Autodesk 003A1-121111-1001 - AutoSketch v.9.0, AutoSketch Getting Started

AutoSketch

®

Getting Started

9

June 2004

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Contents

Chapter 1 Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Contents of the AutoSketch Package . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Install AutoSketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Register AutoSketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Add or Remove Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Repair AutoSketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Uninstall AutoSketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 2 Make the Transition from Paper to CAD . . . . . . . . 7

Draw to Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Organize Drawing Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Draw Efficiently . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Draw Accurately . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

View Your Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Modify Your Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Use Standard Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Create Dimensions and Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Chapter 3 AutoSketch Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Start AutoSketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Use the Start Up Dialog Box to Create or Open a Drawing. . . . . 18

iii

Start a Drawing or Choose a Wizard (Wizard Tab) . . . . . 19

Choose a Template (Template Tab) . . . . . . . . . . 21

Open an Existing Drawing (Open Tab) . . . . . . . . . 22

Understand the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Drawing Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

All-In-One Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Communication Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Content Librarian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Edit Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Property Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Status Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Title Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Toolbars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Tooltips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Basic Features and Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Drawing Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Reference Grid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Grid Origin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Snap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Lock Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

iv | Contents

Tutorial 1 — Create and Trim Entities . . . . . . . . . 39

Start AutoSketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Create Simple Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Create Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Create Other Simple Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Trim an Entity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Tutorial 2 — Create a Birdhouse Drawing . . . . . . . . 51

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Set Up the Birdhouse Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Create the Floor of the Birdhouse . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Add Dimensions to the Floor of the Birdhouse . . . . . . . . 56

Add a Title to the Floor of the Birdhouse . . . . . . . . . . 59

Create the Back of the Birdhouse by Grouping and Rubber-Stamping . 60

Add Dimensions to the Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Add a Title to the Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Print the Completed Birdhouse Drawing . . . . . . . . . . 68

Tutorial 3 — Create an Office Layout Drawing . . . . . . 71

Start a Drawing Using the Office Layout Wizard . . . . . . . . 72

Set Units, Reference Grid, and Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Create Office Partition Walls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Add Doors and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Add Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Create a Round Table and Chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Tutorial 4 — Advanced Exercises . . . . . . . . . . 93

Create 3D Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Use Web Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Use eTransmit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Create a Hyperlink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Use the Communication Center. . . . . . . . . . . 104

Generate a Database Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Appendix — Drawings Created with AutoSketch . . . . . 109

Contents | v

vi

Installation

1

This chapter tells you how to install AutoSketch® on

your computer. After you install the software, view the

Readme (click Read Me on the Help menu). The Readme

contains important information that was compiled after

this guide was printed.

For step-by-step instructions about learning the

product, read the entire Getting Started guide. You can

find a PDF version of this guide in the following

location (“C” is the installation drive letter):

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoSketch9

In this chapter

■ Contents of the AutoSketch

Package

■ System Requirements

■ Install AutoSketch

■ Register AutoSketch

■ Add or Remove Features

■ Repair AutoSketch

■ Uninstall AutoSketch

1

Contents of the AutoSketch Package

The AutoSketch package includes the following:

■ AutoSketch CD

■ AutoSketch Getting Started (this guide)

System Requirements

Before you install AutoSketch, make sure that your computer meets the

minimum system requirements.

Hardware and software requirements

Hardware/Software Requirement Notes

Operating system Windows

Windows
Windows

Web browser Microsoft

with Service Pack 1 (or later)

Processor Pentium III or later

300 Mhz

RAM 128 MB

Video 800 x 600 (minimum)

1024 x 768 with 64K colors
(recommended)

Hard disk 180 MB

Pointing device Mouse, trackball, or other device

CD-ROM Any speed (for installation only)

Optional hardware Graphics card 16 MB (minimum)

Printer or plotter
Modem or access to an Internet
connection

®

XP Professional

®

XP Home

®

2000

®

Internet Explorer 6.0

Requires a Windows-supported
display adapter.

2 | Chapter 1 Installation

Install AutoSketch

This section explains how to install AutoSketch on a stand-alone computer.

To install AutoSketch

1 Insert the AutoSketch CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2 Follow the installation prompts that are displayed.

If installation did not begin when you inserted the AutoSketch CD into your
CD-ROM drive, Autorun may be turned off on your machine.

To install AutoSketch if Autorun is turned off

1 Insert the AutoSketch CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2 On the Start menu (Windows), click Run.
3 In the Run dialog box, enter <CD drive letter>:\Setup.exe and click OK.
4 Follow the installation prompts.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed AutoSketch. You are now
ready to register your product and start using the program.

Register AutoSketch

Registering AutoSketch makes you eligible for technical support and for early
notification of new product releases.

To register AutoSketch

1 On the Start menu (Windows), click All Programs (or Programs) ➤

Autodesk AutoSketch 9.

2 In the AutoSketch Product Registration wizard, select Register Now, and

then click Next.

3 Follow the on-screen instructions.

Install AutoSketch | 3

Add or Remove Features

You can add and remove features in AutoSketch at any time. For example, if
you chose a Custom installation when you first installed AutoSketch, you
you can add features not originally installed.

To add or remove features

1 In the Control Panel (Windows), start Add or Remove Programs.
2 In the Add or Remove Programs window, click AutoSketch Release 9, and

then click Change.

3 In the Setup wizard, Application Maintenance page, select the Modify

option, and then click Next.

4 On the Select Features page, select the features you want to add or remove,

and then select one of the following options:

■ Will Be Installed on Local Hard Drive. Installs a feature or components

of a feature on your hard drive.

■ Entire Feature Will Be Installed on Local Hard Drive.

■ Entire Feature Will Be Unavailable. Removes the feature.

Note To revert to the AutoSketch features selected in your original

installation, click Reset.

5 Click Next.
6 On the Content Unit page, select one of the following, and then click

Next.

■ U.S. (Imperial) Content

■ Metric Content

7 On the Ready to Modify the Application page, click Install.
8 In the AutoSketch dialog box, click Finish.
9 If prompted, restart your computer.

4 | Chapter 1 Installation

Repair AutoSketch

If you accidentally delete or alter files that are required by AutoSketch, it
might not perform correctly. You can attempt to repair AutoSketch.

To repair AutoSketch

1 In the Control Panel (Windows), start Add or Remove Programs.
2 In the Add or Remove Programs window, select AutoSketch Release 9, and

then click Change.

3 In the Setup wizard, Application Maintenance page, select the Repair

option, and then click Next.

4 On the Ready to Repair the Application page, click Finish.
5 If prompted, restart your computer.

Uninstall AutoSketch

When you uninstall AutoSketch, all components are removed from the
computer.

Note Uninstalling the application does not automatically delete drawing files

you have created. You can delete those files manually.

To uninstall AutoSketch

1 In the Control Panel (Windows), start Add or Remove Programs.
2 In the Add or Remove Programs window, select AutoSketch Release 9, and

then click Remove.

3 In the message box that is displayed, click Yes to remove AutoSketch.
4 If prompted, restart your computer.

Repair AutoSketch | 5

6

Make the Transition from
Paper to CAD

2

With your decision to use AutoSketch®, you have

entered the world of computer-aided design (CAD).

AutoSketch makes your drawings more precise and you

more productive than you have been using paper as

your design format.

This chapter explains how you can take your drafting

knowledge and apply it to CAD.

In this chapter

■ Draw to Scale

■ Organize Drawing Information

■ Draw Efficiently

■ Draw Accurately

■ View Your Drawing

■ Modify Your Drawing

■ Create Dimensions and Text

7

Draw to Scale

Drawing scale is something you consider when laying out your drawing. You
establish scale differently in CAD than you do with manual drafting.

With manual drafting, you must deter­mine the scale of a view before you start
drawing. This scale compares the size of
the actual object to the size of the object
drawn on paper.

Draw the object at full scale in the units you specify.

When you lay out and plot your drawing,
you can set any scale you like.

In AutoSketch, drawings are created
using the real-world values you specify.
The computer handles scaling the draw­ing to fit on paper.

For example, you can use feet and inches,
or meters and kilometers, and so on. You
might draw a motor part with millime­ters as the unit of length so that entering
25 means “25 millimeters.” When you
draw a map, you might select kilometers
so that entering 25 means “25
kilometers.”

Although you can easily change scaling
at any point while drawing, it is useful at
the start to select a scale that is appropri­ate to the drawing you are working on.
This allows you to keep your drawing on
the “page” that AutoSketch displays
onscreen.

8 | Chapter 2 Make the Transition from Paper to CAD

Organize Drawing Information

In both manual drafting and CAD, you need a way to organize your drawing
content—a method for separating, sorting, and editing specific drawing data.

With manual drafting, you can separate
information onto individual transparent
overlays. For example, a building plan
might contain separate overlays for its struc­tural, electrical, and plumbing components.

In AutoSketch, layers are equivalent to trans­parent overlays. As with overlays, you can
display, edit, and print layers separately or
in combination.

You can name layers to help track content,
and lock layers so they can’t be altered.
Assigning settings such as color, pen style,
or pen width to layers helps you comply
with industry standards.

Turn off layers to hide complex
details as you work.

Display layers when you need
to see all components.

You can also use layers to organize drawing
objects (called entities in AutoSketch) for
printing.

This mechanical drawing of a press uses lay­ers to show different types of information in
different styles and colors.

Organize Drawing Information | 9

Draw Efficiently

Draw with less effort and revise with more speed: these are the two main
reasons you use CAD. AutoSketch has a complete set of drawing and editing
tools to help eliminate repetitive, time-consuming drafting tasks.

You can save drafting time by drawing one
half of an item and then mirroring it to create
the other half.

If you work with paper and a
drawing board, your set of draw­ing tools is likely to include
pencils, scales, parallel rules,
templates, and erasers. Repetitive
drawing and editing tasks must be
done manually.

In AutoSketch, you can choose
from a variety of drawing tools
that create lines, rectangles, cir­cles, curves, and more.

With AutoSketch, you can easily
copy, scale, rotate, and mirror
entities. You can move or copy
entities between open drawings or
within the same drawing. Editing
is easy with tools such as stretch,
align, and offset. To add hatching,
simply insert a hatch pattern from
the AutoSketch Content Librarian
into the area to be filled.

In this drawing of a trolley, copying and mirroring were used to create
repeated and symmetrical features. Offsetting lines and hatching were also
used to draw more efficiently.

10 | Chapter 2 Make the Transition from Paper to CAD

Draw Accurately

Engineering and architectural drawing require a high degree of accuracy.
With CAD, you draft more accurately than with manual methods.

Midpoint Snap

Snaps allows you to draw
with precision.

On paper, you must draw objects care­fully to ensure correct size and
alignment. Objects drawn to scale must
be manually verified and dimensioned.

In AutoSketch, you can ensure exact
dimensions by using several methods.
The simplest method is to locate points
by snapping to some interval of a grid.

Another method is to specify exact
coordinates. Coordinates specify a draw­ing location by indicating a point along
an X and Y axis or a distance and angle
from another point. You can specify
coordinates that are relative to other
points or to the drawing’s coordinate
system.

You can also snap to locations on exist­ing entities, such as an endpoint of an
arc, the midpoint of a line, or the center­point of a circle.

Endpoint Snap Centerpoint

Snap

Draw Accurately | 11

View Your Drawing

The power of CAD makes it easy for you to quickly view different parts of
your design at different magnifications.

When you draft on paper and need to work on another section, you must
physically move to that area of your drawing.

In CAD, the size and resolution of your computer monitor limit your viewing
area. AutoSketch viewing methods bypass this limitation.

To do detailed work, you can increase display size by zooming in. You can
zoom out to display more of the drawing. To move to another section of a
drawing, you pan the drawing without changing magnification.

You can view several areas of your drawing simultaneously by creating addi­tional windows. Windows can be arranged automatically or manually. They
let you work easily on different parts of your drawing. Changes in one
window are reflected in the others.

Windows display different portions of your drawing simultaneously. You can zoom
and pan the display in each window independently

With detail views, you can arrange additional views at different zoom levels
or scales. You can create split windows, and you can pan and zoom in each
window to create the best working conditions.

12 | Chapter 2 Make the Transition from Paper to CAD

Modify Your Drawing

Revisions are a part of any drawing project. Whether you work on paper or
with CAD, you will need to modify your drawing in some way.

On paper, you must manually erase and
redraw to make revisions to your drawing.

AutoSketch eliminates tedious manual editing
by providing a wealth of editing tools. If you
need to copy all or part of an entity, you don’t
have to redraw it. If you need to remove an
entity, you can erase it with a few clicks of the
mouse. And if you make an error, you can
quickly undo your actions.

If you stretch an entity...

...the hatch adjusts automatically.

Once you draw an entity, you never need to
redraw it. You can modify existing entities by
mirroring, rotating, scaling, stretching, trim­ming, and more. At any time, you can change
entity properties, such as pen style, pen width,
color, and layer.

These before-and-after drawings show some
typical edits to a house elevation.

Modify Your Drawing | 13

Use Standard Symbols

Symbols have long been used in manual drafting as a way to represent real­world objects in a simplified way. The ability to create and reuse standard
symbols is one of CAD’s greatest strengths.

With manual drafting, you might use a
symbol template or printed stickers to
draw repetitive landscape, architectural,
mechanical, or electrical symbols. This
method, however, limits the possible
variations of a symbol.

In AutoSketch, you can save time by
inserting symbols from the Content
Librarian anywhere in your drawing, at
any rotation or scale.

You c an th en ad d a sy mb ol as many ti me s
as needed by simply clicking to place the
symbol.

The Content Librarian lets you locate libraries
(collections) of symbols. You choose the symbol
you want and drag it into your drawing.

Should a standard symbol change (be
redefined), all instances of the symbol in
your drawing will automatically be
replaced.

In AutoSketch, you can also create your
own symbols from scratch or modify
existing ones.

Standard landscaping symbols are used
in this drawing of a residential home
floor plan.

14 | Chapter 2 Make the Transition from Paper to CAD

Create Dimensions and Text

Creating accurate dimensions and consistent, legible text is a time-consum­ing task for the manual drafter. CAD provides ways to streamline this task.

When you work on paper, you typically
draw to scale and then add dimensions
and annotations. If you resize any part
of the drawing, you must erase and
then redraw the dimensions. Changing
text can often involve relettering the
whole drawing. AutoSketch automates
the process of creating and changing
dimensions and text.

In AutoSketch, you can customize
individual dimensions, and when
information changes, you can easily
revise text, including its content, font,
height, angle, and justification.

Virtually all standard dimensioning
types are provided in AutoSketch:
linear, radial, ordinate, angular, base­line, and more.

Create Dimensions and Text | 15

16

AutoSketch Basics

3

In this chapter, you learn how to start AutoSketch® and

use the Startup dialog box to create or open a drawing.

You also learn about the user interface and the basic

features and functionality of AutoSketch. Once you

have learned these AutoSketch “basics,” you can do the

exercises in this guide’s tutorials and learn to use the

product.

More information about each of these components and

features is available in the Help system.

In this chapter

■ Introduction

■ Start AutoSketch

■ Use the Start Up Dialog Box to

Create or Open a Drawing

■ Understand the User Interface

■ Basic Features and Functionality

17

Introduction

AutoSketch is a precision drawing tool for the Microsoft® Windows® XP and
Windows® 2000 operating systems. The emphasis in AutoSketch is on speed,
power, and ease of use.

AutoSketch features appear when you need them, and are kept out of the way
when you don’t. If you’re already a Windows 2000 or Windows XP user,
you’ll find the menu system and much of the user interface familiar. If you’re
new to Windows, you’ll find AutoSketch an easy place to work.

In this chapter, you learn how to start AutoSketch and use the Start Up dialog
box to create or open a drawing, and you get familiar with the user interface
components.

Start AutoSketch

When you start AutoSketch, you can begin a new drawing, start with a
template, or open existing drawings. Simply click a selection and begin.

To start AutoSketch for the first time

■ On the Start menu (Windows), click All Programs (or Programs) ➤

Autodesk AutoSketch 9.

The AutoSketch Start Up dialog box is displayed.

Use the Start Up Dialog Box to Create or
Open a Drawing

The Start Up dialog box has three tabs with options for starting a drawing:

■ Wizard tab. Allows you to start a drawing immediately or choose one of

the listed wizards.

■ Template tab. Allows you to base a drawing on a template, and to preview

and organize the templates.

■ Open tab. Allows you to open a recently used file, browse for a file, and

preview a selected file.

18 | Chapter 3 AutoSketch Basics

Start a Drawing or Choose a Wizard (Wizard
Ta b )

In the Start Up dialog box, Wizard tab, you can start a drawing immediately
or choose a wizard to start a drawing.

A wizard contains instructions to guide you through the steps to accomplish
a task. The AutoSketch Start Up wizards help you make drawing decisions to
set up a drawing. If you are drawing a workbench project, for example, the
wizard steps you through logical workbench decisions for that drawing.

Example of a page in the Workbench wizard

Tip During an AutoSketch work session, you can access wizards by clicking

File ➤ New.

The illustration shows the Wizard tab, and is followed by an explanation of
each of its choices.

Use the Start Up Dialog Box to Create or Open a Drawing | 19

Start a Drawing Immediately. Creates a new drawing based on
preset settings such as page size and scale. You can always
change these settings later. Select this option, and then click
OK. You are ready to begin drawing.

The following choices on the tab are wizards:

Create Precision Drawing. Creates a new drawing based on
settings that you specify. You enter summary information
(including drawing title, project name, and so on), drawing size
and scale, units of measurement, and grid spacing

Building. Sets up a drawing of a commercial building, home, or
exterior site layout. You choose the building shell, dimensions,
wall thickness, roof generation, database report types and
fields, layers, page orientation, and useful toolbars. You can
add symbols such as telephone poles, trees, and hydrants.

Office Layout. Sets up a drawing of a single office or an entire
floor of offices. You choose the office shell, dimensions, wall
thickness, database report types and fields, layers, page orienta­tion, grid settings, and useful toolbars. You can add symbols
such as telephones and computer equipment.

20 | Chapter 3 AutoSketch Basics

Work Bench Project. Sets up a drawing of a small home, or a
mechanical or woodworking project. You specify page orienta­tion, units and precision, scale, grid options, database report
types and fields, layers, and useful toolbars.

Diagram. Sets up a diagram such as organizational tree, Web
site map, flow chart/schedule, piping, electronic schematic,
logic diagram, networking, or PC board layout. You choose the
type of diagram, page orientation, and useful toolbars.

You can add symbols such as flowcharts, schedules, piping,
switches, capacitors, lamps, switchboxes, PCs, printers, main­frames, modems, circuit chips, soldering points, and so on.

Mechanical Part. Sets up a drawing of a small machine or
machine component. You specify page orientation, units, pre­cision, scale, annotation options, Edit command settings, grid
options, page division (for different views of a part), database
reports and fields, layers, and useful toolbars. You can add sym­bols such as nuts, bolts, screws, brackets, washers, and so on.

Choose a Template (Template Tab)

In the Start Up dialog box, Template tab, you can choose a template file to
start a drawing.

AutoSketch includes dozens of drawing template files. A template is a draw­ing file that has settings such as borders, title blocks, grid spacing, drawing
scale, and page size already selected for you. When you select one of the tem­plates in the list, you can preview it in the Preview area. Then, you simply
choose the template that is right for your project.

You can also create your own template from an existing drawing. If you
create the same type of drawing each time you work with AutoSketch, you
may want to redefine the default template by saving an existing drawing as
a template, and then selecting that template as the new default. Then, you
can use the template to create new drawings of the same type.

The following illustration shows the Template tab.

Use the Start Up Dialog Box to Create or Open a Drawing | 21

Tip During an AutoSketch work session, you can access templates by clicking

File ➤ New.

Open an Existing Drawing (Open Tab)

In the Start Up dialog box, Open tab, you can open an existing drawing file.
You can adjust how files are displayed in the list, browse for more files, and
preview a selected file.

The following illustration shows the Open tab.

22 | Chapter 3 AutoSketch Basics

Tip During an AutoSketch work session, you can access existing drawings by

clicking File ➤ Open.

Understand the User Interface

The first step in learning how to use AutoSketch is to become familiar with
its user interface.

Drawing Window

Once you choose the type of drawing you want to create, AutoSketch opens
a drawing window. The drawing window in AutoSketch is the space where
you work.

Many drawing windows can be open at one time. Clicking a drawing window
makes it active so that you can work in it. You can make changes in the active
window only. You can resize, minimize, maximize, and close each drawing
window independently.

The following illustration shows the AutoSketch user interface elements in a
drawing window. These elements are listed alphabetically and described after
the illustration.

Understand the User Interface | 23

Property
Bar

Edit
Bar

All-In-One
Too l b ar

Title Bar

Drawing
Window

Content
Librarian

Menu Bar

Status
Bar

Drawing
Origin

Reference
Grid

Relative Coordinates
Dial

Absolute Coordinates
Dial

Communication
Center

24 | Chapter 3 AutoSketch Basics