AutoCAD Tutorials for Beginners
This post will be classified within the practical category of tutorials more than being just theoretical, in contrast to what I used to offer in my previous posts; Should I mention that the more we practice in AutoCAD the more we become productive and effective?
So, let us start our little exercise to practice AutoCAD basics that we learned in some previous posts in my blog; refer to the below links to quickly review them. Anyway, you should be able, at the end of this exercise, to achieve the below drawing, shown in Fig.1.
➤ Learn more: Follow my 2 previous posts concerning those topics: |
| Fig.1- Learn Practicing 2D AutoCAD in Only One Exercise!, Photo: AutoCAD© 2002 Complete, Sybex Publications |
As we already said, our goal is to clone the actual figure shown above, by using the proper tools and commands that save the time spent usually to achieve this kind of task. If you win the challenge, then you are in total control of almost all the benefits of the AutoCAD program.
Even if the model/sample seems to be too easy to carry out, still it hides some real tricks that shorten all the major and commonly used commands in our daily design routine work.
If you are a beginner user of AutoCAD, we shall first analyze our model for a better selection of the proper tools to use in our procedure.
So, at first sight, the form presented here is just a rectangular-shaped object of 10.00 * 8.00 units of dimension, regardless of what it looks like some openings already on its sides.
A few Easy Steps to Follow that Save Time and Effort
Therefore, and from the draw panel or the default toolbar, we can just draw a rectangle defined by a (10*8) given unit by using the rectangle (REC↩) or simply with the polyline (PL↩) command, but not the line, just to keep the one-entity standing.
Note that we can input the distance values in two different ways;
1- The first method is based on the polar coordinates by entering the exact required distance followed by the related angle.
For instance, type @3<0 if you want to draw a 3 given unit distance straight to the right of the last point you selected; where the at sign (@) tells AutoCAD that the distance you are specifying is from the last point you selected, and the (<0) is for the direction. (See Fig.2 for the AutoCAD default system for specifying angles)
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| Fig.2- The AutoCAD default system for specifying angles |
Similarly specifying the points with the 2 coordinate points method is recommended if the relevant coordinates, i.e. (x,y) of the points are acknowledged.
Practically talking, to draw the rectangle using this method, follow the next steps: start by specifying the first corner of the rectangle, next type respectively @10<0, @8<270, @10<180, and finally @8<90 for the other corners and to close the rectangle. Likewise, the same result can be reached by just typing @(10,8) using the 2 coordinates points method.
2- The second method is even simpler and easier to apply, as it consists of just entering the distance value followed by specifying the desired direction by moving the cursor towards it. For example, entering the 4 value and moving the cursor towards the required direction will tell AutoCAD© that you want to draw a line of 4 given units length and so on…
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| Fig.3- Offsetting the rectangle by (0.75) to the inside |
This is an easy way to enter the dimensional parameter values to the number of commands that require those kinds of length parameters such as line, polyline, rectangles, and others... Having the rectangle done, we have to offset it by a value of (0.75) given units toward the inside as shown in Fig.3
Next, we will start to trim the openings with the first one located on the bottom-right corner of the rectangle and given (3.00) units wide. To do so, you have to specify the cutting edges of the trim process which you will be the first prompted and asked to accomplish after initializing the trim command that is found within the Modify panel.
Therefore, you have to draw the first cutting edge like a normal line distant by (0.75) from the inside wall, then offset (↩) it by 3.00 forwarded to the left.
It is useful to select all the lines that might be forming our cutting edges; in this case, select the two sides of the wall plus the two last lines drawn and press (enter ↩) to finish the selection of the cutting edges. Then pick the parts you need to trim, and you are done for now.
Repeatedly, you will process the other opening in the upper-left corner. Alternatively, you can trim the edges of the openings by using the Fillet command with the fillet radius set on <0.00>, i.e. with no curved corner created but just a right angle. (90°)
We still have to do the last opening but the most complicated somehow due to some conditions to fulfill.
Here we will trace some constructive lines, that we will erase later, to locate our openings correctly. From the centerline axis, clearly shown in Fig.1, we have to draw a constructive line that will allow us to locate the third (3.00) given unit opening. We notice the presence of a kind of niche that includes the opening with (4.00*2.00) dimensions.
Next, don’t forget to on the object snap (F3) that allows you to hold objects in AutoCAD© within specific points, such as endpoints, midpoints, centers of circles, and other special points.
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| Fig.4- The rectangle added before getting trimmed |
Now we will draw a separate rectangle with those given dimensions and then we will move it to its exact location on the initial rectangle by holding it from its upper-side midpoint as its base point and then releasing it over the intersection point of the centerline and the upper side of the original rectangle.
The next step is to offset the last object drafted to the outside with the same previous value of (0.75) (see Fig.4 above) And so, you just create the niche that will hold the third 3.00-wide opening.
Actually, you should trim the excess resulting from overlapping the two rectangular shapes and then clean the inside and the outside corners; this can be done by simply using the trim command. The final step consists of adding the last (3.00) opening by following the same procedure as before: you might repeat the same steps described in detail above. (see Fig.5 below)
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| Fig.5- The Final Result |
Even more, you can add some hatching patterns to your drawing to give a professional touch to the presentation, as well as add some guidance dimensions.
We will have more detailed posts concerning the dimensions with practical learning topics in the future.
I hope that you did enjoy my post and find it useful; Please leave your valuable comments below and e-mail me for any support or questions!
- In addition, I hereby share a video with my readers for more clarity and understanding of the topic discussed here. Extracted from my course in Udemy: Practicing AutoCAD- now for free for the readers of this article!: (Just Follow the link above) I hope this will help a lot of those in need of it, and be useful for everyone.