Figure Points on the Cartesian Coordinate System *Named for map maker and philosopher Rene Des Carte ( ). Both points will be defined by their respective X and Y coordinates. Lines drawn in two dimensions have a start and an end point. CAD drafters would refer to this point as 4,3. This coordinate is found by starting at the 0,0 origin in the lower left corner of the grid and measuring over 4 units along the X axis and up 3 units along the Y axis. Next, locate the coordinate labeled 4,3 in Figure 4.4. CAD drafters would refer to this point as 1,2. The X and Y values are separated with a comma. Locate the coordinate point labeled 1,2 in Figure This coordinate is located on the grid by starting at the 0,0 origin in the lower left corner of the grid and measuring to the right 1 unit along the X axis and up 2 units along the Y axis. The other coordinate points labeled on the grid refer to each point’s location measured along the X and Y axes relative to 0,0. In Figure 4.4 the 0,0 point is located in the lower left corner.
All other points are located along the X and Y axes using 0,0 as the starting point. The first zero represents the start point of measurements along the X (horizontal) axis and the second zero represents the start point of measurements along the Y (vertical) axis. In the Cartesian Coordinate system, a 0,0 (zero,zero) point is established as the origin point. Figure Lines Drawn in AutoCAD’s Graphics WindowĤ Locating Points on the Cartesian Coordinate SystemĪutoCAD employs the Cartesian Coordinate System* to define the exact location of points in the graphics window. For this you’ll need to understand Cartesian Coordinates. Drawing a line to random points is easy drawing a line to exact points is a little more complicated. When you are finished, press the ESC key to end the line command. Congratulations, you’ve drawn your first line (see Figure 4.3)! By continuing to pick points you can add to the line. Move the cursor into the graphics area and pick a point with the mouse’s pick button, then move the mouse to a new point and pick again. Use the mouse to select the LINE command icon from the Draw toolbar or type Line at the command line and press Enter. Figure Setting the Environment for AutoCAD 2008 Locate the DYN button in Figure 4.2 and turn it on by selecting it with the left-pick button of the mouse. Figure AutoCAD 2008 Screen LayoutĢ An Important Note to Users of this Student Guideįor the purposes of this Student Guide, it is assumed that the Workspaces mode is set to AutoCAD Classic, and that the DYN (Dynamic Entry) button on the Status Bar has been turned On. Find the Command Line noted in Figure 4.1, it is very important that beginners constantly refer to the command line because it offers important prompts and cues about what is needed next to successfully complete an AutoCAD command sequence.
This student guide refers to these menus and tool bars as well. Your instructor will call your attention to these various locations as you proceed with your CAD training. Study the AutoCAD Screen Layout shown in Figure 4.1 and acquaint yourself with the terminology used to describe its features. Moving the mouse causes the cursor to move in the graphics window of the drawing. A new AutoCAD drawing file will open similar to the one shown in Figure 4.1. This will launch the AutoCAD 2008 program. Use the mouse’s left pick button to Double Click on the AutoCAD 2008 icon located on the desktop of your computer. In the civil and architectural field, Land Desktop, Civil 3D, Microstation, and Revit are popular CAD programs. In mechanical design, Inventor, ProE, and Solidworks are three of the principal CAD programs, while in electronic design, Cadence and Mentor are widely used. Some CAD programs are designed to perform work in a specialized area. There are many other CAD programs on the market as well.
#How to use autocad 2008 for beginners software#
A single station of AutoCAD for a professional user is priced at about $3000, but a student version is available for much less through student software outlets.
Autodesk, the company that publishes AutoCAD software, reports that there are over six million AutoCAD users worldwide.
AutoCAD was one of the first CAD programs that could run on a PC. One of the most widely used CAD software programs is called AutoCAD. A CAD system consists of a personal computer (PC) or workstation coupled with a CAD software program. Introduction In most engineering and architectural offices, drafters and designers produce technical drawings using Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) systems.