COMPUTER AIDED

ENGINEERING DRAWING
Arch. Oraib A. Al-Jaafreh
Outline
Introduction to AutoCAD

Basic AutoCAD interface

Giving commands

Object Snap

Dynamic input

Drawing 2D shapes

Line

Selection methods

Modifying Operations

Erase And Undo

Zooming and panning

Introduction to AutoCAD
Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) is where we produce our 2D and 3D drawings using
a computer software package. CAD has many advantages and disadvantages over
traditional drawing on a drawing board with a pencil.

Some of these Advantages are:

Drawings are more Accurate

Ease of modification / edit drawings

Standardisation of drawings

Drawings can be sent over large distances using e-mail.

Ability to use a library of commonly used shapes/drawings

Basic AutoCAD Interface
File Name bar

Curser

Drawing Area

UCS Icon
 Pull Down Menus (PDM) Contain all commands we need.

PDM toolbar
Standard toolbar
 QNew

Open CTRL+O
Save CTRL+S

Plot CTRL+P
Plot Preview

Publish

3DDWF

Cut CTRL+X
Copy CTRL+C
Paste CTRL+V
Match properties

Block editor

Undo

Pan Realtime

Zoom Realtime

Zoom Window
Zoom Previous

Properties
Design Center

Tool Palettes Window

Sheet Set Manager

Makeup Set Manager

Quick Calc
Standard Toolbar contains ordinary commands like Save, Copy, Zoom, Undo etc.

Help
 Create and edit styles of Text, Dimension, and Tables.

Styles toolbar

Table Style Control

Text Style Control

Dimension Style
Control
 You can edit and save workspace setting. In addition to create and edit your own workspaces.

Workspaces
toolbar
 Current
Workspace Name My Workspace
Workspace Setting

The Workspace Settings dialog appearing

when the Workspace Settings... Icon of
the Workspaces toolbar is clicked.
 You can Manage layers such as Create new layers, switching layers On or Off, choose
line type, line color, plot style

Layers toolbar
 You can control properties of objects Color, Line Type, and Line Weight .

Properties
 You can Draw or modify objects directly from the icons in these toolbars.
You can use all these command from Draw or Modify Drop Menus.
You can see the command by moving your mouse over its icon and wait until you see a
label of it.

Draw
Modify
Toolbar
Toolbar
Modify Toolbar
Draw Toolbar Contains all 2D
Contains all Modification
2D drawing Commands
Commands such as Erase,
such as Line, Copy, Move,
Construction Trim, Rotate,..
Line, etc.
Polyline, Arc,
Ellipse, Insert
Block, Make
Block,.. etc.
 You can type any command you need in this Command Palette (Command line), then
press ENTER button.

Command
Palette
 The command palette (Command Line) when dragged from its position at
the bottom of the AutoCAD window
 Status Toolbar Buttons holds A number of buttons in the status bar can be used for
toggling (turning on/off) various functions when operating within AutoCAD 2007.

A click on a button turns that function on, if it

is off, a click on a button when it is off turns
the function back on.. These status can be
obtained by using function keys of the
computer keyboard (keys F1 to F10).

Status Toolbar
Buttons
SNAP: also toggled using the F9 key. When snap on, the cursor under mouse control can only be
moved in jumps from one snap point to another.
GRID: also toggled using the F7 key. When set on, a series of grid points appears in the drawing area.
ORTHO: also toggled using the F8 key. When on, lines, etc. can only be drawn vertically or horizontally.
POLAR: also toggled using the F10 key. When set on, a small tip appears showing the direction and
length of lines, etc. in degrees and units.
OSNAP: also toggled using the F3 key. When set on, an osnap icon appears at the cursor pick box.
OTRACK: when set on, lines, etc. can be drawn at exact coordinate points and precise angles.
DUCS: Dynamic UCS. Also toggled by the F6 key. Used when constructing 3D solid models.
DYN: Dynamic Input. When set on, the x, y coordinates and prompts show when the cursor hairs are
moved.
LWT: when set on, lineweights show on screen. When set off, lineweights only show in plotted/printed
drawings.
Maximise Viewport: when in Paper Space a button can toggle Model Space and Paper Space and a
new button appears for toggling between Maximizing and Minimizing the workspace
How do we give a command?

Command line (C)

Toolbars (T)

Pull-down menus (PDM)

You can pick any one(s) that you are

comfortable with.
What is OSNAP?
Osnap (Object Snap) settings make it easier to select a 2D objects points such as
Endpoint, Midpoint, Perpendicular, Center, ntersection, etc.
Osnap will be active when AutoCAD is expecting you to pick a point on the working
area.
 You can right click the icon to open Osnap dialogue (Drafting Settings) box to
activate or deactivate the different Osnaps.
 What is Dynamic Input (DYN) ?
DYN (Dynamic Input) when it is ON dimensions, coordinate positions and commands
appear as tips when no command is in action.
With a command in action, DYN tips showing the coordinate figures for the point of the
cursor.
 Draw Line ...
Command LINE can be done in many ways:
Draw Drop Down Menu / line.
Typing Line in the Command line or ( L ).
Toolbar icon

To draw a line you need two given points.

To draw a line any where in the screen, without specific

dimension or coordination. You can start at a random point on your

drawing area for your FIRST POINT and SECOND POINT.

(x2,y2,z2)

(x1,y1,z1)
 Methods of drawing a Line:

Absolute Coordinate System (DYN should be turned Off)

EX: (To draw a line with known first point & end point coordination)
b (5,22)
1- Call the command LINE . a
2- Command: _line Specify first point: (4,8) (4,8)
3- Specify next point or [Undo]: (5,22)

Relative Coordinate System

EX: (To draw a line with known first point (60,210) & length of 50 units and angel 0.

1- Call the command LINE .

a b
2- Command: _line Specify first point: (60,210) (60,210) (@50,0)

3- Specify next point or [Undo]: @ 50,0

 Methods of drawing a Line:

Polar Coordinate System

EX: (To draw a line with 5 units length & an angel of 30, and start point ( 60,210)
b
1- Call the command LINE .
2- Command:_line Specify first point: 60,210 30
a
3- Specify next point or [Undo]: 5<30
(60,210)

Direct Entry

EX: to draw a horizontal line with 10 units length.

1- Turn Ortho on (Hit F8)

2- Call the command LINE .
3- Command:_line Specify first point: Click on a random point on your
working area
10 units
3- Specify next point or [Undo]: 10 a b
 NOTE:

1- Coordinate points can be shown as positive or negative numbers.

2- Angles in AutoCAD are measured in 360 degrees in a counter-clockwise.
3- In the relative coordinate method the @ symbol is entered before each set of
coordinates with the following rules in mind:
+ ve x entry is to the right
- ve x entry is to the left
+ ve y entry is upwards
- ve y entry is downwards.
Modify: Erase ...
Command ERASE can be done in many ways:
Draw Drop Down Modify / Erase.
Typing Erase in the Command line or E
Toolbar icon

You can erase an object by

clicking on it then
You can choose multiple objects
by crossing window.

Methods of selection:
1- by clicking (click on the line itself)
2- by crossing (open a window from
right, this will select an object by
crossing any of its parts)
3- by crossing (open a window from
left to right, this will select an object
only of it is entirely contained within
the window)
4- All, if you want to select every
thing in the screen.
Zooming...
You will need to zoom in and out while drawing with AutoCAD. This doesnt change your
objects or UCS, only the way you see your working space. This can be done in many ways:

View Drop down This part from the standard

toolbar
Menu

Standard Toolbar

Typing z or zoom in
the command line:
All

Center

Dynamic

Extents

Previous

Scale

Window
 Panning...
View Drop down Menu
This part from the
Standard Toolbar standard toolbar
Typing p or Pan in the command line

When the tool is called,

the cursor on screen changes
to a hand icon. Dragging the
hand across screen under
mouse movement allows
various parts of the drawing
not on screen to be viewed.
Exercise

Start Point