Agsas Laksan
Some people may still not know what AutoCAD is, or what the application is used for.
So this time, I will explain an application that I like to call the "All-Powerful Application for Everyone".
Here we will go through the interface of AutoCAD 2013, including the tools and features we can use to support our work. These tools are very useful and a must-know.
So what are these tools? Without further ado, let's check them out.
1. Main Menu
The first one is the "Main Menu". It is quite similar to the main menu in MS Office. In AutoCAD it contains commands such as New, Open, Save, Save As, Export, Publish, Print, Drawing Utilities, and Close.
Some of these commands are also available outside the Main Menu, which makes it easier and more efficient to find a command when you need it.
2. Standard Toolbar
The next tool is the Standard Toolbar. This toolbar contains several standard icons that are essential for starting a job, opening a drawing, or saving it, such as New, Open, Save, Print, and others. This tool makes work easier and saves time.
3. Workspace Toolbar
The Workspace Toolbar lets you switch the drawing area and its toolbars, which makes it easier to create drawing objects. The workspace contains several options, including:
a. Drafting & Annotation
This workspace is usually used to create 2D objects or drawings. It contains toolbars for creating and editing 2D objects, including Draw, Modify, Layers, Block, and others.
b. 3D Basic
This workspace is usually used to create 3D objects, and its toolbars include Modeling, Solid Editing, Modify, Draw, and others.
c. 3D Modeling
This workspace is quite similar to 3D Basic, but it mostly displays 3D editing toolbars, such as Section, View (Visual Style), and so on.
d. AutoCAD Classic
This type of workspace is an older version that drafters often use to create 2D or 3D objects.
4. Draw Toolbar
The next tool is the Draw Toolbar, which is used to create drawing objects with commands such as Line, Construction Line, Polyline, Polygon, Rectangle, Arc, Circle, Revision Cloud, Spline, Ellipse, Ellipse Arc, Insert Block, Make Block, and others. These commands are a must-know because they are the basis of drawing. It is recommended that you memorize the shortcuts for this tool, because it saves both time and effort.
5. Layers
Next is the Layer Toolbar, which is used to create layers while drawing. Its purpose is to make editing and selecting objects easier later on, and to distinguish line types, line names, colors, and more. When we print or plot the result, the type of each line will be visible.
6. Style
Next is the Style Toolbar, which contains Text Style Control, Dim Style Control, Table Style Control, and Multileader Style Control. Its function is to define the style of a dimension, including the size of the dimension text and the font used. This is closely related to the dimension toolbar.
7. Properties
The Properties Toolbar contains Color Control, Linetype Control, and Lineweight Control, which are used to set the line color, line type, and line thickness. This tool is rarely used. I recommend using layers instead, so that the options you have chosen do not change when something goes wrong.
8. Modify Toolbar
Next is the Modify Toolbar, which contains tools such as Copy, Erase, Mirror, Offset, Rectangular Array, Move, Rotate, Scale, Stretch, Trim, Extend, and others. Its function is to modify the drawings or lines we have already created.
9. Draw Order
The next tool is the Draw Order Toolbar, which contains other tools such as Bring to Front, Send to Back, Bring Above Objects, Send Under Objects, Bring Text Objects to Front, and Send Hatch to Back. This tool is used to reveal an object that is hidden behind another object by using the Bring to Front command, and the other commands work in the same way according to the command you type or click.
10. Command Line
The last tool is the Command Line. It serves as a record of commands and as a guide while we enter them. For example, if we enter the LINE command and then drag the pointer from top to bottom, a line will automatically appear in the AutoCAD layout. In the command line, every command we click is displayed, which makes it easier to memorize the commands we choose.