 Move it towards the right direction.

Solid
Here is another command that can sometimes be easier than the hatch. Solid allows you draw an solid filled object like you would a Line. For this example, draw a rectangle of any size. Start the SOLID command. Pick 3

corners of the rectangle and press Enter. You should end up with something like this:

Donuts in AutoCAD
Drawing donuts is a quick way to create filled rings or solid-filled circles. Donuts are actually closed polylines that have width. To create a donut, specify its inside and outside diameters and its center. You can continue creating multiple copies with the same diameter by specifying different centers until you press ENTER to end the command. To create solid-filled circles, specify an inside diameter of 0.

Donuts created as filled rings and solid-filled circles To draw a donut 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. From the Draw menu, choose Donut. Specify the inside diameter (1). Specify the outside diameter (2). Specify the center of the donut (3). Specify the center point for another donut or press ENTER to end the command.

Command line DONUT System variables DONUTID stores the inside diameter value of a donut; DONUTOD stores the outside diameter value. FILLMODE controls the display of donuts and other wide polylines.

Drawing Limits In the previous tutorial, drawing limits were mentioned while explaining the use of the zoom all command. When the zoom all command is chosen, AutoCAD zooms to the extent of the user defined limits. Limits can be thought of as the extent of the drawing area. The AutoCAD drawing area is, in theory, infinite. As long as you continue to draw, AutoCAD will continue to give you the drawing space. If thought of in practical terms, if we were to manually pencil draw a 1:1 scale (full size) drawing of a wrist watch, why draw it on an A0 sized sheet of paper when A4 size is adequate? AutoCAD drawing limits follow the same logic. We can tell AutoCAD the drawing space we require (although we have the option to increase this if we so desire at a later stage). AutoCAD will display a grid to the extent of the drawing limits specified. Lets have a go: 1) Start a new AutoCAD drawing. 2) Start the line command 3) For the start point , enter 0.2,0.2 For the next point enter @0,0.52 4) For the next point enter @0.37,0 5) For the next point enter @0,-0.52 6) To close the box, we'll try a new technique. Normally, we would now enter @-0.37,0 to draw a horizontal line back to the start position to close the box. As we have drawn all 3 lines keeping the line command open, there is a quicker way to draw the box. Type the letter c in the command line (the c stands for close) to draw a line from the current location back to the start point. Your screen should be similar to the screen shown below (You may have to zoom extents to see the entire drawing).

7) Now try using the zoom all command. The drawing will be barely visible (if at all). This is because the default limits are not set correctly for our drawing. We need to enter new drawing limits. 8) Type limits directly into AutoCAD's command line. You will be asked to specify the lower left co-ordinates (remember - in relation to the UCS). Hit enter to accept the default value of 0.0000,0.0000. 9) AutoCAD now wants us to specify the upper right limit co-ordinates. There is no right or wrong value, but it should be set to a sensible value for the drawing size. Our drawing is only 0.52m x 0.37m. Lets enter an upper limit of say, 1m,1m from the UCS. Enter 1,1 into the command line and hit enter. 10) Now try the zoom all command again. The view should be much closer as it is set to the drawing limits. Some professional AutoCAD users manage to go their whole careers without ever altering AutoCAD's limit setting, and quite frankly:- it's easily done! There will be many times (especially if like me, you never use the zoom all command and grid!) that adjusting AutoCAD's default limit settings has no advantage. Why mention it then? well... occasionally while panning your pan icon may gain a line next to it (dependant on the pan direction) and you can't pan any further. This is because the limits have been reached and AutoCAD refuses to let you see beyond your defined drawing areas. You may then require to enter the limits command and change the default setting. Try panning away from the drawing we just made, as soon as you hit the 1m drawing limit we set, we can't pan any further.

Just in case you were curious, the drawing is of a DVD case (520mmx370mm). If we were to have drawn the case in millimetres instead of metres (i.e we decide one AutoCAD unit shall equal 1mm instead of 1m - perfectly acceptable to do) then a much larger upper right drawing limit would have been required, perhaps 1000,1000. That's about all there is to know about drawing limits!

Units Control

Toolbar none PullFormat Unit down s Keyboar UNITS d When you start the Units command, the first thing you see is the Drawing Units dialogue box, shown on the right. The dialogue box is divided into four main sections. The upper two are "Length", which refers to linear units and "Angles", referring to angular units. Settings for linear units and angular units can be made independently and in each case, you can control both the type and precision. In addition, the Angles section also allows you to specify the direction in which angles are measured. See below for more details. A third section, entitled Drawing units for Design Center blocks allows you to assign a specific unit to the drawing so that when blocks are inserted via the AutoCAD Design Centre, they will automatically be scaled. The final section, Sample Output, gives you a preview of the drawing units as they will be displayed using the current settings. Top of page

Linear Units
You can see from the dialogue box that there are five different linear unit types for you to choose from, one of which is "Decimal", the default. The table below shows the effect of the different unit settings on two drawing unit values to give you an idea how the various settings might be used along with a brief description. Unit Type Decimal Scientific 1.5 Drawing 1500 Drawing Description Units Units 1.5000 1500.0000 Metric or SI units Decimal value raised to a 1.5000E+00 1.5000E+03 power 125'-0.0000" 125'-0" 1500 Feet and decimal inches Feet and fractional inches Whole numbers and fractions

Engineerin 0'-1.5000" g Architectu 0'-1 1/2" ral Fractional 1 1/2

Notice that when you change the unit type, the co-ordinate display on the status bar changes to show co-ordinates using the current unit type. Changing the unit type also affects the way distances, areas and volumes are reported when using the appropriate inquiry command. For the most part you should not need to change the unit type. Units such as "Architectural" and "Engineering" are there mainly for AutoCAD users in the USA where Feet and Inches are still in common use. Top of page

Angular Units
Looking at the Drawing Units dialogue box again, you will notice that there are also five angular unit types. The default is decimal degrees, but there are other options. The table below shows the effect of the different unit types on two angular unit values. As with the linear units, there are not many circumstances under which you would want to use anything other than the default. Unit Type Decimal Degrees 12.5 Angular 180 Angular Units Units 12.500 180.000 180d0'0" 200.000g Description Metric units Degrees, Minutes and Seconds 400 grads = 360 degrees

Deg/Min/Sec 12d30'0" Grads 13.889g

Radians Surveyor

0.218r N 77d30'0" E

3.142r W

2 Pi radians = 360 degrees Compass bearings

AutoCAD also allows you to control the direction in which angular units are measured and the position of the start angle. By default, AutoCAD starts with the zero angle at the 3 o'clock position (East) with angles increasing in an anti-clockwise direction. For the most part this does not present

any problems once you get used to the idea. However, there are specific situations where it may be desirable to have the zero angle at the 12 o'clock position (North) and angles increasing in a clockwise direction. For example, if you are working on a surveyors drawing or a map base, this latter situation enables you to specify angles with respect to North. To change the direction of angular measurement, use the Clockwise check box in the Angle section of the Drawing Units dialogue box. When this box is checked, positive angles are measured in a clockwise direction, when it is not checked (the default), positive angles are measured in an anti-clockwise direction. To change the start angle, click on the "Direction" button in the Drawing Units dialogue box. The Direction Control dialogue box appears. You can set the Base Angle to any of the circle quadrants by clicking on the appropriate radio button or you can set it to a specific angle with the "Other" option. You can enter a specific angle into the edit box or you can pick an angle using the Pick an angle button. The ability to specify an "Other" or user angle can be useful if, for example, your drawing is not oriented to North but where you still want angular measurements to be made with respect to North. To change the direction of angular measurement, simply click on the appropriate radio button.

Unit Precision
The Drawing Units dialogue box can also be used to set the precision of linear and angular units. By default, AutoCAD sets the linear unit precision to four places of decimal, so distances appear in the form 0.0000. Angular unit precision is set to whole degrees only.

To change the precision with which linear and angular values are displayed, simply click the down arrow against the appropriate drop-down list (see illustration on the left) and select the number of decimal places required. The default setting of four decimal places is usually adequate for linear units. It is, however, often necessary to change the precision for angular units. Working in whole degrees does not usually give an adequate level of detail for many drawing functions. However, you do not need to change the precision of either linear or angular units unless you have a specific reason for doing so. Changing the unit precision does not make your drawing more accurate, it just means that the co-ordinate display on the status bar and the results from the various inquiry commands will be displayed with a higher degree of precision. The accuracy of your drawing will be determined by the values you enter for the size of objects when you draw and edit them and by the correct use of the various object snaps and drawing aids. See the appropriate tutorials for more details.

Marking revisions with a revision cloud


A revision cloud is an often-used means to indicate that certain areas of a drawing contain revisions. The cloud draws attention to the revision. Its similar to using Track Changes in Microsoft Word, or highlighting text. The revision cloud circles the revised objects.

A revision cloud To add a revision cloud, choose Home tab> Draw panel (expanded)> Revision Cloud, or start the REVCLOUD command. You see the following prompt: Minimum arc length: 2-8 Maximum arc length: 2-8 Style: Normal Specify start point or [Arc length/Object/Style] <Object>: The first line shows the existing settings. Use the Arc Length option to set the minimum and maximum arc lengths that make up the cloud. The maximum can be up to 3 times the minimum. When you create a range, the result looks more hand drawn. You can pick each arc point to control the size of the arcs, but if your picks are longer than the maximum arc length, AutoCAD creates the arc automatically. Use the Object option to select an object and place the cloud around that object. The object must be a polyline, spline, or circle.

A revision cloud around an object

You often need to change the arc length to make a revision cloud look good around various sized areas. Use the Style option to choose either Normal (the default) or Calligraphy, which creates beautiful clouds that look as if theyre created with a calligraphy pen.

A revision cloud using the Calligraphy style When youre done with your settings, just drag around the area to draw the revision cloud. When you get back to the beginning, AutoCAD closes the cloud for you. You can end the cloud at any point by pressing Enter; use this technique to create an unclosed cloud. Drawing a revision cloud is different from other drawing tasks because you drag rather than specify start and end points.

AutoCAD Revision Cloud

The Revision Cloud has options and related variables.

Minimum arc length: 4'-0" Maximum arc length: 4'-0" Style: Normal Specify start point or [Arc length/Object/Style]

First, the arc length defines the size of the "bubble" in the cloud. Second, The Object option allows you to choose a closed polyline (could be rectangle or circle as well) and turn it into a revision cloud. There is a DELOBJ variable that is set to 1 by default. This variable allows the Object to be deleted when the REVCLOUD is created from an Object.

I'm not sure when the Style option was added. I'm fairly certain that it wasn't available in 2004, but it is in 2008. Autodesk doesn't tell you about every command change and option so often nuances such as this just appear and it may take a release or two to even notice if you do notice. The Style option has choices for Normal and Calligraphy. The Calligraphy style looks almost like brush strokes when you zoom into it. It has thin and wide portions on the arcs.

ADDING COMMANDS TO YOUR TOOLBAR


Yes, I know that the new CUI makes a lot of users feel crazy. But to add the Revision Cloud to your toolbar, you don't even have to open the CUI dialog box. Here's a simple way to do it and one that will make you feel almost like the way we used to modify toolbars in the past.

By right-clicking near a toolbar (not on) in the gray area where there is no toolbar or by right-clicking on the striped area at the head of any toolbar you will be able to choose Customize. You can also do this by going into the CUI file, but this is more of an abbreviated version. Find the command you want and drag it to your toolbar. Tada! One more note about Revision Clouds. They are based on DIMSCALE. So if you are creating one in model space vs. paperspace, you might notice a difference because of your dimscale. Just a word to the wise. I've seen this cause a problem once so I'm passing the tip on to you.

Text
Text can be added to an Autocad drawing to create notes and labels on your drawings. There are two different text commands used to add text to drawings: Text and Mtext. The text command is a simple way to add basic text notes. The height and rotation of the text can be quickly specified and the text can be viewed on the drawing while being typed. Try adding a small piece of text in a new drawing using the text command: 1) Enter the command text into the command console then hit return 2) When prompted for a start point, select somewhere in the screen just left of centre 3) When asked for a height, enter 3 4) When asked for a rotation angle, hit enter to accept the default of 0. 5) Now simply enter your text. Type: Autocad Central then hit return to start a new line Type: Lesson 8 6) Hit return twice to exit the text command. The text should be on two separate lines as shown below:

Try selecting the text. Notice how each line is separately selectable and independent of the previous line? Although the text command is simple to use, as each line is separately editable, modifying notes on a drawing can become a nightmare! This text type is called single line text. Multiline Text Multiline text is the more advanced text tool within Autocad. It can be chosen from the 'draw' toolbar by this icon: . The multiline text command has its own editor, with all the options available that you'd expect to see in a word processing program. Also, all text on separate lines is treated together, so editing notes and sentences is simple. 1) Select the multiline command button 2) We are prompted to select a first corner then second corner. This invisible boundary sets the horizontal extent of the text. When text is entered into the multiline text editor, it will automatically start a second line when it comes to the edge of the text box we specified. Similar to getting to the right hand margin in a text editor. Select a box roughly a quarter of the drawing area. 3) The Multiline Text Editor then appears:

The main character tab of the text editor box is where we choose the font style, text height, colour and also add symbols such as diameter or degrees symbols. The Properties tab is where we can change the text rotation and paragraph justification settings. Change the text style to 'Arial'. 4) Set text height to 3 5) Enter the following text into the text editor window: Autocad Central 6) Hit enter for a new line, then enter: Lesson 8 7) Press the ok button to place the text into the drawing (The text placement will be justified as set in the properties-justification setting in the text editor, relative to the text area box we selected in step 1) Notice how when the text is selected, it is treated as one entity rather than separate lines? This makes it much easier and quicker to edit. To edit the text in the drawing area, simply double click the text with the cursor to open up the text editor. Text in Autocad is treated like every other object, it can be rotated, mirrored, exploded, moved layers etc. When setting the text height, it is important to remember that it is relative to the units you are using. For example, if you decide that 1 Autocad unit is equal to a metre, then setting a text height of 3 would result in 3m high text, and would tower over the drawing! A text size of somewhere around 0.02 would probably be more appropriate. When first using text, a small amount of trial and error is required to get the text height to a suitable size. Try to aim for a text height which measures between 2 and 3mm in paperspace for general notes.

Tables
Author: Alireza Parsai

Creating tables in AutoCAD 2005 is nothing but fun. The new TABLE command enables you to draw tables and part-lists as easy as a click. However you need to define the table settings with the TABLESTYLE command first. The following tutorial demonstrates how to define table styles and how to insert tables.

Notes: This tutorial is designed for AutoCAD 2005. In this tutorial user entries are in boldface. The symbol represents pressing Enter.

1. Download the 2005_tables.dwg. Select the Presentation layout [Figure 01].

Figure 01 (click the image to enlarge)

2. Invoke the TABLESTYLE command (choose Format > Table Style). The Table Style dialog box appears [Figure 02].

Figure 02

3. On the right side of the dialog box, click the New button. The Create New Table Style dialog box appears. Type Furniture as the style name [Figure 03].

Figure 03 4. Click Continue. The New Table Style dialog box appears [Figure 03].

Figure 04

5. Make sure that the Data tab is selected. From the Text style list select Default. Type 2.5 in the Text height box. Select Middle Center for the Alignment. In the Border Properties section, select Blue for the Grid color. Click the All borders button [Figure 05].

Figure 05

6. Click the Column Heads tab and change the settings as shown in Figure 06.

Figure 06

7. Select the Title tab and change the settings as shown in Figure 07.

Figure 07

8. On the right side of the dialog box alter the Table direction to Up [Figure 08].

Figure 08

9. Click OK. 10. In the Table Style dialog box. Select the Furniture style and then click Set Current. Click Close. 11. Invoke the TABLE command (choose Draw > Table). The Insert Table dialog box appears [Figure 09].

Figure 09

12. Make sure that Furniture is the current Table Style. 13. Alter the number of columns to 4 and the Column width to 42.5 [Figure 10].

Figure 10

14. Click OK. You are prompted to specify the insertion point of the table. Click the upper left corner of the title block. The table is inserted properly. You need to fill in the table cells [Figure 11].

Figure 11

15. In the Title box type Furniture Set. Click Tab. In the column headings type Name, Code, Manufacturer, and Unit Price respectively. Each time you are finished with a heading you need to press Tab. Click OK. Zoom into the new table [Figure 12].

Figure 12 (Click the image to enlarge)

16. Move the table 4 units up: Command: m MOVE Select objects: L 1 found Select objects: Specify base point or displacement: 0,4 Specify second point of displacement or <use first point as displacement>: 17. Double-click the Name heading. Add Furniture to the beginning of the text and then click OK [Figure 13].

Figure 13 (Click the image to enlarge)

18. Click the cell on top of the Code heading. Drag to select the cell to the right of the selected cell [Figure 14].

Figure 14

19. Right-click in drawing area. From the shortcut menu select Merge > All [Figure 15].

Figure 15

20. Press Esc. The result is shown on figure 16.

Figure 16 (Click the image to enlarge)

21. Close the file without saving.

Zoom Commands

Here we'll take a quick look at the various zoom commands available, and their uses. This tutorial requires you to download the AutoCAD drawing file Lesson3.dwg Lesson3.dwg (AutoCAD 2000 File Version) lesson3r14.dwg (AutoCAD R14 File Version) 1) Load up the file, the drawing is of a steel plate with 6 mounting screws. To see all of the available zoom commands, the zoom toolbar needs to be visible. Load in the zoom toolbar (For those who can't remember: Go to the 'view' drop down menu, then select toolbars. Check the 'zoom' box then choose close. Move the toolbar to a convenient location) AutoCAD's zoom command toolbar:

Commands (From Left to Right): Zoom Window : Select a window over the location to zoom into. AutoCAD will zoom in close to the object including everything within the selection box. Zoom Dynamic : Enables the user to set the size of a standard zoom window type box, then use this box to select zoom in views of the drawing with this box with clicks of the mouse button. (Not as powerful as zoom window in my opinion) Zoom Scale : Enables the user to zoom into the drawing to a known scale (referred to as an 'XP value'). This type of zoom is not required until you are ready to plot the drawing. Don't worry, you're not expected to understand the use of this command yet! It will be covered in the paperspace/layout view tutorial. Zoom Centre : Specify a centre point, then a radius and AutoCAD will centre this view to fit your screen. Zoom In : Pretty simple, zooms into the drawing slightly by each click! Quick 'n' simple! Zoom Out : Same as above, but zoom out by each click. Zoom All : Zooms to the extents of the drawing limits. Don't worry about this just yet. Zoom Extent : This is a very useful command. One press will zoom to the extent of the entire drawing enabling a very quick overview of the project and an easy starting point to zoom into a more precise area of the drawing with one of the above tools.

2) You should have the lesson3.dwg file open in AutoCAD. If not then open it up now. Time to try some zoom commands out. 3) Press the zoom window button. AutoCAD asks for the first corner of the box you are about to draw. This corner can be any corner of the zoom box we will specify. Choose an area just to the top left of the left side middle screw (see below). AutoCAD now asks for the opposite corner, select to the bottom right of the screw ensuring the screw is clearly inside the zoom box. You should now have a clear view of the screw.

4) Now try the zoom in and zoom out buttons. Notice how they knock the zoom in and out by a set amount each time, just comfortable enough to get a wider/closer view where required. 5) Now press the zoom extents button. This zooms back to see the entire drawing centred in the screen. Have a play with the commands , viewing different areas of the drawing until you feel comfortable manipulating the zoom to suit the view you require.

REGEN, REGENALL and RENGENAUTO Commands


While constructing drawings in the model space, you may encounter situations whereby you may have to regenerate your drawings. AutoCAD's earlier versions used to fill up the screen with little plus signs called BLIPs.

Fig.1 Every point you mark on the screen is marked with a little plus sign when the BLIPMODE is switched on. These signs disappeared whenever a display command (like ZOOM and PAN) was used. In some cases, they did not disappear at all. It's a good thing that new versions of AutoCAD come with BLIPMODE turned off as default. The REGEN simply regenerates all the drawing elements in your drawing, effectively eliminating "noise" (i.e. unwanted signs/appearances on screen). When is the REGEN command necessary? If circles appear like polygons on your screen: When you zoom a lot, the circles start appearing more and more like polygons. You need to REGEN in this situation.

Fig.2 After editing any layer property: A REGEN might be necessary after any edits on a layer property. For example changing the line thickness may require a REGEN to reflect the changes. Zooming with the mousewheel: If you find out that you cannot zoom in/out further using the mouse wheel, then it's time for a REGEN. The REGENALL Command: If you're using VIEWPORTs in your drawing and you have several of them in your LAYOUT, you 'll have to use the REGENALL command to regenerate all the drawings.

Fig.3 The REGENAUTO Command: The REGENAUTO command can be set at ON or OFF. The system variable

controlling this is the REGENMODE. When set "ON", it works whenever a REGEN is necessary. I don't recommend this. In large drawings, it just keeps regenerating.

Functions keys F1: Help F2: toggles between command window on/ off F3: Osnap on or off F4: Tablet on or off (obsolete) F5: Switching Isoplane views (obsolete) F6: Dynamic UCS on or off F7: Toggle "Grid" on or off. You can also type <Ctrl>G F8: Toggle "Ortho" on or off. You can also type <Ctrl>O F9: Toggle "Snap" on or off. You can also type <Ctrl>B F10: Polar on or off F11: Object Snap Tracking on or off F12: dynamic input on or off

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