AutoCAD Basic Tutorial for Beginners - Part 1 of 3

Summary

This three-part video series on Source CAD introduces complete beginners to AutoCAD software. Starting with the basics like user interface and commands, it progresses to creating basic drawings, using draw and modify tools, and precise drawing techniques with object snaps. The tutorial covers layer management, blocks, dimensions, and printing. It highlights the differences between AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT versions and provides navigation tips, selection methods, and setting units for accurate drawings.

Takeaways

• 😀 The tutorial is designed for complete beginners in AutoCAD with no prior knowledge of the software.
• 🖥️ AutoCAD has two versions: AutoCAD 2020 (complete) and AutoCAD LT (a lighter version without 3D tools).
• 🖱️ Windows and Mac versions of AutoCAD have similar functionalities but differ in user interface layouts.
• 📐 The video covers essential commands and tools like setting units, drawing with lines, modifying objects, and navigating the drawing space.
• 💡 Line commands can be activated either by clicking icons or using shortcuts like 'L' for the line tool.
• 👆 The middle mouse button is used for navigation, allowing users to pan and zoom within drawings.
• 🖼️ There are three selection methods: window selection, crossing selection, and lasso selection, each useful for selecting different objects in drawings.
• 📏 It’s crucial to set units (like inches or millimeters) before starting a drawing to ensure accuracy.
• 🔢 Polar tracking and dynamic input features assist in drawing lines at specific angles or with precise measurements.
• 🎯 Auto mode ensures lines are drawn only at 90-degree angles, while polar tracking allows for drawing at other customizable angles.

Q & A

What is the target audience for the Source CAD tutorial series?

The tutorial series is designed for complete beginners in AutoCAD who have no prior knowledge of the software.

What is covered in the three-part AutoCAD beginner tutorial series?

The series covers the basics of the user interface, setting units, working with commands, making basic drawings, using draw and modify tools, object snaps for precision, drawing management tools like layers, working with blocks, adding dimensions, and printing drawings.

What are the two variants of AutoCAD software mentioned in the script?

The two variants of AutoCAD software mentioned are AutoCAD Complete and AutoCAD LT. The LT version is a lighter version with limited features, lacking advanced tools like 3D modeling and sheet sets.

How does the user interface differ between AutoCAD for Windows and Mac?

While the functionality of AutoCAD is the same on both Windows and Mac, the user interface is slightly different on a Mac. The tools, commands, and their operation are the same, but the layout and location of certain tools may vary.

How do you start a new drawing in AutoCAD?

To start a new drawing in AutoCAD, you select the 'Start Drawing' box on the start screen, which will open a new tab.

What is the purpose of the application button in AutoCAD?

The application button in AutoCAD provides access to frequently used tools.

How can you activate a command in AutoCAD?

You can activate a command in AutoCAD by clicking on its icon in the ribbon area or by using the command alias, which is a shortcut for the command.

What is the function of the command line in AutoCAD?

The command line in AutoCAD is used to input commands, specify points, and display instructions for the current operation.

How do you navigate and zoom in AutoCAD?

You can navigate by holding the middle mouse wheel to move the drawing, and zoom in or out by rotating the mouse wheel while the cursor is at a desired point.

What is the difference between a selection window and a crossing window in AutoCAD?

A selection window in AutoCAD selects objects completely inside the window, while a crossing window selects objects that touch the boundary of the window, even if they are not completely inside.

How do you set the units in AutoCAD?

You set the units in AutoCAD by typing 'UN' followed by 'I' to open the 'Drawing Units' window, where you can select the desired units and length type.

How can you draw a line at a specific angle in AutoCAD?

You can draw a line at a specific angle by using the line command, typing the angle value followed by the length, or by using the Polar Tracking feature on the status bar to lock the angle.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Introduction to AutoCAD Software

This paragraph introduces the video series on AutoCAD software, specifically designed for complete beginners. The speaker outlines the series, which starts with basic concepts like the user interface, setting units, and using commands. It progresses to creating basic drawings with drawing and modifying tools, then moves on to more advanced topics like object snaps for precision, layers for drawing management, blocks for symbols, dimensions, and finally printing drawings. The speaker emphasizes that the tutorial is for a three-part beginner series and encourages viewers to start with the basics of making a simple drawing.

05:01

🖱️ Navigating and Selecting in AutoCAD

The second paragraph focuses on navigation and selection tools within AutoCAD. It explains how to use the middle mouse wheel to move the drawing and the mouse wheel to zoom in and out, with the zoom center based on the cursor's position. The speaker also covers object selection methods, including clicking directly, using a selection window, crossing window, and lasso selection. The paragraph concludes with a discussion on setting units for drawings, with a demonstration of changing the unit from millimeters to inches and explaining the difference between decimal and architectural formats.

10:02

📏 Drawing with Lines and Angles

In this paragraph, the speaker demonstrates how to use the line tool to create a set of drawings. They explain how to start the line command, specify points, and input lengths to draw lines of specific lengths. The tutorial also covers how to incline lines at specific angles by typing angle values after the length. Additionally, the speaker introduces the polar tracking feature on the status bar, which helps in drawing lines at set angle intervals, and the ortho mode for restricting lines to horizontal or vertical orientations.

15:02

🔄 Using Dynamic Input for Precision

The final paragraph of the script discusses dynamic input, a feature that provides real-time length and angle tooltips while drawing. The speaker shows how to activate dynamic input using the function key F12 or the status bar toggle and demonstrates its use in drawing lines with specific lengths and angles. They also explain how to lock the length and input the angle, providing a visual reference for more precise drawings. The paragraph ends with a teaser for the next video, which will cover additional drawing and modifying tools.

Keywords

💡AutoCAD

AutoCAD is a commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application. It is widely used by architects, engineers, and other professionals to create 2D and 3D design and documentation. In the video, AutoCAD is the main software being introduced to beginners, with the tutorial focusing on its use for drafting and design.

💡User Interface

The user interface refers to the visual elements and interactions through which a user interacts with a software application. In the context of the video, the user interface of AutoCAD is being introduced, including its various components such as the application button, quick access toolbar, and ribbon area.

💡Commands

Commands in AutoCAD are instructions given by the user to execute specific actions within the software. They can be initiated through clicking icons, typing command aliases, or using the command line. The video explains how to use commands to start drawing lines and other shapes, which is fundamental to creating designs in AutoCAD.

💡Drawing Area

The drawing area is the space within the AutoCAD interface where the actual design work takes place. It is where users can visualize their creations. The script mentions the drawing area when instructing viewers on how to start drawing lines and navigate through their designs.

💡Navigation Tools

Navigation tools in AutoCAD allow users to move around and zoom in and out of their drawings for better visualization and precision. The video script describes using the middle mouse wheel to navigate the drawing area, which is crucial for managing large or detailed designs.

💡Selection

Selection in AutoCAD refers to the process of choosing objects within the drawing for modification or manipulation. The video explains different selection methods, including point selection, window selection, and crossing selection, which are essential for users to interact with their designs effectively.

💡Units

Units in AutoCAD define the measurement system used in a drawing, such as millimeters or inches. Setting the correct units is crucial for accurate design work. The video script guides beginners on how to set units, which is a foundational step before starting any new drawing.

💡Line Tool

The line tool is a fundamental drawing tool in AutoCAD used to create straight-line segments. The video script provides a tutorial on how to use the line tool to start making basic drawings, including specifying lengths and angles, which is essential for constructing geometric shapes and layouts.

💡Polar Tracking

Polar tracking is a feature in AutoCAD that assists users in drawing lines at specific angles. The video explains how to activate polar tracking and use it to create lines at set angle intervals, such as 30 or 60 degrees, which is useful for aligning objects in a drawing.

💡Dynamic Input

Dynamic Input is a feature that provides real-time visual feedback on the properties of objects being drawn, such as length and angle. The video script demonstrates how to use dynamic input to input values directly while drawing lines, which enhances precision and efficiency in the design process.

💡Ortho Mode

Ortho mode is a setting in AutoCAD that restricts the drawing to horizontal or vertical lines, which is useful for creating orthogonal designs. The video script mentions how to enable or disable ortho mode, which is an important tool for maintaining alignment in technical drawings.

Highlights

Introduction to AutoCAD software for complete beginners.

Tutorial series covers basics like user interface, setting units, and commands.

Moving on to basic drawings, using draw and modify tools.

Learning about precise drawing tools like object snaps.

Introduction to drawing management tools such as layers.

Explanation of blocks, symbols in AutoCAD.

Guidance on making dimensions in drawings.

Instructions on how to print drawings from AutoCAD.

Differences between AutoCAD Complete and AutoCAD LT versions.

User interface differences between Windows and Mac versions of AutoCAD.

How to start a new drawing in AutoCAD.

Overview of the AutoCAD software interface components.

Explanation of how to use commands and command aliases in AutoCAD.

Creating the first basic drawing with the line tool.

Navigation tools and how to use the middle mouse wheel.

Selection methods in AutoCAD: click, window, crossing, and lasso.

Setting units in AutoCAD and changing from millimeters to inches.

Creating a line with a specific length using the line tool.

Using angle values in conjunction with the line tool.

Utilizing polar tracking for precise angle drawing.

Ortho mode for restricting line drawing to 90-degree angles.

Dynamic input feature for easy entry of length and angle values.

Next steps: learning about other draw and modify tools.

Transcripts

hello and welcome to source cad

in this three-part video series

i will

introduce you to autocad software so

this tutorial series is for a complete

beginner in autocad who has absolutely

no knowledge of this software whatsoever

so in this autocad beginner series of

videos i will start with the basics and

i'll introduce you with the user

interface and

setting units

and working with commands then later on

we'll move to making basic drawings

using draw and modify tools and then

we'll learn about tools that let you

make precise drawings like object snaps

further we'll move into

some drawing management tools like

layers

then we'll talk about blocks which are

symbols in autocad and then we'll talk

about making dimensions and finally

we'll print our drawing so all these

things in just this three part autocad

tutorial for beginner series so let's

get started

[Music]

so in this first part we'll learn about

making the basic drawing now when you

start autocad for the very first time

this is how your interface is going to

look like it also depends on the

software which you are using and its

version autocad as of now comes in two

different variants it has autocad

complete version which is called

autodesk autocad 2020 in this case

because it's the 2020 version which i'm

using and the second one is autodesk

autocad lt the lt version is the lighter

version of autocad

which has limited set of features

although all the basic features are

similar in both the softwares is still

some advanced features like 3d tools and

sheet sets are not available in autocad

lt apart from that

everything is same for autocad as well

as autocad lte including the user

interface

now i am using autocad for windows here

but if you are a mac user you will find

the user interface little different

although functionally they are exactly

the same the tools commands and

everything is exactly the same they'll

work in a similar way

but the user interface will be different

and you may have to figure out the place

where some of these tools are in the mac

environment but if you're using windows

well you're good to go with this

tutorial now this is the start screen of

autocad software and to start a new

drawing all you need to do is just

select the start drawing

box here

and it will start a new tab

so now here we have different parts of

the autocad software

the first one is application button on

the top left which has all the

frequently used tools the quick access

toolbar again similar set of tools

on quick access toolbar then we have the

tabs and the ribbon area on this ribbon

area we have tabs like home insert

annotate parametric and so on and on

these tabs we have the panels and on

these panels we have the tools and

commands to activate any command all you

need to do is just click on its icon and

the command will start also you can use

the command alias which is also called

the shortcut for the command for example

if you want to start line command you

can just click here or you can use its

command alias l so you can just type l

press enter to start the line command

now this is the drawing area on which

everything is actually drawn in autocad

and then we have right beneath this

drawing area the command bar or the

command line or the command palette

whatever you want to call it

and finally we have the status bar

toggles right here these are status bar

toggles help us in making precise

drawings in articad we'll talk about

that also

so

let's first make our very first drawing

quickly for that i'll go to line tool

and i'll just left click

now when you do that you'll notice that

your cursor will look like this two

intersecting lines this type of cursor

is called point selection cursor

also right next to cursor you'll see

this kind of tool tip now if you have

this kind of tool tape that's fine this

is called dynamic input tooltip if you

don't that's also fine you can bring it

using f12 function key so press f12 if

you don't have it and if you have it

don't press f12 key now in this case i

will

not use this dynamic input so i'm gonna

press f12 just to make it disappear

and now we have this empty cursor

now we need to start with the first

point as you can see here on the command

line the instruction is clear you need

to specify first point so click at a

point and that's going to be your first

point now click again and that will be

the second point click again third point

click again fourth point all right

and here we have the very first drawing

once you have finished making your

drawing press enter to exit from the

command

because after making line your command

will still remain active

so now let's talk about the navigation

tools

so here we have the simple triangle now

if you want to navigate in your drawing

if you want to move this triangle around

then you can do that

using your middle mouse wheel so

inaudible to use a three button mouse

the left click right click in the middle

mouse wheel these buttons should be

there and to move this drawing all you

need to do is press and hold the middle

mouse wheel when you do that your cursor

will change to this hand icon

now

move your mouse and the whole drawing

will move along with it

don't let go your mouse just move it

like this

now let go your mouse wheel and if you

move it only your cursor will move now

now if you move your cursor to any point

and then rotate your mouse wheel it will

zoom in your drawing in the opposite

direction it will zoom out also the

point where you put your cursor will

become the point

which will be zoomed in or zoomed out

to select anything in your drawing all

you need to do is just click on it and

that object will be selected

to deselect anything press escape key

and it will deselect your selection or

it will just remove everything from your

selection set

also to exit any command you can press

escape key and you can press escape key

couple of times it won't make any

difference

now before moving on i'm going to make

another drawing here i'll just make a

circle so i'll go to circle i'll click

at a point and i'll click at another

point

so now we have a triangle and a circle

so if you want to select anything in

autocad as i mentioned earlier you can

select it using this left click so hover

your cursor over the boundary and left

click it will be selected that's easy

but if you have a lot of objects in your

drawing and if you want to make that

kind of selection then you can use the

windows so

click at a point and let go your cursor

then move

your mouse to the right and you're gonna

get this window this window this solid

window is called selection window and

everything which is completely inside

this window will be selected

in this case the circle is selected as

it is completely inside this window

now if i click here and i'll move to

this side i'm gonna get this window

which is the solid window and everything

which is inside the window will be

selected now the second window is

crossing window and

for this click let go your cursor don't

click and hold your cursor just click

and let go

now move your mouse to the left and

you're gonna get this dashed window

which is also called the crossing window

in this case any object which even

touches the boundary of this crossing

window will be selected so in this case

the circle and two lines of the triangle

they are simply touching it they're not

completely inside and if you click

they'll still be selected like this so

i'll press escape to get rid of this

selection and then we have the third

kind of selection set which is called

the lasso selection so press and hold

your left click now move your mouse and

you're gonna get this kind of lasso

selection so if you press and hold

you'll get this lasso selection if you

press your left click let go you'll get

this window selection that's it now

let's move to the units and for that

i'll delete this drawing so i'll make

the window

and delete

so before you begin any drawing the

first and the basic thing that you would

want to do is set the proper units

to set the unit

type un and if you type anything

in autocad it will always type that in

the command line you don't actually need

to click here in the command line and

then type anything you just need to

start typing and it will type the

commands directly here on the command

line so i've got unit so u n i'll press

enter and the drawing units window will

pop up

now here we have the unit option it is

right now set to millimeters i'll change

it to inches you can select from any of

these units and if you don't want any of

these units then you can also select

unit less which will not select any kind

of unit for this but in this case i will

select inches for the unit

now for the length type you can select

decimal if you want it in this kind of

format in the decimal format so in this

decimal format if you type 4 it will be

4 inches if you type 5 it will be 5 if

you type 12 it will be 12 inches and so

on but if you want a proper fit and inch

format you can select architectural and

now you'll get your output in the form

of feet and inches and now in this case

if you type 4 it will be 4 inches if you

type 5 it will be 5 inches but if you

type 12 it will now change to 1 feet

which is obviously equal to 12 inches so

you can directly type the inch value or

you can also type the feet values in

this architectural format so for now

i'll go to decimal i'll click on ok

and now we're using inches as our unit

now let's talk about making the first

set of drawing and we'll do that using

line tool

so

you can click here to select the line

command or you can also use its command

alias l

so i'll type l and press enter to start

the line command

now we need to start from a point as you

can see here the instruction says you

need to start from point so i'll just

click here and now

i'll move my cursor to the right

when you do that

autocad will show you this tooltip on

which you'll see the approximate length

of the line in this case it's

1719.8058 unit so that's pretty big

let's make a line of length 100 units so

i'm going to type 100

and press enter

and we'll have a line of length 100 unit

which is pretty tiny here so let's zoom

in and i'll pan my drawing to bring it

at the center and here it is it's 100

unit now i'll move it to the top and we

have this green tracking vector which

indicates that this line is perfectly

vertical

then i'll type 50 and enter and we have

the second line of length 50 then you

can again go to the left side or any

other direction which you want type in

the value for example maybe 120

and enter

and you can even align it in any

direction if you want so i'm gonna align

it here i'll type 60 enter and so on so

you can keep on making your lines by

entering the proper distances and it

will just make your line that way

also in this case if you want to add

angle values then that also you can do

pretty easily so in this case let's just

make another line of length hundred so

i'm going to go to 100 and enter now

this length is again 100 and now from

here i want it to incline

at an angle of exactly 30 degrees so now

instead of typing 3 0 30 i'm gonna type

this angle sign now this angle sign is

on your keyboard it's right next to the

m key so just press shift key press and

hold shift key and then press the angle

sign key and it will add the angle sign

now type in 30 and press enter

and autocad will now take this value as

angle not as distance so

if you move your cursor now you're going

to see angle override here which is now

set to 30 unit so if you now move your

cursor the length will change here but

not the angle so all you need to do is

now type in the length so maybe i'll

type 50 enter and here it is so now the

length of this line is 50 and it is

inclined to an angle of 30 degrees with

respect to

positive side of x-axis now to exit the

command press enter key

and this was the line tool

now in this case i specified the angle

right here using the line command but

there is an option that can help you do

this pretty easily as well so for that

i'll once again go to line tool and now

on the status bar i have this option

here called polar tracking now this

polar tracking will help you

specify any angle that you want so

i'm gonna now click on this arrow which

is right next to polar tracking and the

angle currently set is 90 degrees i'll

change it to 30 multiples so 30 60 90

120 and so on

now i'll click at a point and i'll move

my cursor to the right and you can see

that i have an angle

this green line at an angle of 0 degrees

now if i move it in any direction it

will show the green tracking line at the

interval of 30 degrees so we have it at

30 then 60 then 90 then 120 and so on so

this will also help you in making lines

at any particular angle so here also

your line is kind of logged to 60

degrees and all you need to do is just

type in the length

so 60 enter and enter so the angle is 60

and so is the length

to return it back to normal i'll change

it back to 90. now if you have selected

the angles make sure you also keep this

active so this is active as you can see

it's blue in color but if you click on

it again it will be deactivated like

this and the activated status bar option

look like this so make sure it is active

if you want to use it

now you can also force your lines to 90

degree angles or the multiple of 90s

using this tool this is auto mode if you

select this autocad will only let you

make your drawings at the multiples of

90 degrees so now

if i click here i will be able to make

line here

horizontal or vertical

i won't be able to make my line in any

other direction so look at this no

matter where my cursor is i'll still end

up with horizontal or vertical lines

just because of ortho mode

so i'll switch back to polar tracking

and the ortho mode will automatically

disable now let's talk about another

method

which can help you make drawings again

pretty easily and that is dynamic input

so

if i go to line command and if i start

it you'll notice that i only have the

cursor here but if you press f12

function key you'll end up with these

extra tool tips now this is the dynamic

input feature and right now on my status

bar i have it here so you can just click

here to activate or deactivate it or you

can also use its function key f12 so now

i've deactivated it's no longer visible

now if you don't have this kind of

feature on your status bar then go to

customization this three dash line and

activate dynamic input so this should be

checked if it is checked the dynamic

input will show up here and then you can

activate it

once active you'll have it like this now

click at a point and this time you'll

have the length as well as angle and you

can directly type in the values so in

this case maybe let's make a line of

length 200 so i'll type 200

and i'll press tab key

now the length will be locked and you

can add the angle value so

let's type 45 for the angle and i'll

press enter and there we have it so 200

length and the angle is 45 in a similar

way you can just keep on making lines

with the proper angles and the length

and you have the visual reference as

well so this one is pretty handy tool if

you want to use it for making your

drawing so again 150 now this angle is

maybe let's make it 30 and enter and so

on

to exit this once again i'll press enter

so these are the basic modes of making

drawing in autocad

in the next video we'll talk about

other draw and modify tools

and we'll make a very simple drawing

using those draw and modify tools

[Music]

you