TP N° 4: Drawing Aids in AutoCAD

In this TP, you will learn to do the following:

• Use Grid and Snap

• Use Ortho Mode and Polar Tracking
• Use Object Snaps and Object Snap Tacking
• Create Layers and assign properties to it
• Zoom and Pan drawings

Drawing Aids

This chapter teaches you to specify the drawing settings which will assist you to easily create a drawing in AutoCAD.
Most drawing settings can be turned on or off from the status bar. You can also access additional drawing settings
by right-clicking on the button located on the status bar.

Grid is the basic drawing setting. It makes the drawing window appear like a graph paper. You can turn ON the grid
display by clicking the Grid Display button on the status bar or just pressing F7 on the keyboard. You can also adjust
the grid size and the spacing between the grid lines by using the Drafting Settings dialog box.
Snap is used to drawing objects by using the intersection points of the grid lines. When you turn the Snap Mode
ON, you will be able select only grid points. In the following example, you will learn to set the grid and snap settings.

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Exercice n°1: Setting Grid and Snap

• Click Application Menu > New; the Select template dialog box appears.
• Select the acadISO -Named Plot Styles template if it is not selected by default.
• Click on the Open button, as shown.

•Click on the GRIDMODE button located on the status bar to turn off the Grid Display.

• Click on the down arrow next to the SNAPMODE button and select the Snap Settings option. This Drafting
Settings dialog box appears, as shown.

Alternatively, you can enter DS in the command line to display the Drafting Settings dialog box.
• Set Grid X spacing to 10 and press TAB key; the Grid Y spacing is updated with the same value.
• Set Major line every to 10.

• Select the Snap On check box under Snap and Grid tab of dialog box, if it is not selected.

• Click OK on the dialog box.

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Exercice n°2: Setting the Limits of a drawing

You can set the limits of a drawing by specifying its lower-left and top-right corners. By setting Limits of a drawing,
you will define the size of the drawing area. In AutoCAD, limits are set to some default values. However, you can
redefine the limits to change the drawing area as per your requirement.
• Type Limits at the command line and press ENTER.

• Press ENTER to accept the lower limit as 0,0.

Now, you need to specify the upper limit.
• Type 80,50 and press ENTER key.
• Click View > Navigate 2D > Zoom drop-down > All on the ribbon; the drawing window will be zoomed to the
limits.
• Click Zoom > Zoom All from the Navigation Bar; the drawing window will be zoomed to the limits.

Tip: You can simply zoom the drawing area to the limit by followings the below given steps one-by-one:
Step 1: Press the Z key and then the Enter key.
Step 2: Now press the A key and then the Enter key.

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Exercice n°3: Setting the Lineweight

Lineweight is the thickness of the objects that you draw. In AutoCAD, there is a default lineweight/thickness assigned
to objects. However, you can set a new lineweight. The method to set the lineweight is explained below.

• Click on the Customization options on the Status bar and then select the LineWeight option from the flyout

displayed. To make Show/Hide Lineweight button visible on the status bar, if it is not available by default.
• Now, activate the Show/Hide Lineweight button located on the status bar.

• Right-click on the Show/Hide Lineweight button and select the Lineweight Settings; the Lineweight Settings dialog
box appears.

• Select 0.40 mm from the Default drop-down on the Lineweight Settings dialog box.
• Click OK.
• Type L at the command line and press ENTER.
• Type 10,10 and press ENTER to specify the first point.

• Make sure that the Dynamic Input button in the status bar is active, as shown.
• Move the cursor horizontally toward right and click when the tooltip displays 60 < 0, as shown.

• Move the cursor vertically upwards and click when the tooltip displays 30 < 90.
• Move the cursor horizontally toward left and click when the tooltip displays 20 < 180.
• Move the cursor vertically downwards and click when the tooltip displays 10 < 270.
• Move the cursor horizontally toward left and click when the tooltip displays 20 < 180.
• Move the cursor vertically upwards and click when the tooltip displays 10 < 90.
• Move the cursor horizontally toward left and click when the tooltip displays 20 < 180.
• Right-click and select Close.
 Save and close the file.
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Exercice n°4: Using the Ortho mode and Polar Tracking
Ortho mode is used to draw orthogonal (horizontal or vertical) lines. Polar Tracking is used to constrain the lines
to angular increments. In the following example, you will create a drawing with the help of Ortho Mode and Polar
Tracking.

 Open a new AutoCAD file.

• Deactivate the Grid Display and Snap Mode buttons on the status bar.

• Click the Ortho Mode button on the status bar.

• Click Zoom All on the Navigation Bar.
• Click the Line button on the Draw panel.
• To specify the first point, type 50,50 and press ENTER key.
• Move the cursor toward right, type 100 and press ENTER; you will notice that a horizontal line is created.
• Move the cursor upwards, type 50 and press ENTER; you will notice that a vertical line is created.
• Click the Polar Tracking button on the status bar to activate it, as shown.
• Click on the drop down next to the Polar Tracking button and select 30 from the menu displayed if it is not
selected by default, as shown.

You will notice that a track line is displayed at 30-degree increments when you rotate the cursor.
• Move the cursor and stop when the tooltip displays <150 angle value.

 Type 50 and press ENTER when the tooltip displays <150o.

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• Move the cursor toward left.
• Type 100 and press ENTER when the tooltip displays <180o.
• Move the cursor downward.
• Type 50 and press ENTER when the tooltip displays <270 o.
• Right-click and select Close.

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Exercice n°4: Using Layers

Layers are like a group of transparent sheets that are combined into a complete drawing. The figure below displays
a drawing consisting of object lines and dimension lines. In this example, the object lines are created on the ‘Object’
layer, and dimensions are created on the layer called ‘Dimension’. You can easily turn-off the ‘Dimension’ layer for a
clearer view of the object lines.

Layer Properties Manager

The Layer Properties Manager is used to create and manage layers. To open Layer Properties Manager, click Home
> Layers > Layer Properties on the ribbon or enter LA in the command line.

The components of the Layer Properties Manager are shown below. The Tree View section is used for displaying
layer filters, group, or state information. The List View section is the main body of the Layer Properties Manager. It
lists the individual layers that currently exist in the drawing.

The List View section contains various properties. You can set layer properties and perform various operations in the
List View section. A brief explanation of each layer property is given below.

Status –Shows a green check when a layer is set to current.

Name - Shows the name of the layer.
On – Used to turn on/off the visibility of a layer. When a layer is turned on, it shows a yellow light-bulb. When
you turn off a layer, it shows a grey light-bulb.
Freeze/Thaw – It is used to freeze the objects of a layer so that they cannot be modified. Also, the visibility of
the object is turned off.
Lock/Unlock- It is used to lock the layer so that the objects on it cannot be modified.
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Color – It is used to assign a color to the layer.
Linetype – It is used to assign a linetype to the layer.
Lineweight – It is used to set a lineweight(thickness) to the layer.
Transparency – It is used to set transparency to a layer. You set a transparency level from 0 to 90 for all objects
on a layer.
Plot Style – It is used to override the settings such as color, linetype, and lineweight while plotting a drawing.
Plot – It is used to control which layer will be plotted.
New VP Freeze – It is used to create and freeze a layer in any new viewport.
Description – It is used to enter a detailed description about the layer.

Creating a New Layer

You can create a new layer by using anyone of the following methods:
• Click the New Layer button on the Layer Properties Manager; a new layer with the name ‘Layer1’ appears in
Name field. Next, you can enter the required name of the layer in the Name field.

 Right-click in the Name field and select New Layer from the shortcut menu.
• If you want to continue to create layers after creating one layer, then press ENTER or comma (,).

Making a layer current

If you want to draw objects on a particular layer, then you have to make it current. You can make a layer current
using the methods listed below.
• Select the layer from the List view and click the Set Current button on the Layer Properties Manager.

 Double-click on the Name field of the layer.

• Right-click on the layer and select Set current.
• Select the layer from the Layer drop-down of the Layer panel, as shown.
• Click the Make Current button on the Layers panel, as shown. Next, select an object; the layer related to the
selected object will become current.

Deleting a Layer

You can delete a layer by using anyone of the following methods:

• Click the Delete Layer button or press ALT+D.

• Right-click in the Name field and select Delete Layer from the shortcut menu.
You will learn more about layers in later chapters.

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Exercice n° 5: Using Object Snaps

Object Snaps are important settings that improve your performance and accuracy while creating a drawing. They
allow you to select key points of objects while creating a drawing. You can activate the required Object Snap by
using the Object snap shortcut menu. Press and hold the SHIFT key and right-click to display this shortcut menu.

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 Exercises d’application
Exercice 01

Exercice 02

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