COMPUTER AIDED DRAFTING

 Concept: CAD (Computer-Aided Design) drafting is the process of using computer software to
create, modify, and analyze technical drawings and 2D or 3D models. It replaces traditional hand-
drafting, enabling greater precision, speed, and collaboration through digital tools for creating
everything from architectural plans to mechanical parts
 Software available : AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, DraftSight, CATIA, Gstar CAD
 System requirements: A CAD drafting system requires a 64-bit operating system (like Windows
10/11 or compatible macOS), a multi-core processor (at least 2.5 GHz, with 3+ GHz
recommended), a minimum of 8 GB of RAM (16 GB or more is recommended), a dedicated
graphics card (2GB minimum, 4GB+ recommended) with 29 GB/s bandwidth, and at least 10 GB
of free SSD space.

Component of AutoCAD software window:

1. Title bar: In CAD drafting, the title bar is the horizontal bar at the top of the software window that
displays the program's name and the current drawing's name and file path
2. Standard tool bar: A standard toolbar in CAD drafting is a bar containing icons for frequently used
commands
3. Menu bar: In CAD drafting, the menu bar is a bar at the top of the screen (e.g., in AutoCAD) that
contains drop-down menus like File, Edit, View, and Tools, which provide access to commands
and options.
4. Object properties: In CAD drafting, object properties control an object's visual and geometric
characteristics, such as its layer, color, line type, and line weight.
5. Draw tool bar: The draw toolbar in CAD drafting, often part of the "Draw" or "Drawing" panel on
the ribbon or menu bar, contains tools for creating basic 2D shapes like lines, circles, rectangles,
and arcs.
6. Modify tool bar: To modify the toolbar in CAD, use the CUI (Customize User Interface) command
to open the CUI editor, then drag and drop commands from the command list onto the toolbar
preview, or drag to reposition existing commands.
7. Cursor cross hair: In CAD, a crosshair cursor is a versatile tool that can be customized in size, color,
and behavior to improve drafting precision. You can change its settings by accessing the "Options"
menu, often through the right-click context menu or by typing OPTIONS in the command line
8. Command window: The command window in CAD software, particularly in programs like
AutoCAD, serves as a crucial interface for interacting with the software using text-based
commands and system variables.
9. Status bar: The status bar in CAD is a toolbar at the bottom of the screen that provides quick
access to commonly used drawing tools and displays information like cursor coordinates and the
current status of drawing aids.
10. Drawing area: The "drawing area" in CAD refers to the virtual space where you create and
manipulate your designs, sometimes called the canvas. To calculate the area of a shape within
this space, you can use the AREA command, click on the Measure tool, or select
the Object option and choose the shape to automatically calculate its area.
11. UCS icon: The UCS (User Coordinate System) icon in CAD software like AutoCAD visually
represents the X, Y, and Z axes of the current coordinate system, allowing users to orient their
work in 2D or 3D space. It is used to align drafting, modeling, and editing with precision and can
be moved, rotated, and customized in appearance and location through commands
like UCSICON

File features:
1. New file: Click on the "New" icon in the Quick Access toolbar (often located at the top of the
program window).
2. Save file: To save a CAD file, use the "Save" or "Save As" command, accessible from the File menu
or the toolbar, then specify a location, file name, and desired file type. Pressing Ctrl + S
3. To open an existing file in a CAD
steps:
Access the Open Command:
 Click the Application menu (often represented by the program's logo or a large "A" in the
top-left corner) and select Open > Drawing.
 Alternatively, click the Open icon in the Quick Access Toolbar (typically located at the top
of the program window)
 Another method is to use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + O.
4. Creating template: To create a CAD template, start with a new drawing and configure your
desired settings, such as layers, units, and text styles. Then, create a title block and other standard
elements in a layout, and finally, save the file as a .dwt (Drawing Template) file.

5. Quit : To quit in CAD, you can use the QUIT command or press the Esc key to exit a command or
save and close a drawing. The QUIT command closes the drawing editor and will prompt you to
save any unsaved changes

Setting up new drawing:

1. Units: Setting up file units in CAD, particularly in AutoCAD, is a fundamental step when starting
a new drawing to ensure accuracy and consistency in your design. Here's how to do it:
 Open the Units Dialog Box:
 Start a new drawing in your CAD software.
  Type UNITS (or UN) in the command line and press Enter. This will open the "Drawing Units"
dialog box.
2. Limits: To set the drawing limits in CAD (AutoCAD), you use the LIMITS command to define an

invisible rectangular boundary in your model space. This boundary helps control the visible grid
area and the default display when you use "Zoom All".
3. Grid: Access Grid Settings: On the status bar, right-click the "grid display" icon (often labeled
"GRID") and select "Grid Settings" to open
4. Snap: To set up snaps in CAD, enable the snap mode by clicking the snap mode button or
pressing F9 (for AutoCAD).

Undo/redo: Undo and redo in CAD software reverse or re-apply actions, respectively, using keyboard
shortcuts like Ctrl + Z for undo and Ctrl + Y or Ctrl + Shift + Z for redo. They can also be accessed from
a toolbar or by typing commands like U or UNDO in the command line.

Draw basic elements

1. Line: To draw a line in a CAD drawing, use the LINE command by either clicking the "Line" icon on
the Home tab or typing "L" in the command line and pressing Enter. Specify the first point by
clicking or entering coordinates, then click or enter the second point for the end of the line. Press
Enter or Esc to finish.
2. Circle: To draw a circle in CAD, use the CIRCLE command, select the tool from the draw panel, or
use the command line. You will typically be prompted to specify the center point and then either
the radius or diameter.
3. Arc: To draw an arc in a CAD drawing, use the ARC command, which can be accessed from the
draw toolbar or by typing A and pressing Enter
4. Polygon: To draw a polygon in CAD, use the POLYGON command by
typing POLYGON or POL in the command line, specifying the number of sides, and then defining
the center point and either the radius or the edge length
5. Ellipse: To draw an ellipse in a CAD drawing, use the ELLIPSE command, accessible from the
"Draw" panel or by typing EL (AutoCAD) and pressing Enter
6. Rectangle: To draw a rectangle in a CAD drawing, use the RECTANGLE command by clicking the
icon in the draw panel or typing REC in the command line.
7. Multiline: To draw a multiline in a CAD drawing, particularly in AutoCAD, follow these steps:
Start the Multiline Command:
Type MLINE or ML at the command prompt and press Enter
8. Poly line: To draw a polyline in a CAD drawing, use the POLYLINE command by
typing PLINE or PL in the command line, or by clicking the Polyline tool on the ribbon or toolbar.
Methods of specifying points

1. Absolute:
In AutoCAD, an absolute coordinate system defines a point's exact location relative to the origin
(0,0) of the coordinate plane. To use it, you enter the X and Y (and Z in 3D) values separated by a
comma.
2. Polar coordinate: In AutoCAD, the polar coordinate system defines a point using a distance and
an angle from a starting point, which is useful for drawing angled lines. To use it, type @ followed
by the distance, then a less than sign < , and the angle in degrees (e.g., @5<45 ). Angles increase
counterclockwise from the positive x-axis, with 0° to the right.
3. Relative Cartesian: In AutoCAD, you use relative Cartesian coordinates to define the next point
based on its displacement from the previous point, instead of the origin. To do this, type an @
symbol followed by the x,y values in the command line or a tooltip. units in the positive Y-direction
from the last point.

Modify and edit command:

1. Trim: The TRIM command in AutoCAD is used to shorten or remove the portion of an object that
extends beyond another object, which acts as a cutting edge
2. Extend: The AutoCAD EXTEND command elongates an object to meet a boundary edge, with the
shortcut key EX followed by Enter
3. Delete: In AutoCAD, the primary command used to delete or remove objects from a drawing is
the ERASE command.
4. Copy: The copy command in AutoCAD can be used to copy objects within the same drawing or
between different drawings. For copying within a drawing, use the COPY command
(shortcut CO ) or Ctrl+C for basic copying, or COPYBASE ( Ctrl+Shift+C ) for copying with a
specific base point to the clipboard. To paste, use the PASTECLIP command ( Ctrl+V )
or Ctrl+Shift+V to paste as a block.
5. Offset: The AutoCAD Offset command creates parallel copies of a selected object, such as lines,
arcs, or polylines, at a specified distance. To use it, type O and press Enter
6. Array: The ARRAY command in AutoCAD is a tool for creating multiple copies of an object in a
specific pattern, such as rectangular, polar, or path arrays.
7. Block: The ARRAY command in AutoCAD is a tool for creating multiple copies of an object in a
specific pattern, such as rectangular, polar, or path arrays.
8. Layers: The LAYER command in AutoCAD is used to manage layers by opening the Layer
Properties Manager dialog box, where you can create, delete, and modify layers.

Dimensioning

1. Linear: Measures horizontal or vertical distances.

2. Horizontal: To create horizontal dimensions in AutoCAD, use the Linear dimension tool, which is
found on the Home tab's Annotation panel
3. Vertical: To create a vertical dimension in AutoCAD, use the Linear dimension tool,
type DIMLIN in the command line, or use the Power Dimension tool in AutoCAD Mechanical
 4. Aligned: Measures the length along an object, following its orientation.
5. Baseline/Continuous: Measures from a common baseline or continues a series of dimensions.
6. Angular dimension: Measures the length along an object, following its orientation.

Dim scale: DIMSCALE is a system variable in CAD programs like AutoCAD that controls the overall scale
of dimension elements such as text, arrowheads, and extension lines. To set it, you can type DIMSCALE at
the command line and enter a value, or change the "overall scale" under the "Fit" tab in the Dimension
Style Manager .

Edit dimension: To edit dimensions in a CAD drawing, you can select a dimension and change its value in
the properties or palette, or double-click it to directly edit the text. For parametric drawings, changing a
dimension value can automatically update the geometry. You can also modify a dimension's style, such as
text size and arrow type, through the Dimension Style Manager.

Text
1. Single line: To create a single-line text in a CAD drawing, use the SINGLELINE or DT command,
specify a starting point, height, and rotation angle, and then type your text. The text will appear
as a single, independent line object.
2. Multi line: n CAD software like AutoCAD, multi-line text (MText) is used to create text blocks that
span multiple lines and can include various formatting options.

Size of sheet:
Standard CAD drawing sheet sizes are based on international ISO standards or North American ANSI
standards. ISO standards use sizes like A0 (841 x 1189 mm) and A4 (210 x 297 mm), while ANSI standards
use sizes like ANSI A (8.5 x 11 inches) and ANSI D (22 x 34 inches). The specific standard and size chosen
often depends on the industry and the complexity of the drawing.

Various plotting parameters:

1. Printer/Plotter: Select the desired output device from the dropdown menu. You can choose a
physical printer or a file format like PDF or JPG.
2. Paper Size: Choose the correct paper size for your output.
3. Plot Area: Select what to plot. Options typically include Window , Extents , or Layout .

4. Scale: Set the plot scale. For parametric drawings, it's often best to use a 1:1 scale and ensure
your layout is scaled appropriately, or set your model scale to a specific ratio if necessary.
5. Plot Style: Select a plot style table (like ctb or stb ) to control lineweights, colors, and other
visual properties of the output. You can preview how the drawing will look with the display plot
styles option.