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with MultiMedia CD

Randy H. Shih

Jack Zecher

SDC
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Schroff Development Corporation

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 AutoCAD® LT 2002 Tutorial 1-1

Lesson 1
Geometric Construction Basics
1-2 AutoCAD® LT 2002 Tutorial

Introduction
Learning to use a CAD system is similar to learning a new language. We need to begin
with the basic alphabet and learn how to use it correctly and effectively through practice.
This will require learning some new concepts and skills as well as learning a different
vocabulary. All CAD systems create designs using basic geometric entities. Many of the
constructions used in technical designs are based upon two-dimensional planar geometry.
The method and number of operations that are required to accomplish the construction
are different from one system to another.

In order to become effective in using a CAD system, we must learn to create geometric
entities quickly and accurately. In learning to use a CAD system, lines and circles are the
first two, and perhaps the most important two, geometric entities that we need to master
the skills in creating and modifying. Straight lines and circles are used in almost all
technical designs. In examining the different types of planar geometric entities, we can
see that triangles and polygons are planar figures bounded by straight lines. Ellipses and
splines can be constructed by connecting arcs with different radii. As we gain some
experience in creating lines and circles, similar procedures can be applied to create other
geometric entities. In this lesson, we will examine the different ways of creating lines and
circles in AutoCAD® LT 2002.

Starting Up AutoCAD LT 2002

1. Select the AutoCAD LT 2002 option on the Program menu or select the
AutoCAD LT 2002 icon on the Desktop. Once the program is loaded into
memory, the AutoCAD LT 2002 drawing screen and the AutoCAD Today
startup dialog box will appear on the screen.

2. In the AutoCAD LT Today startup dialog box, select the Create Drawings
tab with a single click of the left-mouse-button.
 Geometric Construction Basics 1-3

3. Confirm the startup option is set to Start from Scratch, as shown in the figure
below.

4. In the Default Settings section, pick English (feet and Inches) as the
drawing units.

Note that two graphics windows, Drawing1 and Drawing2, are opened. AutoCAD LT
automatically assigns generic names, Drawing X, as new drawings are created. In our
example, AutoCAD LT opened the first graphics window (Drawing1), using the
default system units. The second graphics window (Drawing2) was opened when we
chose to create a new drawing from scratch using the default English units.
1-4 AutoCAD® LT 2002 Tutorial

Using the Line command

1. Move the graphics cursor to the first icon

in the Draw toolbar. This icon is the Line
icon. A help-tip box appears next to the
cursor and a brief description of the icon is
displayed at the bottom of the AutoCAD
drawing screen: “Creates Straight line
segments: LINE.”

2. Select the icon by clicking once with the

left-mouse-button; this will activate the
Line command.

Notice a brief explanation of the selected

command is displayed in the Active
Assistance window. It is highly
recommended that you read the
explanations to gain some insights on the
basic assumptions and general procedure
of using the command.

3. In the command prompt area, near the bottom of the AutoCAD drawing screen,
the message “_line Specify first point:” is displayed. AutoCAD expects us to
identify the starting location of a straight line. Move the graphics cursor inside
the graphics window and watch the display of the coordinates of the graphics
cursor at the bottom of the AutoCAD drawing screen. The three numbers
represent the location of the cursor in the X, Y, and Z directions. We can treat the
graphics window as if it were a piece of paper and we are using the graphics
cursor as if it were a pencil with which to draw.

Coordinates of the location of

the graphics cursor.
 Geometric Construction Basics 1-5

4. We will create a freehand sketch of a five-

3 2
point star using the Line command. Create
the sketch by placing the first corner of the
star near the lower-left corner of the drawing
window. Do not be overly concerned with
the actual size or the accuracy of your
freehand sketch. This exercise is to give you
a feel for the AutoCAD® LT 2002 user
interface.

1 4

5. We will start at a location about one-third from the bottom

of the graphics window. Left-click once to position the
starting point of our first line. This will be point 1 of our
sketch. Next move the cursor upward and toward the right
side of point 1. Notice the rubber-band line that follows
the graphics cursor in the graphics window. Left-click
again (point 2) and we have created the first line of our
sketch.

6. Move the cursor to the left of point 2 and create a horizontal line about the
same length as the first line on the screen.

7. Repeat step 5 and complete the freehand sketch by adding three more lines
(from point 3 to point 4, point 4 to point 5, and then connect to point 5 back to
point 1).

8. Notice that the Line command remains activated even

after we connected the last segment of the line to the
starting point (point 1) of our sketch. Inside the graphics
window, click once with the right-mouse-button and a
popup menu appears on the screen.

9. Select Enter with the left-mouse-button to end the Line

command. (This is equivalent to hitting the [ENTER]
key on the keyboard. The right-mouse-click brings up
more options and we should get used to using the option
menu.)

10. On your own, move the cursor near point 2 and point 3, and estimate the
length of the horizontal line by watching the displayed coordinates for each
point at the bottom of the screen.
1-6 AutoCAD® LT 2002 Tutorial

Visual reference
The method we just used to create the freehand sketch is known as the interactive
method, where we use the cursor to specify locations on the screen. This method is
perhaps the fastest way to specify locations on the screen. However, it is rather difficult
to try to create a line of a specific length by watching the displayed coordinates. It would
be helpful to know what one-inch or one-meter looks like on the screen while we are
creating entities. AutoCAD® LT 2002 provides us with many tools to aid the construction
of our designs. We will use the GRID and SNAP options to get a visual reference as to
the size of objects and learn to restrict the movement of the cursor to a set increment on
the screen.

The Status Bar area is located at the bottom of the AutoCAD LT drawing screen. The
words SNAP, GRID, ORTHO, POLAR, OSNAP, LWT and MODEL appearing to the
right of the coordinates are buttons that we can left-click to turn these special options ON
and OFF. When the corresponding button is highlighted, the specific option is turned on.
These buttons act as toggle switches; each click of the button will toggle the option on or
off. Using the buttons is a quick and easy way to make changes to these drawing aid
options. We can toggle the options ON and OFF in the middle of another command.

Option Buttons

GRID ON

1. Left-click the GRID button in the Status Bar to turn ON the GRID option.
(Notice in the command prompt area, the message “<Grid on>” is also
displayed.)
 Geometric Construction Basics 1-7

2. Move the cursor inside the graphics window, and estimate the distance between
the grid points by watching the coordinates display at the bottom of the screen.

 The GRID option creates a pattern of dots that extends over an area on the screen.
Using the grid is similar to placing a sheet of grid paper under a drawing. The grid
helps you align objects and visualize the distance between them. The grid is not
displayed in the plotted drawing. The default grid spacing, which means the distance
in between two dots on the screen, is 0.5 inches. We can see that the sketched
horizontal line in the above sketch is about 2.5 inches long.

SNAP ON

1. Left-click the SNAP button in the Status Bar to turn ON the SNAP option.
1-8 AutoCAD® LT 2002 Tutorial

2. Move the cursor inside the graphics window, and move the cursor diagonally
on the screen. Observe the movement of the cursor and watch the coordinates
display at the bottom of the screen.

The SNAP option controls an invisible rectangular grid that restricts cursor
movement to specified intervals. When SNAP mode is on, the screen cursor and
all input coordinates are snapped to the nearest point on the grid. The default snap
interval is 0.5 inches, and aligned to the grid points on the screen.

3. Click on the Line icon in the Draw toolbar. In the

command prompt area, the message “_line
Specify first point:” is displayed.

4. Create another sketch of the five-point star with

the GRID and SNAP options switched ON.

5. Use the right-mouse-button and select Enter in

the popup menu to end the Line command if you
have not done so.

6. In the command prompt area, notice that “Command:” is displayed. This

indicates that AutoCAD LT is waiting for us to activate the next desired
command.
 Geometric Construction Basics 1-9

Using the ERASER

♦ One of the advantages of using a CAD system is the ability to remove entities without
leaving any marks. We will erase two of the lines using the Erase command.

1. Pick Erase in the Modify toolbar. (The icon is the

first icon in the Modify toolbar. The icon is a
picture of an eraser at the end of a pencil.) The
message “Select objects” is displayed in the
command prompt area and AutoCAD waits for us
to select the objects to erase.

2. Left-click the SNAP button on the Status Bar to turn OFF the SNAP option
so that we can more easily move the cursor on top of objects. We can toggle
the Status Bar options ON or OFF in the middle of another command.

3. Select any two lines on the screen, and right-mouse-click once to accept the
selections. The selected two lines are erased.

Repeat the last command

1. Inside the graphics window, click once with the right-
mouse-button to bring up the popup option menu.

2. Pick Repeat Erase, with the left-mouse-button, in the

popup menu to repeat the last command. Notice the other
options available in the popup menu.

AutoCAD LT 2002 offers many options to assist us in

accomplishing this task. Throughout this text, we will
emphasize the use of the AutoCAD Heads-up DesignTM
interface, which means that we can focus on the screen, not
on the keyboard.
1-10 AutoCAD® LT 2002 Tutorial

3. Move the cursor to a location that is above and toward the left side of the
entities on the screen. Left-mouse-click once to start a corner of a rubber-band
window.

First corner

Second corner

4. Move the cursor toward the right and below the entities, and then left-mouse-
click to enclose all the entities inside the selection window. Notice all entities
that are inside the window are selected.

5. Inside the graphics window, right-mouse-click to proceed with erasing the

selected entities.

On your own, create a sketch of your choice using the Line command.
Experiment with using the different commands we have discussed so far, such as
switching the GRID and SNAP options ON and OFF in the middle of a
command.
 Do not be in a hurry to rush through the tutorials. Build up your CAD skills by
familiarizing yourself with the commands and options demonstrated, along with
the concepts discussed in the lessons. Feel free to repeat, at any time, any of the
lessons.

Use the Erase command and erase all entities on the screen before proceeding to
the next section.
 Geometric Construction Basics 1-11

The CAD Database and the User Coordinate System

 Designs and drawings created in a CAD system are
usually defined and stored using sets of points in
what is called world space. In most CAD systems,
the world space is defined using a three-dimensional
Cartesian coordinate system. Three mutually
perpendicular axes, usually referred to as the X, Y,
and Z axes, define this system. The intersection of
the three coordinate axes forms a point called the
origin. Any point in world space can then be defined
as the distance from the origin in the X, Y and Z
directions. In most CAD systems, the directions of
the arrows shown on the axes identify the positive
sides of the coordinates.

A CAD file, which is the electronic version of the design, contains data that describe
the entities created in the CAD system. Information such as the coordinate values in
world space for all endpoints, center points, etc., along with the descriptions of the
types of entities are all stored in the file. Knowing that AutoCAD stores designs by
keeping coordinate data helps us understand the inputs required to create entities.

3D UCS icon

The icon near the bottom left corner of the default AutoCAD LT graphics window
shows the positive X-direction and positive Y-direction of the coordinate system that
is active. In AutoCAD LT, the coordinate system that is used to create entities is called
the User Coordinate System (UCS). By default, the User Coordinate System is
aligned to the world coordinate system (WCS). The world coordinate system is a
coordinate system used by AutoCAD as the basis for defining all objects and other
coordinate systems defined by the users. We can think of the origin of the world
coordinate system as a fixed point being used as a reference for all measurements.
The default orientation of the Z-axis can be considered as positive values in front of
the monitor and negative values inside the monitor.
1-12 AutoCAD® LT 2002 Tutorial

Changing to the 2D UCS icon Display

 In AutoCAD 2002 LT, the UCS icon is displayed in various ways to help us visualize
the orientation of the drawing plane.

1. In the pull-down menus, select:

[View]
[Display]

[UCSIcon]
[Properties]

2. In the UCS icon style section,

switch to the 2D option as
shown.

3. Click OK to accept the settings.

 Note the W symbol in the UCS

icon indicates the UCS is aligned
to the world coordinate system.
 Geometric Construction Basics 1-13

Cartesian and Polar Coordinate Systems

In two-dimensional space, a point can be represented using different coordinate systems.
The point can be located, using Cartesian coordinate system, as X and Y units away from
the origin. The same point can also be located using the polar coordinate system, as r and
θ units away from the origin.

For planar geometry, the polar coordinate system is very useful for certain applications.
In the polar coordinate system, points are defined in terms of a radial distance, r, from the
origin and an angle, θ, between the direction of r and the positive X-axis. The default
system for measuring angles in AutoCAD LT 2002 defines positive angular values as
counter-clockwise from the positive X-axis.

Absolute and Relative Coordinates

AutoCAD LT 2002 also allows us to use absolute and

relative coordinates to quickly construct objects.
Absolute coordinate values are measured from the
current coordinate system's origin point. Relative
coordinate values are specified in relation to previous
coordinates.

The coordinate display area can also be used as a

toggle switch; each left-mouse-click will toggle the
coordinate display on or off.

In AutoCAD LT 2002, the absolute coordinates and the relative coordinates can be used
in conjunction to the Cartesian and polar coordinate systems. By default, AutoCAD
expects us to enter values in absolute Cartesian coordinates, distances measured from the
current coordinate system's origin point. We can switch to using the relative coordinates
by using the @ symbol. The @ symbol is used as the relative coordinates specifier,
which means that we can specify the position of a point in relation to the previous point.
1-14 AutoCAD® LT 2002 Tutorial

Defining Positions
In AutoCAD, there are five methods to specify the locations of points when we create
planar geometric entities.

Interactive method: Use the cursor to select on the screen.

Absolute coordinates (Format: X,Y): Type the X and Y coordinates to locate the
point on the current coordinate system relative to the origin.

Relative rectangular coordinates (Format: @X,Y): Type the X and Y coordinates

relative to the last point.

Relative polar coordinates (Format: @distance<angle): Type a distance and angle

relative to the last point.

Direct distance entry technique: Specify a second point by first moving the cursor
to indicate direction and then entering a distance.

The Guide Plate

We will next create a mechanical design using the different coordinate entry methods.
 Geometric Construction Basics 1-15

The rule for creating CAD designs and drawings is that they should be created full size
using real-world units. The CAD database contains all the definitions of the geometric
entities and the design is considered as a virtual, full-sized object. Only when a printer or
plotter transfers the CAD design to paper is the design scaled to fit on a sheet. The
tedious task of determining a scale factor so that the design will fit on a sheet of paper is
taken care of by the CAD systems. This allows the designers and CAD operators to
concentrate their attention on the more important issues – the design.

1. Select the Line command icon in the Draw

toolbar. In the command prompt area, near the
bottom of the AutoCAD graphics window, the
message “_line Specify first point:” is displayed.
AutoCAD expects us to identify the starting
location of a straight line.

2. In the command prompt area, we will locate the

starting point of our design at the origin of the
world coordinate system.

Command: _line Specify first point: 0,0 [ENTER]

(Type 0,0 in the command prompt area and press the [ENTER] key once.)

3. We will create a horizontal line by entering the absolute coordinates of the

second point.

Specify next point or [Undo]: 5.5,0 [ENTER]

(5.5,0)
(0,0)

• The line we created is aligned to the bottom edge of the drawing window. Let us
adjust the viewing of the line by using the Pan Realtime command.
1-16 AutoCAD® LT 2002 Tutorial

4. Click on the Pan Realtime icon in

the Standard toolbar area. The icon is
the picture of a hand with four
arrows.

The Pan command enables us to

move the view to a different position.
This function acts as if you are using
a video camera.

5. Move the cursor, which appears as a hand inside the graphics window, near
the center of the drawing window, then push down the left-mouse-button and
drag the display toward the right and top side until we can see the sketched
line. (Notice the scroll bars can also be used to adjust viewing of the display.)

6. Press the [Esc] key to exit the Pan command. Notice that AutoCAD goes
back to the Line command.

7. We will create a vertical line by using the relative rectangular coordinates

entry method, relative to the last point we specified

Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: @0,2.5 [ENTER]

8. We can mix any of the entry methods in positioning the location of an

endpoint. Move the cursor to the Status Bar area, and turn ON the GRID and
SNAP options.

SNAP & GRID ON

9. Create the next line by picking the location, world coordinates (8,2.5), on the
screen.

10. We will next use the relative polar coordinates entry method, relative to the
last point we specified

Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: @3<90 [ENTER]

(Distance is 3 inches and an angle of 90 degrees)
 Geometric Construction Basics 1-17

11. Using the relative rectangular

coordinates entry method to
create the next line, we can
imagine a reference coordinate
system aligned at the previous
Reference Coordinate System point. Coordinates are measured
aligned at the previous point along the two reference axes.

Specify next point or [Close/Undo]:

@-1.5,1 [ENTER]

(-1.5 and 1 inches are measured

relative to the reference point.)

12. Move the cursor directly to the left of the last point and use the direct distance
entry technique by entering 6.5 [ENTER].

13. For the last segment of the sketch, we can use the Close option
to connect back to the starting point. Inside the graphics window,
right-mouse-click and a popup menu appears on the screen.

14. Select Close with the left-mouse-button to connect back to the

starting point and end the Line command.
1-18 AutoCAD® LT 2002 Tutorial

Creating Circles
The menus and toolbars in AutoCAD LT 2002 are designed to allow the CAD operators to
quickly activate the desired commands. Besides using the Draw toolbar, we can also
select the different Draw commands through the pull-down menus.

1. In the pull-down menus, select:

[Draw]
[Circle]
[Center, Diameter]

Notice the different options available under the circle submenu:

• Center Point: Draws a circle based on a center point and a diameter or a radius.

• 3 Points: Draws a circle based on three points on the circumference.

• 2 Points: Draws a circle based on two endpoints of the diameter.

• TTR – Tangent, Tangent, Radius: Draws a circle with a specified radius tangent
to two objects.

• TTT– Tangent, Tangent, Tangent: Draws a circle tangent to three objects.

 Geometric Construction Basics 1-19

2. In the command prompt area, the message “Specify center point for circle or
[3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]:” is displayed. AutoCAD expects us to identify
the location of a point or enter an option. We can use any of the four
coordinate entry methods to identify the desired location. We will enter the
world coordinates (3,3) as the center point for the first circle.

Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]: 2.5,3 [ENTER]

3. In the command prompt area, the message “Specify diameter of circle:” is

displayed.

Specify diameter of circle: 2.5 [ENTER]

4. Inside the graphics window, right-mouse-click

to bring up the popup option menu.

5. Pick Repeat Center, Diameter with the left-

mouse-button in the popup menu to repeat the
last command.

6. Using the relative rectangular coordinates entry

method, relative to the center-point coordinates
of the first circle, we specify the location as
(2.5,2).

Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]: @2.5,2
[ENTER]
1-20 AutoCAD® LT 2002 Tutorial

7. In the command prompt area, the message “Specify Diameter of circle:

<2.50>” is displayed. The default option for the Circle command in
AutoCAD is to specify the radius, and the last radius used is also displayed in
brackets.

Specify Diameter of circle<2.50>: 1.5 [ENTER]

Saving the CAD file

1. In the pull-down menus, select:

[File]
[Save As]

 Geometric Construction Basics 1-21

2. In the Save Drawing As dialog box, select the folder in which you want to store the
CAD file and enter GuidePlate in the File name box.

Select the folder to

store the file.

Enter GuidePlate

3. Pick Save in the Save Drawing As dialog box to accept the selections and save the
file.

Exit AutoCAD LT 2002

To exit AutoCAD LT 2002, select File then choose

Exit from the pull-down menu or type QUIT at the
command prompt.
1-22 AutoCAD® LT 2002 Tutorial

Questions:
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using CAD systems to create
engineering drawings?

2. How do the GRID and SNAP options assist us in sketching?

3. List and describe the different coordinate entry methods available in AutoCAD LT?

4. List and describe two types of coordinate systems commonly used for planar
geometry.

5. Identify the following commands:

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)
Tan, Tan, Radius
 Geometric Construction Basics 1-23

Exercises: (All dimensions are in inches.)

1.

2.
1-24 AutoCAD® LT 2002 Tutorial

3.

4.