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AutoCAD 2016 Instructions for Novice Users

By: Michelle Manwarren

Table of Contents -5

a. A line (walls, desk, door, bed, window b. A circle (rug, chair, toilet -5 c. An arc (bed accents, chair

.6-10 a. -7 b. Erase c. -8 d. e. f. g. Trim Lines (chair).... h. Mirror (closets).. i. Offset (interior walls)...

By: Michelle Manwarren

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AutoCAD 2016 Introduction: AutoCAD 2016 is a digital drawing program that can be downloaded onto any computer. As a user of AutoCAD, one is capable of creating sketches of items ranging from two-dimensional floor plans of small scale homes up to three-dimensional objects like tables and chairs. However, for the purpose of this set of instructions, being able to create two-dimensional drawings such as site plans, floor plans, and elevations for various architectural structures is the main focus. Tasks imperative to know when operating AutoCAD will be addressed:

How to draw the basic line, arc, circle, etc How to modify a drawing How to add dimensions to a drawing In following these sets of tasks, one is able to become familiar enough with the program to be

capable of drawing simple sketches of, at least, a site plan of a structure, and, at most, a small floor plan of a living environment. These instructions are meant to most benefit college students in the architecture or civil engineering field who are practically new to the program and need guidance in operating this system in order to be considered for drafting internships at A&E firms or for university research programs that require digital sketching. Program Description: When opening AutoCAD on your computer, you will see a pop-up similar to when you open Microsoft Office applications. The computer is initializing and preparing to open the program. When AutoCAD opens, begin your drawing by clicking on the

icon found in the mid-left portion of your screen; the icon is colored in white. Once you have completed this selection, you will be exposed to the user interface of AutoCAD 2016 (Figure 1). The most important thing to become familiar with is your very lengthy toolbar and its tabs colored in gray along the top of your screen. Figure 2 is the toolbar that you will be using most in your usability test, and therefore, it is best for you to become accustomed with just the Home toolbar. In doing so, this

In the upper left corner, you see all of your drawing commands (lines, circles, arcs). The next section to the right of the drawing commands, you find the modifying commands (move, copy, paste, trim/extend, offset, mirror, erase, rotate). Lastly, the next section to the right of the modifying commands, you see the annotations where you may add dimensions to your drawing or text.

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Directions: HOW TO draw a line, circle, arc, etc. Line: 1. Hover your mouse over the line icon on the home tab of the toolbar located in the top left

corner of the screen. 2. Select the line command.

3. Move mouse to the place on the grid that you wish to begin your line. 4. Click there. 5. Move your mouse outward from that point in the direction for which you want the line to

go and then click where you would like the line to end. 6. For purposes of precision and accuracy, instead of step 5, do the following:

a. After clicking the start point of your line, 2 boxes pop up near your cursor. The first blank allows you to type your exact length you wish the line to be. The second blank allows you to type your exact angle from the start you would like your line to be making.

Circle:

1. Hover your mouse over the circle icon on the home tab of the toolbar. See Figure 4 to locate it.

2. Click on the down arrow on the circle icon to view the selections of different ways to create your circle.

3. Out of the options, select the one that best suits to your drawing. a.

will be able to draw your circle in accordance with the radius size you prefer for your sketch. Your first click will be your radius. Your second click will be your radius from that first point clicked. For precision, type the radius length in the white text box that appears and press enter instead of clicking the second time.

b. will be able to draw your circle in accordance with the correct diameter you wish to draw your circle. (Same procedure as part a.)

c. -

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to draw your shape based on two points you select freely on the page. This is a method of mouse clicking only (no keyboard steps).

d. If you s - e to draw your circle from three free points you select on the page.

i. NOTE: the points you select in options (c) and (d) are points on the circumference of your resulting circle.

e. corresponding areas of your drawing. For example, if you have a 16 unit space between two vertical lines and a perpendicular horizontal line spanning this distance as shown in Figure 5, you are may create circles within the structure. Click on your first point on a line that you would like your circle to be tangent to. Then, click on a point on a perpendicular line from the one you just selected to create your second tangent point on your circle. For the third selection, click in

le to be. Lastly, the white pop-up text box appears where you may input your specified radius. Select

Radius

a.

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f. then you will be able to draw a circle by selecting the three other parts of your drawing that you would like to be tangent to your circle addition. Figure 9 displays the end result of a circle tangent to the three lines shown.

Arc: 1. Hover your mouse over the arc icon to the right of the circle

icon. 2. Click the down arrow on the arc icon to see the different

arcs you are able to draw with the software (Figure 14). a. NOTE: For the sake of potential confusion and

error, only use the highlighted functions. In drafting for architectural purposes, you only use arcs to round off corners of sharp rectangular objects, and in this program, modifying circles are often found to be easier than drawing an accurate arc.

3. Select whichever tool you need in order to create your arc.a. - arc, you are able to create

an arc by clicking the first end of the arc, then the mid-point, and then the final end point in that order wherever you would like it to be in your drawing.

b. you are able to connect to pointed edges of a square-like sketch with a rounded edge that the arc creates. First, click where you would like the arc to start. Then, click where you would like it to end. Lastly, direct your cursor in the direction you would like the rounded part of your arc to go and click wherever your arc projection looks most satisfactory.

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HOW TO modify your drawing: Below displays all of the modifying tools you will need in drafting architectural structures.

Select: 1. Be sure that you are not currently using your mouse for a drawing purpose (line, circle,

arc). 2. When you intend to select the things you want to modify in your drawing, simply click

on the structures you would like to highlight one by one, or you may highlight by pressing your left button your mouse.

a. If you would like to select an entire figure like a line, simply highlight the line with the green box that is created if you click the bottom right of what you want to highlight and then click where you are done selecting in the top left corner (Figure 12-13).

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b. If you would like to only highlight a selection of a line or a few parts of a series of lines, press left mouse key and highlight the intended figure from the top left to the bottom right with the green figure created and then click to end of the intended selection (Figure 14-15).

3. To unselect your selections, be sure to

Erase: 1. Select the parts of your drawing that you would like erase. 2.

Move: 1. Select what part of your drawing you

wish to move. 2.

modify toolbar and click on it. 3. Click on the specific point on the

sketch selected. This is the point of origin that you are moving your selection (Figure 16).

4. Begin moving the selection in the direction you would like it moved (Figure 17).

5. For accuracy, there is a white pop-up text box where you may type in the distance in your specified direction that you would like to move your selected sketch;

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If you do not need accuracy in your drawing, then you may simply click wherever you would like that object to be (Figure 17).

a. NOTE: dashed green axes appear in perpendicular/parallel directions from the point of origin you are moving the sketch if you would like to move your selection along orthogonal angles.

Rotate:

1. Select the sketch that you would like to rotate.

2. section of the toolbar.

3. Click on a point on the selection that you would like to rotate it about (origin of rotation).

4. Begin rotating and click on the left mouse key when you are satisfied with the rotation. If you would like to rotate your selection about a specific angle, type the

Copy: 1. Select the part of your drawing you wish to copy. 2. 3. Select the point for which you are to move your copied selection by. 4. Move the selection. Click where you would like it to be placed. For precision, direct the

copied selection in the general area where you would like to place it, enter in the distance you would like to move it in the white pop- ur keyboard.

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Extend Lines: If lines do not extend to another icon.

1. 2. Then, select the part of the sketch that you would like the lines to extend to (Figure 19). 3. 4. Click, one by one, the lines you would like to extend (Figure 20).

Trim Lines: If a figure drawn overlaps another area of the drawing, you may trim the figure to where it no longer overlaps.

1. Click on the toolbar.

2. Select the border (part of the drawing that you would like to stay) that the overlapping figure (part of the drawing that you would like to remove) is crossing into (Figure 21).

3. 4. Select the overlapping figure (Figure 22).

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Mirror: If you want to draw a symmetrical object or mirror a part of an object a certain distance away to create symmetry, use the mirror tool.

1. Select the part of the drawing you would like to be mirrored.

2. section of your toolbar.

3. Dralike the sketch to be mirrored from (AKA: a line of symmetry).

4. Offset: If you are trying to create an inner and outer wall in a floorplan, you should use the offset tool instead of drawing the lines themselves. This is a time-saving tool.

1. 2. Proceed to draw a dashed line along the line you wish to offset. 3. Select the original (reference) line and move your cursor in the direction you would like

the new offset line to be placed. 4. Type in the distance (in the white text box) you would like the new line to be from this

5. Your new line should be created x distance away from your old line.

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HOW TO add dimensions to your drawing:

1. Add dimensions to your drawing by selecting one of the outlined in yellow in Figure 25.

2. Select one of the choices a. Line: Linear b. Angled Lines: Aligned c. Angles between lines: Angular d. Arc Length: Arc Length e. Radius: Radiusf. Diameter: Diameter

3. Once you have selected a choice, click on the drawing you would like to dimension in and outline whatever the textbox asks you to outline. Click your starting point of measurement, your ending point of measurement, and then move your mouse in the direction you would like to have the dimension placed and click one last time for the dimension to be set.