A

TRAINING MANUAL
ON
AUTOCAD

MODULE ONE
MODULE TWO

INTRODUCTION (GETTING STARTED)

SETTING UP YOUR DRAWING
ENVIRONMENT
MODULE THREE
DRAWING WITH PRECISION
MODULE FOUR
CONTROLLING THE DRAWING
DISPLAY
MODULE FIVE
CREATING OBJECT
MODULE SIX
EDITING METHODS
MODULE SEVEN
USING LAYERS AND OBJECT PROPERTIES
MODULE EIGHT
ADDING TEXT TO DRAWING
MODULE NINE
CREATING DIMENSIONS
MODULE TEN
USING BLOCKS AND EXTERNAL
REFERENCES
MODULE ELEVEN
CREATING A LAYOUT TO PLOT
MODULE TWELVE
PLOTTING YOUR DRAWING

INTRODUCTION
Automatic Computer
B Aided Design (AutoCAD) is an application software developed
for engineering and architectural designs. It has completely Changed the way
engineers, technologist and allied professionals worked. With AutoCAD software
application, complex drawings can be created more easily, accurately and quickly.
Hence CAD can easily be integrated into Design process. Furthermore, accurate
three-dimensional (3D) models can readily be produced and potential production
problems can be detected Early enough in the design stage and corrected before
actual production.

INTRODUCTION TO THE AUTOCAD WINDOW

The AutoCAD window consist of the TEXT SCREEN and the GRAPHIC SCREEN
The TEXT SCREEN is used when giving statistical data
The GRAPHIC SCREEN is used as drawing screen.

USE OF FUNCTION KEYS

AutoCAD uses many of the F keys on the keyboard as toggle switches, that is to
turn functions on and off. The GRID background is toggled using the F7 key, the
SNAP is by F9, and the STATUS (Coordinates) reading at the bottom of the screen
by F6.
Getting Started
When you start AutoCAD, the setup dialog box is displayed. The dialog box provides you with
four ways to start a drawing. You can:
Open an existing drawing
Start a drawing from scratch
Start a drawing based on a template
Use wizards to help you set up your drawing
To Start AutoCAD
From the start menu choose programs. Then choose AutoCAD from the menu.
In the startup dialog box, choose one of the following as shown in the screen.
STARTING DRAWINGS FROM SCRATCH
Starting a drawing from scratch is a quick way to begin a new drawing. When you
select this drawing startup method, you can select one of two measurement
systems on which to base the new drawing:
English: creates a new drawing based on the Imperial measurement system. The
default drawing boundary, called the drawing limit, is 12x9 inches.

Metric: creates a new drawing based on the metric measurement system. The default
drawing boundary is 420x297 millimeters.

WORKING WITH TOOLBARS

AutoCAD provides 24 toolbars for access to frequently used commands, settings, and
modes. The standard, object properties, draw and modify toolbars are displayed by
default.

TO DISPLAY OR CLOSE TOOLBARS

Right-click the background or title bar of any displayed toolbar, such as the standard or

Draw toolbar.
From the shortcut menu, select the toolbar you want to display or close.

SAVING DRAWINGS
When you are working on a drawing, you should save it frequently. If you want to create a
new version of a drawing without affecting the original drawing, you can save it under
another name.
To save a drawing
From the File Menu, Choose save.
In the save drawing dialog box under the file name, enter the new drawing name (the file
extension is not required).
Choose save.

CLOSING DRAWINGS
The CLOSE command closes the active drawing. You can also click the close button in
the upper-right corner of the drawing.
To close a drawing
Click the drawing you want to close to make it the active drawing.
From the file menu, choose close.
EXITING AUTOCAD
If you saved your most recent changes to all drawings, you can exit AutoCAD without
saving the drawings again. If you have not saved your changes, AutoCAD prompts
you to save or discard the changes.
To exit AutoCAD
From the file menu, choose EXIT.

MODULE TWO
SETTING UP YOUR DRAWING ENVIRONMENT
Setting Drawing Units
Every object you draw is measured in unit. You determine the value of
the units within AutoCAD before you draw. For example, in one
drawing, a unit might equal one millimeter of the real-world object. In
another drawing, a unit might equal an inch.
You can set the unit type and number of decimal places for object
lengths and angles.
Setting drawing units do not automatically set units for dimensions.
You generally set drawing units and dimension units to the same type
and precision, but you can set different values for dimension units.
To format drawing units
from the Format menu, choose units.
In the drawing Units dialog box, set the unit values for your drawing.
As you change unit settings , AutoCAD shows examples under sample
output.

Under Length, select a unit type and level of precision.

Under Angle, select an angle type and precision.
To specify an angle direction, choose Direction, and then select
the base angle in the Direction Control dialog box.
The angle direction controls the point from which AutoCAD
measures angles and the direction in which they are measured.
The default is 0 degrees on the right side of the figure, measured
counter clockwise. If you select other, you can enter an angle, or
choose Angle to specify an angle using your pointing device.
choose OK to exit each dialog box.
SETTING DRAWING UNITS
Setting Grid Limits
You can set the rectangular boundary, or limits, of the drawing
area that is covered by grid dots when the grid is turned on. The
grid provides a visual representation of the limits. Setting the
limits controls the extent of the display of the grid.
SETTING THE GRID
The grid is a pattern of dots that extends over the area specified
by the limits.

MODULE THREE
DRAWING WITH PRECISION
CHANGING THE SNAP ANGLE AND BASE POINT
To draw objects along specific alignments or angles, you can
rotate the snap angle, which rotates the crosshairs and the
grid. Then, if Ortho mode is on, AutoCAD constrains cursor
movement to the new snap angle and its perpendicular angle.
Changing the snap angle changes the grid angle. You can see the
new snap alignment.
3.2 TO ROTATE THE SNAP ANGLE
1. From the tools menu, choose Drafting Settings.
2. On the Snap and Grid tab in the Drafting Settings dialog box
enter a snap angle.
For example, to rotate the snap angle 30-degrees, enter 30.
To change the snap angle base point
1. From the tools menu, choose Drafting Settings.
2. On the Snap and Grid tab in the Drafting Settings dialog box
enter new X and Y coordinates in X base and Y base.
3. Choose OK.
3.3
SETTING SNAP AND GRID TO ISOMETRIC MODE
Isometric Snap/Grid mode helps you create 2D drawings that
represent 3D objects, such as cubes. Isometric drawings are
not

True 3D drawings. They stimulate a 3D object from a particular

viewpoint by aligning along three major axes. If the snap
angle is 0, the axes of the isometric plane are 30-degrees, 90degrees and 150 degrees. When you set snap mode to
isometric, use F5 key (or CTRL+E) to change the isometric
planes to left, right, or top orientations:
Left: Orients the snap and grid alignment along 90-and 150degrees axes.
Right: Orients the snap and grid alignment along 90-and 30degrees axes
Top; Orients the snap and grid alignment along 30-and 150degrees axes.
Choosing an isometric plane realigns the snap intervals, grid and
crosshairs along the corresponding isometric axes.
3.4 TO TURN ON AN ISOMETRIC PLANE
1. From the Tools menu choose Drafting Settings.
2. On the Snap and Grid tab in the Drafting Settings dialog box under Snap
Style & Type, Select Isometric Snap.
3. Choose OK.
3.5 SETTING RUNNING OBJECT SNAPS
In addition to single-point object snaps, you can turn on running object snaps.
Running object snaps stay on until you turn them off. You can also turn on
more than one running object snap at a time.

2. On the Object Snap tab in the Drafting Settings dialog box, select
Object Snap On.
3. Select the running object snaps you want, and then choose OK.

MODULE FOUR
4.0 CONTROLLING THE DRAWING DISPLAY
4.1 USING ZOOM PAN
Using ZOOM Real time
In Real-time Zoom mode, you can zoom in or out of the drawing by
moving the cursor up or down. Hold the pick button down at the
midpoint of the drawing and move the cursor vertically to the top
(positive direction) of the window to zoom in to 100 percent (2x
magnification). Hold the pick button down at the midpoint of the
drawing and move the cursor vertically to the bottom (negative
direction) of the window to zoom out 100 percent (.5x
magnification).
To zoom in real time
1. From the view menu, choose zoom real-time.
2. To zoom in or out to different magnifications, hold down the pick
button on your pointing device and move the cursor vertically.
Move the cursor above the midpoint of the drawing area to zoom in
on the image. Move the cursor below the midpoint of the drawing
area to zoom in on the image. Move the cursor below the midpoint
of the drawing area to zoom out from the image.

4.2 USING PAN REALTIME

Real time is the default saving for PAN pressing ENTER after entering pan on
the command line automatically places you in Real time Pan mode.
Hold down the pick button on the pointing device and move the hand cursor
to pan the drawing.
To pan in Real time
1. From the View Menu, choose Pan Real Time.
2. Hold down the pick button and move the pointing device to reposition the
drawing.
4.3 DISPLAYING DRAWING LIMITS AND EXTENTS
To display a view based on the drawing boundaries or the extents of the
objects in the drawing use ZOOM ALL or ZOOM Extents.
Zoom Extents displays a view that includes all objects in the drawing at the
highest magnification that will fit the drawing area or the current viewport.
Zoom All displays a view that includes the drawing limits you defined when
you set the drawing and any objects that extend beyond the limits.

MODULE FIVE
5.0 CREATING OBJECTS
5.1 DRAWING LINE OBJECTS
A line can be one segment or a series of connected
segments, but each segment is a separate line object.
To draw a line
1. From the Draw Menu, Choose Line.
2. Specify the start point
3. Specify the endpoint.
4. Press ENTER to complete the line.
5.2 DRAWING POLYLINES
A polyline is a connected sequence of the line or arc
segments created as a single object.
To draw a polyline with straight segments
1. From the Draw menu, choose polyline.
2. Specify the first point of the polyline.
3. Specify the endpoint of each polyline segment.
4. Enter c (Close) to close the polyline or press ENTER to
end the command.

5.3 DRAWING MULTILINES

Multilines consist of between 1 and 16 parallel lines, called
elements. You position the elements by specifying the desired
offset of each element from the origin of the multiline.
To draw a multiline
1. From the Draw menu, choose Multiline.
2. At the command prompt, enter ST to select a style.
3. To list available styles, enter the style name or enter?
4. To justify the multiline, enter j and choose top, zero, or bottom
justification.
5. To change the scale of the multiline, enter s and enter a new
scale.
Now draw the multiline.
6. Specify the starting point.
7. Specify the second point.
8. Specify the third point.
9. Specify the fourth point or enter c to close the multiline, or
press ENTER.
5.4 DRAWING INSCRIBED POLYGONS
Use inscribed polygons when you want to specify the distance between
the center of the polygon and each vertex. This distance is the radius of
the circle within which the polygon is inscribed.

To draw an inscribed square.

1.From the Draw menu, choose polygon
2.Enter 4 to specify four sides for the polygon
3.Specify the centerpoint for the polygon
4.Enter I (Inscribed in Circle)
5.Specify the radius.
5.5
DRAWING CIRCUMSCRIBED POLYGONS
Use circumscribed polygons when you want to specify the distance between
the center of the polygon and the midpoint of each side. This distance is the
radius of the circle the polygon circumscribes.
To draw a circumscribed hexagon
1.From

the Draw menu, choose polygon.

2.Enter 6 for the number of sides
3.Specify the center of the polygon
4.Enter c (Circumscribed about Circle)
5.Specify the radius length.
5.6
SKETCHING FREEHAND
You can see the SKETCH command to draw free hand sketches. Freehand
sketches comprise many line segments. You set the minimum length or
increment of the segments. Sketching is useful for creating irregular
boundaries or for tracing with a digitizer. Small line segments' allow for
greater accuracy, but they can greatly increase the drawing file size. For this
reason, us this tool sparingly.

To sketch and record freehand lines

1. At the command prompt, enter sketch
2. At the Record Increment prompt, enter the minimum line segment
length.
3. Click the start point to put the pen down.
When you move the pointing device, AutoCAD draws temporary freehand
line segments of the length you specified. SKETCH doesn't accept
coordinate input. During the command, freehand lines are displayed in a
different color.
4 Click the endpoint to lift the pen up so that you can move the cursor
around the screen without drawing. Click a new start point to resume
drawing from the new cursor position.
5. Enter r at any me to record (save) in the database the line youre
drawing and those already drawn.
6. Press ENTER to complete the sketch and record all unrecorded lines.
5.7 DRAWING CIRCLES
You can create circle in several ways. The default method is to specify the
center and radius. You can also specify the center and diameter or define
the diameter alone with two points. You can define the circles
circumference with three points. You can also create the circle tangent to
three existing objects or create it tangent to two objects and specify a
radius.
Methods of drawing circles

1. From the draw menu, choose Circle Center, Radius

2. Specify the center point
3. Specify the radius.
To create a circle tangent to existing objects
1. From the Draw menu, choose Circle Tan,Tan, Radius
You are now in Tangent snap mode
2. Select the first object to draw the circle tangent to.
3. Select the second object to draw the tangent to
4. Specify the radius of the circle.
To create a circle tangent at two or three points, set OSNAP to tangent and
use the two point or three point method to create the circle.
5.8
DRAWING ARCS
You can create arcs in many ways. The default method is to specify three
points a start point, a second point on the arc, and an endpoint.
To draw an arc by specifying three points
1. From the draw menu, choose Arc-Start, Center, End.
2. Specify the start point (1) by entering endp and selecting the line.
The arc snaps to the endpoint of the line.
3. Specify the second point (2) by entering cen and selecting the existing
arc to define the center of the arc.
4. Specify the endpoint of the arc (3)

To draw an arc using a start point, a center point, and a chord length
1.
2.
3.
4.

From the draw menu, choose Arc Start, Center, Length.

Specify a start point (1)
Specify the center point (2)
Specify the chord length.

5.9
DARWING SPLINE CURVES
A spline is a smooth curve passing through a given set of points. Splines
are useful for creating irregular shaped curves, for example drawing
contour lines for geographic information system (GIS) applications or
automobile design.
To
1.
2.
3.
4.

create a spline by specifying points

From the Draw menu, choose Spline.
Specify the splines start point (1).
Specify points (2 through 5) to create the spline and press ENTER.
Specify the start and end tangents (6 and 7).

5.10 DRAWING ELLIPSES

The default method of drawing an ellipse is to specify the endpoints of the
axis and the distance, which is half the length of the second axis. The
longer axis of an ellipse is called the major axis, and the shorter one is
the minor axis. The order in which you define the axes does not matter.
To draw a true ellipse using endpoints and distance

1.From the draw menu, choose Ellipse Axis, End.

2.Specify the first endpoint of the first axis(1).
3.Specify the second endpoint of the first axis (2)
4.Drag the point device away from the midpoint (3) of the first axis and
click to specify the distance.
You can provide a rotation angle instead of a distance or draw the ellipse
based on a center point, an endpoint of one axis, and half the length of the
other axis.
5.11 DRAWING ISOMETRIC CIRCLES
If you are drawing on isometric planes to stimulate three dimensions, you
can use ellipses to represent circles viewed from an oblique angle. First
you need to turn on an isometric plane.
To draw an isometric circle
1.Turn on the Isometric snap and grid.
2. from the Draw menu, choose Ellipse Axis, End.
3.Enter I (Isocircle).
4.Specify the center of the circle (1)
5.Specify the radius or diameter of the circle (2)
5.12 DRAWING DONUTS
Drawing donuts is a quick way to create filled rings or solid- filled circles.
Donuts are actually closed polylines that have width.
To draw a donut
1. From the draw menu, choose Donut.

2. Specify the
3. Specify the
4. Specify the
5. Specify the
command.

inside diameter (1).

outside diameter (2).
center of the donut (3).
center point for another donut or press ENTER to end the

5.13 HATCHING AREAS

Creating an Associative Hatch
Hatching areas created with BHATCH are associative by default. If you
specify points to create an associative hatch, specify only one internal
point per hatch block placement.
To hatch an enclosed area
1.From the Draw menu, choose Hatch.
2.In the Boundary Hatch dialog box, choose pick points.
3.Specify a point in your drawing inside each area you want to hatch. If
you make a mistake, you can right-click and choose clear All or Undo last
Select/Pick from the shortcut menu.
4.To preview the hatch, right click and choose preview.
5.Press ENTER to return to the Boundary Hatch dialog box and Select a
hatch pattern.
6.Choose OK to apply hatch.
USING HATCH PATTERNS
AutoCAD supplies a solid fill and more than 50 industry-standard hatch
patterns that you can use to differentiate the components of objects or

Materials. AutoCAD supplies 14 hatch patterns that conform to the ISO

(International Standardization Organization) standards. When you
select an ISO pattern, you can specify a pen width, which determines
the line weight in the pattern.
To use an ISO hatch pattern
1. From the Draw menu, choose Hatch.
2. In the Boundary Hatch dialog box, choose quick tab.
3. Under Type, Choose Predefined.
4. Under Pattern, Choose an ISO pattern name from the list, or if you
prefer to choose the viewing preview images, choose the [] button
next to the pattern list.
5. I n the Hatch pattern Palette dialog box, choose the ISO tab.
6. Choose a pattern and choose ok.
7. In the Boundary hatch dialog box, choose pick points.
8. Specify an internal point and press ENTER.
9. To preview the hatch, right-click and choose preview.
If pattern is not displayed the way you want, you may need to adjust the
pattern, scale, or angle. Use the preview button in the Boundary Hatch
dialog box to preview the hatch with the settings.
10. Press ENTER to return to the Boundary Hatch dialog box. Choose OK to
apply the hatch.
To define a hatch pattern.
1. From the Draw menu, choose Hatch.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

In the Boundary Hatch dialog box, choose the QUICK TAB.

Under Type, choose User Defined.
Under spacing, enter the spacing between lines.
Select Double to add lines at 90 degrees to the original.
Choose pick points.
Specify an internal point and press ENTER.
Choose OK to apply the hatch.

MODULE SIX
6.0
6.1

EDITING METHODS
SELECTING OBJECTS

Using selection windows

You can select objects by enclosing them in a selection window. A selection
window is a rectangular area that you define in the drawing area by
specifying two corner points at the Select Objects prompt. The order in
which you specify the points makes a difference. Dragging from left to
right (window selection) selects only objects entirely within the selection
area. Dragging from right to left (crossing selection) selects objects within
and objects crossing the selection area. Objects must be at least partially
visible to be selected.
Using pointing technique
Position target box over each item and check one at a time. The box must
touch the object itself rather than the space it encloses.
To select objects within an irregularly shaped area, enclose them in a
polygon selection window. A window polygon selects only objects it
encloses entirely, and a crossing polygon selects objects it encloses or
crosses. Create the window by specifying points to enclose the area. The
order in which you specify points defines a window or a crossing polygon.
To select objects within an irregularly shaped area.

1. At the Select Objects prompt, enter cp (crossing polygon) or wp

(Regular polygon).
2. Specify points from left to right to define an area that entirely encloses
the lies you want to select.
3. Press ENTER to close the polygon and complete the selection.
6.2
USING THE OBJECT PROPERTIES TOOLBAR
Editing Layers
With the layer buttons and the layer control, you can view a selected
objects layer, change an objects layer, make a layer current, and
change a layers properties.
To
1.
2.
3.

change an objects layer

Select the objects whose layers you want to change.
On the Object properties toolbar, choose the Layer Control.
Choose a layer.

AutoCAD applies the chosen layer to all selected objects.

To make a layer current
1. With no objects selected, on the Objects Properties toolbar, choose the
layer control.
2. Choose the layer you want to make current.
To make an objects layer current
1. Select the object whose layer you want to make current.
2. On the Object Properties toolbar, choose Make Objects Layer Current.

To
1.
2.
3.

change a layers properties

On the Object Properties toolbar, choose the Layer control.
Click the layer property icon that you want to toggle.
Choose the Layer control again to collapse the list.

To access the layer Properties Manager

On the Object Properties toolbar, choose layers.
6.3 EDITING COLORS
With the Color control, you can view the current color of a selected object,
change the color of an object, and make a color current.
The Color control lists BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, seven standard colors, and the
four most recently used non-standard colors. If the color you want is
not on the list, choose other and choose the color in the select color
dialog box.
To
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

change an objects color

Select the objects whose colors you want to change.
On the Object Properties toolbar, choose he color control.
Choose a color.
If you do not see the color that you want, choose Other.
In the select color dialog box, select the color that you want.

You an select a color from one of the palettes or enter an AutoCAD color
index (ACI) color number under color.
6. Choose OK.

AutoCAD applies the chosen color to all selected objects.

TO MAKE A COLOR CURRENT
1. With no objects selected, on the Object Properties toolbar, choose the
color control.
2. Choose a color from the list.
3. If you do not see the color that you want, choose other.
4. In the Select Color dialog box, select the color that you want and
choose OK.
6.4

EDITING LINETYPES

With the linetype control, you can view a selected objects linetype,
change an objects linetype, make a linetype current, and access the
Linetype Manager.
The linetype control displays BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, CONTINUOUS, and any
linetypes that you have loaded. If the linetype you want is not listed,
access the linetype Manager as described in this section to load
additional linetypes.
To change an objects linetype
1.
2.
3.
4.

Select the objects whose linetypes you want to change.

On the Object Properties toolbar, choose the Linetype control.
Choose a linetype.
If you do not see the linetype that you want, choose other.

AutoCAD applies the chosen linetype to all selected objects.

To make a linetype current
1. With no objects selected, on the Object Properties toolbar, choose the
Linetype control.
2. Choose the linetype you want to make current.
3. If you do not see the linetype that you want, choose other.
In the linetype Manager, you can load additional linetypes.
4. Choose linetype that you want and choose OK.
6.5 OFFSETTING OBJECTS
Offsetting creates a new object that is similar to a selected object but at a
specified distance. You can offset lines, arcs, circles etc.
To offset an object by specifying a distance
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

From the Modify menu, choose Offset.

Use the pointing device to specify the offset distance, or enter a value.
Select the object to offset.
Specify which object to offset.
Select another object to offset, or press ENTER to end the command.

The default setting for the angle is 360 degrees.

7. Press ENTER to rotate the objects as they are arrayed.
Creating Rectangular Arrays
A rectangular array of a chair can be made using the option. The array
has rows and columns.
To create a rectangular array
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

From the Modify menu, choose Array.

Select the chair.
Enter r (Rectangular).
Enter the number of rows.
Enter the number of columns.
Enter the distance between the rows.
Enter the distance between the columns.

6.8 MOVING OBJECTS

When you move objects, you can rotate or align them or move them
without changing orientation or size. Use snap mode, coordinates,
grips, and objects snap modes to move objects with precision.
To
1.
2.
3.
4.

move an object
From the Modify menu, choose move.
Select the object to move.
Specify the base point for the move.
Specify the second point of displacement.

6.9 ROTATING OBJECTS

You rotate objects by choosing a base point and a relative or absolute
rotation angle. Specify a relative angle to rotate the object from its
current orientation around the base point by that angle. Whether the
objects are rotated counter clockwise or clockwise depends on the
Direction Control setting in the Units Control dialog box. Specify
absolute angles to rotate objects from the current angle to a new
absolute angle.
To
1.
2.
3.
4.

rotate an object
From the Modify menu, choose Rotate.
Select the object to rotate.
Specify the base point for the rotation.
Specify the angle of rotation.

6.10 RESIZING OBJECTS

Stretching Objects
To stretch an object, you specify a base point for the stretch and then two
points of displacement.
To
1.
2.
3.
4.

stretch an object
From the Modify menu, choose Stretch.
Select the object using a crossing selection.
Specify the base point.
Specify the point of displacement.

6.11 SCALING OBJECTS

Scaling by a Scale Factor

Scaling by a scale factor changes all dimensions of the selected object. A
scale factor greater than 1 enlarges the object. A scale factor less than 1
shrinks the object.
To scale a selection set by a scale factor.
1.From the Modify menu, choose Scale.
2.Select the objects to scale.
3.Specify the base point.
4.Enter 5 (the scale factor)
6.12 EXTENDING OBJECTS
You can extend objects so they end precisely at a boundary defined by
other objects.
To extend an object
1.From the Modify menu, choose Extend.
2.Select the object for the boundary.
3.Select the objects to extend and press ENTER.
6.13 TRIMMING OBJECTS
You can cut an object precisely at an edge defined by one or more objects.
Objects you define as boundary edges or cutting edges do not have to
intersect the object being trimmed.

To trim walls where they intersect

1.From the Modify menu, choose Trim.
2.Select the cutting edges with a crossing selection and press ENTER.
3.Select the section of the wall you want trimmed and press ENTER.
6.14 INSERTING BREAKS IN OBJECTS
You can remove part of an object with the break command. You can break
lines, circles, arcs, etc.
To break an object
1.From the Modify menu, choose Break.
2.Select the object to break.
By default, the point you select on the object will be the first break point.
To choose a different first break point, enter f (first) and specify the new
first break point.
3. Specify the second break point.
6.16 EXPLODING OBJECTS
Exploding objects converts single objects to their constituent parts but has
no visible effect.
To explode an object
1.From the Modify menu, choose Explode.
2.Select the objects to be exploded and press Enter.
6.17 CHAMFERING OBJECTS

Chamfering by Specifying Distances

The chamfer distance is the amount each object is trimmed or extended to
meet the chamfer line or to intersect the other object.
To chamfer by specifying distances
1. From the Modify menu, choose Chamfer.
2. Enter d (Distance).
3. Enter the first chamfer distance.
4. Enter the second chamfer distance.
5. Press ENTER to re enter the chamfer command.
6. Select the lines for chamfering.
6.18 FILLETING OBJECTS
The fillet radius is the radius of the arc that connects filleted objects. By
default, the fillet radius is 0.500 or the last radius set. Changing the
radius affects subsequent fillets but not existing ones.
To set fillet radius

From the Modify menu, choose Fillet.

Enter r (Radius).
Specify the fillet radius.
Press ENTER to re-enter the FILLET command.
Select the objects to fillet.

MODULE SEVEN
7.0 USING LAYERS AND OBJECT PROPERTIES
7.1 WORKING WITH LAYERS
Creating and Naming Layers
You can create and name a layer for each conceptual grouping (such as
walls or dimensions) and assign common properties to those layers. By
grouping objects into layers, you can control their display and make
changes quickly and efficiently.
You can create new layers and assign color, linetype, and lineweight.
TO CREATE A NEW LAYER
1. From the Format menu, choose Layer.
2. In the Layer Properties Manager, choose New.
A new layer is displayed in the list with the temporary name LAYER 1.
3. Enter a new name.
4. To create more than one layer, choose New again, enter the new layer
name and press ENTER.
5. Choose OK.
Assigning Color to a Layer

You can assign a color to a layer using the Layer Properties Manager. For
example, you can assign the color red to a layer to help you identify the
component in your drawing.
To
1.
2.
3.
4.

assign a color to a layer

From the Format menu, choose Layer.
In the Layer Properties Manager, select a Layer and click the Color icon.
In the Select Color dialog box, select a color.
Choose OK.

7.2 ASSIGNING A LINETYPE TO A LAYER

When you are defining layers, linetypes provide another way to convey
visual information. A linetype can be a straight line or a repeating
pattern of dashes, dots, and blank spaces that you can use to
distinguish the purpose of one line from another.
To assign a linetype to a layer
1. From the Format menu, choose Layer.
2. In the Layer Properties Manager, select a layer and then click the
linetype associated with that layer.
3. In the Select Linetype dialog box, do one of the following: Select a
linetype from the list or Choose Load to load a linetype from a file
4. Choose OK to exit each dialog box.
RENAMING LAYERS

You may want to rename a layer to better define how its used in your
drawing. You can rename a layer at any time during a drawing session. You
cannot rename layer 0 or an xref-dependent layer.
To rename a layer
1.From the Format menu, choose Layer.
2.In the Layer Properties Manager, select a layer to rename, select the
layer name and enter the new name.
3.Choose OK.
7.3 SETTING THE CURRENT COLOR
You can assign a color to a layer, set the current color for new objects that
you create (including BYLAYER or BYBLOCK), or change the color of
existing objects in your drawing. To use a color to draw, you must choose a
color and make it current. All newly created objects are drawn using the
current color.
To make a color current
1.From the Format menu, choose Color.
2.In the Select Color dialog box, select a color name or enter a color
number in the Color box.
3.Choose OK.
DELETING LAYERS
You can delete a layer at any time during a drawing session. You cannot
delete the current layer, layer 0, an xref-dependent layer, or a layer that
contains objects.

1. From the Format menu, choose Layer.

2. In the Layer Properties Manager, select one or more layers, and then
choose Delete.
3. Choose OK.
7.4 LINETYPE
A linetype is a repeating pattern of dashes, dots, and blank spaces. A
complex linetype is a repeating pattern of symbols along with dashes,
dots, and blank spaces.
To use a linetype you must first load it into your drawing.
To
1.
2.
3.

load a linetype
From the Format menu, choose Linetype.
In the linetype Manger, choose Load.
In the Load or Reload Linetypes dialog box, select one or more linetypes
to load and then choose OK.

To select or clear all linetypes simultaneously, right-click the lnetypes list

and choose select All or Clear All from the shortcut menu.
The linetypes you select are displayed in the linetype list in the Linetype
Manager and in the Linetype control on the Object Properties toolbar.
4. Choose OK.

DELETING LINETYPES
You can delete a linetype at any time during a drawing session; however,
some linetypes cannot be deleted, including BYLAYER, BYBLOCK,
CONTINUOUS, the current linetype, xref-dependent linetypes that are
being used by objects in the drawing . Also, linetypes referenced by
block definitions cannot be deleted, even if they contain no visible
objects.
To delete a linetype
1. From the Format menu, choose Linetype.
2. In the Linetype Manager, select one or more linetypes, and then
choose Delete.
3. Choose OK.

MODULE EIGHT
8.0

ADDING TEXT TO DRAWINGS

8.1
CREATING LINE TEXT
Using TEXT you can create one or more lines of text and end each line
when you press ENTER. Each text line is a separate object that you can
relocate, reformat, or otherwise modify.
To create line text

From the Draw menu, choose Text single line Text.

Specify the insertion point for the first character. Press ENTER to locate
the new text immediately below the last text object you created, if
any. If the text height is set to 0 in the current text style, you are
prompted to specify the height of the text.

Set the text height by entering a value in drawing units.

Set a text rotation angle by entering a desired angle.

Enter the text. Press ENTER to end one line of text and begin another.

Press ENTER on a blank line to end text creation.

ASSIGNING A STYLE TO LINE TEXT

All text in a drawing has a style associated with it that sets the font,
size, angle, orientation, and other text characteristics. When you enter
text, the TEXT command uses the current text style. You can assign a
different, existing style by entering its name at the style prompt.

To specify a style when you create line text.

From the draw menu, choose text single line text.
Enter s (style).
At the style Name prompt, enter an existing style name. Or
Enter? For a list of available styles, and then enter a style
name.
Continue creating text.
Changing line text
Like any other object, line text objects can be moved, rotated,
erased, and copied. You can also mirror, or make a reverse
copy of text.
If you do not want the text to be reversed when you mirror it,
you can set the MIRRTEXT system variable to 0.
You can change line text with the DDEDIT and PROPERTIES
commands. For line text, DDEDIT displays the Edit Text dialog
box, in which you can edit only the text content. PROPERTIES
displays the properties window, in which you can change the
text content, insertion point, style, justification, size, and
other properties.

TO EDIT LINE TEXT CONTENT ONLY

From the Modify menu, choose Text.

Select the line text object you want to edit.
Note: each line text is a separate object, so you
can edit only one line at a time.
In the Edit Text dialog box, enter the new text.
Choose OK
select another text object to edit, or press ENTER
to exit the command
To modify line text object properties
From the Modify menu, choose properties.
Select a line text object.
In the properties window, change the contents
and other properties as needed.
These changes affect all the text in the text
object.
Choose OK.

8.4

USING MULTILINE TEXT

Creating Multiline Text

You can create text in the multiline Text Editor, on the command line, or
with a third-party text editor. You specify a third-party text editor in the
option dialog box or with the MTEXTED system variable.

Before creating the text, you must define the paragraphs width. When
text entry is complete, AutoCAD inserts the text entered in the dialog
box within this width limit.

The height of the multiline Text object you create with MTEXT depends
on the amount of text you enter, not the height you specify when
defining the boundary box.

To create multiline text

From the Draw menu, choose Text Multiline Text

At the specify First corner prompt, use your pointing device to specify
the corner, or Enter coordinate values on the command line.

At the next prompt, define the text width by using your pointing device
to specify the opposite corner of the boundary box.

Or

Enter a width value on the command line.

In the multiline Text Editor, enter the text.

Text that extends beyond the boundary box width wraps to the next line.

To convert text to uppercase as you enter it, double-click AutoCAPS.

Choose OK

8.5 FORMATTING MULTILINE TEXT

You can edit the content and change the properties of an

mtext object in the properties window.
To format exiting multilines text in the multiline Text Editor
From the Modify menu, choose Text.
Select the multiline text object you want to edit.
In the multiline Text Editor, highlight the text you want to
edit
Enter replacement text, if necessary.
To use formatting option, choose one of the following tabs:
Character; provides options that apply to words and
characters within a text object, including fonts, text height,
italics, and color.
Properties; provides options that apply to the entire mtext
object, including style, width, and justification.
Line spacing; provides options for defining line spacing.
Find/ replace; finds text within an mtext object and
replaces it.
Choose OK.

CHECKING SPELLING
The SPELL command checks the spelling in your drawing, including spelling
in dimension text. You use one of several main dictionaries, available in
different languages. The main dictionaries use standard word list, which you
can customize.
To check spelling

From the Tools menu, choose spelling.

Select the text objects you want to check, or enter all to select all text
objects.

If AutoCAD does not find any misspelled words, it displays a message. If

AutoCAD finds a misspelling, the check spelling dialog box identifies the
misspelled word.
The misspelled word and the text that surrounds it are displayed under
context.

Do one of the following:

To correct a word, select an alternative from the suggestions list or enter a
word in suggestions. Then choose change or change All.
To leave a word unchanged, choose ignore or ignore All
To leave a word unchanged and add it to the custom dictionary, choose Add
(This option is not available unless a custom dictionary is specified.)
5. Choose cancel to exit dialog box.

MODULE NINE

9.CREATING DIMENSIONS

9.1 CREATING LINEAR DIMENSIONS

Linear dimensions create distance measurements between two plane in the XY
plane of the current user coordinate system (UCS). You can specify the points or
select an object.
Horizontal : measures a distance between two points parallel to the X
axis.
Vertical: measures a distance between two points parallel to the Y axis.
When you start a linear dimension, AutoCAD creates a horizontal or vertical
measurement automatically based on where you placed the dimension. You can
also specify the type of linear dimension explicitly.
To create a linear dimension
1.From the dimension menu, choose linear.
2.At the prompt, specify the first and second dimension points, or press ENTER
and select an object to dimension.
3.Before you place the dimension, you can enter one of the following options to
edit and position the dimension text.
To edit dimension text using the multiline text editor, enter m.
The angle brackets (<>) represents the calculated measurement. In the Multiline
Text Editor, enter text before or after the angle bracket to add text before or after

To edit dimension text on the command line, enter t.

The text you enter on the command line replaces the original text. Press ENTER
to display the new text. To restore the original dimension text, enter t.
To rotate the dimension text, enter a, and then enter the text rotation angle.
To rotate the dimension, enter r, and then enter the dimension rotation angle.
To specify a horizontal or vertical dimension, enter h or v.
4. Specify the dimension line location.
9.2 CREATING ALIGNED DIMENSIONS
Use the aligned dimension (also called true length dimension) to create a linear
dimension aligned with the dimension points.
To create an aligned dimension
1. From the Dimension menu, choose aligned.
2. At the prompts, specify the first and second extension line origins, or press
ENTER to select an object to dimension.
3. Before you place the dimension, you can edit its text or change the text angle.
Enter m to edit the dimension text using the Multiline Text Editor; enter t to
edit the dimension text on the command line.
Enter a to rotate the angle of the dimension text.

4. Specify the dimension line location.

9.3 CREATING RADIUS AND DIAMETER DIMENSIONS
Using radius and diameter dimensions to measure the radius or diameter of
circles and arcs.
To
1.
2.
3.

measure a radius or diameter

From the dimension menu, choose Radius or Diameter.
Select a circle or arc
Before you specify the dimension line location, you can edit its text or
change the text
angle:

Enter m to edit the dimension text using the Multiline Text Editor; enter t to edit
the dimension text on the command line.
Enter a to rotate the angle of the dimension text.
4 Specify the dimension line location
9.4 CREATING ANGULAR DIMENSIONS
Angular dimensions measured angles created by circles and arcs, angle
between two lines, or angles created by three points.
To create an angular dimension
1. From the Dimension menu, choose angular.
2. To specify the object you want to dimension, do one of the following:
Select a circle and specify the second point on the circle.
Select an arc.

Select a line, and specify the second line.

Press ENTER and specify the angle vertex and two points from the angle.
3. Before you set the dimension location, you can edit its text or text angle:
Enter m to edit the dimension text using the Multiline Text Editor; enter t to edit the
dimension text on the command line.
Enter a to rotate the angle of the dimension text.
4

Specify the dimension line location

AutoCAD displays either the minor or the major angle, depending on where you place
the dimension. To specify one or the other, move the cursor inside (minor) or outside
(major) the extension lines.
CREATING BASELINE AND CONTINUED DIMENSIONS
As you dimension your design, you may need to create a series of dimension all
measured from the same base or datum point, or several dimensions that add up to
the total measurement. Baselines and continued dimension help you to accomplish
both tasks. Baseline dimensions create a series of dimensions measured from the
same dimension origin.
Continued dimensions create a series of dimension placed end to end. Each continued
dimension begins at the second extension line of the previous one.
To create a baseline or continued dimension, you must first create (or select) a linear

Baseline dimensions from the base dimensions extension line

The first continued dimension from the base dimensions second extension line and
then each succeeding continued dimension from the second extension line of the
previous one.
To create a baseline dimension
Create (or select) a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to serve as the base
dimension
From the dimension menu, choose base line.
AutoCAD uses the base dimensions first extension line as the origin.
Specify the second extension line location and then continue to select extension
line locations until you continue the base line series.
AutoCAD places the second dimension above the first at the baseline spacing
specified in the lines and arrows tab of the Dimension Style Dialog box (see
Formatting Dimension Lines and Arrows)
Press ENTER
If you want to create another baseline dimension series, choose a new base
dimension and create the baseline dimensions. Otherwise, press ENTER to exit the
command.
When dimensioning a series of connected objects, use object snap such as
Endpoints and intersection to precisely place baseline dimensions.
TO CREATE A CONTINUED DIMENSION
Create a baseline ordinate, or angular dimension.
The second point you specify is the first for the first continued dimension
From the dimension menu, choose continue.

AutoCAD uses the second extension line of the base dimension as the
origin and prompts you to place the second extension line point.
3
Specify the second extension line point.
4
Continue to select additional extension line origins until you
complete the continued dimension series.
5
Press ENTER twice to end the command.
9.7 DIMENSIONING MULTIPLE OBJECTS
You can use Quick Dimension to dimension multiple objects at one
time. Using Quick Dimension, you can
Quickly create arrangements of baseline, continued, staggered and
ordinate dimensions
Quickly dimension multiple circles and arcs
Edit existing dimension arrangements
To dimension multiple objects
1
From the dimension menu, select QSIM.
2
Select the objects you want to dimension, then press ENTER.
3
At the prompt, enter the dimension type, or press ENTER for the
default
4
Specify the dimension line location.

9.8 TO EDIT DIMENSIONS

1
2

From the dimension menu, choose QDIM.

Select the dimensions you want to edit. To add or change
dimensions, includes the objects whose dimensions you
want to include in the selection set.
At the prompt, enter e

AutoCAD places a cross at each eligible edit point.

4

5
6
7
8

To edit the points, do one of the following:

select the points of the dimensions you want to remove.
enter a , then specify the points you want to add.
Enter x to exit
If the default dimension type is not the one you want,
enter the letter of the dimension type at the prompt
Specify location for the new dimension arrangement.
Press ENTER

9.9

EDITING DIMENSION TEXT

After you create a dimension, you can edit or replace the dimension text
and change dimension text properties and rotation angle. You can
move the text to a new location or back to its home position.
To edit the dimension text position, right-click the dimension and select a
position option from the shortcut menu. You can move the text, with or
without a leader, or move the text back to its original (home) position.
TO EDIT DIMENSION TEXT
1
Select the dimension
2
From the Modify menu, choose Properties
3
In the Properties window under Text, enter the new or edit dimension
text in the Text Override box.
To set dimension text alignment

from the Dimension menu, choose align text and then one of the
following alignment options:
Home: Return dimension text to the position defined by the
dimension style assigned to the dimension.
Rotate: prompts you to enter an angle to rotate the dimension
text.
Left: positions dimension text on the left side of the dimension
line.
Center: positions dimension text on the right side of the dimension
line.
Select one or more dimensions, and then press ENTER.

CREATING LEADERS AND ANNOTATION

Formatting leaders
When you create a leader, its color, lineweight, scale,
arrowhead type, size, and other properties are defined by
the current dimension style.
When you create a leader, you can set annotation, leader
line and arrow, and attachment options on the tabs in the
leader settings dialog box.
Use the attachment tab to specify how you want AutoCAD
to attach multiline text to leaders.

TO CREATE A SIMPLE LEADER WITH TEXT

From the dimension menu, choose leader.

specify the arrow point

specify the text point, and then press ENTER to enter the
leader text

specify the text width

Enter the first line of text. To enter another line of text,

press ENTER, and then enter the text.

Press ENTER twice to end the command

TO CREATE A SPLINE LEADER WITH TEXT

From the Dimension menu, choose leader.
press ENTER to display the leader settings dialog box, and choose
any tab;
On the Annotation tab, select Mtext.
On the leader line & Arrow tab, select spline
select OK
Specify the first, second, and third (optional) leader line points,
and then press ENTER.
Enter the first line of text, to add additional lines, press ENTER
once.
Press ENTER twice to end the command.
To append a feature control frame to a leader
From the Dimension menu, choose leader.
Press ENTER to display the leader settings dialog box.
On the Annotation tab, select Tolerance.
Choose OK
Specify the first, second, and the third (optional) leader line
points, and then press ENTER.
In the geometric tolerance dialog box, specify the tolerance
values and symbols.
choose OK

MODULE TEN
10.0 USING BLOCKS AND EXTERNAL REFERENCES
Auto CAD provides several features to help you manage
objects in your drawings. With blocks you can
organize and manipulate many objects as one
component. You can also associate items of
information with the blocks in your drawings for
example, part numbers and prices by attaching
attributes. Specification sheets or bills of materials
can be created using this information.
10.1 WORKING WITH BLOCKS
A block is a collection of objects you can associate
together to form a single object, or block definition.
You can insert, scale, and rotate a block in a drawing.
You can explode a block into its component objects,
modify them, and redefine the block. AutoCAD
updates all current and future instances of that block
based on the block definition. Blocks streamline the
drawing process. For example, you can use blocks to:-

Build a standard library of frequently used symbols,

components, or standard parts. You can insert the
same block numerous times instead of re-creating
the drawing elements each time.
Revise drawings efficiently by inserting, relocating,
and copying blocks as components rather than
individual geometric objects.
Save disk space by storing all references to the same
block as one block definition in the drawing database.

When you insert a block in your drawing, you are

creating a block instance. Each time you insert a
block instance, you assign a scale factor and rotation
angle to the inserted block. You can also scale a block
instance using different values in any coordinate (X,
Y, Z) direction.
Blocks make it possible for you to organize your
drawings tasks in a systematic way, so that you can
set up, redesign, and sort the objects in your
drawings and the information associated with them.

10.2

DEFINING BLOCKS

You can group objects to create block definitions in the current drawing,
or you can save the block as a separate drawing file. When you define
a block, you specify the base point, the objects to group, whether to
remain or convert them to a block in the current drawing.
To create a block definition
1 From the Draw Menu, choose Block Make.
2 In the block Definition dialog box, enter a name for the block.
3 Under Objects, choose the select Objects button to use the pointing
devise to select object for the block definition.
The dialog box closes temporarily while you select objects for the
block. Press Enter when you are done selecting blocks. The dialog box
reopens.
4 Under Objects specify whether to retain, convert to a block, or delete
the selected objects.

Retain: Keeps selected objects in the current drawing, in their original state
Convert to Block: Replaces selected objects with an instance of the block.
Delete: Removes selected objects after the block is defined.

Under base point, enter the coordinate values for the insertion
base point or choose the Specify Insertion Base Point button to use
the pointing device.
6 Under description, enter text to help identify the block for easy
retrieval.
7 Choose ok.
The block definition is the current drawing.

To save a block or object as a separate drawing file

(WBLOCK)
1 At the command prompt, enter wblock.
2 In the Write Block dialog box, specify a block or an object to
write out as a file.

Block: specifies a block to save as a file.

Enter Drawing: Selects current drawing as a block.
Object: Specifies objects to be saved as a file.

3 Under block, select a name from the list to save as a file.

4 Under base point, use the pick point button to define the
base point.
5
Under objects, use the select objects button to select
the object for the block file.
6 Enter a name for the new file.

If a block is selected wblock automatically uses that blocks

name for the new file.

7 Choose Ok.

The block definition is saved as a drawing file.

10.3
INSERTING BLOCKS
You can insert blocks or entire drawings into the current
drawing with insert. When you insert a block or drawing,
you specify the insertion point, scale and rotation angle.

To insert a block reference

1 From the Insert Menu, choose block.
2 In the Insert dialog box, specify the block name, where you
want to insert it in the
Current drawing and whether you want to explode it after
insertion.
3 If you have modified the original drawing file for a block, you
can redefine the block in the current drawing by choosing File
to locate the file for the block.
4 Choose Ok.
The block reference is updated in the current drawing.
Exploding a Block
Use Explode to break a block instance By exploding a block,
you can modify the block or add to or delete the objects that
define it.
To explode a block
1 From the modify menu, choose Explode.
2 Select the block to explode.
3 The block instance are broken into its component objects;
however, the block definition still exists in the drawings
block symbol table.

10.4

WORKING WITH ATTRIBUTES

An attribute provides a label or tag for you to attach text to a

block. Whenever you insert a block that has a variable
attribute, AutoCAD prompts you to enter the data to be stored
with the block. Examples of data are part numbers, prices,
comments, and owners name.
Creating Attributes
To create an attribute, you must first use ATTDEF to create an
attribute definition, which describes the characteristics of the
attribute. The characteristics include the tag, prompt, value
information, text formatting, location, and any optional
modes.
To create an attribute definition
1
On the command line, enter attdef.
2
In the attribute Definition dialog box, specify the insertion
point and set the attribute modes and the tag, prompt and
text options.
3
Choose OK.
After creating the attribute definition, you can select it as an object
in a block definition. If the attribute definition is incorporated
into a block, whenever you insert the block. AutoCAD prompts
you with the text string you specified for the attribute. Each
subsequent instance of the block can have a different value

If you want to use several attributes together, create each one separately and
then include them in the same block.
Editing Attribute Definitions

You can use DDEDIT to edit an attribute definition before it is associated

with a block.
To edit an attribute definition before it is associated with a block

From the Modify Menu, choose Text

Select the attribute to edit.

In the Edit Attribute Definition dialog box, specify the attribute tag, prompt
and default value. Then choose Ok.
Attachment attributes to blocks

You can attach attributes to a block when you define or redefine that
block. When AutoCAD prompts you to select the objects to include in the
block definition, include the desired attributes in the selection set. The
order in which you select the attribute information when you insert the
block.
Editing the attribute attached To blocks

1
From the modify menu, choose attribute single.

2
Select a block to edit.

3
In the Edit attributes dialog box, edit the attribute information as
necessary.

4
Choose Ok.

10.5

USING EXTERNAL REFERENCES

An external reference (xref) links another drawing to the current

drawing. When you insert a drawing as a block, the block
definition and all of the association geometry are stored in
the current drawing database. The block is not updated if the
original drawing changes. When you insert a drawing as an
xref, however, the xref is updated when the original drawing
changes. A drawing containing xrefs always reflects the most
current editing in each externally referenced filed.
Like a block reference, an xref is displayed in the current
drawing as a single object. However, an xref does not
significantly increase the files size of the current drawing and
cannot be exploded.
Attaching Xrefs
Attached xrefs are designed to you build drawing using other
drawings. By attaching drawings as xrefs, as opposed to
inserting drawing files as blocks, you can display changes to
the externally referenced drawing in the host drawing each
time it is opened. The host drawing always reflects the latest
revision made to the referenced files.

To attach a new Xrefs

From the insert menu, choose external reference.
In the Select reference File dialog box, select a drawing, and
then choose Open. After you select a file to attach, the
external reference dialog box is displayed.
In the External Reference dialog box under reference Type,
select attachment.
Specify the insertion point, and rotation angle. Choose Specify
On-screen to use the pointing devise.
Choose Ok.
Detaching Xrefs
Detach removes xrefs from the drawing. When you detach an
xref, AutoCAD erases all xref copies, deletes the xref definition,
and removes the xref from the tree and list views. All nongraphical information (such as layers and line types) is also
deleted. You cannot detach nested xrefs, nor can you detach
atop-level xref, if it is a nested xref of another xref in the xref
tree.
To detach an xref
From the insert menu, choose xref Manager.
In the xref Manager, select an xref and then choose detach.
Choose Ok.

MODULE ELEVEN
CREATING A LAYOUT TO PLOT
A layout is a paper environment that simulates a sheet of
paper and provides a predictable plotting setup. In a layout,
you can create and position viewport objects and you can
add a title block or other geometry. You can create multiple
layouts in a drawing to display various views, each of which
can contain different plot scales and paper sizes. Each
layout displays the drawing as it will be plotted on the sheet
of paper.
11.1

USING MODEL AND PAPER SPACE

Switching Between Model and Paper Space.

After youve created your layout and designed the floating
viewports, you can continue working on your drawing from
the Model tab or a layout tab. You can change the layout
page settings to plot to a different size paper or at a
different scale.
To make the Model tab current, choose the Model tab or
enter model at the command line. To move from the Model
tab to paper space, choose the Layout1 tab or enter paper
at the command line.

Working in Paper Space

Paper space represents the paper on which you arrange the drawing
prior to plotting. With AutoCAD 2000, single or multiple paper space
environments can be easily designed manipulated using layout tabs.
Layouts are accessible by choosing a layout tab at the bottom of the
drawing area. Each layout represents an individual plot output
sheet, or an individual sheet in a drawing project.
Using a Layout Tab

Choosing a layout tab places you into the paper space environment.
A rectangular outline (shadow) indicates the paper size of the
currently configured plotting device. The margins displayed within
the paper indicate the printable area of the paper.

You can control the display of the paper background in the layout
from the Display tab in the Options dialog box. Also on the Display
tab in the Options dialog box, you can control whether the Page
setup dialog box is automatically displayed the first time you select
a layout.

After creating an initial layout for your project, you can choose to
create multiple layouts to display various views for plotting.

To create multiple layouts

In the layout tab, right click to display the shortcut menu.

From the Shortcut Menu, choose New Layout.

To rename a layout tab, choose Rename from the shortcut menu.

WORKING WITH LAYOUTS

After you complete a drawing model, you can

begin creating a layout to plot by choosing a
layout tab. When you choose a layout tab for the
first time in a drawing session, a single viewport is
displayed and a sheet with margins indicates the
paper size of the currently configured plotter and
printable area of the paper. AutoCAD displays the
Page Setup dialog box, in which you specify layout
and plot device settings. Setting the plot settings
and using Preview, you can visualize the resulting
layout without actually plotting. The layout
settings you specify are stored with the layout.

To switch from model space to a layout.

After creating a drawing in model space, choose

the Layout1 tab.

A single viewport containing the model drawing is

displayed. The Page Setup dialog box is also
displayed, in which you can specify a plotter and
page setup.

To setup the plotting environment

From the File Menu, choose Page Setup

In the Page Setup dialog box, enter a name for the layout you are
preparing for plotting.
To rename a layout, right click the layout tab and then choose
Rename from the short cut menu. You can also change the name
of a layout in the Page Setup dialog box.
To name and save the current page setup, choose Add to display
the User Defined Page Setup dialog box.
On the Plot Device tab, verify the configured plotter name, or
select a plotter from the list of currently configured plotter.
To view or modify the plotter configuration information, choose
Properties the Plotter Configuration Editor displayed.
To apply a plot style table to the layout, select a table from the
Plot Style Table list.
To view or modify the plot styles associated with the attached plot
style table, choose Edit. The Plot Style is displayed.
To add a new plot style table, choose New. The Plot style Table
wizard is displayed, in which you can create a new plot style table.
Choose OK. The layout settings you have specified are applied to
the current layout.
To plot the current layout with the settings you have specified,
choose Plot.

To create a layout to plot

Before you begin creating a layout to plot, specify the plotting device. To add a
new plotter configuration, choose Plotter Manager from the File Menu.

Choose the layout tab you want to plot.

From the File Menu, choose Page Setup (if the Page Setup dialog box isnt
already displayed).

In the Page Setup dialog box on the Layout Settings tab, specify the paper size,
paper units and drawing orientation.

Under Plot Area, select the area you want to plot. The default setting is Layout
for the layout tab and Display for the Model tab.
To define an area in the layout to plot, select Windows and then choose the
Window button to the right. Use your pointing device to define the boundary of
the area in the drawing you want to plot.

Under Plot Scale, either select from the list of standard scales or enter a
custom scale. If you select a standard scale, that scale is displayed at Custom.

The default scale setting for a layout is 1:1. The default scale setting for a
model is Scaled to Fit.

To scale lineweights proportionately with the plot scale, select Scale

Lineweights.

Typically, the plot scale is 1:1. However, if you plot scale at half scale, the plot
scale would be 1:2 and the lineweight would be scaled proportionately.

Under Plot Offset, enter the X and Y offset values to specify an offset from the
lower-left corner of the printable area. The values you enter are calculated
automatically to center the plot.

Choose OK.
The settings you specified are applied to the current layout. To plot the current
layout with the settings you specified, choose Plot.

Saving and Naming a Page Setup.

After creating a page setup, you can save and name the setup and then choose
to apply it to the current or to another layout.

To save and name a page setup

From the File Menu, choose Page Setup.

In the Page Setup dialog box, choose the Layout Settings tab and change
settings as necessary.

At Page Setup Name, choose Add.

In the User Defined Page Setups dialog box, enter a name for the page setup.

To edit the page setup name directly, choose F2. to delete or rename a userdefined page setup, select a name from the list, then right-click and choose
Delete or Rename.

Choose OK.

The name you enter is displayed as the current name in the Page Setup dialog
box.
Importing a named page setup.

Once you have saved and named page setups in one drawing, you can import
those page setups into another drawing.
To import a named page setup

At the Command prompt, enter psetupin.

In the Select file dialog box, select the drawing (DWG) file from which you want
to import the named page setup.

In the Import User Defined Page Setup (s) dialog box, select the named page
setup you want to import. The dialog box indicates whether it is a model or
layout page setup.

Choose OK.
The page setups are imported and can be applied after the currently specified
layout.
The Model tap cannot be moved or copied.

To use an existing layout template.

from the Insert Menu, choose Layout from Template.
In the Select File dialog box, select a drawing template file
from the list.
Choose open.
In the Insert Layout dialog box, select the layout template from
the list, then choose OK.
A new layout is created using the layout template you
selected. The new layout is automatically assigned the name
Layout with the next number in the sequence, along with the
name of the imported layout attached.
Saving a Layout Template.
Any drawing can be saved as a template drawing and all of the
geometry and layout settings can be saved to a DWT file. You
can save a layout to a DTW file by selecting the Save option
from the file directory as defined in the Options dialog box.
When you create a new layout template, any referenced
symbol definitions are saved with the template; the referenced
symbol definitions are imported as part of the layout settings if
you import this template into a new layout. It is recommended
that you use the Save option of the LAYOUT command to
create a new layout template. When you use the Save option,
unused symbol table definitions are not saved with the file;
they are not added to the new layout where you are importing
the template.

To save a layout template

At the Command prompt, enter layout

At the prompt, enter sa to save the current layout template. Respond

to the prompt asking for the name of the layout you are saving.

In the Create Drawing file dialog box, enter a name for the drawing
template file you are saving.

At Save as Type, select Drawing template File (.dwt).

Choose Save.
Determining Layout Settings

Layout settings, which are also referred to as page setups, controls

the final plotted output. These settings affect the plot device, paper
size, plot scale, plot area, plot origin and the drawing orientation.
Understanding how to use layout settings ensures that the layout
plots as expected. All of the settings for a layout can be changed and
saved to the layout, without actually plotting, using the Page Setup
dialog box. You an also choose to import layout settings from a PCP
or PC2 file into the current layout.
To plot an image in portrait or landscape orientation

From the File Menu, choose Page Setup

In the Page Setup dialog box, choose the Plot Settings Tab.

If your drawing is horizontal, select Landscape. If your drawing is

vertical, select Portrait.

Choose OK.

To change the drawing orientation

From the File Menu, choose Page Setup.

In the Page Setup dialog box, choose the Plot Settings tab.

To rotate a horizontal drawing, select Portrait. To rotate a vertical

drawing, select Landscape.

To rotate 180 degrees, select either Portrait or Landscape, and then

select Plot Upside-Down.

Choose OK.
Adjusting the Plot Origin

The plot origin is the lower-left corner of the specified area.

Typically, the plot origin is set to 0,0. However, you can center the
plot on the sheet of paper by selecting Center the Plot in the Page
Setup dialog box. Centering the plot alters the plot origin. If you
want to move the drawing relative to the lower left corner of the
paper, specify positive or negative values for the plot offset. To
offset the plot below the lower-left corner, enter negative values.
This may result in the plot area being clipped.
To offset the plot origin

From the file Menu, choose Page Setup.

In the Page setup dialog box, choose the Plot Settings tab.

Under Plot Offset, enter a value in units for X or Y or both.

The origin is offset by the number of units you enter. A positive

value moves the origin up and to the right. A negative value moves
the plot origin down and to the left.

Setting the plot area

When you prepare to plot from the Model tab, you can specify the
plot area to determine what will be included in the plot. When you
create a new layout, the default option is Layout. Layout plots all
geometry within the margins of the specified paper size. The plot
origin is calculated from 0,0 which is at the lower-left corner of the
margins.

The Display option plots all geometry display in the drawing area.

If you have imported a drawing that was saved in the paper space
in the format of a previous AutoCAD release, plot Area defaults to
Extents and Plot Scale default to Scaled to Fit.
To set the plot area and adjust the display

From the File Menu, choose Page Setup.

In the Page setup dialog box, choose the Plot Settings tab.

Under Plot Area, select one of the following options:

Layout: Prints all geometry within the margins of the paper. This
option is only available from the layout tab.

Limits: Prints or plots the current drawing limits. This option is only
available from the Model tab.

Extents: Plots all objects in the drawing.

Display: Plots all geometry displayed in the drawing area.

View: Prints or plots a saved view. Select the View option and then
choose the view button to display the Named View dialog box and
choose a named view.

Window: Plots the geometry in the area you define. Select the Window option,
and then choose the window button and respond to the prompt to define the
area.

To remove hidden lines when plotting from the current viewport on the model
tab, select Hide Lines. When you are plotting a layout, only the objects in
paper space are hidden.

Choose OK.
NOTE: to specify displaying hidden lines for a model space viewport in a layout,
you must set the HIDEPLOT properly of the viewport object.

Setting the Plot Scale

Generally, you draw objects at their actual size. When you plot the drawing, you
can either specify a precise scale or fit the image to the paper. To specify a
scale, you can enter the ratio of plotted units to drawing units, or you enter a
standard or custom plot scale.
When you are receiving an early draft view, a precise scale is not always
important. You can use the Scaled to Fit option to plot the view at the largest
possible size that fits the paper.
To set the plot scale

From the File Menu, choose Page Setup

In the Page Setup dialog box, choose the Plot Settings tab

Under scale, select a scale from the list.

The default scale when plotting a layout is 1:1. To set a custom plot scale,
enter a plot scale under Custom.

Choose OK.

Setting the Lineweight scale

Line weights can be scaled proportionately in a layout with the plot scale.
Typically, line weights specify the line width of plotted objects and are plotted with
the line width size regardless of the plot scale.
To set the lineweight scale

From the File menu, choose Page Setup.

In the Page Setup dialog box, choose the plot Settings tab.

Under Plot Scale, select Scale Line weights.

The line weights in the current layout are scaled in proportion to the designated
plot scale. When you are working in the Model tab, this option is not available.
CREATING FLOATING VIEWPORTS.

When you are composing a layout, you can consider viewport as objects with a
view into model space that you can move and resize. Floating viewports can be
overlapping or separated from one another. Because floating viewports are
AutoCAD objects, you cannot edit the model while arranging the layout in paper
space. To edit the model you must switch to model space using one of the
following methods:

Choose the Model tab.

Double-click over the floating viewport. On the status bar, Paper changes to Paper.

Click Paper on the status bar to return to the floating view that was last current.

When you make a viewport in a layout current, you are then working in model
space in a floating viewport. Edits in model space is reflected in all paper space
viewports. One benefit to using floating viewports is that you can selectively
freeze layers in each viewport. By freezing layers, you can view different
geometry in each floating viewport. You can also specify different views by
planning and zooming in the viewport.

Switching between Paper and Floating Viewports

When you are working in a layout, you can either work in a floating viewport, which is a
view into model space, or you can work in the paper space layout outside the viewport.
To switch between a paper space layout and a floating viewport

Click Paper on the status bar.

Clicking Paper on the status bar switches you between paper space and the last current
viewport. To return to the paper layout, click Model on the status bar. On the status bar,
Model changes to Paper.

To create a floating viewport

Choose a layout tab.

From the View Menu, choose Viewports New Viewports.

In the Viewports dialog box, select a viewport configuration from the list.

Under Setup, select either 2D or 3D.

When you select 3D, a set of standard 3D views are applied to each viewport in the
configuration.
Under Viewport Spacing, select the amount of spacing you want to add between the
configured floating viewports.
To change a view, select a viewport in the preview image, and then, under Change View
To, select a view from the list of standard viewport configurations.

This includes top, bottom, front, back, left, right and isometric
view, along with any named views that are saved in the
drawing. The selected view is displayed under preview. You can
change the view that is generally in each viewport by selecting
the viewport in the preview image and then selecting a view
from the list.
Choose OK.
Changing the Properties of a Viewport
Viewports are AutoCAD objects and have object properties,
including colour, layer, linetype, linetype scale, lineweight and
plot style. Lineweight and linetype are displayed on
nonrectangular viewports and ignored on rectangular viewport.
You can modify a viewport property using the Properties window.
To modify viewport properties using the Properties window
select the floating viewport whose properties you want to
modify.
From the Tools Menu, choose Properties
In the properties window, select the value for the property you
want to modify and then enter a new value or select a new
setting from the list provided.
The new property setting or value is assigned to the current
viewport.

MODULE TWELVE
PLOTTING YOUR DRAWINGS

After youve created your drawing with AutoCAD, you can

print your designs on a sheet of paper or create an electronic
plot that is accessible from the World Wide Web. A plotted
drawing can contain a single view of your drawing or a
complex arrangement of views. Depending on your needs,
you can plot one or more viewports or set options that
determine what is plotted and how the image fits on the
paper.
Plotting in AutoCAD 2000

You can reproduce your drawing on a variety of plotters and

Windows system printers. AutoCAD uses the plotter specified
on the Layout tab if you are plotting from a layout tab. If you
are plotting from a model tab, AutoCAD uses the plotter
specified in options to determine the default plotter. The
default plotter is specified on the plotting tab in Options.
Plotting a Drawing

When you create a layout, you can specify all your plot
settings and save the drawings. When you are ready to plot,
you can fill in the Plot dialog box in one step by selecting the
saved settings from the Page Setup Name list.

To plot a drawing

From the File Menu, choose Plot

In the Plot dialog box, the name of the current layout is displayed
under Layout Name.

In the Plot dialog box, if you have created named page setups, select
one in the Page Setup Name list.

The settings in the Plot dialog box are replaced by named page setup,

On the Plot Device tab, under Plot Style Table (Pen Assignments)
verify that the correct plot style table is attached.

If you are plotting a drawing created in a previous version of AutoCAD

and you want to use the pen assignment from the last time you
plotted in AutoCAD Release 14, make sure that Default R14 pen
assignments.ctb is specified as the plot style table file. If you dont
have that plot style table in your list, AutoCAD was not able to locate
an acadr14.cfg file with unique pen settings. You can create a plot
style that contains your pen mappings if you have an acadr14.cfg file
or a PCP PC2 file.

Choose OK.
Shortcut menu: Right-click the Model tab or a layout tab and choose
Plot.

To plot on the command line instead of in a dialog box use PLOT.

If you want to change plot settings for a single plot but dont want to
change the layout, clear the Save Changes to Layout check box. Make
changes in the Plot dialog box and choose OK.

Understanding Paper Orientation and Image Orientation

With some plotter you can load the same size sheet of paper in
either landscape or portrait orientation. These plotters list the
same paper size twice in the paper size menu, for example,
ANSI A (8.5 x 11) and ANSI A (11 x 8.5). The paper size you
select must match the way you load the paper in the plotter.

When you are looking at the paper image on the Layout tab,
AutoCAD automatically rotates the plot so the paper image is
displayed in landscape orientation, even if the paper was
loaded into the plotter in portrait orientation. Full Plot Preview
displays the actual paper orientation.

The Plot Settings tab in the Plot dialog box displays an icon in
the Drawing Orientation area. The icon shows the physical
orientation of the paper (as it was loaded into the plotter) and
displays the letter A to represent the image orientation of your
plot. For most desktop printers, portrait paper orientation is
represented by a tall icon with the A on its side, indicating that
the plot has been for landscape viewing.

Use the Drawing orientation options to rotate the plot on the

page. As you select the options, the letter A rotates to indicate
how your plot will appear on the page.

Assignment Plot Style Lineweight

When you select the Lineweight field, AutoCAD displays a sample of

the lineweight as well as its numeric value. The default setting for plot
style lineweight is Use Object Lineweight. If you assign a plot style
lineweight, the plot style lineweight overrides the objects lineweight
at the plot time. You can modify an existing lineweight if the one you
need is not available.
To assign plot style lineweight

from the File Menu, choose Plot Style Manager.

Right-click a CTB or STB file and choose Open from the shortcut menu.

Click the lineweight field for the plot style you want to change.

The list of available Lineweights is displayed.

select a lineweight
Editing Lineweights

There are 28 lineweights available to apply to plot styles in plot style

table. If the lineweight you need doesnt exist in the list of lineweights
stored in the plot style table, you can edit an existing lineweight. You
cant add or delete lineweights from the list in the plot style table.
To edit a lineweight

Double-click the plot style table file you want to edit to open it in the
Plot Style Table Editor.

Choose either the table View tab or the Form View tab.

Choose Edit Lineweights.

In the Edit Lineweights dialog box, select the lineweight you want
to edit in the list. A check mark in the In Use column indicates
which lineweights have been assigned to plot styles in the plot
style table file.

Edit the lineweight value using any of the following methods.

Press Enter, edit the value and then press Enter again.
Press F2, edit the value and press Enter.
Choose Edit lineweight, edit the value and then press Enter.
Right-click and choose Edit. Edit the value and then press Enter.
Click to inset a cursor, edit the value and then press Enter.

NOTE: if you change a lineweight value, other plot styles that use
the lineweight also change.
Under Units for listing, you can specify whether to display
lineweights in millimeters or inches.
Choose Sort Lineweights to sort the list of line weights by value.
When you edit a lineweight value, it is rounded and displayed with
a precision of four places past the decimal point. The precision is
the same for both millimeters and inches. Lineweight values must
be zero or a positive number. If you create a lineweight with a zero
width, the line is plotted as thin as the plotter can create it. The
maximum possible lineweight value is 100 millimeters
(approximately four inches).