Chapter Two: Circles and Drawing Aids

Chapter Objectives

Change the grid setting

Change the snap setting

Change units

Draw circles by specifying a center point and a radius

Draw circles by specifying a center point and a diameter

Access AutoCAD online Help features

Use the ERASE command

Use single-point object snap

Use the RECTANG command

Customize your workspace

Plot or print a drawing

I N T R O D U C T I O N
In this chapter, you begin to gain control of your drawing environment by changing the spacing of the grid and snap and the units in
which coordinates are displayed. You add to your repertoire of objects by drawing circles with the CIRCLE command and rectangles
with the RECTANG command. You explore the many methods of object selection as you continue to learn editing procedures with the
ERASE command. You gain access to convenient Help features and begin to learn AutoCAD’s extensive plotting and printing
procedures.

C H A N G I N G T H E G R I D S E T T I N G

Tip

A general procedure for changing the grid spacing at the command line prompt is:

1. Type grid <Enter>.

2. Enter a new value.

When you begin a new drawing using the acad template, the grid and snap are set with a spacing of 0.5000 unit. You can complete
drawings without altering the grid and snap settings from the default value. But usually, you will want to change this to a value that
reflects your project. You may want a 10-mile snap for a mapping project or a 0.010” snap for a printed circuit diagram. The grid can
match the snap setting or can be set independently.

✓ Create a new drawing by selecting the Start Drawing button from the Start tab, making sure that acad is the selected template.

Once again, this ensures that you begin with the settings we have used in preparing this chapter.

✓ Turn on Snap Mode and Grid Display.

✓ Type z <Enter> to execute the ZOOM command.

Picking Options from the Command Line

In this section we demonstrate picking an option from the command line. Notice in Figure 2-1 the blue and gray highlighting on the
uppercase letters in each option of this prompt from the ZOOM command. These letters may be picked just as options on a menu would
be. Instead of typing the letter A to execute the All option, you can pick the word All from the command line, as shown in Figure 2-1.

Figure 2-1 Picking options from the command line

✓ Pick the word All in the command line, as shown.

✓ Pick the word All in the command line, as shown.

The grid is now centered and zoomed to the limits of the drawing. You can pick an option from the command line this way any time you
have options showing.

✓ Type grid <Enter>.

The command line prompt appears like this, with options separated by spaces:
Click here to v iew code image

Specify grid spacing(X) or [ON OFF Snap Major aDaptive

Limits Follow Aspect]<0.5000>:

If dynamic input is on, you also see part of this prompt next to the crosshairs. You can ignore the options for now. The number 0.5000
shows the current setting.

✓ In answer to the prompt, type 1 <Enter> and watch what happens.

The screen changes to show a 1-unit grid.

✓ Try other grid settings. Try 2, 0.25, and 0.125.

Remember that you can repeat the last command, GRID, by pressing <Enter> or the spacebar.

✓ Before going on to the next section, set the grid back to 0.5000.

C H A N G I N G T H E S N A P S E T T I N G
Grid and snap are similar enough to cause confusion. The grid is only a visual reference. It has no effect on selection of points. Snap is
invisible, but it dramatically affects point selection. Grid and snap may or may not have the same setting.

Tip

A general procedure for changing the snap setting in the Drafting Settings dialog box is:

1. Right-click the Snap Mode button and select Snap Settings.

2. Enter a new snap value.

3. Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Using the Drafting Settings Dialog Box

Snap can be changed using the SNAP command at the prompt, as we did with the GRID command in the last section. Both can also be
changed in the Drafting Settings dialog box, as we do here.

✓ Right-click on the Snap Mode button and select Snap Settings from the shortcut menu, as shown in Figure 2-2.

Figure 2-2 Shortcut menu

This opens the Drafting Settings dialog box shown in Figure 2-3. DSETTINGS is the command that calls up this dialog box, and ds
is the command alias. Look at the dialog box. It contains some common features, including tabs, check boxes, panels, and edit boxes.
When you open from the shortcut menu, the Snap and Grid tab should be selected as shown. If not, select it now.

Figure 2-3 Drafting Settings dialog box

✓ If the Snap and Grid window is not on top, click its tab to bring it forward.

Below the tabs you will see check boxes labeled Snap On (F9) and Grid On (F7). You can turn snap and grid on and off by picking
the appropriate check box. In your dialog box, check boxes should show that both snap and grid are on.

Note

The dialog box has places to set both x and y spacing. It is unlikely that you want to have a grid or snap matrix with different horizontal and vertical increments, but the capacity is there if you do.

Commands that call dialog boxes, like other commands, can be repeated by pressing the spacebar or <Enter>.
 The snap and grid settings are shown in edit boxes labeled Snap X spacing, Snap Y spacing, Grid X spacing, and Grid Y
spacing. You can double-click in the edit box to highlight the entire text, or point and click once anywhere inside the box to do partial
editing.

To change the snap setting, do the following:

✓ Double-click inside the edit box labeled Snap X spacing.

The entire number 0.5000 in the Snap X spacing box should be highlighted.

✓ Type 1 <Enter>.

Pressing <Enter> at this point is the same as clicking OK in the dialog box. It takes you out of the dialog box and back to the drawing
area.

Snap is now set at 1, and grid is still at 0.5. This makes the snap setting larger than the grid setting.

✓ Type L or select the Line tool from the ribbon.

This enters the LINE command. In AutoCAD, you must execute a drawing command before snap affects point selection.

✓ Move the cursor around the screen.

You will see that you can access only half the grid line intersections. This type of arrangement is not too useful. Try some other settings.

✓ Open the dialog box again by right-clicking the Snap Mode button on the status bar and then choosing Settings from the shortcut
menu.

✓ Change the Snap X spacing value to 0.25.

Move the cursor slowly and observe the coordinate display. This is a more efficient arrangement. With grid set coarser than snap, you
can still pick exact points easily, but the grid is not so dense as to be distracting.

✓ Change the Snap X spacing value to 0.05.

✓ Move the cursor and watch the coordinate display.

Observe how the snap setting is reflected in the available coordinates. How small a snap will AutoCAD accept?

✓ Try 0.005.

Move the cursor and observe the coordinate display.

✓ Try 0.0005.

You could even try 0.0001, but this would be like turning snap off because the coordinate display is registering four decimal places
anyway. Unlike the grid, which is limited by the size and resolution of your screen, you can set snap to any value you like. If you try a
grid setting that is too small, AutoCAD will default to a larger grid.

✓ Press <Esc> to exit the LINE command.

✓ Finally, before you leave this section, set the snap back to 0.25 and leave the grid at 0.5.

Tip

If you wish to keep snap and grid the same, set the grid to 0 in the Drafting Settings dialog box, or enter the GRID command
and type s for the Snap option. The grid then changes to match the snap and continues to change whenever you reset the snap.
To free the grid, just give it its own value again.

C H A N G I N G U N I T S

Tip

A general procedure for changing units is:

 1. Type Units <Enter>.

2. Answer the prompts.

UNITS

Command Units

Alias Un

Menu Format

Tool

The Drawing Units Dialog Box

The Drawing Units dialog box makes use of drop-down lists, another common dialog box feature.

✓ Type Units <Enter>.

This opens the Drawing Units dialog box shown in Figure 2-4. This dialog box has six drop-down lists for specifying various
characteristics of linear and angular drawing units. Drop-down lists show a current setting next to an arrow that is used to open the list
of other possibilities. Your dialog box should show that the current Length Type in your drawing is decimal units precise to 0.0000
places, and Angle Type is decimal degrees with 0 places. Notice also the Sample Output area that gives examples of the current
units.

Figure 2-4 Drawing Units dialog box

✓ Pick the arrow to the right of the word Decimal, under Type in the Length panel of the dialog box.

A list drops down with the following options:

Architectural

Decimal

Engineering

Fractional

Scientific

Architectural units display feet and fractional inches (1’-3 1/2”), engineering units display feet and decimal inches (1’-3.50”), fractional
units display units in a mixed-number format (15 1/2), and scientific units use exponential notation for the display of very large or very
small numbers (1.55E + 01). With the exception of engineering and architectural formats, these formats can be used with any basic unit
of measurement. For example, decimal mode works for metric units as well as English units.

In this chapter, we stick to decimal units. If you are designing a house, you are more likely to use architectural units. If you are
building a bridge, you might want engineering units. You might want to use scientific units if you are mapping subatomic particles.

✓ Whatever your application, once you know how to change units, you can do so at any time. However, as a drawing practice it is best to
choose appropriate units when you first begin work on a new drawing.

✓ Select Decimal, or click anywhere outside the list box to close the list without changing the setting.

Now, we will change the precision setting to two-place decimals.

✓ Click the down arrow next to 0.0000 in the Precision list box in the Length panel.
 This opens a list with options ranging from 0 to 0.00000000, as shown in Figure 2-5.

Figure 2-5 Precision list

We use two-place decimals because they are more common than any other choice.

✓ Pick 0.00 from the list, as shown in Figure 2-5.

The list closes, and 0.00 replaces 0.0000 as the current precision for units of length. Notice that the sample output has also changed to
reflect the new setting.

The area to the right allows you to change the units in which angular measures, including polar coordinates, are displayed. If you
open the Angle Type list, you see the following options:

Decimal Degrees

Deg/Min/Sec

Grads

Radians

Surveyor’s Unit

The default system is standard decimal degrees with 0 decimal places, measured counterclockwise, with 0° being straight out to the
right (3 o’clock), 90° straight up (12 o’clock), 180° to the left (9 o’clock), and 270° straight down (6 o’clock). We will leave these settings
alone.

✓ Check to see that you have two-place decimal units for length and zero-place decimal degree units for angles.

✓ Pick OK to close the dialog box.

Tip

All dialog boxes can be moved on the screen by picking the blue title area at the top of the dialog box, holding down the pick
button, and dragging the box across the screen.

D R A W I N G C I R C L E S B Y S P E C I F Y I N G A C E N T E R P O I N T A N D A R A D I U S

CIRCLE

Command Circle

Alias C

Panel Draw

Tool

Tip

A general procedure for drawing a circle is:

1. Pick the arrow below the Circle tool on the Draw panel of the ribbon.

2. Pick Center, Radius from the drop-down list.

 3. Pick a center point.

4. Enter or show a radius value.

Circles can be drawn by specifying a center point and a radius, a center point and a diameter, two points that determine a diameter, three
points on the circle’s circumference, two tangent points on other objects and a radius, or three tangent points. All these options appear
on a drop-down list below the Circle tool on the ribbon. In this chapter, we use only the first two options.

We begin by drawing a circle with radius 3 and center at the point (6,5). Then, we draw two smaller circles centered at the same point.
Later we erase them using the ERASE command.

Note

The tool that appears on the ribbon changes with the last option selected. If Center, Radius was the last CIRCLE command option used, the Center, Radius tool will be displayed on the ribbon. In this case,
Center, Radius can be executed without opening the list.

✓ Grid should be set to 0.50, snap to 0.25, and units to two-place decimal.

✓ Pick the arrow below the Circle tool on the ribbon, as illustrated in Figure 2-6.

Figure 2-6 Circle tool – drop-down list

This opens the drop-down list shown in the figure. There are many drop-down lists on the ribbon. They allow access to more commands
and options without adding to the screen area taken up by the ribbon. Center, Radius is at the top of the list.

✓ Select Center, Radius from the top of the drop-down list.

The command line prompt is

Click here to v iew code image

Specify center point for circle or [3P 2P Ttr (tan tan

radius)]:

✓ Pick the center point of the circle you want to draw. In our case, it is the point (6,5).

AutoCAD assumes that a radius or diameter will follow and shows the following prompt:
Click here to v iew code image

Specify radius of circle or [Diameter]:

If we type or point to a value now, AutoCAD takes it as a radius because that is the default. Diameter is the only other option still
available.

✓ Move your cursor and observe the rubber band and dragged circle. If your dynamic input display is not on, turn it on by picking the
Dynamic Input button.

Besides the rubber band and the circle you may also notice that the coordinate display now shows polar coordinates. You will not see
this if the coordinate display is in static mode.

✓ If necessary, pick the coordinate display so that it updates as you move the cursor.

You will remember that polar coordinates display a length and an angle. In this case the length is the length of the radius shown by the
rubber band. Dynamic input is also a great feature for drawing circles. It will give you the radius or diameter of the circle you are
drawing right at the point you are selecting.

✓ If necessary, pick the dynamic input display and observe how the value in the display changes as you move the cursor.

✓ Watch the dynamic input display or the coordinate display and pick a point 3.00 away from the center point, as shown in Figure 2-7.

Figure 2-7 Drag circle 3.00 from center point

With snap on, you will find that you can move exactly 3.00 only if you are at 0°, 90°, 180°, or 270°.

Your first circle should now be complete.

 Tip

Another way to create multiple objects of the same type is to use the Add Selected option from a shortcut menu. Select an
object, right-click to open the shortcut menu, and select Add Selected from the menu. This will initiate the command to add an
object of the same type you have selected. This method will not enter options. If you don’t enter an option, the default option is
assumed.

✓ Draw two more circles using the same center point, radius method. They should be centered at (6,5) and have radii of 2.50 and 2.00.
Use the spacebar to repeat the command or pick the Center, Radius tool from the ribbon.

The results are illustrated in Figure 2-8.

Figure 2-8 Circles drawn using Center, Radius

D R A W I N G C I R C L E S B Y S P E C I F Y I N G A C E N T E R P O I N T A N D A D I A M E T E R
We will draw three more circles centered on (6,5) having diameters of 1, 1.5, and 2. This method of drawing circles is similar to the radius
method, except you will see that the rubber band and dynamic input display work differently.

✓ Open the Circle drop-down list on the ribbon and pick Center, Diameter.

✓ Pick the center point at (6,5).

✓ Move the crosshairs away from the center point.

Notice that the crosshairs are now outside the circle you are dragging on the screen (see Figure 2-9). This is because AutoCAD is
looking for a diameter, but the last point you gave was a center point. So, the diameter is being measured from the center point out, twice
the radius. Also notice that the dynamic input display has responded to the diameter specification and is now measuring the diameter of
the circle. Move the cursor around, in and out from the center point, to get a feel for this.

Figure 2-9 Dynamic input display

Note
Pressing <Enter> or the spacebar to repeat a command will not repeat the option, unless it is the default option. In this case, the command will default to the Radius option, not the Diameter option.

✓ Pick a diameter of 1.00.

You should now have four circles.

✓ Draw two more circles with diameters of 1.50 and 2.00.

When you are done, your screen should look like Figure 2-10.

Figure 2-10 Six circles

Studying Figure 2-11 and using the HELP command, as discussed in the next section, will give you a good introduction to the
remaining options in the CIRCLE command.

Figure 2-11 Circle options

A CC E S S I N G A U T O C A D O N L I N E H E L P F E AT U R E S

Tip

A general procedure for accessing AutoCAD online Help features is:

1. Type help <Enter> or pick the Help tool on the title bar.

2. Type the name of the command you wish to research.

3. Press <Enter>.
 The AutoCAD HELP command gives you access to an extraordinary amount of information in a comprehensive library of AutoCAD
references and information, available both online and in your local software. In this section, we focus on the use of the AutoCAD 2020
Help window to gain information about command procedures and capabilities. For a demonstration, we look for further information on
the CIRCLE command.

Note
If you are not connected to the Internet, some of the procedures presented here will not work. If the AutoCAD offline Help files have been downloaded on your computer, you can access these local help files. To
locate the CIRCLE command in offline Help, follow these steps:

1. Type Help <Enter> or select the Help tool from the title bar.

2. From the Help window, type the name of the item or command you wish to research and press <Enter>.

3. When the list is open, scroll through the list of topics to the one you want to see.

4. With your selection highlighted, press <Enter>.

The following steps will access AutoCAD’s online Help features.

✓ To begin you should be at the command line prompt.

✓ Check to see that you are connected to the Internet. If you are unable to connect, refer to the information in the Note.

✓ Pick the Help tool from the title bar, as shown in Figure 2-12.

Figure 2-12 Help tool

Assuming you are online, this opens the AutoCAD 2020 Help window shown in Figure 2-13. Notice the Search box at the upper
right.

Figure 2-13 AutoCAD Help Home Page

✓ Type Circle <Enter> in the search box.

AutoCAD displays the page shown in Figure 2-14. If you scroll down, you will see that this window displays 15 options for your search.
For further information you need to select one of the options.

Figure 2-14 Search options page

✓ Pick the CIRCLE (Command) link, third on the list as shown.

AutoCAD Help displays the CIRCLE (Command) page, as shown in Figure 2-15. If you scroll down the page, you will find
information on all of the options in the CIRCLE command.

Figure 2-15 CIRCLE (Command) page

✓ To exit the AutoCAD Help window, pick the close button at the top right.

Or, you can minimize it and leave it open in the background.

Tip

A general procedure for using the ERASE command with verb/noun selection is:

1. Pick the Erase tool from the Modify panel of the ribbon.

2. Select objects.

3. Press <Enter> to carry out the command.

ERASE

Command Erase
 Alias E

Panel Modify

Tool

U S I N G T H E E R A S E CO M M A N D
AutoCAD allows for many different methods of editing. Fundamentally, there are two different sequences for using most edit
commands. These are called the verb/noun and the noun/verb methods.

verb/noun: The selection method in which an edit command is entered prior to objects being selected for editing.

noun/verb: The selection method in which an object to be edited is selected prior to entering an edit command.

In this section, we review the verb/noun sequence and then introduce the noun/verb or “pick first” method along with some of the
many options for selecting objects.

Verb/Noun Editing
✓ To begin this section you should have the six circles on your screen, as shown previously in Figure 2-10.

We use verb/noun editing to erase the two outer circles. Here we erase two circles at once.

✓ Pick the Erase tool from the ribbon.

In the command line and the dynamic input display, you see the prompt

Select objects:

This is a very common prompt. You will find it in all edit commands and many other commands as well.

✓ Roll over the outer circle.

The circle will be grayed out and a red x will appear.

✓ Pick the outer circle.

The circle will remain gray but the red x will disappear.

✓ Use the box to pick the second circle moving in toward the center.

It, too, should now be grayed out.

✓ Press the right button on your mouse to carry out the command.

This is typical of the verb/noun sequence in most edit commands. Once a command has been entered and a selection set defined, a press
of the <Enter> key or right button is required to complete the command. At this point the two outer circles should be erased.

Tip

In verb/noun edit command procedures where the last step is to press <Enter> to complete the command, it is good heads-up
practice to use the right button on your mouse in place of the spacebar or <Enter> key.

Noun/Verb Editing
Now let’s try the noun/verb sequence.

✓ Pick the Undo tool or type u to undo the ERASE command and bring back the circles.

✓ Use the pickbox to select the outer circle.

 The circle is highlighted in blue, and your screen should now resemble Figure 2-16. Those little blue boxes are called grips. They can be
used to edit many AutoCAD objects. For now, you can ignore them.

grip: In AutoCAD, grips are placed at strategic geometric locations on objects in a drawing that have been selected. Several forms of
editing can be accomplished by picking, dragging, and manipulating grips.

Figure 2-16 Blue grip boxes

✓ Pick the second circle in the same fashion.

The second circle also becomes dotted, and more grips appear.

✓ Pick the Erase tool from the ribbon.

Alternatively, you can type e or press the <Del> key. Your two outer circles disappear.

The two outer circles should now be gone. As you can see, there is not much difference between the two sequences. One difference
that is not immediately apparent is that there are numerous selection methods available in the verb/noun system that cannot be
activated when you pick objects first. We cover other object selection methods momentarily, but first try the OOPS command.

Tip

A general procedure for using the ERASE command with noun/verb selection is:

1. Select objects.

2. Pick the Erase tool from the ribbon.

OOPS
✓ Type oops <Enter> and watch the screen.

If you have made a mistake in your erasure, you can get your selection set back by typing oops. OOPS is to ERASE as REDO is to
UNDO. You can use OOPS to undo an ERASE command, as long as you have not performed another ERASE in the meantime. In
other words, AutoCAD saves only your most recent ERASE selection set.

You can also use U or Ctrl-Z to undo an ERASE, but notice the difference: U simply undoes the last command, whatever it may be;
OOPS works specifically with ERASE to recall the last set of erased objects. If you have drawn other objects in the meantime, you can
still use OOPS to recall a previously erased set. However, if you tried to use U, you would have to backtrack, undoing any newly drawn
objects along the way.

Other Object Selection Methods

You can select individual entities on the screen by picking them one by one, but in complex drawings this is often inefficient. AutoCAD
offers a variety of other methods. In this exercise, we select circles by the windowing and crossing methods, by indicating Last or L for
the last entity drawn, and by indicating Previous or P for the previously defined set. There are also options to add or remove objects
from the selection set and other variations on windowing and crossing. We suggest that you study Figure 2-17 to learn about other
methods. The number of selection options available may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but time learning them is well spent. These
same options appear in many AutoCAD editing commands (MOVE, COPY, ARRAY, ROTATE, MIRROR) and will become part of
your CAD vocabulary in time.

Figure 2-17 Object selection methods chart

Selection by Window
Window and crossing selections, like individual object selection, can be initiated without entering a command. In other words, they are
available for noun/verb selection. Whether you select objects first or enter a command first, you can force a window or crossing selection
simply by picking points on the screen that are not on objects. AutoCAD assumes that you want to select by windowing or crossing and
asks for a second point.

Let’s try it. We will specify that we want to erase all the inner circles by throwing a temporary selection window around them. The
window is defined by two points moving left to right that serve as opposite corners of a rectangular window. Only entities that lie
completely within the window are selected (see Figure 2-18).