ME-251L Computer Aided Drawing Laboratory

Reading Material
AutoCAD

Department of Mechanical Engineering

University of Engineering and Technology Lahore
Computer aided Drawing Vs Computer Aided Design (CAD)
CAD (computer-aided design) is the use of computer-based software to aid in design processes. CAD
software is frequently used by different types of engineers and designers. CAD software can be used to
create two-dimensional (2-D) drawings or three-dimensional (3-D) models.

The purpose of CAD is to optimize and streamline the designer's workflow, increase productivity, improve
the quality and level of detail in the design, improve documentation communications and often contribute
toward a manufacturing design database. CAD software outputs come in the form of electronic files, which
are then used accordingly for manufacturing processes.

CAD stands for Computer-Aided Design and CAM stands for Computer-Aided Manufacturing, both of
which are used to make things. CAD/CAM software is used to design and manufacture prototypes, finished
products, and production runs of products

Interface of Auto cad:

Following are the terminologies, typically used to name different parts of AutoCAD interface.
Each term will be explained in detail during the Lab:

1- File menu/ Application menu

2- Quick access tool bar
3- Title bar
4- Search bar
5- Control button
6- Tabs
7- Ribbon
8- Group/Panels
9- Commands/Tools
10- Tool tip and Fly out
11- Drawing area/ working space
12- View Cube
13- Navigation bar
14- Cursor/ Cross hair
15- UCS (universal coordinate system) icon
 16- Command bar
17- Status bar

Mouse Control:

1- Three button mouse is recommended to use with AutoCAD

2- Mouse Wheel, press and move for pan
3- Rotate wheel to zoom in and zoom out, position of cursor determines the area to zoom in
4- Click on any object to select it
5- Selection window (Left click and move- Move towards right- Move towards left- Random
movement)

Unit selection:

1- It’s the first and most important step

2- Write “UN” and enter in the command bar and select option
3- Select any suitable unit mm,in, light years, nano meters etc
4- Select style as “Decimal” or Architecture
5- In case of Decimal 13’’ will be treated as 13’’, 5’’ will be 5’’
6- In case of Architecture 5’’ will be 5’’, 13’’ will be 1’1’’.

Line Command:

1- Use parametric tab to add dimension and change.

2- Use f12 function key to activate dynamic input (also ON/OFF from status bar).
3- Use < command to type angle.
4- Use tab to navigate between length and angle of line

Polar Tracking ON/OFF:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Customize status bar:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Polyline Vs Line:
Polyline is a single component whereas line is a multiple component

Circle:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Arc:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Rectangle:

Use tab to navigate between length and width

Hatch:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Move:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Copy:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Array:

Path array, planar array, polar array, base point, associative array

Stretch:

When completely selected by using blue selection window, object will move.

When partially selected by using green selection window, object will stretch.

Rotate:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Mirror:
Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Scale:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Fillet:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Trim:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Offset:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Explode:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Object Snap:

Present in status bar-use to selected easily any object e.g., point line etc.

Dimensioning and Dimensioning style:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Layers:

• Can be used to make dimensions in second layers

• Can be used to make projection lines in second layer
• We can change colour of different layers
• We can appear or disappear different layers

Block:

• These are symbols which are the combination of different objects.

 • Block panel-Create
• Pick base point
• Select object
• Insert block to insert block many times
• Edit block to edit the block only once to change it everywhere it is used

Printing:

Will be demonstrated in during the lab session

Types of lines:

Line type can be load if available or can be created by ourself

To create a line type go in to Express tool (tab)—Tool (panel)—Make line type (Command)
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