Advanced AutoCAD® 2009

The Academic Solution

Sina Sepehri

Download free chapters at www.vesdesign.com/download.html

ii

Copyright © 2009
VESD, Inc.

The content of this book is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change
without notice, and should not be constructed as a commitment by VESD, Inc. VESD,
Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear
in this book and in no event shall be liable to anyone for, special, collateral, incidental, or
consequential damage in connection with or arising out of purchase or use of these
materials.

Except for as permitted by such license, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of VESD, Inc.

Trademarks

All brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Screen Captures contained in this book are used with permission from AutoDesk.
AutoCAD and Autodesk are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. in the U.S.A and
certain other countries.

Art/Cover Design: Sina Sepehri

Special thanks to my former students Chris Conover and Jon Winner for their time and
dedication.

ISBN: 978-1-61539-928-4
 Introduction
Since its infancy, just a decade ago, the emerging field of digital design has
revolutionized the thought process of designers and allowed teams of talented individuals
to collaborate faster and with far more precision than ever before. Using the Internet,
seamlessly across the U.S. and the Globe, oceans of new talent are being incorporated
into production.

The emerging technology of Computer-Aided-Drafting & Design has offered both two-
and three-dimensional modelers new ways of thinking and has clearly challenged the
traditional minds, requiring them to utilize new and digital tools to bring ideas to reality.

Today with its design-centric mindset, AutoCAD is offering designers, drafters,

engineers, architects, interior designers and students tools that allow for speed, precision,
consistency and legibility, all in a collaborative environment. With over 4 million users
around the world, the leading drafting software has set the tone for CAD standards,
giving the well trained users mobility and flexibility.

Advanced AutoCAD® 2009: The Academic Solution is a set of step-by-step AutoCAD

tutorials designed specifically for academia. This book is a continuation of Introduction
to AutoCAD 2009(or 08), The Academic Solution. Whether they are used as a
standalone or with other standard AutoCAD textbooks, you will find these advanced
tutorials to be well-structured, informative, and easy to follow. In order to maximize
your success, it is best to follow the procedure step by step and not skip any instructions.
It is also recommended to have the Introduction to AutoCAD 2009(or 08) The Academic
Solution textbook available for reference purposes.

The Text consists of 14 chapters. Every chapter corresponds to and is equivalent to a

week of instructions and assignments for the advanced CAD course. Some chapters
group two distinct topics together to accommodate for a week of instructions. For a
recommended approach to progressing through the text, refer to the flowchart on the next
page or consult with your instructor. The book is best followed with all assignments
accomplished using the same computer and/or network.

As you reach the end of the book, you should feel confident in your knowledge of the
software as you are considered to be an advanced user. Keep in mind that practice is
crucial for retaining the knowledge, making you an efficient AutoCAD user.
 i

Table of Contents

Terminology .................................................................................................... ix
Chapter 1 ...........................................................................................................1
Folders ...................................................................................................................3
Creating Folders.......................................................................................................... 4
Renaming Folders ....................................................................................................... 5
Subject Folders .....................................................................................................6
Interface ................................................................................................................8
Workspaces ...........................................................................................................9
2D Drafting & Annotation ........................................................................................ 10
AutoCAD Classic...................................................................................................... 11
Ribbon .................................................................................................................14
Tabs........................................................................................................................... 14
Panels ........................................................................................................................ 15
Minimize/Maximize.................................................................................................. 16
Open/Close................................................................................................................ 17
Command Line window.....................................................................................18
Open.......................................................................................................................... 18
Close ......................................................................................................................... 18
Tool Palettes Window ........................................................................................19
DesignCenter.......................................................................................................21
Clean Screen .......................................................................................................22
Status Bar............................................................................................................24
Create a Template (Model Space).....................................................................26
Create a Template (Paper Space) .....................................................................28
Creating a Symbol Library ...............................................................................31
Office Layout ......................................................................................................45
Using a Symbol library ......................................................................................47
Redefining Blocks ...............................................................................................52
Create Layout from Template...........................................................................58
Assignment 1.......................................................................................................61
Chapter 2 .........................................................................................................63
Defining Attributes.............................................................................................65
Attribute Modes ........................................................................................................ 65
Attribute Definition................................................................................................... 67
Copy Attributes ......................................................................................................... 71
Edit Attribute ............................................................................................................ 71
ii

Inserting Attributed Blocks ...............................................................................82

Editing Attributes...............................................................................................85
Edit Attribute ............................................................................................................ 85
Block Attribute Manager .......................................................................................... 86
Edit multiple Block Attributes (Properties Method) ................................................. 87
Edit multiple Block Attributes (Synchronize Method) ............................................. 89
Attribute Extraction...........................................................................................92
Extract Attributes (Excel Spreadsheet Method)........................................................ 92
Attribute Visibility ...........................................................................................100
Visibility Mode ....................................................................................................... 100
Assignment 2.....................................................................................................101
Chapter 3 .......................................................................................................103
Polyline ..............................................................................................................105
Create a Polyline ..................................................................................................... 105
Edit a Polyline......................................................................................................... 106
Close a Polyline ...................................................................................................... 106
Open a Polyline....................................................................................................... 106
Adjust Polyline Width............................................................................................. 106
Undo Polyline edit .................................................................................................. 107
Edit Polyline Vertices ............................................................................................. 107
Move Polyline Vertices........................................................................................... 107
Spline a Polyline................................................................................................109
Spline ...................................................................................................................... 109
Decurve ................................................................................................................... 109
Fit ............................................................................................................................ 109
Join Polyline............................................................................................................ 110
Polyline Linetype .................................................................................................... 111
Spline Frame ........................................................................................................... 112
Spline multiple ........................................................................................................ 115
Fuzz distance........................................................................................................... 116
Spline .................................................................................................................117
Create a Spline ........................................................................................................ 117
Close Spline ............................................................................................................ 117
Edit Spline............................................................................................................... 117
Move Vertex ........................................................................................................... 118
Spline Frame ........................................................................................................... 118
Converting Objects to Polylines ......................................................................119
Fillet polyline .......................................................................................................... 120
Area ...................................................................................................................122
Area of a Closed Polyline ....................................................................................... 122
Sum and Difference ................................................................................................ 122
Assignment 3.....................................................................................................123
Chapter 4 .......................................................................................................127
Digitizing a Map ...............................................................................................129
Raster Image Reference .......................................................................................... 130
Aligned.................................................................................................................... 132
Image Adjust ........................................................................................................... 133
 iii

Pline tracing ............................................................................................................ 135

Assignment 4.....................................................................................................141
Chapter 5 .......................................................................................................143
External References .........................................................................................145
Attach an Xref ..................................................................................................148
Attach a Drawing .................................................................................................... 148
External References Palette..................................................................................... 148
Unload..................................................................................................................... 152
Reload ..................................................................................................................... 153
Xclip........................................................................................................................ 165
Bind......................................................................................................................... 168
Assignment 5.....................................................................................................171
Chapter 6 .......................................................................................................173
World Coordinate System ...............................................................................175
Coordinate Points .............................................................................................179
Elevations ..........................................................................................................180
Viewing Objects in 3D......................................................................................183
View Point .........................................................................................................184
3D Orbit ............................................................................................................186
Views..................................................................................................................190
User Coordinate System (UCS).......................................................................193
World Coordinate System ....................................................................................... 193
User Coordinate System.......................................................................................... 193
Move UCS .............................................................................................................. 196
Origin ...................................................................................................................... 196
Save a UCS ............................................................................................................. 197
3 Point UCS ............................................................................................................ 198
Assignment 6.....................................................................................................207
Assignment 6B 3D Topography ...................................................................216
View Point .............................................................................................................. 216
Chapter 7 .......................................................................................................221
Customizing the User Interface.......................................................................223
Workspaces .......................................................................................................228
Workspace Toolbar ................................................................................................. 229
Create a Workspace ................................................................................................ 230
Create a Toolbar...................................................................................................... 233
Macros ...............................................................................................................237
Write a Macro ......................................................................................................... 240
Create a Button ....................................................................................................... 241
Assignment 7.....................................................................................................257
Chapter 8 .......................................................................................................259
iv

Dynamic Blocks ................................................................................................261

Block Editor ............................................................................................................ 265
Block Authoring palette .......................................................................................... 265
Rotation Parameter.................................................................................................. 265
Actions Tab............................................................................................................. 267
Rotate Action .......................................................................................................... 267
Save Block Definition ............................................................................................. 268
Parameters Tab........................................................................................................ 271
Linear Parameters ................................................................................................... 272
Stretch Action ......................................................................................................... 274
Data Exchange Format ....................................................................................278
Create a DXF file .................................................................................................... 278
Import a DXF file.................................................................................................... 279
Assignment 8.....................................................................................................281
Chapter 9 .......................................................................................................283
Slide Show and Scripts.....................................................................................285
Make Slides............................................................................................................. 286
View Slides ............................................................................................................. 290
Scripts................................................................................................................291
Notepad ................................................................................................................... 293
Create a Script......................................................................................................... 294
Save a Script ........................................................................................................... 295
Run your Script ....................................................................................................... 296
AutoCAD and the Internet ..............................................................................299
URL ........................................................................................................................ 299
Inetlocation ............................................................................................................. 300
Web Toolbar ........................................................................................................... 300
Hyperlink ..........................................................................................................301
Text and File Hyperlink .......................................................................................... 302
Geometry and File Hyperlink.................................................................................. 303
Text and Website Hyperlink ................................................................................... 304
Remove a Hyperlink ............................................................................................... 305
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)...........................................................................306
Add an FTP Location.............................................................................................. 306
DWF...................................................................................................................309
Publish .................................................................................................................... 309
Add Sheets .............................................................................................................. 310
Plot Stamp ............................................................................................................... 313
Assignment 9.....................................................................................................315
Chapter 10 .....................................................................................................317
Isometric Projection .........................................................................................319
Isoplanes............................................................................................................321
Isometric Circles ..................................................................................................... 325
Fillets ...................................................................................................................... 326
Tangents ............................................................................................................329
Isometric Text Styles ........................................................................................333
 v

style ......................................................................................................................... 334

Dimensioning ....................................................................................................336
Dimension Style...................................................................................................... 336
Oblique.................................................................................................................... 338
Rotate dimension .................................................................................................... 339
Assignment 10...................................................................................................341
Chapter 11 .....................................................................................................343
Creating a Sheet Set .........................................................................................345
Sheet Set Manager .................................................................................................. 345
New Sheet Set ......................................................................................................... 345
Creating Subsets ...............................................................................................350
Creating Sheets from an Example ..................................................................352
Create Cross Referenced Sheets.............................................................................. 356
Example Sheet Set .................................................................................................. 356
Removing Subsets................................................................................................... 358
Creating a New Sheet.............................................................................................. 359
Model Views ........................................................................................................... 360
Add a new location ................................................................................................. 360
Drag and Drop views .............................................................................................. 361
View Scaling ........................................................................................................... 362
View Labels ............................................................................................................ 362
Sheet View .............................................................................................................. 364
Rename and Renumber ........................................................................................... 365
Placing Callout Blocks .....................................................................................367
Callout Block Hyperlink ......................................................................................... 370
Archive ..............................................................................................................372
Zip File.................................................................................................................... 373
Self-extracting executable....................................................................................... 374
Password Protection................................................................................................ 375
Assignment 11...................................................................................................377
Chapter 12 .....................................................................................................379
Database Connectivity .....................................................................................381
Create a Database.................................................................................................... 383
Microsoft Access .................................................................................................... 383
Connecting and Configuring a Database. ......................................................392
DBconnect............................................................................................................... 392
Linking Objects to the Database.....................................................................398
Link Template ......................................................................................................... 398
Label Template ....................................................................................................... 405
Create Attached Labels ........................................................................................... 406
Data View and Query Options ................................................................................ 407
Delete Attached Labels ........................................................................................... 408
Create Freestanding Labels ..................................................................................... 411
Quick Query......................................................................................................414
Assignment 12...................................................................................................417
Chapter 13 .....................................................................................................419
vi

Adding Express Tools ......................................................................................421

Adding Express toolbars ......................................................................................... 421
Move/Copy/Rotate............................................................................................424
Move/Copy/Rotate............................................................................................425
Super Hatch ......................................................................................................427
Multiple Copy ...................................................................................................430
Fast Select..........................................................................................................431
Text Fit ..............................................................................................................432
Text Mask..........................................................................................................433
Text Explode .....................................................................................................434
Arc-Aligned Text ..............................................................................................435
Copy Nested Objects. .......................................................................................437
Assignment 13...................................................................................................441
Chapter 14 .....................................................................................................445
AutoLISP...........................................................................................................447
Arithmetic Operations............................................................................................. 447
Real versus Integer numbers...........................................................................449
Use AutoLISP in a Command................................................................................. 449
Store and use Variables........................................................................................... 450
Run Commands in AutoLISP.................................................................................. 451
Store coordinates..................................................................................................... 452
Get Functions .......................................................................................................... 455
Prompts in AutoLISP .............................................................................................. 456
Writing a LISP program in Notepad ....................................................................... 459
Executing a LISP routine.................................................................................462
Assignment 14..................................................................................................473
Appendix A ....................................................................................................475
Interface ............................................................................................................476
Workspaces .......................................................................................................477
2D Drafting & Annotation ...................................................................................... 478
AutoCAD Classic.................................................................................................... 479
Ribbon ...............................................................................................................482
Tabs......................................................................................................................... 482
Panels ...................................................................................................................... 483
Minimize/Maximize................................................................................................ 484
Open/Close.............................................................................................................. 485
Command Line window...................................................................................486
DesignCenter.....................................................................................................489
Clean Screen .....................................................................................................490
Toolbars.............................................................................................................492
Load a Toolbar........................................................................................................ 492
 vii

Close a Toolbar ....................................................................................................... 493

Dock a Toolbar ....................................................................................................... 494
Flyouts ...............................................................................................................495
Display Options.................................................................................................496
Set Colors................................................................................................................ 496
Crosshair Size ......................................................................................................... 498
Profiles...............................................................................................................500
Add a profile to the List .......................................................................................... 501
Load a default profile .............................................................................................. 501
Lock/Unlock Toolbars......................................................................................503
Lock/Unlock a Toolbar ........................................................................................... 503
Communication Center....................................................................................505
Status Bar..........................................................................................................507
Line ....................................................................................................................510
Pick Start and End points ........................................................................................ 510
Undo........................................................................................................................ 512
Close ....................................................................................................................... 512
Undo, Redo........................................................................................................513
Erase (Selection Methods) ...............................................................................514
Windowing.............................................................................................................. 514
Crossing .................................................................................................................. 515
Removing................................................................................................................ 516
Fencing.................................................................................................................... 517
Shortcut Menu ..................................................................................................518
Help....................................................................................................................520
Help......................................................................................................................... 520
New Features Workshop ......................................................................................... 522
Aliases and Hot Keys........................................................................................523
Appendix B Aliases .......................................................................................525
Appendix C Hot Keys and Function Keys...................................................529
Index ..............................................................................................................531
 ix

Terminology Used in This Book

Bold – A word in bold letters signifies that it is an AutoCAD specific term or that it is a
very specific item (i.e., a specific color, Object, or name).
Terminology
Bold Italics – A number that is displayed in both bold and italic signifies that it is to be
entered by means of the keyboard.

By doing the following: – A sentence ending with the term "by doing the following:"
signifies that you are about to be given step-by-step, bulleted instructions as to
how to perform a specific operation for the first time.

Command: - The Command Prompt is the location where you instruct AutoCAD to
perform a specific task. For example, typing in "Erase" at the Command
Prompt and then pressing the Enter key, instructs AutoCAD to erase one or a
group of Objects. Also note that in AutoCAD, with very few exceptions, the
cursor is always automatically positioned at the Command Prompt.
Terminology

Pointer device – Most computers are configured for a mouse, however, you may be using
a pen tablet, a digitizer or any other device which may serve the same function.

Click – Refers to picking the "left" Pointer Button of the mouse. If the right pointer
button is to be selected, you will be specifically instructed to right-click.

Double-click – Indicates clicking a pointer button on your mouse twice without pausing
or hesitating between clicks.

Drag – Refers to pressing down the left pointer button while moving/dragging the mouse
to a new location and then releasing the button.

ENTER – Refers to pressing the Enter key on the keyboard. As you will see, any
keyboard entry at the Command Prompt will require an ENTER. However in
the later Chapters, at times it may be expected of you to ENTER after a
Command entry without specific instructions.

Note: – A note generally furnishes you with information and explains concepts but does
not require you to take any action.

Pick – Refers to left clicking within the Drawing space (i.e., Pick Circle C1, refers to left
clicking on Circle C1.) The terms Pick and Select are interchangeable.

Select – Refers to picking a menu item/tool or a pre-existing Object by clicking on it

using the mouse (i.e., "Select Erase" means that you should select the Erase
Icon/tool as opposed to typing the Command Erase).
x

Toggle – Refers to a setting that has a switch mode (i.e., On, Off). There are different
methods of toggling:

1. Function keys. The function keys are usually located along the top of your
keyboard and are identified by the letter F and a number. Each function key
is assigned to a specific AutoCAD function. For instance, pressing F9 will
Toggle your Snap settings to On/Off.

2. Control Keys. Control keys are another way of allowing for shortcuts.
Control keys are used by holding the CTRL key, and then pressing another
key. For instance, CTRL+2 will toggle the DesignCenter.

3. Toggle switches. Many AutoCAD settings can also be Toggled from dialog
boxes as shown below. As an example, as the Endpoint OSnap mode Toggle
is selected, a check mark appears and the setting is Toggled to on as shown
below.

4. Toggle Buttons. Buttons located in the Status Line are another way of
toggling certain settings. There are eight buttons located in the Status Line
that can be Toggled by clicking on the buttons with the pick button. When the
button appears depressed it is On, otherwise it is Off. For instance, in the first
image shown below Snap is Toggled to the off position. The second image
shows Snap Toggled On. These buttons will be covered in more detail later.

User-Specified – This term is used when requesting a non-specific entry where the exact
size or location for Drawing an Object (or a group of Objects) is flexible, i.e.,
"Create a Circle in a User-specified location as shown below" means that you can
approximate the size and location similar to a given diagram.
 xi

Other Terminology and Information

CAD: A general term meaning Computer Aided Drafting or sometimes Computer Aided
Design. This term is not specific to AutoCAD.

CADD: A general term meaning Computer Aided Design and Drafting.

CAD Station: A computer station that has CAD software installed (in this case
AutoCAD) and preferably has other peripherals such as a plotter and sometimes a
digitizer. The advantages of using a CAD station over manual drafting are basically
speed, repeatability, accuracy, and easy editing.

AutoCAD: With over 4 million users, this AutoDesk® product is currently the most
widely used CAD software in the industry.

Commercial Version: This is the version of the CAD program that is purchased for
professional design and drafting and is for commercial use. In other words, you may use
the license for profit.

Educational Version: This version is available to students who are enrolled in three or
more credits at a degree-granting educational institution or those who are enrolled at a
nine-month certificate-granting program. The Student Version is also available to
registered K-12 students who can confirm current enrollment. Although the Educational
software has the same functionality as the commercial, it can not be used for the purpose
of profit.

Purchasing AutoDesk products: AutoDesk applications such as AutoCAD®,

Inventor®, Rivet®, 3ds MAX®, Civil 3D® and many others can be purchased from
AutoDesk directly or through Authorized AutoDesk Resellers around the country. For
more information, you can go to the AutoDesk estore at http://estore.autodesk.com
where you can also locate resellers near you. You can also check with your school's
bookstore.
 1

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Creating a Template
Creating a Symbol Library
Office Layout
Making Blocks
Redefining Blocks
Creating Layout (Paper /Model Space)
2
 Chapter One 3

Folders
In this section, you will create all the necessary Folders for your assignments. As
you already know, Folders are where files, such as Drawings, are saved. Many teaching
institutions use the common practice of automatically creating the student folders using
students' names and/or ID numbers. These student folders are often placed on a network
drive such as F:, H:, or T:, as opposed to the Local Disk (C:). An example of a folder
and its associated path is K:\Engineering_Technologies\Smith_David_02, where a
common folder such as David_Smith_02 is created on the K: Drive under the
Engineering_Technologies folder as shown below.

On the following page, you will be given exact instructions on how to create your
folder. This example will have you create your folder inside the Documents folder.
However, it is best to consult with your instructor for the exact location that your folder is
to be created. Also note that your AutoCAD 2009 software may be running on
Microsoft® Windows Vista® or Windows XP®. Therefore as you are creating your
Folders, you may find that your Windows interface may look slightly different than that
shown here. Here Vista is being used.

Many teaching institutions install Computer Security software in their computer

labs. This is to improve system stability, protect against viruses, avoid Internet
downloads, etc. In many cases, this type of software does not allow for your AutoCAD
Drawing files to reside/stay on certain folders of the Local Disk (C:). It is for this reason
(and more) that you should save your files to a specific Drive and/or Folder as
designated by your Instructor.
4

The instructions below will help you in creating your Main folder (from this point
on referred to as My_CAD_Folder). This exercise will create your folder in the
Documents folder of the Local Disk (C:). However, as mentioned before, you may
already have a main folder assigned to you so that you only have to create your subject
folders inside the main folder.

Caution: If you have a folder assigned to you already, skip to page 6 to create the
subject folders. Consult with your instructor as necessary.

1. Create your main Folder by doing the following:

Creating Folders
• From the Microsoft® Windows Interface, from the lower left corner of the
screen, select the Start button and then select Documents as shown
below.
 Chapter One 5

• From the Menu Bar, select File, then New, then Folder as shown below.
In the event that you do not see the Menu Bar on your screen, you can
display it by selecting the Organize drop-down, select Layout and finally
Menu Bar from the list. {A New Folder appears. It is highlighted, and
the cursor is located to the right of the name. Since the name is already
highlighted, you don't need to back space.}

• Type in the new name: My_CAD_Folder and then ENTER.

• Double-click on the folder My_CAD_Folder folder. {You are inside the

folder. The name appears at the Address field, and it is obviously
empty.}

• Select the Back button. {It will take you "back" out of the folder and to
the Documents folder.}

Renaming Folders
• Right-click on the My_CAD_Folder folder and select Rename. {The
name is highlighted.}

• Type in your last name followed by your first name, i.e., Smith_David

• ENTER. {The folder is renamed to your name.}

Note: From this point on, for the sake of consistency, the book will refer to your main
folder as your My_CAD_Folder.
6

Subject Folders
Once you have your My_CAD_Folder folder such as K:\Engineering_
Technologies\Smith_David_02, you need to create 18 folders that fall inside your main
folder. The 18 folders include 16 topics and two more folders for your symbol library
and Templates. Do not skip the instructions below as these folders are needed to
continue through the tutorials.

• Double-click on your My_CAD_Folder {Your My_CAD_Folder window

appears and you are placed inside your folder.}

• Select File, New, and then Folder again. As the highlighted New Folder
appears, type in the name Review_Material and then ENTER. {The new
Folder is created.}
 Chapter One 7

• Repeat this process to create the remaining 17 folders. Since this is a

repetitive process, you may use the key stroke sequence Alt+ F, then W,
and then F to create each folder. Also note that it is good practice to use
the underscore "_" symbol when naming your folders instead of using
blank spaces. Name these folders:

Symbols, Templates, Attributes, Polylines_and_Splines, Digitizing,

External_References, Three_Dimensions, Customization,
Dynamic_Blocks, Data_Exchange, Slideshow, Internet, Isometric,
Sheet_Sets, DataBase, Express_Tools, and AutoLISP.

• The image below displays the list of folders in alphabetical order.

• Close the above window as you are about to launch AutoCAD.

8

The AutoCAD Interface

1. Launch AutoCAD by doing the following:
Interface
• From the Microsoft® Windows Interface, select the Start button as shown
below.

• Select the AutoCAD 2009 icon as shown below. {AutoCAD is launched}

Note: AutoCAD can also be launched from the Desktop by double clicking on the
shortcut.

Note: Your AutoCAD® 2009 software may be running on the Microsoft® Windows®
VistaTM or the Windows XP® operating system. Although the above image is captured
using Windows Vista, the Windows XP interface is also very similar. Consult with your
Instructor.
 Chapter One 9

Workspaces
Once you are inside AutoCAD, it is common practice to select the proper Workspace
that is suitable to your working environment. AutoCAD 2009 allows for three distinct
workspaces. A Workspace is defined as a set of tools that are grouped and organized so
that you can work in a custom and task-oriented environment. In the steps below, you
will view the 2D Drafting & Annotation workspace and finally move forward using the
AutoCAD Classic workspace. In chapter 7, you will learn to create your own
Workspace to further customize your interface.
Workspaces
1. Select a Workspace by doing the following:

• In the upper left corner of the screen, select the Menu Browser icon as
shown below.

• As the Menu list appears, select Tools, and then select Workspaces.
10

• Regardless of your current Workspace, select the 2D Drafting &

Annotation workspace as shown below.

2D Drafting & Annotation

Note: In the 2D Drafting & Annotation workspace shown below, by default, your
buttons also known as Tools, are grouped inside several Panels and these Panels are
positioned inside a Ribbon shown by the diagram below. Keep in mind that as you start
AutoCAD, the Toolbars, Menus, and Panels that are displayed on the screen may or
may not be those of the default settings, since with little effort they can be loaded and
closed. Therefore if your screen looks slightly different than the image shown below, it
is Ok for now.
 Chapter One 11

• Select the Menu Browser icon, Tools and then Workspaces.

• From the list of Workspace, select the AutoCAD Classic workspace as shown
below. {The AutoCAD Classic workspace appears on the screen}

AutoCAD Classic
Note: Switching between Workspaces is also possible by selecting the Workspace
Switching button located in the lower portion of the screen as shown below.
12

Note: The AutoCAD Classic default interface is composed of nine distinct areas as
shown below. In the event that the Menu Bar (as indicated in the image below) is
missing from the screen, page 13 will give you specific instructions on how to place it on
to the screen.

As you begin AutoCAD, the Toolbars and Menus that are displayed on the screen may
or may not be those of the default settings, since with little effort they can be loaded or
closed. As you will see in the Toolbars exercise, since these are "Floating" toolbars,
you may Undock (Float) or Dock them as you please.
 Chapter One 13

• In the event that you have any other toolbars such as AutoDesk Impression or
the Tool Pallets placed on the screen, you may close them by selecting the [X] in
the upper right corner of that particular window as shown below.

Note: By default, AutoCAD 2009 interface no longer displays the Menu Bar on the
screen as shown by the image below. In the event that the Menu Bar is missing from
your screen, it is important to retrieve it as the rest of these tutorials depend on it. Please
follow the instructions below so that your screen displays the Menu Bar similar to the
image displayed at the bottom of this page.

2. Display the Menu Bar on to the screen by doing the following:

• Press the Escape key on the keyboard to escape any previous command
that may be running. {The cursor is placed at the command line and
AutoCAD is ready for your instructions}

• Type menubar and then press the Enter key.

• When you are asked to enter a new value for the MENUBAR <0>, type 1
and then press the Enter key. {The Menu Bar is placed on the screen as
shown below}
14

Ribbon
The Ribbon Palette allows for a central location where you can locate most of the Tools.
These Tools are grouped using several Panels.

1. Toggle the Ribbon Palette by doing the following:

• From the Menu Bar, select Tools, Palettes and then Ribbon as shown
below.

Tabs
As the Ribbon Palette is placed on the screen, you can see that by default, it is composed
of 6 tabs. They are Home, Blocks & References, Annotate, Tools, View, and Output.
Each of these tabs has several Panels that could be easily customized. As an example,
when the Home tab is selected, you can see that by default, it has the Draw, Modify,
Layers, Annotation, Block, Properties, and the Utilities Panels.

• In the Draw Panel (or any of the Panels), right-click the mouse in the
background area as shown below. {Menu appears}
 Chapter One 15

• Make sure that the Show Panel Titles is checked as shown below.
Panels
• From the drop-down list, select the Tabs item and make sure that all 6
tabs (Home, Blocks & References, Annotate, Tools, View and Output)
are checked as shown below.

• Select Panels from the list and make sure that all 7 Panels (Draw,
Modify, Layers, Annotation, Block, Properties, and Utilities) are
checked as shown below.

• Select the mouse anywhere within the screen area. {The Ribbon menu is
closed.}
16

2. Minimize/Maximize the Ribbon by doing the following.

Minimize/Maximize
• To the right of the Output tab, select the Minimize to Panel Titles drop-
down as shown below.

• Notice that only the Panel Titles of each Tab within the Ribbon are
showing as shown below. Moving the mouse onto a Panel name (such as
the Draw Panel) of the Home Tab, will momentarily expand the Panel.
Moving the mouse away from the Panel will automatically close it.

• From the Ribbon, select the Minimize to Tabs drop-down as shown

below.

• Notice that only the Tabs are showing within the Ribbon.

• From the Ribbon, select the Show Full Ribbon drop-down as shown
below.

• The Full Ribbon appears on the screen as shown below.

 Chapter One 17

• From the Menu Bar, select Tools, Palettes and then Ribbon.

• The Ribbon is removed from the screen and you are back to the default
look of the AutoCAD Classic Workspace as shown below.
Open/Close

Note: Although this book has introduced the Ribbon and its arrangement, to cover
AutoCAD functionality, it will move forward using the AutoCAD Classic Workspace
and will use Toolbars (as opposed to the buttons of the Ribbon, Panels, and its Tools).
It is recommended that AutoCAD users fully implement the Ribbon starting with
AutoCAD 2010.
18

Command Line window

For the purpose of this book, it is critical that the Command Line window (also referred
to as the Command Prompt window (shown on page 12) is always present on the screen
as it is needed for almost every step of these tutorials. In the event that you accidentally
close the Command Line window or that you find it to be missing from the screen, you
need to bring it back. To Toggle/bring back the Command Line window, from the Menu
Bar, select Tools, then from the drop-down list, select Command Line as shown below.

In the event that you accidentally attempt to close the Command Line window,
AutoCAD will display a warning-like window informing you of your intention. In this
case, again it is important to select the No option (as shown below) to keep the
Command Line window present on the screen.
Open
Close
 Chapter One 19

Tool Palettes Window

As you have noticed from the above exercise, the Tool Palettes Window as
shown below is one of the items that from time to time may appear on the screen.
Although the Tool Palette Window will be discussed in greater depth later, it is
important to know how to Open and Close it. The steps are as follows:
20

1. Toggle the Tool Palettes Window by doing the following:

• From the Menu Bar, select Tools, Palettes and then Tool Palettes as
shown below.

• Repeat as necessary to toggle On. {Tool Palettes Window will appear

somewhere on screen.}

• Repeat the process to toggle off the Tool Palettes window.

 Chapter One 21

DesignCenter
As the name indicates, the DesignCenter as shown below allows for a design-
centric working environment. This is where Drawings and different components of
Drawings (discussed later) can be shared from one Drawing to another or even among
designers at remote locations. For the sake of practice, you will next toggle The
DesignCenter palette a few times and finally set it to the off position.

1. Toggle the DesignCenter by doing the following:

• From the Menu Bar, select Tools, Palettes and then DesignCenter.

• Toggle the DesignCenter On and Off several times and finally toggle it
Off.
22

Clean Screen
By using the Clean Screen option, all of the toolbars are cleared from the screen
as shown below. As you surely agree, working with no toolbars on the screen and only
typing aliases (short entry for Commands) is the technique of an advanced user. In the
event that you are to use the Clean Screen mode, you will be specifically instructed to do
so. Here you will be given specific instructions on how to toggle the Clean Screen mode.
 Chapter One 23

1) Toggle the Clean Screen option by doing the following:

• From the Menu Bar, select View and then Clean Screen as shown below.

• Toggle the Clean Screen option, as you did above, to On and Off a few
times and finally turn this option Off so that the toolbars are displayed
again.
24

Status Bar
1) In the Status Bar located in the lower portion of the screen, move the mouse
onto the Snap Mode icon as shown below.

• Right-click on the Snap Mode button. {Shortcut Menu appears}

• From the list, make sure that the Use Icons item is toggled to On as shown
below.

• Again from the shortcut menu list, select Display.

• Make sure that Snap, Grid, Ortho, Polar, OSnap, OTrack, Dynamic
UCS, Dynamic Input, and Lineweight toggle buttons are all set to On.
 Chapter One 25

Note: From left to right, the Status Bar icons read Snap Mode, Grid Display, Ortho
Mode, Polar Tracking, Object Snap, Object Snap Tracking, Allow/Disallow
Dynamic UCS, Dynamic Input, Show/Hide Dynamic UCS. From this point on, the
book will use the short terms Snap, Grid, Ortho, Polar, OSnap, Otrack, Ducs, Dyn,
and LWT when referring to these buttons.

2) Exit AutoCAD. Do not Save changes to the drawing.

26

Create a Template (Model Space)

In Chapter 3 of Volume I, you learned to create an A size Template for use in Model
Space. The procedure below repeats the exercise of creating a Template to be used in
this book.

1. Create a Template by doing the following:

• Launch AutoCAD to begin a new blank Drawing. In the event that you
are asked to choose a Workspace, select AutoCAD Classic and then OK.

• Make sure that in the Status Bar, your Snap, Grid, Ortho, Polar, Osnap,
Otrack, Ducs, Dyn, are set to Off.

• Set Units to Decimal with a Precision of two decimal places 0.00. Set the
Angle Decimal Degrees Precision to one decimal place 0.0.

• Set Limits to a lower left corner of 0,0 and an upper right corner of 9,6.

• Set Grid to 0.5 .

• Set Snap to 0.25 .

• Zoom All.

• Using the Rectangle tool, create a 9 x 6 rectangle with the lower left
corner located at 0,0 and the other corner at 9.0,6.0 .
 Chapter One 27

• Select the Save As button. {The Save Drawing As window appears.}

• In the File of type drop-down, select AutoCAD Drawing Template

(*.dwt) as shown below.

• In the File name text field, name the file My Template Model Space A
size_ _ _ where the three blanks are your initials.

• In the Save in drop-down, the folder is set to the Template folder of

AutoCAD. Use the drop-down to set it to your Templates folder located
inside your My_CAD_Folder.

• Select the Save button. {The Template Description dialog box appears.}

• Leave the description as is, and select OK.

• From the Menu Bar, select File and then Exit AutoCAD.

Note: Keep in mind that opening a Template file by selecting File, Open and changing
the File of type to *.dwt is interpreted by AutoCAD as if you plan to modify your
Template rather than use it to start up a new Drawing. So in the future, unless you
intend to update or modify a Template, do not use the Open option from the File Menu
Bar to Open a Template file, but rather use the File, New option to begin a new Drawing
file. Later in the chapter, you will also learn how to import a Template into an already
existing Drawing.
28

Create a Template (Paper Space)

In Chapter 12 of Volume I, you learned about Layouts and Paper Space, where
you created an A size Template for use in Paper Space. The procedure below repeats
that exercise of creating a Template to be used throughout this book.

1. Create a Drawing Template in Paper Space by doing the following:

• Launch AutoCAD and begin a new blank Drawing. In the event that you
are asked to choose a Workspace, select AutoCAD Classic and then OK.

• Set your Units to Decimal with Precision set to two decimal places
(0.00).

• Make sure that from the Status Line, Snap, Grid, Ortho, Polar, Osnap,
Ducs, and Dyn are set to Off.

• Create a Layer named Title block, and set it as the Current layer.

• Click on the Layout1 Tab as shown below.

• In the event that the Page setup Manager dialog box appears, select the
Close button.

• Notice that the image of an A size (letter size) paper is displayed on the
screen and you are placed in Paper Space as indicated by the Paper
Space right triangle icon as shown below.

• Erase the default Viewport shown in the form of a rectangular object.

Soon a new Viewport will be created that is more suitable to your My
Template Paper Space A size_ _ _.dwt Template.
 Chapter One 29

• Create the title page having the given dimensions shown below. A good
approach would be to use the Rectangle tool to create a 10 x 7.5 rectangle
with the first corner located at coordinates 0.2,0.2 and the other corner
located at coordinates 10.2,7.7. Then use the Explode tool to explode the
rectangle and Offset the lower edge upwards by 0.40 units as shown
below.

• Make sure that the entire geometry falls within the rectangular margins as
shown by the dashed line type. Move the geometry as necessary.

• Use the Text Command to place your name, course section, lesson
number, and scale in the title block as shown below. Start text at a user-
specified location with a height of 0.2 units while making sure it falls
within the title block similar to that shown below. Font is user-specified.

• Make sure that Layer 0 is your Current Layer.

• Open the Viewports toolbar and dock it on the screen. You can do this by
right-clicking on any tool, and then selecting Viewports from the list of
toolbars.

• From the Viewports toolbar, select the Single Viewport tool and use the
Endpoint Osnap option to create a Single Viewport with corners located
at P1 and P2 of the diagram above for the two corners of the Viewport.
30

• To toggle to Model Space, double-click within the Viewport area. {The

Viewport is displayed in bold, verifying that you are in Model Space.}

• From the Status Bar, select the Model button to switch back to Paper
Space as shown below.

• Select the Save As button. {The Save Drawing As window appears.}

• In the File of type drop-down, select AutoCAD Drawing Template

(*.dwt).

• In the File name text field, name the file My Template Paper Space A
size_ _ _ where the three blanks are your initials.

• In the Save in drop-down, select your Main Folder, as designated by your

instructor and then select Templates.

• Select the Save button. {The Template Description dialog box appears.}

• Leave the description as is, and select OK.

• From the Menu Bar, select File and then Exit AutoCAD.
 Chapter One 31

Creating a Symbol Library

You are about to create a library of symbols as shown below by the 9 Objects. In
creating these symbols, you will exercise your technique of geometric construction while
keeping precision in mind. Note that the symbols you are about to create will be used
throughout the textbook. To avoid lost time, save your progress frequently. Although the
symbols you are creating are Architectural, the techniques you are learning can be
applied to a variety of fields such as Mechanical, Industrial, Civil, etc.

1. Launch AutoCAD to begin a new blank Drawing. You will use your Paper Space
Template later in the Chapter. In the event that you are asked to choose a
Workspace, select AutoCAD Classic and then OK.

2. Set Units to Architectural and Precision to 1/16”.

3. Set Limits to 0',0' by 24',16' and then Zoom All.

4. Make sure that Ortho, Polar, Osnap, Otrack, Ducs, and Dyn are set to Off.

5. Use the Rectangle tool to create a rectangular border having the same corners as
your limits.
32

6. Set Snap and Grid by doing the following:

• In the Status Line, right-click on the Grid Button and from the shortcut
menu, select Settings.

• As the Drafting Settings dialog box appears, set both Snap and Grid to
6".

• Toggle both Snap and Grid to On.

• Ensure that the Adaptive Grid setting is toggled Off as shown below.

Note: Adaptive grid allows for an automatic change in grid settings based on the current
zoom factor. As an example, if you zoom in/out noticeably, the system will change to a
subdivision or multiple of the current value instead of displaying the usual "grid too
dense to display" warning. Although using this new option is a matter of user choice, the
book will not make use of this setting.

7. SaveAs the Drawing using the name, All Symbols _ _ _ where the three blanks
are your initials. Make sure that the Drawing is saved to your Symbols folder of
your Main Folder.
 Chapter One 33

8. Use the Rectangle tool and the following information to construct the Desk and
Chair as shown below. Exact location of each symbol is user-specified; symbols
will be moved and rearranged later in the instructions.

• Remember to Zoom and Pan as necessary.

• The Desk is 5'2" x 2'6".

• The Chair seat is an 18" square.

• The Chair arms and back are located 1" from the chair seat and are 2"
wide with user-specified length. Setting Snap to 1" will help construct the
chair more efficiently.

• Do not label the symbols.

9. Create a Computer Desk using the following instructions:

• Use the Rectangle tool to create a 62" square as shown below.

• Use the Explode tool to explode the rectangle. {The Rectangle converts
to lines L1-L4.}

• Create Lines L5 and L6 by Offsetting L1 and L2 by 22" respectively, as

shown below.
34

• Create the Diagonal Line L7 with Endpoints located at the two opposite
corners of the square desk as shown below on the left.

• Create L8 and L9 by Offsetting L7 by 14” to both sides.

• Create L10 with Endpoints starting at the Intersection of L6 and L8 and

going to the Intersection of L5 and L9 as shown below.

• Trim the geometry and Erase all Construction Lines (Xline) to result in
the Computer Desk geometry shown below.

Note: The three symbols should appear as shown below. Do not label the symbols.

• Remember to Save your progress frequently.

 Chapter One 35

10. Create the Lavatory Sink symbol by using the following instructions:

• Create Construction Line CL1 using the horizontal option and

Construction Line CL2 using the vertical option, at user-specified
locations, as shown below.

• Create a Circle with the center located at the intersection of CL1 and
CL2, having a Radius of 0.5".

• Offset the Circle to the outside by 0.5".

• Create Ellipse E1 using the Center option and for the Center, use the
intersection of CL1 and CL2. Use the given dimensions shown below.
36

• To create CL3 and CL4, Offset the Construction Line CL2 to the right
by 1.0" and again Offset CL2 to the right by 8".

• Create Ellipse E2 with the center located at the intersection of CL1 and
CL3. For the axis distance, refer to the given dimensions below.

• Create a faucet similar to the one shown below. The exact size and
dimension of the geometry are user-specified. However, faucet geometry
should be symmetrical.

• Trim the geometry as shown below and Erase all remaining

Construction Lines.

11. Create a Toilet using the following instructions:

• Create a horizontal Construction Line, CL1 and a vertical Construction

Line, CL2 at user-specified locations as shown on the next page.

• Offset CL1 in both directions (Up and Down) by 9" as shown on the next
page.
 Chapter One 37

• Offset CL2 to the right by 10.5" and again Offset CL2 to the right by
18.5" as shown below.

• Create an Ellipse (Center option) at the intersection of CL1 and CL2

using the given dimensions.

• Apply a Fillet with a Radius of 1" to the intersections of the

Construction Lines to form the rectangular shape as shown below.
38

• Offset CL1 to both sides by 4".

• Offset CL2 to the right by 9.5" as shown below.

• Create two Fillets with 5" radius between the ellipse and the two
horizontally offset Construction Lines, as shown below.

• Trim and Erase the geometry as necessary to result in the Toilet symbol
shown below.

• Save your All Symbols _ _ _.dwg and remain in the Drawing.

 Chapter One 39

12. Create a Window symbol using the following instructions:

• Create a Rectangle with a Length of 6'5" and a Width of 6" at a user-

specified location.

• Explode the Rectangle. {The Rectangle is converted to 4 separate lines.}

• Using the given dimensions, Offset the line L1 up by 2.5" and again
Offset L1 up by 3.5". Also Offset Line L2 a total of 4 times using the
given dimensions below.

• Trim the geometry to result in the window symbol shown below.

13. Create the Cubicle symbol shown below using the given dimensions. A
reasonable approach would be to start with a 17'-1" x 8'-5" rectangle at a user-
specified location. Explode the rectangle and use the Trim and Offset tools as
necessary.
40

14. Create the right-swing Door symbol at a user-specified location, using the given
dimensions. The Center of the Arc is shown by the dot of figure below.

• Mirror the right-swing door symbol about a vertical axis, thus creating a
left-swing door symbol as shown below. The exact location of Object is
user-specified.

15. Zoom All and use the Move Command to reposition the nine symbols as
necessary to result in the arrangement shown below. The exact position of each
symbol is user-specified. However, all symbols should fall within the designated
Limits area. Do not label Objects.

16. Save the All Symbols _ _ _Drawing file and remain in the Drawing.
 Chapter One 41

17. Make a Block of the Desk by doing the following:

• From the Draw toolbar, select the Make Block tool. {The Block
Definition dialog box appears as shown below.}

• For the Block name, enter Desk.

• In the Objects area, make sure that the Retain button is toggled to On.

• In the Objects area, select the Select Objects button.

• Select the Desk geometry (the original rectangle) and then ENTER {The
Block definition dialog box appears again.}

• In the Base point area, select the Pick point button.

Note: Using the Retain option will make sure that the original geometry (used to create
a Block symbol) is not converted to a Block and that only those inserted from this point
on are actual Block symbols. This leaves the original geometry intact and editable.
42

• For the Desk base point, select point P1 as shown below by the dot. {The
Block definition dialog box appears.}

• Select OK. {The Desk Block is created and the Block definition dialog
box is closed.}

18. Use the above procedure to create the remaining eight Blocks by using the names
Chair, CompDesk, Sink, Toilet, Window, Cubicle, DoorRS, and DoorLS,
knowing that the base point of Blocks are given by the dots labeled as P1-P9.
Note that these symbols will be addressed and utilized in later chapters.

• Once the nine Blocks are created, they are to be tested. From the Draw
toolbar, use the Insert tool to insert each Block at a user-specified
location. Due to space limitation, you may put Blocks outside of your
limits momentarily. In the event that any Block is in error and needs to be
Redefined, if necessary, use the Explode tool to explode the symbol first
and then repeat the process properly to make a Block of the symbol.
 Chapter One 43

• Once all the Blocks are proven to be valid (both in geometry and base
point location), erase all recently inserted Blocks while keeping the
original geometry on the screen.

Note: An efficient method of having global access to a Block symbol is by means of

WBlocking (writing a Block to a file). With this technique, each Block can be written to
a file and then inserted into any Drawing from one central location.

19. WBlock the Desk by doing the following:

• At the Command Prompt, type W (for WBlock) and then ENTER.

• In the Write Block dialog box, in the Source section, toggle Block as
your source and use the drop-down menu to select Desk from the list of
Block names.

• In the Destination section, select the [...] button (as shown below by the
pointer) and use the Save in drop-down to make sure to assign the File
name and path to your Symbols folder.

• Double-click on the Symbols folder {The Save in drop-down reads

Symbols.}

• Make sure that the File name reads Desk.dwg as shown below.

• Select OK.
44

20. Repeat this process to WBlock the Chair, CompDesk, Sink, Toilet, Window,
Cubicle, DoorRS, and DoorLS using their respective file names, while saving
them to your Symbols folder. Remember that the Block names can be selected
from the drop-down list.

Note: Your All Symbols _ _ _ Drawing is not an assignment. Although it will be

addressed again in this chapter, plotting is not required.

21. Save and Close the All Symbols _ _ _ Drawing.

22. Exit AutoCAD.

 Chapter One 45

Office Layout
1. Launch AutoCAD and begin a new blank Drawing. Make sure to be using the
AutoCAD Classic Workspace.

2. Set Units to Architectural with Precision set to 1/16".

3. Set Limits to 0,0 and 84',56' and then Zoom all.

4. Create a rectangular border at the boundary of your limits.

5. To create the office layout, do the following:

• To construct the exterior wall perimeter, create a Rectangle having the

dimensions of 72' x 43' with the lower left corner located at 6',6'.

• Select Chamfer from the Modify toolbar.

• Set both Chamfer distances to 16' and Chamfer the upper right corner of
the office as shown below. {A 45 degree Chamfer is created.}

• Offset the chamfered rectangle to the inside by 6" as shown below.

• Explode the two Objects. {The Rectangle / Polylines convert to lines.}

46

• Use the given dimensions and your knowledge of the Offset and Trim
tools to construct the restroom area in the lower right corner of the office.
Do not Dimension the Drawing.

• Create the door and window openings using the given dimensions. Note
that the Chamfered wall is at 45 degrees.
 Chapter One 47

• Zoom all.

• Save the Drawing to your Review_Material folder as Office Plan _ _

_.dwg where the three blanks are your initials.

Note: The first time you insert a particular WBlock file into a Drawing, you need to use
the Browse button to locate the file properly. Once the Block is inserted into the
Drawing, it is then local to that Drawing and can be selected for insertion from the drop-
down Name list of the Insert dialog box. Also note that once a Block is inserted, you
can copy the Block to multiple locations using the Copy Command. Each copied Object
is also a Block.
Using a Symbol library
6. Insert Blocks by doing the following:

• From the Draw toolbar, select the Insert Tool.

• As the Insert dialog box appears, select the Browse button.

48

• Use the Look in drop-down menu to locate your My_CAD_Folder and

then the Symbols folder. {All WBlock files are listed as shown below.}

• From the Symbols folder located in your My_CAD_Folder, Insert one

copy of the 6 Blocks --Window, DoorRS, DoorLS, Toilet, Sink and the
Cubicle -- somewhere in the Drawing area. As you insert each Block,
make sure that the Explode button is toggled to Off (unselected).

• Select OK.
 Chapter One 49

• Move and Copy the Blocks as necessary to result in the diagram shown
below. Note that other than the Toilets and Sinks, the final positions of all
other symbols are exact. For the arrangement of the sixteen cubicles, you
may use the rectangular array Command, knowing the given dimensions.

• Zoom All and make sure that your Drawing matches that shown above.

• Save the Office Plan _ _ _.dwg Drawing again using the same name and
folder location as before.

• Close the Office Plan _ _ _.dwg Drawing.

50

Note: You are about to create a Drawing that contains the South and West Elevation
views of the office. The Drawing shown below is a simplified representation of the
Elevations and will be used later in the book to demonstrate Sheet Sets.

7. Create the Office Elevation Views by doing the following:

• Select File, New, and then use the acad.dwt to begin a new Drawing.

• Set Units to Architectural with a Precision of to 1/2".

• Set Limits to 0',0' and 120',80'. Zoom All and then create a rectangular
border at the boundary of your Limits.

• Use the given dimensions to create the two Elevations of the Office. Do
not Label or Dimension the views. Exact locations for the two Views are
user-specified.

• Save AS the Drawing as Office Elevation _ _ _.dwg Drawing to your

Review_Material folder.

Note: Although the Office Elevation _ _ _ Drawing is not an assignment, it will be

addressed again in the book. Plotting is not required.

• Close the Drawing.

 Chapter One 51

8. Add Furniture to the Office using these given instructions:

• Open your Office Plan _ _ _.dwg Drawing.

• Save AS the Drawing as Office with Furniture_ _ _ Drawing to your

Review_Material folder

• Zoom into the 16-cubicle area as necessary.

Note: You are about to Insert multiple copies of the Desk, the CompDesk and the Chair
symbol into your drawing. The first time you Insert a copy of each symbol, you will use
the Browse button. From that point on, each symbol becomes local to the drawing.

• Insert 9 copies of the Desk Block in the proper locations and orientations
(having 0, 90, and 270 degree rotation as needed) as shown below.

• Insert the CompDesk Blocks (7 copies) and the Chair Blocks (16 copies)
in their proper location and orientation as shown below.

• Zoom All.

• Save and then Close the Office with Furniture_ _ _ Drawing.

52

Redefining Blocks
Knowing that in a design environment, change is inevitable, and that Drawings
and symbols are revised frequently, AutoCAD allows for simple and practical editing of
Blocks. The editing of a Block is referred to as Redefining a Block.

1. Redefine a Block by doing the following:

• Open the All Symbols _ _ _.dwg Drawing file from your Symbols folder.

• Make the following modifications to the Desk symbol:

Fillet the corners of the Desk using a Radius of 2”.In the case of a
rectangle, you can use the Polyline option of the Fillet Command to
Fillet all 4 corners in one selection.

In the upper left corner of the Desk, 6" from both edges of the desk,
create a Circle having a Radius of 1.5".

Offset the Circle to the inside by 0.25”.

Mirror the two Circles about the center of the desk vertically, as
shown below.
 Chapter One 53

• Make the following modifications to the Chair symbol:

Fillet the corners of the seat using a Radius of 4”.

Fillet the corners of the arms and back using a Radius of 0.75”.

• Make the following modifications to the Computer Desk symbol:

Construct Line L2 from the corner of symbol to midpoint of L1.

Offset L2 to both sides through corners of the desk, thus creating L3

and L4 as shown below.

Offset L3 and L4 to the outside (away from the center) by 1”.

To create Line L5, Offset Line L1 Through the intersection as shown

below.
54

Use the Trim, Erase and Fillet (with a radius of 0.0) Tools to edit
the geometry as shown below.

Use the Fillet Command to fillet corners of Computer Desk using a

Radius of 2”.

• Select the Make Block tool from the Draw toolbar. {The Block
definition dialog box appears.}

• From the drop-down list of Block names, select Desk.

• Select the Select Object button and then select the revised Desk geometry
and for the Insertion base point use the intersection of the two edges (Int
option) of the desk as shown by the dot below.
 Chapter One 55

• Select OK. {You are informed that the Desk is already defined, and are
given the option to redefine the Block.}

• Select Yes.

• Similarly, redefine the Chair and CompDesk using the diagram below.
Keep in mind that the insertion points of these new symbols must remain
consistent with those of the old symbols as shown below by the dots. If the
wrong base points are selected, symbols will shift position unexpectedly.

Note: Once the Desk, Chair, and Computer Desk Blocks are revised and updated, you
also have to update the WBlock files.

• At the Command line, type W (for Wblock) and then ENTER. {The
Write Block dialog box appears.}

• In the Source area, select Block and use the drop-down to select Desk
from the list.

• In the Destination area, make sure that the path is set to your
My_CAD_Folder\Symbols\Desk.dwg and then select OK. {You are
informed that the file already exists and are given the option to replace the
file.}

• Select Yes.

• Repeat the WBlock process for the Chair and the Computer Desk.

• Zoom All.

• Save and Close the All Symbols _ _ _.dwg file.

56

In this exercise, you will incorporate the updated symbols into the Office
Drawing. As demonstrated in this assignment, the first time a Block is Inserted, the
WBlock file will be used. Once the Block is Inserted into the Drawing, it resides in the
Drawing and can be addressed locally. Finally, the Drawing will be plotted using a
newly created Layout by means of a Template.

• Open the Office with Furniture_ _ _ Drawing from your

Review_Material folder.

• From the Draw toolbar, select the Insert Block tool. {The Insert dialog
box appears.}

• Click on the Browse button so that you can insert the updated Blocks into
the Drawing.

• From the list of Drawing files, select Desk.dwg and then select Open and
then OK. {The Dialog box appears, informing you that the Block is
already defined and gives you the option to update Block definition.}

• Select Yes. {Desk symbol drags on the screen.}

• Press the Esc key. {All Desks are updated.}

 Chapter One 57

• Repeat the same process for a Chair symbol. {All chairs are updated.}

• Finally, update the CompDesk symbol using the same procedure. The
Drawing should appear as shown below.

• Erase the 84' x 56' border rectangle since it is no longer needed.

• Save the Office with Furniture_ _ _Drawing

Note: It is important to recognize that the Office Layout Drawing did not automatically
update to the new WBlock files and that for the updates to take place, each new Block
had to be inserted manually. Later in the book, you will learn to automate this process
using External References.
58

Create Layout from Template

1. Load and dock the Layouts toolbar. You can do this by right-clicking on any tool
and then selecting Layouts from the list.

2. Create a Layout tab using a Template by doing the following:

• In the Layouts toolbar, select the Layout from Template

button. {The Select Template from File dialog box
will appear.}

• In the Select Template From File dialog box, select the Views drop-
down menu located in the upper right corner, and then select List. If the
List button is shown in gray, then it is already selected and the files are
listed.

• From your Main Folder and then Templates, select the My Template
Paper Space A size _ _ _ Template and then select Open. This template
was created in the earlier portion of this chapter.

• As the Insert Layout(s) dialog box appears, select Layout1 and then click
OK. {A new tab appears to the right of the Layout1 and Layout2 tabs.}

• Right-click the "Layout3-Layout1" tab and from the shortcut menu list of
options select Rename. {The Rename Layout dialog box appears.}

• Enter the name Office Plan and then press Enter. {The tab is renamed as
Office Plan.}

• Right-click on the Layout1 tab and from the shortcut menu list of options,
select Delete and then OK. {The Layout1 tab is deleted.}
 Chapter One 59

• Repeat the same process for the Layout2 tab. {Layout2 tab is deleted,
leaving you with only the Model and Office Plan tabs as shown below.}

• Select the Office Plan tab as shown below.

• Switch to Model Space within the current Layout by clicking on the

Paper/Model Toggle button in the Status Bar. {The Status Bar will
read Model and a thick line will appear defining the border of the
Viewport as shown below.}

3. Zoom Extends. {The Office Layout displays in the Viewport area.}

4. Save the Office with Furniture_ _ _Drawing.

5. Exit AutoCAD.
 61

Assignment 1
1. Launch AutoCAD and Open your Office with Furniture _ _ _ Drawing from
your Review_Material folder.

2. Make sure to be in the Model Space of the Office Plan Layout.

3. From the Viewports toolbar, use the Scale drop-down menu to select a scale of
1/8"=1'-0"and then if necessary, Pan (but do not Zoom) to center the Drawing.

4. Use the Status Bar to switch to Paper Space.

5. Double-click in the Text area of the title box and Edit the Text to reflect a scale
of 1/8"=1'-0".

6. Exit the Text Command by pressing ENTER twice.

7. Save the Office with Furniture_ _ _Drawing.

8. Plot the Office Plan Layout using given settings.

9. Check to make sure that your Plot matches the Drawing on the next page.

10. Close the Viewports and the Layouts toolbars.

11. Exit AutoCAD.

62
Chapter One 63