AutoCAD Basics

The AutoCAD Interface

Draw Tool Palette

Pull-down Menus

Zoom Tool Palette

Edit Tool Palette

AutoCAD Basics
The Drawing and Editing Interface
A thorough understanding of absolute, relative
and polar coordinates is suggested for utilizing
AutoCADs drawing engine.
Absolute = exact x,y position on the screen.

Line

Circle

Relative = going from a known position @x,y to the

new position.
Polar = moving from a known position @distance
< theta .
Use the command line to assist you in the what
to do next process of drawing. It is located at the
bottom of the screen and acts as the message line
in Graphite. All of the creation tools are on the
drawing tool palette.
The Line tool allows you to draw continuous
lines starting with the first point. Each
subsequent point will generate a segment between
them. The line is terminated by hitting Enter, the
Space bar or right mouse clicking and
selecting Enter.
Circles are started with the default value for the
Radius. Be sure to double the value or change
the default to Diameter by typing D and Enter
before clicking the circles center

Erase

Trim

The Erase tool show a pencil eraser icon and is used

to delete the entire entity. Make sure that you select the
icon, then select the object, and hit Enter to delete the
entity or entities.
The Trim works similar to Graphite. First select the
tool, then select the boundary, hit Enter and select the
part of the entity you wish to remove.

AutoCAD Basics
The A-size Prototype
Procedure
1.Open the AutoCAD program.
2. Select the Line tool.
3. Type the following coordinate positions:
0,0 + Enter,10,0 + Enter, 10,7.5 + Enter,
0,7.5 + Enter, C or 0,0 + Enter.
This will draw our border 10 inches wide by 7.5 inches
high. Type the letter Z + E + Enter
4. Select the Offset Tool ( looks like a race track
on the Modify tool palette.
5. Click the bottom line with the little square pick box.
Type the value of .38 + Enter. Select the side or
direction you want to copy the new line. Click any
where above the bottom line on the screen.
6. Select the Offset tool again and offset the
horizontal spaces for the title block moving left to right
with the spaces of 3.25, 3.25, reselect tool and offset
1, reselect and offset 1.25, reselect tool and offset .75.

Figure 1

AutoCAD Basics
The A-size Prototype
Procedure
7. Select the Trim tool.
8. Select the .38 offset line.
9. Hit Enter and click all the lines above the .38 inch
offset line
10. Select the Format menu.
11. Select the Text Style option and set the Font
to Arial and the Height to .125. Select Apply
and Close.
12. Select the Text tool. Click the Osnap button
at the bottom of the screen.
13. Make a text box across the first box in the title
block. Look for the yellow box to mark the endpoint of
the lines for the width and height. Select the Font to
Arial and clink the Properties tab and select
Middle Center and click the Character tab and
type the generic name for your drawing title.
14. Complete the rest of the title block using the same
procedure.

AutoCAD Basics
The A-size Prototype
Procedure
15. Select the Format menu.
16. Select the Layer option.
17. Select the New button.
18. Create all of the following layers: Visible, Hidden,
Center, Phantom, Construction, Dimension and Hatch.
19. Click on the color tab next to each layer and
assign the appropriate colors for each layer.
20. Click on the line tab next to each layer and load
the hidden2, center2 and the phantom2 linetypes.

AutoCAD Basics
The A-size Prototype
Procedure
The completed layer settings will like the figure to the
right..

AutoCAD Basics
The A-size Prototype