A9CAD - getting
started
A9CAD is a free CADD program that has an interface very similar
to AutoCAD. If you become familiar with A9CAD you should have
little difficulty adapting to AutoCAD in the future. |
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When you open a new drawing in A9CAD you will see an interface
very similar to legacy versions of AutoCAD.
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Menu Bar: standard Windows layout
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Quick access Toolbar:
Standard Save/Print/Cut/Paste/Zoom functions
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Drawing Tools:
Usual CADD stuff - lines, rectangles, arcs, Stretch,
Mirror,etc.
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Properties Window:
Select an entity in the Drawing Space and its properties
will appear here, allowing you to edit them
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Command Window:
Select an operation from the Drawing
Tools and your basic instructions will appear here.
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Drawing Space:
Self-explanatory - This is where you put your creation
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Setting up a New Drawing |
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After opening and naming a new drawing go to
Draw on the Menu Bar
and select Active Document
Settings. This is where you can do the
initial set-up for style of text, Grid, and Snap
increments, etc. |
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For your first several projects you will be using the settings shown to the left.
- General Origin X, Origin Y: Shows the current
coordinates of the center of the drawing area.
- Snap: Sets the Snapping function of the
cursor providing that the SNAP button is selected at
the very bottom of the screen. With the Grid
set to 1 and the Snap set to .5, the cursor will
snap to each grid as well as exactly in between.
- Grid Space X and Space Y: Sets the
distance between each grid dot on the screen,
provided the GRID button is selected at the very
bottom of the screen.
- Lower X, Lower Y: Shows the coordinates
where the lower left corner of grid dots will start.
- Upper X, Upper Y: Shows the upper right
corner of grid dots on the screen. In essence,
this sets the "working area" of your Drawing Space.
Click Apply to accept the settings. |
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Although it's difficult to see the white dots in the image
above, if you go to View Zoom
All you should be able to see a grid area as defined in your set up.
If you don't see the Grid select the GRID
button at the bottom of the screen. Turn on the
SNAP button and you will be able to
see the cursor snap to .5 increments. I find that it is usually best
to begina new drawing with the SNAP function turned on. It is
easier to re-locate and orientate objects if there are some initial
reference points. |
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Drawing a Border and Title Block |
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While zoomed out to see the entire grid display, select the
Rectangle Tool and click once on the grid at the position shown.
Enter the following: @ 10, 7.5
The 10 and 7.5 are the distances from the original location where
you clicked. You should end up with a border that will show up
on an 11 x 8.5" sheet of paper when printed on a standard printer.
The @ symbol tells
the program to measure "relative" distances from your starting
point. If you were to just type in 10, 7.5 the rectangle
would end at a position 10 to the right and 7.5 up from
zero, 0,0 on the Drawing Space, which is not the same as
measuring from your first click.
This concept is described as "Relative" versus "Absolute"
Coordinates. We will be using both. Another method would
just be to click and drag until you ended up with the proper size
rectangle. |
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Continue until you have a border and Title Strip that looks like
this.
To use the Line Tool click once on the beginning point of
the line, again on the second point of the line, and Right-Click
to complete the line. If you don't right-click you will end up
with a poly-line.
To draw the Title Strip along the bottom you will have to go back
to
Draw on the Menu Bar
and select Active Document
Settings and change the SNAP to .25
Save this drawing as <template1_your_name.dwg> |
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