MODULE I - INTRODUCTION TO CAD SOFTWARE

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

1. Start AutoCAD program
2. Understand AutoCAD Workspaces
3. Recognize all of the features in the AutoCAD Window

User Interface of AutoCAD

The AutoCAD User Interface was intended to be instinctive and easy to understand. Regardless of
whether you are at the learner's level for AutoCAD, you should even now have the option to
effortlessly explore through the product.

The Start Tab

The Start tab is shown at startup, giving simple access to a variety of beginning activities, including
access to drawing format files, as of late opened drawings and sheet sets, and on the web and
learning alternatives.

Upon first opening the program, you can either begin drawing from a format of your decision, or
open an ongoing document.
 Autodesk AutoCAD User Interface

Reference:
 AutoCAD User’s Guide: Explore the User Interface
 http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2020/ENU/?guid=GUID-53EC6386-50E6-4983-
A2BE-33BFB46F495B

Accessing Common Tools

In the Application menu, access common tools to start or publish a file

Click the Application button to do the following:

 Create, open, or save a file

 Audit, recover, and purge a file
 Print or publish a file
 Access the Options dialog box
 Close the application

Reference:
 AutoCAD User’s Guide: Explore the User Interface
 http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2020/ENU/?guid=GUID-D976938F-5EE4-4B63-
81C6-51175D8B4C34
Quick Access Toolbar
Quick Access toolbar shown below includes familiar commands such as New, Open, Save, Print,
Undo, and so on.

View Undo and Redo History

Quick Access toolbar displays options to undo and redo changes to your work. To undo or redo a
less recent change, click the drop-down button to the right of either the Undo or the Redo button.

Add Commands and Controls

By clicking the indicated drop-down button and clicking your choices from the drop-down menu,
you can easily add commonly used tools to the Quick Access toolbar
Reference:
 AutoCAD User’s Guide: Explore the User Interface
 http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2020/ENU/?guid=GUID-BC96A2AA-2AEE-47C0-
B1F2-85F8B60663D6

Drawing Area
You can create and modify objects in the drawing area.
The Mouse
Many people utilize a mouse as their pointing device, yet different devices have identical controls.

Viewing
To better control the order of overlapping objects, zoom in your drawing. The easiest way to
change your view is by using the mouse wheel.

 Zoom in or out by rolling the wheel.

 Pan a view in any direction by holding the wheel down while moving your mouse.
 Zoom in on a specific area for greater detail holding your mouse over the area and clicking
the wheel twice.
Shortcut Menus

Reference:

 AutoCAD User’s Guide: Explore the User Interface

 http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2020/ENU/?guid=GUID-D4A2C069-3AAD-492D-
84C2-4134C7031B2F
The Ribbon

Ribbon Tabs and Panels

The ribbon is composed of a series of tabs, which are organized into panels that contain many of
the tools and controls available in toolbars.

The dialog box launcher is denoted by an arrow icon in the lower-right corner of the panel. Click
it to display the related dialog box.

Right-click the ribbon and click or clear the names of tabs or panels listed on the shortcut menu to
control which ribbon tabs and panels you want to display.

Floating Panels
You can pull a panel off a ribbon tab and into the drawing area or onto another screen. The floating
panel stays open until you return it to the ribbon, regardless of whether you switch the ribbon tabs.

Slide-out Panels
By clicking the arrow in the middle of a panel title, the panel will expand to display additional
tools and controls. By default, slide-out panels automatically close when you click another panel.
Click the push pin, in the bottom-left corner of the slide-out panel to keep a panel expanded.

Contextual Ribbon Tabs

A contextual ribbon tab is displayed instead of a toolbar or dialog box when you select a certain
type of object or start certain commands. When you end the command, the contextual tab closes.
Reference:
 AutoCAD User’s Guide: Explore the User Interface
 http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2020/ENU/?guid=GUID-D20EF1D7-4135-48A7-
B68E-65BF3BFF3D70

The Status Bar

The status bar gives quick access to the most usually utilized drawing tools. You can toggle
settings, for example, grid, snap, polar tracking, and object snap. By clicking their drop down
arrows, you can also access additional settings for some of these tools.

Status Bar
Status Bar
You can toggle some of these settings with the function keys on your keyboard (F1 - F12).

The Command Window

The Command window shows prompts, options, and messages.

Instead of using the ribbon, toolbars, and menus, you can enter commands directly in the Command
window.

As you start to type a command, notice that an autocomplete menu appears. In the example above,
several options are available. Make your choice by clicking the correct option or using the arrow
keys and then pressing Enter or the Spacebar to confirm your selection.
Basic AutoCAD Commands

Below, you'll find an abbreviated list of common commands that can be used on AutoCAD.

COMMANDS DESCRIPTION

A ARC / Creates an arc.

AA AREA / Calculates the area and perimeter of objects or defined areas.

AL ALIGN / Aligns objects with other objects in 2D.

AR ARRAY / Creates multiple copies of objects in a pattern.

C CIRCLE / Creates a circle.

CO COPY / Copies objects a specified distance in a specified direction.

D DIMSTYLE / Creates and modifies dimension styles.

DDI DIMDIAMETER / Creates a diameter dimension for a circle or an arc.

E ERASE / Removes objects from a drawing.

EL ELLIPSE / Creates an ellipse or an elliptical arc.

EPDF EXPORTPDF / Exports drawing to PDF.

EX EXTEND / Extends objects to meet the edges of other objects.

EXIT QUIT / Exits the program.

EXP EXPORT / Saves the objects in a drawing to a different file format.

F FILLET / Rounds and fillets the edges of objects.

G GROUP / Creates and manages saved sets of objects called groups.

HATCH / Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern,
H
solid fill, or gradient fill.
I INSERT / Inserts a block or drawing into the current drawing.

L LINE / Creates straight line segments.

 M MOVE / Moves objects a specified distance in a specified direction.
MEASURE / Creates point objects or blocks at measured intervals along the
ME
length or perimeter of an object.
MI MIRROR / Creates a mirrored copy of selected objects.

MT MTEXT / Creates a multiline text object.

N NEW / Create a new drawing.

O OFFSET / Creates concentric circles, parallel lines, and parallel curves.

OS OSNAP / Sets running object snap modes.

P PAN / Adds a parameter with grips to a dynamic block definition.

PE PEDIT / Edits polylines, objects to be joined to polylines and related objects.

PL PLINE / Creates a 2D polyline.

PO POINT / Creates a point object.

POL POLYGON / Creates an equilateral closed polyline.

PRINT PLOT / Plots a drawing to a plotter, printer, or file.

PURGE / Removes unused items, such as block definitions and layers, from
PU
the drawing.
Q QSAVE / Saves the current drawing.

QC QUICKCALC / Opens the QuickCalc calculator.

R REDRAW / Refreshes the display in the current viewport.

RE REGEN / Regenerates the entire drawing from the current viewport.

REA REGENALL / Regenerates the drawing and refreshes all viewports.

REC RECTANG / Creates a rectangular polyline.

RO ROTATE / Rotates objects around a base point.

S STRETCH / Stretches objects crossed by a selection window or polygon.

SCALE / Enlarges or reduces selected objects, keeping the proportions of the
SC
object the same after scaling.
 T MTEXT / Creates a multiline text object.

TB TABLE / Creates an empty table object.

TR TRIM / Trims objects to meet the edges of other objects.

UN UNITS / Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision.

VIEW / Saves and restores named views, camera views, layout views, and
V
preset views.
X EXPLODE / Breaks a compound object into its component objects.
ZOOM / Increases or decreases the magnification of the view in the current
Z
viewport.

New Drawings

 Use acad.dwt or acadlt.dwt for imperial drawings that assume your units are inches,
 Use acadiso.dwt or acadltiso.dwt for metric units that assume your units are millimeters,
Units
At the point when you first start a drawing, you have to choose what the length of one unit
represents to—an inch, a foot, a centimeter, a kilometer, or some other unit of length. For instance,
the objects below could represent to two structures that are each 125 feet in length, or they could
represent to a segment from a mechanical part that is estimated in millimeters.

Unit Display Settings

Format (or Type): For example, a decimal length of 6.5 can be set to display as a fractional
length of 6-1/2 instead.

Precision: For instance, a decimal length of 6.5 can be set to display as 6.50, 6.500, or 6.5000.
Use the UNITS command to set the unit type to Architectural if you plan to work in feet and
inches, and then, specify their lengths in inches when you create the objects. Leave the unit type
set to Decimal if you plan to use metric units. Changing the unit format and precision affects only
how lengths, angles, and coordinates are displayed in the user interface. It does not affect the
internal precision of your drawing.
In the event that you have to change the UNITS settings, ensure that you save the drawing as a
drawing template file (.dwt). Else, you should change the UNITS settings for each new drawing.

Model Scale
Continuously make your models at full size (1:1 scale). The term model refers to the calculation
of your plan. A drawing incorporates the model math alongside the views, notes, measurements,
callouts, tables, and the title block showed in the layout.

When you create the layout, you can specify the scaling that is necessary to print a drawing on a
standard-sized sheet later,

Press F1, to open Help for information about the command in progress,
Press Enter or the Spacebar, to repeat the previous command,
Select an object and right-click or right-click a user interface element to see various options.

Reference:
 AutoCAD User’s Guide: Explore the User Interface
 http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2020/ENU/?guid=GUID-C5C9380F-5469-4858-
B306-B1BFFC19C0A9