Hello people, and welcome to this video! Let's learn together everything
you need to start using Autodesk AutoCAD 2017 for the first time!
Leave us feedback to improve our future guides!
AutoCAD is one of the best products used to create 2D and 3D designs
and CAD projects. When you open it, you will be directed to the Start
section. Here, on the right, you can check all notifications from
Autodesk, or start a new project clicking on Start Drawing on the left.
In the future, when you have AutoCAD projects saved, you can use Open
Files... to open them, or simply browse directly from Recent Documents
in the middle.
Let's just create a new project to see how to use AutoCAD.
The general workspace is composed by a huge space, used to draw and to
show your project. Above, you have all tools and features available
inside AutoCAD that we will see through this guide. Below and on the
right, you have the Command Line and some more useful tools we will see.
This workspace is fully customizable. If you go to View above, you can
hide or show elements from your workspace. And, on top, you can click on
the small icon to size the workspace as you like.
Let's start drawing! Inside the Home tab on top, you have all tools
used to draw in 2D. If you hover on a drawing tool, you will get quick
instructions about how to use it. This is quite useful, especially when
starting for the first time.
Some of these tools do contain more features inside. In this case, they
show a down white arrow. If you click on it, you will have different
ways to draw the same kind of object.
Use the Line or the Polyline tool to draw side by side. Click on your
workspace to fix the first point, and a second one to define the
segment length. In this way, you will go on drawing segments
continuously, so just use the Escape key to stop.
The way to draw it depends on the
kind of tool you choose from the list. Use the Arc tool to draw arcs
instead.
Use the Rectangle and the Polygon tools to draw regular polygons. Use
the Ellipse tools to draw ellipses.
While you draw inside your project, AutoCAD always shows a preview of
the object, showing length and angle measurements. The object will be
actually drawn when you fix the last point required.
Depending on the tool chosen and on the object shape, you may need to
fix points, distances or angles. For example, if you choose to draw a
3-Point Arc, you have to fix a first point as center, fix the radius
with a second point, and then the arc angle with a third point.
Plus, if you press Enter key, it will enable you to use the last tool
that you used.
Use Escape key to undo your current drawing instead.
While you draw, you can use snappings to make drawings easier. You can
adjust these in the bottom right corner.
If you turn on SNAPMODE, you will snap your pointer to the grid points
on your workspace. Turn on ORTHOMODE to draw following just vertical
and horizontal directions. To turn off, just click on these icons again.
You can also use snappings to objects through Object Snap. This sets
snappings to object key points. For example, all vertices and endpoints
are represented through green squares; centers through green circles;
intersections through green crosses, and midpoints through green
triangles.
If you click on the white arrow next to Object Snap, you can enable and
disable the object snappings you need.
When no drawing tools are enabled, your pointer works in selection mode,
used to manage and edit your objects.
For example, if you hover on an object, this will be highlighted with a
dialog box showing some information, like the kind of object and its
layer style.
If you want to know more about the groups and the layers, check out
the related video in this guide!
If you click on the object instead, you will select it, and this will be
highlighted in blue. So, you can edit it, going to Properties on top, in
order to change the line color, thickness and style or add some
transparency to it.
To delete the selected object, just use Delete key. To cut, copy and
paste it, use CTRL+X, CTRL+C and CRTL+V.
If you ever mistake, use CTRL+Z or use the undo button in the top left
corner.
When an object is selected, you can also edit it through its own blue
nodes. For example, you can use the central node inside Lines, Circles
and Arcs to move them around your workspace. Use the other nodes to
edit length or shape. Plus, if you hover on those, you can check
measurements related to radius, length and any angle of the selected
object. There is also a dialog box, with options that change depending
on the node and on the kind of the object. Use Stretch to adjust the
object shape by moving the blue node. Use Lengthen to stretch without
changing the basic object shape. Use Radius to stretch any radius.
That's how Lines, Circles and Arcs behave. In AutoCAD, you have also
another important group of objects, which are the Polylines. These are
made with the Polyline, the Rectangle and the Polygon tools. Inside
those, you have big and smaller nodes. If you hover on the big ones, you
adjust the polyline vertices: use Stretch Vertex to move the vertex; use
Add and Remove Vertex to add or remove vertices.
The smaller nodes are used to adjust the polyline sides. In fact, these
sides can be either straight or curved. Use Stretch to stretch the side.
Use Convert to Arc to convert to a curved side.
Unlike Lines, Circles and Arcs, inside Polylines you don't have any
centered node to move them directly. To do so, you have to use
the Move command, inside the Modify section on top.
You can use this tool in two ways. You can select the object first and
then enable the tool. Then, just click and drag to move. But, you can
also enable the tool before selecting any object. In this case, your
pointer will turn to a small square. Select all objects to move, apply
with the Enter key, and then click and drag to move.
Under the Modify section, you have other tools to edit your 2D objects.
Check out our next video to know how to use these!
In case you want to edit more than a single object at the same time,
you can select more of them and then apply your changes.
Click on your objects one by one to select all of them. In this case, a
plus sign appears close to your pointer. To deselect an object, just
click on it by holding Shift down. You have a small minus sign in
this case.
To select lots of objects, you can use the Lasso Selections. Just click
and hold while dragging. If you drag from the left to the right, you
you will use a Crossing Lasso, that selects all objects that simply
touch the green area created. If you drag from the right to the left,
will use a Window Lasso, that selects just all objects that are fully
contained inside the blue area.
You can quickly undo all selections done by using the Escape key.
There are lots of options that can personalize your current tool enabled.
For example, while you draw, there is a dialog box besides your pointer.
If you use your Down Arrow Key, you will open its options inside, that
do change depending on the tool you are using. Through the Up and the
Down Arrow keys you choose in this list, and use the Enter key to apply.
So, if you draw a Polyline, you can go to Arc to draw an arc instead of
a straight line. If you draw a Rectangle, you can fix it by defining
area or any length.
Something that's also very important in AutoCAD is the Command Line at
the very bottom. This is used to apply and launch commands quickly with
your keyboard only.
For example, if you type A, the Command Line shows you the full list
of AutoCAD commands that start with such letter. So you can choose with
your Down and Up Arrow Keys, and use Enter key to apply. If you type and
choose RECTANGLE, you will enable the Rectangle Tool.
Plus, while using a tool, the Command Line shows you the same extra
options seen before in the dialog box close to your pointer. Such
commands have some letters in blue color. This means that, if you type
such letters and use Enter key, you will enable the option related to
such letter in the Command Line.
While you draw, AutoCAD shows you side length and angle measurements
in preview. If you need to fix a precise measurement, you can type
directly from your keyboard and use Enter to apply. To enable the latest
tool used, use the Enter key. To enable an older tool used, use your Up
and Down Arrow keys and use Enter to apply.
Let's see all you need to know to check and preview your project in
progress. Use your mouse wheel to zoom in and out. To move around,
enable the Pan tool on the extreme right, and click and drag. Finish
with Escape.
To rotate your point of view, you can go on the extreme right, on the
rotate buttons in the top right corner of the 3D ViewCube. You can check
your point of view through the Gizmo system, in the bottom left corner.
This represents the Cartesian system of the project: the X axis for
the horizontal direction (in red) and the Y axis for the vertical
direction (in green).
If you click on the Gizmo, you can use the squared node to move it, and
the other ones to rotate it. This will rotate the grid, but not the
objects on your workspace.
Once your project is finished, save it, going to the AutoCAD icon in
the top left corner and then to Save As... These are saved in a .dwg
format, and can be opened in a future session of AutoCAD.
Thanks for watching this video! Check out our full guide to learn all
you need to know to become advanced in AutoCAD 2017!