43
Chapter 2
Inquiry Commands & Polylines
Objectives:
• Use the various inquiry commands to extract data
from AutoCAD drawing elements
• Create and modify Polylines
Drawing Assignments:
• Top Gun
New Commands:
• Area
• QSelect
• Properties
• Polyline
• Measuregeom
• Distance
• Pedit
• Join
• ID
• Scale (Reference)
• LIST
• Align (with Scaling)
• QuickCalc
• Units
• Volume
44
MEASURE (INQUIRY) COMMANDS
The length, area, and angle of AutoCAD drawing elements can be easily
determined using the Measure commands. Unlike the Dimension tools, the
Measure tools do not leave a dimension entity on the screen after the
measurement is reported.
Measuregeom - The MEASUREGEOM command is a
single tool that has options to select any number of
individual inquiry tools (distance, radius, angle, area, and
volume), one after the other. The measurement displays
at the Command prompt and in the dynamic tooltip in the
current units format.
Quick- The Quick option of the Measure tool allows you
to see distances on the screen as you dynamically move
about the drawing.
Distance- The Distance option reports the distance,
the delta, and the angle between two selected points.
Radius- The Radius option reports the radius and
diameter measurement of selected circles and arcs.
Angle- The Angle option reports the angular
measurement of selected circles and arcs
ID- The ID command displays the UCS coordinate
values of a specified location. ID lists the X, Y, and Z
values of the specified point and stores the
45
coordinate of the specified point as the last point. You can reference the
last point by entering @ at the next prompt that requests a point. You can
also use object snaps such as endpoint, intersection, and center.
List- The List command displays property data for
selected objects. You can use LIST to display and
then copy the properties of selected objects to a
text file. The text window displays the object type, object layer, and the
X,Y,Z position relative to the current user coordinate system (UCS) and
whether the object is in model space or paper space.
Volume- The Volume option will let you easily find the
volume of a 3D solid (more on that later in the class, when
we start working in 3D).
Massprop- The Massprop command calculates and displays the mass
properties of selected regions or 3D solids. It will calculate and report the
surface area, mass, volume, the center of mass, the moments of inertia,
the products of inertia, and the radii of gyration of a 3D solid. There is no
tool on a palette for Massprop; the command is run through the Command
Line.
46
Area- The Area command calculates the area and
perimeter of objects or of polylines and defined
areas. You can obtain measurements by using the
command options to select an object or by
specifying points that define what you want to measure. The area and
perimeter of the specified object are displayed at the Command prompt.
You can also add or subtract areas to exclude islands.
HOW TO USE THE AUTOCAD AREA COMMAND
1) For a multi-sided object made with lines:
a. Start the AREA command
b. Click on the first corner
c. Click on the second corner
d. Click on the third corner (you should see a green fill defining the
area at this point)
e. Continue clicking on corners until you are finished, then hit
Enter.
f. Area will be displayed in the Command Line
2) For a multi-sided object made with polylines, or a circle:
a. Start the AREA command
b. Click on the “OBJECT” option in the command line
c. Select object you want to get the area of by using the pick box
d. Area will be displayed in the Command Line
3) If you want to find the cumulative area of several polyline
objects:
a. Start the AREA command
b. Click on the “ADD AREA” option in the command line
c. Click on the “OBJECT” option in the command line
47
d. Select object you want to get the area of by using the pick box.
Note: each area to be added will fill in with green shade.
e. Hit Enter when you are finished selecting objects
f. Area will be displayed in the Command Line
g. Hit Escape to get out of the command.
4) If you want to find the area of an object, but then need to
subtract some of the area:
a. Start the AREA command
b. Click on the “ADD AREA” option in the command line
c. Find out the area by using either Method #1 (Clicking Corners)
or by Method #2 (Click on the “OBJECT” option in the
command line)
d. At this point you will see the total area in the Command Line
e. Select the “SUBTRACT AREA” option in the Command Line
f. Find out the area you want to SUBTRACT by using either
Method #1 (Clicking Corners) or by Method #2 (Click on the
“OBJECT” option in the command line). Note: the subtracted
areas will fill in with red shade.
g. Hit Enter when you are finished selecting objects
h. The new Area will be displayed in the Command Line
i. Hit Escape to get out of the command.
48
UNITS IN INQUIRY
It is helpful to remember that the Units
setting will affect the reporting of values by
the Measure tools. Let AutoCAD do your
rounding for you by setting the Units
appropriately. Also, keep in mind that the
precision of Length units and the precision
of Angle units are set independent of each
other.
PROPERTIES
Every object has properties including
the layer, color, linetype, linetype scale,
lineweight, transparency, and plot style.
In addition, some objects have
properties that are specific to their type.
For example, the special properties of a
line include its endpoints and angle. You
can access the properties palette by
typing CH at the command line. When
the Properties palette is displayed it lists
the properties of selected objects. When
more than one object is selected, only
those properties common to all selected
objects are displayed. When no objects
are selected, only the current settings of
general properties are displayed.
49
QUICKCALC
The QuickCalc calculator is a part of the AutoCAD program. It
performs a full range of mathematical, scientific, and geometric
calculations, creates and uses variables, and converts units of
measurement.
QSELECT
Quick select allows you to set up parameters based on Layer,
object type, size, and other Properties in order to filter
selections from large areas.
POLYLINES
A polyline is a single object that may be composed of line
and arc segments. A 2D polyline is a connected sequence of
segments created as a single object. You can create straight
line segments, arc segments, or a combination of the two.
Polylines provide editing capabilities unavailable for standard
AutoCAD line segments. For example, you can adjust their width to go
beyond the maximum layer width of 2.11 millimeters. A polyline may also
be converted to individual line and arc segments.
50
Polyline Editing (PEDIT)
Common uses for PEDIT include: joining 2D polylines,
converting lines and arcs into 2D polylines, and converting
polylines into curves that approximate B-splines (spline-fit
polylines). Different prompts are displayed, depending on the type of object
you select to edit. The operations you can perform in this command
include:
A. Move, add, or delete individual vertices
B. Set a uniform width for the entire polyline or control the width of each
segment
C. Create an approximation of a spline called a spline-fit polyline
D. Display non-continuous linetypes with or without a dash before and
after each vertex
E. Change the orientation of text in a polyline’s linetype by reversing its
direction
F. Change the width of polyline segments and set whether or not
segment width is reversed when polyline direction is reversed
JOIN
The JOIN command is a handy little tool that takes
individual line and arc segments and welds them together
into a single polyline. It is a much simpler, no-nonsense
version of PEDIT that only does one thing, but does it easily, and well.
51
DRAWING ASSIGNMENT: Top Gun
The TOP GUN assignment will review concepts and
procedures that you should have learned in INDR 12 as
well as the inquiry commands introduced in this class.
Please follow the instructions as given and in the order
they are presented. Remember to use OSNAP options
whenever appropriate. Answer all questions in the spaces
provided. Make sure Units are set to the nearest tenthousandth (0.0000)
Download the TOPGUN .DWG file into your INDR B20a Assignments
folder. When you open the file you will see a drawing that is 1/4 finished.
Use the mirror command on the given
geometry to make the object shown
here:
Offset the outside perimeter by
.375 and do whatever clean-up is
necessary to obtain this result:
52
What is the area of shaded region? (1) __________
What is the distance from the center of the left circle to the center of the
right circle? (2) __________
What is the total area of the circles and the “H” shape? (3)
Make the layer OBJECT current and freeze the layer VIEW. You should
see three circles A, B, and C.
What is the center coordinate point of circle A?
(4) x =
(5) y =
Draw a circle with a radius of 5.75
that is tangent to circles A and B and
encloses all three circles. Trim the
part of the new circle that is outside
of circles A and B. Make tangent
lines from circles B and C and C and
(6) z =
53
A. Draw a circle at the center of circle A with a diameter of 1.747. Trim all
excess lines so that the figure looks like the previous drawing. Now, what is
the area inside the object, not counting the circle? (7) ___
What is the circumference of the circle? (8)
What is the location of the center point of arc C?
(9) x =
(10) y =
(11) z =
Make Layer STAR current and
freeze layer OBJECT.
Use whatever commands
necessary to draw a five pointed
star inside the given circle. When
finished, erase all construction
lines and the given circle. Scale
the star so that the distance from
point to point is 5.875 (see the
example below).
What is the perimeter of the newly sized star? (12)
Make Layer BOX current and freeze layer STAR.
You should now see some geometric shapes and some text on the screen.
What is the center point of the given arc?
(13) x =
(14) y =
_____ 15) z =
54
What is the midpoint of the given line:
(16) x =
(17) y =
What is the start point of the text?
(19) x =
(20) y =
(18) z =
_____
(21) z =
What is the name of the Style was used for this text? (22) ________
What is the name of the typeface (font) used for this text? (23) ____
Make layer DISTANCE current and freeze layer BOX.
Draw the geometry shown to the
right. Begin at 5.25, 3.25. All line
lengths are 4. Use the angles
given.
Draw a line from the starting point (A) to the last point (B). What is the
length of the line drawn from endpoint A to endpoint B? (24) __________
What is the angle of the line drawn from point A to point B?
(25) __________
55
TOP GUN
INSTRUCTIONS: Transfer your answers from the Top Gun assignment to
the spaces below. Make sure to include units in your answer when
necessary. Remove this page from your class pack and turn it in.
1. _______________________
16.
x = ___________________
2. _______________________
17.
y = ____________________
3. _______________________
18.
z = ____________________
4.
x = __________________
19.
x = ___________________
5.
y = _________________
20.
y = ____________________
6.
z = _________________
21.
z = ____________________
7. _______________________
8. _______________________
9.
22. _________________________
23. _________________________
x = __________________
24. _________________________
10.
y = _________________
25. _________________________
11. z = __________________
12. ______________________
13.
x = _________________
14.
y = _________________
15.
z = _________________
Name: _______________________________________
56
57
Chapter 3
Dimensioning
Objectives:
• Identify the parts of a dimension
• Place dimensions on drawing entities
• Identify industry-specific dimensioning methods
• Create and modify basic Dimension Styles
Drawing Assignments:
• Create the Decimal3 dimension style
• Multiview Drawings
New Commands:
• Dimlinear
• Dimaligned
• Dimangular
• Dimarc
• Dimradius
•
•
•
•
Dimdiameter
Dimordinate
Dimjogged
Dimstyle
58
DIMENSIONING BASICS
Dimensions relay important size and location information on technical
drawings. While the line work describing objects is an essential part of
every technical drawing, dimensions are equally important.
Just as there are rules for placing drawing views so that the drawing can be
read and understood by anyone, there are rules for placing dimensions.
Dimensions should be placed in such a way that there is no confusion as to
what is being dimensioned and that there is only one way to interpret each
dimension. There are many types of dimensioning methods that can be
used.
Some of these methods are:
Continuous (Chained) dimensions
Baseline dimensions
Ordinate dimensions
The dimensioning method and the required precision that should be used is
determined by the industry that the drafter is working in, or the
manufacturing process that will be used to make the object. Here are
some examples:
Industry
Preferred Dimensioning Units
Precision
Architecture &
Carpentry
Cabinetmaking
Civil Drafting &
Surveying
Manufacturing
Welding
Feet and inches with fractions
1/16”
Inches with fractions
Decimal Feet
1/16” or smaller
.01’
Decimal inches
Feet and inches with fractions
.0001” or smaller
1/16”
59
AUTOCAD DIMENSIONING TOOLS
AutoCAD has tools to create a variety of specific dimension types. The
dimension commands are as follows:
Linear
Creates a linear dimension with a
horizontal or vertical dimension line.
Aligned
In aligned dimensions, the dimension line is
parallel to the extension line origins.
Angular
Creates an angular dimension by
measuring the angle between selected
geometric objects or 3 points.
Arc Length
Arc length dimensions measure the
distance along an arc or polyline arc
segment. The extension lines of an arc
length dimension can be orthogonal or
radial. An arc symbol is displayed either
above or preceding the dimension text.
Radius
Measures the radius of a selected circle or
arc and displays the dimension text with a
radius symbol in front of it. You can use grips to easily reposition the
resulting radius dimension.
60
Diameter
Measures the diameter of a selected circle or arc, and displays the
dimension text with a diameter symbol in front of it. You can use grips to
easily reposition the resulting diameter dimension.
Jogged
Creates jogged radius dimensions when the center of an arc or circle is
located off the layout and cannot be displayed in its true location. The origin
point of the dimension can be specified at a more convenient location
called the center location override.
Ordinate
Ordinate dimensions measure the horizontal or vertical distance from an
origin point called the datum to a feature, such as a hole in a part. These
dimensions prevent escalating errors by maintaining accurate offsets of the
features from the datum.
61
The Annotation Tab
Annotation Tab> Dimensions Panel
Annotation Tab> Centerlines Panel
62
The TEN COMMANDMENTS
OF GOOD DIMENSIONING
1. Thou shalt not crowd dimensions. Make sure the
numerical values are easy to read, and not
obscured by linework, arrows, or other dimensions.
2.
Thou shalt not upset the established order of
dimensions. Place the smaller dimensions of a
series nearer to the view, longer ones further away.
Put overall dimensions outside of all others.
3. Thou shalt not be vague. Each dimension must be
expressed clearly, so that it will be interpreted in
only one way.
4. Thou shalt not repeat thyself. In some disciplines,
dimensions and related data is given only once. In
other disciplines, it might be permissible, or
preferred, to double-dimension.
5. Thou shalt not dimension hidden lines or
oblique contours. Dimensions should always be
shown in true length views and refer to visible
outlines rather than to hidden lines.
63
6. Thou shalt not require scaling. Dimensions
for size, form and location of features must be
complete so that no scaling of drawings is
required, and so that the intended sizes and
shapes can be determined without assuming any
distances. Always state the scale used.
7. Thou shalt not ever explode a dimension. If
the value is not what it ought to be, or the
dimension doesn’t look the way you need it to
look, man up and figure out how to do it correctly.
8. Thou shalt not create a confusing mess.
A dimension line should never cross an
extension line. Dimension lines should terminate
at any Extension line it encounters.
9. Thou shalt not place dimensions poorly. Place
dimensions off the object you are dimensioning
and between the views on multi-view drawings.
10. Thou shalt dimension circular features
correctly. Dimension a circle by giving the
diameter, preceded by ; and an arc by giving the
radius, preceded by R. Dimension a cylinder in its
side view, where it appears as a rectangle, and
use the  symbol to indicate cylindrical diameter.
64
DIMENSION STYLES
A dimension style is a named collection of
dimension settings. Just like Layers control the
appearance of lines, and Text Styles control the
appearance of Text, Dimension Styles control the
appearance of dimensions. You create
dimension styles to specify the format of
dimensions quickly, and to ensure that
dimensions conform to standards. The dimension
style manager can be accessed by typing “D”
into the command line, or clicking on the Dimension Style button on the
drop-down of the Annotation panel:
The dimension style manager is shown below.
The default AutoCAD template file contains two different dimension styles:
Standard and Annotative.
65
Decimal Dimension Style
Use the dimension style manager to create a new dimension style called
“Decimal3”
1. Open the dimension style manager.
2. Click on the “New” button. The Create New Dimension Style dialog
box is displayed.
3. Type “Decimal3” in the New Style Name dialog box. Click Continue.
4. The Dimension Style Manager is displayed. Make sure that the Lines
tab is selected.
5. Change the value of Extend beyond dim lines to .125
66
6. Switch to the Symbols and Arrows tab.
7. Change the Arrow size value to .125
8. Change the Center marks style to NONE. Leave the value at .0900
67
9. Switch to the Text tab.
10.
11.
12.
Change the Text Style to Romans and the height to .125
i. If you have not yet created the Romans text style, you
can launch the text style manager from the ellipsis button.
ii. Make sure that the text height in the Romans style is set
to 0.000
Change the Offset from dim line to 0.0500
Change the Text Alignment from Horizontal to ISO Standard
68
13.
Switch to the Primary Units tab.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
Change the precision to 0.000
Check the box to suppress leading zeroes
Change the Angular Dimension Precision to 0.000
Suppress the Trailing Zeroes in the Angular Dimensions
Click OK
Click Close on the Dimension Style Manager dialog box.
69
DRAWING ASSIGNMENT: Multiview Drawings 3A, 3B,
and 3C
Directions: Complete the three drawings shown on the next
pages. Be sure to place all objects on their proper layers.
Place your name in the lower right-hand corner using the
Romans text style. Make sure that your text is .125 tall and
use all capital letters.
Units:
Decimal
Length Precision: 0.000
Limits:
Lower Left Corner: 0,0
Upper Right Corner: 11,8.5
Layers:
Name
BORDER
CENTER
CONSTRUCTION
DIM
HIDDEN
TEXT
VISIBLE
Text Style:
Name
RomanS
Dimension Style:
Color
Red (1)
Yellow (2)
Green (3)
White (7)
Cyan (4)
Magenta (6)
White (7)
Linetype
Continuous
Center2
Continuous
Continuous
Hidden2
Continuous
Continuous
Font
romans.shx
Height
0
Decimal3
Line weight
0.60 mm
0.18 mm
0.00 mm
0.18 mm
0.35 mm
Default
0.40 mm
70
Notes:
• Use the Rectangle command to draw the border. Begin at 0,0 and
make the border 10” x 7.75”
• There is no “start point” for the views. The bottom left of the front view
may be placed wherever you think it looks good.
• Leave 1.50” between the views.
• Place the dimensions as shown.
• Plot at a scale of 1:1 on Letter-size (8.5 x 11) paper.
REMINDER:
Entering Decimal Values in AutoCAD
Normally, to enter this…
five inches
one half inch
three-quarters of an inch
five and three-quarters of an inch
…you type this:
5
.5
.75
5.75
Entering Fractional Values In AutoCAD
Normally, to enter this…
five inches
one half inch
three-quarters of an inch
five and three-quarters of an inch
…you type this:
5
1/2
3/4
5-3/4
71
GUIDE BLOCK
Two views are given. Visualize the solution for the missing right-side view
and draw all three views.
Save as: 20A-3A-**
NOTE: Be sure to use the diameter dimension tool to dimension the
hole. DO NOT use a multileader!
72
ANGLE STOP
Three views are given. Draw all three. Save as: 20A-3B-**
NOTE: Be sure to use the diameter dimension tool (DO NOT use a
multileader) to dimension the hole. If you need to add Text to a
dimension (e.g.: “THRU”), double-click on the diameter dimension
value. Then, add the text to the dimension string without erasing the
dimension’s numerical value.
73
ROD GUIDE
Two views are given. Add the missing Top view. Save as: 20A-3C-**
NOTE: Be sure to use the diameter dimension tool (DO NOT use a
multileader) to dimension the hole. If you need to add Text to a
dimension (“DRILL”), edit the diameter dimension by double-clicking on
the dimension value. Then, add the text to the dimension string without
erasing the dimension’s numerical value.
74
Notes:
75
Chapter 4
Creating a Template
Objectives:
• Create a template file
• Create basic multileader styles
• Create a border and title strip
Drawing Assignments:
• 20a Template
• 20a Border
New Commands:
• SaveAs (DWT)
• ADcenter
• Mleaderstyle
76
TEMPLATE FILES
All drawings start from either a default drawing template file or a custom
drawing template file that you create. Drawing template files store default
settings, styles, and additional data. A drawing template file uses a .dwt file
extension, and it specifies the styles, settings, and layouts in a drawing,
including title blocks. CAD managers often create, maintain, and distribute
drawing template files to maintain consistent standards and styles across
an organization.
Among the settings specified are:
• Units of measure and measurement style
• Drafting settings
• Layers and layer properties
• Dimension styles
• Text styles
• Layout viewports and scales
• Plot and publishing settings
When you save these settings in a drawing template file, you can quickly
start new drawings without having to specify these settings for each and
every drawing file.
77
AUTODESK DESIGN CENTER
This is a browser-based tool that can be used to share assets from one
drawing to another. You can copy Layers, Dimension Styles, Text Styles,
(as well as other AutoCAD content) from an existing drawing into your
current drawing.
78
DRAWING ASSIGNMENT: 20a Template
Follow the instructions below to create a B-sized
template for the drawings we will do in this class.
Begin a New Drawing and follow the instructions:
Units:
Decimal
Precision - Length: 0.000
Angles: 0.000
Limits:
Lower Left Corner: 0,0
Upper Right Corner: 17,11
Layers:
Name
BORDER
CENTER
CONSTRUCTION
DIM
HATCH
HIDDEN
TEXT
NOPRINT
VISIBLE
VPORTS
Color
Red (1)
40
Green (3)
Blue (5)
White (7)
Cyan (4)
Magenta (6)
Yellow (2)
White (7)
Blue (5)
Linetype
Continuous
Center2
Continuous
Continuous
Continuous
Hidden2
Continuous
Continuous
“
“
Lineweight
0.60 mm
0.18 mm
0.00 mm
0.18 mm
0.18 mm
0.35 mm
Default
Default
0.40 mm
Default
Text Styles:
Use the Design Center (Ctrl+ 2) to copy the Romans text style from the
20a-3A Multiview Drawing assignment. Use the Text Style editor to add
the following style:
Name
City Blueprint
Font
City Blueprint
Height
0
79
Dimension Styles:
Use the Design Center (Ctrl+ 2) to copy the Decimal3 dimension style from
Drawing 20a-3A. Use the Dimension Style Manager to add the three new
dimension styles as listed below:
Engineering
Tab
Lines
Symbols &
Arrows
Symbols &
Arrows
Text
Text
Text
Primary Units
Primary Units
Primary Units
Sub-section
Extension
Lines
Arrowheads
Property
Extend beyond dim lines
Arrow size
Center marks
Text
Appearance
Text
Appearance
Text
Placement
Linear
Dimensions
Linear
Dimensions
Angular
Dimensions
Value
.125
.125
None
Text Style
Text Height
Offset from dim line
Unit format
Romans
.125
.05
Engineering
Precision
0’-0.00”
Precision
0.00
80
Fractional
Tab
Lines
Sub-section
Extension
Lines
Symbols & Arrows Arrowheads
Symbols & Arrows Center marks
Text
Text
Appearance
Text
Text
Appearance
Text
Text
Placement
Text
Text Alignment
Primary Units
Primary Units
Primary Units
Linear
Dimensions
Linear
Dimensions
Angular
Dimensions
Property
Extend beyond dim lines
Arrow size
(radio button)
Text Style
Text Height
Offset from dim line
(radio button)
Unit format
Value
.125
.125
None
Romans
.125
.05
ISO
Standard
Fractional
Precision
1/16
Precision
0.0
81
Architectural
*NOTE: Start with the Symbols & Arrows Tab this time!
Tab
Sub-section
Property
Value
Symbols &
Arrowheads
First & Second
Architectural
Arrows
Tick
Symbols &
Arrowheads
Arrow Size
.125
Arrows
Symbols &
Center marks
(radio button)
None
Arrows
Lines
Extension
Extend beyond dim lines
.125
Lines
Lines
Dimension
Extend beyond ticks
.125
Lines
Text
Text
Text Style
City
Appearance
Blueprint
Text
Text
Text Height
.125
Appearance
Text
Text
Vertical
Above
Placement
Text
Text Alignment (radio button)
Aligned with
dimension
line
Primary Units
Linear
Unit format
Architectural
Dimensions
Primary Units
Linear
Precision
0’-0 1/16”
Dimensions
Primary Units
Zero
0 feet
Checked
Suppression
Primary Units
Zero
0 inches
Unchecked
Suppression
82
MULTILEADERS
A leader is a special kind of annotation used to call attention to a specific
area of a drawing. You will be using these annotations in future weeks.
Today, your goal is simply to set up the styles for the different leaders we’ll
be using later on.
Multileader Styles
The appearance of a multileader is controlled by its Multileader Style. The
Multileader Style can specify formatting for landing lines, leader lines,
arrowheads, and type of content.
Multileader Style: Mechanical
Use the multileader style manager to create a new multileader style called
“Mechanical”
1. Open the multileader style manager.
83
2. Click on the “New” button. The “Create New Multileader Style” dialog
box is displayed.
3. Type “MECHANICAL” in the New Style Name dialog box.
Click Continue.
84
4. The Multileader Style Manager is displayed.
Make sure that the Leader Format tab is selected.
5. Change the Arrowhead size to .125
85
6. Click on the Leader Structure tab.
7. Set the Landing Distance to .125
86
8. Click on the Content Tab.
9. Select Romans from the Text Style drop-down menu.
Change the Text Height to .125
Click on OK.
Now use the Multileader Style editor to add two more styles with the
settings listed below.
87
Multileader Style: Balloon
Click on the NEW button and name the style “Balloon”.
Chose “Start with Mechanical;” this will save you the step of setting up the
Arrow Size and Landing Distance over and over.
Go to the Content tab and make the following changes:
Multileader type:
Block
Source Block:
Circle
10.
Click on OK.
88
Multileader Style: Architectural
Click on the NEW button and name the style “Architectural.” Chose “Start
with Mechanical;” this will save you the step of setting up the Arrow Size
and Landing Distance over and over.
Make sure that the Leader Format tab is selected.
Change the Leader Type to SPLINE
89
Go to the Content tab and make the following changes:
Text Style
City Blueprint
Height
.125
90
The completed set of new Multileader Styles will look like this:
Click on “Mechanical” multileader style, and then hit the “Set Current”
button.
FINISHING THE TEMPLATE
When you have completed all of the above steps, use the “SAVEAS”
command to save the drawing as a template file. Be sure to change the
extension to .dwt in the “Files of type” drop-down box at the bottom of the
screen.
Do NOT draw on the 20a Template file. When you are ready to begin a
new drawing, click NEW and then select the 20a Template.dwt file instead
of selecting the acad.dwt file. This will begin a new drawing file that looks
exactly like your template file, but the template file will remain unchanged.
The only time you will open the .dwt file is when you want to make changes
to the template.
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DRAWING ASSIGNMENT: 20a Border
Follow the instructions below to create a B-sized border that
will become part of your template.
Begin a new drawing using the 20a Template.dwt we just
completed.
• Draw the border shown on the next page.
• The lower-left corner of the border should be at 0,0
• Use the Properties dialog to change the line weight of the title strip to
the default line weight.
• All text shall be Romans style.
• The title text shall be .1875 tall.
• All remaining text shall be .125 tall.
• Be sure to place all text in the proper locations
When complete:
• Save the Drawing as “20a Border”
• Plot the border on an 11x17 sheet at a scale of 1:1.
o Make sure that you check the box to center the plot, and
preview the drawing before you click “OK.”
See the next page for the sizes of the
divisions within the Title Block
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93
94
Notes:
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Chapter 5
Introduction to PaperSpace
Objectives:
• Identify standard Drafting sheet sizes
• Understand the advantages of PaperSpace
annotation and plotting
• Create and scale viewports in PaperSpace
• Observe the effects of viewports on lineweight and
linetype
• Place Multileaders
Drawing Assignments:
• Rod Support
• Footing Detail
New Commands:
• Mview
• MS
• PS
• Pagesetup
• Mleader
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STANDARD SHEET SIZES
A-size paper is 8 ½” x 11”. It
is also called “Letter” size.
B-size paper is 11” x 17”. It is
the same size as two A-size
sheets placed side by side. It
is sometimes called “Tabloid.”
C-size paper is 17” x 22”. It is
the same size as two B-size
sheets placed side by side.
D-size paper is 22” x 34”. It is
the same size as two C-size sheets placed side by side.
Plotting scale affects what you can fit on a sheet:
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When ModelSpace is not enough…
As your drawings get larger and more complex, and consist of multiple
individual sheets with their own title blocks and borders, you will start to see
how cumbersome setting up Titleblocks & Borders, and printing from
Modelspace is. This becomes extra apparent when you begin adding
annotations such as dimensions and notes to your drawings. Making sure
all your text plots out 1/8” tall, regardless of the plot scale or the paper size
is a challenge.
One way to do this is to increase the height of text (as well as LTS and
Hatch Scale) by a calculated Scale factor. Scale factor is the conversion
factor between a measurement on the plotted drawing and the
measurement in the real world.
For ratio scales (1:2, 1:10, 1:400) it is very simple to calculate Scale
factor. Simply multiply the size you wish the text to be by the second
number in the ratio.
For example, if you want your text to print at 1/8” tall and you are using a
1:10 plotting scale, make the text .125 x 10, or 1.25”
For Architectural Scales, Scale factor is a little more complicated. Start by
dividing 12 into the decimal form of the scale you are using. For example,
to find the scale factor of ¼”=1’-0”, divide 12 (1 foot, which is twelve inches)
by .25 (the decimal form of 1/4).
12 ÷ .25 = 48
The answer is 48. The next step: Multiply 1/8” (.125) by 48 to find out how
tall your text must be at this scale to print out at 1/8” tall.
.125 x 48 = 6.
Making your Text 6” tall will cause it to print out at 1/8” tall at ¼”=1’-0”
scale.
Lots of math, right?
98
Another Option…use a Scale Chart!
(A) signifies Architectural scale, where 1 unit = 1”
(C) signifies Civil scale, where 1 unit = 1’
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Keep in mind, when you do all your annotations in Model Space and when
you have multiple plotting scales to work with, you’ll need as many scaled
dimension styles, multileader styles, text styles, etc. This adds a LOT of
baggage to your drawing file.
How can you dimension drawings and add notes to your work at different
scales without having to rely on calculating and manipulating Scale Factor?
The answer is: PaperSpace
PaperSpace
AutoCAD has two distinct working environments, called "Model Space" and
"PaperSpace." Each environment has its own unique characteristics. Up
until now, you have been drawing and plotting exclusively in Model Space.
By default, when AutoCAD starts you are working in a limitless 3D drawing
area called Model Space. You have been, and will continue to, create the
geometry for drawings in Model Space at 1:1 scale.
To prepare drawings for printing, students in the INDR 20a class will begin
using the PaperSpace environment. There you will set up different layouts
with title blocks and sheet borders. On each layout sheet you will create
viewports that display different views of the things you drew in model
space. In the layout viewports, you will scale the Model Space views
relative to PaperSpace.
Model Space is accessible from the Model tab at the bottom of the drawing
canvas. PaperSpace is accessible from the layout tabs.
Follow the instructions below to modify the 20a Template.dwt to properly
prepare the PaperSpace environment.
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1. Open the 20a Template.dwt and set the VPORT layer current.
2. Click on the Layout1 tab at the bottom of the drawing canvas to
switch to the PaperSpace environment.
3. The drawing sheet that just opened up will have a viewport on it. The
viewport is the window that lets you see what we drew in Model
Space.
4. Right-click on the Layout1 tab and choose Page Setup Manager.
5. Pick the Modify button. This will take you to the Page Setup dialog
box (it looks just like the plot dialog box).
a. Choose the correct plotter, paper size, and make sure that
LAYOUT is selected under the Plot Area.
b. Change the plot offsets (in the lower left hand corner)
i. X = .25
ii. Y = .125
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c. Make sure that “Monochrome” is selected in the Plot Style
Table.
d. Choose OK and close the Page Setup Manager. Your paper
space should now display as an 11x17 sheet.
6. Copy (CTRL+C) the 20a Border from the original drawing and paste
(CTRL+V) it into PaperSpace in the 20a Template (be sure to use
copy and paste).
7. Save and close 20a Template.dwt
Once you have completed these steps, create a new drawing using
20aTemplate.dwt as your selected template. You should only have to do
this once. DO NOT open or draw on 20a Template.dwt
1. Draw all of your geometry in Model Space. “Geometry” includes lines,
circles, arcs, centerlines, and hatches.
2. Switch to PaperSpace. The 20a Border should be visible.
3. All of the geometry that’s in Model Space should be displayed in the
viewport. If not, activate the viewport and search for your geometry.
4. Change the scale of the viewport by either double-clicking inside the
viewport or selecting the viewport and then picking the desired scale
from the Viewport Scale tool, which is found on the status bar.
5. Lock the viewports to prevent accidentally resizing them.
6. Add all necessary dimensions and notes in paper space.
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VIEWPORTS
Viewports are “windows” that allow you to see on the Layout the things that
have been drawn in Model Space. Double-clicking inside the boundary of a
viewport will activate it. Double-clicking outside the boundary will deactivate
it.
Viewports can be selected, moved, rotated, and copied. Viewports can be
Grip-Edited to change their size.
Viewports in this class are placed on the VPORT layer, and are turned off
at plotting time; otherwise they leave a visible “box” on the final printout.
MVIEW
Mview is a command that creates a viewport, prompting the user to click
three or more times to create a closed polygon. After the final click, the
user hits enter, and AutoCAD creates the viewport. One of the options in
Mview is to select and OBJECT as a viewport. This can be any closed
shape, such as a polygon, or a circle.
The LAYOUT Tab
When you are on an active layout, the Layout tab will appear in the Ribbon.
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LEADERS & MULTILEADERS
.A leader is a small block of text attached to a leader
line and an arrowhead.
The leader is used to call out specific notes that need
attention.
While a leader might appear similar to a Diameter
or Radius dimension, it should NOT be used in the
place of a dimension, as its contents are not
associative.
After a leader is placed you can make modifications to it.
Use the Multileader tools to Add additional leader lines and arrows.
The Remove tool lets you removed unnecessary leader lines & arrows that
were previously added with the Add leader tool.
To keep leaders organized
there are two tools, each
with multiple options. The
Collect tool takes all selected
leaders and groups them
together so that they are
touching.
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The Leader Align option places all leaders on a straight path.
Sloppy Leaders
Aligned Leaders
You can also place and modify Leaders and select Leader Styles from
the Leaders panel on the Annotation Tab of the Ribbon.
105
Aligned Sections
In the INDR B12 class you learned about Full, Half, and Offset section
views. There are several other types of section views, one of which is used
in drawing 5A: an Aligned section. An Aligned section view is a view
created from a cutting profile defined from non-parallel planes. In order to
include certain angled elements, the cutting plane is “bent” so as to pass
through those features. The plane and feature are then imagined to be
revolved into the original plane.
In the drawing shown here,
the right side view was
created by a Cutting Plane
that runs straight through the
part. The effect, though, is
that the arms shown at the
top and bottom appear
different sizes, even though
they are not.
In this drawing the right
side view is shows the
arms as having equal
length, which they do. The
Cutting Plane is “bent”
through the part and then
“straightened out” to create
the right side view.
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What can be confusing about Aligned sections is that the cutting plans is
not normally added to the drawing.
Other examples of
Aligned Sections:
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DRAWING ASSIGNMENT: ROD SUPPORT
Follow the instructions below to complete the drawing shown
on the following page.
1. Begin a new drawing using the 20a Template.
2. Draw the geometry as shown in ModelSpace.
3. Compose the drawing in PaperSpace. Set the
Viewport scale to 1:1
4. Add the dimensions shown (Decimal2 dimension style) on
PaperSpace.
DO NOT use a Multileader to dimension the n .50 hole; use
the Diameter Dimension tool.
5. Plot from PaperSpace on an 11 x 17 sheet.
Title Block Information:
• Drawing Title: ROD SUPPORT
• Drawing Number: 20A-5A
\
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109
DRAWING ASSIGNMENT: Footing Detail
Follow the instructions below to complete the Footing Detail
shown on the following page.
1. Begin a new drawing using the 20a Template.
2. Change the Units to Architectural. Change the
Limits to accommodate the estimated size of this
drawing.
3. Add three new layers to this drawing:
NAME
Profile-Default
Profile-Heavy
BATTING
COLOR
Green (3)
White (7)
Red (1)
LINETYPE
Continuous
Continuous
BATTING
LINEWEIGHT
Default
0.50 mm
0.18 mm
4. Draw the geometry as shown in Modelspace.
a. Use the Profile-Heavy layer for the grade and concrete
profiles
b. Use the Profile-Default Layer for other drawing elements.
c. Use the Center and Hidden layers as needed
d. Use the Batting layer to represent the insulation in the wall
e. Place Hatches on the Hatch layer.
Suggestion: Modify the Properties of the Earth Hatch
so that it has a 0.00mm lineweight. This will make it
much less prominent in the drawing.
5. Compose the drawing in PaperSpace. Set the Viewport scale to
1-1/2”=1’-0”
6. Add the dimensions shown using the Architectural dimension style.
7. Add the notes with leaders as shown using the Architectural
Multileader Style. Put Leaders on the TEXT layer
8. Plot from PaperSpace on an 11 x 17 sheet.
110
Title Block Information:
• Drawing Title: FOOTING DETAIL
• Drawing Number: 20A-5B
.
Abbreviations/Terms:
• O.C.
• Anchor Bolt
• Rebar
• Batt
• Cont.
• Stud
• W.W. Mesh
• Drywall
• Conc.
• Typ.
• Weep Screed
• Ctrs
111
112
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Chapter 6
Blocks
Objectives:
• Understand the advantages of using Blocks
• Create Blocks using a variety of methods
• Edit Blocks
• Access Blocks from the Tool Palettes
• Identify and work with Dynamic Blocks
Drawing Assignments:
• Furniture Block library
• Studio Apartment drawing
New Commands:
• Block
• Insert
• Bedit
• WBlock
• Table
• ToolPalettes
• Ellipse (Center)
114
BLOCKS
A Block is one or more drawing elements combined to create a single,
named object. One of the strengths of using the AutoCAD software is that
as you draw symbols (such as electrical switches, furniture, plants, or doors
and windows) you can save them in a Block library that can be used to
populate new drawings in the future, saving time and creating consistency
in your work.
Blocks should be created on Layer 0. Doing so allows the Block to assume
the characteristics of the layer which it is inserted. Although a Block is
always inserted on the current layer, the block reference preserves
information about the original layer, color, and linetype properties of the
objects that are contained in the Block. If a Block was created from objects
drawn on several layers with a variety of colors, linetypes, and lineweight
properties, the will retain these when they are inserted into a new drawing,
regardless of what layer they are placed on.
Block Definition
Whenever you create a Block all its information (including geometry, layers,
colors, and linetypes) is stored in a behind-the-scenes table of definitions.
Block definitions are invisible, and travel with the drawing. A file might have
several dozen Block definitions embedded in it, yet not have a single piece
of visible geometry in the drawing canvas.
One way to see the Block definitions present in a drawing file is to start the
Insert command. Hitting the dropdown arrow will reveal a list of all available
Blocks.
115
Another way to see the Block definitions present in a drawing file is to start
the BEdit (Block Edit) command.
116
Block Reference
When Blocks are inserted into a drawing, they are references; that is: each
inserted instance refers to the block definition for their appearance and
attributes. Each time a Block is placed in a drawing, or a Block is copied
within a drawing, it is a reference. Changing a Blocks definition will
update all the current Block references in the drawing.
Blocks are easy to spot in a drawing. If you click on a single element of a
Block, all the geometry will be selected, and a single Insertion Grip is
visible.
Caution: A Block is NOT the same as a Group.
Selected Group
Notice the “Box” around the object
Selected Block
No “Box,” just the Insertion Grip
117
You can also verify that the object is a Block by looking at its object type in
the Properties Panel
Creating a BLOCK
The BLOCK command creates a Block definition from selected objects.
Any Block made using this command is stored only in the current drawing
as a Block. The dialog box is shown below:
118
Using the dialog box shown, you can name the Block, select the objects to
be included in the Block, specify an insertion point for the Block, and add
any description necessary for the Block.
119
THE INSERT TAB
The Insert tab on the ribbon also has icons
for starting these two commands related to
blocks. On the Block Definition tab, you have
a tool that invokes the Create Block and
Write Block Commands.
Inserting a Block
The INSERT command specifies the name and position of the Block or
drawing to insert. The Block that is being inserted can either be a Block in
the current drawing or a drawing file separate from the current drawing.
When one drawing is inserted into another drawing, it is inserted as a
Block.
120
The Name field will drop-down to show all Blocks saved in the current
drawing. If you click on the Browse button, you can select any drawing to
be inserted as a Block.
You can also insert Blocks into your drawing from the Insert Tab.
Inserting a Block from a tool palette
Tool palettes are used to organize tools that range from blocks to
commands to hatch patterns, and are displayed as part of the Tool Palettes
window (TOOLPALETTES command or CTRL + 3).
121
Once the tool palettes are open, you can select a tab in the tool palettes
containing the objects you want to use and then click the specific object
you want to add. The object appears at the cursor, ready for you to select a
location. The symbols you choose are Blocks and behave just as the
Blocks inserted using the Insert command.
Dynamic Blocks
Some Blocks might have
built-in intelligence. You
will recognize them by the
light blue glyphs that
appear around them when
you select the Block.
Programming Blocks to
have certain behaviors and
settings is taught in the
INDR B20b class.
TABLES
A table is a grid made up of lines and
text. In this assignment, you need to
make a table for the door schedule, which
contains information related to the
building project (the sizes of the doors
and the symbols that identify them.)
Tables can be made with AutoCAD lines
and text, or you can use the Table tool to
create an intelligent Table Object.
.
122
Using the Write Block command
The WBLOCK command saves selected objects or converts a block to a
new drawing file. The Write Block dialog box provides a convenient method
for saving part of the current drawing to a different drawing file, or saving a
specified block definition as a separate drawing file.
Write Block: STEPS
1
3
2
4
5
1. Start the WBlock command. Click the “Objects” radio button and then
choose the items to be included in the block
2. Select the “Pick Point” button, and then click to specify the base
point on the block
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3. Click the “Select Objects” button to select the geometry that will make
up the block.
4. Decide if you want to retain the original geometry in the drawing,
convert the original geometry to a block in the drawing, or delete the
original geometry from the drawing.
5. Define the name and save location by choosing the ellipsis button
next to the file name field.
BLOCKS
File Management
Blocks are generally stored in a shared file location so all the CAD
technicians in an office have access to them. Understanding how to store
and share blocks is critically important in a CAD office. It is imperative that
your blocks remain organized. In your B20a Folder on the H: Drive you are
going to create a new folder titled “BLOCKS.” This will be where all your
Blocks are placed.
124
DRAWING ASSIGNMENT: Furniture Block Library
Follow the instructions below to create a library of Blocks to
be used in future drawings.
1. Use Microsoft Explorer to create a new folder on your
network drive called 20A BLOCKS.
2. Begin a new drawing using the 20a Template.
3. Draw each of the following Block symbols on Layer 0.
4. Use the WBLOCK command to save each as a new drawing on your
network drive in the newly created 20A BLOCKS folder.
5. Use the dimensions given for each object. Do NOT include the
dimensions in the Block. If a dimension is not given for a feature of
the object, use your best judgment to estimate the correct size.
6. The small circle with an X on it is NOT part of the Block, but rather,
the base point for each Block. Be sure to place the base points as
indicated.
7. The Blocks will be inserted in the Studio Apartment drawing
assignment.
REMINDER:
Entering Architectural Unit Input
To enter this…
…you type this:
five inches
5
five feet
5’
five feet and five inches
5’5
five feet & five and three-quarters of an inch
5’5-3/4
125
TUB
END TABLE
SOFA
COFFEE TABLE
RANGE
126
DOUBLE BED
REFRIGERATOR
LAVATORY
KITCHEN SINK
TOILET
127
DRAWING ASSIGNMENT: Studio Apartment Drawing
Follow the instructions below to copy the apartment drawing
shown on the following page.
1. Begin a new drawing using the 20a Template.
2. Set the Limits and Units for this drawing according to
the overall size of the project and the type of units
you’ll be working with.
3. Add the following new layers to this drawing:
Name
Color
Linetype
A-BATH
Cyan (4)
Continuous
A-CABINETS
(40)
Continuous
A-DOORS
Yellow (2)
“
A-FURNITURE
Cyan (4)
“
A-KITCHEN
Red (1)
“
A-WALLS
White (7)
“
A-WINDOWS
Green (3)
Continuous
Lineweight
Default
“
“
“
“
0.40 mm
Default
4. Draw the walls as shown in the example sketch.
5. Add the following furniture and fixtures to the drawing: bathtub,
lavatory, toilet, sink, range, refrigerator, sofa, double bed, end table,
and coffee table. The bed, nightstand, sofa, and coffee table may be
arranged in whatever arrangement you like. Place all blocks on
appropriate layers.
6. Add the doors and windows from the AutoCAD Tool Palettes.
128
7. Add the rest of the symbols from the furniture block library created in
the previous exercise.
8. Compose the drawing in PaperSpace. Scale the viewport to
1/4" = 1’-0”
9. Add dimensions (use the Architectural dimension style).
10. Add room names as indicated.
11. Plot from PaperSpace on an 11 x 17 sheet.
Title Block Information:
• Drawing Title: Studio Apartment
• Drawing Number: B20A-6A
129
Dimensions for drawing setup
NOTES:
• ALL WALLS ARE 4” THICK
• ALL DOORS ARE OFFSET 4” FROM THE
NEAREST CORNER.
• ALL WINDOWS NOT LOCATED WITH A
DIMENSION ARE CENTERED ON THE
INTERIOR SURFACE OF THEIR WALL
130
•
Bathroom
counter/cabinet
dimensions:
Kitchen counter/cabinet dimensions:
Shelf & Pole
131
Architectural Dimensioning Technique
132
Finished Drawing with Dimensions
133
Chapter 7
Advanced Blocks, Layouts & Viewports
Objectives:
• Create multiple views of one object using viewports
Drawing Assignments:
• Additional Blocks
• Custom Block
• Large Architectural Drawing
134
LAYOUT TABS
Deleting Layout Tabs
Viewports can be deleted like any other CAD
object. You can also delete the viewport by
right-clicking on it and selecting “Delete.”
Renaming Layout Tabs
Viewports can be re-named by right-clicking
on the appropriate Layout tab, and selecting
the Rename option.
Moving Layout Tabs
The order of the viewports can be rearranged by right-clicking on the
Layout tab, and selecting the Move Option.
You can also Click & Drag a viewport to create new ordering.
135
Copying Layout Tabs
By putting a check in the box for “Create a copy,” you can copy a Layout
Tab (along with anything on it) and add it to the current drawing.
NOTE: You MUST click the checkbox next to “Create a Copy” for this
to work!
136
DRAWING ASSIGNMENT: Architectural Blocks
Follow the instructions below to create additional of blocks to be used in
future drawings.
1. The drawings will be added to your network drive in the 20A BLOCKS
folder.
2. Begin a new drawing using the 20a Template.
3. Draw each of the following symbols on layer 0 and use the WBLOCK
command to save each as a new drawing on your network drive in
the newly created Block Library (H:\ 20A BLOCKS).
4. Be sure to place the base point as indicated on each object.
5. Use the dimensions given for each object. Do NOT include the
dimensions for the objects. If a dimension is not given for a feature of
the object, use your best judgment to estimate the correct size.
6. The blocks will be inserted in the next drawing.
SLIDING DOOR 6-0
DH WINDOW 3-0
137
BI-FOLD DOOR 2-0
SHOWER STALL
MASONRY FIREPLACE
138
AUTOCAD TABLES
A table is a chart made up of lines and
text. It looks similar to a spreadsheet
that you’d use in Microsoft Excel. The
cells of the table can be filled in with
text, numbers, dates, etc. The cells can
also be used to perform calculations,
using data from the other cells.
The appearance of the table is controlled by a Table Style. Table Styles
define the appearance of tables just as Text Styles are used to define text
and Dimension Styles define dimensions. The format of the new Table
Style can be set up based on the Standard Table Style. A Table Style will
specify different cell styles in each type of row (Title, Header, and Data), as
well as justification and appearance for the text and gridlines. You will be
able to control text size, data format, text alignment, and other elements
created in the individual cells.
139
The STANDARD table style, for example, contains a cell style consisting of
merged cells with text that is centered. This cell style, named Title, can be
specified as the first row cell of the table. This creates a title row at the top
of the new table.
The border properties in a table’s cell style control the display of the
gridlines that divide the table into cells. The borders of the title row, the
column heads row, and the data rows can have different lineweight and
color and can be displayed or not displayed. The Cell Style preview image
in the bottom right corner of the Table Style dialog box updates as you
select border options.
The appearance of text in the cells of the table is controlled by the text style
that is specified in the current cell style. You can use any text style in the
drawing or create a new one. You can also use DesignCenter (CTRL+2) to
copy Table Styles from other drawings.
You can define the data and formatting for any cell within a table style.
You can also overwrite the data and formatting for specific cells. For
example, you could set the formatting for all column heading rows to
display text in uppercase, and then select a single table cell to display text
in lowercase. The type of data you display in a row and the formatting for
that data type is controlled by the formatting options you select in the Table
Cell Format dialog box.
140
DRAWING ASSIGNMENT: Weekend Retreat Cabin
Follow the instructions below to create a CAD drawing of the
small wilderness retreat shown on the following page.
1. Begin a new drawing using the 20a Template.
2. Use the DesignCenter to drag & drop the Architectural
layers you made in the last drawing into this drawing
(all the Layers with an “A-“ prefix.)
3. Draw the walls as shown in the given sheets.
4. Add the Imperial doors from the tool palettes. Use the Door schedule
to set the doors to the correct sizes.
5. Add the blocks you made from unit 7 (windows, shower, bi-fold doors,
etc.)
6. Use the DesignCenter to get the needed blocks (Sink, Toilet,
Refrigerator, Lavatory, Range, Double Bed, End Table, Coffee Table)
from the Studio Apartment assignment. Arrange them as needed.
7. Create your own block! This block should be for an item that would
logically be found in a retreat-style cabin. Plan on sharing it with your
instructor when you turn in the assignment!
8. Compose the drawing in PaperSpace. Scale the viewports to
3/16”=1’-0”
9. Add only the dimensions shown (be sure to use the Architectural
dimension style).
10.
Add the Door & Window Schedules as shown.
11.
Plot from PaperSpace on an 11 x 17 sheet.
Title Block Information:
• Drawing Title: Cabin
• Drawing Number: 20a-7A
141
Dimensions for drawing setup
NOTES:
• ALL INTERIOR WALLS ARE 4” THICK
• ALL EXTERIOR WALLS ARE 6” THICK
142
Door & Window Locations
143
Schedules:
144
Architectural Dimensioning Technique
145
Midterm Week
146
147
Chapter 9
Isometric Drawings
Objectives:
• Recognize the three principal pictorial drawing
methods
• Use AutoCAD’s isometric snap feature
• Switch between isometric planes
• Create correctly-oriented isometric circles
• Draw text aligned with isometric planes
• Create a custom viewport scale
Drawing Assignments:
• Isometric Drawings 1 & 2
• Isometric Construction Detail
New Commands:
• Isoplane
• Ellipse (Axis-End, Isocircle)
• Dimedit (Oblique)
• ScaleListEdit
148
ISOMETRIC DRAWINGS
There are three main pictorial drawing methods: Perspective, Oblique, and
Isometric. Oblique drawings are easily created by both traditional and CAD
techniques, but lack realism. Perspective drawings are very realistic, but
insanely complex to set up correctly. Isometric offers a happy middle
ground, giving a fairly realistic representation with only a moderate level of
effort needed. Isometric drawings simulate the appearance of a 3D object
from a particular viewpoint by aligning three major axes 120 degrees apart
from one another.
149
By turning one the Isometric Snap/Grid, you can easily draw and align linework along one of three isometric planes.
You can activate the isometric snap/grid in the Drafting Settings menu,
shown below:
If the snap angle is 0, the axes of the isometric planes are 30 degrees, 90
degrees, and 150 degrees. Once you set the snap style to Isometric, you
can work on any of three planes, each with an associated pair of axes:
• Top. Aligns snap and grid along 30- and 150-degree axes.
• Right. Aligns snap and grid along 30- and 90-degree axes.
• Left. Aligns snap and grid along 90- and 150-degree axes.
150
Pressing F5 or CTRL+E cycles through the Top, Right, and Left Isoplanes.
This aligns Ortho and the crosshairs to the corresponding isometric axes.
151
Circles in Isometric
When drawing on isometric planes, use an ellipse to represent a circle
viewed from an oblique angle. The easiest way to draw an ellipse with the
correct shape is to use the Isocircle option of the AXIS, END ElLLIPSE.
The Isocircle option is available only when the Style option of Snap mode is
set to Isometric.
Note To represent concentric circles, draw another ellipse with the same
center rather than offsetting the original ellipse. Offsetting produces an
oval-shaped spline that does not represent foreshortened distances as you
would expect.
152
Isometric Text
Isometric Drawings that contain notes or text appear a little strange when
the text does not align to the Isometric planes, too. To create text that
appears to be correctly aligned with an isometric plane, create a new text
style.
Text Styles:
Go to the Text Style manager. With the Current style set to Romans, click
on the NEW button. Create a new style with the name “30.”
In the bottom half of the dialog box change the Oblique Angle value from 0
to 30.
When finished, create another style named “-30.” Set the Oblique angle
value for this style to -30.
153
By switching in between these two styles and rotating the text as shown
below, you’ll be able to align your text to the Isometric axes.
In order to have these two new Text Styles in all your future drawings, save
the current BLANK drawing file you are working with as your new 20a
Template.dwt file.
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ADDING A CUSTOM VIEWPORT SCALE
When creating a drawing, an overall view may be shown at full or half size,
but details may need to be larger than a view so that dimensions may be
placed without crowding a drawing. Often in design work it may be
necessary to create a custom scale. This is easily done from a Layout tab
on PaperSpace.
In PaperSpace, select any viewport to activate the viewport scale control.
From the list of available scales, select Custom…
The Edit Drawing Scales dialog box will appear.
155
Choose Add… the add scale dialog box will appear.
Give the new scale a name (X:X or similar), then adjust the scale
properties. The Paper units value is what you will see in PaperSpace and
the drawing units value reflect what is in model space.
Choose OK and the new scale is added to the list of available scales.
Choose OK at the Edit Drawing Scales dialog box.
156
DRAWING ASSIGNMENT: Isometric Parts
Follow the instructions below to complete the isometric
drawing.
1. Begin a new drawing using the 20a Template.
2. Either open up Drawing 3A, or else look back in
the Course Pack to Unit 3 where the assignment can be found.
3. Use the given dimensions to draw an isometric view of this part
using the isometric snap and grid.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for drawings 3B and 3C.
5. Compose the drawing in PaperSpace. The 3 views should be in
one viewport, at a scale of 1:1
6. Plot from PaperSpace on an 11 x 17 sheet.
Title Block Information:
• Drawing Title: Isometric Parts
• Drawing Number: 20A-9A
157
DRAWING ASSIGNMENT: Isometric Construction Detail
Follow the instructions below to complete the isometric
drawing.
1. Begin a new drawing using the 20a Template.
2. Draw an isometric view of the Footing Detail you
created for Drawing 20A-4B. You have the freedom
to be creative with hatches and other details.
Impress me!
3. Dimensions and Text are NOT required
4. Compose the drawing in a viewport on PaperSpace. The viewport
should be scaled at an architectural scale large enough to show
the details on an 11x17 sheet.
5. Plot when finished
Title Block Information:
• Drawing Title: Construction Detail
• Drawing Number: 20A-9B
158
Notes:
159
Chapter 10
Introduction to 3D Solid Modeling
Objectives:
• Locate the 3D workspaces and 3D tools
• Create and modify 3D primitive shapes
• Use Boolean logic to model objects using
Constructive Solid Geometry
• Understand the purpose of the UCS
• Navigate the 3D environment using the ViewCube
and the orbit command
• Create 3D extruded geometry from 2D polylines
• Place fillets and chamfers on solid objects
Drawing Assignments:
• Simple Extrusions
• Angle Block
New Commands:
• Massprop
• Intersect
• Inquiry (Volume)
• SolidHist
• Extrude
• FilletEdge
• Union
• Subtract
• ChamferEdg
160
3D MODELING IN AUTOCAD
AutoCAD is quite remarkable, in that while it began las a 2D drawing tool
(an electronic pencil with a built-in parallel bar, more or less) it has grown
and evolved with advances in technology to support a number of advanced
3D modeling, rendering, and animation features.
The earliest 3D models were simple wireframe models.
While wireframe modeling was an awesome advancement for its time,
there are some drawbacks to working with these kinds of models.
(The ambiguity of wireframe models)
161
Later, infinitely-thin 3D faces were added to wireframes to create hollow
surface models.
Surface models are more realisticlooking than wireframe models.
They are the preferred type of model
in a number of industries, including
3D animation and 3D Game Design.
They still have some significant
drawbacks, however, in industrial
applications.
Solid Models
A solid model is a 3D virtual object that has properties such as volume,
center of gravity, and moment of inertia. One method of creating 3D solid
models is to build them, like Legos, from basic solid shapes. AutoCAD, like
many 3D modeling programs, has several built-in primitive solid shapes.
Some of them are: Box, Cylinder, Pyramid, Cone, Torus, and Sphere.
162
Other methods of creating 3D solids include extruding, sweeping, revolving,
or lofting closed 2D polylines.
You can also combine separate 3D solids using Boolean operations such
as union, subtract, and intersect.
163
THE 3D WORKSPACE
Workspaces are sets of menus, toolbars, palettes, and ribbon control
panels that are grouped and organized so that you can work in a custom,
task-oriented drawing environment.
When you use a workspace, only the menus, toolbars, and palettes that are
relevant to a task are displayed. In addition, a workspace may
automatically display the ribbon, a special palette with task-specific control
panels.
You can easily switch between workspaces. The following task-based
workspaces are already defined in the AutoCAD:
• 2D Drafting & Annotation
• 3D Basics
• 3D Modeling
• AutoCAD Classic
For example, when you create 3D models, you can use the 3D Modeling
workspace that contains only 3D-related toolbars, menus, and palettes.
Interface items that you do not need for 3D modeling are hidden,
maximizing the screen area available for your
work.
You can switch workspaces by clicking on the
small arrow next to the Gear icon in the Status
Bar, as shown at the right:
(If you do not see the Gear icon, go to the
Hamburger and put a check mark next to the
Workspace Switching tool.)
164
3D TOOLS (RIBBON TAB)
The sheer number of specialized 3D
modeling tools in the 3D Modeling
workspace can be a bit overwhelming. You
will also need to switch from the Drafting
and Annotation Workspace to the 3D
Modeling workspace with annoying
frequency. For this reason, rather than
switching to the 3D Modeling workspace, it
might be easier to add a basic set of 3D
tools onto the ribbon of the familiar Drafting
and Annotation workspace. You can load
the 3D Tools tab by right-clicking on the
existing tabs, hovering over “Show Tabs,”
and then putting a check in front of the 3D
Tools Tab. This will place a new tab on your AutoCAD Ribbon:
165
The Modeling Panel
Solid Primitives
166
The ViewCube
The ViewCube is a navigation tool that may be displayed when you are
working in 2D or 3D model space visual styles. The ViewCube is not
displayed in Paper Space. With ViewCube you can manipulate the
viewpoint of the object or switch between standard and isometric views.
When you display the ViewCube, it is shown in one of the corners of the
drawing area over the model in an inactive state. The ViewCube tool
provides visual feedback about the current viewpoint of the model as view
changes occur. When the cursor is positioned over the ViewCube tool, it
becomes active. You can drag or click the ViewCube, switch to one of the
available preset views, roll the current view, or change to the Home view of
the model.
Edge
Corner
Face
Just below the viewcube, there is a control for the UCS. You can use this
control to change the UCS to a named UCS or create a new UCS.
167
Visual Styles
Visual styles control the display of edges, lighting, and shading. The Visual
Style can be selected by picking its name in the upper left-hand corner of
the viewport or by making changes to the Visual Styles panel on the View
tab.
The predefined visual styles are :
• 2D Wireframe. Displays objects using lines and
curves to represent the boundaries .
• Conceptual. Displays objects using smooth
shading and the Gooch face style. The Gooch
face style transitions between cool and warm
colors, rather than dark and light. The effect is
less realistic, but it can make the details of the
model easier to see.
• Hidden. Displays objects using wireframe
representation and hides lines representing
back faces.
• Realistic. Displays objects using smooth
shading and materials.
168
• Shaded. Displays objects using smooth shading.
• Shaded with Edges. Displays objects using
smooth shading and visible edges.
• Shades of Gray. Displays objects using
smooth shading in grayscale.
• Sketchy. Displays objects with a handsketched effect by using the Line
Extensions and Jitter edge modifiers.
• Wireframe. Displays objects using lines and curves to represent
the boundaries.
• X-ray. Displays objects with partial
transparency.
169
Extrude
Tools on the Modeling tab can be used to create 3D solids and
from 2D geometry.
Extrusions can extend in the Z
direction or be set to taper or
follow a path. To create a solid
you must extrude a closed
polyline, circle, or ellipse.
CAUTION:
If you extrude regular lines or
open polylines the extrusion results in a 3D surface, and NOT a 3D solid.
Boolean Operations
Solid Union
Union combines two or more 3D solids into a single,
composite 3D solid.
Solid Subtract
Subtract creates a new object by subtracting one overlapping region or 3D
solid from another. The first objects selected are used as the base, and the
second objects selected are subtracted from them. A single new 3D solid or
is then created.
170
Solid Intersect
Intersect creates a 3D solid from overlapping solids. The overlapping part is
the solid that is retained.
Mass Properties of 3D Solids
Since 3D Solids enclose 3D space, they will have properties that 2D
geometry does not. For example, a CUBE has volume, as well as a
centroid, moments of inertia, products of inertia, and radii of gyration. Try
using the VOLUME Measure tool, as well as the MASSPROP command, to
have AutoCAD calculate these engineering stats.
171
The World Coordinate System (WCS)
The World Coordinate System (WCS) is a coordinate system which tells
AutoCAD which way is up.
The WCS defines:
• The XY plane, also called the work plane, on which objects are
created and modified
• The origin and orientation for coordinate entry and absolute
reference angles
• The horizontal and vertical directions used for features like Ortho
mode, polar tracking, and object snap tracking
• The alignment and angle of the grid, hatch patterns, text, and
dimension objects
• For 3D operations, the orientation of work planes, projection
planes, and the Z axis for vertical direction and axis of rotation
The User Coordinate System (UCS)
The User Coordinate System (UCS) is a movable coordinate system which
can be modified by the user. It is a basic tool both for 2D drawing and 3D
modeling.
All objects in a drawing are defined by their coordinates in the World
Coordinate System (WCS), which cannot be moved or rotated. The WCS
and the UCS are the same in new drawings.
172
When you create or modify objects in a 3D environment, you can move and
orient the UCS anywhere in 3D space to simplify your work. The UCS is
useful for entering coordinates, creating 3D objects on 2D work planes, and
rotating objects in 3D.
The UCS icon follows the traditional right-hand rule in determining positive
axis directions and rotation directions.
When the WCS is not going to work for the task you have, you can create a
User Coordinate System with a new the location and orientation.
The UCS command defines a new UCS using one, two, or three points:
• If you specify a single point, the origin of the current UCS shifts
without changing the orientation of the X, Y, and Z axes.
• If you specify a second point, the UCS rotates to pass the positive
X axis through this point.
• If you specify a third point, the UCS rotates around the new X axis
to define the positive Y axis.
• The three points specify an origin point, a point on the positive X
axis, and a point on the positive XY plane.
• Once defined, a new UCS may be named.
A named UCS is saved in the drawing for future reference.
173
Dynamic UCS
Turning on the DYNAMIC UCS tool in the Status Bar will
allow you to draw on any existing surface without having
to change the UCS manually.
GIZMOS
Gizmos are tools that will help you transform your objects in the 3D
environment, since transform commands like MOVE, ROTATE, and
SCALE are limited to the X-Y plane. Gizmos can be accessed, turned on,
and selected by a button on the Status Bar, or on the Ribbon.
From the status bar:
On the Ribbon:
When these tools are turned on (and your Visual Style is set to anything
other than WIREFRAME), 3D objects will display at TRIAD that will allow
you to transform the object in a single AXIS.
174
The Move GIZMO, allows you to control
which Axis movement will occur in.
Red = X Axis
Green = Y Axis
Blue = Z Axis
The Rotate GIZMO allows you to control
which Axis rotation will occur in.
175
3D Modeling – Practice Exercise #1
Follow the instructions below to complete the 3D Modeling
Practice assignment.
1. Begin a new drawing using the 20a Template.
2. Create a Layer called “Part 1”
• Color: Any light color (Cyan, Green,
Yellow, #40, etc. are all acceptable)
• Linetype: Continuous
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
• Lineweight: Default
Use the following drawing to create the simple 3D parts that
your instructor will assign, using either 3D primitive shapes or
3D extrusions. Place each part on a new Layer, following the
naming, color, linetype, and lineweight guidelines found in
Step 2.
When finished with the assigned parts, go to the Layout tab.
Set the Viewport to the Conceptual Display style, in Isometric
orientation.
Compose the drawing in PaperSpace through the Viewport.
Adjust the items in Model space if necessary to make good use
of the Viewport (scale not too small, nor parts too far apart).
Plot from PaperSpace on an 11 x 17 sheet.
Title Block Information:
• Drawing Title: 3D PRACTICE #1
• Drawing Number: 20a-10A
176
3D Modeling – Practice #1
NOTE: EACH SQUARE = ½”x ½”
177
3D Modeling – Practice Exercises #2
Follow the instructions below to complete the 3D Modeling
Practice assignment.
1. Begin a new drawing using the 20a Template.
2. Create a Layer called “Anvil” (which is the name
of the part)
• Color: Any light color (Cyan, Green, Yellow, #40, etc. are
all acceptable)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
• Linetype: Continuous
• Lineweight: Default
Use the following drawings to create the simple 3D parts that
your instructor will assign, using either 3D primitive shapes or
3D extrusions. Place each part on a new Layer, following the
naming, color, linetype, and lineweight guidelines found in
Step 2.
When finished with the assigned parts, go to the Layout tab.
Set the Viewport to the Conceptual Display style, in Isometric
orientation.
Compose the drawing in PaperSpace through the Viewport.
Adjust the items in Model space if necessary to make good use
of the Viewport (scale not too small, nor parts too far apart).
Plot from PaperSpace on an 11 x 17 sheet.
Title Block Information:
• Drawing Title: 3D PRACTICE #2
• Drawing Number: 20a-10B
178
3D Modeling – Practice #2
179
180
181
182
183
ANGLE BRACKET – Part 1 (Modeling)
Follow the instructions below to complete the modeling
phase of the Angle Bracket model.
1. Begin a new drawing using the 20a Template.
2. Create a Layer called “Angle Bracket”
• Color: Cyan
• Linetype: Continuous
• Lineweight: Default
3. Use the dimensioned drawing on the next page to create the
Angle Bracket on its layer using either 3D primitive shapes or
3D extrusions. Use whatever Solid Editing commands are
necessary to complete the object.
4. Save as “20a-10C-**
184
185
Chapter 11
Drawing Creation & Revolved Solid Models
Objectives:
• Create dimensioned engineering drawings from
AutoCAD 3D solids.
• Create Section views from AutoCAD 3D solids.
• Create Auxiliary views from AutoCAD 3D solids.
• Create Detail views
• Create 3D solids with the Revolve Command
Drawing Assignments:
• Angled Bracket (Dimensioned)
• Simple Revolutions
• Tapered Bushing
New Commands:
• Viewbase
• Revolve
186
CREATING 2D DRAWINGS OF 3D OBJECTS USING VIEWBASE
After a 3D model has been made, AutoCAD can create proper engineering
views from the geometry in PaperSpace. The first drawing view that you
place in a drawing is a base view. During view creation you specify the
scale, display settings, orientation and alignment settings. Subsequent
drawing views you place in the drawing are typically projected views
derived from the base view. Projected views inherit most of their settings
from the base view.
187
Create base, orthogonal, and isometric projected views from 3D
solids in model space.
1. Select the tab where you want to create the base view. If the
layout contains a viewport, delete it before you proceed.
2. Click Layout tab > Create View panel > Base drop-down > From
Model Space .
3. If necessary, select the desired view on the ribbon before placing
the view.
4. Specify the scale and view style on the ribbon.
5. Use the mouse to place the view in the drawing area and press
ENTER. If you move the cursor after pressing ENTER, you will see
a preview of a projected view at the cursor.
6. Move the preview to the desired location and click. Repeat until all
the required projected views are created.
7. As you move the preview, the orientation of the projected view
changes to reflect its relationship to the base view.
8. Press ENTER again to complete the views.
188
Creating a Section View
A full section view is generated by running the cutting plane through the
entire length of the object being sectioned.
1. To create a section view, use the mouse to select the view that will be
the parent view.
2. Select Section > Full from the ribbon.
3. Use Object Snaps, Object Snap Tracking, Ortho or Polar Tracking to
create the path of the cutting plane line. A preview of the section view
appears at the cursor.
4. Move the preview to the desired location and click to place the view.
The view can be modified before or after placing the view.
5. Press ENTER to complete the command.
The section view is created with section lines, and a label has been added
to indicate the scale of the section, and match the cutting plane with the
section it produced.
189
A Variety of Sections
AutoCAD has the ability to create Full, Half, Offset, and
Aligned sections from your 3D solid models.
Full Section
Half Section
190
The sectioning tool is not
perfect. For example, each of
the cutting plane lines is
appearing by default as a thin
solid line, when it should appear
as a Phantom line.
Also, in the Offset section, you’ll
notice that the software is
adding object lines in the section
view where the cutting plane line
Offset Section
is bending at 90~. These lines
should NOT be in the section
view… this will hopefully be fixed
in future releases of AutoCAD
Aligned Section
191
Try to project a section view into an Isometric orientation – AutoCAD can
also create a sectioned Isometric view!
192
Creating an Auxiliary View
There is no special tool on the ribbon to create auxiliary views. There’s
actually no need for one, because a Cutting Plane Line that is NOT passing
through a solid is referred to as a VIEWING PLANE Line.
1. To create an Auxiliary view, use the mouse to select the view that will
be the parent view.
2. Select Section > Full from the ribbon.
3. Use Object Snaps or Polar Tracking to create the path of the cutting
plane line that is PARALLEL to the inclined face you are projecting
from. A preview of the section view appears at the cursor.
4. Move the preview to the desired location and click to place the view.
The view can be modified before or after placing the view.
5. Press ENTER to complete the command
In this case, you’ll want to turn off the section label and the cutting plane
line, both of which were placed on their own Layer.
193
Creating a Detail View
A Detail View is a close-up of an area that’s been
enlarged to show detail at a larger scale.
1. To create a Detail view, use the mouse to select the
view that will be the parent view.
2. Select Detail View from the ribbon, selecting either
the circular or rectangular detail window.
3. Click to define the point that will serve as the center
of the detail area.
4. Click again to draw the boundary that outlines the area being
included in the detail. A preview of the Detail view appears at the
cursor.
5. Move the preview to the desired location and click to place the view.
The view can be modified before or after placing the view.
6. Press ENTER to complete the command.
194
ANGLE BRACKET – Part 2 (Drawing Creation)
Follow the instructions below to complete the Angle Bracket
modeling assignment.
1. Open up drawing 20a-10C-**
2. Go to the Layout 1 Tab. Delete the Viewport
from the Layout. Then return to Model space.
3. Use the Viewbase command to transfer the
Angle Bracket model back to Layout 1.
4. Place the Parent View, matching the Front View from the
following page.
5. Project at Top and Right view off the Front view. Set the 3
views to display Hidden Lines.
6. Project an Isometric view in the top right corner of the drawing.
Set the isometric view to a Shaded or Hidden display (your
choice). Create a custom scale (.75:1) and set the scale of this
view to this new scale.
7. Adjust the projected views if necessary to make good use of the
Layout area (adequate room for dimensions, parts not too far
apart).
8. Create an Auxiliary View to show the true size and true shape
of the sloped face and the hole in that face.
9. Add Center marks and Centerlines as needed.
10.
Add dimensions as needed.
11.
Calculate the Volume of the finished part, and include this
information on the drawing (see sample)
12.
Plot from PaperSpace on an 11 x 17 sheet.
Title Block Information:
• Drawing Title: ANGLE BRACKET
• Drawing Number: 20a-10C-**
195
196
Notes:
197
REVOLVE
Extrude is a great modeling tool, but not all objects can be created with the
Extrude command. For example:
Many objects like these that have a cylindrical profile can be created by
turning them on a LATHE. The process of creating objects like this in
AutoCAD involves the use of the Revolve command.
198
Like Extrude, the Revolve command is used to create 3D solids and
surfaces from 2D geometry. Revolve creates 3D solids by sweeping a
closed 2D Polyline around an axis.
Choosing a location for the axis of revolution is critical. My moving the axis
of revolution a 2D object has you have to ability to create an infinite variety
of forms from the same 2D profile.
Same profile… but different axis…
199
DRAWING ASSIGNMENT: Tapered Bushing
Follow the instructions below to complete the drawing of the
Tapered Bushing.
1. Begin a new drawing using the 20a Template.
2. Create the bushing using the revolve command,
along with whatever other Solid editing commands
are needed to complete the model.
3. Create a Custom Scale of 2:3 in preparation for
setting up your Layout.
4. Use VIEWBASE to create the Front view of the bushing on
PaperSpace.
5. Use the Create View tools to create a Full section view for the
side of the bushing.
6. Project an Isometric Section from the Section view. Set it’s scale
to 1:2
7. Add two Details view to show close-ups (1:1 scale) of the
rounded slot and the internal fillet as shown on the sample.
8. Add dimensions using Baseline Dimensioning, as shown. Be
sure to use the proper dimension style.
9. Calculate the Volume of this part. Place a note to the left of the
title block what indicates the Volume measurement of your part.
10. Plot from PaperSpace on an 11 x 17 sheet.
Title Block Information:
• Drawing Title: Tapered Bushing
• Drawing Number: 20A-11C
200
201
202
Notes:
203
Chapter 12
Assembly Modeling & Documentation
Objectives:
• Use a manufacturer’s spec sheet to create industrial
models
• Call out specific parts on an assembly drawing with
Balloon-style Multileaders
• Create a Table Object
• Modify Table styles
• Set up a Bill of Materials
Drawing Assignments:
• Flanged Ell
204
ASSEMBLY DRAWINGS
An assembly drawing shows multiple parts in their assembled
configuration, along with whatever screws, bolts, washers, pins, etc. are
necessary for their connection. The views being drawn can be orthographic
or isometric, or both. Here is an example:
Assembly drawings normally do not have hidden lines displayed, as they
would make the drawing too congested. For the same reason, dimensions
for individual parts would be shown on their own individual drawing sheets,
and not on the assembly drawing.
205
FACETRES Setting
The facetres (facet
resolution) setting controls
how “smooth” AutoCAD
displays cylindrical/round
solids and surfaces. It can be
accessed from the Command
Line, or from the Display Tab
of the Options dialog box as
“Rendered Object
Smoothness.”
Facetres set to .5
(default, decent, but small flat spots evident)
Facetres set to .1
(very “chunky”)
Facetres set to 1
(smooth as butter)
206
Tangent Edge Visibility
The profiles and edges of objects as shown as visible lines on technical
drawings. “When a curved surface is tangent to a plane surface, no line
should be shown where they join (a). When a curved surface intersects a
plane surface, a definite edge is formed (b). In the case shown at (c) no
lines would appear in the top view. At (d) a vertical surface in the front view
produces a line in the top view.” (Basic Technical Drawing, Spencer &
Dygdon, p155.)
Yet in spite of 150+ years of technical drawing conventions, the Viewbase
command in AutoCAD is set by default to display tangent edges as visible.
Incorrect:
Tangent Edges visible
(Default settings)
Correct:
Tangent Edges NOT visible
207
To be fair, it is not only AutoCAD that does this; other 3D mechanical
modeling CAD tools like Solidworks, Autodesk Inventor, Onshape, and
Autodesk Fusion 360 all do the same thing.
How to fix it:
Select the Viewbase view and de-select the Tangent Edges option.
Turn this off!
208
Bill of Materials (BOM)
An assembly drawing often has a table included called the Bill of Materials.
The BOM is a list that gives individuals working on the project information
about the parts in the assembly, such as: part name, part #, material, finish,
quantities, etc. Here is an assembly drawing with a simple Bill of Materials:
You’ll notice how the Item number in the BOM matches the balloon leader
numbers on the isometric view of this drone.
A Bill of Materials can be made with
AutoCAD lines and text, or you can
use the Table tool to create an
intelligent Table Object.
209
Notes:
210
DRAWING ASSIGNMENT: Flanged Ell
Follow the instructions below to complete the drawing of the
Flanged Ell Assembly
Modeling:
1. Begin a new drawing using the 20a Template.
2. Add 3D Model layers as needed, using light colors
(cyan, yellow, green) for the layer colors.
3. Create a 6” NPS (Standard Weight) Flanged Ell assembly with
AutoCAD solids. You will need to refer to the charts given to make
the flange the correct size. What you’ll need to make:
a. one 6” diameter elbow (Ell)
b. three slip-on flanges
c. one gasket to go between the flanges
d. three 6” long pups
e. enough machine bolts or studs and hex nuts to assemble
the two lower flanges
Assembly Instructions:
4. Assemble all the parts together. DO NOT UNION THE PARTS
TOGETHER!
Afterwards:
a. Make a Copy of your assembly
b. Convert one of the Assemblies into an EXPLODED
ASSEMBLY.
211
Layout:
5. Use EITHER the Viewbase command or a Viewport to place
isometric views of the Flanged Ell Assembly on PaperSpace. Do
the same for the Exploded Flanged Ell Assembly.
6. Place Balloon-style multileaders around the assembly view to tag
the individual parts of the assembly. Make sure that your
Multileaders are neatly arranged.
7. Create a new table style as described below:
Font: Romans
Title Text: .1875
Header Text: .125
Data Text: .125
8. Use the AutoCAD TABLE command and make a Bill of Materials
for the drawing. Place the table in the corner of the sheet border.
9. Plot from PaperSpace on an 11 x 17 sheet.
Title Block Information:
• Drawing Title: FLANGED ELL
• Drawing Number: 20A-12B
212
213
PIPE SIZING CHART
Nominal
Pipe Size
2
3
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Outside
Diameter
2.375
3.5
4.5
6.625
8.625
10.75
12.75
14
16
18
STD
.154
.216
.237
.280
.322
.365
.375
.375
.375
.375
Wall Thickness
XS
.218
.300
.337
.432
.500
.500
.500
.500
.500
.500
XXS
.436
.552
.674
.864
.875
1.00
1.00
214
LONG RADIUS ELL
Long Radius ELL
Nominal
Pipe Size
2
3
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Radius
3
4.5
6
9
12
15
18
21
24
27
215
SLIP-ON FLANGE
FLANGE SIZE CHART
Nominal
Pipe
Size
2
3
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Class 150 – Steel Pipe Flanges
Flange
Bolt Circle
Number of
Diameter
Diameter
Bolts
6
7½
9
11
13 ½
16
19
21
23 ½
25
4¾
6
7½
9½
11 ¾
14 ¼
17
18 ¾
21 ¼
22 ¾
4
4
8
8
8
12
12
12
16
16
Diameter of
Bolts
5/8
5/8
5/8
3/4
3/4
7/8
7/8
1
1
1 1/8
216
• Bolt holes shall be 1/16” larger than the diameter of the bolt.
• Bolt holes should “straddle” the vertical and horizontal axes, as
shown:
217
218
HEX HEAD BOLTS
http://www.standardne.com/STD%20NE%20BOLT%20CHART.pdf
219
HEX NUTS
The size of the hexagon needed to make the Hex nut will be the same as
the hexagon you used to make the bolt head.
The THICKNESS, however, will differ:
http://www.engineersedge.com/heavy_nut.htm
Thread
Diameter
0.25
0.50
0.234
0.484
0.625
0.75
0.609
0.734
1.00
0.984
GASKET
Model the GASKET that will be required
in between the flanges using the
following information:
• Size: Use the same flange
diameter, bolt hole size, and bolt
circle that you used to model the
Slip-on Flange.
• Thickness of Gasket = .125
Hex Nut Sizing
“H” Thickness
220
Notes:
221
Chapter 13
Extended Learning
Objectives:
• Research new tools and technology related to CAD
software
• Create a Tutorial Lesson with appropriate handouts
• Develop Technical Writing skills
• Understand the importance of mentoring
222
TECHNICAL WRITING
Technical writing is a specialized form of communication used in a variety of
technical and occupational fields. The end goal of technical writing is
typically to communicate about technical/specialized topics, such as
computer applications, medical procedures, standard practices, or industryrelated regulations. Often, technical writing is used to provide detailed
instructions about how to accomplish a specialized skilled task in the form
of a tutorial.
The technical writer's primary goal is to convey the necessary information
to another person or party in the most clear and effective manner possible.
The information that technical writers convey is often complex, and it is one
of their main tasks to analyze the information and present it in a format that
is easy to read and understand.
TOO MUCH AUTOCAD, TOO LITTLE TIME…
There are many useful and important commands in the AutoCAD software
that we have not covered due to lack of time and the desire to avoid
information overload. Here is a small list of some useful commands have
not learned yet:
DRAW TOOLS: Point, Divide, Revision Cloud, Donut, Helix, Wipeout,
Region, BPoly, Xline, MLine, and Measure
MODIFY TOOLS: Align, Break, Break at Point, Reverse, Changespace,
Lengthen, Draw Order, and Delete Duplicate Objects (Overkill)
LAYER TOOLS: Layer Walk, Layer Merge, and Layer States
MODELING TOOLS: Loft, Sweep, Polysolid, Slice, Shell (Solid Editing),
PressPull, and Section Plane
EXPRESS TOOLS (Text commands): Arc Aligned, Enclose In Object,
Explode Text, Convert To Mtext, Autonumber, and Fit
OTHER: Quick Select, Flatshot, Purge, Match Properties, Superhatch,
Isolate, Flatten
TOOLS/VARIABLES: Dim Layer Override, TEXTLayer, ImageFrame
223
Your job will be to learn about an unknown AutoCAD command and then
teach the class what you learned. The instructor will assign each person a
command. You will then:
• Learn all you can about the command.
• Create a Tutorial Lesson that you will use to teach the command to
the class (5 minute presentation.) Make sure to highlight important
areas or concepts.
• Prepare a handout that lists:
o The name of the command
o How to access the command (Command Line, Tool, Alias)
o What the command does
o Major options in the command
o Screenshots of dialog boxes
o A short exercise that teaches how the command works
• Have a drawing file for us to work through that will give us some
hands-on experience with this new command.
My assigned Command is: ____________________________________
224
Notes:
225
Final Project
226
227
Finals Week
• There is no Open Lab scheduled for Finals Week.
• Class only meets one (1) time during Finals Week.
• Your Final exam is scheduled for:
• The Final exam will consist of:
228
229
CONTINUING IN THE INDUSTRIAL DRAWING PATHWAY
The semester is almost over! Are you signed up for next semester’s
classes yet? Here’s a handy visual guide to help you see which Industrial
Drawing courses you can take after completing INDR B12 and what
certificate and degree options that we offer in this pathway.
230
231
232
Can also be
taken here,
if you prefer
233
Appendix A
Resources
Page
Contents
232
Decimal-Factional-mm Conversion Chart
233
The Alphabet of Lines
236
Industrial Drawing Safety
237
Standard Sheet Sizes
238
Plot Scale Limits
239
Plot Scale Factor
240
Simplified Plotting Instructions
234
DECIMAL TO FRACTION CONVERSION CHART
COMMON
FRACTION
Decimal at
2 PLACES
Decimal at Decimal at
3 PLACES
4 PLACES
SI (Metric) Equivalent in
millimeters mm
1/16
.06
.063
.0625
1.587
1/8
.13
.125
.1250
3.175
3/16
.19
.188
.1875
4.762
1/4
.25
.250
.2500
6.350
5/16
.31
.313
.3125
7.937
3/8
.38
.375
.3750
9.525
7/16
.44
.438
.4375
11.112
1/2
.5
.50
.5000
12.700
9/16
.56
.563
.5625
14.2875
5/8
.63
.625
.6250
15.8750
11/16
.69
.688
.6875
17.4625
3/4
.75
.750
.7500
19.0500
13/16
.81
.813
.8125
20.6375
7/8
.88
.875
.8750
22.2250
15/16
.94
.938
.9375
23.8125
1
1.0
1.00
1.000
25.4000
235
The ALPHABET OF LINES
Visible lines (Object Lines) show edges, shapes, or contours that are
visible from the given vantage point. They should be thick (.7mm) & black.
Hidden lines show features, edges, surfaces, or contours that are hidden
from view. Hidden lines are medium (.5mm), black lines, and have dashes
that are approximately 1/8" long with 1/32" spaces.
Centerlines show centers of circles and lines of symmetry. Centerlines are
thin (.35mm), black lines. The dashes of centerlines should be
approximately 3/16" long and have gaps of approximately 1/16". The
distance between dashes may vary from 3/4" - 2", but a dash should
always be placed at the center of a circle (forming a cross when two
dashes intersect).
Cutting plane lines are used to show where objects have been “cut” for
sectioning. An arrow should be placed at each end indicating in which
direction the section is to be viewed. Cutting plane lines are thick (.7mm),
black lines with 3/16" dashes and 1/16" spaces.
Section lines should be placed to show cut surfaces and should always be
bounded by visible lines or short or long break lines. They should be thin
(.35mm), black lines, and are evenly spaced (by eye) approximately 3/32"
apart.
Dimension and extension lines are part of the scaffolding used to show
the sizes of features and objects. They should be placed where they best
illustrate the shape of the object. Dimensions are thin (.35mm), black lines.
Leader Lines are used to direct attention to part of the drawing with a note
236
ALPHABET OF LINES
237
ALPHABET OF LINES (Additional Lines)
Phantom lines are used to show an alternate position of an object, such
as a handle or switch. The can also be used to show repeated features that
would be difficult to draw multiple times, like teeth on a gear. They are thin
(.35mm), black lines, and have the same dimensions as the cutting plane
line.
Short break lines are thick (.7mm), black lines that are meant to show
where a portion of a view has been broken out for sectioning purposes. The
short break line is a jagged, freehand line which simulates a broken edge.
Long break lines are thin (.35mm), black lines which indicate that an
object is much longer than shown but the excess length is omitted. The
long break line should have a "jog" every 3/4" - 2". Sometimes Cylindrical
Break lines (or S-Break lines) are used for this purpose on cylindrical
items like tubes, pipes, and shafts.
238
INDUSTRIAL DRAWING SAFETY
Maintain a Safe Work Area
• Reduce clutter around your work area. Keep personal items
and chairs out of the aisles.
• Avoid entangling yourself in the cables and cords under your
table.
• Roll your chair in under the table when you leave your
workstation.
Avoid Straining Your Eyes
• The monitor should be 20-30 inches away and directly in front
of you.
• If you have impaired sight, adjust the screen resolution or
adjust the Windows Accessibility settings in the Control Panel.
• If possible, adjust the room lighting and screen brightness to
reduce glare. Also consider the position of the computer screen
in relation to widows and other bright lights.
• Look away from screen often to refocus your eyes.
Avoid Unhealthy Posture and Extended Periods of Inactivity
• The back of the chair should make full contact with your back.
• The height of chair should allow feet to be placed flat on the
floor.
• Your wrists should be neutral, not bent up or down.
• Keep your mouse within easy reach.
• Sitting for extended periods is the worst thing you can do to
your body. Get up and stretch frequently. Try to take a 10minute “move-around” break for every hour at the computer.
239
STANDARD SHEET SIZES
A-size paper is 8 ½” x 11”. It is also called “Letter” size.
B-size paper is 11” x 17”. It is the same size as two A-size sheets placed
side by side. It is sometimes called “Tabloid.”
C-size paper is 17” x 22”. It is the same size as two B-size sheets placed
side by side. C-size drawings can be plotted half-size onto A-size paper.
D-size paper is 22” x 34”. It is the same size as two C-size sheets
placed side by side. D-size drawings can be plotted half-size onto Bsize paper.
E-size paper is 42” x 30”.
240
Plot Scale Limits
241
Plot Scale Factor
(A) signifies Architectural scale, where 1 unit = 1”
(C) signifies Civil scale, where 1 unit = 1’
242
SIMPLIFIED PLOTTING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Select the correct plotter
6. Set Pen Style Table to
“monochrome”
2. Set paper to required size
3. Set area to “Extents”
4. Check the “Center the
plot” option
7. PREVIEW before you plot!
Make changes if necessary.
5. Set the Plot Scale to what the
drawing instructions call for
8. Select OK to plot the drawing