Basic AutoCAD Tutorial
Tutorial 1 AutoCAD coordinate
system
Tutorial 2 How to draw line
Tutorial 3 How to draw circle
Tutorial 4 How to draw rectangle
Tutorial 5 How to zoom
Tutorial 6 How to pan
Tutorial 7 How to select object
Tutorial 8 How to erase object
Tutorial 9 How to create layers
There is only 3 AutoCAD coordinates system you should
know. Absolute coordinates, Relative coordinates and Polar
coordinates.
Absolute Coordinates
All input points specify in your drawing using standard
Cartesian coordinates x and y. Using absolute coordinate,
points entered by typing x, y [Enter]
Relative Coordinates
After first points entered, your next points can be entered by
specifying the next coordinate compare/relative from the
first points. The relative coordinate started with symbol @
tell AutoCAD it was a relative coordinates. Using relative
coordinate, points entered by typing @x, y [Enter]
Polar Coordinates
Polar coordinates used when you need to draw the next
points at specify angle. Polar coordinates system in AutoCAD
specifies distance length at which angle. Using polar
coordinate, points entered by typing @distance<angle
[Enter]
1. AutoCAD Coordinates System
Example of AutoCAD coordinates usage;
Relative coordinates
Drawing 2 lines as figure shown with;
Absolute coordinates
Enter LINE command: L [Enter]
Start line at point A: 0,0 [Enter]
End first line at point B: @2,2 [Enter]
End of second line at point C: @0,1 [Enter]
Polar coordinates
Enter LINE command: L [Enter]
Start line at point A: 0,0 [Enter]
End first line at point B: 2,2 [Enter]
End of second line at point C: 2,3 [Enter]
Enter LINE command: L [Enter]
Start line at point A: 0,0 [Enter]
End first line at point B: @2.828<45 [Enter]
End of second line at point C: @1<90 [Enter]
5. Specify first point of the line at 0,0. Type 0,0 [Enter]
2. Drawing Lines
1. Open a new drawing. Click New
2. Open new drawing. Make sure youre in 2D Drafting & Annotation
workspace.
3. Type z [Space bar], type e [Space bar]. This will zoom extents your
drawing area.
4. From the ribbon tools, click LINE
6. Specify next (last point) at 8,8. Type 8,8 [Enter]. Press [Esc] to end LINE
command.
7. Your line is completed.
2. Open new drawing. Make sure youre in 2D Drafting & Annotation
workspace.
3. Type z [Space bar], type e [Space bar]. This will zoom extents your
drawing area.
4. From the ribbon tools, click CIRCLE
Your first point of line could be any where, instead of input coordinate
(0,0) you can point and click any where as your first point of the line.
For creating continuous line you can continue inputting next points
and to end the LINE command just press [Enter] or press [Esc] key.
3. Drawing Circles
1. Open a new drawing. Click New
5. Specify center point of the circle at 4,4. Type 4,4 [Enter]
6. Specify radius of circle to 2.5. Type 2.5 [Enter].
Well discuss it later.
4. Drawing Rectangles
1. Open a new drawing. Click New
7. Your circle is completed.
2. Open new drawing. Make sure youre in 2D Drafting & Annotation
workspace.
3. Type z [Space bar], type e [Space bar]. This will zoom extents your
drawing area.
Your centre point of circle could be anywhere, instead of input
coordinate (4, 4) you can point and click anywhere as your centre point of
circle.
Creating circle in AutoCAD
have many ways to do it. If you click CIRCLE tool drop down you can see
other ways you can create circle.
4. From the ribbon tools, click Rectangle
5. Specify first corner point of the rectangle at 0,0. Type 0,0 [Enter].
6. Move your cursor to right side and specify other corner point at 10,6.
Type 10,6 [Enter].
7. Your rectangle is completed.
5. Zoom
Your first corner point of rectangle could be any where, instead of
input coordinate (0,0) you can point and click any where as your first corner
point of rectangle.
AutoCAD Zoom enable you to magnify and reduce drawing view.
There is 4 ways you can access the AutoCAD Zoom command.
1. By ribbon menu.
4. By using mouse wheel scroll
2. Zoom at Navigation Bar (top right).
Although AutoCAD zoom have many zoom option like Zoom
Extents, Zoom Window, Zoom Previous, Zoom Realtime, Zoom All,
Zoom Dynamic, Zoom Scale, Zoom Center,
Zoom Object, Zoom In, Zoom Out.
3. By typing Z or ZOOM in command line.
3 zoom that commonly used while drafting in AutoCAD is
Zoom Extents, Zoom Window, Zoom Previous.
Zoom Extents is use to zoom the outer most of your drawing
lines and sketches. You can zoom extents by double click of your
wheel mouse.
Zoom Windows is use to zoom particular window box. Use this
zoom by define window box and AutoCAD will zoom in to the max
of that box.
Zoom Previous is to go back to previous zoom size.
6. Pan
2. Pan from Navigation Bar (top right).
AutoCAD Pan is use to move around your drawing with same zoom
size. When Pan tools activated your cursor will change from arrow
to hand cursor.
There is 4 ways you can access the AutoCAD Zoom command.
1. By ribbon menu.
3. By typing P or PAN in command line.
4. By using mouse wheel scroll press and drag.
7. Selecting Objects
The box will colored blue, this selection only select objects completely
inside the selection box and selected objects will be like the
Once a while using AutoCAD you might me asked for select object. 2
most common ways to select objects is;
1 Pick one by one, this simply pick and click the lines.
If you want multiple pick, you can do it by pressing SHIFT key while
picking.
2 By selection box. 2 type selection box AutoCAD recognize;
i) Selection box left to right (click left point then click right point)
Did you see the green pointed line didnt included?
ii) Selection box right to left (click right point then click left point)
Did you see the green pointed line included?
The box will colored green, this selection select all objects inside and
crossed the selection box and selected objects will be like this;
8. Erasing Objects
Erasing objects in AutoCAD is pretty simple and straight forward. You can
click Erase tools from ribbon tools and select the object you wish to erase.
Press [Enter or Spacebar] to confirm.
You can also access delete function by key in E or Erase in command line.
Pressing [Delete] key also activate Erase tool.
You can select the object first then click Erase tool or otherwise.
9. Creating Layers
1. Type LAYER [Enter].
3. Give DIM for layer name [Enter]. This short for Dimension Layer.
2. Click New Layer.
4. Click Color White text to change the current color. V
5. Click Cyan, click OK.
6. Click New Layer.
8. Click Color Cyan text to change the current color.
7. Give HIDDEN for layer name [Enter].
9. Click Magenta, click OK.
11. Click Load line type.
12. Select ACAD_ISO02W100, Click OK.
10. Now we want to change the line type of the HIDDEN layer to dash. Click
Continuous at Linetype column.
13. At loaded linetype, click at ACAD_ISO02W100 and click OK.
15. Give CENTER LINE as layer name.
16. Click on Magenta color to change layer color to Yellow.
17. Click Yellow and click OK.
Now your HIDDEN layer line type changed to dash type.
14. Click New Layer.
18. Click at Linetype column to change the Linetype to long and short dash.
19. Click Load to load new linetype.
At loaded linetype, click ACAD_ISO08W100 and click OK.
20. Select ACAD_ISO08W100 and click OK.
21. Click New Layer.
24. Select bl ue color and click OK.
22. Give CONSTRUCTION LINE as layer name.
23. Click on layer Color column and change the layer color from yellow to
blue.
25. Click on layer Linetype column,
Change the linetype from dash to continuous and click OK.
26. All layers are ready and close the setup box.
27. Your layer are ready to use
