CAG – (Auto)CAD Commands Graphic Communications Knowledge & Interpretation

Ortho/Isometric grid Displays an on-screen grid of any given spacing. Makes orthographic and isometric drawing accurate and easier. Orthographic grid Isometric Grids Ortho – restricts cursor to horizontal and vertical movement only. This makes orthographic projection easier.

Grid snap/grid lock Locates the start and end points of lines on preset snap spacing. Improves accuracy

Library Stores common drawing parts (icons) that can be added to drawings as often as required. Saves time and effort.

Layers A drawing can be built up in several layers (like clear film overlays) which are switched on and off to make it easier to work on and understand

Zoom Zooming in allows you to see smaller parts of a drawing in greater detail. Zooming out allows you to see the whole of a larger drawing or can be used after you have zoomed in.

Line types You can draw the different line types needed for your drawing simply by selecting the line and selecting a line type for it. By clicking on line type a menu of available lines appears. You simply select the type you require.

Auto-dimensioning The computer calculates how long a line is or the diameter of a circle or the radius of a curve and automatically places this size on the dimension line.

Box/circle/arc Draws squares, rectangles, circles and arcs quickly and accurate

Copy Copies positions and objects without having to redraw them each time

Ring and Box arrays This allows shapes to be repeated in a predetermined order. The user chooses how many shapes are to be repeated along the x-axis and the y-axis. A box type shape is formed with the repeated parts hence the name box array. Ring Array Box Array

Fillet and Chamfer Fillet - This is when the user adds a curve to a corner. Chamfer - This is when the user adds a 45° line to a corner.

Tangent This command allows the user to draw a line at a tangent to a circle. This makes this type of line very easy and quick to produce. An example of lines of tangency drawn between 2 circles.

Break, trim and extend Break Trim Extend Removes a section from the middle of a line; trims the end off a line; makes a line longer Break Trim Extend

Rotate This allows the user to turn an object around any angle based on a centre point of rotation. This box has been rotated by 45° with its rotation basepoint the centre of the rectangle.

Scale 0.5 0.5 This command allows the user to say how much bigger or smaller they want to make a drawing they have done. This makes scaled drawings much quicker and easier to do as a number of different scales can be produced using the 1 drawing.

Mirror This command gives you a mirror image of the shape you have drawn. The user has to set where the mirror would be placed then the image is created. The purple shape has been mirrored vertically along the left hand side.