101
CAD Commands and
Functions
4
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
List several general categories of commands
used in popular CAD programs.
Explain how points and objects are located
using a coordinate system.
Explain the use of linear, angular, and
leader dimensioning.
Identify and describe drawing aids.
Discuss the purposes of colors, linetypes,
and layers.
Explain layer naming conventions as
related to CAD drawings.
Describe 3D drawing.
Explain rendering.
Explain animation.
Technical Terms
3D modeling
Absolute coordinates
Animation
Attribute
Blocks
Cartesian coordinate
system
Command line
Commands
Coordinate systems
Dimensioning
commands
Display control
commands
Display grid
Drawing aids
Drawing commands
Editing commands
Ellipse
Fillet
File
File management
commands
Grid snap
Inquiry commands
Isometric drawing
Layer
Object snap
Origin
Ortho
Polar coordinates
Pull-down menus
Regular polygon
Relative coordinates
Rendering
Round
Snap
Solid modeling
Spline
Surface modeling
Symbol library
Template
Toolbars
User coordinate
system (UCS)
Wireframe
World coordinate
system
X axis
XY drawing plane
Y axis
Z axis
Computer-aided
drafting and design
(CAD) is a powerful tool. However, just as
with any tool, you have to know how to use it.
Commands are the instructions you provide to
CAD software to achieve the end result. There
are several general groups of commands that
are common to most CAD software. These
groups are fi le management commands, draw- fi
ing commands, editing commands, display
control commands, dimensioning commands,
and drawing aid commands. Examples of these
commands and other types of CAD functions
are discussed in this chapter. It is important to
understand that each CAD package may have
slightly different names for the commands and
functions discussed here. This may be confus-
ing, but there are many similarities between
various products.
Just as command names vary among CAD
software, the method of command entry can
vary as well. Even within a particular program,
there may be more than one way to enter a given
command. For example, a command may be
selected from a pull-down menu. Pull-down
menus appear at the top of Windows-based
software. The
File
menu found in a Windows
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