Autocad 2012

Tutorial Guide to

AutoCAD® 2012: 2D

For Microsoft® Windows®

SHAWNA LOCKHART

PUBLICATIONS

SDC

www.SDCpublications.com
Schroff Development Corporation

Visit the following websites to learn more about this book:

INTRODUCTION 59

BASIC CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
Introduction
You usually create drawings by combining and modifying several different basic shapes calledprimitives, such as lines, circles, and arcs, to create more complex shapes. This tutorial will help you learn how to use the AutoCAD® software to draw some of the most common basic shapes. As you work through the tutorial, keep in mind that one of the advantages of using CAD over drawing on paper is that you are creating an accurate model of the drawing geometry. In Tutorial 3, you will learn to listinformation from the drawing database. Information extracted from the drawing is accurate only if you created the drawing accurately in the first place.

2
Objectives
When you have completed this tutorial, you will be able to 1. Open existing drawings. 2. Work with new and existing layers. 3. Draw, using the Arc and Circle commands. 4. Set and use running Object snaps. 5. Change the display,using Zoom and Pan. 6. Use Dynamic View. 7. Draw ellipses.

Starting
Before you begin, launch the AutoCAD 2012 program. If you need assistance, refer to Getting Started 1 and 2 of this guide.

Opening an Existing Drawing
This tutorial shows you how to add arcs and circles to the subdivision drawing provided with the datafiles that came with this guide. In Tutorial 3 you will finish thesubdivision drawing so that the final drawing will look like Figure 2.1.
A SUBDIVISION LOCATED IN THE NE 1/4 OF THE NE 1/4 OF SEC. 14, T.1S, R.5E, M.P.M A 15’ UTILITY EASEMENT IS RESERVED ALONG ALL EXTERIOR LOT LINES.
W YN RO

BR

ON

1

N
AD

Figure 2.1

To open an existing drawing, you use the Application icon, Open selection or click the button that looks like an open folder from theQuick Access toolbar.
Click: Open button

The Select File dialog box appears on your screen. Use the center portion, which shows the default directory and drive, to select

ECS TAS AD Y RO

GA ET RR

2

POND

10 3
CIRCLE

4

5

6 7 8 9

Wannabe Heights Estates

60 Tutorial 2 BASIC CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

the location where your datafiles have been stored. You should havealready created a directory called c:\datafile2012, and copied all the datafiles for this book into it. If you have not done so, you may want to review the Getting Started chapters. If the correct directory is not showing in the Look In box, use the Up One Level icon or expand the choices by clicking on the downward arrow for the Look In box. Use the scroll bars if necessary to scroll down thelist of directories and open the appropriate one so the files appear in the dialog box as in Figure 2.2. Scroll down the list of files until you see the file named subdivis. dwg. When you select a file, a preview of the file appears in the box to the right. (Older files may not show a preview.)
Tip: If you do not see a preview, pick Views from the dialog box’s menu bar and make sure that Preview ischecked.

Tip: Use the buttons at the left of the dialog box to show the History (recently used files), My Documents folder contents, or Favorites you have added. To add a favorite, find the folder and then right-click the Favorites button. Pick Add Current Folder from the pop-up menu that appears. To add a folder as a button, pick Tools, Add Current Folder to Places.

Figure 2.2

Menuchoices at the top right of the Select File dialog box let you select different views to be displayed in the file list and other useful tools, such as a Find selection to search for files.
Click: Tools, Find Type: subdivis (in the Named area) Click: Find Now button (from upper right of dialog box)

The Find dialog box displays the location for the file named Subdivis. dwg, as shown in Figure 2.3....