2nd Year Undergraduate
ELECTRICAL DRAWING
Lesson 2- Working with commands & creating basic
drawings
V. Nundwe
Module aim
Having completed this module, you will be able to:
• Start a Command
• Enter Values in Response to a Command Prompt
• Use Command Options
• Use Dynamic Input
• Cancel and Undo Commands
• Cancel a Command
• Cancel a Selection
• Undo (or Redo) Commands
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Water Analogy
Start a command
❑You can start a command by using the ribbon, toolbars, and menus at the top of the application.
❑But the most efficient way to start a command on AutoCAD is the Command window
❑Notice that as you start to type a command, it completes automatically. When several
possibilities are available, make your choice by clicking it or using the arrow keys and then
pressing Enter or the spacebar.
❑When you start a command, you will often see a set of options on the Command line (with blue
letters signifying the alias you can type in to choose the option.
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Try It: Draw with Commands
❑Draw a circle with a command or command alias.
▪ Type in c or CIRCLE into the Command window, and press Enter.
× Pick a point on your drawing as the center point
❑ Then, the Command line will ask you for the radius of the circle.
× Enter a value or pick a point on your drawing, and press Enter.
❑End the command by pressing Esc.
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Try It: Use Command Options
❑Use the command option 2P to draw a 2-point circle.
▪ Type in c or CIRCLE on the Command line.
▪ When the command options appear, type in or click 2P to draw a 2-point circle.
▪ Type in coordinates or click in the drawing to determine the first point of the circle.
▪ Then, type in absolute or relative coordinates or click in the drawing to determine the second
point.
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Try It: Use Command Options
❑Use command options to create a line.
▪ Use Type in l or LINE on the Command line. Specify your first point by typing in the absolute
coordinates or clicking.
▪ When the command options appear, type in the absolute or relative coordinates of the next point
in the line. Or click or type U for Undo.
▪ Repeat this with the third point of the line.
▪ Then, for the fourth point in the line, you will have two command options: Close and Undo. Click
or type in c or u for these options. Close will create a closed shape out of your four lines
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Water Analogy
Use Dynamic Input
❑Dynamic input provides a command interface near the cursor in the drawing area.
❑When dynamic input is turned on, a tooltip displays dynamically updated information near
the cursor.
▪ When a command is in progress, you can specify options and values in the tooltip text box.
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Try It: Use Dynamic Input
❑ Dynamic Input to draw a 2-point circle.
▪ Type in c or CIRCLE on the Command line.
▪ When the command options appear, type in 2P to draw a 2-point circle.
▪ Type in coordinates to determine the first point of the circle.
▪ Type in absolute or relative coordinates to determine the second point.
❑use Dynamic Input to draw a line.
▪ Type in l or LINE on the Command line.
▪ Where you see Specify first point:, type in the coordinates of the first point in the line.
▪ Where you see Specify next point:, type in the absolute or relative coordinates of the next point in the
line. Or type u for Undo.
▪ Repeat this with the third point of the line.
▪ Then, for the fourth point in the line, you will have two command options: Close and Undo. Type c or u
for these options. Close will create a closed shape out of your four lines.
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Cancel and Undo Commands
Here's how to cancel or undo commands.
❑Cancel a Command
▪ If you accidentally click in the screen, display a shortcut menu, or start a command, you can always escape by
pressing the ESC key on your keyboard.
❑Cancel a Selection
▪ When you click in the drawing area and move the mouse, you are in object selection mode. Press ESC to
cancel.
❑Undo (or Redo) Commands
▪ Occasionally you will need to undo some of your work. Two standard toolbar buttons reverse mistakes in your
drawings.
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Create Basic 2D Objects
Learning Objectives
▪ Create Straight and Linear Objects
× Individual Line Segments
× Polylines
▪ Create Rectangles and Polygons
▪ Create Curved Objects
× Circles
× Arcs
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Create straight and linear objects
❑Some Lines and polylines can be combined to create rectangles and polygons.
❑Here's how we define each:
▪ Line: Single or series of contiguous line segments that are all separate objects
▪ Polyline: Multiple line segments, open or closed, that are created as one single object
▪ Rectangle: A rectangular polyline
▪ Polygon: Closed polylines with equal-length sides and angles
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Draw a Line, Two Ways
❑ From the ribbon, click Home tab > Draw panel > Line.
❑Or enter LINE at the Command prompt. When prompted for the first point, you can type in a
coordinate or click where you'd like to begin. Once you specify your first point, the Command
prompt will ask you where you'd like to end the line. Here, you can type in coordinates or click.
▪ The LINE command automatically repeats itself and prompts you for additional points. Press Enter
or the Spacebar to end the command.
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Polylines
A polyline is a connected series of line or arc segments that is created as a single object.
❑They are useful for:
❑Irregular shapes
❑Borders
❑Contour lines, roads, and rivers in maps
❑Traces on printed circuit boards
❑Segments with fixed or tapered widths
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Draw a Basic Polyline, Two Ways
i. From the ribbon, click Home tab > Draw panel > Polyline.
ii. Or enter PLINE at the Command prompt.
▪ After you specify the first point of the polyline, you can use the Width option to specify
the width of all subsequent segments. You can change the width value at any time, even
as you create new segments.
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Try It: Create a Polyline with Arc Segments
Draw two polyline segments.
i. Draw an arc by clicking Arc or typing A at the Command line.
ii. Draw an arc segment, specifying the start point as the endpoint of one of
the polyline segments and the arc's endpoint as the endpoint of the other
polyline segment.
iii. Enter LINE at the Command line to return to Line mode and draw another
line segment connecting the two polyline segments.
iv. Press Enter or the Spacebar to end the command.
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Create Rectangles and Polygons
let's draw closed objects – rectangles
❑Draw a Rectangle, Two Ways
Do one of the following:
i. From the ribbon, click Home tab > Draw panel > Rectangle/Polygon drop-down menu >
Rectangle.
ii. Or enter RECTANG in the Command prompt, and press Enter or the Spacebar.
Specify the first, then second corner of the rectangle.
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Create Rectangles and Polygons
create polygons.
i. Do one of the following:
▪ From the ribbon, click Home tab > Draw panel > Rectangle/Polygon drop-
down menu > Polygon.
▪ Or enter POLYGON at the Command prompt.
ii. Enter the number of sides.
iii. Specify the center of the polygon.
iv. Enter c to specify a polygon circumscribed about a circle.
v. Specify the radius length, either by moving the cursor and clicking or by
entering a distance.
vi. Press Enter or the Spacebar to end the command.
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Create Curved Objects
Curved objects include arcs, circles, polyline arcs, donuts, ellipses, and splines.
▪ Arcs: Partial circumference of a circle between two distinct points.
▪ Circles: Round-shaped object defined by the distance between a center point
and a point on the circle.
▪ Polyline arcs: Multiple line or arc segments, open or closed, that are created as
one single object.
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Circles
There are many ways to draw a circle.
The default option of the CIRCLE command requires you to specify a center point
and radius.
Additional circle options are available from the drop-down menu:
Alternatively, you can enter CIRCLE or simply C at the Command prompt to
choose an option. If you do, you can specify a center point or choose one of the
highlighted command options as shown below.
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Try It: Use the Command Prompt to Draw Two Circles
i. Do one of the following:
▪ On the ribbon, click Home tab > Draw panel > Circle drop-down menu > Center,
Radius.
▪ Or at the Command prompt, enter CIRCLE or the letter C (type C and press Enter).
ii. At the Specify center point for circle: prompt, click in the drawing area to pick a
point.
iii. At the Specify radius of circle: prompt, enter 5. Zoom in and out to see the circle
properly.
iv. On the Command line, press Enter or the Spacebar to repeat the CIRCLE command.
v. At the Specify center point for circle: prompt, enter 2P to create a circle using two
points.
vi. Click in the drawing to specify each point.
vii. Repeat the CIRCLE command and try some of the other options.
Try it:Use Dynamic Input to Draw Circles
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Arcs
❑To create an arc, you can specify various combinations of center, endpoint,
start point, radius, angle, chord length, and direction values.
❑The default option of the ARC command requires you to specify three points.
❑Additional arc options are available from the Home tab > Draw panel > Arc
drop-down
Try it:
1.Draw two vertically parallel lines. They don't need to be exactly parallel.
2.Draw an arc. As the start point of the arc, choose the top of the left line. Then
choose a point between the two lines as the second point, and the top of the
right line as the third point.
3.You should now have an arc that joins the two lines.
4.Try experimenting with choosing a different second point, seeing how this
changes the arc.
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Summary
Command Description
ARC Creates an arc.
CIRCLE Creates a circle.
Create a series of contiguous line segments. Each
LINE segment is a line object that can be edited
separately.
Creates a 2D polyline, a single object that is
PLINE
composed of line and arc segments.
POLYGON Creates an equilateral closed polyline.
RECTANG Creates a rectangular polyline.
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