Hello there, welcome to this video! In this quick guide we are going to
get an easy and general overview on the newest Autodesk AutoCAD Release
2019!
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guides dedicated to Autodesk AutoCAD!
AutoCAD is one of the best Computer-Aided-Design software products,
making simple and linear the construction and the design of standard
and customized architectural projects, from 2D floor plans to 3D
buildings. It is also available in different versions, from electrical
to mechanical engineering.
In this video we are going to see just the basic features to start
using this software. For additional information and practice, make sure
to check out our full guide through our link in the video description.
When opening AutoCAD, the Start page shows up, divided in two: the
Learn panel collects useful tutorials, resources and tips to start
up; whereas the Create panel shows information and updates from
Autodesk, under Notifications on the right; and offers several options
to start with an AutoCAD project on the left. You can open an existing
project under Recent Documents, or by going to Open Files....
To start with a new empty project, just click on Start Drawing. This
creates a new project called Drawing1, which opens on a second tab on
top.
The main workspace is divided in several parts. On top you have the
full collection of tools and features available inside AutoCAD, in
order to draw, edit and preview your project. At the bottom and on the
right you have additional options and tools to manage your project. The
rest of the workspace is fully dedicated to preview and create your
drawings.
You can also personalize the workspace as you like by using the
Minimize button on top. In this video, we will use just the default
workspace, called Full Ribbon. In case you miss any tab or section on
top, you can recover these from the View tab, enabling the respective
buttons.
Now, let's start making 2D drawings! All the 2D drawing tools inside
AutoCAD are collected inside the Draw section under the Home tab. Each
of these tools is used to draw a kind of object, which can be a
segment, a polygon, or a curved line. You can hover over each tool to
get help at the drawing process.
Click on the Line or on the Polyline tool to draw lines and segments.
Click once on the workspace to fix the first node, and then click once
again to set the second node and create the segment. In this way, you
will drop consecutive segments sharing the last node as you click
on and on, until you use the Escape key.
Use the Circle tool to draw a circle by fixing a center point first,
and then a second point for its radius. You can also change the way to
draw the object by using the down white arrow under the tool button,
and choosing in the list.
Use the Arc tool to draw an arc, providing two points to fix the first
basic segment, and then a third one to drop the arc. As seen for the
Circle tool, you can change the way to draw it through the list inside
the down arrow button.
The Rectangle tool draws a simple rectangle by fixing two points on the
workspace. The Polygon tool drops other regular shapes. Just type the
total number of sides, apply with the Enter key, and then fix the two
nodes needed to place the regular polygon.
Use the Ellipse tool to draw an ellipse after defining three points on
the workspace.
While you draw, AutoCAD shows the shape of your drawing in progress.
To undo all and cancel your drawing, use the Escape key.
Once the object is dropped on the workspace, the drawing tool is no
more active. You can enable it back again with the Enter key.
You can recall any of your latest tools used by using the Up Arrow
key from your keyboard, and applying with the Enter key.
AutoCAD also shows useful information on the object in progress, such
as the length on lines or radius, and the angle in respect to the
horizontal base. Angles are measured in degrees, whereas length
measurements are unitless by default. You can apply your own unit and
format by typing UNITS below and using the Enter key.
While drawing, you can type in the exact value for length and angles
shown, directly with your keyboard. Use the TAB key to switch and
check the preview. Use the Enter key to apply the object and drop it.
In the bottom right corner you have several options to manage the
snappings, which can be a great help for your drawings. Enable SNAPMODE
to snap your cursor to the grid points on the workspace. Click on its
button once again to disable it.
Use Object Snap to snap to green object keypoints, such as endpoints,
indicated through squares; midpoints through triangles; and centers
through circles. Object Snap also allows snappings to geometrical
intersections, perpendicular directions, and line extensions. You can
choose the snappings to consider through the list next to Object Snap.
Use ORTHOMODE to move your cursor only through the horizontal
direction (X axis), or the vertical direction (Y axis), as shown
by the cartesian system (or gizmo) in the bottom left corner.
AutoCAD has several advanced options while you draw an object. Next to
your cursor you get a grey dialog box with several options you can
browse with your Up and Down arrow keys. These options depend on both
the current tool used and its drawing step. For example, while drawing
a Polyline, you can drop a curved side by choosing Arc in the list.
The Command Line at the very bottom is very useful. For example, if you
type Polyline inside and apply with the Enter key, you will enable the
Polyline tool without searching on the panels on top.
Even more, while drawing an object, you can use the Command Line to
manage and apply options, as you do with the grey dialog box seen
before. In this case, just type the blue letter corresponding to the
option you want to use, and apply with the Enter key.
There are several ways to get a quick and complete overview on your
project in progress inside AutoCAD. You can zoom in and out with your
mouse wheel, and move through your project with the Pan tool on the
right, by clicking and dragging on the workspace. Use the Escape key to
finish with it.
You can also 2D-rotate your point of view by using the 3D View Cube in
the top right corner. Use the arrows on its corner to rotate by 90
degrees, or just click and drag its circumference to rotate freely.
Now, let's see how to edit and manage your objects!
When no tools are enabled, the cursor is in selection mode, showing
a small square at its center. When you hover on an object, you can get
information about it, such as its kind and main properties. If you
click on such object, you will select it, and this gets highlighted in
blue color. Once the object is selected, you can manage and edit its
properties and shape as you like most.
Inside the Home tab, you can use the Properties section to adjust the
line color, thickness, and style on the selected object.
To cut, copy and paste the selected drawing, use CTRL+X, CTRL+C and
CTRL+V respectively. Use the Delete key to remove the object instead.
Multiple-object selections are quite useful: if you apply any
modification, this affects all the drawings selected in the same way.
You can select multiple objects by clicking on each of them. This may
take a lot of time, so you may need to use either the Window or the
Crossing Lasso.
If you click and hold on your pointer, and slide on the right, you will
create a Window Lasso, that selects all the objects that are fully
contained within the blue region. Whereas, if you slide on the left,
you will use a Crossing Lasso, selecting any drawing that is simply
touched by the green region. If you need to deselect all, just use the
Escape key.
A selected object also shows blue nodes that are used to edit its
shape. On Lines, Arcs, Circles and Ellipses, you get big squared nodes
on the center and on their path. You can click on the central node to
move each object, and use the others to edit the shape.
In addition, you can hover on each node to get measurements on the
drawing and, on both Lines and Arcs, also a dialog box with additional
editing tools. For example, Stretch is used to move the node where you
prefer; Lengthen to adjust either the segment or the arc length. Use
Radius to set the radius on the arc.
The Polyline drawings are different: in respect to simple Lines, these
have both straight and curved sides. For this reason, these show
both small and big blue nodes when selected.
Hover over the big ones to get information on length and radius. You
can also use Stretch Vertex to move a vertex to edit the shape; Add
Vertex to add a new node with its segments; and Remove Vertex to remove
a vertex and all its connected sides.
If you hover over a smaller node, you can use Stretch to move an entire
side, or Convert to Arc to transform a straight side into a curved one.
You can return to a straight side by using Convert to Line.
When editing Rectangles and Polygons, you will get the same nodes and
editing options, since these are Polyline objects themselves.
In respect to other drawings, Polylines do not have any node that can
be used to move these. In this case, you have to enable the Move tool
inside the Modify section, select all the objects you need to move,
apply with the Enter key, and fix the two points needed to move.
Alternatively, you can select the objects first and then enable the
Move tool to start moving.
Check out our full guide to discover more about the advanced 2D editing
tools inside AutoCAD 2019!
In case you make any mistake, remember to use CTRL+Z or the undo
button to reverse your latest actions made.
The gizmo system seen before is indeed an object with blue nodes if
selected. Use the square node to move its origin, and the blue circles
to rotate the system, as much as its X and Y axes. Consider that this
changes the reference for the horizontal and the vertical directions,
represented in red and in green colors on the workspace.
Once your project is done, you can save it by going to the AutoCAD
button in the top left corner, and then to Save As. AutoCAD projects
are saved in .dwg files, collecting objects, properties and setup in
order to reopen and edit them at a later time.
Thanks for watching this video! Check out our free and complete guide
on Autodesk AutoCAD 2019 for more!