The preceding chapter emphasized using existing geometry (or objects) in a drawing to create new geometry. In this chapter, you'll look at new tools for forming an efficient drawing strategy. Before getting back to the cabin, I'll give you a brief overview of the tools available for starting and running commands.
Developing a drawing strategy begins with determining the best way to start a command and when to start it. The Autodesk® AutoCAD® program provides several ways to start most of the commands you'll be using. As you have seen, you can start the OFFSET, FILLET, TRIM, and EXTEND commands from either the Ribbon's Home tab Modify panel or by typing the first letter or two of the command and then pressing . You can also display the menu bar and access commands from a drop-down list or expose the Modify toolbar and choose the tools from it.
You'll determine when to use the Ribbon, menu bar, toolbars, or keyboard based on what you're doing at the time, as well as by your personal preference. The purpose of the Ribbon is to make the most frequently used tools readily available, but keyboard entry can also be a fast method when you are using the command aliases. The menus are slower to use because they require more selections to get to a command, but they also contain more commands and options than the toolbars, as well as some commands not found on the Ribbon.
Remember that, if you have just ended a command, you can restart that command by pressing , by pressing the spacebar, or by right-clicking. When you right-click, a context menu appears near the cursor. The top item on this menu is Repeat Command, where Command is the last command used. For example, if you've just finished using the ERASE command and you right-click, the top item of the context menu is Repeat Erase. If you've used a command recently, you can select that command by pausing the cursor (hovering) over the Recent Input option and then selecting that command from the cascading menu that appears (see Figure 5.1).
ACCESSING COMMANDS FROM THE KEYBOARD
Here's a quick recap of the methods you've used so far to run commands from the keyboard. To start the OFFSET command from the keyboard, enter O. To start the FILLET command, enter F. To start the TRIM command, enter TR; and to start the EXTEND command, enter EX. AutoCAD employs this same framework for nearly all of its commands; start commands by entering the entire name of the command (EXTEND), or enter the starting characters of the command (EX).
The autocomplete feature allows for efficient access to commands and, when available, the associated command alias. Pausing after entering one or more characters at the command line will display a list of commands whose prefix matches what you've typed. (The following illustration shows the autocomplete feature displaying a list of commands whose prefix matches EX.) With this list open, you can continue entering the command name or select it from the list.
Another way to access commands from the keyboard is to press the F10 or Alt key. When you hold down the Alt key for a second or two, AutoCAD will display a series of shortcuts across the Ribbon. Entering these one- and two-character shortcuts will allow you to navigate the Ribbon without using a mouse. For example, to start a command on the Insert Ribbon tab, press Alt and then enter IN followed by a second two-character code indicated by the cue cards, as shown in the following illustration. These shortened command entries can range from a single character to several characters and are known as command aliases.
NOTE Throughout the rest of the book, I'll introduce some of the other items on the context menu. This menu is called a context menu because different items are displayed on it, depending on whether a command is running, which command you're using, and where you are in a command.
In this chapter, I'll introduce you to several new commands and, through the step-by-step instructions, show you some alternative methods for accomplishing tasks similar to those you have already completed. You'll add front and back decks and steps, thresholds, and kitchen and bath fixtures to the cabin floor plan (see Figure 5.2). For each of these tasks, the focus will be on making your job easier by utilizing objects and geometry that are already in the drawing and on using the appropriate tools to help you accomplish tasks more quickly and efficiently.
If you haven't already done so, activate the Dynamic Input button on the status bar and work with the dynamic display information shown in the drawing area as you work your way through the chapter.
To get started, let's take a look at the two thresholds. Each threshold is represented with three simple lines. You could certainly manually draw these lines with the skills you've learned so far, but we want to find the most efficient way. The trick will be to see which part of the drawing you can effectively use to generate and position those lines. As illustrated in Figure 5.3, the thresholds extend 2″ (51 mm) beyond the outside wall line and run 3″ (76 mm) past either jamb line.
Thresholds generally are used on doorway openings when the level changes from one side of the opening to the other or to prevent rain and dust from entering the structure. This usually occurs at entrances that open from or to the outside. Although they are quite different in shape, each threshold for the cabin has the same geometry as the steps. The lip of each threshold is offset 2′ (51 mm) from the outside wall, and each edge runs 3″ (76 mm) past the doorjamb (see Figure 5.3). You'll use a temporary tracking point with Polar Tracking and direct entry to draw the three thresholds for the cabin.
As you can see in Figure 5.3, the front threshold is 7′-6″ (2286 mm) wide, extending 3″ (76 mm) past the doorway on each side. You can draw a line from the endpoint of one of the jamb lines down 3″ (76 mm) and then draw the perimeter of the threshold. Here's how you do it:
You need to start the threshold 3″ (76 mm) below the bottom jamb, and in line with the outside wall line. Unfortunately, there is no feature to snap the cursor to at that point. The techniques that you've previously used would require offsetting the jamb line or starting the line at the jamb and drawing an overlapping line 3″ (76 mm) downward. Both of these methods would require you to erase the unnecessary line after the threshold is complete.
Instead of wasting time drawing and then erasing lots of unnecessary line work, you will begin using the Object Snap Tracking tool. This tool will help eliminate the need to create unnecessary geometry. Using the Object Snap Tracking tool requires you to specify a location in the drawing area, called a temporary tracking point, relative to existing features or other locations.
Click the Object Snap Tracking button on the status bar. In this case, because the threshold starts 3″ (76 mm) below the outside corner of the lower jamb, you'll use that corner as the temporary tracking point for the start point of the line.
WAYS TO USE THE OBJECT SNAP TOOLS
You can access the Object Snap tools in several ways:
The green cross indicates the temporary tracking point for the Object Snap Tracking tool, and the X indicates the point where the line will start.
AutoCAD draws the bottom edge of the threshold. You used direct entry with Ortho mode again, and you didn't have to enter the relative polar or the Cartesian coordinates.
The completed front threshold looks like Figure 5.8.
TIP When using object snaps to locate points within a drawing, you do not need to select the osnap icon itself. Notice how the cursor in Figure 5.7 is located slightly above and to the right of the point AutoCAD found by using the Perpendicular object snap. Regardless of where you select, a perpendicular line will be drawn to the point highlighted by the Perpendicular osnap icon.
The method of drawing the threshold for the back door is the same as the method used to draw the front threshold. You will use Ortho mode, direct input, and Object Snap Tracking to draw the lines. Here is how it's done:
When you drew the first threshold, this exercise may have seemed complicated, but it was probably easier when you drew the second one. Like many techniques available in AutoCAD, these methods will become second nature with a little practice, and you'll use them more efficiently. In the next exercise, you will draw the cabin's front deck and stairs, and then you'll use the existing geometry to draw the back deck and stairs.
The decks consist of the platform, posts, railings, and a set of stairs. You'll begin by using the OFFSET command to draw polylines for the perimeter, to facilitate the drawing of the railing lines. Then you'll continue the construction by using lines and the OFFSET and TRIM commands. You will also begin using the Temporary Track Point osnap, an option with the Object Snap Tracking tool.
Figure 5.11 shows the dimensions of the front deck you'll draw.
Right-click the Polar Tracking button on the status bar at the bottom of the screen, and then choose Settings from the context menu. The Drafting Settings dialog box opens. By default, the Polar Tracking tab is active (see Figure 5.12).
This has the same effect as clicking the Polar Tracking button in the status bar or pressing F10 from the Application window.
The Polar Tracking button is turned on in the status bar, and the Ortho mode is automatically turned off. Polar Tracking is similar to Ortho mode, but it provides more angular increments to which you can snap the cursor.
Turn off the Object Snap Tracking button in the status bar.
The object snaps are also available from the Object Snap toolbar you loaded and saved within the AutoCAD NER workspace in Chapter 1, “Getting to Know Autodesk® AutoCAD®.” Some users prefer using the toolbar over other methods because the nonrunning osnaps can remain visible on the screen without the need to open a menu and, if necessary, the toolbars can be docked to the perimeter of the drawing area or moved to a second monitor.
Load the Object Snap toolbar from View Ribbon tab User Interface panel Toolbars tool; click AutoCAD Object Snap.
Click the Snap To Perpendicular button on the Object Snap toolbar. Place the cursor over the top-outside horizontal line of the cabin and, when the Snap marker appears (see Figure 5.13), click to draw the vertical line of the deck's perimeter.
Your drawing should look like Figure 5.14.
There are four posts on the deck: two 8″ (204 mm) posts at the corners that hold up the roof, and two 4″ (102 mm) posts at the top of the stairs. You will use the Rectangle (RECTANG) command to draw the posts and the MIRROR command to copy them:
Use the Rectangle (RECTANG) command, found on the Home tab Draw panel Rectangle tool, to draw a post 8″×8″ at the lower-right corner of the desk.
To do this, start the Rectangle (RECTANG) command. At the Specify first corner point or: prompt, click the endpoints where the lines form the lower-right corner of the deck. At the Specify other corner point or: prompt, enter -8,8 (-204,204) to draw the first 8″ (204 mm) post.
The rectangle should be similar to Figure 5.15.
TIP You can start an AutoCAD command and then select objects, or you can select the objects first and then start the command.
To create the opposite post, select the rectangle that you just drew and then start the MIRROR command (Home tab Modify panel Mirror tool).
At the Specify first point of mirror line: prompt, click the Snap To Midpoint button on the Object Snap toolbar. Then pause the cursor over either of the vertical handrail lines.
When a feature is symmetrical like the deck, you can use the Midpoint snap to mirror objects about the centerline.
When you are finished, each segment should look similar to Figure 5.17.
The 4″ (102 mm) posts at the top of the stairs are centered on the 3″ (72 mm) handrails on the deck and on the stairs. To create the lower small post, you need to locate the bottom-right corner at a point (15 mm) to the right of the front handrail and (1740 mm) from the bottom-right corner of the deck. Follow these steps:
Select the large lower post and start the COPY command from the Home tab Modify panel on the Ribbon.
Start the SCALE command by clicking the Scale button from the Home tab Modify panel; then select the new rectangle.
You could mirror the 4″ (102 mm) rectangle now to create the reciprocal post, but we'll wait until the stair handrails are complete and then mirror both objects at once. The first stair handrail is 3″ (76 mm) wide and centered on the 4″ (102 mm) post, so you'll use a temporary tracking point to locate the first point of the line.
Start the LINE command, and click the Temporary Track Point button in the Object Snap toolbar, or enter TT at the command line.
Instead of entering the exact distance of the final line, you could also use the Perpendicular object snap to complete the handrail.
Your first handrail should look like Figure 5.20.
You can now mirror the post and railing to draw them on the opposite side of the stairway. You can't use the midpoint of the deck's perimeter line as one point of the mirror line, because the stair is centered on the front door and not on the deck. You can, however, use the midpoint of the front door's threshold.
Your deck should look like Figure 5.22.
Now you will use the TRIM command to trim away the stair lines that extend into and beyond the railings and the lines that pass through the 4″ (102 mm) posts.
TIP Make sure that you do not select the offset perimeter polylines as cutting edges. When polylines are selected as cutting edges and then as the trimmed objects, they are trimmed back to the endpoint nearest to the picked location.
When complete, your front stairway should look like Figure 5.25.
The deck, handrails, posts, and stairs at the rear portion of the cabin are similar to the same features at the front of the cabin. One of the most significant strengths of CAD software over traditional hand drafting is the ability to use existing geometry and linework in a drawing to create additional identical or similar objects. In this section, you will first mirror the front deck to the back of the cabin. I will then introduce you to the STRETCH command to adjust the lines to match the cabin's structure. Figure 5.26 shows the dimensions of the rear deck that are different from those on the front deck.
Several similarities exist between the front and back decks of the cabin. Using these similarities to your advantage, the following steps utilize this existing geometry by mirroring the front deck to the back of the cabin:
If you inadvertently select an unwanted object, hold down the Shift key and pick the object again to deselect it. The dashed, selected set should look like Figure 5.27.
As discussed earlier, as long as the Midpoint snap marker displays at the correct midpoint, it is not necessary to pick the exact midpoint of the line.
The STRETCH command is used to lengthen or shorten objects in the drawing area. The major restriction when using it is that the objects must be selected with a crossing window or crossing polygon, so be sure to define your selection window from right to left or to enter CR at the Select objects: prompt.
When part of an object resides inside the crossing window borders, the portion inside the window is moved, the portion crossing the border is stretched, and the portion outside the border is unaffected. When an object is completely inside the crossing window, it is affected as if the MOVE command were used.
Figure 5.29 shows the result when the top portion of the objects in a drawing are selected and stretched. The far-left image shows a crossing selection window encompassing the entire top portion of the objects, and the middle-left image shows the result of stretching the objects upward. The middle-right image shows a crossing selection window encompassing only the right half of the top portion of the objects, and the far-right image shows the result of stretching the objects upward. Some objects, such as circles, ellipses, and blocks, cannot be stretched.
Complete the following steps to fix the rear deck and stairs by using the STRETCH command:
Start the STRETCH command from the Home tab Modify panel Stretch tool, or enter S at the command line.
Like the MOVE command, STRETCH requires you to specify a base point and a second point to define the result of the stretch. The selected objects are stretched to the same distance and angle as the relationship between those two points. For example, after selecting objects to stretch on the right side of the drawing area, you can select a base point on the left side of the drawing area and a second point 2″ above the base point. The selected objects on the left are stretched upward 2″.
You can reference objects or features in the drawing area or select a random point for the base and specify the angle and distance for the second point.
To complete the back deck, you need to align the center of the stair with the center of the door. To do this, we'll combine what you already know about object snaps with the STRETCH command and a feature named point filters. Point filters, also called coordinate filters, are tools you can utilize to use only the X, Y, or Z value of a selected point in the drawing area.
For example, suppose you want to stretch an object to the center of a rectangle but you don't know where that center is located. You could draw a bunch of construction lines, only to erase them in a few minutes, or you could forgo all of that with point filters. In this scenario, you would use the X point filter and pick the midpoint of a horizontal line from the rectangle; then you'd use the Y point filter and pick the midpoint of a vertical line from the rectangle.
The resulting location is at the intersection of the midpoint of the two sides of the rectangle at the center point. More important, you didn't spend any unnecessary time drawing and then erasing construction lines. Let's take a look at how you can employ this same method to finish the back deck. Follow these steps:
This allows you to pick a point that is horizontally (X) equal to the same location as the point you selected in step 4 and vertically (Y) equal to the midpoint of the threshold.
The prompt in the command-line interface has .X appended to indicate that AutoCAD will use only the X component of the next location picked.
Move the cursor around in the drawing area, and you'll see that the movement of the stairs is now restricted to the y-axis. In the command-line interface, the notation (need YZ) is appended to the prompt, indicating that AutoCAD will use only the Y and Z components of the next location picked. (Only the y-axis is referenced if you are using AutoCAD LT®.)
The kitchen for the cabin will have a stove, a refrigerator, and a counter with a sink. The refrigerator is set 2″ (51 mm) from the back wall. Approaching this drawing task, your goal is to think about the easiest and fastest way to complete it. The first step in deciding on an efficient approach is to ascertain what information you have about the various parts and what existing elements in the drawing will be available to assist you. Figure 5.37 gives you the basic dimensions, and you'll get more-detailed information about the sink and stove as you progress through the exercise.
Although the counter is in two pieces, you'll draw it as one piece and then cut out a section for the stove. Try two ways to draw the counter to see which method is more efficient.
The first drawing method uses Object Snap Tracking and direct entry:
At this point, you have drawn two line segments defining the counter on the back wall of the cabin. You can see the dimensions in Figure 5.37, shown earlier.
As with launching commands, most tasks in AutoCAD give you options galore for completing them. Although some methods are viewed as being more efficient than others, the “best” method is often a matter of personal preference. In this exercise, you're going to draw the same counter you drew in the previous exercise, except this time you will use the OFFSET and FILLET commands.
To complete this exercise, you'll need to erase the countertop you just drew. You could use the ERASE command to do this, but because all four of the line segments were drawn in one cycle of the LINE command, you can also use the UNDO command.
Click the Undo button on the Quick Access toolbar, enter U at the command line, or use the standard Windows keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Z.
Alternatively, you can open I05-10-PointFilter.dwg (M05-10-PointFilter.dwg) from the book's web page.
The counter you just drew should disappear. If you ended the LINE command while drawing the counter and had to restart it before you finished, you might have to click the Undo button more than once.
If you undo too much, click the Redo button, which is just to the right of Undo.
Now you'll draw the counter again, this time using the OFFSET and FILLET commands.
TIP As discussed earlier, if the FILLET command has a nonzero radius setting that you want to keep, hold down the Shift key to set the radius to zero for one use of the command. After the command ends, the radius returns to its nonzero setting.
Now that you have tried both ways, you can decide which of the two methods is more practical for you. Both are powerful techniques for laying out orthogonal patterns of lines for walls, counters, and other objects.
UNDOING AND REDOING IN AUTOCAD
AutoCAD has various Undo options, and they operate quite differently:
The stove and refrigerator are simple rectangles. Here you will use the Temporary Tracking Point osnap to locate the first corner of each shape:
This starts the rectangle 2″ (51 mm) from the back wall, along the side of the counter.
The Rectangle (RECTANG) command ends, and the refrigerator is drawn at the end of the counter that is running along the back wall. Next you'll use a similar process to draw a basic outline of the stove.
Your kitchen should look like Figure 5.43.
NOTE Because the stove rectangle is drawn as a polyline, you need to select only one segment of it for all sides of the rectangle to be selected and, in this case, for them to become cutting edges.
At this point, the cabin is really starting to take shape with the numerous lines, arcs, and polylines that you have drawn. There is, however, a significant disconnect between what you see and what AutoCAD sees while viewing the cabin. To you, it's a cabin; you see how the stairs are spaced equally, how the wall intersections form perpendicular angles, and in general how objects relate to other objects within your drawing.
AutoCAD, on the other hand, sees nothing more than a collection of lines, arcs, and polylines. It doesn't know that walls should form 90° angles where they intersect or that the two lines representing door openings should be parallel and spaced a certain distance apart. Currently, every object inside your drawing is independent from the other objects in your drawing.
Parametric drawing offers a solution to this disconnect; it allows you to assign both geometric and dimensional constraints to the objects inside your drawing. Whereas dimensional constraints must be applied manually, geometric constraints may be applied manually, automatically, or inferred while drawing. Using the dimensions shown in Figure 5.44, you'll have the chance to explore each of these methods as you use parametrics to complete the stove.
AUTOCAD LT USERS
The AutoCAD LT Ribbon does not include tools for creating geometric or dimensional constraints because parametric drawing is one of the features found only in the full version of AutoCAD. Because AutoCAD LT users will not be able to complete the next several exercises on parametric drawing, please substitute the following exercise to complete the stove:
If you haven't done so already, you can download this file from this book's web page at www.sybex.com/go/autocad2013ner or www.theacadgeek.com.
These should be the only two check boxes selected inside the Insert dialog box, as shown in the following illustration.
The stove is completed as the remaining geometry is inserted into the drawing.
Proceed to the “Drawing the Kitchen Sink” exercise later in this chapter.
The first step in using parametric drawing is to define how objects should interact geometrically. This is done by assigning geometric constraints to your model. These constraints will reinforce the use of tools such as object snaps to define the intersection of two lines as coincident, or two lines forming a right angle as perpendicular. Because you're not yet dealing with size, the primary focus in this exercise is to ensure that objects that should intersect do so, objects that should form right angles are indeed perpendicular, and parallel lines are truly parallel.
Assuming you were diligent in creating your linework, the Auto Constrain tool will automatically determine and assign the necessary geometric constraints. Follow these steps to autoconstrain your stove:
Select the current outline of the stove, and click the Auto Constrain tool, which is found on the Parametric tab Geometric panel.
After you invoke Auto Constrain, a series of icons appear along the perimeter of the stove, as shown in Figure 5.45. These icons illustrate the geometric relationships AutoCAD established between the four lines that define the outline of your stove.
If no icons appear after you invoke Auto Constrain, use the Show All tool found on the Parametric tab Geometric panel.
The positioning of these icons may be slightly different than shown in Figure 5.45; it's more important to verify that you have the same geometric constraints as shown.
The geometric relationship displays as you hover over each Geometric Constraint icon. For instance, the parallel geometric constraint highlights both the adjacent Geometric Constraint icon and the line to which the two lines are parallel. This inquiry method is an especially helpful way of visualizing which objects relate to other objects inside your drawing.
Turn on Infer Constraints from the status bar. In addition, Object Snap, Object Snap Tracking, and Dynamic Input should still be on.
Don't worry about being terribly accurate at this point. You'll apply dimensional constraints in a moment. Right now you're interested in only the geometric relationships between objects.
The next step is to draw the circles that represent the burners. As with the last exercise, we're not overly concerned about size at this point. Instead, the focus is on getting the geometry correct first, and then you'll come back to further constrain the stove with dimensional constraints.
Click the down-arrow next to the Circle tool, found on the Home tab Draw panel, and look at the fly-out menu, as shown in Figure 5.47.
You have six options for constructing a circle:
Notice that each circle construction method has a unique icon on the left side of the fly-out menu. Whichever method was used last becomes the default method when you click the Circle button, and its icon appears on the button.
Once again, your intent at this point is to develop a solid geometric representation of the stove. Before applying dimensional constraints, I'll show you how to add some additional geometric constraints.
You've seen how the Auto Constrain and Infer Constraints features make it easy to add geometric constraints to your drawing. Although both are incredibly powerful features, sometimes you need an extra degree of control over how geometric constraints are added to your drawing. For this reason, you have the option of manually adding geometric constraints to objects inside your drawing.
Even if you had been more deliberate in drawing the burners with the proper alignment and size, the Auto Constrain feature would still have a difficult time establishing how the four burners truly interact with one another. Consequently, to ensure that the constraints are correctly applied, the best approach in this case is to define the necessary geometric constraints manually. To do this, you'll use many of the individual constraint icons found on the Parametric tab Geometric panel.
Click the Horizontal constraint tool from the Parametric tab Geometric panel.
The two right burners (as if you were working at the stove and facing the rear deck) are now constrained horizontally; this means that, although the two burners may be located anywhere along the y-axis, they will always be aligned along the x-axis. You can try this out by using the MOVE command to move either one of the burners. Notice how the second burner also moves even though it was not selected.
All of the burners are now constrained horizontally; however, there is no relationship between the left and right burners. To fix this, you will continue constraining the burners, this time applying Vertical constraints between the right and left burners.
Click the Vertical constraint tool from the Parametric tab Geometric panel.
Each of the burners is now fully constrained horizontally and vertically. Notice how moving a single burner also moves the two adjacent burners. Note the Constraint icons under each of the burners; your stove should look like Figure 5.51.
Because three of the burners are the same size, you can use the Equal geometric constraint to build a relationship between the two right burners and the back-left burner. It's important to remember that the focus here is to get the geometry correct. You'll apply dimensional constraints shortly to size each of the burners correctly.
Click the Equal constraint tool from the Parametric tab Geometric panel.
Your stove should look like Figure 5.52.
The previous several exercises gave you the opportunity to focus on geometry, not dimensions. Although the stove is geometrically correct, it's currently drawn with a series of arbitrary dimensions. Dimensional constraints let you assign real values to the geometry in your drawing. Thanks to the geometric constraints you have already applied to the stove, you'll need to apply dimensional constraints to only a few key points. The geometric constraints will handle the rest for you automatically, ensuring that the integrity of the relationships is retained.
Dimensional constraints function similarly to regular dimensions in AutoCAD. You'll have the chance to take a closer look at dimensions in Chapter 12, “Dimensioning a Drawing,” but your experience with parametrics will certainly provide a great foundation from which to build. One core difference between regular dimensions and parametric dimensions is that parametric dimensions require you to select both an object and a point. In contrast, regular dimensions require you to specify only a point. You'll use the dimensions shown earlier in Figure 5.44 to apply the necessary dimensional constraints.
Choose the Linear dimensional constraint from the Parametric tab Dimensional panel.
Figure 5.54 shows the result. You have created a total of five Linear constraints. These constraints have correctly positioned the rear control panel and each of the four burners for the stove. The only thing left to do is correctly size each of the four burners.
Because you used the Equal geometric constraint on three of the burners, properly sizing the burners will require only two Radius constraints.
Choose the Radius tool from the Parametric tab Dimensional panel.
The Equal geometric constraint updates the radius of the back-right and back-left burners to match the (89 mm) radius you specified for the front-right burner.
Figure 5.55 shows the result.
Much like formulas can reference the value of other cells in Microsoft Excel, dimensional constraints can reference other dimensional constraints. In this example, you referenced a constraint applied to the front-right burner by entering its name (rad1). The expression rad1+1 is actually a mathematical expression telling AutoCAD to gather the value of rad1 , and add 1″ to it for a total radius of (114 mm).
In this section, you'll draw a double sink with one basin larger than the other (see Figure 5.56). You'll use OFFSET, FILLET, and TRIM to create the sink from the counter and wall lines.
This forms the top and bottom edges of the sink. Next, you will draw the left and right edges of the sink.
From the status bar, turn on Selection Cycling.
You're going to offset the right side of the counter 1′-4″ (406 mm) to the left, but it coincides with the left side of the refrigerator. You'll use Selection Cycling to ensure that you select the correct line.
This completes the kitchen area. You drew no new lines to complete this task because you created most of them by offsetting existing lines and then trimming or filleting them. Keep this in mind as you move on to the bathroom.
The bathroom has three fixtures—a sink, a shower, and a toilet—as well as a mirror and a shelving unit. While you are drawing the bathroom, you'll draw the hot tub in the main room as well (see Figure 5.59). When drawing these fixtures, you'll use a few object snaps over and over again. You can set one or more of the osnap choices to run continually until you turn them off. That way, you won't have to select them each time.
You'll set three osnaps to run continually for now, until you get used to how they work:
By default, the Object Snap tab is current (see Figure 5.60).
Each of the 13 osnap options has a check box and a symbol next to it. The symbol appears as a marker in the drawing when you select a particular osnap, and the cursor is near a point where you can use that osnap. You can select any number of osnaps to be running at a time.
NOTE You can choose a different color for the markers if you want. If you're using a dark background in the drawing area, use a bright color, such as yellow. For a white background, try blue. To change colors, start the OPTIONS command and then choose the Colors button from the Drafting tab.
The Endpoint, Midpoint, and Intersection osnaps will now be active anytime you're prompted to select a point on the drawing. You can deactivate them by turning off the Object Snap button in the status bar or by pressing F3.
Now you're ready to begin drawing the bathroom. The shower determines the placement of the other two items, so let's start there.
You'll start the shower unit with a rectangle and then trim away one corner. As you start this exercise, check the status bar. The Polar Tracking, Object Snap, Object Snap Tracking, and Dynamic Input buttons should be in their On positions. The rest of the buttons should be off. Follow these steps:
TIP Remember, if you are not using Dynamic Input, you need to enter the @ symbol before entering relative coordinates.
TIP If you are not using Dynamic Input and don't get the rectangle you want after entering the relative coordinates for the second corner, click the Options button at the bottom of the Application menu to open the Options dialog box. Click the User Preferences tab.
TIP In the upper-right corner in the Priority For Coordinate Data Entry area, be sure that the button next to Keyboard Entry Except Scripts is active, and then click OK. Try the rectangle again.
As you hover over the second line, a preview of the resulting chamfer displays, similar to the display for the FILLET command. This allows you to confirm the chamfer distance values before completing the command.
Next, you'll draw the sink to the right of the shower.
You'll offset a line and draw an ellipse for this fixture while you practice using the Temporary Tracking Point osnap option in the process. The Endpoint and Midpoint osnaps are still running.
Your sink area should look like Figure 5.64.
Click the down-arrow next to the Ellipse button on the Home tab Draw panel, and choose the Center option. Alternatively, you can enter EL C to start the command from the command line.
Instead of using the direct entry method to define a point with the Object Snap Tracking tool, you just used two different object snaps to define one point.
The ellipse is constructed, and the sink fixture is nearly complete.
Leave the view on your screen as it is for a moment.
WARNING Be aware that offsetting an ellipse does not create a new ellipse but instead creates a spline.
The toilet and the shelves are the final fixtures necessary in the bathroom. You'll use the ELLIPSE command again, along with the RECTANG command, to draw them. You'll also learn about a couple of new display options.
The shelves are a simple rectangle measuring 3′×1′ (914 mm×305 mm). The toilet consists of a rectangle and an ellipse centered between the sink and the wall. The tank is offset 1″ (25 mm) from the back wall, and it is 9″20″ (229 mm×508 mm). The ellipse representing the seat measures 18″ (457 mm) in one direction and 12″ (304 mm) in the other.
On the navigation bar, click the Pan button. The cursor changes to a small hand to indicate that you are in Pan Realtime mode. Position the cursor in the lower part of the drawing area, with the view still zoomed in on the sink.
TIP You can also perform a pan, a lateral change in the viewing area with no change in zoom factor, by holding down the middle mouse button or scroll wheel. The MBUTTONPAN variable must be set to 1 (enter MBUTTONPAN1) for this functionality to be available. Now that most people use a wheel mouse, this manner of panning is becoming the preferred method. Rolling the wheel to zoom is also common.
Position the cursor in such a way that you have a good view of the toilet area, and then release the mouse button. Right-click again, and choose Exit from the context menu to end Zoom Realtime.
With Zoom Realtime, moving the cursor to the left or right has no effect on the view. The magnification is controlled solely by the up-and-down motion.
These zooming options are convenient tools for adjusting the view of your drawing. Let's move to the toilet first. You need to find a way to position the toilet accurately, centering it between the wall and shower. The midpoint of the left wall line isn't useful because the wall line runs behind the shower. You'll have to use a reference point to locate the starting point for the toilet tank. The lower-left corner of the tank is 5″ (127 mm) from the bottom wall and 1″ (25 mm) from the left wall. Because there is no osnap feature to define the location on the left wall, you will use the From osnap to locate the corner.
Start the Rectangle (RECTANG) command, and click the Snap From button in the Object Snap toolbar.
At the Base point: prompt, click the lower-left inside corner of the bathroom.
The 9″20″ (229 mm508 mm) toilet tank is drawn centered on the left wall (see the left of Figure 5.68).
Using the Specify Axis Endpoint option and the running Midpoint osnap, you can easily define the ellipse's location and first axis from one end of the ellipse to the other.
Now, as you move the crosshair cursor, you'll see that a line starts at the center of the ellipse, and the cursor's movement controls the size of the other axis.
To designate the second axis, you need to enter the distance from the center of the axis to the end of it, or half the overall length of the axis.
The ellipse is complete, so you've finished the toilet (see the right side of Figure 5.68).
Figure 5.59 earlier in the chapter shows the proper orientation. Zoom out, and your completed bathroom should look like Figure 5.69.
TIP You can snap the features of an ellipse or a circle by using the Center or Quadrant object snaps. If an ellipse is rotated, the Quadrant points will be located at the two points where the curves are sharpest and the two points where the curves are flattest. The Quadrant snaps will always remain at the four points of a circle or arc that project vertically or horizontally from the center point regardless of the object's orientation.
What is a cabin without a hot tub in which to relax? You'll complete the cabin fixtures by using a polyline to draw the outside perimeter of the hot tub, offsetting this polyline to the inside, and then filleting the appropriate corners. Here's how it's done:
Earlier in this chapter, you set the Polar Tracking Increment Angle value to 45.00 in the Drafting Settings dialog box. This setting lets you easily place the cursor at 45° increments from a set point rather than at the 90° increments provided by using Ortho mode.
USING PAN REALTIME AND ZOOM REALTIME
The Pan and Zoom buttons are next to each other on the navigation bar. In addition to using the panel buttons, you can start Pan by entering P and can start Zoom Realtime by entering Z.
You can also start Pan or Zoom by right-clicking at the Type a Command: prompt and then choosing Pan or Zoom from the context menu or by clicking the Pan or Zoom button in the middle of the status bar. If you try this, you'll find that it's easier than clicking the Pan or Zoom button.
Like most AutoCAD commands, the Zoom and Pan Realtime commands offer several options, including the following:
Exit Ends the Zoom Realtime or Pan Realtime command.
Pan Switches to Pan Realtime from Zoom Realtime.
Zoom Switches to Zoom Realtime from Pan Realtime.
Orbit Is a special viewing tool for 3D that is covered in later chapters.
Zoom Window Allows you to make a zoom window without first ending Pan Realtime or Zoom Realtime. You pick a point, hold down the left mouse button, and then drag open a window in your drawing. When you release the button, you're zoomed in to the window you made, and Pan Realtime or Zoom Realtime resumes.
Zoom Original Restores the view of your drawing that you had when you began Pan Realtime or Zoom Realtime.
Zoom Extents Zooms to the drawing extents.
To end Pan Realtime or Zoom Realtime, press the Esc key, press , or right-click and choose Exit from the context menu.
When Pan Realtime or Zoom Realtime is running, AutoCAD is in a special mode that makes the status bar invisible and, therefore, unusable.
The following are several additional exercises that will give you the opportunity to practice the skills and techniques you have learned.
As is true for almost any skill, the key to mastery is practice. Redrawing the entire cabin might seem daunting at this point, when you think of how long it took you to get here. But if you try it all again, starting from Chapter 3, “Setting Up a Drawing,” you'll find that it will take about half the time that it did the first time. If you do it a third time, it'll take half that time again. Once you understand the techniques and how the commands work, feel free to experiment with alternative techniques to accomplish tasks and with other options for the commands.
If you have a specific project in mind that you would like to draw in AutoCAD, so much the better. Try drawing the floor plan of your home or a classroom.
Once you put some furniture in the cabin, you'll quickly see how small it is! But it can still accept some basic furniture without seeming too cramped. You should be able to add the following:
Use a tape measure and go around your office or home to determine the approximate dimensions of each piece. The goal here is not so much to ensure accuracy of scale but to practice drawing in AutoCAD. Figure 5.74 shows the floor plan with these pieces of furniture. If you draw the bed shown here, try using the Spline tool for the curved, turned-down sheets. It's on the expanded Draw panel. You'll see how it works after a little experimentation.
Figure 5.75 shows a gasket that is symmetrical around its vertical and horizontal axes. This symmetry will allow you to use the MIRROR command to create much of the drawing.
The diagram in Figure 5.76 summarizes the steps.
To draw the gasket, set Linear Units to Engineering with a precision of 0′-0.00″. Set Angular Units to Decimal with a precision of 0.00. Now, follow these steps:
Figure 5.77 shows a parking lot partially bordered by sidewalks and streets.
You'll get a lot of practice using the OFFSET and FILLET commands while completing this drawing. Guidelines will help you, so don't be afraid to use them. Note the tip at the end of this section. Here's a summary of the steps:
TIP When using decimal units as feet, you don't need to use the foot sign (′) when you enter distances.
TIP Using the FILLET command on two parallel lines creates a semicircle connect them. Try it on the islands in the parking area.
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