- Introduction to AutoCAD.
- AutoCAD is used in many fields besides architecture
- This tool can be used for analysis, which makes sense
because the design development, schematic design, and construction document phase of a
project uses AutoCAD.
- One of the most important skills to learn regarding AutoCAD
is an efficient use of layers.
- By turning the "light bulb" on and off, one can
easily switch layers off so they will not be displayed on the screen, or will not print.
- By using the freeze/ thaw command, effectively the same
thing happens, however, the data regarding the effective layer is removed from memory; so,
when the drawing is scaled or panned, the data on the frozen layer is not included in the
computational process.
- If one desires to create a series of objects for the purpose
of constructing a document, simply create a layer entitled defpoints. This is a
layer specific to AutoCAD, which when created, has helpful properties: it is displayed on
the screen, however, it is never printed.
- Grips-these are the small blue boxes on an object which
appear when it is selected. They allow for easy manipulation of the object. Simply place
the cursor on one of the blue boxes and right click.
- The User Coordinate System, or ucs
- The orientation of the x and y coordinates.
- This system can easily be placed in a custom location by
type UCS in the prompts menu, followed by OB (for object) then clicking on the object on
which you desire to align the new ucs.
- To customize many of the AutoCAD setting, simply right click
in the prompts menu, and selecting options.
- The use of AutoCAD for analysis.
- Where Photoshop does a wonderful job manipulating images on
the level of the pixel, AutoCAD allows the user to create images using vector graphics,
and accurately placing objects where desired.
- Inserting Raster images.
- Under the menu, select the insert comment, and then raster
image.
- Next select from where the image is to be taken.
- After an image is inserted, one can easily be altered.
- Under the modify menu, select object, then image.
- Here under effects, one can adjust brightness, contrast, and
fade.
- Layout mode versus model space.
- All drawings are created in model space at one to one (at
the scale of buildings), and under layout mode drawings are composed again at one to one
(this time, at the scale of the selected paper media).
- Under layout mode, type mview in the prompts menu to create
a new view.
- Views under layout mode essentially give one a view from the
layout space to model space.
- By typing mvsetup, right click, "a" right click,
and finally "h" right click, one activates a given view for editing. Once this
is done a scale can be assigned to the active view, and, by using the pan command one can
position the drawing where desired.
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