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7/25/2019 Four Simple Rules for Drawing With AutoCAD
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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.