AutoCAD 2016

Instructions for Novice Users

By: Michelle Manwarren
Table of Contents
a. A line (walls, desk, door, bed, window
b. A circle (rug, chair, toilet
c. An arc (bed accents, chair
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.

Erase

-5
-5
.6-10
-7
-8

Trim Lines (chair)....

Mirror (closets)..
Offset (interior walls)...

AutoCAD 2016
Introduction:
AutoCAD 2016 is a digital drawing program that can be downloaded onto any computer. As a
user of AutoCAD, one is capable of creating sketches of items ranging from two-dimensional
floor plans of small scale homes up to three-dimensional objects like tables and chairs. However,
for the purpose of this set of instructions, being able to create two-dimensional drawings such as
site plans, floor plans, and elevations for various architectural structures is the main focus. Tasks
imperative to know when operating AutoCAD will be addressed:
How to draw the basic line, arc, circle, etc
How to modify a drawing
How to add dimensions to a drawing
In following these sets of tasks, one is able to become familiar enough with the program to be
capable of drawing simple sketches of, at least, a site plan of a structure, and, at most, a small
floor plan of a living environment. These instructions are meant to most benefit college students
in the architecture or civil engineering field who are practically new to the program and need
guidance in operating this system in order to be considered for drafting internships at A&E firms
or for university research programs that require digital sketching.
Program Description:
When opening AutoCAD on your
computer, you will see a pop-up
similar to when you open Microsoft
Office applications. The computer is
initializing and preparing to open the
program. When AutoCAD opens,
begin your drawing by clicking on the
icon found in the
mid-left portion of your screen; the
icon is colored in white. Once you
have completed this selection, you
will be exposed to the user interface of AutoCAD 2016 (Figure 1). The most important thing to
become familiar with is your very lengthy toolbar and its tabs colored in gray along the top of
your screen. Figure 2 is the toolbar that you will be using most in your usability test, and
therefore, it is best for you to become accustomed with just the Home toolbar. In doing so, this
In the upper left corner, you see all of your drawing
commands (lines, circles, arcs). The next section to the right of the drawing commands, you find
the modifying commands (move, copy, paste, trim/extend, offset, mirror, erase, rotate). Lastly,
the next section to the right of the modifying commands, you see the annotations where you may
add dimensions to your drawing or text.

Directions:
HOW TO draw a line, circle, arc, etc.
Line:
1. Hover your mouse over the line icon on the home tab of the toolbar located in the top left
corner of the screen.
2. Select the line command.

3. Move mouse to the place on the grid that you wish to begin your line.
4. Click there.
5. Move your mouse outward from that point in the direction for which you want the line to
go and then click where you would like the line to end.
6. For purposes of precision and accuracy, instead of step 5, do the following:
a. After clicking the start point of your line, 2 boxes pop up near your cursor. The
first blank allows you to type your exact length you wish the line to be. The
second blank allows you to type your exact angle from the start you would like
your line to be making.
Circle:
1. Hover your mouse over the circle icon on the home tab of the
toolbar. See Figure 4 to locate it.
2. Click on the down arrow on the circle icon to view the selections
of different ways to create your circle.
3. Out of the options, select the one that best suits to your drawing.
a.
will be able to draw your circle in accordance with the
radius size you prefer for your sketch. Your first click
will be your radius. Your second click will be your radius
from that first point clicked. For precision, type the radius
length in the white text box that appears and press enter
instead of clicking the second time.
b.
will be able to draw your circle in accordance with the
correct diameter you wish to draw your circle. (Same
procedure as part a.)
c.
-

to draw your shape based on two points you select freely on the page. This is a
method of mouse clicking only (no keyboard steps).
d. If you s
e to draw your circle from
three free points you select on the page.
i. NOTE: the points you select in options (c) and (d) are points on the
circumference of your resulting circle.
e.
corresponding areas of your drawing. For example, if you have a 16 unit space
between two vertical lines and a perpendicular horizontal line spanning this
distance as shown in Figure 5, you are may create circles within the structure.
Click on your first point on a line that you would like your circle to be tangent to.
Then, click on a point on a perpendicular line from the one you just selected to
create your second tangent point on your circle. For the third selection, click in
le to be. Lastly, the
white pop-up text box appears where you may input your specified radius. Select
Radius
a.

f.

then you will be able to draw a circle by selecting

the three other parts of your drawing that you
would like to be tangent to your circle addition.
Figure 9 displays the end result of a circle tangent
to the three lines shown.

Arc:
1. Hover your mouse over the arc icon to the right of the circle
icon.
2. Click the down arrow on the arc icon to see the different
arcs you are able to draw with the software (Figure 14).
a. NOTE: For the sake of potential confusion and
error, only use the highlighted functions. In drafting
for architectural purposes, you only use arcs to
round off corners of sharp rectangular objects, and
in this program, modifying circles are often found to
be easier than drawing an accurate arc.
3. Select whichever tool you need in order to create your arc.
a.
arc, you are able to create
an arc by clicking the first end of the arc, then the
mid-point, and then the final end point in that order
wherever you would like it to be in your drawing.
b.
you are able to connect to pointed edges of a squarelike sketch with a rounded edge that the arc creates.
First, click where you would like the arc to start.
Then, click where you would like it to end. Lastly,
direct your cursor in the direction you would like the
rounded part of your arc to go and click wherever
your arc projection looks most satisfactory.

HOW TO modify your drawing:

Below displays all of the modifying tools you will need in drafting architectural structures.

Select:
1. Be sure that you are not currently using your mouse for a drawing purpose (line, circle,
arc).
2. When you intend to select the things you want to modify in your drawing, simply click
on the structures you would like to highlight one by one, or you may highlight by
pressing your left button your mouse.
a. If you would like to select an entire figure like a line, simply highlight the line
with the green box that is created if you click the bottom right of what you want
to highlight and then click where you are done selecting in the top left corner
(Figure 12-13).

b. If you would like to only highlight a selection of a line or a few parts of a series of
lines, press left mouse key and highlight the intended figure from the top left to
the bottom right with the green figure created and then click to end of the
intended selection (Figure 14-15).

3. To unselect your selections, be sure to

Erase:
1. Select the parts of your drawing that you would like erase.
2.
Move:
1. Select what part of your drawing you
wish to move.
2.
modify toolbar and click on it.
3. Click on the specific point on the
sketch selected. This is the point of
origin that you are moving your
selection (Figure 16).
4. Begin moving the selection in the
direction you would like it moved
(Figure 17).
5. For accuracy, there is a white pop-up
text box where you may type in the
distance in your specified direction that you would like to move your selected sketch;

If you do not need accuracy in your drawing, then you may simply click
wherever you would like that object to be (Figure 17).
a. NOTE: dashed green axes appear in perpendicular/parallel directions from the
point of origin you are moving the sketch if you would like to move your
selection along orthogonal angles.

Rotate:
1. Select the sketch that you would like to
rotate.
2.
section of the toolbar.
3. Click on a point on the selection that you
would like to rotate it about (origin of
rotation).
4. Begin rotating and click on the left mouse
key when you are satisfied with the
rotation. If you would like to rotate your
selection about a specific angle, type the
Copy:
1. Select the part of your drawing you wish to copy.
2.
3. Select the point for which you are to move your copied selection by.
4. Move the selection. Click where you would like it to be placed. For precision, direct the
copied selection in the general area where you would like to place it, enter in the distance
you would like to move it in the white popur
keyboard.

Extend Lines:
If lines do not extend to another
icon.
1.
2. Then, select the part of the sketch that you would like the lines to extend to (Figure 19).
3.
4. Click, one by one, the lines you would like to extend (Figure 20).

Trim Lines:
If a figure drawn overlaps another area of the drawing, you may trim the figure to where it no
longer overlaps.
1. Click on the
toolbar.
2. Select the border (part of the drawing that you would like to stay) that the overlapping
figure (part of the drawing that you would like to remove) is crossing into (Figure 21).
3.
4. Select the overlapping figure (Figure 22).

Mirror:
If you want to draw a symmetrical object or mirror
a part of an object a certain distance away to create
symmetry, use the mirror tool.
1. Select the part of the drawing you would
like to be mirrored.
2.
section of your toolbar.
3. Dra
like the sketch to be mirrored from (AKA: a
line of symmetry).
4.
Offset:
If you are trying to create an inner and outer wall in a floorplan, you should use the offset tool
instead of drawing the lines themselves. This is a time-saving tool.
1.
2. Proceed to draw a dashed line along the line you wish to offset.
3. Select the original (reference) line and move your cursor in the direction you would like
the new offset line to be placed.
4. Type in the distance (in the white text box) you would like the new line to be from this
5. Your new line should be created x distance away from your old line.

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HOW TO add dimensions to your drawing:

1. Add dimensions to your drawing by selecting one of the
outlined in yellow in Figure 25.
2. Select one of the choices
a. Line: Linear
b. Angled Lines: Aligned
c. Angles between lines: Angular
d. Arc Length: Arc Length
e. Radius: Radius
f. Diameter: Diameter
3. Once you have selected a choice, click on the drawing you
would like to dimension in and outline whatever the textbox
asks you to outline. Click your starting point of measurement,
your ending point of measurement, and then move your
mouse in the direction you would like to have the dimension
placed and click one last time for the dimension to be set.

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