utoCAD Tutorial 2:
FOR RELEASE 14

PLEASE READ: ___________

This tutorial was designed to be part of the introductory courses taught by the Graphic Communications Program at NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY. All of the directions used in this, and the other tutorials in this series, assume that you are running AutoCAD Release 14 on an NT system. These directions will only work with Release 14. Other versions may not have the same commands or format.

his tutorial will allow you to explore new features in AutoCAD while you practice commands you used in the previous tutorial. It is assumed that you completed AutoCAD Tutorial 1 before doing this one.

OBJECTIVES

After completing this tutorial, you should be able to:

1. create a two-dimensional drawing using the CIRCLE, TRIM, and LINE commands;
   
   
   
2. insert the title block into a file, and place it around a drawing; and
   
   
   
3. print a drawing to scale.
   
   

Throughout this tutorial, you will find LINKS that will provide explanations of the commands you will need. These explanations will appear in the LEFT PANEL of your browser window. You can also access information on the command procedures directly through the links in the LEFT PANEL.

NOTES TO REMEMBER WHEN WORKING IN AUTOCAD When using an AutoCAD command, you MUST read the prompt line and respond as needed. In a prompt, the CAPITALIZED letter(s) of an option are typed short-cuts for that option. Information typed on the prompt line is not case-sensitive. To exit a command and return to a Command: prompt, press the Esc (Escape) key. In command prompts, AutoCAD's default selection for the prompt appears between the less than and more than symbols (< >). If you press the Enter key without typing a different option on the prompt line, the default option is selected. EXAMPLE: In a prompt for the Circle command, which reads: 3P/2P/TTR/ <point>: If no other option is selected, AutoCAD assumes that you will give it a location for the center of the circle. If you want to use any other option (2P, 3P, or TTR), you must type the option on the prompt line. When AutoCAD asks you to indicate a location for an object, the default method of selection is a mouse pick. If you accidentally click your left mouse button while the cursor is in the drawing area, the object will be placed where the cursor was located when you clicked the mouse button.

STEP 1

Now that you have reviewed a few AutoCAD procedures, you need to open the start_page file that you used in Tutorial 1. This TEMPLATE file should be on a floppy disk or your harddrive. After the file opens, use Save As... to rename the file acadtutor2.

NOTE: If you find the titleblock in the start_page file, use Save As... to rename the file titleblock, to be sure you have this file. Use Save As again to rename it start_page, and use the Erase command to remove the titleblock and save the file. Finally, use Save As... once more to rename it acadtutor2.

Before you actually begin the tutorial drawing, you need to practice four methods AutoCAD uses for locating elements in a drawing. One of these, Absolute Coordinates, you used in the last tutorial. The other three methods are Relative Rectangular Coordinates, Relative Polar Coordinates, and Object Snap (Osnap). Before practicing these, click on the link for Absolute Coordinates to review the information on this location method. Now, use the Line command and draw the following lines with Absolute Coordinates.

1. For Line 1, draw a horizontal line 30mm long that begins at the 0,0 point (type 0,0 for the start point) and ends at 30,0 (type 30,0 for the second point). Press ENTER to end the line. See FIGURE 1.
   
   NOTE: Think of Absolute Coordinates as plotting points on a XY graph. You must select a X value (the first number in the coordinate) and a Y value (the number after the comma) to establish a location on the screen.
   
   
2. Line 2 should be vertical, 25mm long, and begin at the 0,0 point.
   
   
3. Line 3 should also be vertical, 15mm long, and begin at 10,10. Remember, if you start your line at 10 along the X and 10 along the Y, the next coordinate point must take this into account for the length of the line to be 15mm long.
   

To move the Osnap toolbar to a better location, hold down the LEFT mouse button at the top of the toolbar (by its name), and drag it to a convenient position. You can place it on the drawing screen or with the top and right side toolbars, on the edges of the AutoCAD drawing window. Buttons on the toolbar are usually arranged horizontally, but will become vertical (as shown in the illustration to the right) if you place it with the toolbars on the left side of the screen.

Slide your cursor onto one of the buttons on the Osnap Toolbar without clicking the mouse. Notice that the name of that button appears on the screen. You can identify any button on any toolbar in this fashion.

Relative Rectangular Coordinates allow you to treat any point on the screen as if it is the 0,0,0 point. This is why this system is referred to as a RELATIVE locating method. Read the directions for the Osnap and Relative Rectangular Coordinates before drawing the lines indicated below.

1. Line 4 should be started from the midpoint of the LAST line (line 3) that you drew earlier. After you activate the Line command, the prompt asks: From point:. Use the Midpoint Osnap to select the point. A Midpoint Osnap can be activated by clicking on the button on the Osnap toolbar or typing mid on the prompt line. Now, slide the cursor over the midpoint of line 3 and click the left mouse button when the cursor changes shape. The cursor change indicates that AutoCAD has located a midpoint. When asked for the second point, type @10,10. Remember the @ symbol indicates that you are using a relative coordinate, and the second point is 10 over (along the X-axis) and 10 up (along the Y-axis) from the midpoint of line 3. See FIGURE 2.
   
   
2. Start Line 5 from the midpoint of line 2 and end it 25 along the X-axis and 25 along the Y-axis from the midpoint of line 2. Don't forget the @ symbol before the coordinate or the line will not be the correct length.
   
   
3. Start Line 6 at the bottom end (use the Endpoint Osnap) of line number 3 (the shorter vertical line) and make it 20mm long and horizontal. Don't forget the @ symbol.

1. Draw Line 7 so that it begins at the intersection of Lines 3 and 6 (use the Intersection Osnap button or type int), is 20mm long, and at a 45 degree angle. Type @20<45 for the second point.
   
   The @ symbol again indicated that the coordinate was a relative location, the 20 told AutoCAD the line's length, and the <45 indicated the line's angle.
   
   
2. Begin Line 8 from the TOP end of Line 2 (using the Endpoint Osnap), make it 15 mm long and at a 30 degree angle. Don't forget the @ symbol.
   
   
3. Draw Line 9 so that it starts at the end of Line 1 and is 15 long and at a -30 angle.
   

If your lines match those in FIGURE 3, erase them and continue to the next part of the tutorial. If they don't, erase any lines that are wrong, and try them again. It is important you become comfortable with these selection systems.

To check your lines, you can use an Inquiry command called Distance.

To activate this command, type dist at a Command: prompt.
When the prompt asks First point:, use the Endpoint Osnap to select one end of a line.
When the prompt asks Second point:, use the Endpoint Osnap again to pick the other end of the line.

AutoCAD will display the position, length, and angle for this line in the prompt window.

STEP 3

Look at FIGURE 4. This figure provides a view of the drawing you will construct in this tutorial, inside of the titleblock you constructed in Tutorial 1. You will complete this figure and then use the Insert command to place the titleblock around it.

You will begin by constructing a rectangle, which you will edit to add other features.

FIGURE 4

**HELP NOTES

You can type u for Undo while you are inside of the Line command, and AutoCAD will remove the last point you placed without exiting the command. Many commands in AutoCAD will allow you to undo certain actions during the command.

If you accidentally leave the Line command, you can start the next line where you left off. Activate the Line command and use the Endpoint Osnap to select the end of the last line you drew.

You may need to Zoom out further to be sure that you can see all of the lines you are drawing. Use the Realtime or All option of the Zoom command to be sure you move back far enough.

DRAWING PROCEDURE

For the construction of the rectangle, you will create a series of lines without exiting the Line command.

NOTE: The icon that usually appears in the lower left hand corner of your AutoCAD screen may not be in the same position as the one shown in the figures below. Its position, relative to the drawing, depends on the Zoom factor and its configuration.

1. First Point-Review the Line command and Absolute Coordinates.
   Activate the Line command, and use an absolute coordinate to start the first line at 0 on the X-axis and the 0 on the Y-axis (0,0).
   
   
2. The second end of the line should be placed so that the line is 130mm long and horizontal. DO NOT EXIT THE LINE COMMAND. See FIGURE 5.
   
   
   **HELP NOTE: Remember, you are using an XY coordinate or Cartesian System to place these points. If you were plotting this point on graph paper, how far along the X-axis and the Y-axis would you move to place the other end of the line so that the line ends up 130mm long and horizontal?
   
   FIGURE 5
   
   
   You should now have one line, but still be in the Line command. If you move your mouse, a "rubber band-like" line should appear to be attached to the end of this line, which indicates that you are still in the Line command. The next line will be attached to the "rubber band" end of this line.
   
   
   
3. Third Point-To place the end of the next line, first look at the information on Relative Polar Coordinates. Now, place the end point of the second line so that the line is 80mm long and at a 90 degree angle. See FIGURE 6.
   
   You should have two lines that are perpendicular to each other.
   
   
   FIGURE 6
   
   
4. Fourth point-Look at FIGURE 7 to see where you need to add the next line's endpoint. If you have accidentally exited the Line command, reactivate it and, when the prompt asks for the first end of the line with From point:, use an Osnap to select the endpoint of the last line you added and press Enter. Once this is accomplished, you can continue adding lines.
   
   
5. Using a Relative Polar Coordinate, add this next point so that the line will be 130mm long and at a 180 degree angle. You need to consider whether you should use a positive or negative angle to place the end of this line. This will complete the third line. See FIGURE 7.
   
   FIGURE 7
   
   
6. Fifth point-For the last point of the 4th line, use the Endpoint Osnap to connect it to the beginning of the first line.
   
   You should now have a rectangle that looks like the one in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 8

Erase

STEP 4

You are now going to add two circles to your rectangle and edit them to form arcs.

Now, add a 40mm radius circle (on the right side of the figure) using the TTR option. Use the same option to add a 20mm radius circle (on the upper left side of the figure). If your figure does not match the one in FIGURE 9, use Undo or Erase to remove them and try placing them again.


FIGURE 9

You now need to trim the rectangle back to the circles, remove one line, and trim the circles so that you are left with arcs. You will trim the lines in STEP 5 and the circles in STEP 6. Read the information on the Trim command.

Now, trim the lines touching the large circle. Examine FIGURE 10 to see how the drawing should look when you complete this first trim stage.

FIGURE 10

Repeat the Trim command to remove the lines that extend past the small circle so that the drawing looks like FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 11

Remove the excess vertical line (touching the large circle) with the Erase command. Look at FIGURE 12 if you are not sure which line. You can use oops or Undo to replace the line if you accidentally remove the wrong one.

FIGURE 12

Type qsave at a Command: prompt, so you can save the work you have completed.

STEP 6

The last items to trim are the circles so they form arcs. Use the Trim command to edit these. Examine FIGURE 13.

**HELP NOTE: Now, the boundary edges are the lines that touch the circles, and the items to trim are the part of the circles that are not needed.

---

FIGURE 13

Use qsave to save your changes.

STEP 7

The next step is to add a polygon to the drawing and modify it. Look at FIGURE 14.


FIGURE 14

AutoCAD allows you to construct regular polygons; however, a polygon created in this program is a single or grouped object and is oriented to a default angle. This means that you must Rotate the polygon to change its orientation and Explode it before you can edit it. You will be doing both of these in this step.

Read the information on the Polygon command and Center Osnap (if needed).

Next, add a Hexagon that is concentric with the larger arc and has a radius of 15mm across its flats. Remember, if it is constructed to a measurement across its flats, it is circumscribed.

With the hexagon in the drawing, click on one of its lines with the Left mouse button. Notice that the whole polygon selects. This is because it is a grouped item. You cannot select just one line. Use the Escape Key to deselect the Polygon when you are done. In a later tutorial you will encounter a discussion of Polylines (Plines). Polygons are created as Polylines, which are treated by AutoCAD as a single object.

The hexagon you just added has a corner at 0 degrees on the XY plane. This is a hexagon's default orientation in AutoCAD. You need to rotate the hexagon so that this corner is at a 90 degree angle (aligned with the Y-axis). Read the information on the Rotate command before you rotate the hexagon to the proper angle. When asked for a basepoint for rotation, use the Center Osnap and select the large arc. See FIGURE 15.

FIGURE 15



Figure 16 shows how the drawing should look when you are done.


FIGURE 16


**NOTE: A polygon does not have a center like a circle. If this hexagon had not been concentric with the large arc, you would have had to find some way to create a basepoint for its rotation. Fortunately, a basepoint does not have to be part of the object being rotated. Other items can be used for this reference. For Polygons with an even number of sides, you can add a line that connects two corners of the Polygon and crosses through its center. The midpoint of this construction line could be used as the basepoint for rotating the Polygon. Elements are added to a CAD drawing for construction purposes the same way they are to instrument drawings.

To edit the hexagon, Explode it into individual lines so it is no longer a single or grouped entity. It is not possible to remove part of it otherwise.

I know, you expected something spectacular to happen. Sorry, no pyrotechnics come with this command, although I have always thought the programmers should have added a small sound effect for fun. The hexagon even looks the same; however, if you click on one of the hexagon's lines, only that line is now selected. With the hexagon exploded, use the Erase command to remove the two top lines of the hexagon. Look at FIGURE 17 to be sure which lines to remove.

FIGURE 17


This is a good time to save your changes.

The next command you will use is the Extend command. This command will allow you to extend the vertical sides of the hexagon so they touch the top of the drawing.
Look at FIGURE 18 to see how the drawing should appear when you have completed this step.



FIGURE 18

Read the information on the Extend command.
After familiarizing yourself with this information, use it to extend the vertical sides of the hexagon to the top of the drawing.

STEP 9

Look at FIGURE 19. Notice that part of the horizontal line and the arc, between the lines you extended, have been trimmed. Use the Trim command to remove these lines.

FIGURE 19


_qsave_

STEP 10

The last visible lines you will add to the drawing are in the lower left corner of the figure. Look at FIGURE 20. Use a combination of Absolute, Relative Rectangular or Relative Polar Coordinates to add these lines.

The first line begins 20mm from the bottom of the left side of the drawing, both are 20mm long and at 90 degrees to each other. You should recall that the lower left corner of the original rectangle was started at the 0,0 point.





FIGURE 20

If you look at FIGURE 20 again, you should notice the lines that form the LOWER LEFT CORNER, between the lines you just added, have been trimmed away. Use the Trim command to remove this part of these lines.

STEP 11

Now that the visible lines of the drawing are complete, you need to add center lines. Examine FIGURE 21, which again shows you a scaled down version of the completed drawing inside a titleblock.


FIGURE 21

So far all of the construction of this drawing has been on one layer of the file. You will add the center lines in the Center layer.

The start_page (template) file, which you started with, has already been configured with a set of layers. If you open a new AutoCAD file, only the 0 layer (the default layer in AutoCAD) exists. Another configuration that was made to the start_page file was the assignment of line types and line colors to the layers. AutoCAD refers to this as assignment BYLAYER. Anything drawn in a layer will be in the line type and color assigned to that layer.

To draw center lines in this file, all you have to do is change to the Center Layer. In a later tutorial, you will be shown how to add layers to a new drawing file and configure them. If you have accidentally started this tutorial in a default AutoCAD file, there will be no Center layer.

Look at the Layer Status Window in the upper left corner of the screen, which indicates the current layer (see FIGURE 22).

FIGURE 22
Look at the symbols in the Layer Status Window to the Left of the layer name. These symbols indicate the following (from Left to Right):



1. The layer is VISIBLE or is ON. This is indicated by the yellow light bulb. Clicking on the light bulb toggles the layer between visible and invisible. Items on an invisible layer are still printed.
   
   
2. The layer is THAWED. The yellow sun indicates the layer is thawed, can be edited, and can be printed. When a layer is frozen, a snowflake indicates it is invisible, cannot be edited, and cannot be printed.
   
   
3. The layer is UNLOCKED. The open lock indicates the layer is unlocked, can be edited, and can be printed. A closed lock indicates the layer cannot be edited, but it is visible, and can be printed.
   
   
4. The layer's line COLOR is white. The layer's color is always indicated in the small square between the lock and the layer name.
   
   
5. The NAME of the layer is zero (0). Each layer must be given a unique name to differentiate it from the others.

   
   Change to the CENTER Layer by selecting it on the Layer Status Window drop-down menu. The Center Layer name should now appear in the Layer Status Window.
   
   __qsave__

   ---

   Oh no, I only have a 0 Layer! Now what do I do?

   That will teach you to read my directions more carefully, but don't panic! Since you accidentally started this tutorial in a default AutoCAD file, you will have to add a Center Layer. Read the information on Layers in the LEFT panel and follow the next set of instructions.

6. Use the Layer button to access the Layer & Linetype Properties dialogue box.
   
   
7. Create a new layer.
   
   
8. Name the new layer CENTER.
   
   
9. Load the Center linetype.
   
   
10. Change the Linetype of the Center layer to the Center Linetype.
    
    
11. Change the Layer Color to Cyan (the fourth color under the Standard Colors list).
    
    
12. Check the parameters next to the Center layer before exiting the Layer & Linetype Properties dialogue box. Be sure that the Linetype is Center and the color is Cyan.

If you need to move an element to a different layer, there are two ways you can accomplish this.

The first method is to use the Change Properties command. Use the link to access information on this command.

The second method is to use the Layer Status Window drop-down menu (see FIGURE 22). To move items with the Layer Status menu, select the objects that need to be moved and then the appropriate layer on the Layer Status Window drop-down menu. Finally, press Escape to keep from reactivating the last command you used and to deselect the item(s) you moved. To determine if the layer change was properly completed, click on an item that you moved to a different layer, and its layer will appear in the Layer Status Window.

Remember, when you use the Center Osnap, you must click on the edge of the arcs to identify them.
See FIGURE 23.

FIGURE 23

Once the circles are placed, draw horizontal and vertical center lines across each arc using the Quadrant Osnap.

Read the information on the Quadrant Osnap and then add a horizontal center line that starts at one edge of the 50mm circle and extends to the other side (see FIGURES 24 and 25).

NOTE: Notice that the cursor changes to a "diamond" shape when using this and "snaps" to the appropriate position on the edge of the circle.

FIGURE 24



FIGURE 25


Now, add a vertical center line to the 50mm diameter circle. Repeat this operation to create horizontal and vertical center lines for the smaller arc. See Figure 26 for the line positions.

Finally, use Erase to remove the circles you added for the construction of the lines.



FIGURE 26

Change back to the 0 layer before you insert your titleblock. If you stay in the Center Layer, the titleblock will be inserted as center lines.

qsave

STEP 12

It is finally time to insert the titleblock that you created in the first tutorial. To help you during this operation, use an appropriate Zoom so that the drawing is fairly small on your screen. You will use the Insert command to place the titleblock into this file.

To access the Insert command:

use the Insert pull-down menu and click on Block. The Insert dialogue box will appear.

In the Insert dialogue box, locate and click on the File... button. The Select Drawing File dialogue box will appear.

Locate and click on the titleblock file. A preview of the titleblock should show in the window on the right side of this dialogue box.

Select OK in the Selection Drawing File dialogue window and OK in the Insert dialogue window.

If you move your mouse around the screen at this point, the titleblock will appear to follow it. To position your titleblock, click the left mouse button below the lower left corner of your drawing. Do not worry about getting the drawing centered in the titleblock at this point, you can move it later.

Now, follow the remainder of the directions in the LEFT PANEL so that you retain the titleblock's original scale and rotation.

Inserted objects, like the titleblock, are converted to a single or grouped item when they are inserted. If the titleblock needs to be moved to center the drawing, it should be moved while it is still a single item. Use the Move command to reposition the titleblock. Read the information on this command and then position the titleblock by eye.

To edit the text in the titleblock you must Explode it so that it is returned to individual lines. This is the same command you used to explode the hexagon earlier in this tutorial.

To edit the titleblock text, you are going to use a new command called ddedit.
Read the information on ddedit and then add the text in the list below.

The text that needs to be added is:

• AUTOCAD TUTORIAL 2 after TITLE:,
  
  
• the current date after DATE:, and
  
  
• 1:1 after SCALE:.

_qsave_

It is now time to print the drawing.

NOTE: Before you print, use the Extents option under the Zoom command, and then check your drawing for errors.

To print, you will use the Plot command. Read the information on this command, and then print your drawing in a 1:1 scale. Be sure to check your drawing with a Full Preview before you select OK to send the drawing to the printer.

Don't forget to save the drawing and EXIT AutoCAD PROPERLY.

Congratulations, you have now completed Tutorial 2.

In the next tutorial you will create a simple solid model.

The AutoCAD name is a registered trademark of AutoDesk, Inc.

Tutorial 2: For Release 14 was written by:
Dr. Alice Y. Scales, Ed.D.
Graphic Communications Program
Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology
North Carolina State University
with contributions by Russell R. Downs.

This work is copyrighted and the property of Alice Y. Scales and is not to be copied without permission of the author.
7/14/98

Revised 6/28/00