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Four Simple Rules for Drawing with

AutoCAD

April 20th, 2012

We learned to use AutoCAD® from different resources. It is also common for us to learn it by

ourselves. Whats so difficult about it, ri!ht" We #ust need to dra$ !eometries li%e $e do on a

manual draftin! table. As lon! as $e have our final dra$in! on paper, $ho $ould care ho$

$e did it"

AutoCAD offers freedom for its users. If you as% five AutoCAD users to create a dra$in!,

you may see them finish it in five different $ays. And often you cant tell the difference $hen

they have handed you the plotted dra$in!s.

&o$ever, that doesnt mean that all five users are doin! it ri!ht. 'ome of them may stru!!le$ith their dra$in! or perform unnecessary tas%s. And if you as% them to modify the dra$in!,

it may ta%e them lon!er than it should.

&ere are four basic rules that $e need to follo$ to start $or%in! in AutoCAD properly.

1. Choose the proper template to start your drawing

(ost parts of the $orld use metric for their dra$in!s. )ut do you reali*e that AutoCAD, by

default, uses the imperial unit template" +nless you chan!ed the default template, AutoCAD

uses acad.d$t as the default. very time you start AutoCAD, it $ill be imperial. (anyAutoCAD users dont reali*e this and #ust use it for their dra$in!s.

Wor%in! on a metric dra$in! $ith an imperial template is not a !ood idea. -ou may finddifficulties and perform unnecessarily additional $or%. (any of the problems are scale

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related line type scale, hatch scale, renderin! materials scale, and other scalin! settin!s. /hey

are optimi*ed for imperial, not metric. +sin! the imperial template for metric dra$in!s $ill

reuire you to ad#ust those scales. If you are already accustomed to $or%in! that $ay, it may

 be not a problem. )ut I remember it !ave me a hard time $hen I $as ne$ to AutoCAD.

+sin! the proper template $ill ma%e it easier. +se metric if you are $or%in! $ith metric, anduse imperial $hen you are $or%in! $ith imperial. (etric templates are the acadI'

templates.

2. Never start your drawing from finished drawings

If I need to create a dra$in!, but am too la*y to set everythin! up, usin! eistin! dra$in!s

sounds li%e a !ood idea. I dont need to add layers, set up dimension styles, or recreate bloc%s.

I can #ust erase everythin! and save it as another file. It sounds pretty smart, ri!ht"

It is a bad practice. Ive seen people use this method and many of their dra$in!s !et

corrupted. /he problem is this method ma%es your dra$in!s become more and more

comple. nce your file is corrupted, the net dra$in! that you !et from renamin! this file

$ill inherit the error and may become $orse.

/he recommended practice is to set up templates for your $or%. )y creatin! a template, you

define a startin! point and don3t have to create your dra$in! from scratch. If you $ant to use

template, there are many resources available to sho$ ho$ create and define a default

template. If you haven3t used templates yet, I su!!est you start.

4emember create a template from a default blan% template. Dont create a template from

finished dra$in!s5-ou may also $ant to save your reusable content as an eternal library, $hich $ill allo$ you

to reuse it later.

3. Always draw in full sale

(any of us use AutoCAD as a draftin! tool. /herefore, $e tend to use it li%e a manual

draftin! table. It is common to see people scale their dra$in!s in model space and set

everythin! in model space for plottin!. 6ust li%e the old days $hen $e used draftin! tables,

only $e have lar!er paper.

I $ont ar!ue about model space versus layout here. )ut if you are ne$ to AutoCAD, Isu!!est you to avoid havin! everythin! on model space, unless you are creatin! a schematic

dra$in! that doesn3t reuire different scales.

At least you dont have to thin% about dra$in! in scaled si*e. Dra$in! in full scale is much

easier, isnt it" If you have 100 mm line, then #ust dra$ it 100 mm. Don3t dra$ it 1 mm

 because you need to plot it in 1100 scale.

What if you dra$ scaled dra$in!s in a vie$port" -ou $ill need another dimension style for

your scaled dra$in!s. If you have detailed dra$in!s that sho$ parts of your desi!n, they are

not lin%ed to each other. If you need to modify your desi!n, you $ill need to recreate your

detailed dra$in!s.

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+sin! layout is simpler. -ou can represent your dra$in! in different scales and you $ill need

fe$er styles. It is very easy to chan!e scale. All $e need is to select the vie$port and choose

the desired scale from the list.

nce you are comfortable $ith layout, you can eplore it further and discover more benefits.

(y personal favorites are sheet set and publish.

!. "anage o#$ets in your drawings

Dra$in! $ith AutoCAD is not #ust about !ettin! it done. In the desi!n process, you $ill needto modify your dra$in!s. -ou may also need to send your dra$in!s to contractors or partners,

so they can do $or% based on your dra$in!. -ou need to ma%e sure you can ma%e

modifications easily and your partners can easily use your dra$in!s.

AutoCAD provides several features to accomplish this. +se layers to separate different

elements. 7ayers can help to hide or loc% some parts of your dra$in!s $hile you $or%.

Also ma%e use of styles. Wor%in! on layers and styles helps to set common ob#ect properties.

-ou don3t have to chan!e each ob#ect3s properties. Add layers and styles to your templates to

avoid recreatin! them every time you start a ne$ dra$in!.

Conlusion

+sin! AutoCAD offers you freedom. )ut the freedom should ma%e your life easier, not more

complicated. /here are some basic rules to follo$. When you start to eplore more advanced

features, !ettin! accustomed to these rules $ill ma%e it easier.

4emember, dra$in! is part of the desi!n process. -ou don3t dra$ it only once then for!et it.

-ou $ill need to create, modify, and share dra$in!s. It is up to us to ma%e it comfortable for

everyone to $or% $ith our dra$in!s.

 Edwin Prakoso has used AutoCAD since R14. Currently he works for PT Nusantara Secom nfoTech! an Autodesk reseller in ndonesia. "hen he#s not ha$in% a trainin% class or

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 &resentation! he shares his e'&eriences on his (lo% )CAD notes.* +e ho&es his notes will

hel& other users to (e more &roducti$e. ,ou can reach him at cad-notes.com or follow him on

twitter at cad/notes.