autocad 2014 User Manual
®
AutoCAD 2014
Tutorial - First Level:
2D Fundamentals
Randy H. Shih
SDC
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AutoCAD® 2014 Tutorial: 2D Fundamentals 1-1
Chapter 1
AutoCAD Fundamentals
♦ Create and Save AutoCAD drawing files
♦ Use the AutoCAD visual reference
commands
♦ Draw, using the LINE and CIRCLE
commands
♦ Use the ERASE command
♦ Define Positions using the Basic Entry
methods
♦ Use the AutoCAD Pan Realtime option
1-2 AutoCAD® 2014 Tutorial: 2D Fundamentals
AutoCAD Certified User Examination Objectives Coverage
This table shows the pages on which the objectives of the Certified User Examination are covered in
Chapter 1.
Section 1: Controlling the Display in Drawings
Precision ...........................................................................1-6
Zoom Extent.....................................................................1-7
Drawing LIMITS ............................................................1-6
Status Bar .........................................................................1-10
GRID Display ..................................................................1-10, 1-11
PAN Realtime ..................................................................1-20
Section 2: Creating Basic Drawings
Format ..............................................................................1-5
Units Setup ......................................................................1-5
LINE Command ...............................................................1-8
Coordinates ......................................................................1-8
Interactive Input Method..................................................1-10
SNAP Option ...................................................................1-12
World Space .....................................................................1-15
User Coordinate System ..................................................1-15
World Coordinate System ................................................1-15
UCS Icon Display ............................................................1-16
TTR, Circle ......................................................................1-23
Relative Coordinate .........................................................1-17
Coordinate Systems .........................................................1-17
Cartesian coordinate system ............................................1-17
Absolute Coordinates .......................................................1-17, 1-18
Positions, Defining ...........................................................1-18
Certified User Reference Guide
LINE, Close Option .........................................................1-19
CIRCLE Command ..........................................................1-23
TTT, Circle ......................................................................1-23
ARC Command ………………………………………... 1-33
Section 3: Manipulating Objects
ERASE Command ..........................................................1-13
Selection Window ............................................................1-14
AutoCAD Fundamentals 1-3
Introduction
Learning to use a CAD system is similar to learning a new language. It is necessary to
begin with the basic alphabet and learn how to use it correctly and effectively through
practice. This will require learning some new concepts and skills as well as learning a
different vocabulary. Today, the majority of the Mechanical CAD systems are capable of
creating three-dimensional solid models. Nonetheless, all CAD systems create designs
using basic geometric entities and many of the constructions used in technical designs are
based upon two-dimensional planar geometry. The method and number of operations that
are required to accomplish the basic planar constructions are different from one system to
another.
In order to become effective and efficient in using a CAD system, we must learn to create
geometric entities quickly and accurately. In learning to use a CAD system, lines and
circles are the first two, and perhaps the most important two, geometric entities that one
should master the skills of creating and modifying. Straight lines and circles are used in
almost all technical designs. In examining the different types of planar geometric entities,
the importance of lines and circles becomes obvious. Triangles and polygons are planar
figures bounded by straight lines. Ellipses and splines can be constructed by connecting
arcs with different radii. As one gains some experience in creating lines and circles,
similar procedures can be applied to create other geometric entities. In this chapter, the
different ways of creating lines and circles in AutoCAD® 2014 are examined.
Starting Up AutoCAD® 2014
1. Select the AutoCAD 2014 option on the Program menu or select the AutoCAD
2014 icon on the Desktop.
Once the program is loaded into memory, the AutoCAD
will appear on the screen.
®
2014 drawing screen
1-4 AutoCAD® 2014 Tutorial: 2D Fundamentals
Note that AutoCAD automatically assigns generic names, Drawing X, as new
drawings are created. In our example, AutoCAD opened the graphics window using
the default system units and assigned the drawing name Drawing1.
2. If necessary, click on the down-arrow in the Quick Access bar and select Show
Menu to display the AutoCAD Menu Bar. The Menu Bar provides access to all
AutoCAD commands.
AutoCAD Menu Bar
AutoCAD Fundamentals 1-5
Drawing Units Setup
Every object we construct in a CAD system is measured in units. We should
determine the system of units within the CAD system before creating the first
geometric entities.
1. In the Menu Bar select:
[Format] [Units]
• The AutoCAD Menu Bar contains multiple pull-down
menus, where all of the AutoCAD commands can be
accessed. Note that many of the menu items listed in
the pull-down menus can also be accessed through the
Quick Access toolbar and/or Ribbon panels.
2. Click on the Length
Type option to display
the different types of
length units available.
Confirm the Length
Type is set to
Decimal.
3. On your own, examine the other settings that are
available.
4. In the Drawing Units dialog box, set the Length Type to Decimal. This will set
the measurement to the default English units, inches.
1-6 AutoCAD® 2014 Tutorial: 2D Fundamentals
5. Set the Precision to two digits
after the decimal point as shown in
the above figure.
6. Pick OK to exit the Drawing Units
dialog box.
Drawing Area Setup
Next, we will set up the Drawing Limits by entering a command in the
command prompt area. Setting the Drawing Limits controls the extents of the
display of the grid. It also serves as a visual reference that marks the working
area. It can also be used to prevent construction outside the grid limits and as a
plot option that defines an area to be plotted/printed. Note that this setting does
not limit the region for geometry construction.
1. In the Menu Bar select:
[Format] [Drawing Limits]
2. In the command prompt area, the message “Reset Model
Space Limits: Specify lower left corner or [On/Off]
<0.00,0.00>:” is displayed. Press the ENTER key once to
accept the default coordinates <0.00,0.00>.
3. In the command prompt area, the message “Specify upper right corner
<12.00,9.00>:” is displayed. Press the
ENTER key again to accept the default
coordinates <12.00,9.00>.
AutoCAD Fundamentals 1-7
4. On your own, move the graphics cursor near the upper-right comer inside the
drawing area and note that the drawing area is unchanged. (The Drawing Limits
command is used to set the drawing area, but the display will not be adjusted until
a display command is used.)
5. Inside the Menu Bar area
select:
[View] [Zoom] [All]
The Zoom All command will
adjust the display so that all
objects in the drawing are
displayed to be as large as
possible. If no objects are
constructed, the Drawing
Limits are used to adjust the
current viewport.
6. Move the graphics cursor near the upper-right comer inside the drawing area and
note that the display area is updated.
7. Hit the function key [F7] once to turn off the display of the Grid lines.
• Note that function key [F7] is a quick key, which can be used to quickly toggle
on/off the grid display. Also, note the command prompt area can be positioned to
dock below the drawing area or float inside the drawing area as shown.
1-8 AutoCAD® 2014 Tutorial: 2D Fundamentals
Drawing Lines with the LINE Command
1. Move the graphics cursor to the first icon in
the Draw panel. This icon is the Line icon.
Note that a brief description of the Line
command appears next to the cursor.
2. Select the icon by clicking once with the left-
mouse-button, which will activate the Line
command.
3. In the command prompt area, near the bottom of the AutoCAD drawing screen,
the message “_line Specify first point:” is displayed. AutoCAD expects us to
identify the starting location of a straight line. Move the graphics cursor inside the
graphics window and watch the display of the coordinates of the graphics cursor
at the bottom of the AutoCAD drawing screen. The three numbers represent the
location of the cursor in the X, Y, and Z directions. We can treat the graphics
window as if it was a piece of paper and we are using the graphics cursor as if it
were a pencil with which to draw.
Coordinates of the graphics
cursor
5
3 2
1 4
We will create a freehand sketch of a five-
point star using the Line command. Do not be
overly concerned with the actual size or
accuracy of your freehand sketch. This
exercise is to give you a feel for the
AutoCAD® 2014 user interface.
AutoCAD Fundamentals 1-9
4. We will start at a location about one-third
from the bottom of the graphics window.
Left-click once to position the starting
point of our first line. This will be point 1
of our sketch. Next move the cursor
upward and toward the right side of point
1. Notice the rubber-band line that follows
the graphics cursor in the graphics
window. Left-click again (point 2) and we
have created the first line of our sketch.
5. Move the cursor to the left of point 2 and
create a horizontal line about the same
length as the first line on the screen.
5
3 2
6. Repeat the above steps and complete the
freehand sketch by adding three more
lines (from point 3 to point 4, point 4 to
point 5, and then connect to point 5 back
1 4
to point 1).
7. Notice that the Line command remains activated even after
we connected the last segment of the line to the starting
point (point 1) of our sketch. Inside the graphics window,
click once with the right-mouse-button and a popup menu
appears on the screen.
8. Select Enter with the left-mouse-button to end the Line
command. (This is equivalent to hitting the [ENTER] key on
the keyboard.)
9. Move the cursor near point 2 and point 3, and estimate the
length of the horizontal line by watching the displayed
coordinates for each point.
1-10 AutoCAD® 2014 Tutorial: 2D Fundamentals
Visual Reference
The method we just used to create the freehand sketch is known as the interactive
method, where we use the cursor to specify locations on the screen. This method is
perhaps the fastest way to specify locations on the screen. However, it is rather difficult
to try to create a line of a specific length by watching the displayed coordinates. It would
be helpful to know what one inch or one meter looks like on the screen while we are
creating entities. AutoCAD® 2014 provides us with many tools to aid the construction of
our designs. For example, the GRID and SNAP MODE options can be used to get a
visual reference as to the size of objects and learn to restrict the movement of the cursor
to a set increment on the screen.
The GRID and SNAP MODE options can be turned ON or OFF through the Status Bar.
The Status Bar area is located at the bottom left of the AutoCAD drawing screen, next to
the cursor coordinates.
Option Buttons
The second button in the Status Bar is the SNAP MODE option and the third button is the
GRID DISPLAY option. Note that the buttons in the Status Bar area serve two functions:
(1) the status of the specific option, and (2) as toggle switches that can be used to turn
these special options ON and OFF. When the corresponding button is highlighted, the
specific option is turned ON. Using the buttons is a quick and easy way to make changes
to these drawing aid options. The buttons in the Status Bar can also be switched on and
off in the middle of another command.
AutoCAD Fundamentals 1-11
GRID ON
1. Left-click the GRID button in the Status Bar to turn ON the GRID DISPLAY
option. (Notice in the command prompt area, the message “<Grid on>” is also
displayed.)
2. Move the cursor inside the graphics window, and estimate the distance in between
the grid lines by watching the coordinates displayed at the bottom of the screen.
The GRID option creates a pattern of lines that extends over an area on the screen.
Using the grid is similar to placing a sheet of grid paper under a drawing. The grid
helps you align objects and visualize the distance between them. The grid is not
displayed in the plotted drawing. The default grid spacing, which means the distance
in between two lines on the screen, is 0.5 inches. We can see that the sketched
horizontal line in the sketch is about 4.5 inches long.
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