Introduction to AutoCAD 2D

Content
Introduction.............................................................................................................. 3
1.What is CAD? ....................................................................................................... 4
2.How to start the program. ..................................................................................... 5
2.1 Starting AutoCAD interface. ........................................................................... 5
2.2 AutoCAD Interface ......................................................................................... 7
3.Main components ............................................................................................... 10
3.1 Start button .................................................................................................. 10
3.2 Fast access tool bars ................................................................................... 10
3.3 Windows and dialog boxes .......................................................................... 14
3.4 Mouse tools ................................................................................................. 15
3.5 Methods for commands and tools access .................................................... 16
3.6 How to customize the interface .................................................................... 17
3.7 Drawing units used in design ....................................................................... 18
4.Design coordinates............................................................................................. 19
4.1 Absolute coordinates ................................................................................... 19
4.2 Relative coordinates .................................................................................... 21
4.3 Polar coordinates ......................................................................................... 23
References ............................................................................................................ 26
Document control .................................................................................................. 27
Introduction

With this learning material the apprentice will be able to explore and apply the
multiple possibilities that AutoCAD offers in design. In this way he/she will also be
able to obtain basic knowledge which will allow him/her to know the program
interface, in order to deal with drawing, engineering projects, architecture and
some other areas in 2D

AutoCAD is the most used design tool in the world. So that, who are immersed in
this world must know the interface and the correct commands application, in
addition to manage it with precision and accuracy, he/she can show projects
information about construction in accordance with the specifications, standards and
techniques of graphic representation.
 1. What is CAD?

CAD (Computer Aided Design) is a software

developed by the American Company, Autodesk,
Its first version was launched to the market in
1982, nowadays it continues being successful
and one of the most used programs for modeling
structures and plans. It is the architects and
engineers' favorite program.

In the Learning program development some tools

will be recognized, they will allow apprentices to
develop fabulous design projects.
 2. How to start the program
To be able to work in the program it is necessary to double clicking on the
icon on the desktop.

The AutoCAD interface is based on the windows standards and can be modified in
an easy way.

2.1 Starting AutoCAD interface

The home screen is shown below to start AutoCAD 2016, which has some
shortcuts required by the designer.
 2.2 AutoCAD Interface
Application window: It allows us to have many opened windows at the same time, it
enable us to get much more effectiveness to the projects an appropriate
comparison among them.

Home: the Home tab contains the most frequently used commands within the
software. Basic object and drawing tools can be found here, as well as frequently
used utilities like modification tools, layers, and basic annotation.

Drawing window: like the AutoCAD Application window, you can minimize,
maximize, reposition, resize, and check the state of any Document window. But
you can also change the way the drawing is displayed within a window by using
views, viewports, and zooming methods.
Toolbar: It has different icons, which represent the required commands in the
development of the apprentice's model; when the cursor is passed over the icon,
the program shows through a floating window the information about its utility in a
short example of its function.

Status bar: the status bar displays the cursor location, drawing tools, and tools
that affect your drawing environment. It provides quick access to some of the most
commonly used drawing tools. You can toggle settings such as:

Click his button to switch from model space in a layout

Model
viewport to paper space.
Grid Displays a grid in the drawing area.
The cursor snaps to specify grid intervals as you move the
Snap
cursor.
Constrains cursor movement to the horizontal or vertical
Ortho
directions.
 Polar Tracks the cursor along specified polar angles.
Simulates an isometric drawing environment by aligning
Isodraft objects along isometric axes, where the angle between each
axis is 120°.
Tracks the cursor along vertical and horizontal alignment
Autosnap
paths from object snap points.
Osnap Snaps the cursor to the nearest 2D reference point.
Show
annotation Displays annotative objects using the annotation scale.
objects
Annotation Sets the current annotation scale for annotative objects in
scale model space.
Wscurrent: changes the current workspace to the one you
Wscurrent
select.
Annomonitor Annomonitor: Turns on and off the annotation monitor.
Isolate object: hide selected objects in the drawing area, or
Isolate object
display objects that were hidden previously.
Graphics Displays graphical performance options on the command
config line.
Maximizes the drawing area by clearing it of the ribbon,
Clean screen toolbars, and dockable windows, except the command
window.
It accepts the input of commands and system variables and
Command
displays prompts or that guide the user through the
window
commands sequence.
 3. Main components

3.1 Start button

It represents the program icon

Click on the icon program to show common

functions to start the project, functions like:
Generate a new project, open or save a project,
publish and print, at the right hand side there are
some other options according to the function
chosen.

3.2 Fast access tool bars

They are located at the top of the interface and close to the drawing area, they
have most of the information of the program and are composed by 13 bars with
different characteristics.

Home: it shows the main commands to draw, edit, modify and make annotations,
new layers, blocks, properties and groups.
Insert: It presents commands to insert graphics, images and others functions to
insert, create and edit, references, cloud attach and locations.

Annotate: It has commands to write texts and take measures.

Parametric: It shows commands to adjust drawing constraints: perpendicular,

horizontal, tangent, collinear, parallel, among others, also the characteristics of
dimensions.

View: It presents the commands for handling window tools, models and interfaces.
Manage: It has commands for the recording process, personalization and
applications.

Output: It shows the commands to execute the output and printing processes.

Add_ins: It presents the commands to manage stored cross-references

A360: It has commands to handle shared files in the cloud, to synchronize changes
and to manage projects.
Express Tools: It shows commands to manage uninstalled tools by default and
are required for the program.

Featured Tools: It presents the command to get direct access to applications and
content that can be downloaded..

BIM 360: It has commands to allow access to the software to the use of shared
models and errors verification.

Performance: It displays verification commands and performance reports.

3.3 Windows and dialog boxes

Located in the bottom center of the interface, it shows the commands that are
being executed in the program and the possible tools associated with what is being
typed with the keyboard.

Contextual menu

It allows to know the characteristics of

the tool, this popup appears when you
right click on the object, it is located
next to the indicated object.
 Dynamic Parameter Capture

They are aids that facilitate the

construction of drawing through pop-
up text boxes, it shows information
like: Location of the cursor in the
drawing area (coordinates) distances,
diameters, lengths or requirements
suggested by the tool.

3.4 Mouse tool

In AutoCAD the mouse buttons perform different functions, the tools established by
default are mentioned below.
 Left Button Right button Scroll
Entity Selection Activate context menus Zoom the drawing in or out
Icon selection Move the drawing
Selecting Tools from Tool
Paletts
Selecting the menu options
Entering Points

3.5 Methods for commands and tools access.

AutoCAD provides a many tools to generate designs. These can be found in
different bars, menus and windows, which can be accessed in several ways:
by pressing the corresponding icon, by writing the command's name, by the main
menu, in the tool palettes, through keyboard abbreviations as it can be evidenced
below:

http://static-ww.autodesk.net/content/dam/estore/customer-service/AutoCAD_Shortcuts_11x8.5_MECH-REV.pdf
3.6 How to customize the interface

The appearance of the interface can be

changed by clicking on the start button
and then by selecting the command
"options".
A pop-up window will be opened to
change it.

The changes to the interface vary the

way you view the screen in terms of
color in the drawing area, color and size
of the pointer, the way to open and save
the files, the default printer, the
management of measurement units, the
size of the grips, the way in which 3D
modeling is preferred, among others.
3.7 Drawing units used in design
Drawing units are the measure units in AutoCAD, which can be in millimeters,
meters, kilometers or inches, for example, if there is a line that measures five
millimeters, then five drawing units are measured in it.

To set the measurement units the keys "U" and "N" are pressed or typing "UNITS",
the Drawing Units window appears, where the measure units are chosen for the
development of design.

During the development of this learning program, decimal units will be always
used, in the default system: decimal degrees with precision "0", measured
counterclockwise.
 4. Design coordinates
With the information of a pair of values, the coordinates allow us to locate the exact
position of a point.

The point of intersection between the X axis and the

Y axis is the origin point: Its coordinates are (0,0).
The values on the X axis on the right are positive and
on the left are negative.
The values on the Y axis upwards from the point of
origin are positive and downwards are negative.
Within the AutoCAD interface there are three types
of coordinates: absolute, relative and polar.

4.1 Absolute coordinates

It is a Cartesian plane composed by a horizontal axis called the X axis or
abscissas axis; and a vertical axis called the Y axis or ordinates axis.

The initial point of the work area in the lower left corner is taken as the starting
point: the coordinate "0" of the screen.

Example to make a triangle with absolute coordinates:

Start with the

command:
LINE or L
 Type: 200,160
Press key ENTER

Type: 0,0
Press key ENTER

Type: 200,0
Press key ENTER
 Type: C
Press key ENTER

4.2 Relative coordinates

It is referred to the last point entered and not the coordinates origin. Its format is
@X,Y (Example. @22,160). What is ordered to the program is to displace or
increase in X and in Y with respect to the point previously used.
Example to make a square with relative coordinates:

Start with the

command:
LINE or L

Type: @150,0
Press key ENTER

Type: @0,150
Press key ENTER

Type: @-150,0
Press key ENTER
 Type: C
Press key ENTER

Square with
relative
coordinates.

4.3 Polar coordinates

It is also referred to the last point used, but it shows a distance and an angle.
The format is @distance<angle (Example. @12<45).

Polar coordinates allow us to move according to the angle. Following with the
starting point the line that was drawn previously.

Type: @(AltGr+Q) 50,45 and then press ENTER

This should have drawn the following point of the line, 50 units long in a 45º angle.
Example to elaborate an equilateral triangle using polar movements:

Start with the

command:
LINE or L

Press anywhere on
the screen

Type: @100<0
Press key ENTER

Type: @100<120
Press key ENTER
 Type: C
Press key ENTER

Equilateral
triangle with polar
coordinates.
Referencias
AutoCAD de Autodesk Shortcuts.(Sin fecha).Guía de accesos directos. Consultado
el 19 de septiembre de 2016 http://static-
ww.autodesk.net/content/dam/estore/customer-
service/AutoCAD_Shortcuts_11x8.5_MECH-REV.pdf

Autodesk. (Sin fecha). Help. Consultado 17 noviembre 2016, en

http://help.autodesk.com/view/ARCHDESK/2016/ENU/?guid=GUID-
B060BED0-B506-4148-9EAE-5CCE0CC2F633

Duarte Camacho, M. E. (2012).Programas de Diseño. Consultado 06 marzo 2014,

en
http://cobachsonora.edu.mx:8086/portalcobach/pdf/modulosaprendizaje/sem
estre5-2012/FCPT5S_Prog_Diseno.pdf
Control del documento