Introduction Autocad

One of my new year`s resolution ( kinda :D ) is blogging. You know try to spend more productive time on internet than facebooking :D. So it came to my head to write a post about Autocad for beginner. I use Autocad for drawing my work ( architectural project ) in 2D or 3D. For those who just started use this program is kinda hard at beginning, but if you keep practice, you get it right eventually.

Autocad is a program with graphics basic that launched by Autodesk. The program will help designer draw in 2D and 3D architectural project in particular. See the pic below, its a interface of Autocad 2006

1.Menu Bar
Default autocad Menu Bar from FILE to HELP that you can modify/customize menu in menu tool.

2.Standard Toolbar
Standard toolbar consist SAVE, OPEN, ZOOM, UNDO, NEW, PRINT, etc.

3.Object Property Toolbar.
In this toolbar you can set object property like color, line, etc. You can use property toolbar to make a change of your object. To show property dialog box, select you object--->right click--->on pull down menu click properties.

4.Drawing Window
Drawing window is the window that you use to draw. The size is in variation, depends on how many toolbar and dialog box you show.

5.Drawing and Modify toolbar
- Drawing toolbar is provides you with icon tool to drawing basic object like line, arc, rectangle, etc.
- Modify toolbar is toolbar that allow you to modify object like move, copy, rotate, trim, etc.

6.Crosshair Cursor
This tool is for identify object on drawing window. It`s use for drawing object or select object.

7.UCS ( User Coordinate System )
This tool will show the orientation of the object on drawing window. The coordinate system in 3D is base on X,Y,Z axis. Simple in words, if you draw in 2D you only need X,Y axis and if you draw in 3D you need X,Y and Z axis. Z is for object depth. UCS is show on the left bottom of drawing window.

8.Command Window
Command window is to show messages and prompt. In autocad there`s so many way for you to access command:
1.Select item on menu bar or a shortcut menu.
2.select an icon on toolbar.
3.Type command on command line.

How to access a command line is type the command and press enter. In some command, they also have sub command. I used to access command line when first time using this program i move to toolbar :)


9.Status Bar
It show cursor coordinate on the left bottom of autocad window. Status bar also consists Snap(snap mode), grid(drawing grid), ortho(ortho mode), polar(polar tracking), osnap(object snap), otrack(object snap tracking), lwt(lineweight display) and model(model & paper) to help you and you can turn on/off anytime you want.

10.Solid, UCS, View, and Shade Toolbar
These toolbar you need the most when you working on 3D object. I probably will explain more in my next post.

Wuihh..what a long post!. I`m exhausted! :). If you confuse with my explanation, i`m sorry, i`m not good with words when to come to teaching part :D. But if you have question leave me a message here or my buzz

Next i will show you how to create new file and make a layer :)

Cheers,
Jaenne