HANDOUT 1: DRAFTING 2

INTRODUCTION

Introduction and Basics

Drawing is the main or common language that everyone will understand. The techniques of
drawing or illustrating differ in style. However, in constructing industry grade drawings for
building, manufacturing and architectural purposes, a typical method of drawing is observed.
This is called Computer-Aided Design (CAD).
Computer-aided design (CAD), also known as Computer-Assisted Design, Computer-Aided
Drafting, or a similar phrase. This is the use of modern computer systems to assist the draftsman
to create, modify, analyze and optimize a design. Computer-Aided Design illustrates the
method of making technical drawing with the utilization of computer program. Computer aided
design (CAD) is the use of a wide range of computer-based tools that assist engineers, architects
and other design professionals in their design activities.

Four Categories of CAD

1. CAD is used to design and develop products. These can be goods used by end consumers or
intermediate goods used in other products.
2. CAD is also extensively used in the design of tools and machinery used in the manufacture of
components.
3. CAD is used throughout the engineering process from conceptual design and layout, through
detailed engineering and analysis of components to definition of manufacturing methods.
4. CAD software is used to create plans and construction drawings.

In this modern age, Technical Drafting is produced with the use of different computer aided
design software such as: AutoCAD, Solid Works, and CATIA. These are commercial software that
are generally available in the market but there is also similar software available for free like
Google SketchUp.

The AutoCAD Interface

The AutoCAD user interface — or UI as it’s often referred to — can be very overwhelming, but it
doesn’t have to be. All you need is some understanding of how things are laid out and what the
various UI elements are. AutoCAD, like other Windows-based applications, has pulldown menus,
toolbars, a document area, and a status bar area. However, AutoCAD also has some unique
user interface elements that aren’t found in a lot of other applications. Some of the unique
interface elements are a Command Line window, dynamic input tooltips and dock able
windows.
Starting an AutoCAD

1. From the Start Menu

- Click Start >Programs >Autodesk >AutoCAD from the Windows Program Manager

2. Shortcut or quick launch toolbar.

- Double-click the AutoCAD icon from your desktop.

3. By opening the drawing file.

- Double-click the drawing file icon inside a folder or in any location from your computer.
Open or start-up AutoCAD. You should see the Start tab welcome screen shown in Fig. 1.1. This
is a change from older versions of AutoCAD, which defaulted to a blank drawing area when
first opened. We do not spend too much time here but note the following. This tab contains
the Get Started column (with the huge Start Drawing button), the Recent Documents column
(with some sample files or recent files for quick access), and Notifications/Connect column
(where you can get product updates and give feedback to Autodesk).

Figure. 1.1 AutoCAD 2020 – Start Tab.

Take a quick tour of these if you wish, and when you are ready to open a new blank file, press
the “sheet of paper with the folded corner” icon at the very top left of the screen near the Big
A (application menu); the universal computer symbol for a new file. A Select template dialog
box opens, already set to open an acad.dwt file (Fig. 1.2). Press the Open button at the lower
right, and a blank file opens (Fig. 1.3).
 Figure. 1.2 Select template – acad.dwt.

The AutoCAD Working Environment

Like other windows-based applications, AutoCAD comes with a wide- range of features used

D
A B C E

MAIN WORK AREA

I
G
H

in
many different aspects of a working drawing.
 Figure. 1.3 AutoCAD 2020

A. Menu Browser

– is a client- software that lets users read or scan documents on the World Wide Web.

B. Quick Access Toolbar

– is located along the top of the application window (above or below the ribbon) and
provides direct access to common or defined set of commands like New, Open,
Save, and Plot.

Procedure on how to add command/s to Quick Access Toolbar

1. Right-click the Quick Access toolbar >Customize Quick Access toolbar.

2. Select the preferred commands.

3. Drag the selected commands to quick Access Toolbar.

C. Filename - The name of the current file you are working on.

D. Menu Bar – is the horizontal strip across the top of an application’s window. Each word
on the strip has a context sensitive drop-down menu containing features and actions
that are available for the application in use.

E. Search Box – is a tool that allows you to search for a particular data or document in a
help file or to web.

F. Toolbars/Ribbon - provide a single, compact placement for operations/tools that are

relevant to the current workspace. By default (in its original setting), it contains the
Standard, Layers, Properties and Styles toolbars.

G. Command Line Bar - is where you enter the commands from the keyboard and where
the prompts are displayed. It has a text area where all the previous commands are
displayed.

H. Tray Settings/Info Bar - quickly search for a variety of information sources, access product
updates and announcements, and save topics in the Info Center.

I. UCS – is found at the bottom left-hand corner of the AutoCAD drawing window. You will
see a symbol like the one shown on the right. This is called the UCS (User Coordinate
System) icon and it is there to remind you which is the X axis and which is the Y axis.

J. WCS - By default when you start a new (blank) drawing you use the World Coordinate
System (WCS). This indicates your (0,0,0) point.
K. Draw Toolbar - Draw commands can be used to create new objects such as lines and
circles. Most AutoCAD drawings are composed purely and simply from these basic
components.

L. Modify Toolbar – is used to modify the basic drawing objects in some way to suit the
image you need. AutoCAD provides a whole range of modify tools such as Move, Copy,
Rotate and Mirror.

M. Working/Drawing Area – is the place where your drawings are displayed and modified.

N. Crosshairs – is a type of cursor consisting of two lines that intersect and are used to locate
points and selects objects in your drawing.

O. Status Bar - displays the coordinate location of your crosshairs and the current settings of
grid, snap, and other drawing aids.

P. Dialog Box Launcher - displays the coordinate location of your crosshairs and the current
setting of grid, snap, and other drawing aids.