n.

nly
de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN
AutoCAD® 2021
us C

Fundamentals
re S
d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid

Learning Guide
Mixed Units - 1st Edition
op ro
lc p

Cover Page
Al ple
m
Sa

Authorized Publisher
Sa
m
Al ple
lc p
op ro
yi vid
ng e
d
an b
d yA
re S
us C
e EN
st T
ric fo
tly r
fo rev
rb ie
id w
de o
n. nly
 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®
AutoCAD® 2021
Fundamentals
Mixed Units - 1st Edition
Prepared and produced by:

n. nly
ASCENT Center for Technical Knowledge
630 Peter Jefferson Parkway, Suite 175
Charlottesville, VA 22911

de o
866-527-2368

id w
www.ASCENTed.com

rb ie
Lead Contributor: Renu Muthoo
Copyright

fo rev
ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge (a division of Rand Worldwide Inc.) is a leading developer of
professional learning materials and knowledge products for engineering software applications. ASCENT

tly r
specializes in designing targeted content that facilitates application-based learning with hands-on software

ric fo
experience. For over 25 years, ASCENT has helped users become more productive through tailored
custom learning solutions.

st T
We welcome any comments you may have regarding this guide, or any of our products. To contact us
e EN
please email: [email protected].

© ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge, 2020

us C
All rights reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced in any form by any photographic, electronic,
mechanical or other means or used in any information storage and retrieval system without the written
re S

permission of ASCENT, a division of Rand Worldwide, Inc.

d yA

The following are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the
USA and other countries: 123D, 3ds Max, ADSK, Alias, ATC, AutoCAD LT, AutoCAD, Autodesk, the Autodesk logo,
Autodesk 123D, Autodesk Alias, ArtCAM, Autodesk Forge, Autodesk Fusion, Autodesk Inventor, AutoSnap, BIM 360,
an b

Buzzsaw, CADmep, CAMduct, Civil 3D, Configurator 360, Dancing Baby (image), DWF, DWG, DWG (DWG logo), DWG
Extreme, DWG TrueConvert, DWG TrueView, DWGX, DXF, Eagle, , ESTmep, FBX, FeatureCAM, Flame, FormIt 360,
d

Fusion 360, The Future of Making Things, Glue, Green Building Studio, InfraWorks, Instructables,
Instructables (Instructables logo), Inventor, Inventor CAM, Inventor HSM, Inventor LT, Make Anything, Maya, Maya LT,
ng e

Moldflow, MotionBuilder, Mudbox, Navisworks, Netfabb, Opticore, PartMaker, Pier 9, PowerInspect, PowerMill,
yi vid

PowerShape, Publisher 360, RasterDWG, RealDWG, ReCap, ReCap 360, Remake, Revit LT, Revit, Scaleform, Shotgun,
Showcase, Showcase 360, SketchBook, Softimage, Tinkercad, TrustedDWG, VRED.
NASTRAN is a registered trademark of the National Aeronautics Space Administration.
op ro

All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

General Disclaimer:
lc p

Notwithstanding any language to the contrary, nothing contained herein constitutes nor is intended to constitute an offer,
inducement, promise, or contract of any kind. The data contained herein is for informational purposes only and is not
Al ple

represented to be error free. ASCENT, its agents and employees, expressly disclaim any liability for any damages, losses
or other expenses arising in connection with the use of its materials or in connection with any failure of performance, error,
omission even if ASCENT, or its representatives, are advised of the possibility of such damages, losses or other
m

expenses. No consequential damages can be sought against ASCENT or Rand Worldwide, Inc. for the use of these
materials by any third parties or for any direct or indirect result of that use.
Sa

The information contained herein is intended to be of general interest to you and is provided "as is", and it does not
address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing herein constitutes professional advice, nor does
it constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the issues discussed thereto. ASCENT does not warrant that the
document or information will be error free or will meet any particular criteria of performance or quality. In particular (but
without limitation) information may be rendered inaccurate by changes made to the subject of the materials (i.e. applicable
software). Rand Worldwide, Inc. specifically disclaims any warranty, either expressed or implied, including the warranty
of fitness for a particular purpose.

AS-ACD2101-FND1MU-E // IS-ACD2101-FND1MU-E
Sa
m
Al ple
lc p
op ro
yi vid
ng e
d
an b
d yA
re S
us C
e EN
st T
ric fo
tly r
fo rev
rb ie
id w
de o
n. nly
 C o n t e n ts

n. nly
de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
Preface ......................................................................................................... xvii

In This Guide ................................................................................................ xxi

tly r
ric fo
Practice Files .............................................................................................. xxiii

st T
Chapter 1: Getting Started with AutoCAD.................................................. 1-1
e EN1.1 Starting the Software ...................................................................... 1-2
Start Tab ........................................................................................... 1-2
us C
1.2 User Interface .................................................................................. 1-4
re S

1.3 Working with Commands ............................................................. 1-11

d yA

Ribbon............................................................................................. 1-11
Command Line and Dynamic Input Prompt .................................... 1-14
an b

Application Menu............................................................................. 1-18

Quick Access Toolbar ..................................................................... 1-20
d

Additional Shortcut Menus .............................................................. 1-21

ng e
yi vid

1.4 Cartesian Workspace.................................................................... 1-24

Locating Points................................................................................ 1-24
Measuring Angles ........................................................................... 1-25
op ro

Drawings Created at Full Scale....................................................... 1-25

lc p

1.5 Opening an Existing Drawing File ............................................... 1-26

Al ple

Opening Drawings........................................................................... 1-26

Multiple Drawings............................................................................ 1-28
Closing Files.................................................................................... 1-29
m

Practice 1a Opening a Drawing........................................................... 1-30

Sa

1.6 Viewing Your Drawing .................................................................. 1-32

Wheel Mouse Zoom and Pan.......................................................... 1-32
Navigation Tools ............................................................................. 1-33
Pan and Zoom Commands ............................................................. 1-35
Practice 1b Viewing a Drawing ........................................................... 1-37

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® i

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

1.7 Saving Your Work ......................................................................... 1-39

Automatic Saves ............................................................................. 1-39
Saving in Various Formats .............................................................. 1-40
Practice 1c Saving a Drawing File ...................................................... 1-41
Chapter Review Questions................................................................... 1-43

n. nly
Command Summary ............................................................................. 1-45

de o
Chapter 2: Basic Drawing and Editing Commands ................................... 2-1

id w
2.1 Drawing Lines.................................................................................. 2-2

rb ie
Specifying Length and Angle ............................................................ 2-2

fo rev
Line Command Options .................................................................... 2-3
2.2 Erasing Objects............................................................................... 2-4
2.3 Drawing Vertical and Horizontal Lines.......................................... 2-5

tly r
ric fo
Ortho Mode ....................................................................................... 2-5
Polar Tracking ................................................................................... 2-6

st T
2.4 Drawing Rectangles........................................................................ 2-8
e EN
2.5 Drawing Circles ............................................................................... 2-9
2.6 Undo and Redo Actions ............................................................... 2-12
us C
re S

Practice 2a Basic Drawing and Editing Commands ......................... 2-13

d yA

Chapter Review Questions................................................................... 2-20

Command Summary ............................................................................. 2-22
an b

Chapter 3: Projects: Creating a Simple Drawing ....................................... 3-1

d

3.1 Create a Simple Drawing ................................................................ 3-2

ng e
yi vid

3.2 Create Simple Shapes .................................................................... 3-3

Chapter 4: Drawing Precision in AutoCAD ................................................ 4-1

op ro

4.1 Using Running Object Snaps......................................................... 4-2

lc p

Object Snap Settings ........................................................................ 4-3

Al ple

Practice 4a Using Object Snaps ........................................................... 4-7

4.2 Using Object Snap Overrides ........................................................ 4-9
m

Practice 4b Object Snap Overrides .................................................... 4-12

Sa

4.3 Polar Tracking at Angles .............................................................. 4-15

Practice 4c Polar Tracking .................................................................. 4-17
4.4 Object Snap Tracking ................................................................... 4-19
Practice 4d Object Snap Tracking I .................................................... 4-21
Practice 4e Object Snap Tracking II ................................................... 4-23

ii © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Contents

4.5 (Optional) Drawing with Snap and Grid ...................................... 4-25

Snap and Grid Settings ................................................................... 4-26
Isometric Drawing Environment ...................................................... 4-27
Practice 4f Placing Objects on a Drawing.......................................... 4-29
Chapter Review Questions................................................................... 4-30

n. nly
Command Summary ............................................................................. 4-32

de o
Chapter 5: Making Changes in Your Drawing............................................ 5-1

id w
5.1 Selecting Objects for Editing ......................................................... 5-2

rb ie
Implied Selection............................................................................... 5-3

fo rev
Selecting Objects Before the Command ........................................... 5-5
5.2 Moving Objects ............................................................................... 5-6
5.3 Copying Objects.............................................................................. 5-8

tly r
ric fo
5.4 Rotating Objects ........................................................................... 5-10

st T
5.5 Scaling Objects ............................................................................. 5-12
e EN
5.6 Mirroring Objects .......................................................................... 5-13
Practice 5a Selecting Objects ............................................................. 5-14
us C
Practice 5b Modifying Objects ............................................................ 5-16
re S

5.7 Editing with Grips ......................................................................... 5-23

d yA

Working with Hot Grips ................................................................... 5-23

Grips with Dynamic Dimensions ..................................................... 5-25
an b

Practice 5c Editing with Grips I........................................................... 5-27

d

Practice 5d Editing with Grips II ......................................................... 5-29

ng e

Chapter Review Questions................................................................... 5-30

yi vid

Command Summary ............................................................................. 5-32

op ro

Chapter 6: Projects: Making Your Drawings More Precise ...................... 6-1

lc p

6.1 Schematic Project: Electronics Diagram ...................................... 6-2

Al ple

6.2 Architectural Project: Landscape.................................................. 6-3

6.3 Mechanical Project: Using Polar and Tracking ............................ 6-6
m

6.4 Mechanical Project: Surge Protector ............................................ 6-7

Sa

6.5 Mechanical Project: Satellite.......................................................... 6-8

Chapter 7: Organizing Your Drawing with Layers ..................................... 7-1

7.1 Creating New Drawings With Templates ...................................... 7-2
What is a Template? ......................................................................... 7-2
Starting New Drawings...................................................................... 7-2
Working With Different Types of Units .............................................. 7-3

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® iii

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

Practice 7a Using a Template to Start a Drawing................................ 7-5

7.2 What are Layers? ............................................................................ 7-7
Setting the Current Layer .................................................................. 7-8
7.3 Layer States................................................................................... 7-10
On/Off............................................................................................. 7-10

n. nly
Thaw / Freeze ................................................................................ 7-10
Lock / Unlock.................................................................................. 7-11

de o
Practice 7b Working with Layers and Layer States .......................... 7-12

id w
7.4 Changing an Object’s Layer......................................................... 7-15

rb ie
Change with Layer Control.............................................................. 7-15

fo rev
Match Layer .................................................................................... 7-16
Practice 7c Changing an Object’s Layer............................................ 7-17

tly r
Chapter Review Questions................................................................... 7-19

ric fo
Command Summary ............................................................................. 7-21

st T
Chapter 8: Advanced Object Types ............................................................ 8-1
e EN
8.1 Drawing Arcs ................................................................................... 8-2
Arc Command Options...................................................................... 8-2
us C
Notes on Arcs.................................................................................... 8-3
re S

Practice 8a Drawing an Arc ................................................................... 8-4

d yA

8.2 Drawing Polylines ........................................................................... 8-7

8.3 Editing Polylines ............................................................................. 8-9
an b

Converting Lines and Arcs to Polylines........................................... 8-11

d

Turning Polylines into Lines and Arcs ............................................. 8-12

ng e

Practice 8b Drawing and Editing Polylines........................................ 8-15

yi vid

8.4 Drawing Polygons......................................................................... 8-19

op ro

Practice 8c Drawing Polygons ............................................................ 8-21

8.5 Drawing Ellipses ........................................................................... 8-23
lc p

Practice 8d Drawing Ellipses .............................................................. 8-25

Al ple

Chapter Review Questions................................................................... 8-27

m

Command Summary ............................................................................. 8-29

Sa

Chapter 9: Analyzing Model and Object Properties .................................. 9-1

9.1 Working with Object Properties..................................................... 9-2
Quick Properties................................................................................ 9-2
Properties Palette.............................................................................. 9-4
Matching Properties .......................................................................... 9-7
Quick Select ...................................................................................... 9-9
Practice 9a Working with Object Properties (Mechanical) ............... 9-11

iv © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Contents

Practice 9b Working with Object Properties (Architectural) ............ 9-14

9.2 Measuring Objects ........................................................................ 9-16
Using the Measure Tools ................................................................ 9-16
Quick Measure ................................................................................ 9-17
Measuring Distances....................................................................... 9-18

n. nly
Measuring Radius and Diameter..................................................... 9-19
Measuring Angles ........................................................................... 9-20

de o
Measuring Areas ............................................................................. 9-21

id w
Practice 9c Measuring Objects (Architectural).................................. 9-24

rb ie
Practice 9d Measuring Objects (Mechanical) .................................... 9-26

fo rev
Chapter Review Questions................................................................... 9-29
Command Summary ............................................................................. 9-31

tly r
Chapter 10: Projects: Drawing Organization and Information ............... 10-1

ric fo
10.1 Architectural Project..................................................................... 10-2

st T
10.2 Mechanical Project........................................................................ 10-4
e EN
10.3 Civil Project ................................................................................... 10-6
us C
Chapter 11: Advanced Editing Commands .............................................. 11-1
re S

11.1 Trimming and Extending Objects................................................ 11-2

d yA

Trimming Objects ........................................................................... 11-2

Extending Objects ........................................................................... 11-3
an b

Practice 11a Extending and Trimming Objects ................................. 11-7

d

Practice 11b Trimming Objects on a Drawing ................................. 11-10

ng e

Practice 11c Break at Point ............................................................... 11-12

yi vid

11.2 Stretching Objects ...................................................................... 11-14

Notes on Stretching Objects ......................................................... 11-15
op ro

Practice 11d Stretching Objects ....................................................... 11-16

lc p

11.3 Creating Fillets and Chamfers ................................................... 11-18

Al ple

Filleting Objects............................................................................. 11-18

Chamfering Objects ...................................................................... 11-20
m

Practice 11e Filleting Objects ........................................................... 11-22

Sa

Practice 11f Chamfering Objects ...................................................... 11-24

11.4 Offsetting Objects ....................................................................... 11-25
Practice 11g Offsetting Objects ........................................................ 11-27
11.5 Creating Arrays of Objects......................................................... 11-29
Rectangular Array ......................................................................... 11-30
Polar Array .................................................................................... 11-31
Path Array ..................................................................................... 11-32

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® v

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

Practice 11h Rectangular Array ........................................................ 11-34

Practice 11i Polar Array ..................................................................... 11-36
Practice 11j Path Array ...................................................................... 11-38
Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 11-40

n. nly
Command Summary ........................................................................... 11-42

de o
Chapter 12: Blocks ..................................................................................... 12-1

id w
12.1 What are Blocks? .......................................................................... 12-2

rb ie
Practice 12a Create Simple Blocks..................................................... 12-5

fo rev
12.2 Inserting Blocks using the Blocks Palette.................................. 12-7
Insert Gallery................................................................................... 12-7
Blocks Palette ................................................................................. 12-8

tly r
ric fo
12.3 Inserting Blocks using the Tool Palettes.................................. 12-12
Controlling the Tool Palettes Window ........................................... 12-13

st T
12.4 Working with Dynamic Blocks................................................... 12-14
e EN Manipulating Dynamic Blocks ....................................................... 12-14
12.5 Inserting Blocks using the DesignCenter................................. 12-16
us C
DesignCenter Content................................................................... 12-17
re S

Practice 12b Working with Blocks.................................................... 12-19

d yA

Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 12-26

Command Summary ........................................................................... 12-28
an b

Chapter 13: Projects: Creating More Complex Objects .......................... 13-1

d
ng e

13.1 Mechanical Project 1: Plate.......................................................... 13-2

yi vid

13.2 Mechanical Project 2: Gasket ...................................................... 13-3

13.3 Mechanical Project 3: Plate.......................................................... 13-4
op ro

13.4 Mechanical Project 4: Rocker Arm .............................................. 13-5

lc p

13.5 Architectural Project 1: Floor Plan .............................................. 13-7

Al ple

13.6 Architectural Project 2: Floor Plan .............................................. 13-9

13.7 Civil Project: Parking Lot ........................................................... 13-11
m
Sa

Chapter 14: Setting Up a Layout ............................................................... 14-1

14.1 Working in Layouts....................................................................... 14-2
Switch Between Paper Space & Model Space ............................... 14-4
14.2 Creating Layouts........................................................................... 14-6

vi © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Contents

14.3 Creating Layout Viewports........................................................... 14-8

Rectangular Viewports .................................................................... 14-8
Polygonal Viewports........................................................................ 14-9
Object Viewports ............................................................................. 14-9
Viewports Dialog Box ................................................................... 14-10

n. nly
Modifying Viewports with Grips ..................................................... 14-12
Locking the Viewport..................................................................... 14-15

de o
14.4 Named Views ............................................................................... 14-16
Insert Views................................................................................... 14-18

id w
14.5 Guidelines for Layouts ............................................................... 14-23

rb ie
Practice 14a Working With Layouts ................................................. 14-24

fo rev
Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 14-38
Command Summary ........................................................................... 14-40

tly r
ric fo
Chapter 15: Printing Your Drawing ........................................................... 15-1

st T
15.1 Printing Concepts ......................................................................... 15-2
e EN Model Space Printing ...................................................................... 15-3
Paper Space Layout Printing .......................................................... 15-4
us C
15.2 Printing Layouts............................................................................ 15-5
Previewing the Plot ......................................................................... 15-7
re S

Batch Plot........................................................................................ 15-8

d yA

15.3 Print and Plot Settings.................................................................. 15-9

Practice 15a Printing Layouts and Check Plots .............................. 15-13
an b

Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 15-16

d
ng e

Command Summary ........................................................................... 15-18

yi vid

Chapter 16: Projects: Preparing to Print .................................................. 16-1

op ro

16.1 Mechanical Project........................................................................ 16-2

16.2 Architectural Project..................................................................... 16-4
lc p
Al ple

Chapter 17: Text.......................................................................................... 17-1

17.1 Working with Annotations............................................................ 17-2
m

Working with Annotative Styles....................................................... 17-4

Sa

17.2 Adding Text in a Drawing ............................................................. 17-5

Multiline Text ................................................................................... 17-5
Copying and Importing Text ............................................................ 17-7
Spell Checking ................................................................................ 17-9
Practice 17a Adding Text in a Drawing ............................................ 17-10

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® vii

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

17.3 Modifying Multiline Text ............................................................. 17-14

Editing Multiline Text ..................................................................... 17-14
Changing Text Width and Length.................................................. 17-14
Changing Text Properties ............................................................. 17-15
Spell Checking .............................................................................. 17-16

n. nly
Practice 17b Modifying Multiline Text .............................................. 17-18
17.4 Formatting Multiline Text ........................................................... 17-21

de o
Formatting the Multiline Text Object ............................................. 17-21

id w
Formatting Selected Text .............................................................. 17-23
Formatting Paragraph Text ........................................................... 17-25

rb ie
Creating Columns ......................................................................... 17-29

fo rev
Practice 17c Formatting Multiline Text in a Drawing ...................... 17-31
17.5 Adding Notes with Leaders to Your Drawing ........................... 17-36

tly r
Modifying Multileaders .................................................................. 17-38

ric fo
Practice 17d Adding Notes to Your Drawing ................................... 17-43

st T
17.6 Creating Tables ........................................................................... 17-46
e EN Populating Table Cells .................................................................. 17-48
Calculations in Tables ................................................................... 17-50
us C
Practice 17e Creating Tables ............................................................ 17-52
re S

17.7 (Optional) Modifying Tables....................................................... 17-54

d yA

Modifying Cells, Rows, and Columns............................................ 17-54

Modifying the Entire Table ............................................................ 17-57
Practice 17f (Optional) Modifying Tables......................................... 17-59
an b

Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 17-62

d
ng e

Command Summary ........................................................................... 17-64

yi vid

Chapter 18: Hatching.................................................................................. 18-1

op ro

18.1 Hatching......................................................................................... 18-2

Applying a Hatch: Tool Palettes ...................................................... 18-2
lc p

Applying a Hatch: Hatch Command ................................................ 18-4

Al ple

Hatch Pattern and Properties.......................................................... 18-5

Hatch Options ................................................................................. 18-9
m

18.2 Editing Hatches ........................................................................... 18-12

Hatch Editor Tab ........................................................................... 18-12
Sa

Edit Hatch Command .................................................................... 18-13

Grip Editing Hatch Boundaries...................................................... 18-14
Practice 18a Hatching Using the Tool Palettes ............................... 18-17
Practice 18b Hatching (Mechanical) ................................................. 18-19

viii © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Contents

Practice 18c Hatching (Architectural) .............................................. 18-24

Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 18-27
Command Summary ........................................................................... 18-29

Chapter 19: Adding Dimensions ............................................................... 19-1

n. nly
19.1 Dimensioning Concepts ............................................................... 19-2
General Dimensioning..................................................................... 19-3

de o
19.2 Adding Linear Dimensions........................................................... 19-5

id w
Individual Linear Dimensions .......................................................... 19-5

rb ie
Multiple Linear Dimensions ............................................................. 19-6

fo rev
Quick Dimensioning ........................................................................ 19-7
Practice 19a Adding Linear Dimensions (Architectural) .................. 19-9
Practice 19b Adding Linear Dimensions (Mechanical)................... 19-12

tly r
ric fo
19.3 Adding Radial and Angular Dimensions................................... 19-15
Radius and Diameter Dimensions................................................. 19-15

st T
Angular Dimensions ...................................................................... 19-19
e EN
Practice 19c Adding Radial and Angular Dimensions
(Architectural)..................................................................................... 19-21
us C
Practice 19d Adding Center Marks and Dimensions
re S

(Mechanical)........................................................................................ 19-25
d yA

19.4 Editing Dimensions..................................................................... 19-27

Dimension Shortcut Menu............................................................. 19-28
an b

Editing Dimensions Using Grips.................................................... 19-28

Dimension Grips Shortcut Options................................................ 19-29
d

Editing the Dimension Text ........................................................... 19-30

ng e

Adjusting Dimension Spacing ....................................................... 19-31

yi vid

Dimension Breaks ......................................................................... 19-32

Practice 19e Editing Dimensions (Architectural) ............................ 19-34
op ro

Practice 19f Editing Dimensions (Mechanical)................................ 19-36

lc p

Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 19-38

Al ple

Command Summary ........................................................................... 19-40

m

Chapter 20: Projects: Annotating Your Drawing ..................................... 20-1

Sa

20.1 Mechanical Project........................................................................ 20-2

20.2 Architectural Project 1.................................................................. 20-3
20.3 Architectural Project 2.................................................................. 20-4
20.4 Civil Project ................................................................................... 20-6

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® ix

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

Chapter 21: Working Effectively with AutoCAD ...................................... 21-1

21.1 Creating a Custom Workspace .................................................... 21-2
Docking and Hiding Palettes ........................................................... 21-4
Setting Up the Ribbon ..................................................................... 21-5
Practice 21a Setting Up Workspaces ............................................... 21-11

n. nly
21.2 Using the Keyboard Effectively ................................................. 21-13

de o
Command Aliases ......................................................................... 21-14
Shortcut Keys................................................................................ 21-16

id w
Function Keys ............................................................................... 21-16

rb ie
Practice 21b Using the Keyboard Effectively .................................. 21-17

fo rev
21.3 Object Creation, Selection, and Visibility ................................. 21-18
Object Creation ............................................................................. 21-18
Selecting Similar Objects .............................................................. 21-18

tly r
ric fo
Object Selection Cycling ............................................................... 21-20
Object Visibility.............................................................................. 21-20

st T
Setting Transparency .................................................................... 21-22
e EN
Practice 21c Object Creation, Selection, and Visibility .................. 21-25
21.4 Working in Multiple Drawings.................................................... 21-27
us C
File Tabs ....................................................................................... 21-27
Selecting Drawings in the Application Menu ................................. 21-30
re S
d yA

21.5 Copying and Pasting Between Drawings ................................. 21-32

Match Properties Across Drawings ............................................... 21-33
Practice 21d Working in Multiple Drawings..................................... 21-34
an b

21.6 Using Grips Effectively............................................................... 21-37

d

Changing the Base Point .............................................................. 21-38

ng e

Copying with Grips ........................................................................ 21-38

yi vid

Rotate and Scale with the Reference Option ................................ 21-39

Stretching Multiple Objects ........................................................... 21-40
op ro

Grip Settings ................................................................................. 21-40

lc p

Practice 21e Using Grips Effectively ................................................ 21-42

Al ple

21.7 Additional Layer Tools ............................................................... 21-43

Changing Object Layer States ...................................................... 21-43
Isolating Layers ............................................................................. 21-45
m

Changing an Object’s Layer.......................................................... 21-46

Sa

Modifying Layers ........................................................................... 21-47

Layer Walk .................................................................................... 21-48
Practice 21f Layer Tools .................................................................... 21-51
Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 21-53
Command Summary ........................................................................... 21-55

x © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Contents

Chapter 22: Accurate Positioning ............................................................. 22-1

22.1 Coordinate Entry ........................................................................... 22-2
Absolute Cartesian Coordinates (X,Y) ............................................ 22-2
Relative Cartesian Coordinates (@X,Y).......................................... 22-2
Relative Polar Coordinates (@Distance< Angle) ............................ 22-4

n. nly
Notes on Coordinate Entry.............................................................. 22-5
Practice 22a Drawing Using Coordinate Entry .................................. 22-7

de o
22.2 Locating Points with Tracking ..................................................... 22-8

id w
Object Snap Tracking Review......................................................... 22-8

rb ie
Temporary Track Point................................................................... 22-8

fo rev
Practice 22b Locating Points with Tracking (Mechanical) ............. 22-10
Practice 22c Locating Points with Tracking (Architectural)........... 22-12

tly r
22.3 Construction Lines ..................................................................... 22-14

ric fo
Construction Lines ....................................................................... 22-14
Rays .............................................................................................. 22-15

st T
Practice 22d Construction Lines ...................................................... 22-16
e EN
22.4 Placing Reference Points ........................................................... 22-18
Creating Groups of Points............................................................. 22-19
us C

Practice 22e Placing Points............................................................... 22-21

re S
d yA

Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 22-23

Command Summary ........................................................................... 22-25
an b

Chapter 23: Projects: Productivity Tools ................................................. 23-1

d

23.1 Schematic Project: Purifier Unit .................................................. 23-2

ng e

23.2 Mechanical Project: 2 Views ........................................................ 23-4

yi vid

23.3 Architectural/Civil Project: Formal Garden ................................ 23-5

op ro

23.4 Mechanical Project: Cover Plate.................................................. 23-6

lc p

23.5 Architectural Project: Addition .................................................... 23-7

Al ple

23.6 Mechanical Project: Block............................................................ 23-8

23.7 Mechanical Project: Plate............................................................. 23-9
m

Chapter 24: Parametric Drawing ............................................................... 24-1

Sa

24.1 Working with Constraints............................................................. 24-2

24.2 Geometric Constraints ................................................................. 24-3
Auto Constraining Objects .............................................................. 24-3
Specifying Geometric Constraints................................................... 24-4
Constraint Bars ............................................................................... 24-9
Modifying Geometrical Constraints ............................................... 24-10
Deleting Constraints...................................................................... 24-10
Constraint Settings........................................................................ 24-11

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® xi

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

24.3 Dimensional Constraints............................................................ 24-12

Modifying Dimensional Constraints............................................... 24-16
Formulas in Constraints ................................................................ 24-17
Practice 24a Working with Constraints............................................ 24-19
Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 24-29

n. nly
Command Summary ........................................................................... 24-31

de o
Chapter 25: Working with Blocks.............................................................. 25-1

id w
25.1 Creating Blocks............................................................................. 25-2

rb ie
Creating Single Named Objects...................................................... 25-2

fo rev
Block Settings ................................................................................. 25-3
Creating Drawing Files from Objects (WBlock)............................... 25-5
25.2 Editing Blocks ............................................................................... 25-7

tly r
ric fo
Practice 25a Create and Edit Blocks ................................................ 25-10
25.3 Removing Unused Elements...................................................... 25-16

st T
e EN
Practice 25b Purging.......................................................................... 25-19
25.4 Adding Blocks to Tool Palettes ................................................. 25-21
us C
25.5 Modifying Tool Properties in Tool Palettes .............................. 25-24
re S

Modifying Tool Properties ............................................................. 25-24

Redefining Blocks in Tool Palettes................................................ 25-26
d yA

Practice 25c Modifying Tool Properties ........................................... 25-27

an b

Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 25-30

d

Command Summary ........................................................................... 25-32

ng e

Chapter 26: Projects: Creating and Organizing Blocks .......................... 26-1

yi vid

26.1 Mechanical Project: Control Panel .............................................. 26-2

op ro

26.2 Architectural Project: Furniture Layout ...................................... 26-4

lc p

26.3 Civil Project: Utility Layout .......................................................... 26-6

Al ple

Chapter 27: Creating Templates................................................................ 27-1

27.1 Why Use Templates? .................................................................... 27-2
m

Drawing Standards.......................................................................... 27-3

Sa

27.2 Controlling Units Display ............................................................. 27-5

Drawing Limits................................................................................. 27-8
27.3 Creating New Layers..................................................................... 27-9
Layer Properties Manager............................................................... 27-9
Other Layer Options...................................................................... 27-14
27.4 Adding Standard Layouts to Templates ................................... 27-16
Working in the Page Setup Manager ............................................ 27-16
Setting Up Layouts to Use in a Template...................................... 27-22

xii © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Contents

27.5 Saving Templates........................................................................ 27-23

Practice 27a Saving a Template........................................................ 27-25
Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 27-32
Command Summary ........................................................................... 27-34

n. nly
Chapter 28: Working with Layouts............................................................ 28-1

de o
28.1 Creating and Using Named Views ............................................... 28-2

id w
28.2 Advanced Viewport Options ........................................................ 28-5
Creating Viewports from Named Views .......................................... 28-5

rb ie
Clipping Viewports .......................................................................... 28-9

fo rev
28.3 Layer Overrides in Viewports .................................................... 28-10
Overriding Layer Properties in Viewports...................................... 28-10
Freezing Layers in Viewports........................................................ 28-12

tly r
ric fo
Practice 28a Viewports and Named Views....................................... 28-13

st T
28.4 Annotative Scale Features ......................................................... 28-19
e EN Modifying Annotative Object Scales.............................................. 28-20
Practice 28b Annotative Scale Features .......................................... 28-22
us C
Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 28-25
re S

Command Summary ........................................................................... 28-27

d yA

Chapter 29: Annotation Styles .................................................................. 29-1

29.1 Creating Text Styles...................................................................... 29-2
an b

Practice 29a Creating and Using Text Styles .................................... 29-5

d
ng e

29.2 Creating Dimension Styles........................................................... 29-6

yi vid

Modifying Dimension Styles ............................................................ 29-8

Creating Dimension Sub-Styles .................................................... 29-14
op ro

Practice 29b Creating Dimension Styles (Architectural) ................ 29-16

lc p

Practice 29c Dimension Styles (Mechanical)................................... 29-19

Al ple

29.3 Creating Multileader Styles ........................................................ 29-22

Practice 29d Creating Multileader Styles ......................................... 29-27
m

Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 29-29

Sa

Command Summary ........................................................................... 29-31

Chapter 30: Projects: Drawing Setup and Utilities .................................. 30-1

30.1 Interiors Project............................................................................. 30-2
30.2 Mechanical/Schematic Project..................................................... 30-3
30.3 Civil/Map Project ........................................................................... 30-4
30.4 Mechanical Project: Dimension Styles ....................................... 30-5

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® xiii

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

Chapter 31: External References .............................................................. 31-1

31.1 Attaching External References .................................................... 31-2
External References Palette ........................................................... 31-4
31.2 Modifying External References.................................................. 31-11
Opening Reference Files .............................................................. 31-11

n. nly
Detaching and Unloading Reference Files.................................... 31-12
Comparing Xrefs ........................................................................... 31-14

de o
Clipping Reference Files ............................................................... 31-16

id w
Modifying References ................................................................... 31-18
Reference File Properties ............................................................. 31-19

rb ie
DWF Specific Adjustments............................................................ 31-21

fo rev
31.3 Xref Specific Information............................................................ 31-23
Attachments vs. Overlays ............................................................. 31-23
Xref Layers.................................................................................... 31-24

tly r
ric fo
Binding Drawing Reference Files.................................................. 31-28
Binding Drawing Reference File Components .............................. 31-29

st T
Demand Loading........................................................................... 31-30
e EN
Practice 31a Attaching External References ................................... 31-31
Chapter Review Questions................................................................. 31-40
us C
Command Summary ........................................................................... 31-42
re S
d yA

Chapter 32: Projects: Drawing .................................................................. 32-1

32.1 D-sized Title Block (36x24)........................................................... 32-2
an b

32.2 Mechanical Project: Drill Press Base .......................................... 32-4

d

32.3 Architectural Project: Office Tower........................................... 32-10

ng e

32.4 P&ID Project: Oil Lubrication System ....................................... 32-17

yi vid

32.5 Civil Project: Warehouse Site .................................................... 32-20

op ro

Appendix A: Skills Assessment 1 ...............................................................A-1

lc p

Appendix B: Optional Topics ......................................................................B-1

Al ple

B.1 Using QuickCalc..............................................................................B-2

B.2 Additional Zoom Commands .........................................................B-4
m

B.3 Additional Text Tools......................................................................B-5

Sa

Creating Single Line Text.................................................................. B-5

Editing Single Line Text .................................................................... B-6
Justify Text ........................................................................................ B-6
Scale Text ......................................................................................... B-7
Model Space Text and Paper Space Text ........................................ B-8
Convert Text to Mtext........................................................................ B-8

xiv © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Contents

B.4 Additional Dimensioning Tools ...................................................B-10

Dimension Style Manager ............................................................... B-10
Inspection Dimensions .................................................................... B-11
B.5 Creating Boundaries and Regions ..............................................B-13
Creating Boundaries ....................................................................... B-13

n. nly
Working with Regions ..................................................................... B-15
Combining Regions......................................................................... B-16

de o
B.6 Modifying Length ..........................................................................B-18

id w
Chapter Review Questions...................................................................B-19

rb ie
Command Summary .............................................................................B-21

fo rev
Appendix C: Skills Assessment 2 ...............................................................C-1

Appendix D: AutoCAD Certification Exam Objectives..............................D-1

tly r
ric fo
Index ...................................................................................................... Index-1

st T
e EN
us C
re S
d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® xv

 Sa

xvi
m
Al ple
lc p
op ro
AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

yi vid
ng e
d
an b
d yA
re S
us C
e EN
st T
ric fo
tly r
fo rev
rb ie
id w
de o
n. nly

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Preface

n. nly
de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
The AutoCAD® 2021: Fundamentals guide is designed for those using AutoCAD®
2021 with a Windows operating system. This guide is not designed for the
AutoCAD for Mac software.

tly r
ric fo
The objective of AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals is to enable you to create, modify,
and work with a 2D drawing in the AutoCAD software.

st T
e EN
Part 1 (chapters 1 to 20) covers the essential core topics for working with the
AutoCAD software. The guide begins with learning the basic tools for creating and
editing 2D drawings. It then continues to explore the tools used to annotate
us C
drawings by adding text, hatching, dimensions, and tables. More advanced tools,
re S

such as working with blocks and setting up layouts, are introduced to improve
d yA

your efficiency with the software. Not every command or option is covered,
because the intent is to show the essential tools and concepts, such as:
an b

• Understanding the AutoCAD workspace and user interface

• Using basic drawing, editing, and viewing tools
d
ng e

• Organizing drawing objects on layers

yi vid

• Using reusable symbols (blocks)

• Preparing a layout to be plotted
op ro

• Adding text, hatching, and dimensions

lc p
Al ple

Part 2 (chapters 21 to 32) continues with more sophisticated techniques that

extend your mastery of the software. For example, here you go beyond the basic
skill of using a template to understand the process of setting up a template,
m

creating annotation styles, and how to work with external references. You learn
Sa

such skills as:

• Using more advanced editing and construction techniques

• Adding parametric constraints to objects
• Creating local and global blocks
• Setting up layers, styles, and templates
• Attaching External References

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® xvii

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

Prerequisites

• Access to the 2021.0 version of the software, to ensure compatibility with this
guide. Future software updates that are released by Autodesk may include
changes that are not reflected in this guide. The practices and files included
with this guide are not compatible with prior versions (e.g., 2020).

n. nly
• A working knowledge of basic design/drafting procedures and terminology.

de o
• A working knowledge of your operating system.

id w
Note on Software Setup

rb ie
fo rev
This guide assumes a standard installation of the software using the default
preferences during installation. Lectures and practices use the standard software
templates and default options for the Content Libraries.

tly r
ric fo
Students and Educators Can Access Free Autodesk Software
and Resources

st T
e EN
Autodesk challenges you to get started with free educational licenses for
professional software and creativity apps used by millions of architects,
us C
engineers, designers, and hobbyists today. Bring Autodesk software into your
re S

classroom, studio, or workshop to learn, teach, and explore real-world design

d yA

challenges the way professionals do.

Get started today - register at the Autodesk Education Community and download
an b

one of the many Autodesk software applications available.

d

Visit www.autodesk.com/education/home/
ng e
yi vid

Note: Free products are subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user
license and services agreement that accompanies the software. The software is
op ro

for personal use for education purposes and is not intended for classroom or lab
use.
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

xviii © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Preface

Lead Contributor: Renu Muthoo

Renu uses her instructional design training to develop courseware for AutoCAD
and AutoCAD vertical products, Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Showcase and
various other Autodesk software products. She has worked with Autodesk
products for the past 20 years with a main focus on design visualization software.

n. nly
Renu holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering and started her career

de o
as a Instructional Designer/Author where she co-authored a number of Autodesk
3ds Max and AutoCAD books, some of which were translated into other

id w
languages for a wide audience reach. In her next role as a Technical Specialist at

rb ie
a 3D visualization company, Renu used 3ds Max in real-world scenarios on a daily

fo rev
basis. There, she developed customized 3D web planner solutions to create
specialized 3D models with photorealistic texturing and lighting to produce high
quality renderings.

tly r
ric fo
Renu Muthoo has been the Lead Contributor for AutoCAD: Fundamentals since
2015.

st T
e EN
us C
re S
d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® xix

 Sa

xx
m
Al ple
lc p
op ro
AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

yi vid
ng e
d
an b
d yA
re S
us C
e EN
st T
ric fo
tly r
fo rev
rb ie
id w
de o
n. nly

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 In This Guide

n. nly
de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
The following highlights the key features of this guide.

Feature Description

tly r
ric fo
Practice Files The Practice Files page includes a link to the practice files and
instructions on how to download and install them. The practice files

st T
are required to complete the practices in this guide.
e EN
Chapters A chapter consists of the following - Learning Objectives,
Instructional Content, Practices, Chapter Review Questions, and
Command Summary.
us C
• Learning Objectives define the skills you can acquire by learning
re S

the content provided in the chapter.

d yA

• Instructional Content, which begins right after Learning

Objectives, refers to the descriptive and procedural information
related to various topics. Each main topic introduces a product
an b

feature, discusses various aspects of that feature, and provides

step-by-step procedures on how to use that feature. Where
d

relevant, examples, figures, helpful hints, and notes are provided.

ng e

• Practice for a topic follows the instructional content. Practices

yi vid

enable you to use the software to perform a hands-on review of a

topic. It is required that you download the practice files (using the
link found on the Practice Files page) prior to starting the first
op ro

practice.
lc p

• Chapter Review Questions, located close to the end of a

chapter, enable you to test your knowledge of the key concepts
Al ple

discussed in the chapter.

• Command Summary concludes a chapter. It contains a list of the
m

software commands that are used throughout the chapter and

provides information on where the command can be found in the
Sa

software.

Appendices Appendices provide additional information to the main course

content. It could be in the form of instructional content, practices,
tables, projects, or skills assessment.
The Autodesk Certification Exam Appendix includes a list of the
topics and objectives for the Autodesk Certification exam, and the
chapter and section in which the relevant content can be found.

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® xxi

 Sa

xxii
m
Al ple
lc p
op ro
AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

yi vid
ng e
d
an b
d yA
re S
us C
e EN
st T
ric fo
tly r
fo rev
rb ie
id w
de o
n. nly

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Chapter

n. nly
de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
Getting Started with AutoCAD

tly r
ric fo
In this chapter, you learn how to start the AutoCAD® software, become familiar

st T
with the basic layout of the AutoCAD screen, how to access commands, use your
e EN
pointing device, and understand the AutoCAD Cartesian workspace. You also
learn how to open an existing drawing, view the drawing by zooming and panning,
us C
and save your work in the AutoCAD software.
re S

Learning Objectives in this Chapter

d yA

• Complete a basic initial setup of the drawing environment.

an b

• Identify the basic layout and features of the AutoCAD user interface.
• Locate commands and launch them using various command interfaces.
d

• Locate points in the AutoCAD Cartesian workspace.

ng e
yi vid

• Open, edit, and close existing drawings.

• Move around a drawing using the navigations options.
op ro

• Save drawings in various formats and set the automatic save option.
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–1

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

1.1 Starting the Software

You must have Internet The AutoCAD 2021 software runs on most recent versions of the
Explorer® on your Windows operating system, including Windows 7 Enterprise,

n. nly
system to load the Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate (32 or 64-bit
AutoCAD 2021 versions), Windows 8.1, 8.1 Pro, and Enterprise (32 or 64-bit
versions), and Windows 10 Enterprise and Professional (64-bit

de o
software.
version only). The 64-bit versions provide a huge improvement in

id w
processing speed.

rb ie
When launching the Launch the software using the Windows desktop icon or the

fo rev
software for the first Start menu.
time, you are prompted
to migrate custom • Double-click on (AutoCAD 2021) on the desktop.

tly r
settings and files from

ric fo
the earlier releases of • If there is no shortcut on the desktop, click (Start) in the
the software. Task bar at the bottom of the screen and select AutoCAD

st T
2021>AutoCAD 2021.
e EN • When the AutoCAD software is launched, an initial Start
Window displays.
us C
re S

Start Tab When you launch the software or if you click in the Start tab while
d yA

working in an active drawing, the initial Start window displays, as

shown in Figure 1–1.
an b

• By default, the Start tab is always available as the first tab in

d

the File Tabs bar as you create and open additional drawings.
ng e
yi vid

• While working in a drawing, you can click the Start tab to

display the initial Start window.
op ro

• You can use <Ctrl>+<Home> to jump from an active drawing

lc p

to the Start tab.

Al ple

• The Start window contains two content frames: Learn and

Create, as shown in Figure 1–1.
m
Sa

1–2 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

n. nly
de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN
us C
re S
d yA

Figure 1–1
an b

Learn
d
ng e

• Contains videos, tips, and online resources to help you learn

yi vid

about new features in the software and how to start using the
software.
op ro

Create
lc p

• Contains tools that enable you to create new drawings or

Al ple

open existing, sample, or recently used files.

m

• Enables you to connect to your Autodesk® account to access

online services.
Sa

• When you click on Start Drawing, a new, blank drawing

automatically opens. To start another new blank drawing, in
the File Tabs bar, click (New Drawing). The new drawing
is opened and made active.

• Click Open Files to open an already saved drawing.

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–3

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

1.2 User Interface

The interface includes the main components that are used to
operate the AutoCAD software. By default, the display of the
interface uses the Dark color scheme. You can change it to the

n. nly
Light color scheme by clicking (Application Menu) to

de o
expand it and then clicking Options to open the Options dialog
box. In the Display tab, in the Window Elements area, expand

id w
the Color theme drop-down list and select Light, as shown in

rb ie
Figure 1–2. Then, click OK for the background color of the

fo rev
interface components to change to light. The light color scheme
is used throughout this guide for printing clarity.

tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN
us C
re S
d yA

Figure 1–2
To change the drawing window color, in the Options dialog
an b

box>Display tab, click Colors and in the Drawing Window Colors

dialog box, for 2D model space, change the Color to White. Click
d

Apply & Close in the Drawing Window Colors dialog box and
ng e

click OK in the Options dialog box.

yi vid

The software interface is shown in Figure 1–3. The Drawing

op ro

Window color has been changed to white for printing clarity.

lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

1–4 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

4 6
1

11

n. nly
de o
7

id w
rb ie
fo rev
3
10

tly r
ric fo
2

st T
e EN
us C
8
re S

9
d yA

Figure 1–3
an b

1. Application Menu
d

The Application Menu provides access to AutoCAD file

ng e
yi vid

commands, settings, and documents. Click (Application

Menu) to expand the Application Menu and display its contents.
op ro

2. Crosshairs and Prompts

lc p
Al ple

The Crosshairs indicate the current cursor location. As you draw,

prompts display near the cursor to explain how to complete each
m

command. It displays badges that provide additional information

when you are working in a command. This can help you to
Sa

successfully complete the command.

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–5

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

3. Drawing Window

By default, the The Drawing Window is the area of the screen in which the
background of the drawing displays. Near the lower left corner of the window a
Drawing Window is dark horizontal line labeled X and a vertical line labeled Y might be

n. nly
with a light gray grid. displayed. This is called the UCS icon and indicates the current
This can be changed in drawing plane. Several drawing windows can be open at the

de o
the Options dialog box> same time. They can be resized, minimized, and maximized.
Display tab by clicking

id w
Colors. 4. Quick Access Toolbar

rb ie
The Quick Access Toolbar provides access to commonly used

fo rev
commands, such as New, Open, and Save, as shown in
Figure 1–4.

tly r
ric fo
st T
Figure 1–4
e EN 5. Ribbon
us C
The ribbon contains the AutoCAD tools in a series of tabs and
re S

panels, as shown in Figure 1–5. Clicking on a tab displays a

d yA

series of panels. The panels contain a variety of tools, which are

grouped by function.
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro

Figure 1–5
lc p

6. InfoCenter
Al ple

The InfoCenter (shown in Figure 1–6) provides you with tools

that enable you to quickly access the online Help system, stay
m

connected with the online AutoCAD community, and access the

Sa

Autodesk App Store. You can sign in to your Autodesk account to

access various online services and sync your settings.

Figure 1–6

1–6 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

Clicking opens the initial help screen, which displays

videos about new features and getting started with the software.
The help screen also includes a heading called Have You Tried,
which lists various topic links. Clicking on a link opens a help
page that has more information about the listed feature. These

n. nly
topics include new features that you might not be aware of and
other topics that are based on user feedback received by

de o
Autodesk.

id w
You can search for a specific help topic by entering a keyword

rb ie
and selecting from the list of available related documents.

fo rev
Commands can be quickly identified in the ribbon, Status Bar,
and the Application Menu by clicking Find next to the
command’s icon in the Help window, as shown in Figure 1–7. A

tly r
red animated arrow displays in the interface identifying the

ric fo
location of the command, as shown in Figure 1–7.

st T
e EN
us C
re S
d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

Figure 1–7

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–7

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

7. Tooltips

When you hover the cursor over a tool, a Tooltip displays the
name of the tool and a short description. Continuing to hover the
cursor on the tool displays an additional extended description, as

n. nly
shown in Figure 1–8. These tooltips provide information about
tools, commands, and drawing objects. With the tooltip

de o
displayed, press <F1> to open the Help window and display the
help information related to the currently displayed tooltip.

id w
rb ie
You can control the display of tooltips using the Options dialog

fo rev
box ( (Application Menu)>Options), in the Display tab>
Window Elements area. You can also set the delay to display the
tooltip and the extended description, as shown in Figure 1–9.

tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN
us C
re S
d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro

Figure 1–8 Figure 1–9

lc p

8. Command Line
Al ple

Command prompts also display in the Command Line, which is

m

by default, a text window located at the bottom of the screen, as

Sa

shown in Figure 1–10. You can dock and undock the Command
Line by clicking on the left edge and dragging it around. The
command history has a gray background to distinguish it from
the active command line.

Figure 1–10

1–8 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

9. Status Bar

The Status Bar enables you to change many of the AutoCAD

software’s drafting settings. All of the tools are located in the
(Customization) list and their icons can be displayed or

n. nly
removed from the Status Bar by selecting them in the list. After
displaying the tool icons in the Status Bar, you are required to

de o
toggle them on to take affect. The icons display with a blue

id w
background box when they are toggled on. If the displayed icons
cannot fit in a single row, the Status Bar automatically wraps into

rb ie
two rows to accommodate all of the icons, as shown in

fo rev
Figure 1–11.

Along the left side of the Status Bar icons, the Model tab and one

tly r
or more Layout tabs display, as shown in Figure 1–11. If the

ric fo
Model and Layout tabs are not displayed, set the LAYOUTTAB
system variable to 1.

st T
e EN
us C
Figure 1–11
re S
d yA

10. Navigation Bar

The Navigation Bar enables you to access the various methods

an b

of moving around in the drawing, such as Zoom and Pan, as

d

shown in Figure 1–12.

ng e
yi vid

If the Navigation Bar is

not displayed, in the
ribbon, go to the View
op ro

tab>Viewport Tools
lc p

panel, and click

Al ple

(Navigation Bar).
m
Sa

Figure 1–12

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–9

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

11. File Tabs

The drawing’s File tabs (shown in Figure 1–13) are located near
the top of the drawing window. They provide a quick way of
switching between open drawings, creating new ones, opening,

n. nly
saving, or closing the required drawings. The Start tab is always
the first tab and persists in the File tabs bar. Clicking it displays

de o
the initial Start window.

id w
rb ie
Figure 1–13

fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN
us C
re S
d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

1–10 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

1.3 Working with Commands

Most commands in the AutoCAD software are accessed using
the ribbon. For example, to access the Line command in the

n. nly
ribbon, in the Home tab>Draw panel, click (Line), as shown
in Figure 1–14. Several of the file commands are available in the

de o
Quick Access Toolbar or in the Application Menu. Some
commands are available in the Status Bar or through shortcut

id w
menus. There are additional access methods, such as Tool

rb ie
Palettes. The names of all of the commands can also be typed in
the Command Line or near the cursor in the Drawing Window

fo rev
(Dynamic Input).

tly r
Ribbon The ribbon provides easy access to the tools, which are

ric fo
organized in tabs and panels. The tabs (Home, Insert, etc.)
contain a series of panels (Draw, Modify, etc.) which contain the

st T
command tools, as shown in Figure 1–14. The tools are
e EN organized by function.
us C
By default, the ribbon is docked at the top of the interface, as
shown in a partial view in Figure 1–14.
re S
d yA

Tabs
an b
d
ng e
yi vid

Command Tools Panels

op ro

Figure 1–14
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–11

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

Some panels have a small downward arrow along the panel

name which indicates that it has additional tools, apart from the
ones displayed in the main panel. To view additional tools, click
the panel title, which expands the panel. The expanded portion
of a panel closes automatically when you move the cursor away,

n. nly
unless it is pinned, as shown in Figure 1–15.

de o
Click (Push Pin) to
keep a panel open. The

id w
image changes to

rb ie
(Push Pin). Click it

fo rev
again to return the panel
to its default setting.

tly r
ric fo
Figure 1–15

st T
• The ribbon can float (as shown in Figure 1–16) and be
e EN docked to the side. To float the entire ribbon, right-click in the
empty space at the end of the ribbon and select Undock.To
dock it back, drag the ribbon by the title towards the top and
us C
when a horizontal rectangle appears, drop it, to be docked.
re S

The ribbon becomes a

d yA

palette that can be Auto-hide

docked to either side
an b

and hidden using

Auto-hide. If hidden,
d

the ribbon displays

ng e

when you hover the

yi vid

cursor over its location.

op ro
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

Figure 1–16

1–12 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

• Individual panels can also be floated in the drawing window,

as shown in Figure 1–17. To float a panel, drag it by the title
and drop it in the drawing window. To return it to the ribbon,
drag-and-drop it onto the ribbon area. This method can also
be used to rearrange the panels available in the ribbon.

n. nly
de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
Figure 1–17
• Some tools have a small downward arrow indicating that a

tly r
flyout is available. Click on the arrow to open the flyout which

ric fo
might contain additional options of the same command as
shown on the left of Figure 1–18 or it might contain some

st T
other similar tools, as shown on the right of Figure 1–18.
e EN
us C
re S
d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple

Figure 1–18
m
Sa

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–13

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

• Some tools include a gallery containing thumbnail previews

of the available options, as shown in Figure 1–19. The
display of these image previews can be controlled by the
system variable GALLERYVIEW which is set as 1, by
default. To hide the thumbnail preview, the value can be set

n. nly
to 0.

de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN GALLERYVIEW=0
us C
re S
d yA

GALLERYVIEW=1

Figure 1–19
an b
d

Command Line You can directly enter the name of a command in either the
ng e

Command Line or in the Dynamic Input prompt. When the

yi vid

and Dynamic
(Dynamic Input) is On (by default), and you start typing a
Input Prompt
op ro

command name, a command box displays near the crosshair

with the letters you are typing, as shown in Figure 1–20. You can
lc p

also specifically click inside the Command Line and then type the
Al ple

command name there, as shown in Figure 1–21. When the

Dynamic Input option is Off, typing a command name
automatically starts it in the Command Line.
m
Sa

1–14 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

• For both input methods, the AutoComplete option

automatically completes the entry you are typing when you
pause. It also supports mid-string search by displaying all of
the commands that contain the word that you typed, as
shown in Figure 1–21. You can then scroll through the list

n. nly
and select a command to start it.

de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
Figure 1–20 Figure 1–21

st T
e EN • The order in which commands are listed in the suggestion list
adapts as you use the software.
us C
You can also click • To set specific options for command input, including the
re S

AutoComplete feature, right-click on the Command Line,

(Customize) to
d yA

expand Input Settings, and select from the various options,

display the Input
such as the ability to search for system variables or to set the
Settings.
delay response time, as shown in Figure 1–22.
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

Figure 1–22

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–15

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

If you need to stop a • As you work in the AutoCAD software, the software prompts
command, press <Esc> you for the information that is required to complete each
to cancel it. You might command. These prompts display in the Dynamic Input
need to press <Esc> prompt and in the Command Line. It is important that you
more than once. read the command prompts as you work, as shown in

n. nly
Figure 1–23.

de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
Figure 1–23
• If you press <Enter> when no command is active, it launches

st T
the command that you last used. It is a quick and easy way of
e EN repeating a command.
us C
• Depending on the Command Line being docked/undocked,
pressing <F2> opens an AutoCAD Text Window or an
re S

expanded version of the Command Line, which contains a

d yA

record of each command and prompt that has been used in

the current drawing session.
an b

• In the Status Bar, click (Customization) and select

d
ng e

Dynamic Input in the list to display (Dynamic Input) in the

yi vid

Status bar, as shown in Figure 1–24. Click to toggle the

option on and off. The icons have a blue background when
op ro

they are toggled on.

lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

Figure 1–24

1–16 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

Selecting Command Options

If a command has options, you can specify it either in the

Command Line, the dynamic input prompt, or the shortcut menu,
as shown in Figure 1–25:

n. nly
de o
Press <Down

id w
Arrow>

rb ie
Select an

fo rev
option

tly r
Dynamic Input

ric fo
st T
e EN
us C
Command Line Shortcut Menu
re S

Figure 1–25
d yA

• In the Dynamic Input prompt, indicates that more options

are available. Press <Down Arrow> to expand the list and
select an option, as shown in Figure 1–25, above.
an b

• The shortcut menu opens when you right-click. It includes the

d

same selections as dynamic input, and several standard

ng e

options that display with every command.

yi vid

• In the Command Line, the command name, its default

op ro

prompt, and a list of options display. You can select the

required option in the Command Line by clicking on it or by
lc p

typing the option’s capitalized letter(s) (displayed in blue) to

activate it, as shown in Figure 1–26.
Al ple
m
Sa

Figure 1–26

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–17

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

Application The Application Menu (shown in Figure 1–27), contains the file
tools. It includes a search field in which you can type command
Menu names to locate them in the ribbon, Quick Access Toolbar, or
Application menu, and an area in which to browse for recent and
open documents.

n. nly
de o
Click to open the
Application menu

id w
Search for

rb ie
command locations

fo rev
Browse Open
Documents or
Recent Documents

tly r
ric fo
Hover over an icon

st T
to display its
e EN command options
us C
re S
d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro

Figure 1–27
lc p

• Hover the cursor over a primary icon to display its options

Al ple

and select the required option. If you click the primary icon
rather than the arrow, the default command starts.
m

• Click Options to open the Options dialog box and modify the
Sa

default settings to customize how the AutoCAD software

performs. For example, to change the color of the drawing
window, click Options, select the Display tab in the Options
dialog box, and click Colors. In the Context area, select 2d
model space, in the Interface element area, select Uniform
background, and in the expanded Color drop-down list,
select a color.

• Click Exit Autodesk AutoCAD to close the software.

1–18 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

How To: Find Command Access Locations

1. Click to expand the Application Menu.
2. In the Search field, start typing the name of a command.
Tools related to the command name you are typing display in
the Application Menu, as shown in Figure 1–28.

n. nly
You do not have to type

de o
the full command name.
As you start typing, the

id w
command options

rb ie
display.

fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN
us C
re S
d yA

Figure 1–28
3. Select the command that you want to use.
an b
d

How To: Select Drawings from the Application

ng e

Menu
yi vid

1. Click to expand the Application Menu.

op ro

You can also access 2. Ensure that (Recent Documents) is selected so that the
Recent Documents in list of recently opened documents displays, as shown in
lc p

the Start tab>Create Figure 1–29.

Al ple

frame.
m
Sa

Recent
Documents

Figure 1–29

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–19

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

3. The default display option is By Ordered List. In the

expanded drop-down list you can also select By Access
Date, By Size, or By Type to change the display option. You
can also change the size of the images, as shown in
Figure 1–30.

n. nly
de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
Figure 1–30

tly r
ric fo
4. Click (Open Documents) to display a list of open
drawings, as shown in Figure 1–31.

st T
e EN
us C
re S

Open Documents
d yA

Figure 1–31
an b
d

Quick Access The Quick Access Toolbar provides fast access to the common
ng e

tools: New, Open, Save, Save As, Open from Web & Mobile,
yi vid

Toolbar Save to Web & Mobile, Plot, Undo, and Redo. You can
customize it by adding and removing typical commands
op ro

displayed in the list. Click (as shown in Figure 1–32) to

lc p

expand the list and select from a list of typical commands. The
commands with a checkmark are already displayed in the Quick
Al ple

Access Toolbar.
m
Sa

Figure 1–32

1–20 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

• When the Start tab is open, only New, Open, Open from
Web & Mobile, and Sheet Set Manager display in the Quick
Access Toolbar.

Hint: AutoCAD Web and Mobile

n. nly
Included with the Autodesk Web & Mobile online account

de o
(subscription feature) is the option of opening ( ) and

id w
saving ( ) your drawing files to a remote location. Using your
mobile device, you can view drawings and perform some light

rb ie
editing when you are in the field or at computer in a remote

fo rev
location. To use this option, you must be connected to the
Internet and using a standard web browser.

tly r
ric fo
Additional When you right-click, a menu usually displays next to the cursor,
called a shortcut menu. The menu that displays depends on

st T
Shortcut Menus what you are doing in the AutoCAD software and where you
e EN right-click in the AutoCAD interface.
us C
In the Quick Access Toolbar
re S

When you right-click on the Quick Access Toolbar, a list of

d yA

options displays, which enable you to customize or locate the

Quick Access Toolbar, shown in Figure 1–33.
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro

Figure 1–33
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–21

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

In the Ribbon

If you right-click on a tab or in an empty space in the ribbon, you

can select which tabs or panels to display. You can also change
the visibility and docking status of the ribbon. Right-clicking on a

n. nly
ribbon panel title only displays the tab and the panel options.The
options that display in the shortcut menu are determined by

de o
where you click in the ribbon, as shown in Figure 1–34.

id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
Ribbon shortcut menu by Ribbon shortcut menu by right-clicking on the tabs or empty
space in the ribbon
e EN
right-clicking on a panel title
Figure 1–34
If you right-click on an icon in a panel, you can select the tabs
us C
and panels to be displayed in the ribbon. You can also add the
re S

icon to the Quick Access Toolbar, as shown in Figure 1–35.

d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro

Figure 1–35
lc p

In the Command Line

Al ple

When you right-click on the Command Line, you can select the
m

various Copy and Paste commands, as shown in Figure 1–36.

Sa

You can also access the AutoComplete options using the Input
Settings selection. Using the Options dialog box, which can be
accessed by selecting Options... in the shortcut menu, you can
change many of the AutoCAD settings.

1–22 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

n. nly
de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
Figure 1–36

tly r
ric fo
In the Drawing Window

st T
When no command is active and you right-click in the drawing
e EN window, a shortcut menu opens, as shown in Figure 1–37. You
have the option of repeating the previous command used or
us C
recently used commands (Recent Input), selecting Zoom and
Pan, and the standard Windows clipboard functions. You can
re S

also access several other utilities or open the Options dialog box.
d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

Figure 1–37

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–23

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

1.4 Cartesian Workspace

Locating Points The AutoCAD software uses Cartesian (X,Y) coordinates to

indicate locations in a drawing. Points are located by designating

n. nly
a horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) distance as measured from the
origin (0,0), as shown in Figure 1–38. There is also a third

de o
coordinate (Z), which is only used in 3D drawings.

id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
Figure 1–38
e EN The current coordinate location of the cursor can be displayed in
the Status Bar, as shown in Figure 1–39. By default, this display
is toggled off. If you want to display the coordinates, click
us C
re S

(Customization) in the Status Bar and select Coordinates.

d yA
an b

Figure 1–39
d

When you start a drawing command that requires you to select a

ng e

point, the current coordinates also display near the crosshair in

yi vid

the Dynamic Input prompt (When Dynamic Input option is

toggled On). For example, to draw a line, you must indicate
where to begin and end the line. You can specify the point using
op ro

one of two methods:

lc p

• Selecting a point on the screen with the cursor.

Al ple

• Typing coordinates (when it is requesting point entry) in the

form X,Y as shown in Figure 1–40. For example, the point
m

(6,4) would be typed as 6,4.

Sa

Figure 1–40

1–24 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

Measuring With the Cartesian coordinate system, you also need to

understand how angles work in the AutoCAD software, as shown
Angles in Figure 1–41. This becomes important for coordinate entry,
rotating objects, and working with arcs.

n. nly
de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
Figure 1–41
• By default, the AutoCAD software measures angles in a

st T
counter-clockwise direction relative to the positive X-axis.
e EN
Drawings The AutoCAD Cartesian workspace is essentially unlimited in
us C
size. Whatever object you are creating, you typically draw it in
Created at
re S

the software at full scale, as shown in Figure 1–42. Whether you

d yA

Full Scale are drawing a building that is 100 x 200 meters or feet, a city that
is 10 square kilometers or miles, or an IC chip that is 0.1" x 0.1",
you always draw in the real units of the object. Your drawing area
an b

is as big as you need it to be. If needed, the entire solar system

could be drawn at full scale in the software.
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple

Figure 1–42
m

• Scaling the drawing only becomes necessary when the

drawing is printed.
Sa

Hint: Drawing Accuracy

In addition to being potentially enormous, the AutoCAD drawing
plane is also remarkably precise. Each point you enter in the
software has an accuracy of at least 14 significant digits (e.g.,
1.0000000000000).

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–25

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

1.5 Opening an Existing Drawing

File

n. nly
Opening The Open command enables you to open and edit an existing
drawing. This command opens the Select File dialog box that is
Drawings

de o
similar to the standard Windows File dialog box, as shown in
Figure 1–43.

id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN
us C
re S
d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro

Figure 1–43
lc p

You can also access the • You can access the Open command in the Quick Access
Open command from
Al ple

Toolbar or in the Application menu by clicking (Open).

the Command Line by
You can also open the command from the Initial Start window
typing Open.
(Start tab)>Open Files.
m
Sa

• Drawings that have recently been opened can be reopened

quickly using Recent Documents in the Application Menu or
the initial Start window.

How To: Open a Drawing

1. In the Quick Access Toolbar, click (Open).

2. In the Select File dialog box, locate the required file folder.

1–26 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

3. Select a drawing from the list. A preview displays on the right

side of the dialog box.
4. Click Open or double-click on the drawing name.

File Location Options

n. nly
History: Displays shortcuts to recently opened drawings.

de o
id w
Documents: Goes to the My Documents folder.

rb ie
fo rev
Favorites: (folder does not exist, check) Goes to the Favorites
folder (Windows\Favorites), which stores shortcuts to files or
folders. You can add items to the Favorites folder by selecting
Tools>Add to Favorites in the dialog box.

tly r
ric fo
Desktop: Displays the Windows Desktop and enables you to
navigate to any folder. Select a file to display a preview.

st T
e EN Navigation and File Options
us C
Back to: Returns to the previous folder.
re S
d yA

Up one level: Moves up one level in the directory structure.

an b

Search the Web: Opens the Web Browser window. In this

window, you can locate a web site to download files, etc.
d
ng e

Delete: Deletes the selected file(s).

yi vid

Create new folder: Creates a new folder in the current folder.

op ro

Views: Select the List, Details, or Thumbnails view for files,

lc p

and toggle the Preview window on or off. If you have selected

the details (Date, type, etc.) of the files to be displayed, the
Al ple

sort order of the columns is remembered by the AutoCAD

software next time a file is opened.
m

Tools: Locates files in the AutoCAD search path, adds FTP

locations, or adds files or folders to the Favorites folder.
Sa

• To make your most commonly used folders easier to access,

you can select them individually in the Look in: drop-down list
and then select Tools>Add Current Folder to Places to add
them to the File Location drop-down list.

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–27

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

Multiple You can have several drawings open at once. You can open
them individually and have them open at the same time or open
Drawings a several files together by using <Ctrl> or <Shift> and selecting
them in the Select File dialog box. You can open multiple new
drawings by clicking (plus) in the File Tabs bar.

n. nly
Note that having several • All of the open drawings display as tabs in the File Tabs bar.

de o
drawings open can slow The currently active drawing displays with a white
down the system background.

id w
performance.

rb ie
• The drawings that have been changed and not saved, display
a * next to their name in the File Tabs bar, as shown for

fo rev
Drawing10* in Figure 1–44.

tly r
ric fo
Figure 1–44

st T
You can switch between the drawings using any of the following
e EN methods:

• Pressing <Ctrl>+<Tab>.
us C

• Selecting the required File tab (as shown on the left in

re S

Figure 1–45).
d yA

• Clicking (Application Menu) and selecting a drawing

an b

under Open Drawings (as shown on the right in Figure 1–45).

d
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple

File tabs: Select file tab Application Menu>Open Documents:

Current drawing
m

to switch to that Select drawing name to switch to that

drawing drawing
Sa

Figure 1–45

1–28 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

Closing Files You can close a drawing file without leaving the software using
any of the following methods:

• Clicking (Close) in the Application Menu.

n. nly
• Clicking (Close) in the upper right corner of the drawing
window.

de o
id w
• Clicking (Close) in the required File tab.

rb ie
The software prompts In the Application Menu, (Close) has two options:

fo rev
you to save any
changes if you have not
• (Current Drawing), which closes the current drawing.
yet saved the drawing.

tly r
ric fo
• (All Drawings), which closes all of the drawings

st T
together, leaving the Start tab open.
e EN
The Start tab is always You can close all of the drawings using any of the following
persistent in the File methods:
us C
Tabs bar.
re S

• Right-clicking on a tab and selecting Close All to close all of

d yA

the drawings except the Start tab.

• Right-clicking on a tab and selecting Close All Other

an b

Drawings closes all of the drawings, except the drawing

where the shortcut menu has been opened, and the Start tab.
d

If not already active, this also makes the drawing the active
ng e

one.
yi vid

• Using the CLOSEALLOTHER command to close all of the

op ro

drawings except the current drawing and the Start tab.

lc p

When you close all of the drawings, the initial start window is
Al ple

displayed and the Quick Access Toolbar changes to display

(New), (Open), (Open from Web & Mobile), and

m

(Sheet Set Manager).

Sa

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–29

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

Practice 1a Opening a Drawing

Practice Objective
• Open and close existing drawings, and switch between open drawings.

n. nly
In this practice, you will use the Select File dialog box to open

de o
two existing files and view them, as shown in Figure 1–46.

id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN
us C
re S
d yA

Figure 1–46

You can also click 1. In the Quick Access Toolbar, click (Open) or if you are in
an b

the Start tab initial window, select Open Files in the Create
(Open) in the tab.
d

Application menu.
ng e

2. In the Select File dialog box, navigate to and open the

yi vid

practice files folder. In the Name area, select Building

Rock.dwg and click Open.
op ro

3. Start the Open command again. In the Select File dialog box,
lc p

in the Name area, select Building Side.dwg and click Open.

Al ple
m
Sa

1–30 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

4. In the File Tabs bar, in addition to the Start tab, the names of
both the drawing files display as tabs, as shown in
Figure 1–47.

n. nly
de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
Figure 1–47

tly r
ric fo
5. Click (Application Menu) and click (Open

st T
Documents). The two files that you have opened are listed as
e EN shown in Figure 1–48.
us C
re S
d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid

Figure 1–48
op ro

6. In the Application Menu, in the Open Documents list, select

lc p

Building Rock.dwg. It becomes the active drawing.

Al ple

7. In the File Tabs bar, select Building Side. It becomes the

active drawing.
m

8. Press <Ctrl>+<Home>. The Start tab is active and the initial

Sa

Start window displays.

9. In the Start window, in the Recent Documents area, select

Building Side to make it active.

10. In the File Tabs bar, right-click in the Building Side tab and
select Close All. If prompted to save changes, click No. This
closes all of the open drawings and the initial Start window
displays again.

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–31

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

1.6 Viewing Your Drawing

Because AutoCAD drawings are drawn to full scale, it would be
difficult to create them precisely on the computer screen without
being able to move in and out around your work.

n. nly
For example, if you are working on a map of the United States,

de o
you need to get closer to clearly display the roads in specific
cities. If you are working on a house, you might want to focus on

id w
specific areas to be able to place doors precisely, as shown in

rb ie
Figure 1–49.

fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN
us C
re S
d yA
an b
d

Figure 1–49
ng e

The Zoom and Pan commands enable you to specify which area
yi vid

of the drawing to display on the screen.

op ro

Wheel Mouse The easiest way to zoom and pan is to use a wheel mouse.
lc p

Zoom and Pan • Roll the mouse wheel away from you to zoom in and roll the
Al ple

wheel toward you to zoom out. The AutoCAD software

zooms in and out around the location of the cursor.
m

• Hold the wheel and move the cursor to pan. Note that a hand
Sa

icon displays at the cursor location while panning.

• Double-click on the wheel to fit the entire drawing in the

drawing window.

• Press <Ctrl> while you hold the wheel and move the mouse
to use another mode of panning, called joystick pan.

1–32 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

Navigation The viewing and navigation tools are grouped together in the
ViewCube and Navigation Bar (as shown in Figure 1–50), and
Tools are located along the top right corner of the Drawing window.
The display of both the Navigation Bar and ViewCube can be
toggled on/off in the View tab/Viewport Tools panel.

n. nly
Home

de o
Counter-clockwise

id w
ViewCube Clockwise

rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
Navigation Wheels

st T
e EN Pan

Zoom
us C
Navigation Bar
Orbit
re S
d yA

ShowMotion
an b
d

Figure 1–50
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–33

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

• The Navigation Bar provides a quick way of accessing the

navigation tools such as Pan and Zoom. It displays in a very
light gray until you hover the cursor over it. displayed
below a tool indicates that it can be expanded and additional
options can be selected. In Paper Space, fewer tools display

n. nly
because you can only use 2D viewing commands. The
different options are shown in Figure 1–51.

de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
Paper Space
Navigation Bar

st T
e EN Model Space
Navigation Bar
us C
re S
d yA
an b
d

Figure 1–51
ng e

• Most of the ViewCube options are primarily used in 3D views.

yi vid

However, you can use the Clockwise and Counterclockwise

controls to rotate the viewport in the 2D plane, as shown in
op ro

Figure 1–52.
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

Figure 1–52

1–34 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

• Navigation Wheels provide access to groups of commonly

used navigation tools. Depending on the wheel selected, you
can access a small group of commands, such as Zoom,
Rewind, and Pan, or a group with many more options. The
Navigation Wheel displays at the cursor, enabling you to

n. nly
quickly select the navigation tools.

• ShowMotion is used when creating animations in 3D.

de o
id w
Pan and Zoom The Navigation Bar and the shortcut menu contain the Zoom

rb ie
and Pan commands.
Commands

fo rev
The Realtime commands are really two parts of one command.
Pan Realtime enables you to shift the display without changing
the current magnification. Zoom Realtime enables you to zoom

tly r
ric fo
in closer to the drawing or away from the drawing, displaying the
results dynamically (in real time) while the command is used.

st T
e EN How To: Pan in Real Time
us C
You can also right-click 1. In the Navigation Bar, click (Pan). The crosshair changes
re S

in the drawing window

and select Pan, or type to (Hand cursor).
d yA

P in the Command Line. 2. Position the cursor over the part of the drawing that you want
to visually move to a different part of the screen. Hold the left
mouse button and drag in the direction you want to go.
an b

3. After you release the mouse button, you can pan again, or
d

press <Esc> or <Enter> to complete the command.

ng e
yi vid

• You can also pan using the scroll bars on the sides of the
drawing.
op ro

How To: Zoom in Realtime

lc p
Al ple

You can also right-click 1. In the Navigation Bar, expand (Zoom) and select Zoom
in the drawing window
Realtime. The crosshair changes to (Magnifying glass).
m

and select Zoom, or

2. Hold the left mouse button and drag the cursor up to zoom in
type Z in the Command
Sa

or down to zoom out.

Line.
3. After you release the mouse button, you can zoom again, or
press <Esc> or <Enter> to complete the command.

• If you select a Zoom option in the Navigation Bar, the top

level Zoom icon changes to the selected option.

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–35

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

Switching Between Zoom and Pan

In either Zoom Realtime or Pan Realtime, you can right-click in

the drawing window to open a shortcut menu, as shown in
Figure 1–53. Select an option and continue with the viewing

n. nly
operation.

de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN Figure 1–53
• Zoom Window: Requires you to hold the left mouse button
us C
while you drag a window.
re S
d yA

• Zoom Original: Returns the display to the view that was

current before the Zoom/Pan Realtime command was
started.
an b

• Zoom Extents: Fills the screen with all of the objects in the
d

drawing.
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

1–36 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

Practice 1b Viewing a Drawing

Practice Objective
• Display parts of a drawing using the Zoom and Pan commands.

n. nly
In this practice, you will use several options in the Zoom

de o
command and Pan to display parts of a large drawing, as shown
in Figure 1–54.

id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN
us C
re S
d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple

Figure 1–54
m

1. Open Bighouse-A.dwg from your practice files folder.

Sa

2. If you have a mouse wheel, scroll the wheel to zoom in and

zoom out. Press the wheel and move the mouse to pan.
Double-click on the mouse wheel to zoom to the extents of
the drawing.

3. In the Navigation Bar, expand (Zoom) and select Zoom

Realtime. Click, hold, and move the magnifying glass cursor
to zoom in and out of the drawing.

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–37

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

4. Right-click and select Pan. Click, hold, and move the hand
cursor to pan around the drawing.

5. Right-click and select Exit. Double-click on the mouse wheel

to zoom to the extents of the drawing.

n. nly
6. In the Navigation Bar, expand (Zoom) and select Zoom
Window. Select two corner points for the window around the

de o
kitchen area, as shown in Figure 1–55.

id w
First corner

rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
Second corner
e EN
us C
re S
d yA
an b

Figure 1–55
d
ng e

7. In the Navigation Bar, click (Pan). Pan from the kitchen to

yi vid

the Master Bedroom (upper left corner).

8. Right-click and select Zoom Extents. Right-click again and

op ro

select Exit.
lc p

9. In the File Tabs bar, click (Close) in the Bighouse-A tab to

Al ple

close the drawing. Click No to not save the changes.

m
Sa

1–38 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

1.7 Saving Your Work

Saving your work is vitally important. You should save early and
often to avoid losing and redrawing information. The drawings
that have been changed and not saved, display a * next to their

n. nly
name in the File Tabs bar. To provide added security, you can
create automatic saves to a backup file. You can also save your

de o
drawings so that they can be used in previous versions of the
AutoCAD software that might not be compatible with the one you

id w
are using.

rb ie
fo rev
• The save commands only save to the current drive.
Remember to regularly back up your work to another
machine or other data storage.

tly r
ric fo
You can also quick save • When you click (Save) in the Quick Access Toolbar or
from the Command Line Application Menu, the drawing file you are working on is

st T
by entering qsave or by saved without prompting you for the name or location. This is
e EN
pressing <Ctrl>+<S>, called a quick save.

• If you are working in a new drawing that has not been saved
us C
with a specific name, you are prompted for a name and
re S

location in the Save Drawing As dialog box.

d yA

• Clicking (Save As) in the Quick Access Toolbar or

an b

Application Menu (or typing save) opens the Save Drawing

As dialog box where you can save the current drawing with
d

another name and location.

ng e
yi vid

Automatic While it is critical for you to save a drawing regularly as you are
working on it, the AutoCAD software is also set up to save a
op ro

Saves drawing to a backup file every 10 minutes. These files can be

lc p

used to recover work that might not have been saved. They have
an SV$ extension.
Al ple

• By default, the AutoCAD software also creates a backup

m

copy of the file every time you save. It has a .BAK extension.
Sa

• Most of the times, automatic saves are performed

incrementally. This is much faster than performing full saves,
which can take a lot of time.

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–39

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

• You can modify the Automatic Save and backup features in

the Open and Save tab of the Options dialog box (Application
Menu>Options or by right-clicking in the empty space of the
drawing area). You can also control the interval between
saves. By default, the feature is toggled on with an interval of

n. nly
10 minutes between saves and the Create backup copy
with each save option is selected, as shown in Figure 1–56.

de o
id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN
Figure 1–56
us C
re S

Saving in Using the Save As command, you can select an earlier version
d yA

of the DWG file format so that the file can be opened with earlier
Various versions of the AutoCAD software, as shown in Figure 1–57.
Formats
an b

• The AutoCAD software uses the AutoCAD 2018 Drawing

d

file format to save the drawings. If you want to share a

ng e

drawing with someone that has the AutoCAD 2017 software

yi vid

or an earlier version of the software, you need to save it in the

previously used AutoCAD 2013 file format.
op ro
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

Figure 1–57

1–40 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

Practice 1c Saving a Drawing File

Practice Objectives
• Open and save a drawing.

n. nly
• Modify the Automatic save option.

de o
In this practice, you will open a drawing, save it, and modify the
Automatic save option, as shown in Figure 1–58.

id w
rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN
us C
re S
d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple

Figure 1–58
m

1. Open Building Valley.dwg from your practice files folder.

Sa

2. In the Quick Access Toolbar, click (Save). The AutoCAD

software performs a quick save.

3. In the Application Menu, click Options or right-click in the

drawing window and select Options to open the Options
dialog box.

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–41

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

4. In the Open and Save tab, change the time for Automatic
save to 15 minutes.

5. Click OK to close the Options dialog box. Note a * beside the

Building Valley name in the File Tabs bar.

n. nly
6. Save the drawing by clicking (Save) in the Quick Access
Toolbar. In the File Tabs bar, note that Building Valley does

de o
not have a * beside it.

id w
7. Close the drawing.

rb ie
fo rev
tly r
ric fo
st T
e EN
us C
re S
d yA
an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

1–42 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

Chapter Review Questions

1. What displays when you click the Start tab in the File Tabs
bar?

n. nly
a. The recently opened drawings

de o
b. An expanded version of the Command Line
c. The Initial Start window

id w
rb ie
d. The Application Menu

fo rev
2. How do you cancel a command using the keyboard?
a. Press <F2>

tly r
b. Press <Esc>

ric fo
c. Press <Ctrl>

st T
d. Press <Delete>
e EN 3. What is the quickest way to repeat a command?
a. Press <Esc>
us C

b. Press <F2>
re S
d yA

c. Press <Enter>
d. Press <Ctrl>
an b

4. To display a specific ribbon panel, you can right-click on the

d

ribbon and select the required panel in the shortcut menu.

ng e

a. True
yi vid

b. False
op ro

5. How are points specified in the AutoCAD Cartesian

workspace?
lc p

a. X value x Y value
Al ple

b. Y value, X value
c. X value, Y value
m

d. X value - Y value
Sa

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–43

 AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

6. How do you know if a file has not been saved after it is

modified?
a. Its tab displays a white background in the File Tabs bar.
b. It displays a * next to its name in the File Tabs bar.

n. nly
c. Its tab is highlighted in blue in the File Tabs bar.
d. Its tab always displays next to the Start tab in the File

de o
Tabs bar.

id w
7. How can you switch between the current drawing, other open

rb ie
drawings, and the start tab? (Select all that apply.)

fo rev
a. By pressing <Ctrl>+<Tab>.
b. By pressing <Ctrl>+<Shift>.

tly r
c. By right-clicking and selecting Open in the shortcut menu.

ric fo
d. By selecting the required drawing file tab in the File Tabs
bar.

st T
e EN 8. How do you fit the entire drawing in the drawing window?
a. Double-click on the right mouse button.
us C
b. Hold <Ctrl> and scroll the mouse wheel.
re S

c. Double-click the mouse wheel.

d yA

d. Hold the mouse wheel and move the cursor.

an b
d
ng e
yi vid
op ro
lc p
Al ple
m
Sa

1–44 © 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®

 Getting Started with AutoCAD

Command Summary
Button Command Location
NA • Application Menu

n. nly
Close • Drawing Window

de o
• Application Menu

id w
• Command Prompt: close

rb ie
Close Current • Application Menu
Drawing • Tabs bar shortcut menu

fo rev
Close All • Application Menu
Drawings • Tabs bar shortcut menu

tly r
NA Dynamic Input • Status Bar: expand Customization

ric fo
• Application Menu

st T
Exit AutoCAD
e EN Open • Quick Access Toolbar
• Application Menu
us C
• Command Prompt: open, <Ctrl>+<O>
• Start tab window>Create page
re S

Open • Application Menu

d yA

Documents
Open from • Quick Access Toolbar
an b

Web & Mobile • Application Menu>Open

Options • Application Menu
d
ng e

• Shortcut Menu: Options

yi vid

Pan • Navigation Bar

• Shortcut Menu: Pan
• Command Prompt: pan or P
op ro

Recent • Application Menu

lc p

Documents
Al ple

Save • Quick Access Toolbar

• Application Menu
• Command Prompt: qsave, <Ctrl>+<S>
m

Save As • Quick Access Toolbar

Sa

• Application Menu
• Command Prompt: save
Save to Web & • Quick Access Toolbar
Mobile • Application Menu>Save As
Zoom • Navigation Bar: Zoom Realtime
Realtime • Shortcut Menu: Zoom
• Command Prompt: zoom or Z

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge® 1–45

 Sa
m

1–46
Al ple
lc p
op ro
AutoCAD 2021: Fundamentals

yi vid
ng e
d
an b
d yA
re S
us C
e EN
st T
ric fo
tly r
fo rev
rb ie
id w
de o
n. nly

© 2020, ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®