10
T.L.E.
Technical
Drafting
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
CAD SOFTWARE AND
HARDWARE FEATURES
Writer: Precious Faith G. Villanueva
What I Know
Direction: On the blank provided before each item, write the word or group of words
that make the sentence complete and correct.
1. _______________ is a programmable machine which responds to a specific set of
instructions in a well-defined manner.
2. _______________ refers to the parts or components of the computer that can be seen
and touched.
3. The_______________ makes current processes faster by storing of any documents
being done in the computer.
4. The_______________ stores all information of encoded documents in the computer.
5. The_______________ is used to easily move the cursor at any direction.
6. ________________ is a means of interacting with a computer and used in typing
text.
7. _______________are often used in combination with other keys or combination of
keystrokes to perform some task.
8. The_______________ is in the key board for the convenience of the computer users.
9. _______________are keys used to move around through text on the screen.
10. The_______________ is called “primary mouse button”.
11. _______________ is the set of programs installed in the computer to run a specific
task in order to produce a desired output.
12. _______________ refers to the computer software operation for preparing working
drawings.
13. A collection of code instructions that allows the user to manage the computer
hardware components that is categorized whether a 32-bit or 64-bit is called
_______________.
14. _______________ enables user to complete specific tasks like document, database
or e-mails.
15. _______________ is an example of application software used for drafting
Architectural.
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Lesson
1
CAD Software and Hardware
Features
C
omputer is a programmable machine which responds to a specific set of
instructions in a well-defined manner. Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) on the
other hand, refers to the operation of the computer software in the
preparation of drawing plans. The working drawings can be done manually,
electronically or both. Computer aided drawing benefit draftsmen by making the
drafting process easier, precise and visually appealing to the client.
Though computers are said to be intelligent by means of speed and precision,
we humans, are essential in order for the computer to work as intended. Therefore,
identifying, exploring and operating using the software and computer hardware
features according to the software provider is essential.
The whole series of this module is based on the use of the CAD software AutoCAD. As for this module, the primary objectives for LO 1. Operate CAD Software
and Computer Hardware are the following according to the sub-LO 1.1 which is to
identify CAD software features according to the software provider:
1. Identify CAD hardware features according to the software provider
2. Explore CAD software features according to the software provider
3. Manipulate CAD software and hardware features
What’s In
Computer Software and Hardware
Before we start the lesson in operating the CAD software and hardware let us
first define the difference between the two.
Hardware - the physical device/s necessary to assemble a functional
computer.
Software - is the set of programs installed in the computer to run a specific
task in order to produce a desired output.
Notes to the Teacher
This contains an overview of the computer software
and hardware features used in Computer Aided Drawing to
help your students familiarize on how each are used.
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What’s New
Direction: On a separate sheet of paper write the name of the illustration shown
below.
COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE
ILLUSTRATION
NAME
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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What is It
CAD Software Features
The CAD software pertains to the intangible system programs necessary to
instruct the computer in the drafting process through the interpreted information
from the data input using a mouse or a keyboard.
The two main category of software required are the following:
Operating System
The operating system (OS) is a collection of code instructions that allows the user
to manage the computer hardware components and is also categorized whether a 32bit or 64-bit OS. Some of the most common OS used are stated below respective to
the icons shown above:
-
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
iOS
***In computers run by Windows OS you can determine its version by simply pressing
the keyboard Windows logo together with the keys for Pause Break.
***Service Pack (SP) is a large update containing several fixes and updates for Microsoft
Windows operating systems that help resolve software and hardware related issues
with Microsoft Windows.
Application
The application software or “app” in short, enables user to complete specific
tasks like document, database, e-mails. The apps that can be used in creating
layout and design respective to the icons shown above are the following:
-
AutoCAD (Architectural)
SketchUp (Architectural)
Adobe Photoshop (Image Processing)
CorelDraw (Image Processing)
Macromedia Flash (Motion Graphics)
***AutoCAD app have different versions and was branded commonly by year starting
year 2000. It also has different installer depending on the OS installed on the
computer.
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CAD Hardware Features
Included in the primary features to run the CAD software are the tangible
devices divided in two categories, namely, system hardware and peripherals.
The system hardware is consisted of components that make up the computer
system both inside and outside the computer case which includes the following:
COMPACT
System Unit – The main part of a desktop computer that
houses the primary devices that perform operations which
includes the motherboard, CPU, RAM and other components
inside a box called the computer chassis.
TOWER
Central Processing Unit (CPU) – also known as the processor,
noted as the brain of the computer where most of the
“computing” takes place by processing the instructions on the
computer and other hardware components. The two main
specifications that define the capability of a CPU are:
✓
Frequency – pertains to how many operations a single
CPU core can complete in a second (how fast it is).
✓
Number of Cores – refers how many operations it can run
simultaneously.
Below are sample of current generation CPUs:
- Intel Core i9 9900K - can boost up to 5.0GHz with a single core active.
- Intel Core i7 9700K - 4.9GHz max turbo and dropping Hyperthreading.
***If you do a lot of rending (furnishing) you may want to choose a higher core count.
Primary Storage Memory – usually called the “memory” and
typically refers to the Random Access Memory (RAM). A data
storage found on the motherboard made of chips attached on
the printed circuit board (PCB) that is directly accessed by the
computer which is used to store active programs for faster
accessibility.
***For recent updates, Autodesk recommends 8GB of RAM. Since most users tend to
have more than just AutoCAD running on their system - 16GB is preferable and 32 GB
if you will be working with very large models or having a large number of files open at
the same time.
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Secondary Storage Memory - removable storage media
specifically the HDD.
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) – it also known as hard drive, is a
magnetic storage device installed inside the system unit that
serves as a permanent storage for files. In Windows computer,
the hard drive is usually labeled as “Local Disk C:” which
contains the data of the installed operating system and
applications. Other labeled partitions may appear and serve as
another means of storage.
Monitor – it is like a television screen that displays information
about the task you are doing and varies in different sizes. A
video card is installed in the computer unit that allows to
determine the screen resolution and the number of colors that
the monitor can display.
*** For laptop the monitor is the LCD screen.
Keyboard – the primary device for inputting instructions and
data in your computer composed of function keys, letter keys,
punctuation keys, numeric keys, navigation keys and other
functions like in typewriters.
Peripherals on the other hand are additional devices connected to the
computer system to add functionality such as:
Disk Drives – are removable storage media other than
HDD such as SSD, or Optical Drive.
Solid State Drive (SSD) - are removable and portable
storage media just like the flash drive but with larger
storage capacity. It is more durable than HDD since it
has no moving parts it run cooler and requires less
energy.
INTERNAL EXTERNAL
***SSD are recommended as the primary drive to host your OS, AutoCAD, and any
active projects you are working on to allow your system to boot, launch applications,
and load files many times faster than any traditional hard drive.
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Optical Drive – is another type of storage device that uses
lasers to read and write data on the optical media such
as: Compact Disc (CD), Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) and
Blu-ray Disc (BD).
Mouse – a small hand-held device used by clicking to select an
item/option or to control the cursor/crosshair at any direction
on-screen. Commonly, it has two buttons namely, the primary
mouse button (the left mouse button), and the secondary mouse
button (the right mouse button). The additional button used for
CAD is the wheel or scrollbar that serves as the pan tool. Some of
the most used mouse gestures are the following:
-
Point means to move the mouse pointer to top of an item.
Click means to tap (by pressing and releasing) the left mouse button.
Double-click means to quickly tap the left mouse button twice.
Left-click means tap the left mouse button to select an item/object.
Right-click means tap the right mouse button to show options.
Drag means point to an item, then press the left mouse button while
moving to desired position then releasing the mouse button.
Digitizer Tablet – is called a “graphics tablet” that allows
user to capture data or draw through a pen-like stylus. Some
also use a mouse-like device known as a puck, which offers
more precision than a mouse does. These tablets are typically
designed for professional applications such as CAD/CAM.
Printers/Plotters - Printers and plotters varies in speed and
output capabilities.
Printer – It is an output device that used to print information
processed by your computer.
Plotter – an output device able to produce better quality
drawings as compared to printer, but generally slower than
printer in terms of speed.
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Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) – also known as the “video card”, handles in
displaying the 2D and 3D models on the screen. In most situations, the faster the
video card the better performance (in terms of frames per second) you will get when
working with a 3D model. Some video card recommendations are:
- AMD Radeon
- NVIDIA Quadro (higher than 2000 version)
***If a video card is "true color" compatible, it has at least on resolution at which it can
deliver a display image with 16.7 million colors. To obtain 16.7 million colors, each of
the primary colors (red, green, and blue) is represented by 8-bits per pixel, which
allows for 256 possible shades for each of the primary red, green, and blue colors.
AutoCAD System Requirements
AutoCAD is a software application developed by Autodesk for computer-aided
drafting that can produce 2 Dimensional (2D) and 3 Dimensional (3D) drawings
mainly for mechanical engineers but had extended its horizon to different fields such
as animation, architecture and other engineering professions. An American named
Ivan Sutherland invented CAD in 1961 for a doctoral thesis which was described as
a computerized sketchpad.
AutoCAD was founded by John Walker together with 15 co-founders. The
software application has circulated the market since its first release in December
1982 with the codename MicroCAD.
Below are some of the latest AutoCAD versions available and those that are
still used today with its respective system requirements according to its service
provider.
AutoCAD 2021
•Operating System: 64-bit OS
•Processor: 2.5 GHz (3+ GHz recommended)
•Memory: 8 GB (16GB recommended)
•Disk space: 7.0 GB
•Display: 1920 x 1080 resolution with True Color
AutoCAD 2020
•Operating System: -Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit only),
-8.1 (64-bit only),
-7 SP1 (64-bit only)
•Processor: 2.5 GHz (3+ GHz recommended)
•Memory: 8 GB (16GB recommended)
•Disk space: 6.0 GB
•Display: 1920 x 1080 resolution with True Color
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AutoCAD 2019
•Operating System: -Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit only),
-8.1 (32-bit & 64-bit),
-7 SP1 (32-bit & 64-bit)
•Processor: 2.5 GHz (3+ GHz recommended)
•Memory: 8 GB (16GB recommended)
•Disk space: 6.0 GB
•Display: 1920 x 1080 resolution with True Color
AutoCAD 2018
•Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit only), 8.1 (32-bit & 64-bit), or 7 SP1 (32-bit & 64-bit)
•1 GHz or faster processor
•RAM
-
32-bit: 2 GB
64-bit: 4 GB
•Disk space: 4.0 GB
•1360 x 768 display resolution with True Color
AutoCAD 2017
•Microsoft Windows 10, 8.1 or 7 SP1
•Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon™ 64 processor
•RAM
- 32-bit: 2 GB
- 64-bit: 4 GB
•Disk space: 6.0 GB
•1360 x 768 display resolution with True Color
AutoCAD 2016
•Microsoft Windows 8 or 7
•Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon™ 64 processor
•RAM
- 32-bit: 2 GB
- 64-bit: 4 GB
•Disk space: 6.0 GB
•1024 x 768 display resolution with True Color
AutoCAD 2015
•Microsoft Windows 8 or 7
•Processor
- 32-bit: Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon Dual Core, 3.0 GHz or greater with SSE2
technology
- 64-bit: Athlon 64 or Opteron with SSE2 technology, or Intel Xeon or Pentium
4 with EM64T support and SSE2 technology
•2 GB RAM
•Disk space: 6.0 GB
•1024 x 768 display resolution with True Color
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AutoCAD 2014
•Microsoft Windows 8, 7, or XP SP3
•Processor
- 32-bit XP: Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon Dual Core, 1.6 GHz or greater with
SSE2 technology
- 32-bit Windows 7 or 8: Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon Dual Core, 3.0 GHz or
greater with SSE2 technology
- 64-bit: Athlon 64 or Opteron with SSE2 technology, or Intel Xeon or Pentium
4 with EM64T support and SSE2 technology
•2 GB RAM
•Disk space: 6.0 GB
•1024 x 768 display resolution with True Color
AutoCAD 2013
•Microsoft Windows 7 or XP SP3
•Processor
- 32-bit XP: Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon Dual Core, 1.6 GHz or greater with
SSE2 technology
- 32-bit Windows 7: Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon Dual Core, 3.0 GHz or greater
with SSE2 technology
- 64-bit: Athlon 64 or Opteron with SSE2 technology, or Intel Xeon or Pentium
4 with EM64T support and SSE2 technology
•2 GB RAM
•Disk space: 6.0 GB
•1024 x 768 display resolution with True Color
•Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 or later
AutoCAD 2012
•Microsoft Windows 7, Vista SP2 or XP SP3
•Processor
- 32-bit XP: Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon Dupppal Core, 1.6 GHz or greater with
SSE2 technology
- 32-bit Vista or 7: Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon Dual Core, 3.0 GHz or greater
with SSE2 technology
- 64-bit: Athlon 64 or Opteron with SSE2 technology or Xeon or Pentium 4
with EM64T support and SSE2 technology
•2 GB RAM
•Disk space
- 32-bit: 2.0 GB
- 64-bit: 2.0 GB
•1024 x 768 display resolution with True Color
•Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 or later
***AutoCAD version 2016 and higher has an additional feature of geometric center
which allows you to easily locate the center of any geometric shape (closed
polyline/spline).
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Open AutoCAD Application
To launch the AutoCAD program, you may select your preference through the
following steps:
1. From the Start Menu.
> Click Windows Logo on Screen or press on Keyboard
> Under Programs, click Autodesk folder
> Select AutoCAD shortcut
2. From the desktop.
> Double-click the AutoCAD icon
3. By opening the drawing file.
> Double-click the drawing file icon found in any
location
from your computer.
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What’s More
Activity 1.1 List It!
Direction: On a separate sheet of paper, list down the computer system you know.
COMPUTER SYSTEM
HARDWARE
SOFTWARE
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Activity 1.2 Reflect On It!
Direction: Reflect on the lesson base on Activity 1.1 using the criteria below. Write
your answer on a separate sheet of paper
Content
Organization
Development
Share your insight:
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RUBRIC FOR ESSAY
The content was well-thought, guide questions
were thoroughly answered
The paper was well-written with ideas easily
conveyed to readers
Points are thoroughly developed
Total
4
3
3
10
Activity 1.3 Fill It In!
Direction: Select the most applicable answer found on given choices below and fill
it in the respective box. You can draft illustration or write a brief description on each
number not specified on the given choices. Write your answer on a separate sheet of
paper
AutoCAD 2000
MEMORY
2.5 Ghz
AutoCAD 2020
VIDEO CARD
64 MB
32-bit
DISK DRIVE
300 MB
64-bit
OPTICAL DRIVE
6 GB or higher
AUTOCAD VERSION
1.
FEATURE
ILLUSTRATION
REQUIREMENT
PROCESSOR
5.
2.
STORAGE
8GB or higher
4.
6.
FUNCTIONALITY
8.
directly accessed by the
computer and temporarily
store active programs
serves as a permanent
storage for drawing files
3.
NVIDIA Quadro
6000
9.
OPERATING
SYSTEM
7.
10.
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Activity 1.4 Reflect On It!
Direction: Reflect on the lesson base on Activity 1.3 using the criteria below. Write
your answer on a separate sheet of paper
Content
Organization
Development
Share your insight:
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RUBRIC FOR ESSAY
The content was well-thought, guide questions
were thoroughly answered
The paper was well-written with ideas easily
conveyed to readers
Points are thoroughly developed
Total
4
3
3
10
Activity 1.5 Organize It!
Direction: Organize your files on the computer by making your own folder. Follow
the instructions stated below.
Instruction symbols and meaning:
> : Select/ Go To
↵ : Press Enter
Create your own folder:
> This PC/ File Folder
> Local Disk (D:)
> Right Click on Open Area
> New >> Folder >> Type your SECTION_SURNAME_FIRSTNAME
↵
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Activity 1.6 Reflect On It!
Direction: Reflect on the lesson base on Activity 1.5 using the criteria below. Write
your answer on a separate sheet of paper
Content
Organization
Development
Share your insight:
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RUBRIC FOR ESSAY
The content was well-thought, guide questions
were thoroughly answered
The paper was well-written with ideas easily
conveyed to readers
Points are thoroughly developed
Total
4
3
3
10
What I Have Learned
Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) refers to the operation of the computer
software in the preparation of drawing plans. The working drawings can be done
manually, electronically or both.
The CAD software pertains to the system programs necessary to instruct the
computer in the drafting process through the interpreted information from the data
input using a mouse or a keyboard.
Included in the primary features to run the CAD software are the tangible
devices divided in two categories, namely, system hardware and peripherals.
The system hardware is consisted of components that make up the computer
system both inside and outside the computer case such as: System Unit, CPU, RAM,
HDD, monitor, and, keyboard.
Peripherals on the other hand are additional devices connected to the
computer system to add functionality such as: SSD, optical drive, mouse, digitizer
tablet, printers/plotters, and, GPU.
AutoCAD is a software application developed by Autodesk for computer-aided
drafting that can produce 2 Dimensional (2D) and 3 Dimensional (3D) drawings as
well as the SketchUp application.
Below is a sample system requirement from the service provider for AutoCAD
version still widely used today.
AutoCAD 2014
•Microsoft Windows 8, 7, or XP SP3
•Processor
- 32-bit XP: Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon Dual Core, 1.6 GHz or greater with
SSE2 technology
- 32-bit Windows 7 or 8: Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon Dual Core, 3.0 GHz or
greater with SSE2 technology
- 64-bit: Athlon 64 or Opteron with SSE2 technology, or Intel Xeon or Pentium
4 with EM64T support and SSE2 technology
•2 GB RAM
•Disk space: 6.0 GB
•1024 x 768 display resolution with True Color
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What I Can Do
Direction: On a separate sheet of paper, list down the system information of your
computer.
SYSTEM INFORMATION
COMPUTER TYPE
PROCESSOR
RAM
OS
HARD DISK
PERIPHERALS
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Assessment
Direction: On a separate sheet of paper, write the word or group of words that make
the sentence complete and correct.
1. _______________ is a programmable machine which responds to a specific set of
instructions in a well-defined manner.
2. _______________ refers to the parts or components of the computer that can be seen
and touched.
3. The_______________ makes current processes faster by storing of any documents
being done in the computer.
4. The_______________ stores all information of encoded documents in the computer.
5. The_______________ is used to easily move the cursor at any direction.
6. ________________ is a means of interacting with a computer and used in typing
text.
7. _______________are often used in combination with other keys or combination of
keystrokes to perform some task.
8. The_______________ is in the key board for the convenience of the computer users.
9. _______________are keys used to move around through text on the screen.
10. The_______________ is called “primary mouse button”.
11. _______________ is the set of programs installed in the computer to run a specific
task in order to produce a desired output.
12. _______________ refers to the computer software operation for preparing working
drawings.
13. A collection of code instructions that allows the user to manage the computer
hardware components that is categorized whether a 32-bit or 64-bit is called
_______________.
14. _______________ enables user to complete specific tasks like document, database
or e-mails.
15. _______________ is an example of application software used for drafting
Architectural.
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Additional Activities
1. As additional activity, open the AutoCAD application and familiarize
yourself with how to start a CAD drawing.
2. Create a sample CAD file inside the folder you made.
*** You can send a screenshot to your teacher on or before due date.
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