Drawing Full Size

Modelling the real world - the importance of recognizing that when you create a CAD drawing, you are drawing full size. In Australia we work in mm when producing electrical schematics. Using various enquiry commands to reveal information 'hidden' in the drawing database. DISTANCE, ID, AREA and LIST commands. Examining a typical electrical symbol and checking the LIMITS value and the setting for the base point of the drawing.

The drawing interface

Revisiting the AutoCAD and IntelliCAD drawing interface. Using toolbars, drop down menus and toolbars. Customizing the pull down menu area, adding a new drop down menu with cascading menu items. Managing multiple drawings - switching from drawing to drawing. Examining various toolbar items. Using the Property Painter. Importing raster images, tracing over scanned images. Creating a company logo using primitive elements. Using keyboard shortcuts and function keys. Developing a keys drawing which can be used to access function keys. Applying text and using some of the text justification tools. Building an A1 sheet incorporating a company logo to AS1100 standard.

Entity Snaps

Placing entities in drawings using software aids. Using the OSNAP command with its various options - the Mid, Int, Node, Per, End, Qua, Cen entity snap options. Using handles and grips to edit entities.

Manipulating Selection Sets

Understanding selection sets. Picking entities. Experimenting with various methods of creating selection sets. The wp, oc, f, po, and all options of the SELECT command. Selecting and operating on groups of entities according to their properties.

Draw 1

Reviewing the basic system for entering commands. Transparent commands. Surveying the available methods of point data entry - Cartesian coordinates, polar coordinates, relative polar coordinates, 3D coordinates, cylindrical coordinates. The DRAWORDER command. Surveyor's units. A close examination of the commands used to place drawing primitives in a drawing. LINE, PLINE, (widths, tapering, curve fitting etc.) ARC (3 point, Start, Center, Angle etc.), the CIRCLE command.

Draw 2

A continuation of the various DRAW commands - SPLINE, ELLIPSE, POINT, RECTANGLE, POLYGON, DONUT, PLANE (TRACE), ELLIPTICAL ARC,  FREEHAND (SKETCH),  DONUT etc.

Draw 3

Using tracking in AutoCAD. Surveyor's units, The DLINE command, using ORTHO, loading a linetype file, setting LINETYPE, linetype scales - LTSCALE, HATCHing areas, using the BHATCH command, hatch pattern files. XLINES and RAYS.

Viewing Skills

Improving your knowledge of the view group of commands. Creating named views when working in large drawings. Controlling your view of a CAD drawing using various options available under the ZOOM, PAN, HIDE, VPOINT, REGEN and REDRAW commands. The importance of the UCSICON, the UCS and DVIEW commands. Using DVIEW and the Twist options to rotate and align 2D drawing. The use of Paper Space and Model Space. Using stored views to advantage in laying out presentation drawings. Loading and manipulating external references. Importing and exporting DXF files. Some comments about 3D coordinates and the Z direction. SHADE, HIDE and RENDERING. The ZOOM options - n, nX, nXp etc. Accurate scaling in floating viewports. The visibility of linetypes on layers. Using VPORTS in tiled model space, storing and manipulating views.

Preliminaries

Using Windows Explorer or Your Computer to make some project folders and sub folders ready for managing projects. Copying sample files from an exercises folder. Tuning your computer for CAD software. Installing IntelliCAD/AutoCAD. Adjusting the CAD environment for smooth working. Setting a default (prototype) drawing suitable for you work. Locating prototype drawings in various versions of AutoCAD. Adjusting limits, snap, linetype, dimensioning styles in the prototype drawing. Setting some important variables using the UNITS command. Copying iso3098b.shx font files so that lettering meets AS1100 standard.