INTRODUCTION
Computer Aided Drafting is a process of preparing a drawing of an object on the screen of a
Computer. There are various types of drawings in different fields of engineering and
sciences.
In the fields of mechanical or aeronautical engineering, the drawings of machine components
and the layouts of them are prepared. In the field of civil engineering, plans and layouts of the
Buildings are prepared. In the field of electrical engineering, the layouts of power distribution
System are prepared. In all fields of engineering use of computer is made for drawing and
Drafting.
The use of CAD process provides enhanced graphics capabilities which allows any designer
to
• Conceptualize his ideas
• Modify the design very easily
• Perform animation
• Make design calculations
• Use colors, fonts and other aesthetic features.
REASONS FOR IMPLEMENTING A CAD SYSTEM
1. Increases the productivity of the designer: CAD improves the productivity of the
Designer to visualize the product and its component, parts and reduces the time required in
Synthesizing, analyzing and documenting the design
2. Improves the quality of the design: CAD system improves the quality of the design.
A CAD system permits a more detailed engineering analysis and a larger number of design
Alternatives can be investigated. The design errors are also reduced because of the greater
Accuracy provided by the system
3. Improves communication: It improves the communication in design. The use of a
CAD system provides better engineering drawings, more standardization in the drawing,
Better documentation of the design, few drawing errors and legibility.
4. Create data base for manufacturing: In the process of creating the documentation
for these products, much of the required data base to manufacture the products is also created.
5. Improves the efficiency of the design: It improves the efficiency of the design
process and the wastage at the design stage can be reduced.
APPLICATION OF CAD:
There are various processes which can be performed by use of computer in the
drafting process.
1. Automated drafting: This involves the creation of hard copy engineering drawings
directly from CAD data base. Drafting also includes features like automatic dimensioning,
generation of cross – hatched areas, scaling of the drawing and the capability to develop
sectional views and enlarged views in detail. It has ability to perform transformations of
images and prepare 3D drawings like isometric views, perspective views etc.,
2. Geometric modeling: concerned with the computer compatible mathematical
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description of the geometry of an object. The mathematical description allows the image of
an object to be displayed and manipulated on a graphics terminal through signals from the
CPU of the CAD system. The software that provides geometric modeling capabilities must be
designed for efficient use both by computer and the human designer.
BENEFITS OF CAD:
The implementation of the CAD system provides variety of benefits to the industries
in design and production as given below:
1. Improved productivity in drafiting
2. Shorter preparation time for drawing
3. Reduced man power requirement
4. Customer modifications in drawing are easier
5. More efficient operation in drafting
6. Low wastage in drafting
7. Minimized transcription errors in drawing
8. Improved accuracy of drawing
9. Assistance in preparation of documentation
10. Better designs can be evolved
11. Revisions are possible
12. Colours can be used to customize the product
13. Production of orthographic projections with dimensions and tolerances
14. Hatching of all sections with different filling patterns
15. Preparation of assembly or sub assembly drawings
16. Preparation of part list
17. Machining and tolerance symbols at the required surfaces
18. Hydraulic and pneumatic circuit diagrams with symbols
19. Printing can be done to any scale
LIMITATIONS OF CAD
1. 32– bit word computer is necessary because of large amount of computer memory and time
2. The size of the software package is large
3. Skill and judgment are required to prepare the drawing
4. Huge investment
CAD SOFTWARES
The software is an interpreter or translator which allows the user to perform specific
type of application or job related to CAD.
AUTOCAD
Auto CAD package is suitable for accurate and perfect drawings of engineering
designs
User Interface Tour
The AutoCAD user interface was designed to be intuitive and user-friendly. Even if you are
at the beginner’s level for AutoCAD, you should still be able to easily navigate through the
software.
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Upon first opening the program, you can either start drawing from a template of your choice,
or open a recent document. If there is any product update information (like the opportunity to
get the current version of software), you’ll see it available in the notifications button. Lastly,
you can also log into A360 Connect from this screen.
The drawing area is where you can create and modify objects. This area allows for lots of
flexibility with view cubes, navigation bars, and much more. From this view, you have many
other options to aid in the creative process.
Viewport controls allow you to adjust both visual styles and views directly on the viewport
canvas.
Through the navigation bar, you’ll find frequently used tools such as steering wheels, view
cube, and show motion, as well as pan, zoom, and orbit.
Planar segments can now be detected in point clouds using dynamic UCS tools, allowing you
to draw geometry directly on a point cloud.
The AutoCAD ribbon gallery offers a fast and intuitive workflow while the quick access
toolbar lets you easily reach the tools you most commonly use.
Command preview helps you reduce the number of Undo commands you make by letting you
evaluate the potential changes of commands such as Offset, Fillet, and Trim. When you are
ready to see your creation in 3D, use the workspace control buttons to get to a 3D workspace.
Customization of the user interface is done by modifying the XML-based customization
(CUIx) file with the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor. After a command is defined, it
can be used to create a button or a response to an action in the drawing area. Default
shortcut keys are available for your reference on the Autodesk Knowledge Network.
You can edit customization (CUIx) files to make the following changes:
Add, delete, or change user interface elements, such as ribbon tabs and panels, and Quick
Access toolbars
Create or change workspaces
Create or change macros and tooltips for commands
Create or change double-click actions
Create or change keyboard shortcuts and temporary overrides
Control the properties displayed when using rollover tooltips and the Quick Properties palette
Create and load new CUIx files
Guide to AutoCAD Basics
The included commands are grouped together according to types of activity, and are arranged
to follow a general workflow. The following sections are covered:
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BASICS:
This section reviews the basic AutoCAD controls.
After you launch AutoCAD, click the Start Drawing button to begin a new drawing.
AutoCAD includes a standard tabbed ribbon across the top of the drawing area. You can
access nearly all the commands presented in this guide from the Home tab. In addition, the
Quick Access toolbar shown below includes familiar commands such as New, Open, Save,
Print, Undo, and so on.
The Command Window
At the heart of AutoCAD is the Command window, which is normally docked at the bottom
of the application window. The Command window displays prompts, options, and messages.
You can enter commands directly in the Command window instead of using the ribbon,
toolbars, and menus. Many long-time AutoCAD users prefer this method.
Notice that as you start to type a command, an autocomplete menu appears. When several
options are available, such as in the example below, make your choice by clicking the correct
option or using the arrow keys and then pressing Enter or the Spacebar to confirm your
selection.
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The Mouse
Most people use a mouse as their pointing device, but other devices have equivalent controls
New Drawings
You can easily conform to industry or company standards by specifying settings for text,
dimensions, linetypes, and several other features. For example, this backyard deck design
displays two different dimension styles.
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All these settings can be saved in a drawing template file. Click New to choose from several
drawing template files:
For imperial drawings that assume your units are inches, use acad.dwt or acadlt.dwt.
For metric units that assume your units are millimeters, use acadiso.dwt or acadltiso.dwt.
Most companies use drawing template files that conform to company standards, and they will
often use different drawing template files depending on the project or client.
Units
When you first start a drawing, you need to decide what the length of one unit represents—an
inch, a foot, a centimeter, a kilometer, or some other unit of length. For example, the objects
below could represent two buildings that are each 125 feet long, or they could represent a
section from a mechanical part that is measured in millimeters.
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Unit Display Settings
After you decide what unit of length that you want to use, the UNITS command lets you
control several unit display settings including the following:
Format (or Type): For example, a decimal length of 6.5 can be set to display as a fractional
length of 6-1/2 instead.
Precision: For example, a decimal length of 6.5 can be set to display as 6.50, 6.500, or
6.5000.
If you plan to work in feet and inches, use the UNITS command to set the unit type to
Architectural, and then when you create objects, specify their lengths in inches. If you plan to
use metric units, leave the unit type set to Decimal. Changing the unit format and precision
does not affect the internal precision of your drawing, it affects only how lengths, angles, and
coordinates are displayed in the user interface.
Model Scale
Always create your models at full size (1:1 scale). The term model refers to the geometry of
your design. A drawing includes the model geometry along with the views, notes,
dimensions, callouts, tables, and the title block displayed in the layout.
You can specify the scaling that is necessary to print a drawing on a standard-sized sheet
later, when you create the layout.
Recommendations
To open Help for information about the command in progress, press F1.
To repeat the previous command, press Enter or the Spacebar.
To see various options, select an object and right-click or right-click a user interface element.
To cancel a command in progress or if you ever feel stuck, press Esc. For example, if you
click in the drawing area before entering a command, you will see something like the
following:
