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Randy H. Shih

AutoCAD 2014 

Tutorial - First Level: 

2D Fundamentals

®

 www.SDCpublications.com

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Multimedia Disc

Video presentations of 

selected tutorials

and exercises


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Visit the following websites to learn more about this book: 

   

   

   

 


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AutoCAD

®

 2014 Tutorial: 2D Fundamentals 

1-1 

 

 

 

Chapter 1

  

AutoCAD Fundamentals 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

♦  Create and Save AutoCAD drawing files 

♦  Use the AutoCAD visual reference 

commands 

♦  Draw, using the LINE and CIRCLE 

commands 

♦  Use the ERASE command 

♦  Define Positions using the Basic Entry 

methods 

♦  Use the AutoCAD Pan Realtime option 

 


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1-2 AutoCAD

®

 2014 Tutorial: 2D Fundamentals 

 

  

 

AutoCAD Certified User Examination Objectives Coverage 

 
This table shows the pages on which the objectives of the Certified User Examination are covered in 
Chapter 1. 

 

Section 1: Controlling the Display in Drawings 

Precision ...........................................................................1-6 
Zoom Extent.....................................................................1-7 
Drawing LIMITS  ............................................................1-6 
Status Bar .........................................................................1-10 
GRID Display ..................................................................1-10, 1-11 
PAN Realtime ..................................................................1-20 

 

Section 2: Creating Basic Drawings  

Format ..............................................................................1-5 
Units Setup  ......................................................................1-5 
LINE Command ...............................................................1-8 
Coordinates ......................................................................1-8 
Interactive Input Method..................................................1-10 
SNAP Option ...................................................................1-12 
World Space .....................................................................1-15 
User Coordinate System ..................................................1-15 
World Coordinate System ................................................1-15 
UCS Icon Display ............................................................1-16 
TTR, Circle ......................................................................1-23 
Relative Coordinate .........................................................1-17 
Coordinate Systems .........................................................1-17 
Cartesian coordinate system ............................................1-17 
Absolute Coordinates .......................................................1-17, 1-18 
Positions, Defining ...........................................................1-18 
LINE, Close Option .........................................................1-19 
CIRCLE Command ..........................................................1-23 
TTT, Circle ......................................................................1-23 
ARC Command ………………………………………... 1-33 

 

Section 3: Manipulating Objects  

ERASE Command  ..........................................................1-13 
Selection Window ............................................................1-14 

Cer

tified U

s

er Re

fere

nce

 Guide

 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-3 

 

 

Introduction 

 
Learning to use a CAD system is similar to learning a new language. It is necessary to 
begin with the basic alphabet and learn how to use it correctly and effectively through 
practice. This will require learning some new concepts and skills as well as learning a 
different vocabulary. Today, the majority of the Mechanical CAD systems are capable of 
creating three-dimensional solid models. Nonetheless, all CAD systems create designs 
using basic geometric entities and many of the constructions used in technical designs are 
based upon two-dimensional planar geometry. The method and number of operations that 
are required to accomplish the basic planar constructions are different from one system to 
another.  
 
In order to become effective and efficient in using a CAD system, we must learn to create 
geometric entities quickly and accurately. In learning to use a CAD system, lines and 
circles are the first two, and perhaps the most important two, geometric entities that one 
should master the skills of creating and modifying. Straight lines and circles are used in 
almost all technical designs. In examining the different types of planar geometric entities, 
the importance of lines and circles becomes obvious. Triangles and polygons are planar 
figures bounded by straight lines. Ellipses and splines can be constructed by connecting 
arcs with different radii. As one gains some experience in creating lines and circles, 
similar procedures can be applied to create other geometric entities. In this chapter, the 
different ways of creating lines and circles in AutoCAD

®

 2014 are examined. 

 
 

Starting Up AutoCAD

®

 2014 

 

1.  Select the AutoCAD 2014 option on the Program menu or select the AutoCAD 

2014 icon on the Desktop.  

 

  Once the program is loaded into memory, the AutoCAD

®

 2014 drawing screen 

will appear on the screen. 

 


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1-4 AutoCAD

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  Note that AutoCAD automatically assigns generic names, Drawing X, as new 

drawings are created. In our example, AutoCAD opened the graphics window using 
the default system units and assigned the drawing name Drawing1. 

 

2.  If necessary, click on the down-arrow in the Quick Access bar and select Show 

Menu to display the AutoCAD Menu Bar. The Menu Bar provides access to all 
AutoCAD commands. 

AutoCAD Menu Bar

 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-5 

 

 

Drawing Units Setup 

 

  Every object we construct in a CAD system is measured in units. We should 

determine the system of units within the CAD system before creating the first 
geometric entities.  

 
 
 
1.  In the Menu Bar select:  

[Format] 

 [Units] 

 
•  The AutoCAD Menu Bar contains multiple pull-down 

menus, where all of the AutoCAD commands can be 
accessed. Note that many of the menu items listed in 
the pull-down menus can also be accessed through the 
Quick Access toolbar and/or Ribbon panels.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

2.  Click on the Length 

Type option to display 
the different types of 
length units available. 
Confirm the Length 
Type is set to 
Decimal. 

 
 

3.  On your own, examine the other settings that are 

available. 

 
 
 

 

4.  In the Drawing Units dialog box, set the Length Type to Decimal. This will set 

the measurement to the default English units, inches.  


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1-6 AutoCAD

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 2014 Tutorial: 2D Fundamentals 

 

  

 

 
 
5.  Set the Precision to two digits 

after the decimal point as shown in 
the above figure.  

 

 
6.  Pick OK to exit the Drawing Units 

dialog box. 

 
 
 
 

 

Drawing Area Setup 

 

  Next, we will set up the Drawing Limits by entering a command in the 

command prompt area. Setting the Drawing Limits controls the extents of the 
display of the grid. It also serves as a visual reference that marks the working 
area. It can also be used to prevent construction outside the grid limits and as a 
plot option that defines an area to be plotted/printed. Note that this setting does 
not limit the region for geometry construction.  

 
 
1.  In the Menu Bar select:  

[Format] 

 [Drawing Limits] 

 
2.  In the command prompt area, the message “Reset Model 

Space Limits: Specify lower left corner or [On/Off] 
<0.00,0.00>:” is displayed. Press the 

ENTER

 key once to 

accept the default coordinates <0.00,0.00>. 

 

 

3.  In the command prompt area, the message “Specify upper right corner 

<12.00,9.00>:” is displayed. Press the 

ENTER

 key again to accept the default 

coordinates <12.00,9.00>. 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-7 

 

 

4.  On your own, move the graphics cursor near the upper-right comer inside the 

drawing area and note that the drawing area is unchanged. (The Drawing Limits 
command is used to set the drawing area, but the display will not be adjusted until 
a display command is used.) 

 

 

5.  Inside the Menu Bar area 

select: 
[View] 

 [Zoom]  [All] 

 

  The Zoom All command will 

adjust the display so that all 
objects in the drawing are 
displayed to be as large as 
possible. If no objects are 
constructed, the Drawing 

Limits are used to adjust the 
current viewport.  

 

 

 

 

 

6.  Move the graphics cursor near the upper-right comer inside the drawing area and 

note that the display area is updated. 

 
7.  Hit the function key [F7] once to turn off the display of the Grid lines.  

 

•  Note that function key [F7] is a quick key, which can be used to quickly toggle 

on/off the grid display. Also, note the command prompt area can be positioned to 
dock below the drawing area or float inside the drawing area as shown. 


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1-8 AutoCAD

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 2014 Tutorial: 2D Fundamentals 

 

  

 

Drawing Lines with the LINE Command

 

 

 
1.  Move the graphics cursor to the first icon in 

the Draw panel. This icon is the Line icon. 
Note that a brief description of the Line 
command appears next to the cursor.  

 
 
2.  Select the icon by clicking once with the left-

mouse-button, which will activate the Line 
command.  

 

 

 

 

3.  In the command prompt area, near the bottom of the AutoCAD drawing screen, 

the message “_line Specify first point:” is displayed. AutoCAD expects us to 
identify the starting location of a straight line. Move the graphics cursor inside the 
graphics window and watch the display of the coordinates of the graphics cursor 
at the bottom of the AutoCAD drawing screen. The three numbers represent the 
location of the cursor in the X, Y, and Z directions. We can treat the graphics 
window as if it was a piece of paper and we are using the graphics cursor as if it 
were a pencil with which to draw.

 

 

 

 

  We will create a freehand sketch of a five-

point star using the Line command. Do not be 
overly concerned with the actual size or 
accuracy of your freehand sketch. This 
exercise is to give you a feel for the 
AutoCAD

®

 2014 user interface.    

 
 

Coordinates of the graphics 
cursor 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-9 

 

 

 

4.  We will start at a location about one-third 

from the bottom of the graphics window. 
Left-click once to position the starting 
point of our first line. This will be point 1 
of our sketch. Next move the cursor 
upward and toward the right side of point 
1. Notice the rubber-band line that follows 
the graphics cursor in the graphics 
window. Left-click again (point 2) and we 
have created the first line of our sketch. 

 

 

5.  Move the cursor to the left of point 2 and 

create a horizontal line about the same 
length as the first line on the screen. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

6.  Repeat the above steps and complete the 

freehand sketch by adding three more 
lines (from point 3 to point 4, point 4 to 
point 5, and then connect to point 5 back 
to point 1).  

 

 
7.  Notice that the Line command remains activated even after 

we connected the last segment of the line to the starting 
point (point 1) of our sketch. Inside the graphics window, 
click once with the right-mouse-button and a popup menu 
appears on the screen. 

 

8.  Select Enter with the left-mouse-button to end the Line 

command. (This is equivalent to hitting the [

ENTER

] key on 

the keyboard.) 

 

9.  Move the cursor near point 2 and point 3, and estimate the 

length of the horizontal line by watching the displayed 
coordinates for each point.  


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1-10 AutoCAD

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Visual Reference  

 

The method we just used to create the freehand sketch is known as the interactive 
method, where we use the cursor to specify locations on the screen. This method is 
perhaps the fastest way to specify locations on the screen. However, it is rather difficult 
to try to create a line of a specific length by watching the displayed coordinates. It would 
be helpful to know what one inch or one meter looks like on the screen while we are 
creating entities. AutoCAD

®

 2014 provides us with many tools to aid the construction of 

our designs. For example, the GRID and SNAP MODE options can be used to get a 
visual reference as to the size of objects and learn to restrict the movement of the cursor 
to a set increment on the screen.  

 

The GRID and SNAP MODE options can be turned ON or OFF through the Status Bar. 
The Status Bar area is located at the bottom left of the AutoCAD drawing screen, next to 
the cursor coordinates.  

 
The second button in the Status Bar is the SNAP MODE option and the third button is the 
GRID DISPLAY option. Note that the buttons in the Status Bar area serve two functions: 
(1) the status of the specific option, and (2) as toggle switches that can be used to turn 
these special options ON and OFF. When the corresponding button is highlighted, the 
specific option is turned ON.  Using the buttons is a quick and easy way to make changes 
to these drawing aid options. The buttons in the Status Bar can also be switched on and 
off in the middle of another command.  

 

 

 

Option Buttons 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-11 

 

 

GRID ON 

 

1.  Left-click the GRID button in the Status Bar to turn ON the GRID DISPLAY 

option. (Notice in the command prompt area, the message “<Grid on>” is also 
displayed.) 

 

2.  Move the cursor inside the graphics window, and estimate the distance in between 

the grid lines by watching the coordinates displayed at the bottom of the screen.

 

 

 

 

  The GRID option creates a pattern of lines that extends over an area on the screen. 

Using the grid is similar to placing a sheet of grid paper under a drawing. The grid 
helps you align objects and visualize the distance between them. The grid is not 
displayed in the plotted drawing. The default grid spacing, which means the distance 
in between two lines on the screen, is 0.5 inches. We can see that the sketched 
horizontal line in the sketch is about 4.5 inches long.  


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1-12 AutoCAD

®

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SNAP MODE ON 

 

1.  Left-click the SNAP MODE button in the Status Bar to turn ON the SNAP option.

 

 

 

2.  Move the cursor inside the graphics window, and move the cursor diagonally on 

the screen. Observe the movement of the cursor and watch the coordinates 
display at the bottom of the screen. 

 

  The SNAP option controls an invisible rectangular grid that restricts cursor 

movement to specified intervals. When SNAP mode is on, the screen cursor and 
all input coordinates are snapped to the nearest point on the grid. The default snap 
interval is 0.5 inches, and aligned to the grid points on the screen. 

 

 

3.  Click on the Line icon in the Draw toolbar. In the 

command prompt area, the message “_line Specify 
first point:” is displayed.  

 

 
 
 
 

4.  On your own, create another sketch of the five-point star with the GRID and 

SNAP options switched ON.  

 
5.  Use the right-mouse-button and select Enter in the popup 

menu to end the Line command if you have not done so.  

 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-13 

 

 

Using the ERASE Command 

 

  One of the advantages of using a CAD system is the ability to remove entities without 

leaving any marks. We will erase two of the lines using the Erase command. 

 
 
1.  Pick Erase in the Modify toolbar. (The 

icon is a picture of an eraser at the end 
of a pencil.) The message “Select 
objects” is displayed in the command 
prompt area and AutoCAD awaits us to 
select the objects to erase. 

 
 

2.  Left-click the SNAP MODE button on the Status Bar to turn OFF the SNAP 

MODE option so that we can more easily move the cursor on top of objects. We 
can toggle the Status Bar options ON or OFF in the middle of another command.  

 

3.  Select any two lines on the screen; the selected lines are displayed as dashed lines 

as shown in the figure below.  

 

  To deselect an object from the selection set, hold down the [SHIFT] key and select 

the object again. 

 

4.  Right-mouse-click once to accept the selections. The selected two lines are 

erased. 


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Repeat the Last Command 

 

1.

  Inside the graphics window, click once with the right-mouse-

button to bring up the popup option

 menu. 

 

2.

  Pick Repeat Erase, with the left-mouse-button, in the popup 

menu to repeat the last command. Notice the other options 
available in the popup menu. 

 

  AutoCAD

®

 2014 offers many options to accomplish the same 

task. Throughout this text, we will emphasize the use of the 
AutoCAD Heads-up Design

TM

 interface, which means we 

focus on the screen, not on the keyboard. 

 

3.

  Move the cursor to a location that is above and toward the left 

side of the entities on the screen. Left-mouse-click once to 
start a corner of a rubber-band window.

 

 

 

4.

  Move the cursor toward the right and below the entities, and then left-mouse-click 

to enclose all the entities inside the selection window. Notice all entities that are 
inside the window are selected.  

 

5.

  Inside the graphics window, right-mouse-click once to proceed with erasing 

the selected entities. 

 

  On your own, create a free-hand sketch of your choice using the Line command. 

Experiment with using the different commands we have discussed so far. Reset the 
status buttons so that only the 

GRID DISPLAY option is turned ON as shown.  

Second corner 

First corner 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-15 

 

 

The CAD Database and the User Coordinate System 

 

  Designs and drawings created in a CAD system are 

usually defined and stored using sets of points in 
what is called world space. In most CAD systems, 
the world space is defined using a three-dimensional 
Cartesian coordinate system. Three mutually 
perpendicular axes usually referred to as the X-, Y-, 
and Z-axes, define this system. The intersection of 
the three coordinate axes forms a point called the 
origin. Any point in world space can then be defined 
as the distance from the origin in the X-, Y- and Z- 
directions. In most CAD systems, the directions of 
the arrows shown on the axes identify the positive 
sides of the coordinates.  

  
A CAD file, which is the electronic version of the design, contains data that describes the 
entities created in the CAD system. Information such as the coordinate values in world 
space for all endpoints, center points, etc., along with the descriptions of the types of 
entities are all stored in the file. Knowing that AutoCAD stores designs by keeping 
coordinate data helps us understand the inputs required to create entities.

 

 

 

 

The icon near the bottom left corner of the default AutoCAD graphics window shows the 
positive X-direction and positive Y-direction of the coordinate system that is active. In 
AutoCAD, the coordinate system that is used to create entities is called the user 
coordinate system (UCS). By default, the user coordinate system is aligned to the 
world coordinate system (WCS). The world coordinate system is a coordinate system 
used by AutoCAD as the basis for defining all objects and other coordinate systems 
defined by the users. We can think of the origin of the world coordinate system as a 
fixed point being used as a reference for all measurements. The default orientation of the 
Z-axis can be considered as positive values in front of the monitor and negative values 
inside the monitor.  

 

3D 

UCS icon 


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1-16 AutoCAD

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 2014 Tutorial: 2D Fundamentals 

 

  

 

Changing to the 2D UCS Icon Display 

 

  In AutoCAD

®

 2014, the UCS icon is displayed in various ways to help us 

visualize the orientation of the drawing plane.  

 

1.  Click on the View pull-down 

menu and select  
 
[Display] 

 [UCS Icon]  

[Properties]   

 
 
 
 

2.  In the UCS icon style section, switch to the 2D option as shown. 

 
 
 

3.  Click OK to accept the settings. 
 

  Note the W symbol in the UCS 

icon indicates that the UCS is 
aligned to the world coordinate 
system. 

 

 
 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-17 

 

 

Cartesian and Polar Coordinate Systems 

 
In a two-dimensional space, a point can be represented using different coordinate 
systems. The point can be located, using a Cartesian coordinate system, as X and Y units 
away from the origin. The same point can also be located using the polar coordinate 
system, as r and 

θ units away from the origin. 

For planar geometry, the polar coordinate system is very useful for certain applications. 
In the polar coordinate system, points are defined in terms of a radial distance, r, from the 
origin and an angle 

θ between the direction of r and the positive X axis. The default 

system for measuring angles in AutoCAD

®

 2014 defines positive angular values as 

counter-clockwise from the positive X-axis. 
 

Absolute and Relative Coordinates 
 

•  AutoCAD

®

 2014 also allows us to use 

absolute and relative coordinates to quickly 
construct objects. Absolute coordinate 
values are measured from the current 
coordinate system's origin point. Relative 
coordinate values are specified in relation to 
previous coordinates. 

 

  Note that the coordinate display area can 

also be used as a toggle switch; each left-
mouse-click will toggle the coordinate 
display on or off. 

 
In AutoCAD

®

 2014, the absolute coordinates and the relative coordinates can be used in 

conjunction with the Cartesian and polar coordinate systems. By default, AutoCAD 
expects us to enter values in absolute Cartesian coordinates, distances measured from the 
current coordinate system's origin point. We can switch to using the relative coordinates 
by using the 

@

 symbol. The 

@

 symbol is used as the relative coordinates specifier, 

which means that we can specify the position of a point in relation to the previous point.  


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Defining Positions 

 

In AutoCAD, there are five methods for specifying the locations of points when we 
create planar geometric entities. 
 

  Interactive method: Use the cursor to select on the screen. 

 

  Absolute coordinates (Format: X,Y): Type the X and Y coordinates to locate the 

point on the current coordinate system relative to the origin.  

 

  Relative rectangular coordinates (Format: @X,Y): Type the X and Y 

coordinates relative to the last point. 

 

  Relative polar coordinates (Format: @Distance<angle): Type a distance and 

angle relative to the last point. 

 

  Direct Distance entry technique: Specify a second point by first moving the 

cursor to indicate direction and then entering a distance.  

 

GRID Style Setup

 

  
 
1.  In the Status Bar area, right-mouse-click on 

SnapMode and choose [Settings]. 

 
 
 
 

 

2.  In the Drafting Settings dialog box, select the Snap and Grid tab if it is not the 

page on top. 

 

3.  Change Grid Style to Display dotted grid in 2D model Space as shown in 

the below figure. 

 

4.  Pick OK to exit the Drafting Settings dialog box. 


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The GuidePlate  

 
We will next create a mechanical design using the different coordinate entry methods. 

 

  The rule for creating CAD designs and drawings is that they should be created at full 

size using real-world units. The CAD database contains all the definitions of the 
geometric entities and the design is considered as a virtual, full-sized object. Only 
when a printer or plotter transfers the CAD design to paper is the design scaled to fit 
on a sheet. The tedious task of determining a scale factor so that the design will fit on 
a sheet of paper is taken care of by the CAD system. This allows the designers and 
CAD operators to concentrate their attention on the more important issues – the 
design.

 

 

 

 

1.

  Select the Line command icon in the Draw 

toolbar. In the command prompt area, near the 
bottom of the AutoCAD graphics window, the 
message “_line Specify first point:” is displayed. 
AutoCAD expects us to identify the starting 
location of a straight line. 

 
2.

  We will locate the starting point of our design at 

the origin of the world coordinate system.  

 

Command: _line Specify first point: 0,0 
(Type 

0,0 and press the [

ENTER

] key once.) 


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3.  We will create a horizontal line by entering the absolute coordinates of the second 

point.    

 

Specify next point or [Undo]: 5.5,0 

[ENTER]

 

 

 
•  Note that the line we created is aligned to the bottom edge of the drawing 

window. Let us adjust the view of the line by using the Pan Realtime command. 

 

4.  In the Menu Bar area select: [View] 

 [Pan]  [Realtime]

 

 

 

  The available Pan commands enable us to move the view to a different position. 

The Pan-Realtime function acts as if you are using a video camera.  

 

5.  Move the cursor, which appears as a hand inside the graphics window, near the 

center of the drawing window, then push down the left-mouse-button and drag 
the display toward the right and top side until we can see the sketched line. 
(Notice the scroll bars can also be used to adjust viewing of the display.) 

(5.5,0) 

(0,0) 


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6.  Press the [

Esc

] key to exit the Pan-Realtime command. Notice that AutoCAD 

goes back to the Line command. 

 

7.  We will create a vertical line by using the relative rectangular coordinates entry 

method, relative to the last point we specified:  
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: @0,2.5  

[ENTER]

 

 

 

8.  We can mix any of the entry methods in positioning the locations of the 

endpoints. Move the cursor to the Status Bar area, and turn ON the SNAP MODE 
option.

 

 

 

  Note that the Line command is resumed as the settings are adjusted. 

 
 

9.  Left-click once on the coordinates 

display area to switch to a different 
coordinate display option. Each click 
will change the coordinate display. 

 
 
10. Note the coordinates display area has 

changed to show the length of the new 
line and its angle. Left-click once on the 
coordinates display area to switch back 
to using the world coordinate system. 

 

 
11. Create the next line by picking the 

location, world coordinates (8,2.5), on 
the screen. 

 


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12. We will next use the relative polar coordinates entry method, relative to the last 

point we specified:  
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: @3<90  

[ENTER]

 

(Distance is 3 inches with an angle of 90 degrees.) 

 
13. Using the relative rectangular 

coordinates entry method to create 
the next line, we can imagine a 
reference coordinate system 
aligned at the previous point. 
Coordinates are measured along 
the two reference axes. 

 

Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 
  @-1.5,1  

[ENTER]

 

 

(-1.5 and 1 inches are measured  
relative to the reference point.) 

 

14. Move the cursor directly 

to the left of the last 
point and use the direct 
distance entry technique 
by entering 6.5 

[ENTER]

 

15. For the last segment of the sketch, we can use the Close 

option to connect back to the starting point. Inside the 
graphics window, right-mouse-click and a popup menu 
appears on the screen. 

 
16. Select Close with the left-mouse-button to connect back to 

the starting point and end the Line command.  

 

Reference Coordinate System 
aligned at the previous point 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-23 

 

 

Creating Circles

 

 

•  The menus and toolbars in AutoCAD

®

 2014 are designed to allow the CAD 

operator to quickly activate the desired commands.  

 
1.  In the Draw toolbar, click on the little 

triangle below the circle icon. Note that the 
little triangle indicates additional options are 
available. 

 
 

 

 
 

2.  In the option list, select:  [Center, Diameter]

 

 

 

Notice the different options available under the circle submenu: 

 

•  Center, Radius: Draws a circle based on a center point and a radius. 

 

•  Center, Diameter: Draws a circle based on a center point and a diameter. 

 

•  2 Points: Draws a circle based on two endpoints of the diameter. 

 

•  3 Points: Draws a circle based on three points on the circumference. 

 

•  TTR–Tangent, Tangent, Radius: Draws a circle with a specified radius 

tangent to two objects. 

 

•  TTT–Tangent, Tangent, Tangent: Draws a circle tangent to three objects. 


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1-24 AutoCAD

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3.  In the command prompt area, the message “Specify center point for circle or 

[3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]:” is displayed. AutoCAD expects us to identify the 
location of a point or enter an option. We can use any of the four coordinate entry 
methods to identify the desired location. We will enter the world coordinates 
(2.5,3) as the center point for the first circle. 

 

Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]: 2.5,3 

[ENTER]

 

 

 

4.  In the command prompt area, the message “Specify diameter of circle:” is 

displayed. 
Specify diameter of circle: 2.5 

[ENTER]

 

 

 

5.  Inside the graphics window, right-mouse-click to 

bring up the popup option menu. 

 
6.  Pick Repeat CIRCLE with the left-mouse-button 

in the popup menu to repeat the last command. 

 
7.  Using the relative rectangular coordinates entry 

method, relative to the center-point coordinates of 
the first circle, we specify the location as (2.5,2). 
 
 

Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]: @2.5,2 

[ENTER]

 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-25 

 

 

8.  In the command prompt area, the message “Specify Radius of circle: <2.50>” is 

displayed. The default option for the Circle command in AutoCAD is to specify 
the radius and the last radius used is also displayed in brackets. 

 

9.  Inside the graphics window, right-mouse-click to bring up 

the popup option menu and select Diameter as shown. 

 
10. In the command prompt area, enter 1.5 as the diameter.  

 
Specify Diameter of circle<2.50>: 1.5 

[ENTER]

 

 

 
 

Saving the CAD Design 

 

 

 
1.  In the Application Menu, select:  

 
[Application] 

 [Save] 

 
 

  Note the command can also be activated with quick-

key combination of [

Ctrl

]+[

S

]. 

 
 


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1-26 AutoCAD

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 2014 Tutorial: 2D Fundamentals 

 

  

 

2.  In the Save Drawing As dialog box, select the folder in which you want to store 

the CAD file and enter GuidePlate in the File name box.

 

 

 

3.  Click Save in the Save Drawing As dialog box to accept the selections and save 

the file. Note the default file type is DWG, which is the standard AutoCAD 
drawing format. 

 

Close the Current Drawing 

 

 

  Several options are available to close the current drawing: 

 

  Select [Close]  [Current 

Drawing] in the Application 
Menu Bar as shown. 

 

  Enter Close at the command 

prompt.

 

 

 

 
 

  The third option is to click on the [Close] icon, located at 

the upper-right-hand corner of the drawing window. 

Enter 

GuidePlate 

Select the folder 
to store the file. 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-27 

 

 

The Spacer Design 

 

  We will next create the spacer design using more of AutoCAD’s drawing tools. 

 

Start a New Drawing 

 

 

1.  In the Application Menu, select [New] to start a new 

drawing. 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

2.  The Select Template 

dialog box appears on 
the screen. Accept the 
default acad.dwt as the 
template to open. 
 

  The dwt file type is the 

AutoCAD template file 
format. An AutoCAD 
template file contains pre-
defined settings to reduce 
the amount of tedious 
repetitions. 
 


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1-28 AutoCAD

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Drawing Units Setup 

 

  Every object we construct in a CAD system is measured in units. We should 

determine the system of units within the CAD system before creating the first 
geometric entities.  

 
 
 
1.  In the Menu Bar select:  

[Format] 

 [Units] 

 
•  The AutoCAD Menu Bar contains multiple pull-down 

menus, where all of the AutoCAD commands can be 
accessed. Note that many of the menu items listed in 
the pull-down menus can also be accessed through the 
Quick Access toolbar and/or Ribbon panels.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

2.  Click on the Length Type 

option to display the different 
types of length units 
available. Confirm the 
Length Type is set to 
Decimal. 

 

 
 

3.  On your own, examine the other settings that are 

available. 

 
 
 
 
 

4.  In the Drawing Units dialog box, set the Length Type to Decimal. This will set the 

measurement to the default English units, inches.  

 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-29 

 

 

 
5.  Set the Precision to two 

digits after the decimal point 
as shown in the above figure.  

 

 
6.  Pick OK to exit the Drawing 

Units dialog box. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Drawing Area Setup 

 

  Next, we will set up the Drawing Limits by entering a command in the 

command prompt area. Setting the Drawing Limits controls the extents of the 
display of the grid. It also serves as a visual reference that marks the working 
area. It can also be used to prevent construction outside the grid limits and as a 
plot option that defines an area to be plotted/printed. Note that this setting does 
not limit the region for geometry construction.  

 
1.  In the Menu Bar select:  

[Format] 

 [Drawing Limits] 

 
2.  In the command prompt area, the message “Reset Model 

Space Limits: Specify lower left corner or [On/Off] 
<0.00,0.00>:” is displayed. Press the 

ENTER

 key once to 

accept the default coordinates <0.00,0.00>. 

 

3.  In the command prompt area, the message “Specify upper right corner 

<12.00,9.00>:” is displayed. Press the 

ENTER

 key again to accept the default 

coordinates <12.00,9.00>. 


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1-30 AutoCAD

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4.  On your own, move the graphics cursor near the upper-right comer inside the 

drawing area and note that the drawing area is unchanged. (The Drawing Limits 
command is used to set the drawing area, but the display will not be adjusted until 
a display command is used.) 

  
5.  Inside the Menu Bar area select: 

[View] 

 [Zoom]  [All] 

 

  The Zoom All command will 

adjust the display so that all objects 
in the drawing are displayed to be as 
large as possible. If no objects are 
constructed, the Drawing Limits are 
used to adjust the current viewport.  

 

6.  Move the graphics cursor near the 

upper-right comer inside the 
drawing area, and note that the 
display area is updated. 

 

 
7.  In the Status Bar area, right-mouse-click on 

SnapMode and choose [Settings]. 

 
8.  In the Drafting Settings dialog box, switch on the 

Snap and Grid options as shown. 

 

 

  On your own, exit the Drafting Settings dialog box and reset the status buttons so 

that only GRID DISPLAY and SNAP MODE are turned ON as shown.  


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

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Using the Line Command 

 

 

1.  Select the Line command icon in the Draw toolbar. 

In the command prompt area, near the bottom of the 
AutoCAD graphics window, the message “_line 
Specify first point:” is displayed. AutoCAD expects 
us to identify the starting location of a straight line. 

 

2.  To further illustrate the usage of the different input 

methods and tools available in AutoCAD, we will 
start the line segments at an arbitrary location. 
Start at a location that is somewhere in the lower left 
side of the graphics window. 

 
 
 

3.  We will create a 

horizontal line by using 
the relative rectangular 
coordinates entry 
method, relative to the 
last point we specified: 

            @6,0  

[ENTER] 

 
 

 
 
4.  Next, create a vertical line by using the 

relative polar coordinates entry 
method, relative to the last point we 
specified:  @3<90  

[ENTER]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  Next, we will use the direct input 

method.  First, move the cursor 
directly to the left of the last 
endpoint of the line segments. 
 


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1-32 AutoCAD

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6.  Use the direct distance 

entry technique by 
entering 2 

[ENTER]

 
 

 
 
7.  On your own, repeat the 

above steps and create 
the four additional line 
segments, using the 
dimensions as shown. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

8.  To end the line command, we can either hit the [Enter] key 

on the keyboard or use the Enter option, right-mouse-click 
and a popup menu appears on the screen. 

 
9.  Select Enter with the left-mouse-button to end the Line 

command.  

 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-33 

 

 

Using the ERASE Command 

 

  The vertical line on the right was created as a construction line, to aide the 

construction of the rest of the lines for the design. We will use the Erase command to 
remove it. 

 
 
1.  Pick Erase in the Modify toolbar. The 

message “Select objects” is displayed in 
the command prompt area and 
AutoCAD awaits us to select the objects 
to erase. 

 
 
 

 
 
2.  Select the vertical 

line as shown. 

 
3.  Click once with the 

right-mouse-button 
to accept the 
selection and delete 
the line. 

 
 
 

 

Using the Arc Command 

 
1.  Click the down-arrow icon of the Arc command in the 

Draw toolbar to display the different Arc construction 
options.  

 

  AutoCAD provides eleven different ways to create arcs. 

Note that the different options are used based on the 
geometry conditions of the design. The more commonly 
used options are the 3-Points option and the Center-Start-
End option. 

 
2.  Select the Center-Start-End option as shown. This option 

requires the selection of the center point, start point and 
end point location, in that order, of the arc. 

 


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1-34 AutoCAD

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3.  Move the cursor to the 

middle of the two horizontal 
lines and align the cursor to 
the two endpoints as shown. 
Click once with the right-
mouse-button to select the 
location as the center point of 
the new arc. 

 
 
 

 

4.  Move the cursor downward 

and select the right endpoint 
of the bottom horizontal line 
as the start point of the arc.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
5.  Move the cursor to the right 

endpoint of the top horizontal 
line as shown. Pick this point 
as the endpoint of the new 
arc. 

 
 
 
 
 

 

6.  On your own, repeat the 

above steps and create the 
other arc as shown. Note 
that in most CAD packages, 
positive angles are defined 
as going counterclockwise; 
therefore the starting point 
of the second arc should be 
at the endpoint on top. 
 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-35 

 

 

Using the Circle Command 

 
 

1.  Select the [Circle] 

 [Center, Diameter]

 

option as shown. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
2.  Select the same 

location for the arc 
center as the center 
point for the new circle. 

 
3.  In the command 

prompt area, the 
message “Specify 
diameter of circle:” is 
displayed. Specify 
diameter of circle: 
1.25 

[ENTER]

 

 

4.  On your own, create the other circle and complete the drawing as shown. 


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1-36 AutoCAD

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 2014 Tutorial: 2D Fundamentals 

 

  

 

Saving the CAD Design 

 

 

1.  In the Quick Access Toolbar, select: [Save]

 

 

 

  Note the command can also be activated with quick-key combination of 

[

Ctrl

]+[

S

]. 

 
2.  In the Save Drawing As dialog box, select the folder in which you want to store 

the CAD file and enter Spacer in the File name box.

 

 

 

3.  Click Save in the Save Drawing As dialog box to accept the selections and save 

the file. Note the default file type is DWG, which is the standard AutoCAD 
drawing format. 

 

Exit AutoCAD 2014 

 

 

 

  To exit AutoCAD

®

 2014, select Exit 

AutoCAD in the Menu Bar or type QUIT at 
the command prompt. Note the command can 
also be activated with quick-key combination 
of [

Ctrl

]+[

Q

]. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


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AutoCAD 

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Review Questions: 

(Time: 20 minutes) 

 

1.  What are the advantages and disadvantages of using CAD systems to create 

engineering drawings? 

 
2.  What is the default AutoCAD filename extension?  
 
3.  How do the GRID and SNAP options assist us in sketching? 
 
4.  List and describe the different coordinate entry methods available in AutoCAD? 
 
5.  When using the Line command, which option allows us to quickly create a line-

segment connecting back to the starting point?  

 
6.  List and describe the two types of coordinate systems commonly used for planar 

geometry. 

 
7.  Which key do you use to quickly cancel a command? 
 
8.  When you use the Pan command, do the coordinates of objects get changed? 
 
9.  Find information on how to draw ellipses in AutoCAD through the Autodesk 

Exchange, and create the following arc. If it is desired to position the center of the 
ellipse to a specific location, which ellipse command is more suitable?  

 
10. Find information on how to draw arcs in AutoCAD through the Autodesk Exchange 

and create the following arc. List and describe two methods to create arcs in 
AutoCAD.   


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1-38 AutoCAD

®

 2014 Tutorial: 2D Fundamentals 

 

  

 

Exercises:   

(All dimensions are in inches.) (Time: 60 minutes)

 

 

1.   Angle Spacer 

2.    Base Plate 

 


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AutoCAD 

Fundamentals 

1-39 

 

 

3.   T-Clip 

 

4. Channel Plate 




رفعت المحاضرة من قبل: Bilal AL Qazzaz
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