AutoCAD 2009 Training

Documentation

Aims and Objectives

The aim of this tutorial is to let you practice solid modeling by revolving 2D polyline, making primitive solid box, and subtraction. After studying this tutorial, you should be able to:

use the paper space of a drawing to construct a drawing document,
construct floating viewports, and
construct a 2D engineering document from a 3D object.

Overview

AutoCAD has two working environments, model space environment and paper space environment. To construct a model, you work in model space. To construct a 2D engineering drawing from the objects that you construct in model space environment, you switch to paper space environment. In paper space environment, you perform two tasks, inserting an engineering title block and constructing floating viewpoints to display orthographic views of the objects constructed in model space. Figure 1 shows a 3D solid model and Figure 2 shows the engineering drawing of this model.

Figure 1  3D object constructed in model space

Figure 2  Engineering document constructed in paper space

Documentation

First, unit of insertion scale is set to be mm.

Select <Format> <Units…>. See figure 3 and 4

Figure 3. Full-down menu

Figure 4. Drawing Units

As we have said, documentation consists of two main tasks: Insertion of an engineering drawing title block and making of floating viewports. To change to paper space environment, select the [MODEL] button of the Windows status bar. See Figure 5.

Figure 5  Windows status bar

After setting to paper space, the screen becomes white. And the UCS icon changes to a set square. See Figure 4.

Figure 6  Layout

Then, the format of layout should be set. See figure 6

Figure 6

Right click <layout 1> and select <Page Setup manager…> <Modify…>. See figure 7.

Figure 7  Page Setup Manager Window

layout name : Layout 1
Paper size : ISO A4 (297.00 x 210.00MM)
Scale 1:1
[OK]

Figure 8  Page Setup

Figure 9

[Select A (See Figure 9)]
[Modify] [Earse]

Before you construct a document from your 3D object, you should have an engineering title block ready for insertion. See Figure 10.

Figure 10  Engineering drawing title block

Download the a4 template from below

A4 template

Use the DDINSERT command to insert a drawing title block. See Figure 11, the Insert dialog box. Select the file A4.dwg. Then uncheck the Specify Parameters on Screen box. After that, select the [OK] button. See Figure 12.

Figure 11

<Insert> <Block...>

Command: DDINSERT

Figure 12 Insert dialog box

Insertion point : Unselect insertion point
Scale : Unselect Specify On -screen
Rotation : Unselect Specify On -screen
[OK]

Figure 13 Title block inserted

Because the linetype Center and Hidden are required, use the LINETYPE command to load these two linetypes to your drawing. See Figure 14.

<Format> <Linetype...>

Command: LINETYPE

[Load] [HIDDEN] [CENTER]
[OK]
[OK]    

Figure 14  Linetype tab of the Layer & Linetype Properties dialog box

Now use the SOLVIEW command to construct an engineering drawing view. The SOLVIEW command enables you to construct four kinds of drawing views: UCS views, orthographic views, auxiliary views, and section views. Because the orthographic, auxiliary, and section views require a parent view, you have to use UCS views. Select the WCS as the UCS view and set the view display scale to 0.5. Then select a center position and two diagonal corners. After that, specify a drawing view name. See Figure 15.

<Format> <Layer>
[New]
[VPORTS]
[Current]
[OK]

<Draw> <Modeling> <Setup> <View>

Command: SOLVIEW
Enter the option [Ucs/Ortho/Auxiliary/Section]: U
Enter the option [Named/World/?/<Current>]: W
Enter view scale<1>: 0.5
Specify view center: [Select A (Figure 8).]
Specify view center: [Enter]
Specify first corner of viewport : [Select B (Figure 8).]
Specify opposite corener of viewport: [Select C (Figure 8).]
Enter view name: TOP
Enter the option [Ucs/Ortho/Auxiliary/Section/<eXit>]: [Enter]

Figure 15 Top view viewport constructed

Repeat the SOLVIEW command to construct a front view. See Figure 16.

<Draw> <Modeling><Setup> <View>

Command: SOLVIEW
Enter an option [Ucs/Ortho/Auxiliary/Section/<eXit>]: O
Specify side of viewport to project: [Select A (Figure 10).]
Specify view center: [Select B (Figure 10).]
Specify view center: [Enter]
Specify first corner of viewport: [Select C (Figure 10).]
Specify opposite corner of viewport : [Select D (Figure 10).]
Enter View name: FRONT
Enter an option  [Ucs/Ortho/Auxiliary/Section/<eXit>:] [Enter]

Figure 16  Front view viewport constructed

Repeat the SOLVIEW command to construct a section view. See Figure 17.

<Draw> <Modeling><Setup> <View>

Command: SOLVIEW
Enter an option  [Ucs/Ortho/Auxiliary/Section/<eXit>:] S
Specify first point of cutting plane: CEN of [Select A (Figure 17).]
Specify second point of cutting plane: @1<90
Specify side to view from: [Select B (Figure 17).]
Enter view scale<0.5>: [Enter]
Specify view center: [Select C (Figure 17).]
Specify view center: [Enter]
Clip first corner: [Select D (Figure 17).]
Clip other corner: [Select E (Figure 17).]
View name: SECTION
Enter an option  [Ucs/Ortho/Auxiliary/Section/<eXit>:] [Enter]

Figure 17  Section view viewport constructed

Use the LAYER command. You will find that 11 additional layers are constructed. They are:

Front-dim
Front-hid
Front-vis
Section-dim
Section-hat
Section-hid
Section-vis
Top-dim
Top-hid
Top-vis
Vports

For each viewport except the section view, there are three layers. Their names are the viewport name suffixed by -dim, -hid, and -vis. They will be used for dimensioning, placing the hidden lines, and placing the visible lines, respectively. For the section view, there is the fourth layer, -hat, which is used for the hatching lines. Finally, the Vports layer is reserved for the floating viewports.

See Figure 18.

Figure 18  Additional layers

The viewports now show the 3D object. To project a 2D drawing from the 3D objects, use the SOLDRAW command to construct drawing views. See Figure 19.

<Draw> <Modeling><Setup> <Drawing>

Command: SOLDRAW
Select viewports to draw:
Select objects: [Select A, B, and C (Figure 19).]
Select objects: [Enter]

Figure 19  Drawing views constructed

To complete the drawing, turn off layer Vports and set the current layer to 0. See Figure 19.

[Standard Toolbar] [Layer Control]

Off layer: Vports
Current layer: 0

Figure 20  Layer Vports turned off

Documentation is complete. Save your drawing.

<File> <Save>

Key Points

Documentation of a 3D solid involves two major tasks to be done in paper space environment, insertion of an engineering drawing title block and making floating viewports.

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