Chapter 1: Getting Started
After completing this Chapter, you will be able to do the following:
• Start AutoCAD
• Identify the various parts on the screen
• Use various methods of command and data
input
• Obtain help about the AutoCAD commands
and features
• Begin a new drawing
• Open an existing drawing
• Set up the drawing environment
• Working with multiple drawings
• Saving AutoCAD Drawing
• Exiting AutoCAD
AutoCAD 2010 OTB (Out of The Box) Initial Workspace
Input Methods
Following are the different ways input an AutoCAD command:
Keyboard
Ribbons
Toolbars
Tool palettes window
Menu Bars
Application Menu
Dialog Boxes
Cursor Menu
Shortcut Menu
Digitizing Tablet and Side Screen Menu
Keyboard
To invoke a command from the keyboard, enter the command
name at the On-screen prompt or “Command:” prompt and
then press ENTER or SPACEBAR.
To repeat a command you have just used, press ENTER,
SPACEBAR, or right-click your pointing device. A shortcut
menu will appear on the screen from which you can choose the
Repeat <last command> option.
You can also repeat a command by using the up-arrow and
down-arrow keys to display the commands previously entered
from the keyboard.
Focusing on the Design – Dynamic Input
Dynamic input allows you to “keep your eyes on the road” when
working by providing a prompt and input interface where you
work, on the screen, at the cursor.
Previous versions of AutoCAD emphasized the need to keep a
constant vigil on the Command line in the Command window. This
meant having to look back and forth between the Command
window and the point where you were working. Now, with the onscreen (near the cursor) interface, almost everything you need to
know about what is going on with the program and your current
work is right there, where you are working.
On-Screen Input, Prompts, and Graphic Feedback
Locking in Values during input
Responding to a prompt that is asking for a point or vector
normally requires you to enter two values; an X coordinate value
and a Y coordinate value when using rectangular coordinate input
or a distance and an angle when using polar coordinate input.
If you wish to type in the first value, lock it in, and then use the
cursor to specify the second value, you can press TAB after typing
the value and AutoCAD displays a lock icon alongside the value.
You can then move the cursor to specify the second required point.
Command Window
The Command window is a window in which you enter commands
and in which AutoCAD displays prompts and messages. The
Command window can be a floating window with a caption and
frame. You can move the floating Command window anywhere on
the screen and resize its width and height by dragging a side,
bottom, or corner of the window.
With the introduction of the On-Screen input/prompt/graphics
feedback feature in AutoCAD 2006, the Command window has
taken a “back seat” and is no longer the primary place to interface
with the program. It is now possible to do most of the
design/drafting work with the Command window closed.
However, if you close the window, you will need to press CTRL+9
or invoke the COMMANDLINE command to open the Command
window.
Ribbon
Ribbon – palette that groups related task-based buttons and controls
for easy access.
Draw Panel - expanded
Modify panel moved from ribbon to graphics screen
Icons onside bar of undocked panel
Toolbars
The toolbars contain tools, represented by icons, from which you
can invoke commands. Choose a toolbar button to invoke a
command, and then select options from a dialog box or respond to
the prompts on the command line.
Toolbar with a flyout menu.
Toolbar in different resizing positions.
AutoCAD 2009 comes with 38 regular toolbars and 3 “ET”
(Express) toolbars. To open any of the closed regular toolbars,
place the cursor anywhere on any docked or floating toolbar
(including the Quick Access toolbar) that is already open and press
the right button on your pointing device. A shortcut menu appears,
listing all the available toolbars with a check beside each open
toolbar. Select the closed (unchecked) toolbar you wish to open.
You can also close an open toolbar by selecting it, thereby
removing the check mark next to its name.
Quick Access toolbar
Tool Palettes window
Tool palettes are tabbed areas within the Tool Palettes window that
provide an efficient method for organizing, sharing, and placing
blocks and hatches. Tool palettes can also contain custom tools
provided by third-party developers. Blocks and hatch patterns are
managed with tool palettes. You can also create a tool on a tool
palette that executes a single AutoCAD command or a string of
commands.
The Tool Palettes feature allows blocks and hatch patterns of
similar usage and type to be grouped in their own tool palette.
Menu bars
AutoCAD has series of menus in the menu bar from which you can
select any of the available commands.
You can display the menu bar by right-clicking the Quick Access
toolbar and selecting the Show Menu Bar from the shortcut menu.
Application Menu
Application menu (accessible by clicking the red “A” at the left of the
title bar) provides easy access for creating, opening, saving, printing,
and publishing AutoCAD files, sending the current drawing as an
email attachment, and producing electronic transmittal sets. In addition,
you can perform drawing maintenance, such as audit and purge, and
close drawings.
Dialog Boxes
Dialog boxes display the lists and descriptions of options, long
rectangles for receiving your input data, and, in general, are the
more convenient and user-friendly method of communicating with
the AutoCAD.
AutoCAD dialog boxes have features that are similar to Windows
file management dialog boxes.
Cursor Menu
The AutoCAD cursor menu appears at the location of the cursor
when you press the middle button on a three-or-more-button mouse.
On a two-button mouse you can invoke this feature by pressing
SHIFT and right-clicking. On a two-button mouse, the right button
usually causes the shortcut menu to appear. The cursor menu
(different from the shortcut menu) includes the handy Object Snap
mode options along with the X,Y,Z filters.
Shortcut Menu
The AutoCAD shortcut menu appears at the location of the cursor
when you press the right button (right-click) on the pointing device.
The contents of the shortcut menu depend on the situation at hand.
Shortcut menu when no command is in effect
Shortcut menu with one or more objects selected when no command
is in effect
Shortcut menu when the CIRCLE command is in effect
Shortcut menu while the cursor is in the Command window
Shortcut menu in the Layer Properties Manager dialog box
Digitizing Tablet and Side Screen Menu
The Digitizing Tablet combines the screen cursor control of a mouse
with its own printed menu areas for selecting items.
The side screen menu provides another, traditional way to enter
AutoCAD commands. By default, the side screen menu is turned off.
To display the side screen menu, choose Display screen menu from
the Display tab of the Options dialog box. AutoCAD displays the
side screen menu
Getting Help
Help is available through either a continuously resident help
window, through a traditional Windows-type help interface, or
through Online help on the Internet.
The AutoCAD Help window provides a context-sensitive help
facility to list commands and what they do. When an invalid
command is entered, AutoCAD displays a message to remind
you of the availability of the Help facility.
The Help window can be opened transparently while you are in
the middle of a command. As an alternative, press the function
key F1 to open the Help window. InfoCenter allows you to
search for information through key words .
Begin a New Drawing
To create a new drawing, invoke the NEW command from the
Quick Access toolbar.
Displays the Select Template dialog box and select appropriate
template to create a new drawing.
A drawing template file is a drawing file with selected
parameters already preset to meet certain requirements, so that
you do not have to go through the process of setting them up
each time you wish to begin drawing with those parameters.
Open an Existing Drawing
The OPEN command allows you to open an existing drawing.
AutoCAD displays the Select File dialog box. The Select File
dialog box is similar to the standard file selection dialog box,
except that it includes options for selecting an initial view and
for setting Open Read-Only, Partial Open, and Partial Open
Read-Only modes.
Setting Up The Drawing Environment
The UNITS and LIMITS command are two of the important
drawing environment that allows to change the linear and
angular units and drawing area respectively.
Setting Drawing Units
The UNITS command lets you change the linear and angular
units by means of the Drawing Units dialog box.
In addition, you can set the display format measurement and
precision of drawing units.
Change Drawing’s Area
The LIMITS command allows to change the defined area of the
drawing.
The area that is set governs the portion of the drawing indicated by
the visible grid and also determines how much of the drawing is
displayed by the ZOOM ALL command.
The limits are expressed as a pair of 2D points in the World
Coordinate System, a lower left and an upper right limit.
Whenever you change the limits, you will not see any change on the
screen unless you use the ALL option of the ZOOM command. The
ALL option of the ZOOM command lets you see entire newly set
limits on the screen.
Format Menu
Choose Drawing Limits
On-screen prompt
limits (ENTER)
Working with Multiple Drawings
AutoCAD allows to work on more than one drawing in a single
AutoCAD session. The Quick View Drawings button displays all
currently open drawings in a row of quick view drawing images.
Saving AutoCAD Drawing
AutoCAD provides different methods by which you can save drawings. It is very
important to save drawing periodically.
SAVE command saves an unnamed drawing by prompting for a file name. If the
drawing is already named, again it prompts for a file name.
SAVEAS command saves an unnamed drawing by prompting for a file name or
by allowing to rename the current named drawing.
If the current drawing is already named, then AutoCAD saves the drawing to the
current drawing name, prompts for a new file name, and sets the current drawing
to the new specified file name. The SAVEAS command also allows you to save
in various formats, including: Release 12, 13, 14, and 2000 formats, and drawing
template.
Exit AutoCAD Program
EXIT or QUIT commands exits AutoCAD.
Both the EXIT and QUIT commands exit the current drawing if
there have been no changes since the drawing was last saved. If
the drawing has been modified, AutoCAD displays the Drawing
Modification dialog box prompting to save or discard the
changes before exiting.
CLOSE command closes the active drawing and still remain in
AutoCAD.
CLOSEALL command closes all the open drawings and still
remain in AutoCAD.