This is your first exercise in this course using the AutoCAD software. This exercise will introduce you to using the menus and toolbars to select commands, using dialogue boxes to setup certain parameters, how to create "Text," how to use layers to draw on, and how to use Layouts (Paper Space and Model Space). The end result will be a so-called "Template" containing your name, the School's name, your Professor's name, and the Date, which may be used for all of your future exercises. It is designed to be plotted on an 8 1/2" x 11" (so-called "A-sized") sheet of paper using the HP Laser Jet printer.

The instructions for all of the exercises in this course are similar, and use the following key words:

"Pick" means to pick an object (line, arc, or circle, etc.) by placing the "pickbox" on the object and clicking the "pick button" on the mouse.

"Select" means to select one of the menu words or word in a dialogue box.

"Click" means to place the cursor over a selection button or word in a dialogue box and depress the pick button once.

"Double click" means to place the cursor over a selection button or word in a dialogue box and depress the pick (left) mouse button twice in swift succession. Double clicking in a choice box in which there is a number or word will usually serve to highlight that number or word and allow you to type in a replacement.

"Right click" means to depress the right mouse button.

"Pull-down" menu is invoked by moving the AutoCAD cursor up into the status line and selecting one of the words at the top of the screen, such as "File," "Edit," "View," "Insert," "Format," "Tools," "Dimension," "Draw," "Modify," "Window," and "Help."

"Toolbar" menu are the pictures that are in rows at the top and sides of the screen.

"Palette" is one of the vertical blue bars that are on the left or right side of the screen. The Tool Palette" is on the left side of teh screen, and the "Properties" Palette is on the right by default. The Palettes can be turned on or off by selecting the Pull-down menu "Tools" and then selecting the word "Tool Palettes Window" or "Properties."

"Cursor" means one of the following (depending on the context):

• The normal AutoCAD cursor on the screen which is a pair of crossed lines with a small square at the crossing. This is also called the "crosshairs" and is used to locate points on the screen during the drawing process.
• A short vertical line in a dialogue box which represents the location where the next letter will be typed.
• A square which represents the location of the next letter to be typed in a Text entity during the process of drawing text on the screen.
• A "pickbox" which appears during drawing whenever the command "Select objects" is necessary to pick objects for editing.
• A small arrow which appears when the AutoCAD cursor is moved into the status line to select a menu item. It also appears when dialogue boxes appear on the screen.

"OSNAP" means to select the OSNAP menu by holding down the <shift> key and simultaneously clicking on the right button on the mouse, or if you are using a three-button mouse, depressing the middle button of the mouse. The so-called "cursor menu" will appear on the screen which will then allow you to pick any of the OSNAPping functions, which will allow a pick on a fixed point, such as an endpoint, an intersection point, a center point of a circle or an arc, a midpoint of a line or arc, etc.

"Type" means to type a command or a number on the keyboard.

Words which are in this typestyle indicate the words which will appear on the screen to prompt you for some action, such as Command: Line <From Point>:

Words that appear In This Typestyle in a command sequence should be typed in at the keyboard.

Words that appear in italics in a command sequence in this text are instructions and should not be typed in.

<RET> means to type the Enter key, or the Carriage Return. It can also be accomplished by clicking on the right button on the mouse.

<ESC> is the "cancel" command and is accomplished by holding down the <Esc> key on the keyboard. It is used to cancel a command in progress.

This exercise will provide experience in how to open an AutoCAD file using a Template file as a base drawing, how to do "Text" in AutoCAD, how to work with layers, how to draw lines and arcs, how to offset lines, how to move lines and arcs, and how to use the MIRROR command.

1. Start up AutoCAD by double-clicking on its icon on the Windows Desktop.

 
2. Start a new drawing by selecting "File" from the pull-down menu, and then selecting "New." Double click on the Triton-A  template file.

 
3. You should notice that this new drawing is called "Drawing1.dwg" (AutoCAD always names new drawings that have not been saved by this temporary name). It will have all the same parameters and setup as the Template file, complete with all of its layers, the border and three preset viewports. That is the purpose of using template files - it saves much time in setting up the drawing.  You will need to save this drawing file to a new name, which will be today's date in year, month and day of teh month format with the letters EX1 after it, such as "2006 01 28 EX1." Select the "Save" button on the toolbar to do this.  You will be prompted for a name.  First click in the "Save in:" box to allow you to change the location of the saved file to your own folder within the folder "_Architecture" on the network (M:/) drive.   Note that you do not have to designate a filename extension for the name - AutoCAD will automatically append the ".dwg" filename extension to the file name.

 
4. Your instructions for this exercise are to draw the plan of a room with internal dimensions of 20 feet wide (in the north-south direction) by 30 feet long (in the east-west direction) with wall thickness of 8" and a pair of 3'-0" wide by 1 3/4" thick, outward-swinging doors, centered in the 20 foot long wall on the west side of the room. The commands used to do this will help familiarize you with using the "Line" and "Copy" commands.



Since you will be working only on the so-called "Model" in this exercise, select the "MODEL" tab at the bottom of the drawing (it should be selected by default).  You should always work on your drawing geometry in so-called "Model Space."  Do not select any of the "LAYOUT" tabs, which will put the drawing into "Paper Space," which is used for laying out various views of the model and plotting the drawing.
 

5. Begin a series of lines which will represent the inside of the room with the lower left corner of the outside of the wall of the room at point 10',10'. Use the following command sequence:

 
6. Select the "Line" icon from the Draw Toolbar (or type L <RET>)
• Type: 4',4' <RET>
• Make sure that POLAR is toggled on. If the word POLAR is not depressed at the bottom of the screen, click on it to toggle it on.  This will constrain cursor movement in the horizontal, vertical or 45 degree angles. 
• Point the cursor toward the right and type 30'<RET>
• Point the cursor toward the top of the screen and type 20'<RET>
• Point the cursor toward the left and type 30'<RET>
• Type: c <RET>

 
7. Using the COPY: command, copy the lines just created toward the outside of the room. Use the following command sequence:
• Select the "Copy" icon from the Modify Toolbar (or type CP <RET>)
• Pick the bottom line of the rectangle with the pickbox Type: <RET> (or click the right button on the mouse)
• Pick any point on the screen, preferably near the line to be copied with the pick button on the mouse.
• Point the cursor downward and type 8<RET>
• Reselect the Copy command again by typing <RET> (or click the right button of the mouse)
• Pick the right line of the rectangle with the pickbox
• Type: <RET> (or click the right button on the mouse)
• Pick any point on the screen, preferably near the line to be copied.
• Point the cursor toward the right and type 8<RET>
• Reselect the Copy command again by typing or picking <RET>
• Pick the topmost line of the rectangle with the pickbox
• Type: <RET> (or click the right button on the mouse)
• Pick any point on the screen, preferably near the line to be copied.
• Point the cursor toward the top of the screen and type 8<RET>
• Reselect the Copy command again by typing or picking <RET>
• Pick the leftmost line of the rectangle with the pickbox
• Type: <RET> (or click the right button on the mouse)
• Pick any point on the screen, preferably near the line to be copied.
• Point the cursor toward the left of the screen and type 8<RET>
     
8. Zoom in on one of the corners of the room by rolling and moving the mouse wheel.

 
9. Fillet the outside corners of the wall lines. Select the "Fillet" icon on the Modify Toolbar or type F<RET>.  The pickbox square will appear on the screen. Pick the two lines one at a time that need to be closed. This will make them intersect at a point. Zoom in on each corner of the room, and fillet the other corners.

 
10. Set the current layer to "A-DOOR": Select the Layer list on the Toolbar. Scroll up or down until you find the A-DOOR layer. Click on the A-DOOR layer. This will make the A-DOOR layer "current." You are now ready to draw the doors.

 
11. Draw a rectangle to represent the top door of the pair of doors in plan. Select the "Rectangle" command from the "Draw" toolbar menu, or type REC<RET>. OSNAP the "First Corner" to the NEArest of the left-most vertical line. Note that a X-shaped "marker" will appear indicating that AutoCAD has found the midpoint of the wall and is ready to snap to it.  Click the left button when the X-shaped marker appears.  Then type the following in response to the "Other Corner:" prompt: @-3',-1.75 <RET>
This means that the second corner is "at a distance from" the first corner of 3 feet in the left direction, and 1 3/4" in the downward direction.
 
12. Zoom in on the door you just drew by using the mouse wheel.
     
13. Make the A-DOOR-SWING layer current.

 
14. Draw the Door Swing: Invoke the "Arc" command selecting the arc command from the Draw toolbar or by typing A<RET>   OSNAP the "start point" of the arc to the upper left ENDpoint of the door, then type C <RET> (for "Center") and OSNAP the "center point" of the arc to the upper right ENDpoint of the door (which is the hinge point), then type A <RET> (for "included" Angle of the arc) and then type in the included arc at 90 [that is degrees -- but you do not need a degree symbol].
    
15. Make the A-WALL layer current.

 
16. Draw the door jamb line.   Zoom in on the hinge area of the door.    Type L<RET>  for the line command.    OSNAP ENDpoint the "From Point" of the line to the door hinge point (the upper right corner of the door), then OSNAP the "To Point" PERpendicular to the inside wall line opposite the door. (Then hit <RET> to release the crosshairs complete the command and bring back the Command: prompt, of course).

 
17. Zoom out to view the entire door and its swing arc using the mouse wheel.

 
18. MIRROR the door, the arc, and the jamb entities to create the pair of doors. Make sure that POLAR is toggled on.  This will allow the mirror command to create a perfectly symmetrical and straight mirroring.  Select the "Mirror" command by selecting the Mirror icon on the Modify Toolbarby or by typing MI<RET>.  Select the objects to mirror (the door, the arc and the jamb line) by clicking on them one at a time using the pickbox which will appear on the screen in place of the crosshairs, then type <RET> to confirm that these are the only objects to mirror. Select as the first point of the mirror line the ENDpoint of the arc (OSNAP to it). Select for the second point of the mirror line any point in space horizontally to the right or left from the first point. After you have created the mirror line, AutoCAD will ask you if you want to "Delete Old Objects?"  Accept the default response of <N> (for "No") by typing <RET> or depressing the right button of the mouse. This will complete the mirroring of the door and jamb.

 
19. Zoom out to see both doors.

 
20. Using the "Move" command, move the two doors into their proper position. Select the "Move" command. Select all of the door objects to move (2 doors, 2 arcs, and 2 jamb lines). When prompted for a Basepoint: OSNAP the to the ENDpoint of the arcs where they touch the wall. When prompted for a "Second Point or Displacement:" OSNAP the to the MIDpoint of the outer vertical line of the walls which, coincidently, is the same as the hinge point of the top door.

 
21. Zoom out to see both doors, if necessary.

 
22. Cut out the wall lines between the doors. Select the "Trim" command from the "Modify" toolbar.

 
23. When prompted for "Select Cutting Edge(s):" pick the two jamb lines, then <RET>.

 
24. When prompted for "Select Object(s) to Trim:" pick the two sections of the wall line between the jambs, then hit <RET>.

 
25. Switch to Paper Space to draw some text. To get  into Paper Space,  click on the  "One Quarter Inch Scale" Layout tab at the bottom of the screen. The Paper Space icon (a blue 30-60 degree triangle with the letter "W" in it -- for "World") should appear in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. (If not, click on the word "MODEL" button on the bottom of the screen. This will put you into Paper Space.
)
 
26. Zoom to the Extents of the Paper Space border by double-clicking the mouse wheel.
    
27. Make the A-ANNO-NOTE layer current.
    
28. Create a title block. From the pull down menu, select Draw, Text, Single Line Text. In the Command" Prompt area of the drawing you will see the instruction "Specify start point of text or [Justify/Style]:" Type J (for Justify). Type C (for Center). The instructions will now say "Specify Center point of text:" OSNAP to the MIDpoint of the bottom border of the drawing. The instructions will now say "Specify height<3'-1">:" The number within the <> brackets is the "Default" height and is the last height of text that the last person input. Type the actual height of the text 1/8<RET>. The instruction will now say "Specify rotation angle of text <0.00>. A default rotation angle of 0.00 means that the text will be created from the left to the right in a horizontal direction. Type <RET> to accept the default direction. If 0.00 does not appear in <> brackets as the default direction, type 0<RET> to make sure the text is horizontal. You will now see a blinking cursor at teh bottom of the viewport. Begin typing. Make sure that the CAPS lock key is toggled on and type "YOUR NAME ..... 2006 01 27 ..... An Art Gallery." <RET><RET> After the second <RET> the text will appear centered on the viewport bottom edge.
     
29. Zoom to extents by double-clicking the mouse wheel.
     
30. Save the drawing: Click on the "Save" icon on the Toolbar (the one that looks like a floppy disk). Since you originally gave this drawing the name of 2006 01 28 EX1 when you first created it, it will be automatically saved to that name again when you pick the "Save" button without any further input from you. (AutoCAD calls this process a "Quick Save.")
Note that every time you save the drawing, it will replace the previous version. The last previous saved version is made into a backup file with a ".bak" filename extension which is saved in the same folder. Thus you can go back one version. Also, as long as the current drawing is on the screen and you have not closed it, you can always Undo back to the state it was at the beginning of the current drawing session.
 
31. Plot this drawing using the HP 5si printer. The plotting parameters are already set for you. They are saved to the "Layout." Note that a drawing file can contain many "Layouts." Each can be assigned different plotting parameters, such as what plotter you plot to, the scale of plot, and how lines appear, such as linewidth, color or opacity.
    
32. When plotting is finished, if you are satisfied that everything is OK, close (exit) AutoCAD, by clicking on the X in the upper right corner of its window. You will now be back on the Windows desktop.

 
33. Copy the drawing from the network drive to your own USB drive by using the Windows My Computer (right-click Copy and Paste).  This way you will have two copies of every file you create - one on the Network Drive and one on your own portable USB drive.