I.

Introduction to Computer-Aided Drafting

Introduction to AutoCAD

“Before you can start to use the new capabilities of the AutoCAD software, you must become familiar with the
basics. If you’re completely new to AutoCAD, you’ll want to read this part carefully. It will introduce you to many
basic operations of AutoCAD, such as opening and closing files, getting a close-up look at part of a drawing, and
changing a drawing. If you’re familiar with earlier versions of AutoCAD, you should review this lesson to get
acquainted with the features” (George Omura, 2014).

Autodesk will release new versions each year, which is to launch further improvements that focus on a particular
feature. AutoCAD 2020 will offer updates that cover a wide range of features. The new version has a faster Quick
Measurement Tool, a new dark theme that brings clarity improved DWG compare. AutoCAD 2020 introduced the
new block palette which helps the user access blocks quickly form a ribbon;

Objectives:

At the end of this section, you should be able to:

1. Describe the basic features of AutoCAD

2. Identify the different parts of the AutoCAD program window (AutoCAD Interface)
3. Describe and Illustrate the X, Y coordinate system and Angular measurement of AutoCAD
4. Differentiate the three ways to enter coordinates in AutoCAD

Topic Outline:

I. Launching AutoCAD IV. The X, Y Coordinate System and Angular Measurement

II. AutoCAD Basic V. Display Units and Limits
1. What is AutoCAD? VI. Entering Points in AutoCAD
2. Ways to open AutoCAD 1. Absolute Coordinate
3. Ways to close AutoCAD 2. Relative Coordinate
III. Exploring the AutoCAD Interface (AutoCAD 2020) 3. Polar Coordinate
1. Using the Application Menu VII. Basic Drawing Commands
2. Using the Ribbon 1. Line, Erase and Undo commands
3. Expanding Hidden Panels 2. Linetype and Lineweight & Circle command
4. Working with Command Window VIII. Dynamic Input Display
 Try This!

Launching AutoCAD

Now let’s start using AutoCAD, the AutoCAD 2020 is already installed on your computer, continue with the
following steps to start the program:
1. Click Windows Start button ➢ locate and click AutoCAD 2020-English folder ➢ click AutoCAD
2020 – English icon or you can simply double click the AutoCAD 2020 icon on your Windows Desktop.
2. The AutoCAD Start tab is displayed ➢ click “Start Drawing” under Get Started.
3. The AutoCAD window displays a blank default drawing named “Drawing.dwg”

My First AutoCAD Drawing

In your first drawing, you will start by setting-up the size of the working area, and this is called the drawing limits.
These limits are not permanent in any way, but limits will help you establish a starting area and expand or shink it
later as needed.
1. Move your mouse pointer or the Pickbox and Crosshairs at the center of the drawing area.

2. Type “limits” by default every time you input command;

it will display below the cursor or crosshairs; this display
is called the Dynamic Input Display. Then Press Enter (↵)

3. AutoCAD will ask you to Specify lower left corner (shown in the command window)
4. The default lower left corner is <0.0000,0.0000> Press Enter to accept the default
5. Next AutoCAD will ask you to Specify upper right corner: Type: 24,18 ↵
6. Type “Zoom” ↵ then Type “All”↵ this will enlarge the view and fits in the drawing area.
7. You have just set your new work area from (0,0) lower-left corner to (24,18) upper right corner

Next, you will draw a square, circle, and triangle without changing any default settings of the Dynamic Input
Display using Line command and Circle command.

1. Click the Line tool on the Home tab’s Draw panel

2. AutoCAD will ask you to Specify first point: Type 0,10 ↵
3. Specify next point: Type 5,0 ↵
4. Specify next point: Type 0,5 ↵
5. Specify next point: Type -5,0 ↵
6. Specify next point: Type 0,-5 ↵

7. Click the Circle tool on the Home tab’s Draw panel

8. AutoCAD will ask you to Specify center point for circle: Type 10,12.5 ↵
9. Specify radius of circle: Type 2.5 ↵
 10. Again click the Line tool on the Home tab’s Draw panel
11. AutoCAD will ask you to Specify first point: Type 15,10 ↵
12. Specify next point: Type 5,0 ↵
13. Specify next point: Type -2.5,5 ↵
14. Specify next point: Type -2.5,-5 ↵
15. Press ↵ again to remove the continuous line.
16. Congratulations! Good Job, you have done your first drawing.
17. Please check if your drawing looks like in Figure1-1: My First Drawing

Figure 1-1: My First Drawing

Finally, save your work, and name it as “My First Drawing”

1. Click the save icon on the Quick Access Toolbar on the upper left corner
2. Type “My First Drawing” on the File name: input box provided
3. Click Save button

Think Ahead!

From your first AutoCAD drawing, are you now familiar with the AutoCAD screen or interface? Can you identify
some basic parts of the AutoCAD? Can you differentiate AutoCAD’s look with other well know programs such as
Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or Adobe Photoshop?

As you do the exercises in each lesson, you will likewise discover how to go along with this manual. You don’t need
to memorize everything you see here, you will have enough opportunities to review the features of the program
as you work through the next lessons.
 Read and Ponder!

What is AutoCAD?
“AutoCAD is a commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application. Developed and
marketed by Autodesk, AutoCAD was first released in December 1982 as a desktop app running on
microcomputers with internal graphics controllers” (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2020).

“AutoCAD is a computer-aided design (CAD) software that most of the engineers, architects, and construction
specialists rely on to create precise 2D and 3D drawings.
• Draft, annotate, and design 2D geometry and 3D models with solids, surfaces, and mesh objects
• Automate tasks such as comparing drawings, adding blocks, creating schedules, and more
• Customize with add-on apps and APIs
AutoCAD includes industry-specific features and intelligent objects for architecture, mechanical engineering,
electrical design, and more” (AutoCAD, 2020).

Ways to open AutoCAD

• Using the desktop to open AutoCAD
➢ This method is possible only if the AutoCAD icon shows on the desktop screen
➢ Double click the AutoCAD icon or click the icon and then press ENTER key
➢ AutoCAD program will start
• Using the Windows Start Menu to open AutoCAD
➢ Click the Windows Start button
➢ In the App List, locate and click AutoCAD 2020-English folder
➢ Click AutoCAD 2020-English icon
➢ AutoCAD program will start

Ways to close AutoCAD

• Click the icon located at the upper right corner or
• Right-click the “Title Bar” of the AutoCAD and select close

Exploring the AutoCAD Interface

When you start the AutoCAD program, the AutoCAD Start-tab appears, and it offers you to open existing drawings
or to create a new drawing (See Figure 1-2: AutoCAD 2020 Start-tab). It will also display the recent open drawings
shown under Recent Documents. You can also find Notifications form Autodesk AutoCAD if product update is
available. You can also see the account name connected to Autodesk A360, as an example, you can see my name
and my email address as shown in the figure.
 Figure 1-2: AutoCAD 2020 Start-tab

If you have Internet connections, you may sign in to Autodesk A360 under the connect tab to access online services
offered by AutoCAD. You may click “LEARN” and access the free online AutoCAD tutorials that include What’s
New; Getting Started Videos; Learn Tips and other Online Resources.

If you click the “Start Drawing” under Get Started, the AutoCAD window displays a blank default drawing named
“Drawing.dwg” (See Figure 1-3: AutoCAD 2020 Interface).

Figure 1-3: AutoCAD 2020 Interface

Application Menu – “The first thing you might see after launching AutoCAD is the Application Menu, in the far
upper left corner. In AutoCAD, it’s generally contains a big red A, the application menu contains links to your most
recently accessed drawings, and sheet sets” (rkmcswain, 2017).

Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) – This toolbar includes buttons for some of the most commonly used functions. “The
QAT contains icons for the following commands: Qnew, Open, QSave, SaveAs, Plot, Undo, and Redo. But like most
other UI elements, you can customize this to meet your desires” (rkmcswain, 2017).

Title Bar – This show the AutoCAD program name and version with drawing filename

InfoCenter – This is the AutoCAD online help facility, it serves as information Central in AutoCAD, you can search
for information, sign in to your Autodesk A360 account, launch Autodesk apps store and access online help.

Drawing Tabs – It is located just above the drawing area, this will create a new drawing, or you may switch between
open drawing files just like in any web browsers.

Ribbon – “The ribbon is a UI tool that first appeared in AutoCAD 2009. It contains various commands organized
into tabs and panels. It can be heavily customized by administrators and end users” (rkmcswain, 2017).

Pickbox and Crosshairs – these are the two cross lines with a small box at their intersection, they help you judge
the location of the mouse cursor with other objects in your drawing.

In-Editor Elements – “There are a few elements you may find inside the drawing editor, the visibility of each of
these can be controlled by the user. The Viewport Controls are in the upper left corner, and allow you to change
the view and visual style. The Viewcube is in the upper right, from which you can change the view and UCS. Just
below that is the Navigatio Bar (NaviBar), that gives you controls for zooming, panning, orbiting, and more. Lastly,
in the lower left hand corner, is the UCS icon, which can tell you at a glance if you are in WCS, and/or the general
orientation of the UCS” (rkmcswain, 2017).

Command Window - it accepts the command and system variable input. It displays prompt that guide you through
the command sequence, when you type a command it will show on this window, AutoCAD uses this space to guide
the user by posting command information.

Status Bar – it displays the drawing tools and cursor location, you may hover your mouse over each icon to find its
functionality.

Drawing Area – this is the big middle screen area where you insert your drawing. You can adjust the size of your
screen by using the zooming and panning.
Using the Application Menu

Application Menu is the big Red “A” located at the upper-left corner, in earlier versions this is the “File” pull-
down menu, it gives tools to manage drawing files, try this out and see how it works:

1. Click the Application menu icon a list of options appears

2. Move the crosshairs slowly down, as you highlight the options, the additional menu appears
3. Now highlight and click Save, (see Figure 1-4: Application Menu)
4. The “Save Drawing As” dialog box is displayed (see Figure 1-5: Saving dialog-box)
5. Type “Working with AutoCAD” on the File name: input box provided, and click Save button

Figure 1-4: Application Menu Figure 1-5: Saving dialog-box

Using the Ribbon

The ribbon provides a compact palette of all the tools you need to create or modify your drawing. It contains a
series of tabs, which are organized into panels that contain a lot of the tools and controls accessible in toolbars.
Hover the cursor into one of the Ribbon panel tools, you will notice the tooltip will show below the cursor. If you leave the
cursor a bit longer, you will see the tutorial tooltip will show for more information. (see Figure1-6: Ribbon Basic
Components)

Figure 1-6: Ribbon Basic Components

Expanding Hidden Panels

AutoCAD’s ribbon panels will automatically adjust, depending on your screen monitor, if you have a small monitor
with low resolutions, most buttons are hidden from view. You can expand many of the hidden panels, just click
the arrowhead to the right of a panel’s title bar, this means that there are additional hidden tools so you can click
the title bar to expand the panel (See Figure 1.7 Modify Additional Tools)

Figure 1-7: Modify Additional Tools

Working in the Command Window
The Command window is placed just below the drawing area, this will give you feedback about the AutoCAD
commands as you use them. It also displays responses to your input while you are using a command. For
beginners, please take note of messages posted in the Command Window because this is how AutoCAD
communicates with the user. Command Windows serves as a guide to complete the series of commands. It also
records your activities, so you can use the scroll bar to review previous messages. (See Figure 1-8: The Command
Window)

Figure 1-8: The Command Window

Working with Workspace Switching Tool

In AutoCAD, you can use the workspace to optimize your drawing area based on the type of task you are working
on. AutoCAD 2020 offers three workspaces: Drafting & Annotation (default workspace), 3D Basics, and 3D
Modeling. Each workspace contains a different set of tools in the Ribbon Panels, sometimes switching from one
workspace to another is necessary, especially if you mess out your current workspace. Workspace Switching Tool
is a gear icon located at the bottom Status Bar. Try to change your workspace and see what happens (see
Figure 1-9).

Figure 1-9: Workspace Switching Tool

The X,Y Coordinate System

Before you proceed to the next drawing, you must understand the X,Y coordinate system to know how to put
objects where you want them. Everything you draw in AutoCAD is accurate, and all drawings are assigned there
based on their X,Y coordinate system.

Figure 1-10: Polar coordinate system

“AutoCAD uses points to determine where an object is located. There is an origin where it begins counting from.
This point is (0,0). Every object is located in relation to the origin. If you were to draw a line straight out to the right
from the origin, this would be considered the positive X-axis. If you were to draw a line straight up, this would be
the positive Y-axis. The picture above shows a point located at (9,6). This means that the point is 9 units over in
the X-axis and 6 units up in the Y-axis. When you are working with points, X always comes first. The other point
shown is (-10,-4). This means that the point is 10 units in the negative X-axis (left) and 4 units in the negative Y-
axis (down)” (Whitton, 2012-2020).

Angular Measurement

“AutoCAD measures angles in a particular way (See Figure 1-11). When drawing lines at an angle, you have to
begin measuring the angle from 0 degrees, which is at the 3 o'clock position. If you drew a line at 90 degrees
(moving counter-clockwise), it would go straight up” (Whitton, 2012-2020).

Figure 1-11: Polar coordinate system

Display Units and Limits

Before you start making your drawing, the first thing you need to do is to specify the units for your drawing and
the limits for your drawing area. AutoCAD users usually use Decimal Drawing Units, and you must choose what
units you will use before you start drawing

Setting Drawing Units

The Default units set by AutoCAD is Decimal as the Length; Decimal Degrees as the Angle and Millimeters as the
Insertion scale. To change the default units, try this:

1. Type “units” ↵
2. A dialog box is displayed (See Figure 1-12: Drawing Units)
3. Change the Precision to “0.00”
4. Change the Insertion scale units to “Centimeters”
5. Click OK button

Figure 1-12: Drawing Units

Setting Drawing Limits

The drawing area limit is the rectangular box that will display on the drawing area, and this is the area that will be
displayed when you issued command “zoom” then option “all.” You may also use the Navigation Bar and select
“Zoom All” located at the middle right corner (See Figure 1-13: Zoom All).

Remember your first drawing, you started by setting the size of your working area (drawing limits).
1. Type “limits” ↵
2. AutoCAD will ask you to Specify lower left corner
3. The default lower left corner is <0.00,0.00> Press Enter to accept the default
4. Next AutoCAD will ask you to Specify upper right corner: Type: 24,18 ↵
5. Type “Zoom” ↵ then Type “All”↵ or you may select “Zoom All” at the
Navigation Bar located at the middle right corner

Figure 1-13: Zoom All

Entering Points in AutoCAD

In AutoCAD 2020, by default, when you input commands and coordinates, all input entries will automatically
redirect to Dynamic Input Display (See Figure 1-14: Dynamic Input Display), this is the information shown below
the crosshairs which include messages, dimensions, and coordinates.

Figure 1-14: Dynamic Input Display

AutoCAD provides many ways to enter points or coordinates, sometimes you know the exact coordinates, and
sometimes you only see the distance and angle. Therefore, you need to pinpoint a coordinate using different
methods based on what you’ve known. There are three commonly used methods: Absolute coordinates, Relative
coordinates, and Polar coordinates.

Absolute coordinates – This allows you to enter points relative to the origin the coordinates (0,0) or USC (User
Coordinate System, to input coordinates you may enter in the exact point order X,Y

Relative coordinates – This methods will allows you to input coordinates in relation to the previous point you
entered you may enter as @X,Y.

Polar coordinates – You would use this method if the distance and angle are given, you may enter as @D<A where
D is the distance, and A is the angle.

You are now ready to do some basic drawing commands listed in Table 1-1, you will use these commands in
conjunction with the different coordinates input methods defined above.

Table 1-1 Basic Drawing Commands

Command Keystroke Icon Ribbon Panel Remarks

Draw a straight-line segment
Line Line / L Draw ➢ Line from one point to the next

Erase Erase / E Modify ➢ Erase Erases an object

Undo U Edit ➢ Undo Undoes the last command

Circle Circle / C Draw ➢ Circle ➢ Draws a circle based on a

Center, Radius center point and radius