CAD COURSE HAND BOOK FORM ONE AND TWO

SOFTWARE: AUTOCAD
COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN: (CAD)
CAD software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design,
improve communications through documentation, and to create a database for manufacturing. [2] CAD
output is often in the form of electronic files for print, machining, or other manufacturing operations.
The term CADD (for Computer Aided Design and Drafting) is also used.[3]
Its use in designing electronic systems is known as electronic design automation (EDA).
In mechanical design it is known as mechanical design automation (MDA) or computer-aided
drafting (CAD), which includes the process of creating a technical drawing with the use of computer
software.[4]
CAD software for mechanical design uses either vector-based graphics to depict the objects of
traditional drafting, or may also produce raster graphics showing the overall appearance of designed
objects. However, it involves more than just shapes. As in the
manual drafting of technical and engineering drawings, the output of CAD must convey information,
such as materials, processes, dimensions, and tolerances, according to application-specific
conventions.
CAD may be used to design curves and figures in two-dimensional (2D) space; or curves, surfaces,
and solids in three-dimensional (3D) space.[5]
CAD is an important industrial art extensively used in many applications,
including automotive, shipbuilding, and aerospace industries, industrial and architectural
design, prosthetics, and many more. CAD is also widely used to produce computer
animation for special effects in movies, advertising and technical manuals, often called DCC digital
content creation. The modern ubiquity and power of computers means that even perfume bottles
and shampoo dispensers are designed using techniques unheard of by engineers of the 1960s.
Because of its enormous economic importance, CAD has been a major driving force for research
in computational geometry, computer graphics (both hardware and software), and discrete
differential geometry.[6]
The design of geometric models for object shapes, in particular, is occasionally called computer-
aided geometric design (CAGD).[7]

Overview of CAD software

Starting around the mid 1960s, with the IBM Drafting System, computer-aided design systems
began to provide more capability than just an ability to reproduce manual drafting with electronic
drafting, the cost-benefit for companies to switch to CAD became apparent. The benefits of CAD
systems over manual drafting are the capabilities one often takes for granted from computer
systems today; automated generation of bills of materials, auto layout in integrated circuits,
interference checking, and many others. Eventually, CAD provided the designer with the ability to
perform engineering calculations. During this transition, calculations were still performed either by
hand or by those individuals who could run computer programs. CAD was a revolutionary change in
the engineering industry, where draftsmen, designers and engineering roles begin to merge. It did
not eliminate departments as much as it merged departments and empowered draftsman, designers,
and engineers. CAD is an example of the pervasive effect computers were beginning to have on
industry. Current computer-aided design software packages range from 2D vector-based drafting
systems to 3D solid and surface modelers. Modern CAD packages can also frequently allow
rotations in three dimensions, allowing viewing of a designed object from any desired angle, even
from the inside looking out. Some CAD software is capable of dynamic mathematical modeling.
CAD technology is used in the design of tools and machinery and in the drafting and design of all
types of buildings, from small residential types (houses) to the largest commercial and industrial
structures (hospitals and factories).[8]
CAD is mainly used for detailed engineering of 3D models or 2D drawings of physical components,
but it is also used throughout the engineering process from conceptual design and layout of
products, through strength and dynamic analysis of assemblies to definition of manufacturing
methods of components. It can also be used to design objects such as jewelry, furniture, appliances,
etc. Furthermore, many CAD applications now offer advanced rendering and animation capabilities
so engineers can better visualize their product designs. 4D BIM is a type of virtual construction
engineering simulation incorporating time or schedule related information for project management.
CAD has become an especially important technology within the scope of computer-aided
technologies, with benefits such as lower product development costs and a greatly shortened design
cycle. CAD enables designers to layout and develop work on screen, print it out and save it for future
editing, saving time on their drawings

WHY USE CAD

Computer Aided Design (CAD) has been a real breakthrough in the AEC industry by becoming
the primary source of communicating design intent. Before the advent of CAD, the only source
for draftsmen was pencil and paper for drawing sketches. The traditional method of manual
drafting is iterative and time consuming. However, now there has been a paradigm shift from
traditional manual drafting to cad design and drafting.

ADVANTAGES OF CAD OVER DRAWING BOARD

Data storing and Accessibility – One of the advantages of CAD drafting is that the drawings
need not be filed and stored in folder unlike in manual drafting. CAD drafting can be easily
saved on the computer server and can be accessed from anywhere with internet connection.
The chance of losing the documents is higher in manual drafting. As CAD drawings can be
saved electronically without the use of paper, it is also an environment friendly method

3D views – 3D drawings are the best way to virtually represent a structure. Though one
can manually create a 3d model, it wouldn’t look as realistic as the 3D model generated
by AutoCAD. AutoCAD breathes life in the 3D model and aid the visualization process.
While creating 3D view manually is a challenging, time-consuming and tire-some job, it
becomes much easier with software like AutoCAD.

Revisions – While you create any drawing on paper or software, there is bound to be some
amount of revisions or modifications. In manual drafting, you need to erase and redraw to make
any modification to your drawing. CAD simplifies the revision process to a large extent with its
various editing tools. With few clicks of mouse, you can undo, redo or delete your actions. You
need not re-draw an object anytime later as you can modify the existing object by mirroring,
stretching, rotating, scaling etc
Speed and Time – Technologies are invented to make our work easier, save our time and to
complete the work faster. AutoCAD is significantly faster than the traditional method of manual
drafting. It speeds up the task of preparing bill of materials, reports, scaling etc. The tedious task
of drawing each line on paper can be done in few mouse clicks. As CAD software eliminates
repetitive iterations, a substantial amount of time is saved. In AutoCAD, data describing a
component or its family is associative in nature and hence revisions are automatically made to
all places the data is used.
Accuracy – In manual drafting, all the objects drawn must be of correct size and alignment.
Each object need to be manually verified and dimensioned as the slightest error can be
catastrophic to the entire project. With CAD, there are numerous techniques available to obtain
exact dimensions thus leading to improved accuracy in the project.

7 Reasons Why You Should Be Using CAD

Instead Of Manual Drafting
1. CAD can create 3D models.

If you’ve ever tried to create a 3D model manually, you know how difficult and time-
consuming a process it is.

A CAD 3D modeling package can take your 2D model and turn it into 3D quickly and
easily. And if you’re going to be using 3D printing at any point during the product
development process – say, for rapid prototyping – you have to have a CAD 3D model
for the printer software to read.

2. CAD is easy to learn and use.

You’d think that a computer program as complex as CAD would be a nightmare to learn,
but that’s actually not the case. CAD is fairly easy to learn for engineers and product
designers – in other words, for people who are used to thinking spatially and who have
a background in design.

One of the best parts of CAD designing is that you have the same simple tools that we
all use on our computers every day: cut, paste, copy, and delete. These have virtually
no learning curve at all.

3. CAD designs can be replicated almost instantly.

With CAD software, you can create as many copies of a design as you like. This is a
huge advantage over manual drafting. If designs need to be shared with multiple
departments, for example, or handed over to another product designer, being able to
replicate your designs exactly is vitally important.

4. CAD designs can be modified quickly.

Modifying a CAD design for, say, a second generation of a product, can be done quickly
and easily. What’s more, all your modifications can be tracked and saved in the file.
That means a lower chance of modifications being lost or forgotten.

Lost or unnoticed modifications can create huge costs and time disadvantages for
companies, so any method that reduced the chance of this happening is something
worth considering.

5. CAD files can be shared worldwide, instantly.

In the global economy, the product development process can be distributed among
different companies, some of which may be across the world from each other (unless
you use an all-in-one product development partner).

In these situations, it’s a simple necessity that you be able to share your designs and
files with your partners in the process.

Manual drawings can be scanned, certainly, but CAD files can be shared, viewed, and
modified all within a single program. Scanned versions, on the other hand, may need
multiple programs for recipients to be able to open, view, and comment upon them.

6. CAD files integrate seamlessly with Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and
Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) packages.

If you’ll be working with CAM or CAE packages at any point throughout the product
development process, you’ll cut way down on time if you use CAD right off the bat.

Manual drawings cannot be used for CAM or CAE packages, so if you end up using
these at some point, you’ll have to make CAD files anyway.

7. CAD files are more secure than paper drawings.

CAD programs come with permission controls that can be used to restrict access to just
the people who need to see the file.

This is not only helpful for security purposes, but also for preventing unauthorized
editing from others who aren’t directly engaged with the project. While security
measures can be taken with paper drawings, it’s nearly impossible to keep a paper
drawing completely secure.
Computer aided design is an incredibly useful tool for engineers, product designers, and
others engaged in the product development process. For more on how technology is
affecting product design and development,

Reasons for implementing CAD systems

● To increase the productivity of the designer.

● To improve the quality of design.

● To create a database for manufacturing.

● To improve communication through documentation.

Before implementing this software, all engineers used drafters and sheets to

draw design a product. It took so much time for a designer to design a product.

If the manufactured product didn’t satisfy the customer need or the

manufacturers found any errors in the product after manufacturing, then they

need to change the design of the product which was a time-consuming process.

The designer needs to change the design of a product by erasing or sometimes

he needs to use the new chart for designing it.

It leads to the following problems:

● Delay in production.

● Increase in scrap rate.

In order to reduce the above problems, this software is one of the solutions for

it. In this software, we can save the design of product modifications; we can edit

the design which is saved previously that reduces time to design a product. It

also reduced the human effort.

In this software, initially, we can create designs easily using commands

afterward icons were added in the software. With the uses Of AutoCAD, we can

design a product with great accuracy.

Industrial Applications
● Aerospace calls their final design as an assembly.

● Automotive call their final design as Parts design.

● Electrical and electronics call their final design as Blueprint and Circuit

design.

● Rail and marine call their final design as Layout or Blueprint.

● Structural and civil call their final design as Layout.

Benefits of AUTOCAD per Industrial Application

● It has the ability to produce very accurate designs

● Drawings can be created in 2D or 3D and rotated.

 ● Other computer programmes can be linked to the design software.

● AutoCAD as an architectural planning tool: It enables architects to design,

plan, execute and analyze the strength of a building, at design stage level.

● AutoCAD as an engineering drafting tool: It helps engineers to design,

analyze and solve design issues resulting in accurate designs.

● In 3D printing: A 3D print has its own advantages for designers and for

this software helps them. The designs can be exported to various

preferred formats.

● AutoCAD in the fashion industry: It has the tools necessary for planning

designs for the manufacture of jewelry, toys and other delicate objects.

● AutoCAD as industrial design tool: It helps to reduce manufacturing costs

as it saves time and efforts required for manual designing.

2. Career Information

AutoCAD knowledge will be key to students who have interest to pursue the

following professions:

Mechanical, architectural, civil, structural, electrical, interior design, furniture

design, clothing and textiles and electronics.

● Mechanical design plans for equipment and spares of mechanical devices.

 ● Architectural design for plans layouts and 3D for residential and

commercial buildings.

● Civil design for design and construction of roadways, 3D buildings,

Industrial Plants, and other major projects.

● Electrical design work with electric circuits which are small in size and

electrical wiring system layouts for machines.

Its interface is pretty similar to the all other designing software applications and

using Nodes, Lines and Polygons the engineer creates the draft the product for

their project requirements.

AUTODESK CAD PROGRAMME

PROGRAMME SUMMARY
The objective of the CAD programme is to equip students with design software applications
skills that meet today’s industrial requirements.
FORM 1 TO 2 (AUTOCAD 2D & 3D)
This is a general design software which can be used across all industries. Students learn the
fundamental tools in computerised design.
FORM 3 TO 4: INVENTOR - (Mechanical, Structural, Electrical)
REVIT - (Civil, Architecture, Structural)
These are industry specific and high-level software applications which are fundamental in
preparing students to fit perfectly in today’s automated design world. This gives students
exposure to all major industrial application.
FORM 5 TO 6: INVENTOR - (Mechanical, Structural, Electrical)
REVIT - (Civil, Architecture, Structural)
At this Level students will pick one industrial application to specialise on.
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION: COMPULSORY (FREE) see the attached certificate sample
At the end of a two-year course students will receive a certificate of completion. They will be
required to submit at least two exercises completed in CAD.
Students will be required to have an email address which they will use for certificate
application. The certificates of completion are internationally recognised and are issued by
Autodesk USA.
Our Autodesk Examinations manager will visit your institution to explain the certification
procedures and setting up of Autodesk accounts for students.
Certificate of Completion will be awarded at the following levels:

⮚ Form Two

⮚ Form Four

⮚ Form Six

PROJECT CERTIFICATE (OPTIONAL)

Willing students can go a step further to submit a whole project with the following guide lines.

● Design Objective.

● Use of software in producing realistic designs.

● Use of software in producing detailed drawings.

● Use of Software to use real life materials in CAD design.

● Drawings to be presented on school Title Block with school logo.

Upon meeting the above requirements, students will receive an extra international certificate
called a PROJECT CERTIFICATE.
Project certificate will be awarded at the following levels:

⮚ Form Two

⮚ Form Four

⮚ Form Six
CERTIFIED USER CERTIFICATE (OPTIONAL)
This certificate certifies a student as a legal user of AutoCAD who has completed his/her
certification under professional supervision. Student will sit for an online exam which will be
marked in real time by Autodesk Online marking Systems. The exam is 2 hours long.
Students will be required to write the certified user certificate at the following levels:

⮚ AutoCAD Certified User Certificate: Form Two

⮚ Revit Certified User Certificate: Form Four

⮚ Inventor Certified User: Form Four

1) CAD Internal Exams: Exam questions to be supply by ADC 30 days before writing of exams.
1.1. Exam paper will be 2hrs long.
1.2. Only a pen will be required for the multiple-choice questions as students will use
computers for all tasks required.
1.3. The exam will be 15 questions of theory (multiple choice) and 10 practical questions.
1.4. Each question will clearly show the number of marks it carries.
1.5. There will be a different set of paper from form one to six.
2. CAD Quiz and Projects Competitions: See Quiz document attached.
ANNUAL CAD ACADEMY QUIZ AND PROJECTS COMPETITION

This programme is designed for the purposes of pollination of ideas from different students across
schools/colleges on the CAD programme. Schools/colleges take turns to host this annual event.

INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS AND AWARDS:

1. EACH SCHOOL / COLLEGE TO SUBMIT PROJECTS DONE BY THEIR STUDENTS TO ADC FOR
MARKING TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE COMPETITION DAY.
2. CERTIFIED CAD TEACHERS TOGETHER WITH PROFFESIONAL PARTNERS FROM LOCAL
CORPORATES AND INSTITUTES OF HIGHER LEARNING TO MARK STUDENTS’ PROJECTS.
3. NAMES OF MARKERS TO BE SUPPLIED TO ALL SCHOOLS TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE
COMPETITION DATE.
4. AWARD BEST STUDENTS FROM EACH SCHOOL / COLLEGE AT THE FOLLOWING LEVELS:
● FORM ONE AND TWO: BEST STUDENT JUNIOR CLASS.

● FORM THREE AND FOUR: BEST STUDENT INTERMEDIATE CLASS.

● FORM FIVE AND SIX: BEST STUDENT SENIOR CLASS.

5. AWARD OVERALL BEST STUDENTS: THESE ARE STUDENTS WHOSE PROJECTS HAVE EXCELED
ABOVE ALL PROJECTS SUBMITTED BY ALL STUDENTS FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE SCHOOLS /
COLLEGES.
● OVERALL BEST JUNIOR CLASS.
 ● OVERALL BEST INTERMEDIATE CLASS.

● OVERALL BEST SENIOR CLASS.

SCHOOL PROJECT COMPETITIONS AND AWARDS: FLOATING TROPHY FOR THE BEST SCHOOL,
CERTIFICATES FOR SECOND AND THIRD POSITIONS.

1. EACH SCHOOL / COLLEGE TO PERFORM A LIVE PROJECT (MAXIMUM 10MINUTES)

2. ALL SCHOOLS / COLLEGE TO USE A LAPTOP THAT WILL BE PROVIDED AND CONNECTED TO A
PROJECTOR.
3. ALL TEAMS TO LOAD AND TEST THEIR PROJECT ON A PROVIDED LAPTOP BEFORE START OF
COMPETITION.
4. EACH SCHOOL / COLLEGE TO HAVE A MAXIMUM OF 10 PARTICIPATING MEMBERS.
5. EACH PROJECT TO TAKE A MAXIMUM OF 10 MINS.
6. CERTIFIED TRAINERS TOGETHER WITH PROFFESIONAL PARTNERS FROM LOCAL CORPORATES
AND INSTITUTES OF HIGHER LEARNING TO MARK STUDENTS’ PROJECTS.
7. NAMES OF MARKERS TO BE SUPPLIED TO ALL SCHOOLS / COLLEGES TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE
COMPETITION DATE.

PROJECT OUTLINE

1. CLEARLY POTRAY YOUR DESIGN THEME.

2. SOFTWARE KNOWLEDGE.
3. IMPORTANCE OF YOUR PROJECT TO THE COMMUNITY.
4. DESIGN FUNCTIONALITY.
5. TEAM WORK.

QUIZ COMPETITION AND AWARDS. FLOATING TROPHY FOR BEST SCHOOL / COLLEGE AND
CERTIFICATES FOR SECOND AND THIRD POSITIONS

8. EACH SCHOOL / COLLEGE TO ANSWER LIVE CAD QUESTIONS.

9. EACH SCHOOL / COLLEGE TO HAVE A MAXIMUM OF 10 PARTICIPATING MEMBERS.
10. EACH QUESTION WILL BE 1MIN LONG.
11. THE QUIZ SESSION WILL BE 20 MINS LONG.
12. QUESTIONS WILL BE THE SAME AND ANSWERED SIMULTANEOUSLY ON PROVIDED COMPUTERS.
13. EACH SCHOOL TO ANSWER A TOTAL OF 20 QUESTIONS.

This CAD Programme is affiliated with the following bodies

1. AUTODESK CERTIFIED TRAINING CENTER
2. AUTODESK CERTIFIED ACADEMIC PARTNER
3. AUTODESK CERTIFIED ONLINE EXAMINATION CENTER
4. HEXICO
 GETTING STARTED WITH AUTOCAD
What’s a file extension?
Before we look at AutoCAD’s file extensions, let’s start firstly with what file extensions actually are.
A file extension is a group of characters after a file name, e.g. ‘article.docx‘. The file extension
‘.docx‘ lets Windows know which program on your computer the file can be opened with. In this
case, Windows knows that the ‘.docx‘ extension should be opened with Microsoft Word.
So what’s the difference between file extensions and file types?
Typically, file extensions are used to determine the file type. For example, if you had an extension
‘.pdf‘, you would be dealing with either a ‘Portable Document Format’ or a ‘Printer Description
File’. Of course, the former is far more frequently used, so, in the vast majority of cases,
‘.pdf’ would be referring to this file type. More often than not, an extension will only be associated
with one file type, or a more ‘popular’ file type. For this reason, the two terms are often used
interchangeably.

Drawing Files

Drawing Files

● DST – Drawing Set or Sheet Set file (SHEETSET command)

● DWF – Drawing Web file

● DWFx – Drawing Web file

● DWG – Drawing or Block file

● DWS – Drawing Standards file

● DWT – Drawing Template file

● DXB – Drawing Interchange Binary file

● DXF – Drawing Interchange file, ASCII or binary

● SV$ – Autosave drawing file

● DST — Drawing Sheet Set file (SHEETSET command). These files contain drawing sheet data that
has been extracted from multiple drawing files. It’s commonly used as the deliverable format for
drafted or completed designs. You can create sheet set files by selecting View > Palettes > Sheet Set
Manager.
● DS$ — Autosave. Each time a sheet data file is opened, a current set data is copied to a backup
file with the extension .ds$. To restore, rename the backup file extension to .dst.
Similarly, SV$, $AC, and AC$ are also autosave files.
● DWF — Drawing Web file. This is a secure file format developed by Autodesk for
the distribution of design files that are easy to view and print. They’re compressed, small and fast to
transmit. A similar file is DWFx which is formatted using Microsoft’s XML Paper Specification
(XPS).
● DWS — Drawing Standards file. This is used to define drawing standards for elements such as
dimension styles, linetypes and layer properties. It can also be used for detecting ‘violations‘ to these
standards.
● CHX — Batch Standards Checker file. This is a verification file that checks drawings
against standards defined in DWS files. It’s used for auditing drawings and reporting violations. It’s
useful for when multiple parties have modification privileges—if one party creates changes that don’t
fit with the standards, then the violations can be identified.
● DWT — Drawing Template file. These files store templates or prototypes, containing all the setup
parameters for new drawings, e.g. unit types, title blocks, layer names and so on.
● DXB — Drawing Interchange Binary file. It’s a binary version of the DXF format which is text
based. DXBs are faster and smaller than DXFs, but they’re not as compatible with other programs.
 Plotting/Publishing Files

● DSD — Publish Set file (PUBLISH command). It’s a properties file, containing the settings for
publishing a drawing to a plotter format. They can save reusable publishing settings.
● PC3 — Plot Configuration files. It’s a master control file for plotter configurations, containing
properties like print quality. They commonly have corresponding PMP (Plotter Model Parameters)
files which provide custom information for a PC3 file. This includes plotter calibration data and
calibration settings for use in multiple PC3 files.
● PLT — Plot file. This is a standard file for almost all plotters. Associated with HPGL (a printer
control language), it’s used by many programs when exporting vectors for plotters. It can be printed
using a plotter, which prints images using lines instead of dots.
● PSS — Plot Stamp Settings file (PLOTSTAMP command). This contains plot stamp information,
like the plot scale and paper size. Using these files, multiple users can access the same file and stamp
their own plots—using different settings.
● PTW — Publish to Web Template file (PUBLISHTOWEB command). This settings file
stores properties for a drawing that has been published to a web format. It allows the Publish to
Web Wizard to track what’s been published.
● CTB — Color-dependent Plot Style file (PLOTSTYLE command). These files contain color-based
plot styles, or mappings of colors to layer of objects. They were replaced by the STB, Name-
dependent Plot Style file which allows for greater flexibility and portability of designs. Many
companies still use CTB files over STB purely because of the cost required to train personnel and
upgrade existing CAD designs.

Whether you are new to AutoCAD, or a seasoned veteran, you might not be fully aware of all of the
UI elements available to you. In this post, we will review the UI elements in AutoCAD

Application Menu
The first thing you might see after launching AutoCAD is the Application Menu, in the far upper left
corner. In AutoCAD, it’s generally contains a big red “A”. (Other products generally have a different
color and letter). When you single-click this button a menu drops down that contains some of the
same items in the QAT, plus more. Probably more importantly, the application menu contains links
to your most recently accessed drawings, and sheet sets. With the click of a button you can change
this to a list of currently open drawings. (Tip: Do not double-click on the Application Menu button,
unless you want to shut-down AutoCAD)

One feature of the Application Menu that many people overlook is the Search Commands portion.
You can type in the full or partial name of any command and a search will be performed on the
related commands in the menu. This can be helpful when you can’t quite remember that command
name or its location. In the image below, we have entered “poly” in the search box, and you can see
the result
Ribbon
The ribbon is a UI tool that first appeared in AutoCAD 2009. It contains various commands organized
into tabs and panels. It can be heavily customized by administrators and end users. Contextual tabs
are very powerful, they appear with panels of commands and options relating to whatever task is at
hand and/or whatever entity type is selected. For example, if a HATCH object is selected, a
contextual tab with hatch editing command appears automatically.
In-Editor elements
There are a few elements you may find inside the drawing editor, and are shown in their default
location in the image below. The visibility of each of these can be controlled by the user. The
viewport controls are in the upper left corner, and allow you to change the view and visual style. The
Viewcube is in the upper right, from which you can change the view and UCS. Just below that is the
NavBar, that gives you controls for zooming, panning, orbiting, and more. Lastly, in the lower left
hand corner, is the UCS icon, which can tell you at a glance if you are in WCS, and/or the general
orientation of the UCS.
Status Bar
Moving to the bottom of the application, you will find the Status Bar. Since AutoCAD 2015, the status
bar contains icons only. By default several icons are not enabled, so you might want to turn them
on. We believe Autodesk does this because on a small monitor, all of the icons may not fit across on
one row. But the icons will wrap up to a second row if needed, and on any decent sized monitor
these days, at 1920×1080 resolution, you can enable all of the status bar icons and they fit with ease.

Below is a stock status bar, along with the control icon on the far right, expanded to show you
the other available icons
You can hover your cursor over each icon to find its purpose. Generally speaking, gray means the
toggle is off, and blue means the toggle it on

File Tabs
File tabs provide access to all open documents in a minimal amount of space. Each open document
has its own tab. Left-click on a tab to make it current, and right-click on a tab to access more options,
such as Save and Close. There is always a tab containing a plus sign to open a new document using
the QNEW command. By default, File Tabs are oriented at the top of the documents, below the
Ribbon.
Layout Tabs
Layout tabs provide access to Model Space and each Layout in a given document. Left-click on a tab
to make it current, and right-click on a tab to access more options such as Print, Move, or Rename.
There is always a tab containing a plus sign for the creation of a new layout. By default, Layout Tabs
are oriented at the bottom of the editor window and if the command line is docked, below that – in
the status bar area.

Shortcut Menu
By default, with no command active, if you right-click in the drawing editor, you will get the Shortcut
Menu. This pop-up menu contains recent commands, and other common commands. You can
customize this menu, like most other UI items. If there is a command active, a different menu may
appear when you right-click. This behavior is controlled by the SHORTCUTMENU system variable.

Drop-Down Menus
Drop-down, or pull-down menus have been around since almost the beginning of AutoCAD, long
before Windows was a platform. A top level clickable name reveals commands and/or sub menus
below. These commands support macros and even autolisp statements. The menu disappears when
a command is selected and/or the menu loses input focus. Drop-down menus are not enabled by
default. You can turn them on by entering the command MENUBAR and setting it to 1. An example
of a drop-down menu can be found below:
Toolbars
Toolbars go back to the early 1990’s in AutoCAD. These are flat panels that contain buttons and or
drop-down lists. Each button contains an icon and a macro to perform a command or macro.
Toolbars can be floating or docked.

Palettes
There are various palettes available in AutoCAD. Palettes are special windows that can docked,
floating and made to collapse when not in use. You do not have to close palettes in order to work
with graphic data on screen. Most palettes support transparency (with proper hardware support) to
allow them to remain on screen during AutoCAD commands.

Tool Palettes contain buttons to insert blocks, execute commands, create hatches, just to name a
few items. Users are free to customize the content. A sample is shown below:
Command Line
The command line is a palette where you can type in command names and/or command responses,
and the view the history of both. If the command line is docked, it has a fixed number of visible lines.
Floating command line palettes can expand when needed to show you more data. The F2 key in
both cases will toggle open/closed, a larger command line history window. A typical floating
command line is shown here:
Sheet Set Manager
The Sheet Set Manager is a tool that allows you to organize sheets, streamline printing and
archiving, and automate annotation on drawing sheets among other uses. A sample is shown below:

Quick View Drawings

Before File Tabs, there was Quick View Drawings. Although no longer enabled by default as a UI
element, this command still works from the command line (Command: QVD). It reveals a miniature
preview of each open document, and allows you to switch to another document. As the mouse is
hovered over a document preview, the layouts of that drawing appear, allowing you to switch
directly to a selected layout.
Quick View Layouts
Introduced as sort of replacement for Layout Tabs, Quick View Layouts has suffered the same fate
as Quick View Drawings. That is to say it is still part of the software, but hidden away. This command
(QVL) reveals miniature previews of all of the layouts of the current open document. Hover over a
preview enables the option to print it, or clicking on one switches to that layout.

InfoCenter
InfoCenter has been through a few iterations and name changes since it was introduced. It resides
in the Title Bar area, just to the left of the Windows control buttons. It contains a help search bar,
Autodesk A360 sign in, social media links, and a Help drop-down menu. InfoCenter has been linked
to excessive “phoning home” and is frequently disabled and hidden by many CAD managers. There
is no UI method of controlling the visibility of this element, it must be done in the registry, or with
a 3rd party add-on such as this one. Below is the default InfoCenter bar.

Screen Menu
The Screen Menu goes back to the beginnings of AutoCAD on DOS and UNIX. The Screen Menu is
composed of nested menus. Clicking on one entry usually replaces the screen menu contents with
another menu, until you get to a particular command. There is always a back and/or home choices
too. Most people do not know it still exists in AutoCAD today. To access it, you must know the secret
code.

Well, it is not too secret, just type in: (setvar “screenmenu” 1)

AutoCAD Full Screen
AutoCAD Commands
This is the list of some of the most basic AutoCAD commands which every
AutoCAD user should know. These are some of the Draw and Modify
commands which make the very basics of AutoCAD and if you are just
starting to learn AutoCAD then you should know all of these basic commands.

L
It can be used for making simple lines in the drawing.

C
It is the command used for making a circle in AutoCAD.

PL
This command can be used to make a Polyline in your drawing.

REC
This command will make a rectangle in AutoCAD.

POL
This command can be used to make a polygon with minimum of 3 sides and a
maximum of 1024 sides.

ARC
As the name suggests, this command can be used to make an arc in
AutoCAD.

ELLIPSE
As the name suggests, this command can be used to make an ellipse with the
major and minor axis.
REG
This command can be used to make a region geometry in AutoCAD.

CO
This command is used to copy object(s) in AutoCAD.

ARRAY
Using this command you can make Rectangular, polar or Path array.

TR
This command is used for trimming a geometry.

OP
Using this command you can open options window which contains most of
the settings of AutoCAD.

SC
This command is used to change the scale of an object.

B
This command is used for creating a block, the properties of the block can be
defined using the block definition window.

I
This command can be used to insert an existing block or a drawing as a block
in AutoCAD.

ST
Using this command you can open text style window which controls
properties of the default AutoCAD text style.

X
This command can be used to explode objects like Polyline to simple lines, an
array or a block to a simple geometry etc.

F
This command can be used to add rounded corners to the sharp edges of the
geometry, these round corners are also called fillets.

CHA
This command can be used to add slant edges to the sharp corners, these
slant edges are also called chamfers.

LA
This command can be used to open layer properties manage palette which is
a tool for creating and managing layers in a drawing.

Keyboard Shortcut Keys

Keyboard shortcuts or hotkeys are the shortest and quickest way of activating
some of the common AutoCAD operations or commands. In this list I have
included some of the most frequently used and useful keyboard shortcuts.

Ctrl + N
You can use this shortcut to open a new drawing a tab in AutoCAD.

Ctrl + S
You can use this keyboard shortcut to save a drawing file.
Ctrl + Shift + S
You can use this keyboard shortcut to save the drawing as a new file, in short,
this is the hotkey for “save as” command.

Ctrl + 0
Clears screen to show only the drawing area and hides palettes and tabs.
Press it again to reset default AutoCAD interface.

Ctrl + 1
Select and object and press Ctrl + 1 to open the properties palette which lists
properties of the object. You can use this palette to modify most of the
properties of the object too. You can also use PR command to open the
property palette.

Ctrl + 2
You can use it to open design center palette which contains many AutoCAD
blocks that can be used directly in your drawing.

Ctrl + 9
You can use this keyboard shortcut to toggle the visibility of the command
line. If for some reason your command line is hidden from the drawing area,
then use this keyboard shortcut to bring it back.

Ctrl + C
Select objects from the drawing area and press Ctrl + C to copy to objects to
the clipboard.

Ctrl + V
To paste the copied objects of the clipboard in the drawing keeping their
original properties, you can use this keyboard shortcut.
Ctrl + Shift + V
To paste the copied objects as a block you can use this keyboard shortcut, the
block thus created will have a random set of characters as is name. You can
use this keyboard shortcut to make blocks quickly without going through the
create block window.

Ctrl + Z
This keyboard shortcut can be used to undo last action in your drawing. You
can press this shortcut key multiple times to undo many actions.

Ctrl + Y
This keyboard shortcut can be used to redo the last undo action which you
have performed.

Ctrl + Tab
You can use this keyboard shortcut to cycle through all open drawing tabs in
AutoCAD.

Status Bar
The status bar is an important feature of AutoCAD user interface and its tools
are required quite frequently while making or editing your drawing hence they
are available on status bar for easy access. You can activate or deactivate
status bar icons using keyboard shortcuts, commands or by clicking on its
respective icon.
F7
This status bar tool will toggle the visibility of background grid which is often
visible in your drawing area.

F9
Toggle Snap mode, when snap mode is active AutoCAD cursor will jump to
specific points in the drawing area which is defined in snap mode.

DYNMODE
By default the value of this system variable is set to -3 which keeps it off you
change this system variable to 3 to make dynamic input active. Dynamic input
allows you to add information dynamically on the cursor tooltip.

F8
Toggles Ortho mode on/off. When ortho mode is on you can make lines either
horizontally or vertically only.
F10
Toggles Polar tracking on/off. With polar tracking active you can make lines
inclined to any angle which is defined in the polar tracking increment angle.

ISODRAFT
Using this toggle you can activate the isometric drawing plane in AutoCAD.
You can select from Isoplane Left, Isoplane Top and Isoplane Right. You can
also toggle between different isoplanes using F5 function key. The default
value of ISODRAFT option is orthographic.

F11
Toggles Object snap tracking on/off. Using this option you can track snap
points of geometries like center, midpoint, endpoint etc and make geometries
with their reference.

F3
One the most important status bar toggles. This function key
activates/deactivates object snap option, when object snap is active you will
be able to snap your cursor to some exact points in the geometry like End,
center, quadrant, tangent etc. This option allows you to make precise
AutoCAD drawings.

LWDISPLAY
This system variable toggles the visibility of lineweight in a drawing. The
default value of this system variable is OFF which keeps the lineweight display
off you can change its value to ON to keep lineweight visible in the drawing
area.

TRANSPARENCYDISPLAY
Just like lineweight this status variable allows you to toggle the visibility of
transparency of an object. You change the value of this system variable to 1 to
make transparency visible or 0 if you want to make it invisible.
SELECTIONCYCLING
Using this system variable you can select overlapping objects very easily.
When the value of this system variable is set to 2, an overlapping icon and a
menu containing a list of overlapping objects appear and you can select the
required object from this list.

If you set the value of this system variable to 1, only the overlap icon appears
not the menu. You can turn this off by changing the value of this system
variable to 0

F6
Dynamic UCS can be activated or deactivated using this function key. Using
dynamic UCS you can make geometries directly of the face or another 3D
object irrespective of the position of UCS. You can also toggle dynamic UCS
using UCSDETECT system variable, the values of this system variable can be 1
for ON and 0 for OFF.

GRAPHICSCONFIG
Using this status bar option you can open Graphics configuration window
which is used to change settings related to display and graphics properties of
AutoCAD. You can also use 3DCONFIG for opening the graphics performance
window.

General Commands
BCOUNT
This command is useful for counting the number of blocks in your drawing. It
reports the number of each instance of block used in the drawing along with
its name. To count the block it should be visible in the drawing area.

TXTEXP
Using this command you can convert single line as well as multiline text into
geometries.
XLINE (XL)
Using this command you can make infinite lines starting from the point of
selection. When you trim or break this infinite line to a finite length it becomes
a simple line geometry.

POINT (PO)
This command makes a single point geometry in the drawing. To modify the
type of point created by this command you can use PTYPE command and
choose the desired point type from Point Style window.

REVCLOUD
Using this command you can make a revision cloud geometry by freehand
sketching.

SKETCH
You can make a freehand sketch using this command. You can use Line,
Polyline or Spline as the object type for making this freehand sketch.

MULTIPLE
If you want to repeat any command without pressing enter key then use
MULTIPLE command. To cancel repetition of command press ESC key.

NCOPY
Use this command to copy nested objects from a block or Xref without
exploding them.

‘CAL
Using this subcommand you can perform calculations directly on the
AutoCAD command line even when you are in the middle of a command. You
can start this subcommand by entering ‘CAL (don’t forget to add an
apostrophe before CAL) while running any other command.
BURST
Explodes the block containing attributes retaining the attribute setting and its
layer definition. This is especially helpful if you want to retain the text of
attribute after exploding the block.

SP
Using this command you can check the spelling of selected text and correct
the spellings from Check Spelling window.

ARCTEXT
This command can be used to write arc aligned text in AutoCAD. You can use
this command to even write text aligned to a circle. More about this command
can be found in this related article.

OOPS
This command can be used to restore the last deleted object in your drawing.
After deleting an object if you made many other changes in the drawing and
realized that you might need to restore the deleted object then simply type
OOPS and press enter.

CHSPACE
This command can be used to change the space of an object from model
space to paper space and vice versa. See the animated image shown below
for reference.

DIVIDE
You can use this command to divide any 2D geometry into many equal parts.
At each point of division, a point geometry will be added on the 2D curve.
More about this command can be found in this related article.

RENAME
If you need to rename any named object like layer, block or linetype simply use
this command to rename it. More about this command can be found in this
related article.

BREAK
This command can be used to break 2D geometries at one or two points. It is
helpful if you want to break a curve at the point of intersection with other
curve or if you want to create a gap by breaking a part of the geometry.

TIME
Using this command you can find a lot of information about your drawing like
the date when the drawing was created and total editing time consumed on
the drawing.

QSELECT
This command can be used to make the selection from your drawing with
filters. As an example, you can use quick select to make a selection set
containing all circles of the drawing with the radius of a particular value.

DI
It can be used to find the distance between two points in the drawing.

COPYBASE
Using this command you can copy any object using a base point.

PASTECLIP
You can paste the copied objects from clipboard to your drawing using this
command. If you use COPYBASE to copy the objects then you will be able to
paste it in the same or another drawing with the selected base point.

LIST
Using this command you can find lots of properties of an object like the layer
they are on, area, length or radius, perimeter or circumference and a lot more.
To use this command simply type LIST on the command line then press enter
and select the object from drawing area about which you want to know and
press enter again.

DIM
This command was introduced in AutoCAD 2016 version and it can be used to
make most of the dimensions like Linear, aligned, radius, diameter and
baseline. To access this command you can use DIM command or select the
DIM tool from dimensions panel of Annotate tab.

TOLERANCE
If you want to add a feature control frame representing tolerance related
information in your drawing then you can use this command.

SCALETEXT
Using this command you can change the scale of existing Text or Mtext object
in the drawing. To use this command type SCALETEXT on the command line
press enter and select the text from drawing area and press Enter again.

Now select “Existing” option from the command line and then select “scale
factor” option and then type the scale in which you want to convert the text
height and press enter. When the scale of these text entities are changed the
base point will remain fixed.

BASE
Using this command you can change the base point of a drawing without
changing its origin. This is especially helpful in the situation where you want
to insert the drawing into another as a Xref. By default, AutoCAD takes origin
as the base point which can be modified using this command without
changing the origin.

DWGPREFIX
If you have a drawing open in AutoCAD and you don’t know the location where
it is saved you can simply type DWGPREFIX command to look it. This
command can be used to quickly find the location of Xref’s attached in the
drawing.

TJUST
Using this command you can change the text justification of Text and Mtext
elements in the drawing.

UNITS
Using this command you can set the drawing units and other settings like the
precision of linear and angular dimensions and default rotation angle.

ML
Using this command you can make a multiline geometry which contains
multiple parallel lines.

TINSERT
You can insert a block or a drawing as a block in the table using this
command. You can also fit the block in the table cell and also justify its
location automatically with TINSERT dialogue box. I have made a simple table
by importing blocks of design center as shown in the image below.

MIRRTEXT
By default, AutoCAD does not mirror text in the drawing but if you want to
mirror the text of your drawing then change the value of MIRRTEXT system
variable to 1.

AREA
As the name suggests this command can be used to find the area of closed or
open shapes in the AutoCAD drawing. To know more about finding the area in
AutoCAD drawings refer to this related article.
TORIENT
Using this command you can reorient text entities in a best readable position.
In image A below the text is oriented at different angles and in some of the
situations, the text is not properly readable. Whereas in image B below
TORIENT command has been used to make the text readable for all angles.

ID
This command can be used to find the coordinate values of a point in
AutoCAD drawing.

MINSERT
Using this command you can insert existing blocks of a drawing as a
rectangular array component. An array added using MINSERT command can’t
be exploded.

BOUNDARY
Using this command you can extract closed boundaries from any enclosed
area. This boundary can be used to find the area of the enclosed region or for
many other applications. In the image below the boundary of the area
mentioned as A has been extracted as a polyline using BOUNDARY command.

DIMROTATED
This command can be used to make a dimension line inclined to a particular
angle with respect to the positive side of the X-axis. In the example shown
below the dimensions are made with DIMROTATED command.

BREAKLINE
You can use this tool to make a Breakline symbol on a line. Type BREAKLINE
on the command line and press enter then click on scale option of the
command line and apply an appropriate scale to the breakline.
Select the starting and end points of the breakline then click at any point on
the line to specify the location of breakline or directly press enter to place it
exactly at the center of the line.

TXT2MTXT
Using this command you can convert a text object into a Mtext object and you
can also combine multiple separate Mtext objects into a single Mtext unit.

SAVEALL
As the name suggests this command can be used to save all of the open
drawings in AutoCAD window.

Performance Related Commands

There are many best practices that you follow to keep your AutoCAD software
and PC in great working condition and there are also many inbuilt tools and
commands in AutoCAD that help you in keeping the performance of your
software properly optimized. In this section, you will find all those
performance and optimization related commands which you can use in your
daily workflow.

PURGE
This command can be used to remove unused named objects like layers,
blocks and dimension styles from the drawing.

LAYDEL
Using this command you can delete some of the most stubborn layers from
your drawing which can’t be removed using PURGE command. This command
can also remove Defpoints layer and also layer containing objects but I would
not recommend that.
FILLMODE
Using this system variable you can turn off or on the visibility of filled area in
hatches or wide polylines by changing its value to 0 or 1 respectively. By
turning the FILLMODE to off you can enhance the performance of AutoCAD by
limiting resources consumed on regenerating the filled geometries.

You need to regenerate the drawing using REA command after changing this
system variable to see its effect on the drawing.

APERTURE
This system variable controls the area of influence of object snap. The
aperture size as defined by this system variable is the area of the square
under which the point will be selected if the cursor is brought into it. The
default value of this aperture is 10 but depending on the complexity of the
drawing you can change this value between 1-50.

The size of the aperture is relative to the current scale of the screen and it is
not an absolute value. In the image below the red box (not visible in AutoCAD)
is the aperture size for two values 10 and 50 respectively.

OVERKILL
Use this command to remove overlapping or unnecessary geometries from
the drawing.

ISAVEPERCENT
You can change the value of this system variable to reduce the time it takes to
save a drawing. This system variable also affects file size of AutoCAD
drawings and its compatibility with other softwares.

By decreasing the value of this system variable you can increase its
compatibility with other softwares and it also decreases the size of the CAD
file but the time consumed in save operation generally increases. When you
increase the value of this system variable opposite happens.

The default value of this system variable is 50 and it can be changed from 0 to
100.
SELECTIONPREVIEW
When hovering the cursor over any object a preview will appear if the value of
this system variable is set to 3. You can remove this preview thereby improve
the performance by changing the value of this system variable to 0.

HIGHLIGHT
This system variable is also similar to SELECTIONPREVIEW but in this case,
the object will appear highlighted when selected. Its default value is 1 but you
can turn off this highlight effect by changing its value to 0.

RECOVERALL
This command repairs a corrupted or damaged drawing along with all of its
attached Xref’s.

LAYMCH
Using this command you can change the layers of selected objects. To use
this command type LAYMCH on the command line and press enter key then
select objects whose layer assignment you want to change and press enter
then select any object of the layer which you want to apply on selected
objects and press enter key again.

PICKBOX
Using this system variable you can change the size of Pickbox which appears
at the cursor of AutoCAD. The default value of this system variable is 3 and
you can change its value from 0 to 50.

In the image below the size of Pickbox is 3 for first cursor and 10 for
the second cursor.

STARTMODE
This system variable will toggle the visibility of start tab at the beginning of
the AutoCAD application. By default the value of this system variable is 1
which allows start screen to appear, you can change this value to 0 if you
don’t want to see the start screen.
CLOSEALL
If you have multiple tabs open in your AutoCAD window and you don’t want to
manually close them one by one then you can simply use CLOSEALL
command to close all the open windows. AutoCAD will prompt you with the
save dialogue box before closing all unsaved drawings and it will take you to
start screen after closing all of the drawings.

FILEDIA
This system variable suppresses the dialog box that opens up when invoking
certian commands like Save, Save As and Export. The default value of this
system variable is 1 which allows the dialog box to open. When you, however,
change the value of this system variable to 0 the command will run on the
command line and the dialog box will not open.

AUDIT
This command should be used for removing errors from your drawing. It is
always a good practice to keep checking your drawing file with AUDIT tool for
errors.

RECOVER
This command is similar to the AUDIT command but it is useful for the
drawings which are corrupted to such an extent that you can’t even open it.

MA
This command is a great time saver if you want to copy properties of one
object on other without changing its geometry or contents.

CLOSEALLOTHER
Using this command you can close all open drawing windows except the
current drawing window.

TEXTFIT
Using this command you can shrink or expand the text entities in a drawing to
fit in the required area. In the example below I have fitted the AutoCAD text
within the rectangle using TEXTFIT command.

WIPEOUT
Using wipeout command you can clean background in a crowded drawing to
make overlaying objects clear against the background. In the image shown
below Wipeout command has been used to clean the area around the second
hook. You can use WIPEOUTFRAME system variable and change its value to 0
to remove wipeout frame boundary also.

-DWGUNITS
Using this command you can convert your AutoCAD drawing from one unit to
another and you can also scale the existing drawing to new scales
automatically, you can know more about this command in the related article.

TEXTMASK
Using this command you can automatically create a masking behind the text
to make it clearly visible against the crowded background. In the image below
Textmask has not been applied for the first case and in the second case, it
has been applied.

LAYMRG
If you want to merge layers of multiple objects then this command is for you.
Type LAYMRG press enter key then select the objects whose layers you want
to change then press enter again. Select any object of target layer on which
you want to transfer the selected objects and press enter again.

All the objects of the selected layer will be transferred to the end layer and
also the selected layer will be removed.

DS
Using this command you can open the drafting settings window which can be
used to change settings related to status bar options like object snap, polar
tracking, snap and grid settings

LAYWALK
Using this command you can check all the objects which are on a particular
layer. When you use LAYWALK command a list with all layers appears on the
screen and you can click on any of the layer(s) from the list and objects from
that layer(s) will only become visible in the drawing area. The original status of
layer and object visibility is restored once you close LAYWALK window.

CENTERMARK
This tool was added in the AutoCAD 2017 version and it allows you to create
center mark easily on a circle or arc.

CENTERLINE
As the name suggests you can add a centerline easily between parallel or
intersecting lines using this tool.

TEXTSCR
This command will open a text window which has a history of recently used
commands.

BATTMAN
This tool can be used to modify the attribute information of blocks containing
attributes.

3DCONFIG
You can use this command to Turn on/off hardware acceleration or change
the graphics related properties of AutoCAD like smooth line display and high-
quality graphics display.
SEEK
This command will redirect you to BIMobject.com page (formerly Autodesk
seek) which is a CAD and BIM object catalog. It is one of the great places to
get blocks for your projects.

FS
Using this command you can select objects which are connected to the
selected object in the drawing area. The behavior of this command is
controlled by FSMODE system variable, if the value of FSMODE is OFF then FS
command will select only the selected object and one object that is directly
connected to the selected object.

If the value of FSMODE is ON then FS command will select the selected object
as well as all the objects connected to it and its next connected object in the
series. This selection series continues as long as the command finds
connected objects.

TEXTTOFRONT
Using this command you can bring TEXT, Dimensions and Leader lines on the
front of all underlying objects like hatches. This command is especially helpful
if you want to bring multiple annotations to the front of all drawings objects
without changing their draw order selectively.

PUBLISH
Using this command you can print multi-sheet files directly, unlike
PLOT command which only plots single sheet this command will allow you to
plot multiple sheets or even all of the sheets of the drawing directly.

ISOLATE
Using this command you can hide all objects from the drawing area except
the selected objects. By hiding unnecessary objects from drawing you can get
a clean work area. To bring back all the hidden object back to the drawing
select UNISOLATE or UNHIDE command.

HIDEOBJECTS
This command is similar to ISOLATE command but in this case, you can hide
selected objects keeping remaining objects visible. In this case, also you can
bring back hidden objects by using UNHIDE or UNISOLATE command.

GROUP
Using this command you can group multiple objects as a single unit. This
command is great for making groupings of the similar type of objects like a
group of similar blocks. To break this group you can use UNGROUP
command.

ADCENTER
This command can be used to bring Design Center palette in the drawing
area. You can also use CTRL+2 key to open the design center palette. To
know more about the design center go to the related article.

IMPORT
Using this command you can import drawings of many different formats in
AutoCAD, the list of all supported formats is shown in the image below.
FIELD
Fields are dynamic text information which can add a lot of intelligence to your
drawing by keeping data interlinked and updated. Fields are extensively used
in the sheet set and layout drawings and they can be used to automate a lot of
information in AutoCAD drawings.

You can start the Field window using FIELD command of AutoCAD.
WBLOCK
If you want to export a certain part of your drawing or any of its blocks to an
external file then you can use write block tool or its command equivalent
WBLOCK.

Why do I need a 3D?

Today, technology has made it possible to link our imagination a bit closer to the

reality and it can be done by 3D modeling, printing, rendering and more. There is

a huge number of software available in the market that offers the users to bring

their imagination into reality. Some of the software is freeware while some are

priced. With every update and with continuous new discoveries, people are

more attracted towards the technology that is offering them to make and create

vivid designs. The need for 3D is a necessary part of the designing world.

Without it, the design almost looks like a sketch. Moreover, 3D is a boost for all

the interior designers, architects who can design life-like models of any building,

office or any exterior with some interiors as well like furniture, walls, show

pieces and more.

Some of the benefits of 3D modeling are: –

● Using 3D models, users can get a more evocative design and they can

even see the virtual images of their projects.

● An architectural 3D model is much more interesting and realistic than a 2D

model.
 ● The experience that a 3D model gives is much more compelling and

satisfying to the user than viewing a 2D drawing. The user can see the

impact of all the minor and major changes made in a 3D model. This also

aids in better finishing of the designs, without wasting time and money.

● 3D models are an amazing advantage to interior designers as they get to

create and then modify 3D interior as well as exterior as per their need

and choice.

● In a 3D design, the user gets to know the physical dimensions of the

objects and its distance in relation with other objects in the total layout.

This feature helps enormously to see and modify arrangements of objects

based on their sizes.

● For best results, some artists use a mixture of 3D modeling followed by

editing the 2D computer-rendered images from the 3D model.

3D Commands
● Revolve
Location: Draw > Modeling > Revolve

This AutoCAD 3D command creates a 3D solid by revolving a 2D object around

an axis.

● Extrude
Location: Draw > Modeling > Extrude

This AutoCAD 3D Extrude command allows the user to create a 3D object by

extruding a 2D face along a line or path. For example, A cylinder can be created

by selecting a 2D circle and extruding it along with a path.

● Sweep
Location: Draw > Modeling > Sweep

This command helps the user to extrude the 2D objects without the 2D face

being orthogonal to the beginning of the path.

● Union
Location: Modify > Solids Editing > Union

This AutoCAD 3D command allows the user to combine two objects converting

into one single object.

● Subtract
Location: Modify > Solids Editing > Subtract

This command is opposite to the union command; this command works when

there is a common area in both the objects. Then this command subtracts the

object A from the object B.

 ● Intersect
Location: Modify > Solid Editing > Intersect

With this AutoCAD 3D command the user is left with the area that is common to

both the objects.

3D Drawing Tools
AutoCAD is primarily used for generating 2D sketches. While it is possible to

create 3D objects, AutoCAD is built around a flat, sketch-based interface. There

is a wide range of pre-defined 3D objects in AutoCAD. These objects are

cylinders, spheres and wedges and many more. But then users use 2D objects

and modify them using the 3D commands accordingly. So, AutoCAD 3D

commands like Extrude, Sweep, Revolve, Union are used by the users.

Also, the user must know the importance of Viewport feature if they are working

on 3D Models. The viewport command allows the user to split the drawing area

into different windows to project multiple views of the model. These include the

top, front, left/right views of the object. This feature works great for the user and

helps them to observe the model from different aspects.

This section has some noteworthy AutoCAD 3D commands related to solid,

surface and mesh modelling. You might be familiar with many of these
commands but there are also many commands which are not frequently used
despite their great features.

THICKEN
Using this command you can convert a surface into a 3D solid by adding
thickness to it.

CONVTOSOLID
Using this command you can convert 3D mesh and watertight objects made
with surfaces to 3D solid and you can also control whether converted solid is
smooth or faceted.

POLYSOLID
Using this command you can make a 3D wall-like shape as shown in the
image here, you can also define height and thickness of this poly solid using
command line options.

DELOBJ
This system variable controls the behaviour or 2D curves when 3D tools like
Extrude, Presspull and Sweep is used. You can change the value of this
system variable so that AutoCAD either retains or deletes curves after
converting them to 3D.

More about this system variable can be found in this AKN article.

VOLUME
Using this command you can find the volume of a 3D solid as well as lots of
other information like its moment of inertia, radius of gyration, centroid, and
products of inertia.

XEDGES
You can extract edges of a 3D solid as 2D geometries using this tool. In the
image shown here the XEDGES tool has been used to extract the edges of the
3D solid and then the solid geometry has been moved to reveal the edges
only.

REGEN3
This command was introduced in AutoCAD 2017.1 update and it is especially
helpful in removing the 3D graphics related anomalies and surface
tessellations.

SECTIONPLANE
Using this command you can create a section plane in the drawing that can be
used to see the 3D drawings by sectioning them along different planes.
FLATSHOT
This command is great for converting a 3D drawing into 2D and using this
command you can also create multiple views of a single 3D drawing like the
front, top and isometric on a single plane. To know more about this command
follow the related article.

INTERFERE
This command can be used to detect intersecting 3D solids. The command is
especially useful in situations where you want to detect clashes between
different solids like pipes and walls.

PROJECTGEOMETRY
Using this command you can project a 2D curve on a 3D surface, solid or
region as shown in the animated image below.

Shell (SOLIDEDIT)
Using this command you can convert a 3D solid into a hollow solid with a wall
thickness. To use this command type SOLIDEDIT on the command line press
enter type B press enter again type S and press enter again. Alternatively, you
can also select the shell tool from Solid editing panel of the Solid tab.

SURFPATCH
Using this command you can fill the open areas of a surface like the top of a
cylinder as shown in the animated image below.
HELIX
As the name suggests this command can be used to make a helix in AutoCAD
drawing.

Moveface (SOLIDEDIT)
Using this tool you can move faces like a groove of a 3D solid from one point
to other as shown in the animated image below. For using this tool type
SOLIDEDIT on the command line press enter then type F press enter then type
M and press enter again.

SURFTRIM
This command is similar to the trim command of 2D drawings but in this case,
it will trim surfaces instead of 2D geometries.

3DALIGN
Using this command you can align a 3D solid object with respect to another
3D solid, this video explains the use of this command in detail.

SURFOFFSET
Using this command you can offset any surface inside, outside or on both
sides of the surface as shown in the animated image below

SOLIDHIST
Using this tool you can record the history of solids on which boolean
operations are performed and you can modify these solids later.

In the image below Subtract operation is performed on two solids and then
the amount of removed part is changed by selecting the Cone by pressing
CTRL key then changing its base radius.

By default, the value of this system variable is 0 which keeps this feature off
but you can turn it on by changing its value to 1.
IMPRINT
Using this command you can imprint 2D drawings on planar faces of a 3D
solid or a surface to create additional faces for 3D tools like Presspull.

Conclusion
AutoCAD 3D Commands is a lengthy and challenging software for the beginners.

Yet it is extremely useful and has a lot of benefits. It is a powerful CAD software,

which is used for architectural design and mechanical engineering. It has one of

the best toolboxes and functions to support 2D drawings. However, when it

comes to 3D design, it is impressive, with its 3D rendering feature that gives

stunning and vivid outputs.