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Saturday, February 21, 2009

Converting Drawings Between Layering Standards in AutoCAD

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Introduction

In this project you learn how to convert a drawing from one layering standard to another. You will find this project useful if you need to be able to ensure that groups of drawings use the same layers.

In this project you learn how to:

Modify layers.
View layers from two drawings at once.
Map layers from one drawing into another.
Convert drawings between layering standards.

By the time you complete this project you should feel comfortable maintaining layer standards across drawings.

Defining a Drawing with the Right Layers

Layers are important to drawings because they control the color of objects, the visibility of objects and the way objects plot. In this drawing you look at, and modify, the layers in a drawing.

Open the 7018.dwg drawing file.
Select the Layer Properties Manager icon.
Select the Cyan square associated with the HTCH layer.
Select the Magenta color from the standard color area.
Choose OK.
Choose OK to exit this window.
From the File menu, choose Save As.
Type 7018-new.dwg.
Save this file in a folder you will be able to find later.
From the File menu, choose Close.

Now that you have created a drawing with the layers configured the way you like.

Converting Drawings Between Standards

Now that you have a drawing that has the right layers in it, you can force other drawings to use this standard.

Open the 7018b.dwg drawing file.
At the command prompt type LAYTRANS. The layers of the current drawing are displayed in the left viewport.
Choose the Load button.
Choose the 7018-new.dwg drawing.
Choose Open.
Select Cons in the left window.
Select CONSTRUCTION in the right window.
Select the Map button to move the objects from the Cons layer to the Construction Layer.
Repeat this process to map the Crosshatching layer to the HTCH layer.
Repeat this process to map the Rail-1 layer to the RAIL layer.
Repeat this process to map the rail-2 layer to the RAIL layer.
Note that you can use the Map Same option to quickly map all the layers that are the same in both drawings.
Choose Save to save the layer translation mapping.
Type 7018-Layer-Trans.dws This will let you convert any other drawing that uses the same layers.
Choose Translate to translate the layers in 7018b.dwg to match the specified layers 7018-new.dwg.

You will find our version of the revised drawing in 7018c.dwg.

Working with Layers, Linetypes, Lineweights & Colors in AutoCAD

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Introduction

Layers are one of the most important features found in AutoCAD. You can use them to control the appearance of objects you create.

You learn how to:

Create layers
Draw objects on layers
Use layers to control object color
Use layers to control object visibility
Use layers to control object linetypes
Move objects from one layer to another

By the time you complete this project, you should feel comfortable using AutoCAD layer, linetype, and color tools when you work on your own drawings.

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Understanding Layers

Most people use layers to control the color and visibility of objects in their drawings. Layers can be thought of as transparent pieces of plastic upon which you have created design geometry. When you look at all the layers together, you see a complete drawing. You can turn off or freeze layers to hide the objects on those layers. You can turn layers back on or thaw layers to make the objects on them visible again.

Understanding How Layers Determine How Objects Plot

In manual drafting environments, design professionals use different weights of pen to designate different types of geometry. For example, an architect may elect to draw the walls of a building in a heavy pen, and the plumbing or electrical plans in a lighter pen. Mechanical design professionals may draw orthogonal views in one pen weight, and the dimensions for those views in another. Documenting different types of geometry in different lineweights makes drawings easier to read. There are several methods you can use to determine the lineweight, linetype and other properties used to plot drawings:

One way to control the lineweight in which AutoCAD plot objects is to assign colors to the layers on which the objects reside. Using color-based plot styles and plot style tables. You can then use specify that objects in a given color should be plotted with a specific lineweight, linetype, screening value or fill style.

If you prefer, you can assign colors directly to objects, but this means that in order to modify the color later, you have to select the object again. When you assign colors to a wide variety of objects drawing maintenance can be difficult. No matter how colors are assigned to objects, they can still be used with plot styles and plot style tables to determine the linetype, lineweight, and other properties used to plot the objects.

If you do not want to use plot styles and plot style tables to control how objects plot, you can just assign linetype and lineweight properties directly to objects or layers. Generally this makes your drawings hard to maintain over time, because if your drawing standard changes so that objects once plotted in a .05mm lineweight must now be plotted in a .09mm lineweight, you must individually update all the affected layers and objects.

In this project you learn how you can use layers, colors, and linetypes to organize your drawings and to make them easier to maintain. You also learn how assigning objects to layers lets you control their visibility. By the time you complete this project, you should feel comfortable using AutoCAD's layer, linetype and color tools when you work on your own drawings.

Tip:

In addition to controlling object color and linetype with layers, you also use layers to control object visibility. You can make objects appear or disappear by modifying properties of the layers on which they reside. We review this use of layers later in this project.

Launching the Layer Manager

You use AutoCAD's Layer Properties Manager to create layers. From this dialog box, you can create layers, rename layers, assign linetypes to layers, assign colors to layers, turn layers on and off, freeze and thaw layers, delete layers, and lock layers so they can be viewed but not edited.

Every layer is identified by a unique name, composed of up to 32 alphanumeric characters, dashes, or underscores, but without spaces.

Follow these instructions to use the Layer Properties Manager to create a new layer:

Open the 7007.dwg file.
On the Layers toolbar, choose Layer Properties Manager.

In the Layer Properties Manager, select New.

Type Wire to specify the name of the new layer.

Creating Layers

In general, the name you assign to a layer should describe the objects on that layer. In large drawings with lots of layers, you may elect to establish a naming convention that makes the layers easier to organize.

For example, an architect may elect to assign names like 1-WALLS, 1-WINDOWS, 1-DOORS, 1-ELECTRICAL, 2-WALLS, 2-WINDOWS, 2- DOORS, and 2-ELECTRICAL to the layers in a multi-story building. Doing this will allow the architect to display all the layers associated with the first floor while hiding all the layers associated with the second floor. This makes the drawing easier to manage. You may want to rename layers in a drawing to make the drawing easier to work with.

Tip:

If you work for a company with a wide variety of existing drawings, take time to study the layer naming convention. Make sure you understand what objects should appear on each layer. If you have questions about the standard, talk to the CAD manager. It can be very time consuming to move large quantities of objects drawn on the wrong layers to the right layers. Its best to avoid the problem when you can.

Tip:

If you find you keep turning the same layers on and off in every drawing, consider saving a Layer State so you can turn them on and off all at once. This tool, in effect, just save the configuration of the layers in a drawing for future use.

Follow these instructions to rename a layer:

Select the lC layer from the layer list.
Click between the letters l and C. This indicates that you want to rename the layer.
Type LOGIC to rename the layer.
Choose OK to exit this window.
Click on the Layer list to see the layer you created and the one you modified.

Tip:

By default, every drawing comes with one layer, called layer 0. You cannot delete or rename layer 0, because AutoCAD uses it as a construction layer for many internal operations. As you work with AutoCAD, other layers may "magically" appear, including layers required for dimensions and solid modeling. You should not delete or modify these layers in any way, as doing so may disable those functions in AutoCAD, or destroy objects in your drawing.

Assigning Linetypes & Lineweights to Layers

You can assign linetypes and lineweights to layers from within the Layer Properties Manager. You may elect to assign these properties to layers using plot styles and plot style tables, or to apply these properties directly to the objects themselves. These options are addressed later in this project.

Follow these instructions to load linetypes and assign them to objects:

On Layers toolbar, choose Layer Properties Manager.
Select the word "Continuous" associated with the Wire layer. This is the linetype currently assigned to this layer.

In the Select Linetype dialog box, choose Load to indicate that you want to load a new linetype from the library of linetypes that ship with AutoCAD.

From the Load or Reload Linetypes dialog box, in the linetype list, select Hidden.

Choose OK to exit this dialog box.
In the Select Linetype dialog box, select the Hidden linetype.

Choose OK to exit the Select Linetype dialog box. Note that the Wire layer is now associated with the Hidden linetype.
Repeat this procedure to assign the Dashed linetype to the Board layer.

Select the Default entry under Lineweight associated with the Bracket layer.
From the list of lineweights, choose 0.30mm.
Choose OK to exit the Lineweight dialog box.
Choose OK to exit the Layer Properties Manager.
From the Format menu, choose Linetype to display the Linetype Manager.
Select the Show Details button, if necessary, to show the Global Scale Factor box.
Type 5 in the Global Scale factor box. This specifies that you want the linetype pattern to repeat once every five units, thus increasing the length of the dashes and lines that appear in your drawing.

Choose OK to exit the Linetype Manager.

From the Layer toolbar, in the Layer Control list, select the lightbulb associated with the Bracket layer to turn it on.

Click outside the Layer Control list to exit the interface. Note that a bracket and screws now appears on the right side of the object.

Select the LWT button found on the status bar at the bottom of the screen. This will make lineweights visible in the drawing. Note that if the lineweight were too thin, you would have to zoom in to see the effect. If you prefer you can type LINEWEIGHT and then choose Display Lineweight to display the lineweights assigned to objects in the drawing.

Tip:

If you change the linetype associated with a layer, but the linetype does not appear to change in the drawing, chances are that your Global linetype scale factor is too large or small. Try resetting the Global scale factor to 1, then increasing the values by multiples of 5 or 10 (ex: 1, 5, 10, 50, 100?) to find the right linetype scale factor.

Tip:
AutoCAD features two linetype libraries: acad.lin and acadiso.lin.lin. When you start a new drawing using the Start from Scratch option and specify whether you want to work in English or metric units, AutoCAD determines which linetype library to make available to you. There is relatively little difference between the two files, but if you plan to create your own linetypes you will need to know which linetype file AutoCAD is using.

Moving Objects to Another Layer

Now that you have learned how to create layers and assign colors and linetypes to them, you need to know how to determine the layer upon which objects are placed. The easiest way to ensure that objects end up on the right layer is to draw them on that layer. AutoCAD lets you specify a current layer, which is the layer on which new objects will be drawn.

Follow these instructions to make a layer current and draw a polygon:

From the Layer Toolbar, in the Layer Control list, select LOGIC. This specifies that new objects should be drawn on the LOGIC layer. Note: If you see grips on your objects, press ESC before performing this step or you will move the selected objects to the LOGIC layer.

From the Draw toolbar, choose Polygon.
Type 3 to specify the number of sides for the polygon.
Type E to indicate that you want to draw one side of the polygon and have AutoCAD create the remaining sides.
Type 21,39 to specify the first corner of the polygon.
Type @2<0 to specify the location of the second corner. You should see a triangle appear in the center of the largest chip on the circuit board. The triangle is is on the LOGIC layer.

Tip:

AutoCAD features an even faster way to change layers. From the Layer toolbar, choose Make Object's Layer Current, and then choose an object on the layer on which you want to draw.

Tip:
The layer on which objects are drawn can have a profound impact on the behavior of those objects when they are turned into blocks. This is covered in later OpenCAD lessons.

Drawing Objects on a Layer

Since it's impossible to draw objects on the correct layer every time, AutoCAD lets you move objects from one layer to another. One way to do this is to select the objects, then select the desired layer from the Layer Control list in the Layer toolbar.

Tip:

Note that the options in the Layer toolbar change their behavior when objects are selected. If no objects are selected, selecting a layer from the Layer Control list specifies the current layer. If objects are selected, selecting a layer from the Layer Control list moves the selected objects to this layer.

Select the objects shown in the image.

From the Layer toolbar, in the Layer Control list, select Wire.

Press ESC twice to clear the grips from the objects. Note that their color has changed.

Now that you have learned how to create and control layers, take time to experiment with these tools. Create new layers, place objects on them, modify their parameters.

Learning How to Move, Copy, Mirror & Trim in AutoCAD

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Introduction

In this quick tutorial you learn how to edit objects with the tools that most AutoCAD professionals use every day.

You learn how to:

Copy Objects
Trim Objects
Extend Objects
Move Objects
Mirror Objects

By the time you complete this tutorial you should feel comfortable editing most drawing geometry.

Copy & Move Objects

In this lesson you learn how to copy objects with precision.

Open the 7003a.dwg drawing file. Remember that can right click on the link to the drawing, then choose Save Link Target or Save Target as to save it to a folder on your local hard disk.
Select the Zoom Window icon from the Standard toolbar, then click two points to put a window around the collection of rooms in the upper right portion of the drawing.
From the Modify menu, choose Copy.
Select the two elements of the red door.
Press ENTER to indicate you don't want to select any more objects.
Select the endpoint of the door to specify a basepoint. Note that this is easy because OSNAP is enabled on the status bar located at the bottom of the screen. Remember that you can right-click to turn object snap on and off.
Move your mouse straight up and type 8'. This will move the duplicate door 8' above the original. Note that this works because POLAR is enabled on the status bar.
Press ENTER, if required, to complete the command.
Using the techniques just demonstrated, copy the door you just created and place it as shown in the image.

Now that you have learned how to copy objects, you can learn how to mirror them.

Mirror & Move Objects

In this lesson you learn how to mirror an object.

From the Modify menu, choose Mirror.
Select the door as indicated in the image.
Select an endpoint of the door where it touches the wall.
Select the second endpoint of the door where it touches the wall.
Press ENTER to indicate you don't want to mirror any more objects.
Type Y erase the first door.
From the View menu, choose Zoom Extents.
Use the techniques just demonstrated to move and mirror the double door to the position shown. Note, you may find it easiest to move the door to intersect with the corner of the hall, then to move the door up 8".

In the next lesson you learn how to trim lines.

Trim & Extend Objects

In this lesson you learn how to trim lines, and place objects on layers.

From the Layer control list, choose Doors. This will insure that the objects you draw next will be on that layer.
From the Draw menu, choose Line. Draw the lines indicated in the figure which go from the end points of the door through the wall.
From the Modify menu, choose Trim.
Select the lower right point then the upper left point of the window around the door. Make sure you cross the wall lines shown. You have just selected the edges that will cut objects. Selecting the points from right to left created a window that selected anything inside or crossed by the window.
Press ENTER to indicate that you don't want to select any more objects.
Select the lines you want to cut.
Use the techniques just demonstrated to trim the rest of the walls and doors.

TIP:

Now that you know how to copy, move, mirror and trim objects, you will find you are able to edit a wide variety of drawings.

Using AutoCAD to Draw with Speed and Precision

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Introduction

In this tutorial you master the skills required to draw objects with precision and speed. These skills are critical for those who want to be able to create and edit drawings quickly.

Topics covered in this tutorial include:

Using Grid and Snap to make placing points easy
Selecting points using direct distance entry
Selecting points using polar snap
Typing coordinates to place points
Undoing selected points.

By the time you complete this series of lessons you should feel comfortable drawing most objects in AutoCAD.

Snap, Grid & the Heads Up Display

In AutoCAD, you can create a GRID of dots on your screen. These dots make it easy to judge distances by eye rather than by measurement. For example, you could create a grid which placed dots every 20' which would make creating column grids easier.

TIP:

You can also define SNAP values that control the movement of your cursor. This is handy for making sure that geometry in your drawing is precisely spaced. For example, without the snap, you might click on a point like 3.2014,2.0394. With snap enabled, its easy to select 3.2,2.0.

In this quick lesson, you configure SNAP and GRID and use it to draw an object.

Prior to proceeding with this lesson, open the drawing file 7002a.dwg. The easiest way to do this is to right-click on the link to the drawing, then choose Save Link Target or Save Target as, then select a folder on your hard disk and choose Save. In AutoCAD, from the File menu, choose Open and select the file to open it.
Right-click Snap on the Status bar, then choose Settings.
Select the Snap On and Grid on check boxes to turn both SNAP and GRID on.
Type .25 in the Snap X Spacing check box.
Type .5 in the Grid X spacing.
Note that the grid appears in the lower left corner of the screen in the area defined by the drawing limits (set using the LIMITS command).
From the View menu, choose Zoom All.
From the Draw toolbar, choose Rectangle.
Select the point 1.0000,1.0000. Note that the coordinates appear near the cursor, and that they change as you move your mouse.
Move your cursor to make your rectangle 4 units by 7 units as shown in the image.
From the Draw menu, click Circle, then Center,Radius.
Click at 2,2.
Type .5 to specify the radius of the circle.
Use the techniques just demonstrated to create more circles as shown.

Now that you've used grid and snap to make drawing objects easy, you are ready to more on to more advanced tools.

Typing Coordinates & Direct Distance Entry

In this lesson you learn how to draw objects by typing coordinates, and using Direct Distance Entry (DDE).

From the Draw menu, choose Line.
Type 2,3 to specify the start point of the line.
Move your mouse to the right and type 1.
Move your mouse up and type 1.
Move your mouse to the right and type 1.
Move your mouse up and type 1.
Move your mouse to the left and type 1.
Move your mouse up and type 1.
Move your mouse to the left and type 1.
Move your mouse down and type 3.

Note that you can turn SNAP and GRID off at any time by selecting SNAP and GRID on the status bar located at the bottom of the screen.

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Polar Snaps

In this lesson you learn how to draw lines at any angle easily.

Select SNAP at the bottom of the screen to turn SNAP off.
Select GRID at the bottom of the screen to turn GRID off.
Right-click on POLAR on the status bar, then choose Settings.
From the Increment Angle list, choose 15. You are telling AutoCAD to make it easy for your cursor to move in 15 degree angular increments.
Choose OK to exit this window.
On the Draw toolbar, choose Line.
Type 6.5,4.5. Note that the values you type automatically go in the boxes, and that the comma switches you from the first box to the second.
Move your mouse down and to the right at an angle of 45 degrees.
Type 4 to specify the length of this line.
Move your mouse up and type 4.
Move your mouse down and to the left to click on the end of the line. Because OSNAP is enabled, AutoCAD will immediately find the ENDpoint for you and make it easy to click on.
Use the techniques just demonstrated to make the objects symmetrical.

Now that you've explored several ways to enter points in this tutorial, take time to practice drawing objects and selecting points with precision.