AutoCAD

Lec-1 Introduction

By

Engr. Abdul Mannan

&
Engr. Atiq Ur Rehman

http://civil010.weebly.com
Contents

Introduction to AutoCAD
Coordinate system
How to Launch AutoCAD
Exercises

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AutoCad

AutoCAD stands for "Automated Computer Aided Drafting" or

"Automated Computer Aided Design.

AutoCad is a program designed to draw drawings, for example in

mechanical engineering, civil engineering and Electrical engineering.

There can be two-dimensional design drawings in terms of (2D) and

three-dimensional view (3D).

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Examples of drawings that you create in AutoCAD
2D Plans

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Examples of drawings that you create in AutoCAD
Internal Details

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 Examples of drawings that you create in AutoCAD
3d Designs

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COORDINATE SYSTEM IN AutoCAD

To work in AutoCAD is necessary to know the Coordinate

System. When we draw a line or any character or point,
the start position will be set in relation to the coordinate
system. Be sure to good learn the coordinate system, if
this does not learn then will be almost impossible to
design a more complex 2D drawing about in 3D.

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Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Lahore
TYPES OF COORDINATES IN AUTOCAD
2d Coordinates

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TYPES OF COORDINATES IN AUTOCAD
3d Coordinates

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Coordinates taken by the help of GPS
Station Northing Easting

A 3472952 438030

B 3472947 438118

C 3472995 438127

D 3472980 438028

E 3472853 438048

F 3472849 438098

G 3472944 437947

H 3472959 437941

I 3472951 437868

J 3472913 437878

K 3472858 437902

L 3472785 437889

M 3472806 437951
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Coordinates on AutoCAD

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Opening AutoCAD
The first step is to start the program. One can start AutoCAD by
following one of the two methods given below:
a) By default, installing AutoCAD places a shortcut on the
desktop, one can double-click the
shortcut to launch the program.

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Opening AutoCAD

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 After starting the AutoCAD window will appear like this in
the picture below where you select the type of work in AutoCAD.

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AutoCAD Graphics window
Application close
Standard toolbar
Menu bar Title bar Styles toolbar
Layers toolbar Properties toolbar button

Drawing close
button

Draw toolbar

Modify toolbar

Layout tabs
Status bar Status bar menu
Model tab Command window Crosshairs
Pickbox Drawing area
User Coordinate System (UCS) icon
 AutoCAD Graphics window

Drawing Area

The blank area in the middle of the screen, called

the graphics window or drawing area, where
one can draw. This is as a sheet of drafting paper,
however this piece of paper can be of any size.

Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Lahore Drawing area

 AutoCAD Graphics window

Model and Layout tabs

At the bottom of the drawing area there is a tab

labeled Model. This tab is used to draw. There is
also another tabs labeled Layout 1. This tab is used
to lay out the drawing for plotting.

Layout tabs
Model tab

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 AutoCAD Graphics window

User Coordinate System (UCS) icon

Notice the symbol with two arrows at the bottom-left

corner of the drawing area. This symbol is called the
User Coordinate System (UCS) icon. The arrows
Point to the positive directions of the X and Y axes.

User Coordinate System (UCS) icon

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AutoCAD Graphics window
The crosshairs

In the drawing area notice the two intersecting

lines with a small box at their intersection.
The small box is called the pickbox because it
helps to select, or pick, objects.

The lines are called crosshairs. They show the

location of the mouse cursor in relation to
other objects in the drawing. With the
movement of mouse around, the pickbox and
crosshairs will also move with the mouse.

Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Lahore Crosshairs

Pickbox
AutoCAD Graphics window
Standard toolbar
Menu bar Title bar Styles toolbar
Layers toolbar Properties toolbar

The menus and toolbars

Draw toolbar

At the top of screen is the title bar, and directly Modify toolbar
beneath the title bar is a menu bar. Below that are
two rows of toolbars. In addition, your screen has two
more toolbars, the Draw and Modify toolbars, which
are probably docked at the left and right sides of the
screen.

The menus and toolbars together are used to give

AutoCAD commands to draw, edit, get information,
and so on.

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AutoCAD Graphics window

Draw toolbar The menus and toolbars

On the Draw toolbar, move the mouse cursor over the first
button. You should see a tooltip that says Line. Also notice
the status bar, which tells you that this button creates
straight-line segments.

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AutoCAD Graphics window

The command line

At the bottom of the screen, there is a separate window

showing approximately three lines of text. (You can
change it to show as many lines as you like by
dragging the top edge of the window up or down.)
Notice the word Command:. This is the command
line. All commands can be executed by typing them
on the command line.

Command window

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AutoCAD Graphics window

The status bar

At the very bottom of the screen is the status bar. At

the left are the X,Y coordinates. As mouse moves,
these coordinates change. (If they dont change, click
them and move your mouse again.) The status bar also
contains several buttons that will be explained later.

Status bar
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AutoCAD Graphics window
Application close
Standard toolbar
Menu bar Title bar Styles toolbar
Layers toolbar Properties toolbar button

Drawing close
button

Draw toolbar

Modify toolbar

Layout tabs
Status bar Status bar menu
Model tab Command window Crosshairs
Pickbox Drawing area
User Coordinate System (UCS) icon
AutoCAD Graphics window

Toolbar flyouts
Notice that one icon on the Standard toolbar
has a little triangular arrow in the lower-right
corner. This arrow indicates that clicking this
icon displays more than one command. This is
called toolbar flyout.

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Modifying the display

Turn off the scroll bars.

Extending crosshairs completely across the
screen.
Controlling the color of the cursor and the
drawing area background.
Controlling the size of pickbox

All the above mentioned tasks will be completed by

changing the settings in Options dialog box.
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Modifying the display
How to open option dialog box
Choose Tools Options to open the Options dialog box.

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Exercise

Change the default color of drawing area to

white color.
Turn off the scroll bars from the display.
Increase the number of lines in the command
window to 5 from 3.
Change the crosshair size so that it extends fully
across the screen.
Increase the size of pickbox.
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Some General Tasks

How to save the file first time.

How to save the file with a different name.
How to close a drawing.
How to open an existing drawing.
How to exit AutoCAD
All the above mentioned tasks will be completed by
selecting an option from File Menu or by using
standard toolbar.

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