Layers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Layers:
Using layers helps organize your work.  Each line and object should be assigned to a layer depending on what it is.  Common layers:

Add layers:- select layer properties

Add new layers: 

Creates layers for:

1. View 
2. Center 
3. hidden 
4. construction 
5. meter line

Set line types and line colors for each layer:To change something, just click on it.
You'll need to load the line types, then select one.  

Move the layer you are working on to the top:

Now that you have your layers set up, save your file as AcadLayers.dwt

Check under your startup menu - you should now have a new template:

                  
In the future you will not have to create layers every time you start a new drawing, you can just open up this template that has all of your layers set up!

Draw the orthographic views from the worksheets in your book.
 

Page 57 is show below to help you through this first one.  Note the green construction lines, dashed hidden lines, and solid border lines from the different layers. 

Switch between the green layer for construction lines, and a white layer for final lines, and a yellow layer for hidden lines.

You will draw on whichever layer is selected.  If you want to change the layer a line is on, just click on the line to select it, and then click on the layer you want that line to be on.  



Type in the exact coordinates for all your lines rather than just eyeballing it.  We will dimension these - if you did not type in the exact coordinates, your dimensions will be wrong, and you will have to re-do the entire thing. 

Note:  Make construction lines transparent in the layer properties
Use "Trim" command to delete unwanted lines
Turn on "snap" to draw lines without typing in coordinates

XLINE - creates a line that runs in either direction to infinity - great for making construction lines

DRAWORDER - Allows you to choose which line is on top if lines overlap one another



Use the up arrow on your keyboard, or enter, or space bar to get the previous command you were doing.  (instead of typing "LINE" over and over again, just hit enter)

A few (x,y) coordinates:  

 

Dimensions:  

Add a 45° miter line to line up top and right side views.

Selection tool tip:
Click left mouse button for a square, 
Hold down left mouse button for a lasso.

If you select something from the left to the right, it will only include what is entirely encompassed within your selection area:



If you select something from the right to the left, it will grab anything that is touching your selection area:



Next - change some lines into hidden lines!

"TRIM" off lines you don't want:
→TRIM
→ <select all> hit enter  (this selects your cutting lines)

note:  whatever is <inside these brackets> will be selected if you just hit enter.
→click on line segments that should be hidden to get rid of them.

Next - get onto your hidden layer:



Use your construction lines to add dashed, yellow, hidden lines in the right spots.  



Are the dashes too small?  Get into your layers box, and change the line type, or type in "LTSCALE"  and enter different values (1?  2? .5?)

Try changing the position of your coordinate system:






UCS  (enter)
Specify origin  (0,15) ← type in the coordinates of where you want the new origin to be

Specify point on x axis → click in the drawing area to orient the x axis horizontally

Specify y axis - click on screen to make the y axis point up.

Need to go back to the original coordinate system?   Just type in UCS (enter) then "W" for world

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Practice makes perfect! 
Try the ortho views for another ws! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More notes on CAD:

Applications Menu (Big red "A")

Everything in the work space can be customized - save your work space customizations in your template as well.

Example:
Right click on black screen > Display > set user preferences





If someone messes up all the toolbars and settings
Right click on black screen (or type "OPTIONS" into command line)

OPTIONS> Profiles tab> Reset  

SNAP: 
Restricts cursor movement to specified intervals.

GRID Rectangular pattern of lines or dots that covers the entire XY plane of the user coordinate system (UCS). Using the grid is similar to placing a sheet of grid paper under a drawing. The grid helps you align objects and visualize the distances between them. The grid is not plotted.

If you zoom in or out of your drawing, the grid spacing is adjusted automatically to be more appropriate for the new magnification. This feature is called adaptive grid display.

Set the Grid and snap intervals:

ORTHO:

Constrains cursor movement to the horizontal or vertical direction.

POLARIn polar arrays, items are evenly distributed about a center point or axis of rotation.

OSNAP: Object Snap, Snaps new line etc. to an object.

If you enter OSNAP at the Command prompt, the following prompts are displayed.
If you enter -OSNAP at the Command prompt, the following prompts are displayed.

Enter a list of object snap modes

Enter names of object snap modes separated with commas, or enter none or off.

Object Snap Modes

ENDpoint	CENter	TANgent
MIDpoint	NODe	NEArest
INTersection	QUAdrant	PARallel
EXTension	INSertion
APParent Intersection	PERpendicular

3DOSNAP3D Object Snap. Set the 3D object snap settings with 3DOSMODE system variable.

Note Because 3D object snaps can slow performance, select only the object snaps you need.

Example options:

OTRACK object snap tracking: Tracks along alignment paths that are based on object snap points.

DUCS  Defined user coordinate system ( UCS ) - change the location of the (0, 0, 0) origin point and the orientation of the XY plane and Z axis. You can locate and orient a UCS anywhere in 3D space, and you can define, save, and recall as many user coordinate systems as you require.

DYN  Dynamic input provides a command interface near the cursor in the drawing area.

LWT:  line weight.  Set line weights by layers.

TPY: Transparency, sets different layers to different transparency levels.

QP: Quick Properties, double click on anything to get it's properties box.

SC: Scale 

Esc - clear command line

Enter or Spacebar - usually repeats previous command, or accepts <default action>.
[command options] in square brackets, type the capital letter "L", "C", to activate command

<default action> inside <>

F1 -  open Help with information about the command in progress.  clicking the "?" also opens help.

F2 - TEXTSCR (or Ctrl F2) - enlarged, scrollable version of the command line

F3 - OSNAP - toggles running object snap mode on and off

F7 - GRID - Turns grid display on and off

F8 - ORTHO toggles ortho mode on and off

F9 - SNAP - Toggles snap mode on and off

F10 - POLAR - Toggles polar mode on and off

F12 -  toggles dynamic input on and off
(F3-F12 are shortcuts for stuff in the status bar)

up and down arrows - scroll through the commands you have used recently.

Ctrl + 0: toggles ribbon off and on to give you a larger working space.

Ctrl +9 turns on the command line - Do NOT turn off the command line.

It's going to be a little frustrating at first trying to remember all of the different commands.  Hang in there, you'll get used to all of it soon enough!

Scribble Page!

Create a 2D Scribble Page

You can use tools out of the ribbon, or type commands into the command line.

Some Common CAD Commands:
Remember for all of these CAD commands, WATCH THE COMMAND LINE.  The command line (at the bottom of the screen, where you type commands in) will give you instructions for what information CAD needs to complete the command. [Options are in square brackets], <default – what it will do if you just hit enter without typing anything in>.

What and How:
First tell CAD "what" you want to do, then tell it "How" you want to do it.

Drawing Commands:
LINE – draws straight lines, keeps drawing lines until you hit “ESC”.  Select line position by clicking on the screen, or entering (x,y) coordinates in the command line. Set linetype by layer.

XLINE – Line that extends to infinity in both directions.  In ortho mode, make horizontal or vertical xlines for construction.

Ray: Draws a line that starts at a point, and extends to infinity in one direction.

PLINE – Polyline, connected line segments that can either be straight (line) or curved (arc), etc.  To switch between line types, just watch the command line, and type in a different line type instead of selecting the next point. 

ARC – curved lines

CIRCLE – draws a circle with either defined r, d, or through 2 or 3 points.  Watch command line for [different options on how] to make a circle.

RECTANGLE – draws a rectangle

POLYGON – define how many sides you want it to have, then draw it inside or outside a circle of defined radius.

SPLINE - Write your name in cursive!

Modify Commands:

Click on object – grab the blue grips to move & stretch, or type the commands into the command line.  Watch the command line for instructions on what it wants you to do.  You will need to define a base point (reference point that the modify command centers around) for many of these.

MOVE – Moves object, watch the command line for instructions.

ROTATE – select object (enter), type "ROTATE" into command line, select base point (what you want to rotate around), enter, then enter the angle you want to tilt it at, or drag it by hand to tilt it.

EXPLODE – breaks up an object into multiple unattached lines, or a polyline into individual lines and curves.  Explode is helpful if you need to erase one line, or change just part of a shape.


JOIN – connects individual lines into one shape


MIRROR – creates a mirror image of an object

FILLET – creates a rounded corner 

FILLET with r = 0.0 can be used to clean up corners:

Shift-select second line, grabbing the part of the line you do not want cut away.  Now you have a nice corner instead of two intersecting lines!

CHAMFER – chops off a corner with a straight edge

STRETCH, EXTEND, LENGTHEN – elongates an object


EXTEND:
1st - pick boundary edge (what you want to extend to)
2nd - choose object to extend (or f for fence - choose multiple objects to extend

TRIM – Cuts off a line at an intersection with another line.

TRIM (enter)
 - select curved line, enter
- F (fence) enter
- draw a line through the edges you want to remove (horizontal lines on the right of the curved lines), enter

BREAK – take a chunk out of a line

ERASE – erase an object or line

UNDO – undoes your last action

ARRAY – makes multiple copies of an object Rectangular Array:

POLAR ARRAY: copies a single object into rows around a central point.

SCALE – makes an object larger or smaller by a defined amount.  First select your object(s), then define your base point (what everything is going to shrink or expand around), then enter a scaling number (0.5 makes it half the size it was, 2 makes it twice as big)

OFFSET – creates a second set of parallel lines around an object – useful for making walls etc.

Text:

TEXT – single line text, the words you type in will not be attached to one another, and can be moved independently.

MTEXT – multiline text, everything you type in will be grouped together, so you can change the size, move it to a new location, etc. together.

Select text, then right click on it, select “properties” to change the size etc.


Use the tools in draw, modify, and annotate to make the most psychedelic design you can.  

Hugo's scribble:


Heather's:

Judy's design!