DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

EEE 414: Electrical Service Design
EXPERIMENT NO.1: INTRODUCTION TO CAD TOOLS

OBJECTIVE:
To familiarize with AutoCAD and its different functionalities

INTRODUCTION:
CAD stands for Computer Aided Drafting. Like all other technical fields, in drafting computer have
brought revolution. CAD has not only reduced the time spent for drafting to a fraction of that the same
produced by hand drawings, but also any revisions in the drawing can be done quickly without having
to redraw everything. Moreover, different views, such as front view, side views etc. can be easily created
from the drawing. To use CAD software efficiently, it is necessary to know all drafting tools to have a
good control over the work. This manual intends to guide the students to know the fundamental tools to
create, modify and manage documentation effectively through a skillful way.
There are numerous software packages available for CAD design, for example, Fusion 360, Creo,
Solidworks, and AutoCAD. For simplicity of instruction, we will use AutoCAD for this lab. The
AutoCAD design package is a very powerful tool to prepare desired drawings. It prepares drawings to
the scale. AutoCAD prepares exact, precise, neat and clean drawings and provides facility to correct
errors, to increase (or) decrease size, to store drawing in disc, to send drawing to other places by storing
inside disc, to repeat drawings in as many times as you want.
AutoCAD provides various commands like circle, polygon, mirror, rotate, ellipse, arc, zoom, erase,
hatch, chamfer, copy, redraw etc. prepared drawings on auto CAD can be plotted on paper with a pen,
plotter, dot matrix printer, laser printer (or) inkjet printer etc. CAD is used in industry, business,
education, research project etc. For our experimentation, owing to limitations of logistics we will be
using AutoCAD 2007. However, the latest version of AutoCAD will be installed in limited PCs and the
students will be given a brief glimpse of that as well.

USER INTERFACE:
Drop-Down Menu: All options of AutoCAD can be accessed from this menu.
Standard Tool Bar: Shows copy, cut, paste, save, zoom icons.
Style Tool Bar: Shows current text style, dimension style, table style.
Layer Tool Bar: Shows current layer name.
Properties Tool Bar: Shows color, line type, line weight.
Draw Tool Bar: Shows line, rectangle, circle icons.
Modify Tool Bar: Shows modification icons.
Command Line: Shows activated command.

The X-Y Co-Ordinate System

The UCS IconIn the bottom left corner of the AutoCAD drawing window you will see a symbol like
one shown below. This is called the UCS (User Co-ordinate System) icon and it is there to remind you
which is the X axis and which is the Y axis. In AutoCAD, there are two co-ordinate systems:

• World Co-ordinate System: A fixed system.

• User Co-ordinate System: A movable system.

You can relocate the user co-ordinate system using any of these methods:
• Move the UCS by defining a new origin.
• Align the UCS with an existing object or with the current viewing direction
• Rotate the current UCS around any of its axes.
• Restore a saved UCS.

Co-ordinates fall into two types, namely Cartesian and Polar. In addition, these two co- ordinates types come in
two distinct flavors. They can be absolute and relative.

Cartesian Co-ordinates
Despite the fancy title, the Cartesian co-ordinate system is the standard co-ordinate system. The position of a
point can be described by the distance from the axes, X and Y. This results in a simple point description using
two numbers separated by a comma e.g. 34.897, 45.473.

Polar Co-ordinate System

Polar co-ordinates achieve the same result i.e. the description of the position of a point. The main difference is
that polar co-ordinates use one distance and one angle to describe the position of a point rather than the two
distances in the Cartesian system. The distance and angle measured relative to an origin. This results in a point
description which looks like this 34.897<30 where the first figure is the distance and the second is the angle.
 Object Selection

Before you start to use your AutoCAD commands, you need to know something about selecting objects.
All of the modify commands require that you make one or more object selections. AutoCAD has wide
range of tools which are designed to help you select just the object you need.

Selecting Object by Picking

Perhaps the most obvious way to select an object is simply to pick it. To select an object, place the pick-
box over a part of the object and left click the mouse. When the object has been picked, it is highlighted
in a dashed line to show that it is part of the current selection and the command line reports “1 found”.

Figure: The Pick box

Window Selection
The window option is invoked by typing W in response to the “select objects” prompt. Window allows
you to define a rectangle using two points in exactly the same way as the RECTANGLE command.
Once all objects which lie within the window will be selected.

Figure: The Window selection box is shown as a rectangle with a solid line

Crossing Window Selection

The crossing window option is invoked by typing C at the “Select objects” prompt and is variation of
the Window command. The command sequence is exactly the same but objects are selected which lie
within the window and those which cross the window border.

Figure: The Crossing Window selection box is shown as a rectangle with a broken line

Selecting All Object

The All option is invoked by typing ALL at the “Select objects” prompt. You can use this option to
select all the objects in the drawing, no picking is required. Objects on Locked or Frozen layers are not
selected but objects on layers which are simply turned off are selected.

Using Previous Selection

AutoCAD always remembers the last selection set you defined. This is very useful because you may
need to make a number of changes using different commands to the same group of objects. In order to
reselect the last selection, you can use the previous selection. The previous option is invoked by typing
P at the “Select objects” prompt.

Selecting the Last Object

You can select the last object created by entering L at the “Select objects” prompt.

Units and Scales

Introduction:
Among the most important concepts that newcomers to AutoCAD need to get to grips with are
those of drawing scale and units. You cannot start crating sensible drawings with AutoCAD until
you are familiar with scale, units and commands you use to control them.
Units Control:
Command line: Type UN (units) and press Enter
Format menu: Units

Figure: Drawing Unit Selection

Toolbar: none
When you start the Units command, the first thing you see is the Drawing Units dialogue box.
The dialogue box is divided into four main sections:
Length: You can see from the dialogue box that there are five different linear unit types for you
to choose from, one of which is “Decimal”, the default. The table shows the effect of the different
unit settings on two drawing unit values to give you an idea how various settings must be used
along with a brief description.
Table 1: The effect of different unit settings on two drawing unit values with description
Unit type 1.5 Drawing Units 1500 Drawing Units Description
Decimal 1.5000 1500.0000 Metric or SI units
Scientific 1.5000E+00 1.5000E+03 Decimal value raised
to a power
Engineering 0’-1.5000” 125’-0.0000” Feet and decimal
inches
Architectural 0’- 1 ½” 125’-0” Feet and fractional
inches
Fractional 1½“ 1500 Whole numbers and
fractions
Notice that when you change the unit type, the co-ordinate display on the status bar changes to
show co-ordinates using the current unit type. Units such as “Architectural” and “Engineering”
are mainly for AutoCAD users where Feet and inches are still in common use.
Angles: Looking at the Drawing Units dialogue box again, you will notice that there are also five
angular unit types. The default is decimal degrees, but there are other options. The table below
shows the effect of the different unit types on two angular unit values.

Unit type 12.5 Angular units 180 Angular Units Description

Decimal Degrees 12.500 180.000 Metric units
Deg/Min/Sec 12d30’0” 180d0’0” Degrees, Minutes
and Seconds
Grads 13.889g 200.000g 400 grads=360
degrees
Radians .218r 3.142r 2 Pi radians= 360
degrees
surveyor N77d30’0”E W Compass bearings
 Figure: Direction Control

AutoCAD also allows you to control the direction in which angular units are measured and the
position of the start angle. AutoCAD starts with the zero angle at the 3 o’clock position (East)
with angles increasing in an anti-clockwise direction. This case may be changed for other
modes.
Drawing Units for Design Center Blocks: Allows you to assign a specific unit to the drawing
so that when blocks are inserted via the AutoCAD Design Centre, they will automatically be
scaled.
Sample output: Gives you a preview of the drawing units as they will be displayed using the
current settings.

Unit Precision
The Drawing Units dialogue box can also be used to set the precision of linear and angular
units. By default, AutoCAD sets the linear unit precision to four places of decimal, so appear
in the form 0.0000. Angular unit precision is set to whole degrees only.To change the precision
with which linear and angular values are displayed, simply click the down arrow against the
appropriate drop-down list and select the number of decimal places required. The default
setting of four decimal places is usually adequate for linear units. It is, however, often necessary
to change the precision for angular units. Working in whole degrees does not usually give an
adequate level of detail for many drawing functions. However, you do not need to change the
precision of either linear or angular units unless you have a specific reason for doing so.
Changing the unit precision does not make your drawing more accurate, it just means that the
co-ordinate display on the status bar and the results from the various inquiry commands will
be displayed with a higher degree of precision. The accuracy of your drawing will be
determined by the values you enter for the size of objects when you draw and edit them and by
the correct use of the various object snaps and drawing aids.
 Zoom (Standard Tool Bar) (z)
1. Pan real time: Move display.
2. Zoom real time: Increase or decrease display
size. (Use mouse scroll as alternative)
3. Zoom window: Enlarge the part of the drawing
4. Zoom previous: Returns to the last Zoom view.

N.B.: To bring all drawings on screen use zoom all (Z ↵ A ↵ ).

Status Bar

1. ORTHO (Ortho mode)

• Click on “ORTHO” button on Status bar or Press F8
• Enforces to draw horizontal or vertical lines only

2. OSNAP (Object snap)

• Click on “OSNAP” button on Status bar or Press F3
✓ Right click on “OSNAP” button on Status bar
✓ Press “Setting”
✓ Check desired object snap options
✓ Press “ok”
• Helps to snap (grip) different points during drafting

Figure: Available snap options.

3. DYN (Dynamic Input)
• Click on “DYN” button on Status bar or Press F12
• Shows command line with cursor during execution of any command

4. LWT (Line weight)

• Click on “LWT” button on Status bar
• Shows line thickness

Draw Toolbar

1. Line (l)

a. By picking two points

• Specify first point (click at any point)
• Specify next point (click at any point)
Or
b. By direct distance entry
• Specify first point (click at any point).
• Input length (type length of the line)
• Press “Tab” on the keyboard
• Input angle (type angle with the X axis)
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard

Horizontal or vertical line

• Specify first point (click at any point)
• Press “ORTHO” in status bar or press F8 on keyboard.
• Input length (type length of the line) [Keep the cursor appropriately]
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard

2. Rectangle (rec)

a. By picking two points

• Specify first corner point (click at any point)
• Specify other corner point (click at any point)
Or
b. By direct distance entry
• Specify first corner point (click at any point)
• Input length along X (type length of the rectangle)
 • Press “Tab” on keyboard
• Input width along Y (type width of the rectangle)
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard

3. Circle (c)
• Specify center point (click at any point)
• Input radius of the circle (type radius of the circle)
• Press enter(↵ ) on the keyboard
Or
• Specify center point (click at any point)
• Type d
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Input diameter of the circle (type diameter of the circle)
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard

4. Arc (a)
To draw an arc three points on the arc are necessary. The choice of these points depends on the
user or availability of defined points. AutoCAD by default draw arc anticlockwise. So select
start and end points properly to get the desired arc shape.

Figure: Start point and end point of arc

Table 2: Table for available options of arc and its steps

Available options Steps

• Type c
• Press enter(↵ ) on the keyboard
• Specify center point of the arc (Click at the center point
of the desired arc)
Center, Start, End • Specify start point of the arc (Click at the start point of
the desired arc)
• Specify end point of the arc (Click at the end point of
the desired arc)
• Specify start point of the arc (Click at the start point
of the desired arc)
• Type c
Start, center, end • Press enter(↵ ) on the keyboard
• Specify center point of the arc (Click at the center
point of the desired arc)
• Specify end point of the arc (Click at the end point of
the desired arc)
• Specify start point of the arc (Click at the start point
of the desired arc)
Start, Center, Angle • Type c
• Press enter(↵ ) on the keyboard
• Specify center point of the arc (Click at the center
point of the desired arc)
• Input angle (Angle of end point with X axis at center)
• Specify start point of the arc (Click at the start point
of the desired arc)
Start, End, Radius • Type e
• Press enter(↵ ) on the keyboard
• Specify end point of the arc (Click at the center point
of the desired arc)
• Type r
• Press enter(↵ ) on the keyboard
• Input radius. (type radius of the desired arc)
Special note:
• For simplicity use polyline to draw arc.

5. Donut (do)
• Input inside diameter (generally zero (0))
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Input outside diameter (choose a value based on your drawing)
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Specify center of donut (click at points where donuts are necessary)
6. Polygon (pol)
• Input number of sides
• Specify center of polygon (click at point)
• Select an option
• Inscribed in circle
• Circumscribed about circle
• Input radius of circle

Figure: Polygon

7. Ellipse (el)
• Specify first point of major axis (click at point)
• Specify endpoint of major axis (click at point)
• Input distance from the midpoint of the first
axis to the endpoint of the minor axis

Figure: Ellipse
 8. Region(reg)
• Select objects (lines intersect at end points are appropriate objects)
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard

Choice of objects

Appropriate Not appropriate

9. Hatch (h)

Figure: Hatch Properties Manager

• Use predefined type

• Choose the desired pattern (i.e. concrete, brick etc.)
• Choose angle (Change the orientation of the hatch lines but default is recommended)
• Input scale value (Large value lightens the hatch and small value densifies hatch)
• Choose appropriate boundary selection option
o Add pick points: Click at any point in a closed boundary (does not work if any gap on
the boundary)
o Add select objects: Select objects (objects may or may not create closed boundary
• Press enter (↵) on the keyboard

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• Choose option
o Check “Associative” option to allow modification of hatch shape with the boundary
shape
o Check “Create separate hatches” option to create separate hatches in case of multiple
boundary selection
• Press “Preview”
• Observe hatch created
• Press enter (↵) on the keyboard
• If obtain desired hatch press “ok” or Change parameters and repeat from preview.

Figure: Hatching Options

Figure: Choosing Area to be Hatched

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FigSpecial Notes:

• One can choose more than one boundary at a time to create hatch (use separate
option for convenience).
• One can modify any hatch by double clicking.
• Choose proper island style [if necessary]. Any enclosed area inside the hatch
boundary is island.

10. Text (t)

• Draw small window
• Select text style and font (if necessary)
• Choose text height
• Write on the shaded box
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard to go next line (if necessary)
• Press “ok”
Special Notes:
• One can modify text by double clicking.
• One can underline a sentence or make a word bold etc.
• One can insert symbol (use @ icon)
• One can insert fraction or subscript or superscript.

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11. Block

Figure: A dining table as block

a. Insert block (i)

• Browse (C:\Program Files \AutoCAD 2007 \Sample\Design center\ House designer)
• Check explode Press “ok”
• Specify insertion point for block (click at any point of window)
• Zoom all to see blocks

b. Make Block (b)

• Draw an object
• Define a name to the block
• Input base point (Press pick point and click at any point closer to the object)
• Select object (select the desired object to make block)
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Check “Convert to Block”
• Choose appropriate block unit
• Press “ok”
• Keep the file for further use as block

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 Modify Toolbar

1. Offset (o)
• Input offset distance (perpendicular distance between parallel
lines)
• Press enter (↵) on the keyboard
• Select object (only one line can be selected)
• Specify point on side to offset (select any side of the line)

2. Copy (co or cp)

• Select object or objects
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Specify the base point
• Specify second point or input distance (horizontal or vertical or inclined)

3. Move (m)
• Select object or objects
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Specify the base point
• Specify second point or input distance (horizontal or vertical or inclined)

4. Rotate (ro)
AutoCAD by default considers anticlockwise rotation as positive. So, to rotate clockwise
one should assign negative angle.
• Select object or objects
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Specify the base point
• Input angle (angle with X axis)

5. Mirror (mi)
• Select object or objects
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Specify first point of the mirror line
• Specify second point of the mirror line
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard

6. Extend (ex)
• Select line or lines as boundary edge (Right click mouse to select all lines as
boundary edges and skip next step)
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Select end of the object or objects closer to boundary edge to extend

CE 102: Computer Aided Drafting

Page | 21
 7. Trim (tr)
• Select line or lines as cutting edge (Right click mouse to select all lines as cutting
edges and skip next step)
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Select object or objects to trim

Special Notes:
• Hold “Shift” key to alter trim and extend command

8. Array (ar)
• Rectangular array
• Input number of row and column
• Input row and column offset (Offset means c/c distance of rows or columns)
• Input angle of array (if necessary) (indicates the angle of row with positive x
axis)
• Select object
• Press enter (↵) on the keyboard
• Press “Preview”
• Observe the array created
• If obtain desired array press “accept” otherwise press “Modify” and repeat
steps

• Polar array
• Specify center point
• Choose appropriate method of array (i.e. choose any two parameter from total no.
of item, angle to fill and angle between item)
• Input parameter values
• Total no. of items: Input number of items to be considered as array
element
• Angle to fill: Input angle to be filled up by the array elements
• Angle between items: Input angle between array elements at center of
the circle.
• Check/uncheck rotate items as copied (allow/disallow the rotation of array
elements)
• Select object
• Press enter (↵) on the keyboard
• Press “Preview”
• Observe the array created
• If obtain desired array press “accept” otherwise press “Modify” and repeat
steps

CE 102: Computer Aided Drafting

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 9. Scale (sc)
• Select object or objects
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Specify the base point
• Type scale factor (Greater than 1 to enlarge and less than 1 to shrink proportionally)
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard

10. Stretch (s)

• Select object or objects (select only by crossing window)
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Specify the base point
• Type distance (the distance of the base point movement)
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard

11. Fillet (f)

• Type r (to input radius first)
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Input radius
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Select the first object (line)
• Select the second object (line)
Special Notes: Use Fillet + “Shift” key to get sharp corner.

12. Chamfer (cha)

• Type “d” (to input distance first)
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Input first chamfer distance
• Press enter (↵ ) on the keyboard
• Input second chamfer distance
• Press enter (↵) on the keyboard
• Select the first object (line)
• Select the second object (line)

CE 102: Computer Aided Drafting

Page | 23
 13. Explode (x)
• Select object
• Press enter (↵) on the keyboard

14. Match properties (ma)

• Select source object
• Select destination object or objects

Grips: Important Modification Tool

Grips are those dots appear at the endpoint and midpoint of a line after selection.

Unselected
Grip
(Blue)
(Just after selection)

Hover Grip
(Green)

(Just after keeping the cursor on the grip)

Selected
/Hot Grip
(Red)
(Just after clicking on the grip)

Table 3: Table for various command

Action Command appears Result
Click on any end point Stretch Activate Stretch command
Click on the midpoint Move Activate Move command
Press “Ctrl” + click on the
midpoint Copy Activate Copy command
(Hold “Ctrl” until make one copy)
Click on any point then - Change from Stretch to
press Move,
“Enter” Rotate, Scale and Mirror
Press “Shift” + click on - Allow to select multiple
any point grips
 Format Tab
1. Unit
Choose appropriate unit system as drawing unit
Choose proper precision
Choose insertion scale (Unit of any value inserted without unit (i.e. ft/inch/mm
etc.))

2. Text Style
Press “New”
Define style name
Specify font name (i.e. Times New Roman)
Choose a height
Press “Apply”
Press “Close”

3. Dimension Style
Press “New”
Define new style name
Press “continue”
Press “Symbol and arrows” tab
✓ Select first and second arrow head
Press “Text” tab
✓ Choose text style
Press “Fit” tab
✓ Set use overall scale of (Large value enlarges dimension text)
Press “Primary Unit” tab
✓ Choose unit format (Generally same as Drawing Unit)
✓ Choose proper precisions (Generally same as Drawing Unit)
✓ Zero suppression (Do not show 0’ or 0” etc.)
✓ Suffix (if necessary, to show something as suffix of the dimension text)
✓ Prefix (if necessary, to show something as prefix of the dimension text)
✓ Scale factor (if necessary, to multiply dimensions with any value)
Press “ok”
Select dimension style created
Press “Set Current”
Press “Close”

4. Layer
Press “New layer”
Double click and rename “Layer Name”
Click and choose color
 Click and choose line weight
Click on line type
✓ If new line type is needed press “Load”
✓ Choose a line type
✓ Press “ok”
✓ Select the loaded line type and press “ok”
Repeat steps to create more layers
Press “ok”
Special Notes:
• New objects are drawn automatically with current layer.
• One can change objects layer manually from layer toolbar.
• When a layer is on, it is visible and available for plotting. When a layer is off, it
is invisible and not plotted, even if Plot is on.
• If plotting is off for a layer, the objects on that layer are still displayed but will
not be plotted.
• Objects on a locked layer cannot be modified.
• Objects on frozen layers are not displayed, plotted or regenerated.
• If dashed lines are not visible then change line type scale
✓ Type “ltscale”
✓ Press enters on the keyboard
✓ Input scale factor (larger value makes the gap visible)

Dimension Toolbar

1. Linear
Click at the first extension line origin
Click at the second extension line origin
Click to fix dimension line location

Dimension Line
Extension

Extension
Line

Line

Extension Extension
Line origin Line origin
 Figure: Linear Dimension

2. Aligned

Click at first extension line origin

Click at second extension line origin
Click to fix dimension line location

3. Continue
Continue from last dimension
✓ Click at only second extension line origin and so on
Or
Continue from any dimension
✓ Types (to select a dimension)
✓ Press enter on the keyboard
✓ Select desired dimension
✓ Click at only second extension line origin and so on

4. Angle
Select the first line
Select the second line
Click to fix dimension line (arc) location
 5. Radius
Select circle
Click to fix dimension line (leader) location

6. Diameter
Select circle
Click to fix dimension line (leader) location

7. Quick Leader
Click at first leader point
Click at next point of leader
Click at next point of leader (if necessary)
Input text width (default is ok)
Press enter on the keyboard
Type first line of annotation text
Press enters on the keyboard
Type second line of annotation text (if necessary, otherwise skip)
Press enter on the keyboard

8. Dimension Text Edit

Select dimension
Click at desired location to set dimension text

9. Dimension Edit
Press “New”
Select and delete 0”
Type desired dimension with unit or text
Press “ok”
Select dimension to be changed
Press enter on the keyboard
Or
Type “ddedit”
Press enter on the keyboard Select
existing dimension and delete Type
desired dimension with unit or text
Press “ok”

Miscellaneous commands
Polyline (pl)
Specify first point (click at any point)
Specify next point (click at any point)
or
Specify first point (click at any point).
Input length (type length of the line)
 Press “Tab” on the keyboard
Input angle (type angle with the X axis)
Press enter on the keyboard
Special note

• You can draw arc, line with certain width using polyline. For this just look at the
command line.

Multiline (ml)
Press “s” to input parallel line distance
Press enter on the keyboard
Press “j” to select zero (centerline)/top/bottom length
Press “z” or “t” or “b”
Press enter on the keyboard
Specify first point (click at any point)
Input length (type length of the line)

Divide (div) [Draw > Point > Divide]

Select object to divide
Input number of segments
Press enter on the keyboard

Special notes:

• To see the points on the line, create point style

• Format > Point style > Choose point icon > ok

Measure (me) [Draw > Point > Measure ]

Select object to measure
Input length of segments
Press enter on the keyboard
Special notes:
• To see the points on the line, create point style
• Format > Point style > Choose point icon > ok
• If total length is not a multiple of the length of segments then AutoCAD measures
segments from the left side. Right most segment will be the remainder.

Align (al)
Select objects
Press enter on the keyboard
Specify first source point
Specify first destination point
Specify second source point
Specify second destination point
Press enter on the keyboard
 Scale objects based on alignment points?
✓ Yes (distribute and scale objects within the destination points)
✓ No (only align objects without scaling)

20'

Second Destination
point

5'

First Destination
point

Scale objects based on alignment points (Yes)

20'
Second Destination
point

2'-6"

First Destination
point
Scale objects based on alignment points (No)

Figure: Dimensioning Along Align Plane

Group (g)
a. Create group
Type group name
 Press “New”
Select desired objects
Press enter on the keyboard Check
“selectable”
Press ok
b. Modify group
Select group name
Pick desired edit option (remove or add objects or explode)
Select desired objects
Press enter on the keyboard Press
ok

6. Oops (oops)
Type “oops” in command bar
Press enter on the keyboard

Special Notes:
• This command restores the last deleted item only even you use other command
in between.
• Different from undo option because it (undo) only cancel last command.

7. Wipeout (wipeout)
Type “wipeout” in the command bar
Draw any shape to clean hatch pattern
Press enter on the keyboard

Important Control Keys

Control Keys Result

CTRL+8 Launches calculator window
CTRL+A Select all
CTRL+N Create new drawing
CTRL+P Opens the plot dialogue box
CTRL+S Opens the save dialogue box
CTRL+Z Undo the last operation
CTRL+TAB Switches between open drawings
Esc Cancel command

Object Properties

Every AutoCAD, such as or a line or a circle has properties. Some properties such as color,
Line type and Layer are common to all objects. Some object have properties which are
specific to themselves. Text, for example, is the only object type which has a style property.
In AutoCAD Release 14, the easiest way to control object properties is to use the object
Properties toolbar, illustrated below. This is one of AUTOCAD’s default toolbars and can
usually be found directly below the standard toolbar in the top left-hand corner of the
AUTOCAD window.

Take time to work through this tutorial, it is particularly important to get to grips with object
properties since it can make the difference between a really good AUTOCAD drawing and a
really terrible one. If you just need information quickly, use the Quick Find toolbar below to
go straight to the information you need or select a topic from the contents list above.

Layers
Probably the most important object property to understand well is the layer property.
Experienced AutoCAD users use layer all the time and that is why the object properties toolbar
contains so many layer function. Good use of layer is the most important aspect of good
drawing practice.

The concept of layer is very important in AUTOCAD and the correct use of layer can make
your drawing much easier to work with. Basically, layers are the computer equivalent to tracing
overlays on a drawing board. However, layers are much more powerful because you can have
many layers in a single drawing and you can control the visibility, color and line type of layers
independently. This makes working with very complicated drawings much more efficient.
Layers are effectively a way of ordering your drawing. For example, you may need to create a
number of construction lines in a drawing which will not form a part of the finished image.
You could create a layer called “Construction” and use this for your construction lines. When
the drawing is completed, you could simply turn this layer off so that it can’t be seen. The
beauty is that you can could always turn this layer back on at some future time if modifications
to the drawing are required. Experienced AUTOCAD uses will use layers to order their drawing
by drawing components. For example, if you were creating landscape master plan, you may
have layers called “Trees’’ “Shrubs’’ “Path” etc. The main reason for this, apart from it being
a simple way to control the drawing, is that the different drawing components may need to be
printed in different colors with different line type and with different line widths. Layers can be
used to control the way objected are displayed on the computer monitor and how they appear
when they are printed.

It is a common misapprehension amongst new users that layer can be used to control the visual
hierarchy of objects. In other words, if two objects overlap, it seems reasonable to assume that
you could cause one object to display “above” another with the model is common to illustration
software such as core IDRAW. However, AutoCAD uses a 3-dimensional drawing space where
all objects coexist and are position in their correct co- ordinate locations. The concept of an
object being displayed above or below another, therefore, is not consistent with this logic. In
AUTOCAD the displayed of one object in relation to another is determined by the objects place
in the drawing database. objects draw more recently will display over another if the two objects
occupy the same physical space.it is possible to override this effected Display order tools
found on the Tools pull-down, Tolls
Display order option these options are particularly useful to control the display of overlapping
solids and solid hatches that are coplanar. The layer of an object has no its display order,

Although you can have many layers in a drawing, you can only draw on one layer at a time.
The layer you are drawing on is said to be the current layer. The object properties toolbar
displays the current layer information. In the illustration above, you can see that layer “0’’ is
the current layer and that the color and line type are set ‘By layer’’

When you start a new drawing, AUTOCAD has only one layer. This layer is special and is
called layer ‘0’’ (zero). layer 0 is special because you cannot change its name or delete it and
is has certain properties which we do not need to consider just now. By default, layer 0 is
assigned the color white (color number 7) and this “Continues” line type. Layer 0 is always the
current layer when start a new drawing, however, it is bad drawing practice to use layer 0 for
normal drawing. The first thing you should do therefore, when you start a new AUTOCAD is
to create some new layers.

The layer commands

LAYER (manages or LAYER and layer properties)

Command line: Type LA or LAYER (layer) and press
enter. Format menu: layer.........
Layers toolbar: pick Layer Properties Manager tool
Although AUTOCAD provides many shortcuts for working with layer, many of which will be
covered later, the layer command provides the most comprehensive control over layers and
layer operations. This command uses a dialogue box. The dialogue box is a tabbed dialogue
box and can be modified to show more or less details. This is quite nice because in its simplified
form it looks much less intimidation to beginners. The following sections demonstrate how the
layer command can used to perform many of the most layer operations.

Creating a New Layer

To create a new layer, click on in the layer toolbar, the Layer properties Manager
dialogue box, illustrated below, appears. This is a tabbed dialogue box and can be used to
control either layer properties depending upon which tab is selected. The layer tab is always
selected by default. Now click on the ‘New’’ button. A new layer called ‘layer’’ is
automatically created in the layer list below layer 0. As you can see from the illustration the
layer name is automatically highlighted for you so that you can give the layer a more
meaningful name. When you have entered an appropriate name, press key to complete the
operation. You have now created a new layer and given it a name. Notice that by default it has
been assigned the color white and the line type ‘Continues ‘.
There are a few restrictions to consider when you are naming layers. The most annoying is that
you cannot use spaces within layer names. So, for example, the layer name “Tree trunk” is
illegal, However, it is common practice to replace the space with either a hyphen or an
underscore, both of which are valid layer name character. So, the layer name “Tree trunk” and
“Tree trunk” are both acceptable. Some other special characters are also not allowed. If
you do use an illegal character; Auto CAD will alert you with the error message box illustrated
above. Notice that it very helpfully tells you which characters are legal. Basically, if your stick
with letters and numbers you won’t experience any problems. In addition to the hyphen and
underscore mentioned above, the dollar sign is the only other symbol allowed.

The only other restriction relating to layer names is the number of characters used. Layer names
can be between one and thirty-one character long. This should give you plenty of scope to
devise understandable and descriptive names for your layers. It is good drawing practice to
name your layer sensibly, bear in mind that other people may have to work with drawing which
you creator. If you enter a layer name longer that 31 characters, Auto CAD will display the
error message box.

Layers are always listed alphabetically in layer lists, the user has no way to control the list
order. It is worth bearing this in mind when naming your layers. Keep similar object layers
together by devising a hierarchical naming structure. For example, if you are drawing a tree
symbol which comprises a number of elements, your layer names might be, “Tree canopy”
“Tree text” “Tree trunk” etc. This will cause all the Tree layer to be displayed together, see the
illustration on the left. This is quite important because in complicated drawing there may be
many layers and searching for the right group of layers can waste a lot of time.

Setting Color and Line type “ByLayer”

Auto CAD two methods of setting the color and Line type of a drawing object. First of all,
color and Line type can be set ByLayer. In other words, and object will be displayed in their
color and Line type of its layer. For example, if your draw a circle on a layer which you have
called “Details” and you have also set the color of Details to blue and the Line type to dashed,
then the circle will be display in a dashed blue line. When an object takes on the properties of
its layer, the color and Line type are said to be set “ByLayer.

The second method AutoCAD offers is to set the color and Line type by object. Setting
properties by object overrides those set ByLayer. In general, it is drawing practice to set color
and Line type properties ByLayer, this is more efficient and less confusing in the long- run. For
example, imagine that you have drawn hundreds of objects on the same layer and have set their
color to green. Later in the drawing process you decide that these objects should, in fact, be
yellow. In order to make the change you would have to use the Properties command and select
every one of the objects by picking them. By contrast, if you had set the objects color ByLayer,
you would only have to change the layer color from green to yellow and all of the objects would
change.

Setting the Color of Layer

It is often convenient to set the layer color when the layer is created. Although this can be done
at any time. The layer color can be changed as many times as you like. Each time it is changed,
any objects on that layer will change to the new color, providing their color is set to “ByLayer”
To set a layer color, open the Layer Properties Manager dialogue box, click on and then click
on the color icon in the layer list associate with the layer you want. Notice that all layers have
their own color icon and that this changes to display the layer color. Clicking on the icon brings
up Select Color dialogue box, shown on the right. You can select nay of the 255 standard
AutoCAD colors by picking on the color palette or by entering the color name or number in
the text edit box. When you have selected the color you want, click on th “OK” button to set
the color. AutoCAD uses only 255 color plus the drawing background color, irrespective of the
capability you video display.

Figure: Selecting Line Color

Assigning different colors to your layers will make working with complex drawings much
easier. You will be able to see at a glance what a particular line represents. For example, your
construction lines may be on a layer called “Construction” and have the color yellow. This will
visually differentiate these lines from lines on other layers with different colors.

Setting the Line type of a Layer

In the same way that you can assign a color to a layer you can also assign a Line type to a layer.
For example, you could have all the lines. To set a Line type to layer, click on and then
click on the current Line type name associated with your layer in the layer list. By default, layer
have the “Continuous” Line type. Clicking on the line type name brings up the Select Line type
dialogue box, shown on the bottom. You will notice that the “Continue” Line type is the only
one listed. That’s because all Line types, except “Continue” are stored in an external file and
have to be loaded before they can be used.
 Figure: Selecting Line Type

Loading Line type

To load a Line type, click on the “Load. ” button in the Select Linetype dialogue box. The
Load of Reload Line type dialogue box appears and display list of the available Line types.
Select as many of the listed Line types as you wish and then click the OK button to return to
the Select Linetype dialogue box.

Figure: Loading Line Type

Selecting from list boxes works the same way in AutoCAD as it does in any other Windows
application. For example, if you wish to select a block Line types from the list at one time,
select the first Line type in the block, hold the shift key down on the keyboard and select the
last Line type in the block. All Line types in the block will be highlighted and you can click
the “OK” button to load them all one go. You can hold the Control (Ctrl) key down on the
keyboard to make multiple selections which aren’t adjacent in the list (see illustration above).
When you return to the Select Line type dialogue box the loaded Line types are display in the
list. To assign a particular Line type to a layer, simply click on the name to highlight it and then
click on the OK button, when you return to the Layer & Line type Properties dialogue box, the
new Line type name will be listed against your layer in the “Line type” column. From now on,
all object drawn on this layer will be drawn with the chosen Line type. However just like colors,
you may change the Line type at any time and the objects drawn on that layer will automatically
be updated to display the new Line type.

Changing Line weight of a Layer

Command line: Type LA (layer) and press Enter ()

Format menu: Layer.......

Layers toolbar: pick Layer Properties Manager tool

Procedure:
Step1: Input Layer command (any one of above way) [A Layer Properties Manager box will
appear]
Step 2: Select a Layer
Step 3: In the Line weight column, click box on the line weight size of the layer to change
(Line weight box will appear)
Step4: Select any Line weight you want and click on Ok button (Line weight box will
disappear)
Step 5: Click on OK button again to terminate the command

Making a Layer the Current Layer

Once you have created some layers you will want to start using them. As indicated above, you
can only draw on one layer at an item. In order to draw on a particulars layer you must first
make it the current layer. As usual with AutoCAD there are a number of alternatives. You
could, for example, use the Layer command, Layer. from the Format menu of from the
Layers toolbar. As you have seen previously, this command brings up the Layer Properties
Manager dialogue box. To set the current layer, select a layer name from the list and then click
on the “Current” button and then click the “OK” button to finish. The selected layer is now the
current layer and its properties are displayed on the Layer toolbar.

Most experienced Auto CAD users change the current so frequently that the method starts to
seem very long winded. It is much quicker and therefore more efficient to set the current layer
directly from the layers toolbar using the “Layer Control” drop down list. To set the current
layer, click on the down arrow next to the layer control window to reveal the layer list. Simply
click on the name of the layer you wish to make current. If the layer name is not visible because
the list is quite long, scroll down the list until you see it. The drop-down list only displays 10
layers at a time. As a beginner, you may feel that this is quite a lot but a complex and well-
structured drawing may have 50 or 100 layers.
There is an even quicker way to change the current layer providing you know which layer
objects are on. You can use the Make Object’s Layer Current command to set the current to
the layer of any picked object.

Option 1:
Command Line: Type LA (layer) and press Enter.
Format menu: Layer
Layers Toolbar: pick Layer Properties Manager tool.
Procedure:
Step 1: Input Layer command (any of the above way)
Step 2: Select a layer and click on Current button.
Step 3: Click on OK button to terminate the command.

Option 2:
Procedure:
Step 1: Select any object of the layer you want to make current (with-out any command)
Step 2: Click on the Make Object’s layer Current tool from the Layers toolbar.

Option 3:
Procedure:
Step 1: From the Layers toolbar, open the layer control drop down menu.

Step 2: Click on the layer’s name you want to make it current.

Sending Object from One Layer to Other Layer

Procedure:
Step 1: select any object you want to transfer to other layer.
Step 2: From the Layers toolbar, open the layer control drop down menu.

Step 3: Click on the layer’s name where you want to transfer.

Step 4: Press Esc button.

Freezing and Thawing Layers

Freezing and thawing layers works in exactly the same way as turning them on or off. By
freezing a layer, you can effectively instruct the AutoCAD to ignore the objects on that layer
when regenerating the drawing. Objects on freezing layers are not displayed or plotted.

Locking and Unlocking Layers

Locking and unlocking layers work as for turning layers off and on and freezing and thawing
them. Simply click on lock button to toggle an unlocked layer so that it becomes locked and
click on unlock button to reverse the process.
Deleting a Layer
To delete a layer, click the name of the layer to highlight it, click the “Delete” button and then
click “OK”.

Setting the Line-type Scale

In many cases your line-types will display just as you want them. However, it is inevitable that
at some time you will need to change the scale at which yours line-types are displayed. By
default the line-type scale is set to 1.0, this means that each line-type pattern will repeat every
1.0 drawing units. To make the pattern appear larger, change the scale to a larger number.
Setting the line-type scale to 5.0 for example causes the line type pattern to repeat every 5.0
drawing units so that the pattern will appear 5 times larger. Conversely, setting the scale to 0.2
drawing units which will make the pattern appear 5 times smaller. See the illustration below.

Figure 2.26: Selecting Line Type Scale

Changing Object Properties

There will be occasions when an object properties will need to be changed. Say, for example,
you have drawn an object on the wrong layer. It’s much simpler to change the layer for that
object rather than to erase the object, set the current layer and draw it again. There are a number
of ways in which an objects properties can be changed but the most common method is to use
the Properties command. Remember that you cannot change the properties of the objects on
locked layers.

The Properties Command

Command Line: Type PR or PROPERTIES and press Enter.
Modify Menu: Properties
Standard Toolbar: Pick Properties tool.
The followings are eight general properties common to all objects:
Color
Layer
Linetype
Linetype scale
Plot style
Lineweight
Hyperlink
 Thickness

Editing with the Object Properties Toolbar

Although editing object properties using the Properties command is easy enough, AutoCAD
introduces a new and more efficient way to modify the Layer, Color, and Line-type of an object.
By using the Object Properties Toolbar, the layer, color, line-type of an object or objects can
be modified directly, without the use of a command.

The Match Properties Command

Another way to change the properties of an object or object is to match the properties of any
other object using the Match Properties command on the standard toolbar.
Command line: Type MATCHPROP (match properties) and press enter
Modify menu: Match Properties
Standard toolbar: pick Match Properties tool.

Command Sequence:
Command: MATCHPROP
Select a source object: (pick the object you wish to match)
Current active setting: Color Layer Ltscale Line weight THICKNESS PLOTESTYLE Text
DIM HATCH POLYLINE VIEWPORT.
Select destination object(S) of [setting]: (pick the objects to inherit properties)
Select destination objected (s) or [setting] (to terminate the command)

Once the command sequence has been completed, the destination object will inherits all of
the current active setting which are specific to that object type. You can control which
properties are matched and which are not by using the ‘setting’’ command line option.
Changing

Line weight or layer

Command: menu type a layer and press Enter

Format menu: Layer

Layer toolbar: pick layer Properties Manager

Procedure:
Step: 1: Input Layer command (any one of the above way) [A Layer Properties Manager box
will appear)
Step 2: Select layer
Select 3: In the Line weight column, click on the line weight size of the layer to change
(Line weight) box will appear)
Select 4: Select any Line weight you want and click on OK button (Line weight box will
disappear)
Select 5: Click on OK button again to terminate the command.
Tips
Working faster is not simply beneficial for finishing exams by deadlines, but also very
important to employers for whom efficiency and production speed are critical to business
success.

1. At first think about the drawing to identify centerlines or a starting point.

2. Try to develop a preference for using commands at the keyboard rather than
selecting icons in toolbars or items in menus. It is much faster.
3. Always look at the command line for guidance when you are learning new
AutoCAD commands. The command line will prompt you for information and
this is the easiest way to find out how a new command works.
4. When a command is used, apply it as many times as you can before going on to
something else.
5. Press the “Enter” or “Space” button to activate last used command.
6. Press the up-arrow and down-arrow keys to cycle through the stack of commands
that you’ve used recently.
7. Try to think ahead as you draw. This will enable you to do more things at the
same time, and it will reduce down time needed for thinking before proceeding to
the next task.
8. To trim overlapping lines at corners, use the Fillet command with a “0” radius. If
the fillet radius is set to round corners, remember that you can hold down on the
Shift key to use Fillet as though the radius were set at "0" even though it is not.
You will save the time required to reset the radius.
9. Fillet two parallel lines to get an arc.
10. To extend or trim try to select all as destination line or cutting edge by using
Right click of mouse. Use Shift key to alter extend and trim command.
11. Every command makes it faster to do something. Practice and remember such
commands as Copy, Mirror, Stretch, and Array etc.
12. Often Copy and Paste objects rather than recreating them. Even objects as
simple as circles are often copied more quickly than drawing each one
individually.
13. Copy and Edit text, leader lines, and arrows rather than re-invoking the Text or
Leader command and taking time to go through the basic options. Leader lines
can very easily be adjusted by manipulating the grips.
14. If a line or other object is drawn incorrectly, think first of correcting it by
manipulating its grips. It is usually much faster than deleting it and redrawing it
correctly. Don’t go slow for fear of making mistakes.
15. Avoid switching back and forth between layers. Create everything on the layer
that most objects will be on, and then at the end reassign objects to the correct
layers. Reassign one object, and use Match Properties to reassign all other objects
that should be on the same layer.
16. Compete with yourself to increase drawing speed and efficiency.

Prepared by:
A.N.M. Nafiul Islam
Lecturer, EEE, BUET

Guided by:
Yeasir Arafat
Assoc. Professor, EEE, BUET