What is CAD?

CAD (computer-aided design) is the use of computer-based software to aid

in design processes. CAD software is frequently used by different types of
engineers and designers. CAD software can be used to create two-
dimensional (2-D) drawings or three-dimensional (3-D) models.
The purpose of CAD is to optimize and streamline the designer's
workflow, increase productivity, improve the quality and level of detail in
the design, improve documentation communications and often contribute
toward a manufacturing design database. CAD software outputs come in
the form of electronic files, which are then used accordingly for
manufacturing processes.
CAD is often used in tandem with digitized manufacturing processes.
CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) is
software used to design products such as electronic circuit boards in
computers and other devices.
Who uses CAD?
in a wide variety of professions. CAD software is used heavily within
various architecture, arts and engineering projects. CAD use cases are
specific to industry and job functions. Professions that use CAD tools
include, but are not limited to:

 Architects
 Engineers
 City planners
 Graphic designers
 Animation illustrators
 Drafters
 Fashion designers
 Interior designers
 Exterior designers
 Game designers
 Product designers
 Industrial designers
 Manufacturers
Advantages of CAD?
Compared to traditional technical sketching and manual drafting, the use of
CAD design tools can have significant benefits for engineers and
designers:
 Lower production costs for designs;
 Quicker project completion due to efficient workflow and design
process;
 Changes can be made independent of other design details, without the
need to completely re-do a sketch;
 Higher quality designs with documentation (such as angles,
measurements, presets) built into the file;
 Clearer designs, better legibility and ease of interpretation by
collaborators, as handmade drawings are not as clear or detailed;
 Use of digital files can make collaborating with colleagues more
simple; and
 Software features can support generative design, solid modeling, and
other technical functions.
What are the utility commands in AutoCAD?
Command Description

PAN Shifts the location of the drawing

REDRAW Refreshes the display in the current viewport

ZOOM PT [point] Zooms to a point

ZOOM [WINDOW, EXTENTS, PREVIOUS, W, P, Zooms according to one of the specified

E, A] parameters

What is editing command in AutoCAD?

By default, many common AutoCAD editing commands (such as PEDIT,
JOIN, ROTATE, and TRIM) can be used on features directly. Editing a
polygon feature using grips. Use PEDIT on a single or multipart feature.
You can edit polygonal features and linear features (with or without M or
Z values), but not point features.
Erase
Erases the selected object from the drawing. Can also be activated by
pressing the delete key on the keyboard. Shortcut "e" (not very helpful
because there is delete key)
Also erases the objects by selected objects for example. select the objects
which you want to erase and then select the erase tool and press key enter
New Method
Copy
Copies the selected object from one point on the drawing to one or more
locations. The user defines two points and the object is copied using these
two positions as base points. For example, the user could select 100,100 as
the first point and 100,200 as the second point. This would place the copy
100 drawing units above the first. Points can either be entered using the
keyboard or by clicking anywhere in the drawing. Shortcut "cp"/"co"
Mirror
Creates a mirror image of the selected object. The user defines two points,
along which AutoCAD generates a "line of reflection" and the reflected
object is generated across this line with all components reversed. The user
is then asked if they want to keep or delete the original. One problem with
the mirror command is that if any text is included in the mirroring
operation, it too is reversed making it unreadable and ridiculous. To fix
this, type "MIRRTEXT" at the command line and change the value to 0.
Shortcut "mi"
Offset
An offset is like a copy but is more precise and must be used for certain
situations as the result is likely to be slightly bigger or smaller than the
original. For example, consider a line that represents the edge of a road.
This line contains several curved segments, and you would like to make a
copy of this line to represent the opposite side of the road. A direct copy
won't work, because the radius of the inside of a curve is much tighter than
on the outside. The offset command allows you to simply define how far
away and on which side you would like the copy to be made, and
AutoCAD will take it from there. Shortcut "o"
Array
An array is a quick way of doing a lot of copying, as long as all the copies
are arranged in a simplistic way. There are two types of array; polar and
grid. For a polar array, AutoCAD asks the user how many copies they want
to make, and requests a centre point and a number of degrees to fill.
AutoCAD then sweeps round this centre point making copies of the
selected object in a circular pattern. For a grid array, the user selects how
many rows and columns they require, as well as the spacings between them
and AutoCAD instantly duplicates the selected object(s) as many times as
necessary. Shortcut "ar" In other words The array is the command used to
draw multiple copies of an object in a particular pattern or order.
Move
Works exactly the same as the copy command except the original is
deleted. Shortcut "m"
Rotate
The user selects the object(s) to be rotated, a centre point, and defines the
number of degrees to revolve through. The original is deleted, so if a copy
is desired the polar array tool should be used. (Though, since AutoCAD
2006, a "Copy" option is included in this command, making it possible to
retain the original objects) Shortcut "ro"
Scale
The object(s) are selected, and a basic point and scaling factor are defined.
An easy way of changing a drawing from metres to millimetres is to scale
everything up by a factor of 1000. Shortcut "SC"

List of Draw Commands in AutoCAD

These AutoCAD commands are essential for creating precise geometric
shapes. Mastering them can significantly increase your productivity in
CAD design.
LINE: It is used to draw a straight line between two points. Simply type
“LINE” into the command line and select the starting point. Then select the
endpoint. You can also specify the length and angle of the line by typing in
specific values.
CIRCLE: It draws a circle or an arc. To use this command, type
“CIRCLE” into the command line and specify the center point and radius.
You can also create an arc by specifying the start and end angles.
ARC: It draws an arc of a circle. To use this command, type “ARC” into
the command line. Then specify the center point, radius, and start and end
angles.
OFFSET: This creates a parallel line or curve at a specific distance from
an existing line or curve. To use this command, type “OFFSET” into the
command line and select the object you want to offset. Lastly, specify the
distance.
TRIM: The TRIM command trims off parts of an object that extend
beyond another object. To use this command, type “TRIM” into the
command line and select the objects you want to trim. Then select the
object that will be used as the cutting edge.
EXTEND: The EXTEND command extends an object to meet another
object. To use this command, type “EXTEND” into the command line and
select the object you want to extend. Then select the object that will be
used as the boundary edge.
FILLET: The FILLET command rounds off the corners of two
intersecting objects. To use this command, type “FILLET” into the
command line, select the first object, and select the second object. Then
specify the radius of the fillet.
CHAMFER: It creates a beveled edge between two intersecting objects.
To use this command, type “CHAMFER” into the command line, select
the first object, and select the second object. Then specify the distance and
angle of the chamfer.
MIRROR: This command is used to create a mirror image of an object.
To use this command, type “MIRROR” into the command line and select
the object you want to mirror. Then select the mirror line.
ARRAY: The ARRAY command creates a pattern of multiple objects. To
use this command, type “ARRAY” into the command line, select the
object you want to duplicate, and specify the number of rows and columns.
Then specify the spacing between the objects.
RECTANGLE: The RECTANGLE command draws rectangles. To use
this command, type “RECTANGLE” in the command line. Specify the
first corner point and then specify the opposite corner point.
POLYLINE: The POLYLINE command draws a series of connected lines
and arcs. To use this command, type “POLYLINE” in the command line
and specify the first point. Then continue adding points.
HATCH: The HATCH command fills an enclosed area with a pattern. To
use this command, type “HATCH” in the command line and select the area
to be hatched. Then specify the hatch pattern and scale.
DIMENSION: The DIMENSION command adds dimensions to your
drawing. To use this command, type “DIMENSION” in the command line
and select the objects to be dimensioned. Then specify the location and
type of dimension.
MTEXT: The MTEXT command adds multiline text to your drawing. To
use this command, type “MTEXT” in the command line and specify the
insertion point. Then enter your text.

List of Modify Commands in AutoCAD

Now it’s time to experiment with the properties and make necessary design
changes. The following instructions will be helpful at this stage:
ADCENTER/ADC: This command allows you to insert or manage
content such as blocks, hatch patterns, and xrefs. You can access the
content from a single dialog box, making it easier to find and use.
ALIGN/AL: This command allows you to align objects with other objects
in 2D and 3D. You can align objects based on different criteria such as
endpoints, centers, and edges.
BASE: This command allows you to alter the base point of a drawing
without changing its origin. You can move the base point to a different
location. It can be useful when working with blocks or other objects.
B PARAMETER/PARAM: This command allows you to add a parameter
with grips to a dynamic block definition. You can use this command to
make a block more flexible.
BREAK: This command allows you to create a break (or gaps) in objects
at one or two points. You can use this command to break up a line or
object into smaller parts.
BSAVE: This command allows you to save the current block definition.
You can use this command to save a block you created or modified.
BURST: This command allows you to explode a block but retain its
attribute settings and layer definition. You can use this command to
convert a block back into individual objects.
CHA/CHAMFER: This command allows you to add slanted edges to
sharp corners of objects. You can use this command to add a bevel
or chamfer to the corner of a shape.
COPYBASE: This command allows you to copy an object according to a
base point. You can use this command to make a copy of an object.
DIVIDE: This command allows you to divide objects into multiple equal
parts. You can use this command to create evenly-spaced points or lines.
F/FILLET: This command allows you to add rounded corners to the sharp
edges of objects. You can use this command to make the corners of a shape
smoother.
LA/LAYERS: This command allows you to open the Layer Properties
Manager Palette. It allows you to tweak the settings for layers. You can use
this command to manage the properties of different layers.
MA/MATCHPROPERTIES: This command allows you to copy the
properties of one object onto another. You can use this command to
quickly apply the same properties to multiple objects.
MOCORO: This command allows you to move, copy, rotate, and scale an
object in one command. You can use this command to perform multiple
modifications to an object at once.
OVERKILL: This command allows you to remove overlapping or
unnecessary objects from your work. You can use this command to clean
up your drawing and improve its performance.
PURGE: This command allows you to remove unused objects from a
drawing. You can use this command to remove any objects that are no
longer needed in your drawing.
SC/SCALE: This command allows you to change the scale of an object.
You can use this command to resize an object without changing its
proportions.
SCALETEXT: This command allows you to change the scale of the text.
You can use it to resize text to fit a specific space.
TEXTFIT: This command allows you to alter the size of a piece of text.
You can use it to resize text to fit a specific area.
TEXTTOFRONT: Brings annotations to the front.
TORIENT: Changes the orientation of the text.
TR/TRIM: Trims a shape or line.
UNITS: Alters the unit settings of your drawing.
X/EXPLODE: Breaks up an object into its individual components—i.e., a
polyline into simple lines.
XBIND/XB: Binds the definitions of named objects in an xref.
 Method of draw an arc in auto cad
To create an arc, you can specify combinations of center,
endpoint, start point, radius, angle, chord length, and
direction values. Arcs are drawn in a counterclockwise
direction by default. Hold down the Ctrl key as you drag to
draw in a clockwise direction.
You can draw arcs using any of the following methods:
1) Three points on an arc
2) Start point-center-endpoint
3) Start point-endpoint-center
4) Center-start point-endpoint
5) Start point-center-included angle
6) Start point-included angle-center
7) Center-start point-included angle
Methods of drawing circle in AutoCAD
The Circle Command in AutoCAD offers several ways to
draw circles, including the Center, Radius method, 2-Point
method, Tan, Tan, Radius method, and Tan, Tan, Tan
method. To draw a circle, users need to click on the Circle
tool in the top Ribbon Panel and initiate the Circle
Command.
a) 3P (Three Points) Creates a circle based on three
points on the circumference.
b) Tan, Tan, Tan. Creates a circle tangent to three
objects.
c) 2P (Two Points) Creates a circle based on two
endpoints of the diameter.
d) TTR (Tangent, Tangent, Radius)