6/8/2021 Instructions - Code 281 | CADD ARCHITECTURE 1 (2D) - CAD PLATE NO.

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Code 281 | CADD ARCHITECTURE 1 (2D)

GUIDE TO AUTOCAD BASICS: Layers. Properties, Modifying, and Blocks

BASICS
This section reviews the basic AutoCAD controls.
 

VIEWING
Pan and zoom in a drawing and control the order of overlapping objects.
 

GEOMETRY
Create basic geometric objects such as lines, circles, and hatched areas.
 

PRECISION
Ensure the precision required for your models.
 

LAYERS
Organize your drawing by assigning objects to layers.
 

PROPERTIES
You can assign properties such as color and line type to individual objects, or as default properties assigned to layers.
 

MODIFYING
Perform editing operations such as erase, move, and trim on the objects in a drawing.
 

BLOCKS
Insert symbols and details into your drawings from commercial online sources or from your own designs.
 

LAYOUTS
Display one or more scaled views of your design on a standard size drawing sheet called a layout.
 

NOTES AND LABELS

DIMENSIONS
Create several types of dimensions and save dimension settings by name.
 

PRINTING
Output a drawing layout to a printer, a plotter, or a file. Save and restore the printer settings for each layout.

LAYERS
Organize your drawing by assigning objects to layers. When a drawing becomes visually complex, you can hide objects that you currently do not need to
see.

In the drawing below, the structural framing was temporarily hidden by hiding their layers.

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You gain this level of control by organizing the objects in your drawing on layers that are associated with a specific function or purpose. It might be helpful to
think of layers as clear plastic sheets:

With layers, you can:

    Associate objects by their function or location

Important:

Resist the temptation to create everything on one layer. Layers are the most important organizing feature available in AutoCAD drawings.

Layer Controls

To see how a drawing is organized, use the LAYER command to open the Layer Properties Manager. You can either enter LAYER or LA in the Command
window, or you can click the Layer Properties tool on the ribbon.

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Here is what the Layer Properties Manager displays for this drawing.

As indicated, layer 10 WALLS is the current layer. All new objects are automatically placed on that layer. In the list of layers, the green check next to layer 10
WALLS indicates that it is the current layer.

In the column labeled On, notice that the light bulb icons for two layers are dark. This indicates that these layers were turned off to hide the doors and
electrical wiring in the floor plan.

Notice that each layer name starts with a two-digit number. This convention makes it easy to control the order of the layers because their order does not
depend on the alphabet.

Tip: For complex drawings, you might want to consider a more elaborate layer naming standard. For example, layer names could begin with 3 digits followed
by a naming code that accommodates multiple floors in a building, project numbers, sets of survey and property data, and so on.

Practical Recommendations

     Layer 0 is the default layer that exists in all drawings and has some esoteric properties. Instead of using this layer, it is best to create your own layers
with meaningful names.
    Any drawing that contains at least one dimension object automatically includes a reserved layer named Defpoints.
   Create a layer for behind-the-scenes construction geometry, reference geometry, and notes that you usually do not need to see or print.
     Create a layer for layout viewports. Information about layout viewports is covered in the Layouts topic.
     Create a layer for all hatches and fills. This lets you to turn them all on or off in one action.

Layer Settings

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The following are the most used layer settings in the Layer Properties Manager. Click the icon to turn the setting on and off.

Controls in the Layer Properties Manager

To create a new layer, click the button shown and enter the name of the new layer. To make a different layer the current one, click the layer and then click the
indicated button.

Quick Access to Layer Settings

The Layer Properties Manager takes up a lot of space, and you may not always need to access all the options. For quick access to the most common layer
controls, use the controls on the ribbon. When no objects are selected, the Layers panel on the Home tab displays the name of the current layer as shown
here.

Occasionally, check to make sure that the objects you create will be on the correct layer. It’s easy to forget to do this, but it’s also easy to set. Click the drop-
down arrow to display a list of layers, and then click a layer on the list to make it the current layer. You can also click on any layer setting icon in the list to
change its setting.

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Maintain Your Standards

It is important to either establish or conform to a company-wide layer standard. With a layer standard, drawing organization will be more logical, consistent,
compatible, and maintainable over time and across departments. Layer standards are essential for team projects.

If you create a standard set of layers and save them in a drawing template file, those layers will be available when you start a new drawing, and you can start
working immediately. Additional information about drawing template files is presented in the Basics topic.

NOTE: Some experienced AutoCAD users set properties only with layers, while others set properties independently of layers or in combination with layers.
Assigning properties to objects is covered in the Properties topic.

Summary

Layers organize your drawing, enabling you to temporarily hide unneeded graphical data. You can also assign default properties such as color and linetype
to each layer.

PROPERTIES
You can assign properties such as color and linetype to individual objects, or as default properties assigned to layers.

The Properties Palette

The Properties palette is an essential tool. You can open it with the PROPERTIES command (enter PR in the Command window), you can press Ctrl + 1, or
you can click the tiny arrow in the Properties panel on the Home tab—whichever you prefer.

The Properties palette displays a list of all the important property settings. You can click any of the available fields to change the current settings. In the
following example, if no objects are selected, the current color will be changed from ByLayer to Red and the UCS icon will be turned off.

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Verify and Change Object Properties

You can use the Properties palette to verify and change property settings for selected objects. If you click an object in your drawing to select it, here is what
you might see in the Properties palette.

Notice that the current properties for the selected object are displayed in the palette. You can change any of these properties by clicking and changing the
setting.

A property that is set to “ByLayer” inherits its setting from the layer. In the previous example, the objects that were created on the 20 ELECTRICAL layer are
purple because that is the default color of the objects on that layer.

If you select several objects, only their common properties are listed in the Properties palette. If you change one of these properties, all the selected objects
will change in one operation. Selecting objects is covered in more detail in the Modifying topic.

NOTE: To clear the current selection, press Esc.

Quick Access to Property Settings

The Properties palette can take up a lot of space. For quick access to the most common properties, use the Properties panel. As you can see in this
example, the listed properties will all be determined by the current layer.

The Properties panel works the same way as the Properties palette. When you select an object, the current property settings are replaced by the properties
assigned to the selected object, and you can use this panel to easily change the properties of one or more selected objects.

Match the Properties of Objects

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For a fast way to copy the properties of a selected object to other objects, use the Match Properties tool, or enter MATCHPROP or MA in the Command
window.

Select the source object, and  then select all the objects that you want to modify.

LINETYPES

Dashed and other non-continuous linetypes are assigned from the Properties panel. You must first load a linetype before you can assign it.

In the Linetype drop-down list, click Other.

This action displays the Linetype Manager dialog box.

Perform the following steps in order:

 1. Click Load. Choose one or more linetypes that you want to use. Notice that dashed (non-continuous) linetypes come in several preset sizes.
 2.   Click Show/Hide details to display additional settings.
 3.  Specify a different “global scale factor” for all linetypes—the larger the value, the longer the dashes and spaces. Click OK.
 4.  Once you’ve loaded the linetypes that you plan to use, you can select any object and specify a linetype from the Properties panel or the
Properties palette. Alternatively, you can specify a default linetype for any layer in the Layer Properties Manager.

LINEWEIGHTS

The Lineweight property provides a way to display different thicknesses for selected objects. The thickness of the lines remains constant regardless of the
scale of the view. In a layout, lineweights are always displayed and printed in real-world units. Lineweights can also be assigned from the Properties panel.

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You can leave the lineweight set to ByLayer, or you can specify a value that overrides the layer’s lineweight. In some cases, the lineweight previews look the
same because they are displayed in approximated pixel widths on a monitor. However, they will print at the correct thickness.

To control the display of lineweights, click the Lineweight Settings button at the bottom of the lineweight list. In the Lineweight Settings dialog box, you can
choose whether you want to display or hide lineweights.

Regardless of the display setting, lineweights will always be printed at the correct scale.

Tip: It is usually best to leave lineweights turned off while you work. Heavy lineweights can obscure nearby objects when you use object snaps. You might
want to turn them on for checking purposes just before you print.

MODIFYING
Perform editing operations such as erase, move, and trim on the objects in a drawing.

The most common modifying tools are located on the Modify panel of the Home tab. Take a minute to look through them.

Erase

To erase an object, use the ERASE command. You can enter E in the Command window, or click the Erase tool. When you see the cursor change to a
square pickbox, click each object that you want to erase, and then press Enter or the Spacebar.

NOTE: Alternatively, before you enter any command, you can select several objects and then press the Delete key. Experienced users often use this method
as well.

Select Multiple Objects

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Sometimes you may need to select many objects. Instead of selecting each object individually, you can select the objects in an area by clicking an empty
location (1), moving your cursor right or left, and then clicking a second time (2).

    With a crossing selection, any objects within or touching the green area are selected.
    With a window selection, only the objects completely contained within the blue area are selected.

The result is called the selection set, which is the set of objects that will be processed by a command.

Tip: You can easily remove objects from the selection set. For example, if you select 42 objects, and two of them should not have been selected, hold down
Shift and then select the two that you want to remove. Then, press Enter or the Spacebar, or right click to end the selection process.

NOTE: Clicking and dragging results in a different selection method called lasso selection.

Move and Copy

Here is how you would use the COPY command to lay out a row of decorative tiles. Starting with a polyline that represents its shape, you need to make
copies that are 1/8” apart.

Click the Copy tool or enter CP in the Command window to start the command. From here, you can choose between two methods, depending on which is
more convenient. You will use these two methods frequently.

The Distance Method

The second tile needs to be a total of 9-7/8” + 1/8” = 10” to the right of the original tile. Start by selecting the tile, pressing Enter or the Spacebar to end your
selection, and clicking anywhere in the drawing area (1). This point does not have to be located on the tile.

Next, move your cursor to the right, relying on the polar tracking angle to keep the direction horizontal, and then enter 10 for the distance. Press Enter or the
Spacebar a second time to end the command.

The specified distance and a direction from a point (1) is applied to the tile that you selected.

The Two Points Method

Another method, one that you will often use when you don’t want to add numbers together, requires two steps. Enter the COPY command and select the tile
as before, but this time click the two endpoints as shown. These two points also define a distance and direction.

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Next, to add the 1/8” space between the tiles, click the Move tool or enter M in the Command window. The MOVE command is like the COPY command.
Select the newly copied tile, and press Enter or the Spacebar. As before, click anywhere in the drawing area and move your cursor to the right. Enter 1/8 or
.125 for the distance.

Tip: The two points that define the distance and direction do not need to be located on the object that you want to copy. You can use two points specified
anywhere in your model.

Create Multiple Copies

You can use the two-point method as a repeating sequence. Let us say that you want to make more copies of the circle at the same horizontal distance.
Enter the COPY command and select the circle as shown.

Then, using the Center object snap, click the center of circle 1, followed by the center of circle 2, and so on.

For larger numbers of copies, try experimenting with the Array option of the COPY command. For example, here is a linear arrangement of deep foundation
piles. From a base point, you specify number of copies and the center-to-center distance.

Offset

Most models include a lot of parallel lines and curves. Creating them is easy and efficient with the OFFSET command. Click the OFFSET tool or enter O in
the Command window.

Select the object (1), specify the offset distance, and click to indicate on which side of the original that you want the result (2). Here is an example of
offsetting a polyline.

Tip: A fast way to create concentric circles is to offset them.

Trim and Extend

A popular technique is to use the OFFSET command in combination with the TRIM and EXTEND commands. In the Command window, you can enter TR for
TRIM or EX for EXTEND. Trimming and extending are some of the most used operations.

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In the following illustration, you want to extend the lines that represent the steps for this deck. Enter the EXTEND command, select the boundary, and then
press Enter or the Spacebar.

Pressing Enter or the Spacebar indicates that you’ve finished selecting the boundaries, and that you’re now ready to select the objects to be extended.

Tip: A faster method is to press Enter or the Spacebar right away instead of selecting any boundary objects. The result is that all objects are available as
possible boundaries.

Next, select the objects to be extended (near the ends to be extended), and then press Enter or the Spacebar to end the command.

As you can see, the selected lines are extended to the boundary.

The TRIM command follows the same steps, except that when you select the objects to trim, you select the portions to trim away.

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Mirror

The following illustration comes from a tile project. The walls in this residential bathroom are flattened out to be able to lay out the tile pattern and estimate
the number of tiles needed.

You can save a lot of work by taking advantage of the symmetry between the left and right walls. All you need to do is create the tiles on one wall and then
mirror the wall across the center of the room.

In the example below, begin the MIRROR command (or enter MI in the Command window), use window selection (1 and 2) to select the geometry on the
right wall, press Enter or the Spacebar, and then specify a mirror line (3 and 4) corresponding to the centerline of the bathroom.

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Finally, decline the option to “Erase source objects” by pressing Enter or the Spacebar.

Tip: Always look for symmetry to save yourself extra work, even if the symmetry is not 100% identical.

Stretch

You can stretch most geometric objects. This lets you lengthen and shorten parts of your model. For example, this model might be a gasket or the design for
a public park.

Use the STRETCH command (or enter S in the Command window) and select the objects with a crossing selection as shown below (1 and 2). The crossing
selection is mandatory— only the geometry that is crossed by the crossing selection is stretched. Then click anywhere in the drawing area (3), move the
cursor to the right, and enter 50 as the distance. This distance might represent millimeters or feet.

To shorten the model by a specified amount, you’d move your cursor to the left instead.

Fillet

The FILLET command (enter F in the Command window) creates a rounded corner by creating an arc that is tangent to two selected objects. Notice that the
fillet is created relative to where you select the objects.

You can create a fillet between most types of geometric objects, including lines, arcs, and polyline segments.

Tip: If you specify 0 (zero) as the radius of the fillet (imagine a circle shrinking to a radius of 0), the result trims or extends the selected objects to a sharp
corner.

Explode

The EXPLODE command (enter X in the Command window) disassociates a compound object into its component parts. You can explode objects such as
polylines, hatches, and blocks (symbols).

After you explode a compound object, you can modify each resulting individual object.

Edit Polylines

You can choose from several useful options when you want to modify a polyline. The PEDIT command (enter PE in the Command window) is located on the
drop-down list of the Modify panel.

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With this command, you can:

   Join two polylines into a single polyline if they share a common endpoint
   Convert lines and arcs into a polyline—simply enter PEDIT and select the line or arc
   Change the width of a polyline

Tip: In some cases, the easiest method to modify a polyline is to explode it, make the modifications, and then turn the objects back into a polyline using the
Join option of the PEDIT command.

Grips

Grips are displayed when you select an object without starting a command.

Grips are often handy for light editing. For example, the line below accidentally snapped to the wrong endpoint. You can select the misaligned line, click on a
grip and then click to specify the correct location.

By default, when you click a grip, you automatically start in **STRETCH** mode as indicated in the Command window. If you want to explore other ways of
editing objects with grips, press Enter or the Spacebar to cycle through several other editing modes. Some people perform most editing operations using
grips.

Blocks

Insert symbols and details into your drawings from commercial online sources or from your own designs.

In AutoCAD, a block is a collection of objects that are combined into a single named object. The following are some sample blocks at various scales.

Some of these blocks are realistic representations of objects, some are symbols, and one of them is an architectural title block for a D-size drawing.

Insert a Block
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Typically, each of these blocks is an individual drawing file, perhaps saved in a folder with similar drawing files. When you need to insert one into your current
drawing file, use the INSERT command (or enter I in the Command window).

The first time you insert the drawing as a block, you must click Browse to locate the drawing file. Make sure you organize your blocks into easy-to-find
folders.

Once inserted, the block definition is stored in your current drawing. From then on, you can choose it from the Name drop-down list without needing to click
the Browse button.

Tip: The default settings in the Insert dialog box are usually acceptable. After you choose the block name, click OK, and then specify its location in your
drawing. You can rotate it later, if necessary

Notice that when you insert a block, it is attached to your cursor at the point indicated. This location is called the insertion point. By default, the insertion point
is the origin point (0,0) of the original drawing.

After inserting the block, you can select it and a grip appears. You can easily move and rotate this block using this grip.

In the following example, a drawing file is inserted into the current drawing to provide a standard detail view.
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NOTE: Inserting a drawing file as a block provides a static reference to the specified drawing. For a reference that automatically updates, you can attach the
drawing with the External References palette (XREF command) instead.

Create a Block Definition

Instead of creating a drawing file to be inserted as a block, you might want to create a block definition directly in your current drawing. Use this method if you
do not plan to insert the block into any other drawing. In that case, use the BLOCK command to create the block definition.

For example, this is how you could create a module for a cubicle design.

  1.
   Create the objects for the block.
  2.
   Start the BLOCK command.
  3.
   Enter a name for the block, in this case Quad-Cube.
  4.
   Select the objects that you created for the block (click 1 and 2).
  5.
   Specify the block insertion point.

You can enter the information for steps 3, 4, and 5 into the Block Definition dialog box in any order.

After creating the block definition, you can insert, copy, and rotate the block as needed.
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Using the EXPLODE command, you can explode a block into its component objects if you need to make changes. In the illustration below, the cubicle on the
right was exploded and modified.

In this example, you would probably create a new block definition from the objects in the exploded block.

Recommendations

There are several different schemes for saving and retrieving block definitions.

    You can create an individual drawing file for each block that you intend to use. You save these drawing files in folders, each of which would contain a
family of related drawing files.
    You can include the block definitions for title blocks and common symbols in your drawing template files to make them available immediately when
starting a new drawing.
    You can create several drawing files, which are sometimes called block library drawings. Each of these drawings contains a family of related block
definitions. When you insert a block library drawing into your current drawing, all the blocks that are defined in that drawing become available.

Tip: With online access, you can download AutoCAD drawing files from the web sites of commercial vendors and suppliers. This can save you time, but
always check to make sure that they are drawn correctly and to scale. Autodesk Seek (http:// seek.autodesk.com/) is a convenient way of accessing BIM
(building information modeling) libraries.

NOTE: You can create block definitions that include one or more attributes that store and display information. The command that you would use is ATTDEF.
Typically, attributes include data such as part number, name, cost, and date. You can export block attribute information to a table or to an external file.

RECORDED LECTURE:

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