Cheat Sheet

AutoCAD 2012 For Dummies

From AutoCAD 2012 For Dummies by David Byrnes
AutoCAD has grown more complex over the years, in part to keep up
with the increasing complexity of the design and drafting processes
that AutoCAD 2012 is intended to serve. Its not enough just to draw
nice-looking lines anymore. If you want to play CAD with the big boys
and girls, you need to carefully organize the objects you draw, their
properties, and the files in which they reside. This guide provides the
basic information and tools for doing all these things, without putting a
T-square through your computer screen in frustration.

AutoCAD 2012 Drawing Setup Roadmap

Drawing setup in AutoCAD 2012 can seem a little complicated before you get
used to it. The following table lists ten fundamental AutoCAD setup commands in
the order you probably use them, explains what they do, and tells you where to
find them on the classic pull-down menu system as well as on the Ribbon and
Application Menu. If youd rather type than click, you can enter the full command
name or its alias or keyboard shortcut (where available shown in
parentheses).
Ribbon / Application
Menu

Classic Menu

Command

Description

Model Space
1. Application
menuNewDrawing

FileNew

NEW (Ctrl+N)

Creates a
new drawing
based on a
template
drawing
(DWT file)

2. Application
menuDrawing
UtilitiesUnits

FormatUnits

UNITS (UN)

Specifies
linear and
angular units

3. None

FormatDrawing Limits

LIMITS

Specifies
working
area

4. View tabNavigate
panelZoom dropdown flyoutExtents

ViewZoomExtents

ZOOM (Z),
Extents

Zooms to
drawing
extents

5. None

ToolsDrafting Settings

DSETTINGS
(DS)

Specifies
snap and
grid
spacings

6. Home
tabProperties
panel Linetype dropdownOtherShow
DetailsGlobal Scale
Factor

Format
LinetypeShow
DetailsGlobal Scale
Factor

LTSCALE (LTS)

Sets linetype
scale

7. Home
tabAnnotation
slideout Dimension
Style

FormatDimension
Style

DIMSTYLE (D)

Sets
dimension
style

8. Application
menuDrawing
UtilitiesDrawing
Properties

FileDrawing
Properties

DWGPROPS

Enters
drawing
informational
properties

9. None

ToolsWizardsCreate
Layout

LAYOUTWIZARD

Creates a
paper space
layout

10.Application
MenuSave

FileSave

QSAVE (Ctrl+S)

Saves the
drawing

Paper Space

AutoCAD 2012s Top Keyboard Shortcuts

Over AutoCADs 25-year existence, the one input method thats remained
constant is typing into the command line. Most experienced AutoCAD users find
typing command aliases and entering Ctrl+key combinations to be the most
efficient way of communicating with AutoCAD and if you can find your way
around a keyboard, youll probably find the same thing. The following table lists

useful keyboard shortcuts.

Keyboard Shortcut

Command

Purpose

Ctrl+S

QSAVE

Saves the drawing

Ctrl+O

OPEN

Displays the Select File dialog box

Ctrl+P

PLOT

Displays the Plot dialog box

Ctrl+Tab

None

Switches to the next open drawing

Ctrl+PgUp/Ctrl+PgDn

None

Switches to the previous/next tab in the

current drawing

F1

HELP

Displays AutoCADs Help in a Web

browser window

F2

TEXTSCR

Toggles the AutoCAD Text Window on

and off

F3

OSNAP

Toggles running object snap mode on

and off

F7

GRID

Toggles grid mode on and off

F8

ORTHO

Toggles ortho mode on and off

F9

SNAP

Toggles snap mode on and off

F10

POLAR

Toggles polar mode on and off

F11

None

Toggles object snap tracking on and off

F12

DYNMODE

Toggles dynamic input mode on and off

AutoCAD 2012's Drawing Scale and Limits Chart: Feet

and Inches
It's not a bad idea to set limits for your AutoCAD 2012 drawing. Limits in
AutoCAD represent the rectangular working area that you'll draw in, which usually
corresponds to the paper size. Setting limits correctly lets you display the
drawing grid over your working area, use ZOOM All to display that working area,
and plot your working area from model space. The following table sets out the
dimensions in whole feet or feet and inches of work areas for different paper
sizes at different drawing scales.
Drawing
Scale

8-1/2" x 11"

11" x 17"

24" x
36"

30" x
42"

36" x
48"

1/16" = 1'0"

136' x 176'

176' x 272'

384' x
576'

480' x
672'

576' x
768'

1/8" = 1'0"

68' x 88'

88' x 136'

192' x
288'

240' x
336'

288' x
384'

1/4" = 1'0"

34' x 44'

44' x 68'

96' x
144'

120' x
168'

144' x
192'

1/2" = 1'0"

17' x 22'

22' x 34'

48' x 72'

60' x 84'

72' x 96'

3/4" = 1'0"

11'4" x
14'8"

14'8" x
22'8"

32' x 48'

40' x 56'

48' x 64'

1" = 1'0"

8'6" x 11'

11' x 17'

24' x 36'

30' x 42'

36' x 48'

1-1/2" = 1'
0"

5'8" x 7'4"

7'4" x 11'
4"

16' x 24'

20' x 28'

24' x 32'

3" = 1'0"

2'10" x 3'
8"

3'8" x 5'8"

8' x 12'

10' x 14'

12' x 16'

AutoCAD 2012s Drawing Scale and Limits Charts:

Millimeters
Its not a bad idea to set limits for your AutoCAD drawing. The limits represent
the rectangular working area that youll draw in, which usually corresponds to the
paper size. Setting AutoCAD's limits correctly lets you display the drawing grid
over your working area, use ZOOM All to display that working area, and plot your
working area from model space. The following table sets out the dimensions in
millimeters of work areas for different paper sizes at different drawing scales.
Drawing
Scale

210 x 297
mm

297 x 420
mm

420 x 594
mm

594 x 841
mm

841 x
1,189 mm

1:200

42,000 x
59,400
mm

59,400 x
84,000
mm

84,000 x
118,800
mm

118,800 x
168,200
mm

168,200 x
237,800
mm

1:100

21,000 x
29,700
mm

29,700 x
42,000
mm

42,000 x
59,400
mm

59,400 x
84,100 mm

84,100 x
118,900
mm

1:50

10,500 x
14,850
mm

14,850 x
21,000
mm

21,000 x
29,700
mm

29,700 x
42,050 mm

42,050 x
59,450 mm

1:20

4,200 x

5,940 x

8,400 x

11,880 x

16,820 x

5,940 mm

8,400 mm

11,880
mm

16,820 mm

23,780 mm

1:10

2,100 x
2,970 mm

2,970 x
4,200 mm

4,200 x
5,940 mm

5,940 x
8,410 mm

8,410 x
11,890 mm

1:5

1,050 x
1,485 mm

1,485 x
2,100 mm

2,100 x
2,970 mm

2,970 x
4,205 mm

4,205 x
5,945 mm

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