Ministry of Education

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

On Site Building Construction Management

Road Construction Management

Waterworks Construction Management

Construction Technology B - Level

Course Title: Technical Drafting

Module Title: General Engineering
LG Code: CON BTCT 1012 M01 LO1
TTLM Code: CON BTCT 1012 TTLM 1011v1

Prepared by : Noel S. Leonida, CE, MA MATH

Construction Technology Department - FTTI Page 1 of 32 TTCON 1012
 Instruction Sheet Learning Guide #1
This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the following content
coverage and topics –

• Introduction to AutoCAD
• Windows Basic Operating System and System Requirements for AutoCAD
• AutoCAD 2007 Basic Graphical User Interface
• Exploring CAD Environment

This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcome stated in the cover page. Specifically, upon com-
pletion of this Learning Guide, you will be able to –

• understand the importance of CAD in technical drafting works

• explain the minimum system requirements to run AutoCAD 2007
• make the drawing more expressive and easier to read
• familiarize with the graphical user interface of AutoCAD 2007
• explore the CAD environment

Learning Activities
1. Read the specific objectives of this Learning Guide.
2. Read the information written in the “Information Sheet 1”.
3. Accomplish the “Self-check 1” in page 4.
4. If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to “Information Sheet 2”. However, if your rating is unsatis-
factory, see your teacher for further instructions or go back to Learning Activity #2.
5. Submit your accomplished Self-check. This will form part of your training portfolio.
6. Read the information written in the “Information Sheets 2”.
7. Accomplish the “Self-check 2” in pages 12.
8. If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to “Information Sheet 3”. However, if your rating is unsatis-
factory, see your teacher for further instructions or go back to Learning Activity #3.
9. Accomplish the “Self check 3” in page 23.
10. If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to “Operation Sheet” in page 29. However, if your rating is
unsatisfactory, see your teacher for further instructions or go back to Learning Activity #3.
11. Read the “Operation Sheet”, try to understand the description or procedures discussed and practice the
exercises illustrated. Go to your teacher if you need clarification or you want answers to your questions or
you need assistance in understanding a particular step or procedure.
12. Request you teacher to observe your demonstration of the exercises and give you feedback.
13. Do the “LAP test” in page 30 (if you are ready) and show your output/performance to your teacher. Your
teacher will evaluate your output/performance either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. If unsatisfactory, your
teacher shall advice you on additional work. But if satisfactory you can proceed to Learning Guide #2 or await
instructions from your teacher.

2
 Information Sheet-1 Review of Operating System

There are a good number of engineering CAD tools these days. In almost all of the engineering disciplines,
computer software and utilities and very important to use in today’s technological works. CAD works on the
other hand plays an important role in everyday’s lives of a technical man, or draftsmen. Speed is very most
important aspect of works, that is to finish as early as possible then needed working drawings so it can be
eventually fabricated or constructed. Almost all of the engineering disciplines are CAD dependent nowadays –
making work easy to edit and to print at once. Convenience is the most reason of it all. Although we cannot
totally leave the conventional method of manual drafting, as electric power is not all the time available round
the clock and year round. Manual drafting becomes an option of drafting works in the absence of electricity
and computer peripherals. Computer drafting is quite expensive is not yet freely accessible to everybody.

There are a lot of available CAD and engineering software in the market today with corresponding price, such
as Microstation, AutoCAD, TurboCAD, Draftsight, ArchiCAD, Visio, Electronic Workbench, etc. These soft-
wares comes in 2D and 3D capability. Others are plainly use for rendering so as to enhance CAD works to
look more realistic. But basically for construction industry the very most important thing is to produced a read-
able and presentable 2D working drawing plans. In construction industry where buildings, roads, bridges and
other structural works are the main concentration of the construction group, 2D working drawings is the most
important aspect of field drawings, 3D output is just few pages of the plans, only to see the final appearance of
the project. As most of the clients do not understand so much the structural and 2D parts of the plans, they
could eventually understand the project when they would see how would it looks like when it is finished.

The minimum requirement for an AutoCAD 2007 to run is an IBM-compatible computer with at least a Pentium
IV or equivalent CPU. Your computer should have at least one CD drive and a hard disk with 2GB or more of
free space for the AutoCAD program files and about 120MB of additional space for sample files and work-
space. In addition to these requirements, you should also have enough free disk space to allow for a Windows
virtual memory page file that is about 1.5 times the amount of installed RAM. Consult your Windows manual or
Appendix B of this book for more on virtual memory. AutoCAD 2007 runs best on systems with at 2GB or
more of RAM though you can get by with 512MB. Your computer should also have a high-resolution monitor
and an up-to-date display card.

An SVGA display with a resolution of 1024 × 768 or greater will work fine with AutoCAD, but if you want to
take full advantage of AutoCADs new 3D features, you’ll want a 128MB or greater, OpenGL ® - capable
workstation class graphics card. If you intend to use a digitizer tablet, you’ll want one free USB, or serial, port
available. I also assume you are using a mouse and have the use of a printer or a plotter. A CD or DVD reader
is needed to install AutoCAD and the software from this book. Finally, you’ll want an Internet connection to
take full advantage of the support offerings from Autodesk. If you want a more detailed explanation of hard-
ware options with AutoCAD, see Appendix B. You will find a general description of the available hardware
options and their significance to AutoCAD. Furthermore, AutoCAD 2007 was designed to run in Windows
2000 and Windows XP.

3
 Self-Check 1 Review of Operating Systems

Name: _________________________ Date: _______________

Test I: Short Answer Questions

Directions: Answer all the questions listed below. Examples may be necessary to aid some explana-
tions/answers.
1. What classification of engineering tool is AutoCAD 2007? (2points)
2. What is the minimum screen resolution for AutoCAD 2007 to display properly? (2 points)
3. In what minimum operating system can AutoCAD 2007 work or run? (2 points)
4. What is the recommended memory module for AutoCAD 2007?. (2 points)
5. What is the recommended hard disk space for installation and additional space for sample files of Auto-
CAD 2007? (2 points)

4
 Information Sheet-2 CAD Graphical User Interface

A typical arrangement of the elements in the AutoCAD window. The Sheet Set Manager palette (and Info Pa-
lette for AutoCAD 2007) is closed for clarity.

The AutoCAD Window

The AutoCAD program window is divided into six parts:

 Menu bar
 Docked and floating toolbars
 Drawing area
 Command window
 Status bar
 Tool palettes

5
A seventh hidden component, the Properties palette (not to be confused with the Properties toolbar), gives
you detailed information about the objects in your drawing. You can also use it to modify some of those prop-
erties.

Starting and Opening AutoCAD Program

The next information pertains to opening and running an AutoCAD program, it is assumed at this point that the
program is properly installed with a shortcut icon on the desktop. AutoCAD can be opened in two options , the
3D modeling environment and the 2D classic environment. For purpose of basic learning of 2D, it would be
good to explore the 2D classic environment. To do this, the simple instruction is outlined below:

 Double click on the AutoCAD icon in the desktop (note: in the first time of opening the AutoCAD the fol-
lowing options for configuring AutoCAD will be displayed and save, so that the next time you load the
program it will run according to the previously configured environment)
 Click the Workspace list in the upper-left corner of the AutoCAD window and select AutoCAD Classic.LT
users can select AutoCAD LT from a floating Workspaces toolbar.

 AutoCAD users should choose file ► New. Then in the Select Template dialog box, choose acad.dwt
and click Open.

6
If you did step 2, the default file name will be Drawing2.dwg instead of Drawing1.dwg . Aside from that, your
AutoCAD window will look similar to Figure 1.2, which shows AutoCAD in a moderate resolution screen. The
figures below shows the AutoCAD basic Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Figure 1.1

7
Figure 1.2 The AutoCAD 2D classic Graphical User Interface.

8
On the other hand, the 3D modeling workspace offers an alternative arrangements of elements

Figure 1.3 The AutoCAD 3D Modeling Graphical User Interface.

Some Important Terminologies in AutoCAD

Title Bar - This will show you what program you are running and what the current filename is.

Pull-down menus - These are the standard pull-down menus through which you can access almost all com-
mands.

Main toolbar - This has most of the standard Windows icons, as well as the most common AutoCAD com-
mands.

Property toolbar - This toolbar gives a way to quickly modify an object's properties, such as layer and line-
type.

Floating toolbar - This is a toolbar that can be moved around the screen, or 'docked' as the main toolbar is.

Drawing space - This is where you draw. You have an almost infinite area to draw and this is just a 'section'
of the entire space.
9
Scrollbars - These work like in other windows programs. You can also use the PAN command to move
around your drawing.

WCS Icon - This is here to show you which direction positive X and positive Y go. The W means you're in the
World Co-ordinate System. (It can be changed to a User Co-ordinate System.)

Status Bar Tray Icons - These icons give you updates on items like reference files program updates and print
status.

Command line - When you type a command, you will see it here. AutoCAD uses this space to 'prompt' you
for information. It will give you a lot of information and tell you where you are in the command.

Status bar - This allows to see and change different modes of drawing such as Ortho, Osnaps, Grid, Otrack,
etc.

Absolute coordinates - A way of inputting points based on AutoCAD's origin.

Acad.dwt - This is the default template that automatically loads whenever you start a drawing session. It can
be customized to suit your needs.

Associated Dimensioning - Dimensions that are associated with specific points will update as that point is
moved.

Backup file - AutoCAD can be set to automatically backup your drawing and save it. This is a safeguard in
case your file gets corrupted. It is saved with a .BAK extension.

Block - A pre-drawn image you can insert in your drawing to save time and make your file size smaller.

Crosshairs - This is your cursor when it is in the drawing space.

Cursor - Your cursor will change depending on where it is in the program.

Database - An AutoCAD drawing file is actually one large database containing all the information needed to
reproduce the objects when the file is opened. Info for layers and linetypes, etc are stored in this manner.

Dialog box - AutoCAD uses a large number of dialog boxes to get information from you. You must know how
input the information that it asks for.

Drawing template file - This is a file that contains preset values for frequently used settings. AKA a prototype
drawing. The file extension is DWT.

Extents - The outer boundaries of the objects you have drawn.

Grid This is pattern of dots displayed on the screen to guide you. It can be toggled on and off by pressing the
F7 key.

Grips - Small 'handles' on objects that allow for quick editing.

Layer - All objects are drawn on a layer. You can group objects (such as electrical) on a single layer and or-
ganize your drawing.

Layout Tabs - A space used for plotting your drawings (formerly called Paper Space).

10
Limits (Grid) - A setting to impose an 'artificial' boundary on your drawing that sets the area of the grid, and
when turned on, limits you to drawing in the grid area.

Linetype - All objects are drawn with a particular linetype. Examples would be solid, center, dashed, etc.
Model space - The drawing space where you 'model' the objects.

Modify - A generic term used for changing your objects.

Object - Any item that is in the AutoCAD database. Also known as an entity.

Origin - The (0,0) point of your current co-ordinate system.

Ortho mode - This is a drawing mode that allows you to draw only perpendicular lines. It is toggled on and off
by pressing the F8 key.

Osnap - Object Snap - This is a method of 'snapping' to certain, precise points on an object.

Path - The specific folder where AutoCAD looks for, or saves files.

Pick - To select an object by 'left-clicking' on it.

Plot - Also known as print. To make a hard copy of your drawing.

Polar co-ordinates - A way of inputting points based on distance and angle.

Property - Any specific characteristic of an object such as layer, scale, linetype, start point, etc.

Relative co-ordinates - A way of inputting points based on a starting point.

Selection set - The current group of objects selected for modifying.

Snap - This is a drawing mode that allows you to snap your cursor to precise points laid out in a grid pattern.
Toggle with the F9 key.

Styles - Formatting that defines the look of text, dimensions, etc.

Units - The basic drawing unit set for you drawing. For example, you can use inches or millimeters depending
on your needs. You can also set the precision you want displayed, such nearest 1/4", 1/2" 1/64", etc.

User co-ordinate system (UCS) - Modifications made to the World Co-ordinate System (WCS) results in a
User Co-ordinate System (UCS).

View - A particular area of your drawing.

Viewport - A separate 'window' on your drawing. You may have more than one viewport visible to see differ-
ent areas of your drawing at the same time.

Wizard - An easy step-by-step instruction set to help you set-up certain aspects of your drawing.

World Co-ordinate System (WCS) - This is the common X-Y co-ordinate system that is the default. If it is
modified, it becomes a User co-ordinate System (UCS)

Zoom - To view either a smaller section of your drawing (zoom in) or a larger section (zoom out)

11
 Self-Check 2 CAD Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Name: _________________________ Date: _______________

Test I: Short Answer Questions

Directions: Answer all the questions listed below. Examples may be necessary to aid some explana-
tions/answers.
1. The AutoCAD window is divided into six parts, what are those? (6 points)
2. What is the filename and extension name of 3D CAD template? (2 points)
3. What is the filename and extension name of 2D CAD template? (2 points)
4. What is polar coordinate system in AutoCAD?. (2 points)
5. What is a layout tab? (2 points)

Test II : Matching Type : Below are two columns A & B. Match column A with column B. Write only the
corresponding letter of your choice in the space provided before the number in column A. (2points each x 10 =
20 points)

A B

_____ 1. Snap A. This is a drawing mode that allows you to draw only perpendi-
cular lines. It is toggled on and off by pressing the F8 key.
_____ 2. Model space B. A separate window in the drawing area.
C. Any item that is in the AutoCAD database and also known as
_____ 3. Object an entity.
D. A way of inputting points based on distance and angle.
_____ 4. Ortho mode E. The current group of objects selected for modifying.
F. A cursor when in the drawing space
_____ 5. Relative coordinates G. The (0,0) point of your current co-ordinate system.
H. A drawing mode that allows you to snap your cursor to precise
_____ 6. Property points laid out in a grid pattern and using F9 as the toggle key.
I. Any specific characteristic of an object such as layer, scale, line
_____ 7. Viewport type, start point, etc.
J. A way of inputting points based on a starting point.
_____ 8. Selection Set K. The drawing space where you 'model' the objects.

_____ 9. Polar coordinates

_____ 10. Crosshairs

12
 Information Sheet-3 Exploring CAD Environment

The Menu bar, the Standard toolbar, and the Properties toolbar.

The Draw toolbar

The Draw toolbar

The Tool Palettes

13
The drawing area occupies most of the screen. Everything you draw appears in this area. As you move your
mouse around, crosshairs appear to move within the drawing area. This is the drawing cursor that lets you
point to locations in the drawing area. At the bottom of the drawing area, you’ll see a set of tabs. These tabs
give you access to the Layout views of your drawing. These views let you lay out your drawing as in a desktop
publishing program. The arrows to the left of the tabs let you navigate the tabs when there are more tabs than
can fit in the AutoCAD window. The Command window, located just below the Layout tabs, gives you feed-
back about AutoCAD’s commands as you use them. You can move and resize this window just as you move
and resize toolbars. By default, the Command window is in its docked position, as shown in the figure below.

Picking points in the drawing area

Let’s practice using coordinate readout and the drawing cursor:

1. Move the cursor around in the drawing area. As you move it, notice how the coordinate readout
changes to tell you the cursor’s location. It shows the coordinates in an X, Y, Z format.
2. Place the cursor in the middle of the drawing area and click the left mouse button. Move the cursor,
and a rectangle follows. This is a window selection ; You’ll also see a coordinate readout follow the
cursor and a message asking you to Specify opposite corner : . This display at the cursor is called
dynamic input.

3. Move the cursor a bit in any direction; then click the left mouse button again. Notice that the window
selection disappears as does the dynamic input display.
4. Try picking several more points in the drawing area. Notice that as you click the mouse, you alternately
start and end a window selection.

14
The UCS icon

In the lower-left corner of the drawing area, you see an L-shaped arrow. This is the User Coordinate System
(UCS) icon, which tells you your orientation in the drawing. This icon becomes helpful as you
start to work with complex 2D drawings and 3D models. The X and Y arrows indicate the X
and Y axes of your drawing. The little square at the base of the arrows tells you that you are
in what is called the World Coordinate System. Chapter 21 discusses this icon in detail. For
now, you can use it as a reference to tell you the direction of the axes.

The Command Window

At the bottom of the screen, just above the status bar, is a small horizontal window called the Command win-
dow. Here AutoCAD displays responses to your input. By default, it shows two lines of text. The bottom line
shows the current messages, and the top line shows messages that have scrolled by or, in some cases, com-
ponents of the current message that do not fit in a single line. Right now, the bottom line displays the message
Command. This prompt tells you that AutoCAD is waiting for your instructions. As you click a point in the
drawing area, you’ll see the message Specify opposite corner: . At the same time, the cursor starts to
draw a window selection that disappears when you click another point. The same message appears in the
dynamic input display at the cursor.

As a new user, pay special attention to messages displayed in the Command window and the dynamic input
display because this is how AutoCAD communicates with you. Besides giving you messages, the Command
window records your activity in AutoCAD. You can use the scroll bar to the right of the Command window to
review previous messages. You can also enlarge the window for a better view. Now let’s look at AutoCAD’s
window components in detail.

The Drop-Down Menus

As in most Windows programs, the drop-down menus on the menu bar provide an easy-to-understand way to
access the general controls and settings for AutoCAD. Within these menus you’ll find the commands and func-
tions that are the heart of AutoCAD. By clicking menu items, you can cut and paste items to and from Auto-
CAD, change the settings that make AutoCAD work the way you want it to, set up the measurement system
you want to use, access the help system, and much more.

The drop-down menu options perform three basic functions:

 Display a dialog box that contains settings you can change

 Issue a command to create or modify your drawing
 Offer an expanded set of the same tools found in the Draw and Modify toolbars

15
Here’s an exercise to let you practice with the drop-down menus and get acquainted with the
way you issue AutoCAD commands:

1. Click View in the menu bar. The list of items that appears
includes the commands and settings that let you control the
way AutoCAD displays your drawings. Don’t worry if you
don’t understand them yet; you’ll get to know them in later
chapters.

2. Move the highlight cursor slowly down the list of menu

items. As you highlight each item, notice that a description
of it appears in the status bar at the bottom of the AutoCAD
window. These descriptions help you choose the menu op-
tion you need.

3. Some of the menu items have triangular pointers to their

right. This means the command has additional choices. For
instance, highlight the Zoom item, and you’ll see another set
of options appear to the right. This second set of options is
called a cascading menu. Whenever you see a drop-down
menu item with the triangular pointer, you know that this
item opens a cascading menu offering a more detailed set
of options.

4. Other drop-down menu options are followed by an ellipsis

(…). This indicates that the option displays a dialog box. For
instance, move the highlight cursor to the Tools option in the
menu bar.

5. Click the Options item at the bottom of the menu to open the Options dialog box. This dialog box con-
tains several “pages,” indicated by the tabs across the top, that contain settings for controlling what Au-
toCAD shows you on its screens, where you want it to look for special files, and other “housekeeping”
settings. You needn’t worry about what these options mean at this point.

16
6. In the Options dialog box, click the Open And Save tab. The options change to display new options.

7. In the middle-left side of the dialog box, you’ll see the Automatic Save check box, with the Minutes Be-
tween Saves input box set to 10 minutes. This setting controls how frequently AutoCAD performs an
automatic save. Change the 10 to 20, and then click OK. You have just changed AutoCAD’s Automatic
Save feature to automatically save files every 20 minutes instead of every 10.

8. Click the X in the upper-right corner of the Tool Palettes window to close it. You won’t be using the pa-
lettes for a while.

9. Click the Draw option from the menu bar and then click the Rectangle command. Notice that the
Command window now shows the following prompt:

Specify first corner point or [Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]:

AutoCAD is asking you to select the first corner for the rectangle, and, in brackets, it is offering a few
options that you can take advantage of at this point in the command. You’ll also see the same prompt,
minus the bracketed options, in the dynamic input display at the cursor.

17
 Figure 1.7

10. Click a point roughly in the lower-left corner of the drawing area, as shown in Figure 1.7. Now as you
move your mouse, you’ll see a rectangle follow the cursor, with one corner fixed at the position you just
selected. You’ll also see the following prompt in the Command window with a similar prompt in the dy-
namic input display:

Specify other corner point or [Area/Dimensions/Rotation]:

11. Click another point anywhere in the upper-right region of the drawing area. A rectangle appears (see
Figure 1.8). You’ll learn more about the different cursor shapes and what they mean in Chapter 2.

At this point, you’ve seen how most of AutoCAD’s commands work. Many drawing and editing func-
tions display messages in the Command window. They are also displayed in the dynamic input display.
You’ll find that dialog boxes are displayed when you want to change settings. Also, be aware that
many of the drop-down menu items are duplicated in the toolbars, which you will explore next.

18
 Figure 1.8
The Toolbar

Although the drop-down menus provide a full range of easy-to-understand options, they require some effort to
navigate. The toolbars, on the other hand, give you quick, single-click access to the most commonly used Au-
toCAD features. In the default AutoCAD window arrangement, you see only the most commonly used tool-
bars. Other toolbars are available, but they are hidden from view until you open them. Just like the drop-down
menu commands, the tools in the toolbars perform three types of actions: they display further options, open
dialog boxes, and issue commands that require keyboard or cursor input.

Using the Toolbar Tool Tips

1. Move the arrow cursor onto one of the toolbar tools and leave it there for a moment. Notice that a brief
description of the tool appears nearby - this is the tool tip. In the status bar, a more detailed description
of the tool’s purpose appears (see Figure 1.9).

2. Move the cursor across the toolbar. As you do, notice that the tool tips and status bar descriptions
change to describe each tool. The keyboard command equivalent of the tool is also shown in the sta-
tus bar at the end of the description.

19
 Figure 1.9
Working with Flyouts

Most toolbar tools start a command as soon as you click them, but a few tools display a set of additional tools
(similar to the cascading menus in the menu bar) that are related to the tool you selected. This set of addition-
al tools is called a toolbar flyout. If you’ve used other Windows graphics programs, A typical tool tip Tool de-
scription in the status bar chances are you’ve seen flyouts. Look closely at the tools just below the Express or
Dimension dropdown menu options on your screen (Figure 1.8). You’ll be able to identify which toolbar tool
has a flyout; it has a small right-pointing arrow in the lower-right corner of the tool.
The following steps show you how a flyout works:

1. Move the cursor to the Zoom Window tool in the Standard toolbar. Click and hold the left mouse button
to display the flyout. Don’t release the mouse button.

2. Still holding down the left mouse button, move the cursor over the flyout; notice that the tool tips ap-
pear here as well. Also, notice the description in the status bar.

3. Move the cursor to the Zoom Window tool at the top of the flyout and release the mouse button.

4. You don’t need to use this tool yet, so press the Esc key to cancel it.

20
Moving the Toolbars

One characteristic of AutoCAD’s toolbars is their mobility. They can float anywhere in the AutoCAD window or
in a docked position. As stated earlier, docked means the toolbar is placed against the top, side, or bottom
borders of the AutoCAD window so that the toolbar occupies a minimal amount of space. If you want to, you
can move the toolbar to any location on your desktop, thus turning it into a floating toolbar.

1. Move the arrow cursor so that it points to the vertical bars, called grab bars, to the far left of the Stan-
dard toolbar, as shown here:

2. Click and hold down the left mouse button. Notice that a dotted gray rectangle appears around the
toolbar.

3. Still holding down the mouse button, move the mouse downward. The dotted gray box follows the cur-
sor.

4. When the dotted gray box is over the drawing area, release the mouse button. The Standard toolbar—
now a floating toolbar—moves to its new location.

You can now move the Standard toolbar to any location on the screen that suits you. You can also change the
shape of the toolbar. Try the following steps:

1. Place the cursor on the bottom-edge border of the Standard toolbar. The cursor becomes a double-
headed arrow, as shown here:

2. Click and drag the border downward. The dotted gray rectangle jumps to a new, taller rectangle as you
move the cursor.

21
 3. When the dotted gray rectangle changes to the shape you want, release the mouse button to reshape
the toolbar.

4. To move the toolbar back into its docked position, place the arrow cursor on the toolbar’s title bar, and
slowly click and drag so that the cursor is in position in the upper-left corner of the AutoCAD window.
Notice how the dotted gray outline of the toolbar changes as it approaches its docked position.

5. When the outline of the Standard toolbar is near its docked position, release the mouse button. The
toolbar moves back into its previous position in the AutoCAD window.

You can also move a toolbar from a docked position to a floating one by double-clicking the toolbar’s grab bar.
Double-click the title bar of a floating toolbar to move the toolbar to a docked position, though not necessarily
its original docked position.

You can move and reshape any of AutoCAD’s toolbars to place them out of the way and still have them ready
to give you quick access to commands. You can also put them away altogether when you don’t need them
and bring them back at will, as shown in the following steps:

1. Click and drag the Draw toolbar from its position at the left of the AutoCAD window to a point near the
center of the drawing area. Remember to click and drag the grab bars at the top of the toolbar.

2. Click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the Draw floating toolbar. This is the small square
button with the X in it. The toolbar disappears.

3. To recover the Draw toolbar, right-click the border or grab bar of any toolbar—but not a toolbar button.
A shortcut menu of toolbars appears.

4. Locate and select Draw in the shortcut menu. The Draw toolbar reappears.

5. Click and drag the Draw toolbar back to its docked position in the far-left side of the AutoCAD window.

22
 Self-Check 3 Exploring CAD Environment

Name: _________________________ Date: _______________

Test I: Short Answer Questions

Directions: Answer all the questions listed below. Examples may be necessary to aid some explana-
tions/answers.
1. What is a toolbar? (2points)
2. What do you mean by “docking the toolbar”. (2 points)
3. What do you mean by toolbar flyout? (2 points)
4. What is a tooltip?. (2 points)
5. What is a cascading menu? (2 points)

Test II : Identification : Identify the items indicated by the numbers from 1 to 13 in the figure shown below in
the figure shown below. Write your answer in the space provided before the number or in a separate answer
sheet provided. (2points each x 13 = 26 points)

1. _________________________
8. _________________________
2. _________________________
9. _________________________
3. _________________________
10. _________________________
4. _________________________
11. _________________________
5. _________________________
12. _________________________
6. _________________________
13. _________________________
7. _________________________

23
 Answer Sheet I Score = ___________
Rating: ____________

Name: _________________________ Date: _______________

Test I. Short Answer Questions

1. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

4. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

5. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

24
 Answer Sheet II Score = ___________
Rating: ____________

Name: _________________________ Date: _______________

Test I. Short Answer Questions

1. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

4. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

5. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

25
Test II Matching Type

1. _______
6. _______

2. _______
7. _______

3. _______
8. _______

4. _______
9. _______

5. _______
10. _______

26
 Answer Sheet III Score = ___________
Rating: ____________

Name: _________________________ Date: _______________

Test I. Short Answer Questions

1. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

4. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

5. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

27
Test II. Identification

1. _______ 7. _______

2. _______ 8. _______

3. _______ 9. _______

4. _______ 10. _______

5. _______ 11. _______

6. _______ 12. _______

13. _______

28
 Operation Sheet Introduction to CAD Drafting

Operation Title:
Overview and Introduction to AutoCAD

Purpose :
This learning guide will review some basic knowledge on the operating system required of Auto-
CAD 2007, some basic routine on windows operation needed for CAD works. This activity will also
give the user a first hand on how to open the CAD program, start working around in the CAD envi-
ronment and familiarizing with the GUI (Graphical User Interface) and toolbars of AutoCAD 2007.

Conditions or Situations for The Operation :

A template for this activity is given with a sample. The drawing area in the paper is divided into nine
(9) equal boxes where the student will repetitively draw the sample alphabet of lines inside the box
until it is filled using freehand sketching.

Equipment, Tools and Materials :

Desktop Computer with installed AutoCAD 2007 program

Multimedia Overhead Projector or Beamer

CAD room

Procedure:
1. Power on the desktop computer.
2. Check to see that the resolution is set to at least a minimum of 1024 x 768 setting.
3. From the windows program start button or from the desktop AutoCAD icon, run the program.
4. Select the 2D classic option for opening the CAD program and select the template “acad.dwt”
(this is a 2D environment of the CAD).
5. Explore the CAD Graphical User Interface (or as instructed by your teacher).
6. Read the Learning Guide Material and when ready answer the Lap Test below.

Precautions :
1. The desktop computer unit is powered electrically so take extra care in using the unit.
2. Check your outlets, and electrical cables used in the unit. Report to your teacher any
damage or busted part of the unit for necessary replacement.
3. Observe proper posture of body in drafting works to avoid if not minimize body stress.

29
 LAP Test Overview and Introduction to AutoCAD

Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________

Time started: ________________________ Time finished: ________________

Instructions:

1. Explore the AutoCAD program and follow the guides and instructions given to you by your
teacher.:
Request from your teacher the following materials.

Working and in good running condition desktop computer unit with table and chair
2. Create a working directory in drive D (if it is present) or in any worker drive but not the default
drive C. Take note that it is a good practice to save you data files in a separate drive other
than C, so that when everything goes wrong or when the system crash due to viruses or cor-
rupted files, your data is in a safe place when the system drive needs to be formatted and
reinstallation is inevitable.
3. Name your folder or directory using a unique name which is easy to remember. You can use
your initials followed by the program name (in this case AutoCAD or CAD).
Ex: Jonh CADFiles, JSL AutoCAD works, etc.
4. After exploring the CAD GUI, save the file to your working folder you have created. Don’t wor-
ry if there is nothing yet in the working area, this is just a warm up and getting the first feel of
working around with AutoCAD.
5. Read the learning material (learning guide) given you by your teacher.
6. When you are ready, accomplish the given task below.
Activity I : Follow the instruction above from instruction number 2 to 4.
Activity II : Given the AutoCAD Graphical User Interface as shown in Figure 1 below, label
each numbered item accordingly.
Activity III : Accomplish the task in matching type problem below.
7. You are given 2 hours to accomplish the task.
8. Ask your teacher for an evaluation and feedback

30
 Figure 1

Matching Type : Below are two columns A & B. Match column A with column B. Write only the correspond-
ing letter of your choice in the space provided before the number in column A. (2points each x 10 = 20 points)

_____ 1. Command window A. Gives a brief description about the tool when you
move the arrow cursor over the tool in toolbar
_____ 2. Selection Area B. It means the toolbar is placed against the top,
side, or bottom borders of the AutoCAD window
_____ 3. Main Toolbar so that the toolbar occupies a minimal amount of
space.
_____ 4. Cascading menu C. At the bottom of the screen, just above the status
bar, is a small horizontal window called the
_____ 5. Grid where AutoCAD displays responses to your in-
put.
_____ 6. Docked D. The outer boundaries of the objects you have
drawn.
E. When you place the cursor in the middle of the
drawing area and click the left mouse button then
move the cursor and a rectangle follows.
F. This is pattern of dots displayed on the screen
and can be toggled on and off by pressing the F7

31
 key.

_____ 7. Zoom G. The menu items which have triangular pointers

to their right in which when you highlight the
_____ 8. Drawing template file Zoom item, you’ll see another set of options ap-
pearing to the right.
_____ 9. Extent H. View either a smaller section of your drawing or
a larger section.
_____ 10. Tool Tip I. This is a file that contains preset values for fre-
quently used settings with a file extension of
DWT
J. This has most of the standard Windows icons, as
well as the most common AutoCAD commands.
K. This will show you what program you are running
and what the current filename is.

32