Module 1

1.
1 History of Autodesk AutoCad

Brief History
AutoCAD is a software application developed by Autodesk that enables computer-
aided design (CAD) and drafting. The software is used to produce 2D and 3D drawings.
AutoCAD software allows users to conceptualize ideas, produce designs and drawings
to the required levels of technical accuracy, and even perform rapid design calculations
and simulations; across a wide range of industries.
The First CAD Software for PCs
AutoCAD has been available on the market since 1982, making it the first CAD system
developed for PCs. This means that AutoCAD has been around longer than Adobe
Photoshop or even Microsoft Windows! Before AutoCAD, commercial CAD programs in
the 70sLinks to an external site. ran on mainframe computers or minicomputers, with each
user working at a separate graphics terminal. If the designer didn’t have access to
these, they’d go about drawing using an old-school drafting desk and a t-squareLinks to
an external site.. Creating new versions of drawings and performing calculations took
days, even weeks. Imagine how much effort it would take to compute technical
calculations with calculators and mathematical tables! What’s worse, the process was
fraught with opportunities for error.
The Origins of AutoCAD

The company behind AutoCAD, AutodeskLinks to an external site. was founded in 1982 by
John Walker. He and the other 15 co-founders intended to develop five different
desktop automation applications, hoping that one of the applications would take off.
Their flagship product turned out to be AutoCAD. They launched AutoCAD at the
COMDEX trade show in Las Vegas as the first CAD program in the world to run on a
PC. By March 1986, only four years after it was introduced, AutoCAD had become the
most widely used design application worldwide, a position it still holds today.
In its 35 years, AutoCAD has grown substantially. In fact, there has been 31 versions
since the first release in December 1982! Over the years, Autodesk added new features
and programs to appeal to different professions. The software supports APIs for
customization and automation, which enabled the creation of vertical products such as
AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Electrical and AutoCAD Civil 3D. In the last five years,
Autodesk has also created mobile and cloud-based apps, including AutoCAD 360Links
to an external site., Fusion 360Links to an external site., and A360 ViewerLinks to an external
site.. These programs couple design and documentation tools together with the ability to
share and collaborate via the Internet.
AutoCAD is used in industry, by architects, project managers, engineers, graphic
designers, city planners and other professionals. It was supported by 750 training
centers worldwide in 1994.
AutoCAD was derived from a program that began in 1977, and then released in
1979 called Interact CADLinks to an external site., also referred to in early Autodesk
documents as MicroCAD, which was written prior to Autodesk's (then Marinchip
Software Partners) formation by Autodesk cofounder Michael Riddle.
The first version by Autodesk was demonstrated at the 1982 ComdexLinks to an external
site. and released that December. AutoCAD supported CP/MLinks to an external site.-80
computers.As Autodesk's flagship product, by March 1986 AutoCAD had become the
most ubiquitous CAD program worldwide. The 2020 release marked the 34th major
release of AutoCAD for WindowsLinks to an external site.. The 2019 release marked the
ninth consecutive year of AutoCAD for MacLinks to an external site.. The native file format
of AutoCAD is .dwgLinks to an external site.. This and, to a lesser extent, its interchange
file format DXFLinks to an external site., have become de facto, if proprietary, standards
for CAD data interoperabilityLinks to an external site., particularly for 2D drawing
exchange. AutoCAD has included support for .dwfLinks to an external site., a format
developed and promoted by Autodesk, for publishing CAD data.
1.4. Autodesk AutoCad User

Interface
Understanding AutoCAD User Interface
Whether you just started using AutoCAD, or you are already an experienced user, you
are likely not fully aware of all user interface elements. The same applies to AutoCAD
commands. Let us review the user interface elements in AutoCAD 2018 as well as
some AutoCAD commands that can give you a shortcuts that will improve your
workflow.
Application Menu
This is the first thing you see on launching AutoCAD, located in the far left corner at the
top of the screen. It is represented by a big red “A” button with a downward facing black
arrow. Single-clicking this button opens a drop-down menu which contains some
number of the same options in the quick access toolbar, and more. More importantly, it
contains links to most recently opened drawings and sheet sets. With the click of a
button you can change this to a list of currently open drawings. Double-clicking the
application menu is not advised unless you mean to close AutoCAD application.
Another feature of the Application Menu is the Search Commands part. Here you may type the
full name or partial name of AutoCAD commands you are not sure of, and AutoCAD will carry
out a search for related commands in the menu. The figure below shows the results you get
when you type ‘poly’ in the Search Commands part.
Quick Access Toolbar (QAT)
This is next to the application menu at the top of the screen in the title bar. The The
quick access toolbar (QAT), by default, contains icons for a number of commands, such
as New, Open, Save, SaveAs, Undo, Plot and Redo. Like most user interface elements
it can be customized to meet the user’s desires. The figure below shows a highlighted
QAT.
Ribbon
The ribbon is a user interface element that contains various AutoCAD commands
arranged in panels and tabs . The tabs are quite powerful. They have panels of
commands as well as options that relate to any task at hand. For instance, if you select
a HATCH object, a contextual tab appears. The tab contains a Hatch editing command
that appears automatically.
In-Editor elements
These are elements found inside the drawing panel. The user can control their visibility.
In the upper left corner are the view port controls that allow the user to alter the view
and visual styles. The ViewCube, Navigation bar and the UCS icon are positioned as
shown in the figure below.
Status Bar
At the bottom of the sreen, is the Status Bar. It contains only icons. Several icons, by
default, are not enabled, but the user can decide to turn on some of them.
The figure below shows a status bar, with an expanded control icon on the far right, to
show you the other available icons.
When you hover the cursor over any icon, you will find out its purpose. The gray ones
mean the toggle is off, and blue means the toggle it on.
File Tabs
File tabs give access to all open documents. Each document that is open has a tab.
Left-clicking on a tab makes it the current open document. Right-clicking on a tab gives
access to more options, including Save As and Close. The tab that has a plus sign
allows the user to open a new document. File Tabs are located just below the Ribbon.
The figure below shows three File Tabs.
Layout Tabs
Layout tabs give access to different Model Spaces of each Layout in any given
document. Left-clicking on a tab to makes it the current open layout. Right-clicking on a
tab gives you access to more options that include Print, Move, or Rename. The tab that
has a plus sign allows the user to create a new layout. Layout Tabs, by default, are
located at the bottom of the drawing panel below the command line, in the area around
status bar.
Drop-Down Menus
A drop-down menu is a top level name that is clickable. On left-clicking the menu
reveals a list of commands or sub menus below it. When a command is selected, the
menu vanishes. An example of a drop-down menu is shown in the figure below.
Toolbars
Toolbars are flat panels containing buttons or drop-down lists. Each button has an icon
and macro that performs a either a command or a macro. The figure below shows two
toolbars.
Command Line
This is a palette in which you can input command names. When docked, it has some
fixed number of visible lines. When floating, the command line can expand to show
more data. The figure below shows an example of a floating command line:
There are many other palletes apart from the command line such as Drawing Recovery
Manager, Quick calculator, Materials Browser and so forth.
The above parts in AutoCAD interface can help you start understanding the various elements
that you see on the user interface of AutoCAD.
1.5. Basic AutoCAD Commands

and Functions
AutoCAD commands: The essentials
As you can imagine, given the vast capabilities of AutoCAD, there are a lot of
commands available. Whether you’re sketching designs, drawing up blueprints, or
producing 3D models, there will be commands available to make the job easier. In the
interest of saving time and space, this guide includes the ones that we deem to be the
most useful. So, let’s get started!
Basic actions
Before getting into the nitty gritty of drawing and modifying commands, it’s important to
get to grips with basic actions you require from most computer software. From pasting
to spell check, here’s a selection of commonly required instructions:
Drawing
This software is specifically designed with technical drawing in mind, so you’ll find a
wide range of geometric shapes and sketching capabilities at your disposal when
working in AutoCAD. To save yourself the time of scrolling through the library every time
you need a particular line or solid, learn some of these commands:
Modifying
Your first draft is complete—now it’s time to play around with the properties and tweak
your designs where necessary. For this stage, the following commands are sure to
come in handy:
One-key shortcuts
Below, you'll find the AutoCAD one-key shortcuts
AutoCAD commands can transform your experience of working with this software and improve
overall productivity significantly. Plus, if you reach the level where you’re able to customize
the quick access toolbar, you’ll end up with a program tailored to your particular style of work.
Mastering the commands is therefore one of the best ways to get the most out of your
investment in AutoCAD.
Module 01 Summary
THE AUTOCAD INTERFACE AND COMMANDS
BASIC COMMANDS
OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL COMMANDS

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1.

1 History of Autodesk AutoCad

The Origins of AutoCAD

1.4. Autodesk AutoCad User

1.5. Basic AutoCAD Commands

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