10

T.L.E.
Technical
Drafting
Quarter 1 – Module 2:
CAD WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Writer: Precious Faith G. Villanueva

 What I Know

Direction: Read the statement on COLUMN A. On a separate sheet of paper

write the letter of the correct answer found on COLUMN B for each number.

COLUMN A
1. The area indicator of a universal points of x, y, z.
2. The cursor represented by a crossed line. COLUMN B
a. Drawing Area
3. Displays the details of your crosshair location b. Crosshair
on the coordinates. c. Dialog Box Launcher
d. UCS
4. Let users read or scan documents on the World
e. Application Button
Wide Web with options such as New, Open, Save,
f. Quick Access
Explore and the likes.
Toolbar
5. Allows you to easily access the additional files g. File Name
which are currently open but cannot be seen on h. Search Box
the file tab. i. Menu Bar
j. Toolbar
6. Allows you to select file/s to open different k. Viewport Controls
formats such as .dwg, .dws, .dxf, .dwt. l. Window Control
Buttons
7. Provide basic functions to window options m. File Tab
namely, minimize, maximize and close.
n. Overflow Icon
o. View Cube
8. The horizontal strip across the top of an
application’s window with sensitive drop-down p. Navigation Bar
menu. q. Command Line
r. Status Bar
9. Provide compact placement for tools that are s. Model and Layout
relevant to the current workspace. Tab
t. Get Started
10. Provides online access to learning resources. u. Start Page
v. Templates
11. Displayed at the top-left corner of each w. Open Files
viewport, and provide a convenient way of
x. Recent Documents
changing views, visual styles, such as top or
y. Connect
bottom, 2D Wireframe or Realistic and the likes.
z. Learn Page
12. It is a clickable and draggable icon that acts as
a navigation tool for 2D or 3D work space.

13. Docked tools or on a floating bar that helps you

to move around your drawing area.

14. The name of the current file you are on.

15. It is where you enter the commands.

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 Lesson

2 CAD Working Environment

W
orking Environment simply means the physical condition that are factors
in one’s work processes. In CAD this pertains to the software’s graphical
user interface (GUI). The GUI is the visual interpretation of the working
area, tools and other menus used by the user to move around the virtual setting
through the help of icons and commands.
The whole series of this module is based on the use of the CAD software - AutoCAD.
As for this lesson, the primary objectives for LO 1. Operate CAD Software and
Computer Hardware are the following according to the sub-LO 1.2 which is to Explore
CAD working environment:
1. Recognize the parts of the CAD Working Environment
2. Evaluate the functions of the CAD Working Environment
3. Create objects through the CAD Working Environment Toolbar

What’s In

What is CAD?
Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) of also known as Computer Aided Design is the
computer-based use of tools to assist engineers, architects and other design
professionals in their layout and design activities. CAD mainly make use of a
computer desktop or a laptop to input data into be more recognizable and visually
appealing by generating the actual perspective of the layout and design.

CAD may be used to design and develop products, designing of tools and machinery
creating conceptual design and layout, plans and construction drawings. You may
switch between two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) views using CAD.

CAD programs differ in features and hardware requirements base on the service
provider.

Notes to the Teacher

This contains the parts and options mainly found on
the CAD start page and drawing area to help your students
familiarize on how each are used.

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 What’s New

Explore CAD Working Environment

Direction: Below are sample CAD graphical user interface once you opened the
software and started your drawing. On a separate sheet of paper create a table then
write the differences you can notice. (Put at least three stances.)

START PAGE DRAWING AREA

START PAGE DRAWING AREA

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 What is It

Recognize CAD Working Environment

CAD Start Page

Once you open the AutoCAD app, you will prompted by the Start tab that is
displayed by default at application startup, providing easy access to a variety of initial
actions, including access to drawing template files, recently opened drawings and
sheet sets, and online and learning options.

The start tab contains the Create Page with the following sections displayed:

Get Started
Displays the different access to common methods to start a file.

Start New Drawing

Creates a new drawing from the default drawing template file. You specify the default
drawing template file from the Options dialog box, Files tab, Templates, Default
Template File Name for QNEW setting.
When a default drawing template file is set to none or is not specified, the new
drawing is based on the most recently used drawing template file.

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Templates
Lists all the available drawing template files.
The most common template used are:
- acad.dwt is a template for imperial units (inches)
- acadiso.dwt uses metric units (millimeters)

Open Files
The Select File dialog box is displayed.
Drawing file formats:
Drawing (.dwg) – the default format in creating drawing files by
inputting data needed through the CAD software
Drawing Standards (.dws) – provide set of functionalities used
for designing 3D structures and engineering designs
Drawing eXchange Format (.dxf) - a graphic image format used
to share drawing data between other CAD programs
Drawing Template (.dwt) – a file that is used to create drawings

Open a Sheet Set

The Open Sheet Set dialog box is displayed.
• A sheet is a selected layout from a drawing file. You can import a
layout from any drawing into a sheet set as a numbered sheet.
• A sheet set is an organized and named collection of sheets from
several drawing files. You can manage, transmit, publish, and
archive sheet sets as a unit.

Get More Templates Online

Download additional drawing template files when available.

Explore Sample Drawings

Access the installed sample files.

Recent Documents
View the most recently used files. You can keep a file listed by clicking the push pin
button. A pinned document is displayed at the top of the list until you turn off the
push pin button. You can choose between image, image and text or text only as the
display options.

Notifications
Displays all notifications with regards to product updates, hardware acceleration,
trial period, and about the offline help file information. A notification badge is
displayed at the bottom of the page when there are two or more new notifications.

Connect
Sign in to your Autodesk account to access online services.
***Feedback: Access to the online form to provide feedback and any improvements you
would like to see.

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Learn Page
The Learn page provides access to learning resources such as videos, tips and other
relevant online content or services if available. For every new content update, a
notification badge is displayed at the bottom of the page.
*** If no internet connection is available, the Learn page is not displayed.

CAD Drawing Area

The working environment allows the creation of electronic working drawings

located on a storage media for project presentations and other future use.

Drawing (Working) Area

The drawing area is made of a coordinate points of x and y for
2D drawings and a universal point of x, y and z for 3D
drawings.

Crosshair
The cursor itself represented by a crossed line which is used
to locate points and select object/s.
2D 3D

Dialog Box Launcher

This displays the details of your crosshair location on the
coordinates.

Universal Coordinate System (UCS)

Found at the bottom left hand corner of the AutoCAD drawing
window. You will see a symbol like the one shown on the left.
This UCS icon is there to remind you which is the X axis and
which is the Y axis.
2D 3D

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Application Button (Menu Browser)
A client- software that lets users read or scan documents on
the World Wide Web. It has the following options to choose
from:
- New
- Open
- Save
- Save As
- Export
- Publish
- Print
- Drawing Utilities
- Close
- Recent Documents
- Options
- Exit Autodesk AutoCAD

Quick Access Toolbar

Located along the top of the application window (above or below the ribbon) and
provides direct access to common or defined set of commands like New, Open, Save,
and Plot.
Procedure on how to add command/s to Quick Access Toolbar:
1. Right-click the Quick Access toolbar >Customize Quick Access toolbar.
2. Select the preferred commands.
3. Drag the selected commands to quick Access Toolbar.

File Name
The name of the current file you are working on.

Search Box
A tool that allows you to search for a particular data
or document in a help file or to web.

Window Controls Buttons

Provide basic functions for quick access to window
options namely, minimize, maximize and close
respective to picture shown on the left.

Menu Bar

The horizontal strip across the top of an application’s window. Each word on the
strip has a context sensitive drop-down menu containing features and actions
that are available for the application in use.

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Viewport Controls
Viewport controls are displayed at the top-left corner of each viewport, and provide a
convenient way of changing views, visual styles, and other settings.

View Control
Click this to manage the view position that you see on the
drawing area such as:
- Top - SW Isometric
- Bottom - SE Isometric
- Left - NE Isometric
- Right - NW Isometric
- Front - Parallel
- Back - Perspective

Visual Style Control

Click this to manage the visual style on how you see the object
on the drawing area specially when designing 3D graphics. The
options depict the same meaning of it such as:
- 2D Wireframe - Shaded with edged
- Conceptual - Shades of Gray
- Hidden - Sketchy
- Realistic - Wireframe
- Shaded - X-ray

*** Click the + or - to display options for maximizing the viewport, changing the viewport
configuration, or controlling the display of navigation tools.

File Tab
This usually displays the full name of the file and
provides easy access to open drawing files.

Overflow Icon
If you have more tabs than what is displayed on the file tab, the
overflow menu on the right side (with a symbol of two down
arrows), allows you to easily access the additional files with file
previews.

View Cube
It is a clickable and draggable icon that acts as a navigation tool
displayed to switch between standard and isometric views when you are
working in 2D model space or 3D visual style. Also pertained as the
World Coordinate System (WCS)

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 Navigation Bar
The navigation bar is a user interface element you can access by clicking
one of the buttons on the docked tools or on the floating bar. Listed below
are the available tools found on the drawing area:
Full Navigation Wheel (Compass wheel icon)
Allows you to move through different navigation tools.
Pan (Hand icon)
Moves the view parallel to the screen.
Zoom tool (Magnifying icon)
Set of navigation tools for increasing or decreasing the magnification of the
current view of a model.
Orbit tool (360 turn icon)
Set of navigation tools for rotating the current view of a model.
ShowMotion. (Play button icon)
Provides on screen display to create cinematic camera animations for
presentations.

*** The navigation bar must be unlinked from the ViewCube to be positioned
independently through setting-up the docking positions by clicking the drop-down
arrow found on the lower right corner.

Command Line
It is where you enter the commands by keyboard and
where the prompts are displayed. It has a text area where
all the previous commands are displayed.

Model and Layout Tab

You create drawings in model
space/tab.
You can switch to a named layout
tab to begin designing a layout
environment from which to
Model Tab Layout print/plot.
Tab

Status Bar (Tray Settings/ Info Bar)

Displays the coordinate location of your crosshairs and the current settings of the
drawing as to layout, grid, snap, dynamic input, orthomode, polar tracking, isometric
drawing, osnap tracking, osnap, annotation adjustments, workspace switching
(Drafting & Annotation, 3D Basics, 3D Modeling, AutoCAD Classic) and other
drawing aids.

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Toolbar (Ribbon)

Provide a single, compact placement for operations/tools that are relevant to

the current workspace. By default (in its original setting), it contains the Standard
(Draw, Modify, Annotation), Layers, Properties and Styles toolbars.

You can determine the name and the function of each button under the toolbar by
pointing your mouse on top of it and to show other command options left-click the
drop-down list (small inverted triangle) at the corner. You can display or hide, dock,
and resize the toolbar.

CAD Toolbar
Familiarizing yourself to most common toolbar options used in drawing will make it
easy for you to perform CAD operation.

Below are some of the classification and uses of toolbar options.

Drawing Toolbar
The Draw commands is used to create objects for your drawing such as lines and
circles and other layout designs and components.

Modifying Toolbar
Changes to drawn objects are altered through the Modify options from Move, Copy,
Rotate and Mirror and other more in detail modification commands.

Object Snap Toolbar

Object Snap or OSnap are drawing aids used in with other commands to help you
draw accurately by allowing you to snap new or other objects onto a specific object
location when you are picking a point. You may select to on/off the snap modes by
typing the OSNAP command which will automatically redirect you to the OSnap
settings

Zoom Toolbar
You can pan to reposition the view in the drawing area or zoom to change
magnification. Use pan command dynamically by moving your pointing device.
Through the zoom command, you change the magnification of the view but not the
size of the objects zoomed.

Dimensioning Toolbar
The AutoCAD dimension tools is primarily used to produce clear and concise
measured drawings and allows you to quickly show the description of the different
dimension commands through clicking the buttons or typing the shortcut keys.

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Set-up the drawing area.
Type: OP ↵
Click: Display >Colors >2D model space >Color >Black (or any color you prefer)
>Apply&Close >OK

***You can also change the size of the crosshair and other settings.

Set-up Buttons
For AutoCAD version 2014 and older:
Right-Click: Status Bar and deselect Use Icons >> Make All Buttons OFF

ICONS:

TEXT:

For AutoCAD version 2015 and later: Do not have the Icon to Text option.
> See what happens to the icons when you press the function keys 1 to 12.
> Remove highlight on all the status bar icons.

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 What’s More

On this section, you are about to test your understanding on the CAD Working
Environment. Take in mind that most of the functionalities of each part depicts itself.
For clarifications, you may ask the assistance of your respective teacher.

Activity 1.1 Recognize It!

Direction: On the illustration column below are the icons of the respective parts of
the start page. On a separate sheet of paper, write the name of the icon shown
according each number.

ILLUSTRATION NAME

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Activity 1.2 Find It!
Direction: Find the missing word using the crossword to complete the statements
given below. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1 8
4 7
3

10

ACROSS:
1. page allows you to create a new drawing from the default drawing
template file.
3. redirect you to a file by selecting the desired file and format.
5. shows all the available drawing template files.
7. A Sheet Set allows you to import a collection of numbered sheets by
selecting a layout from a drawing file.
9. It allows you to download additional drawing template files when available online
by clicking Templates Online.

DOWN:
2. page is displayed when you have internet which provides access to
learning resources.
4. Shows installed sample drawings by clicking the Sample Drawings.
6. view the pinned or most recently used files.
8. displays all new product updates and other file information to keep
you posted.
10. Give feedback for any improvements you would like to see through signing up to
your Autodesk account when you click .

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Activity 1.3 Label It!
CAD working environment pertains to the virtual environment you are going to see
in the software application which is commonly known for the term graphical user
interface (GUI). That virtual environment shows us how we can move around in
creating drafts on the software itself through mouse clicking and with the aid of
picture icons.
Learning the Skill: Comprehension
1. Read the descriptions stated for each element of the CAD working
environment.
2. Observe the picture of the CAD working environment.
3. Associate the description previously stated to the visual appearance of the
labeled parts.
4. Figure out the respective element name of each labeled part, then write the
answer on a separate sheet of paper according to the labeled numbers.

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Activity 1.4 Reflect On It!
Direction: Reflect on the lesson based on Activity 1.1 and 1.3 using the criteria
below. Write your reflection on a separate sheet of paper.

RUBRIC FOR ESSAY

Content The content was well-thought, guide questions 4
were thoroughly answered
Organization The paper was well-written with ideas easily 3
conveyed to readers
Development Points are thoroughly developed 3
Total 10

Share your insight:

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Activity 1.5 Make Use Of It!
Direction:
1. Open the AutoCAD application and create a drawing.
2. Save first on the folder you previously made using the file name “
SECTION_SURNAME_TRYING OUT TOOLBARS “.
3. Proceed by creating at least five geometric shapes and exploring the
toolbar functions.
4. ON a separate sheet of paper, create a table and list the shapes you
made and the toolbar functions applied on each.

GEOMETRIC SHAPES TOOLBAR FUNCTIONS

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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Activity 1.6 Reflect On It!
Direction: Reflect on the lesson based on Activity 1.5 using the criteria below. Write
your reflection on a separate sheet of paper.

RUBRIC FOR ESSAY

Content The content was well-thought, guide questions 4
were thoroughly answered
Organization The paper was well-written with ideas easily 3
conveyed to readers
Development Points are thoroughly developed 3
Total 10

Share your insight:

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 What I Have Learned

CAD are used to layout and design products, machinery and other architectural or
structural plans and drawings either in 2D or 3D views.

CAD functions allows you to zoom, rotate, scale and manipulate other specifications
With the use of different drawing commands found on the drawing area.

Before starting a drawing you may easily modify the layout of your working area
through available templates on your computer online or offline.

One of the most important parts of the CAD working environment is the toolbar
section pertained as the ribbon which contains tools that are relevant to the current
workspace such as Draw, Modify, Annotation, Layers, Properties and other Style
toolbars. By familiarizing the toolbar it will allow you to move with ease on the CAD
working environment.

You make use of the Drawing Toolbar to create objects and alter changes through
the Modifying Toolbar. To allow extra ease with precision OSnap modes are applied
while creating drawings. As for ease of visualization, pan and zoom are used.

To finish drawings, applying annotation options such as labels and concise

measurements are placed.

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 What I Can Do

Direction: On a separate sheet of paper, create a conceptual diagram on

how the CAD environment works.

Sample:

SOFTWARE
• USER • AUTOCAD
• COMPUTER • WINDOWS OS • SKETCHUP
• MAC OS

HARDWARE CAD

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 Assessment

Direction: Read the statement on COLUMN A. On a separate sheet of paper

write the letter of the correct answer found on COLUMN B for each number.

COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. The area made of a universal points of x, y, z. a. Drawing Area
2. The cursor represented by a crossed line. b. Crosshair
c. Dialog Box Launcher
3. Displays the details of your crosshair location d. UCS
on the coordinates.
e. Application Button
f. Quick Access Toolbar
4. Let users read or scan documents on the World
Wide Web with options such as New, Open, Save, g. File Name
Explore and the likes. h. Search Box
i. Menu Bar
5. Allows you to easily access the additional files j. Toolbar
which are currently open but cannot be seen on k. Viewport Controls
the file tab. l. Window Control
Buttons
6. Allows you to select file/s to open different m. File Tab
formats such as .dwg, .dws, .dxf, .dwt. n. Overflow Icon
o. View Cube
7. Provide basic functions to window options
p. Navigation Bar
namely, minimize, maximize and close.
q. Command Line
8. The horizontal strip across the top of an r. Status Bar
application’s window with sensitive drop-down s. Model and Layout Tab
menu. t. Get Started
u. Start Page
9. Provide compact placement for tools that are v. Templates
relevant to the current workspace. w. Open Files
x. Recent Documents
10. Provides online access to learning resources. y. Connect
z. Learn Page
11. Displayed at the top-left corner of each
viewport, and provide a convenient way of
changing views, visual styles, such as top or
bottom, 2D Wireframe or Realistic and the likes.

12. It is a clickable and draggable icon that acts as

a navigation tool for 2D or 3D work space.

13. Docked tools or on a floating bar that helps you

to move around your drawing area.

14. The name of the current file you are on.

15. It is where you enter the commands.

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 Additional Activities

1. As an additional activity, open the AutoCAD application and familiarize

yourself with the CAD Drawing Toolbar.

2. Create a sample CAD file inside the folder you made with the file name
“ SECTION_SURNAME_DIY “.

3. Try doing the following using the CAD toolbar:

➢ Chair

➢ Table

➢ Bed

➢ Cabinet

Note:

✓ Type UNITS ↵
✓ Change Units Scale to METERS.
✓ Press OK

*** You can send the file or a screenshot to your teacher on or before due date.

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References

• Arriola, Cesar T. et al., Technology and Livelihood Education –

Grade 10 Technical Drafting Learner’s Material, 1st Edition, 2013
• Autodesk. AutoCAD Support & Learning, accessed May 19, 2020,
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad
• Casulla, Conrado C. et al., Preparing Computer-Aided Drawings,
Module 3, June 5-7, 2009
• Horvath, Attila G. AUTOCAD FILE TABS, May 22, 2013.
http://autocad-architecture-blog.com/how-to/autocad-file-tabs/
• ReviverSoft. “.DWS”, accessed May 18, 2020,
https://www.reviversoft.com/file-extensions/dws

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