Introduction to ZWCAD

Drawing plane figures

This presentation gives some hints for
starting the use of ZWCAD for plane
drawings.

Only very essential elements are pointed

out. Practice is necessary.

We first explain setting up, some

switches and pull down menus.
First set up the window:
TOOLS>OPTIONS>DISPLAY

COLORS

Choose
color,
apply and
close
Drafting aids:
TOOLS>DRAFT SETTING

GRID
and
SNAP
Most times we want to draw an object
starting from the end of a given object, mid-
point of a line, from or to the intersection of
two objects, tangent to a curve, or normal to
a line. This is achieved by what is called
Snapping to Object or Object Snap for short.
Drafting aids:
TOOLS>DRAFT SETTING

OBJECT
SNAP
 Examples of
Object Snap
Snaps to mid point

Snaps to end point

Some useful switches near the bottom

Turns object snap on or off

Turns ORTHO on or off
Turns grid on or off
Turns SNAP (to grid points) on or off

These can be turned off and on even in the middle of a

command depending upon the requirements
 Set up necessary toolbars
Pull-down menus
View > Toolbars Typical required tool-bars
Layers:
AutoCAD permits drawing in overlapping layers.
These layers can be of different colours, each colour of
different line thickness, and a layer could be viewed or
not viewed.
PRESS

This is invoked also

from the pull-down
menu
FORMAT>LAYER
More convenient
there
Press this button to set up a new layer.

This controls the visibility

of the layer. Press this
button to change the Sun
into a snowflake. The layer
is invisible if it is a snow
flake.

Use this button to set up a different colour for this layer

DRAW
Can be used to
draw various
objects
Drawing a line:We can start by selecting line
fron the pull-down menu DRAW>LINE or
pressing the line button on the DRAW toolbar
Rectangle
Polyline
Polygon

Ellipse
Spline
Circle
Line
Ray

Arc

Click at the point you want to start,

then at the next point for next
segment, and so on. Stop by
right-clicking
TOOLBAR: MODIFY
ERASE STRETCH
COPY TRIM
MIRROR EXTEND
OFFSET BREAK AT POINT
ARRAY BREAK
MOVE JOIN
ROTATE CHAMFER
SCALE FILLET
EDIT LENGTH EXPLODE
PURGE
1. OFFSET Command: Offset is parallel to the object
Offset distance: Select Object: Direction of
Offset
2. MOVE Command: Select Object(s): Base Point:
Second point
3. COPY Command: Select Object(s): Base Point:
Second point
4. MIRROR Command: Select Object(s): First Point of
mirror line: second Point; Delete old object Y/N?
5. ARRAY Command: Select Object: Rectangular or Polar
Array? Base/Centre Pt. of Array: Number of items:
Angle to fill: Rotate objects as they are copied
6. ROTATE Command: Select Object(s): Base point of
rotation: angle (reference)
EXAMPLE: Draw a regular pentagon of side 40 mm.
Offset out all lines by 10 mm and inscribe a circle. Also
Dimension it.

1. Turn ON GRID, SNAP, OSNAP

2. Select ENDPOINT, MIDPOINT, INTERSECTION,
TANGENT & CENTRE
3. Select LINE in DRAW toolbar, go to a point of grid,
click, go horizontally 4 grid points (40 mm), click.
4. At command line To Point: type @40<72 [@ for
relative distance, < for angle measure, 72 being the
angle through which a line turns in a pentagon.
Next: To point: @ 40 <144
To point: @ 40 <216
To point: @ 40 <288
To point: c [for close]
Next: Offset it outwards 10 units
Close the outer pentagon using EXTEND and TRIM commands

Inscribe circle using DRAW> CIRCLE> 3 POINT

command, using the aid of midpoint OSNAP
Zoom in using command.
Before dimensioning set up a new layer for dimensioning

Press this button to set up a new layer. Call it Dimensions

Use this button to set up a different colour for this layer

Next, Set up Dimension Style
FORMAT> DIMENSION STYLE> MODIFY
FORMAT> LINETYPE

LOAD

CURRENT
Switch to Dimension layer:
by choosing in the pull-down layer list

Dimension using , and commands.

Explore the properties of command.

Drawing CENTRELINE
Draw centreline by adding ESNAP at Tangent
and Centre.
Draw line between apex and tangent point at
base.
Draw horizontal line through centre (Ortho
setting is useful.
Extend the lines appropriately.

Change line to Centreline linetype. For this

first format linetypes
Modify linetype by:
selecting a line, right clicking it

click
Changes to

click
To get
Notice that on freezing Dimensions
layer, all dimensions disappear

Snowflake represents frozen layer

FILE>PLOT