AutoCAD

Student’s Handout
AutoCAD INTERFACE

Properties Toolbar Styles Toolbar

Title Bar
Pull-down Menu Bar
Standard Tool Bar
Layer Toolbar

Draw Tool Bar

Modify Tool Bar

Model Space

Command Icon

Crosshair

User Coordinate Scroll Bars

System (UCS) Layout Tab

Command Prompt
Window

Status Bar

Figure 1. AutoCAD Interface

USING THE MOUSE IN AutoCAD

Right Button:
 Enter or Short Cut Menu
 To repeat the previous command
 To end repeating prompts

Scroll Button:
 To zoom in,
zoom out and
zoom panning

Left Button:
 Pick or point button
 To specify a point position
or location

Figure 2. Computer Mouse

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KEYBOARD CONTROL KEYS

Ctrl + A - to turn ON/OFF Group Selection

Ctrl + B - to turn ON/OFF Snap
Ctrl + C - to copy object to Windows Clip Board
Ctrl + D - to turn ON/OFF Coordinates
Ctrl + E - to change Isometric Planes
Ctrl + F - to turn ON/OFF Osnap
Ctrl + G - to turn ON/OFF Grids
Ctrl + J - to execute last command
Ctrl + K - to invoke the Hyperlink command
Ctrl + L - to turn ON/OFF Ortho mode
Ctrl + M - to display DBConnect Manager Dialog Box
Ctrl + N - to create a new Drawing File
Ctrl + O - to open an existing Drawing File
Ctrl + P - to display the Plot Dialog Box
Ctrl + Q - to save the content of the Text Window to a Log File
Ctrl + R - to switch Viewports
Ctrl + S - to save current drawing
Ctrl + T - to turn ON/OFF Tablet
Ctrl + U - to turn ON/OFF Polar mode
Ctrl + W - to turn ON/OFF Object Snap Tracking
Ctrl + X - to cut clip selected objects
Ctrl + Y - to redo
Ctrl + \ - to cancel current command
Ctrl + [ - to cancel current command
Ctrl + 1 - to turn ON/OFF Property Dialog Box
Ctrl + 2 - to turn ON/OFF Design Center Dialog Box
Ctrl + 6 - to turn ON/OFF DBConnect Manager Dialog Box

KEYBOARD FUNCTION KEYS

F1 - Online Help
F2 - to switch between Graphics Screen to Text Window
F3 - to turn ON/OFF Osnap
F4 - to turn ON/OFF Tablet
F5 - to change Isometric Planes
F6 - to turn ON/OFF Coordinates
F7 - to turn ON/OFF Grids
F8 - to turn ON/OFF Ortho mode
F9 - to turn ON/OFF Snap
F10 - to turn ON/OFF Polar Tracking
F11 - to turn ON/OFF Object Snap Tacking
F12 - to turn ON/OFF Dynamic Input

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HOW TO EXECUTE AutoCAD COMMANDS

AutoCAD commands can be given in three ways: (1) use of pull-down menu bar; (2)
use of icon; (3) use of the keyboard. Once the command is given, one will be
prompted on the next step or required input data then press the Enter key to accept
the inputs. When the command prompts are completed, the command can be
terminated by pressing the enter key or the spacebar or the right button of the
mouse.

It is important for beginners to read the command prompt window because it shows
the step by step procedure to properly execute the commands (see Figure 3).

Command Line
Inputted Data
Command Prompt

Figure 3. Command Prompt Window

SETTING THE GRID DRAWING LIMITS/PAPER SPACE

Setting the grid drawing limits or paper space enables the user upon completing all
the drawings to determine if they will fit to the specified paper space. If not,
necessary adjustments should be made such as changing the drawing scale or the
size of the paper.

Sample Problem: Prepare the grid drawing limits/paper space of a short

bond paper (8.5” x 11”).

11” = 279.4 mm Upper right corner coordinates

(279.4,215.9)

8.5” = 215.9 mm

Lower left corner coordinates (0,0)

Figure 4. Coordinates and Dimensions of Short Bond Paper

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Solution:

Step 1. Set Drawing Limits

Command : LIMITS (Enter)

Prompts : Specify lower left corner or [ON/OFF] ‹0.0000,0.0000›:
(Enter).
: Specify upper right corner ‹12.0000,9.0000›: 279.4,215.9
(Enter).

Where: 279.4 and 215.9 are the x and y coordinates of the upper
right corner of the paper respectively.

Step 2. Set Grid and Snap Spacing

Command : GRID (Enter)

Prompt : Specify grid spacing (X) or [ON/OFF/Snap/Aspect]
‹0.5000›: 10.00 (Enter).

Where: 10.00 (variable) is the desired spacing between grid points.

Command : SNAP (Enter)

Prompt : Specify snap spacing or
[ON/OFF/Aspect/Rotate/Style/Type] ‹0.5000›: 10.0 (Enter).

Where: 10.00 (variable) is the desired snap spacing.

Step 3. Display Grid Points

Command : ZOOM (Enter)

Prompt : Specify corner of window, enter a scale factor (nX or nXP),
Or [All/Center/Dynamic/Extents/Previous/
Scale/Window/Object] <real time>: All (Enter).

Then, press F7 to turn ON/OFF grid points.

COORDINATES

When prompted to specify a point location in a command prompt, the correct format
of the coordinates must be given. There are three types of coordinate system
formats. These are:

1. Absolute Coordinates – x and y coordinates with reference to 0,0

Format: x,y

2. Relative Coordinates – x and y coordinates with reference to the previous

point
Format: @x,y

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3. Polar Coordinates – distance and angle with reference to the previous point
Format: @distance<angle

Sample Problem:

1. Determine the absolute, relative and polar coordinate formats of points a

to f as shown in Figure 5.

2. Draw Figure 5 using the different coordinate formats.

6
c d
5

4 b e

1 a f

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Figure 5. Sample Drawing

Solutions:

1. Coordinate Formats

FORMAT
Point
Absolute Relative Polar
a 1,1

b 1,4 @0,3 @3<90

c 2,5 @1,1 @√2<45

d 5,5 @3,0 @3<0

e 6,4 @1,-1 @√2<-45

f 6,1 @0,-3 @3<270

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2. To draw Figure 5:

 Using Absolute Coordinates

Command : Line (Enter)

Prompts : Specify first point: 1,1 (Enter).
: Specify next point or [Undo]: 1,4 (Enter).
: Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 2,5 (Enter).
: Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 5,5 (Enter).
: Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 6,5 (Enter).
: Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 6,1 (Enter).
: Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: C (Enter).

 Using Relative and Polar Coordinates

Follow the same procedure and input the correct formats of the
coordinates when prompted.

DIRECT DISTANCE ENTRY

Direct distance entry is a method to specify the succeeding point using the cursor to
track direction, and then inputting the distance value of the point. In this process,
the ortho or polar or dynamic mode needs to be turned ON.

Sample Problem: Draw Figure 5 using Direct Distance Entry

Solutions/Procedures:

 Using the Ortho and Polar tracking modes

When the Ortho mode is turned ON, the pointing device is limited to
input either horizontal or vertical distance relative to the current point.

When the Polar tracking mode is turned ON, a temporary alignment

direction will be displayed according to the defined polar increment
angle (see Figure 7).

Step 1. Turn ON the Ortho mode using the icon on the Status bar or
the function key F8. Take note that when the Ortho mode is
turned ON, the cursor can only be directed in either horizontal
(left and right) or vertical (top and bottom) directions.

Step 2. Command : Line (Enter}.

Prompts : Specify first point: Pick anywhere on the
model space.

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: Specify next point or [Undo]: Move cursor upward.
Type 3 which is the length of the line, then press
the Enter key.
: Specify next point or [Undo]: At this point, the next
line to be drawn is a 45 deg line with length equal to
1.41. Move cursor to Polar tracking icon on the
Status Bar, right click then select Settings. Change
the increment angle to 45 on the Drafting Settings
dialog box and press the Enter key. Turn ON the
Polar tracking mode. Move cursor and track 45
deg. Type 1.41which is the length of the next line,
then press the Enter key.
: Specify next point or [Undo]: Turn ON the Ortho
mode. Move cursor to the right, type 3 which is the
length of the next line, then press the Enter key.
: Specify next point or [Undo]: Turn ON the Polar
tracking mode. Move cursor and track 315 deg,
type 1.41 which is the length of the next line, then
press the Enter key.
: Specify next point or [Undo]: Turn ON the Ortho
mode. Move cursor downward, type 3 which is the
length of the next line, then press the Enter key).
: Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: C (Enter).
Value can be changed to Move cursor to track
required angle increment angles. A
temporary alignment
direction will be
displayed.

Figure 6. Drafting Settings Dialog Box Figure 7. Tracking Increment Angles

 Using Dynamic Input

Step 1. Turn ON Dynamic Input using the icon on the Status bar or the
function key F12. Once it is turned ON, the command prompt,
distance and angle windows are displayed on the model
space. Data can be entered in these windows (see Figure 8).
Press the Tab key to shift from one window to the other.

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Distance Command Prompt

Angle

Figure 8. Dynamic Input

Step 2. Command : Line (Enter)

Prompts : Specify first point: (Pick anywhere on the model space).
: Specify next point or [Undo]: 3 (tab) 90 (Enter).
: Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 1.41 (tab) 45 (Enter).
: Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 3 (tab) 0 (Enter).
: Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 1.41 (tab) 315 (Enter).
: Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 3 (tab) 270 (Enter).
: Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: C (Enter).

SELECTING/DE-SELECTING ENTITIES

Most editing commands will prompt to “select objects”. There are three ways to
select objects. These are:

1. Objects Selection – When prompted to select objects, the cursor turns into a
pick box. Pick (left click) the objects one by one then press the enter key.

2. Window – Create a selection window. The entire object to be selected must

be inside the selection window. Start from the upper left corner, press and
hold the left mouse button, then drag to pick the opposite corner. Press the
enter key when done with the selection.

3. Crossing – Create a selection window. Start from the lower right corner,
press and hold the left mouse button, then drag to pick the opposite corner.
All objects inside as well as those that intersect with the boundaries of the
selection window will be included in the selection. Press the enter key when
done.