How to Create Animated Presentation in AutoCAD | Autocad Tutorial Video

In this Autocad tutorial video, we will learn how to create an animation video for your AutoCAD 3d models presentation. There are two types of animation, which are the walking type and the flying type. In this Autocad tutorial video, you will learn how to create a flying-animation presentation.

First of all, prepare your Autocad three dimensional model to be presented. For any three dimensional objects which are edited in AutoCAD, I think it would be faster if you choose the 2D wireframe visual style. It would be lighter to be processed.

To create an animation in AutoCAD, use the anipath command. You can just type it in the command line, or you can add the toolbar from the customized option. In the anipath toolbox, you need to chose the camera and target position. You can put the camera along the path, or at a non-moving point. This method is also applied in determining the target. In this Autocad tutorial video, I choose to put the camera along a path, as well as the target.

Okay, to prepare the animation, view the model from the top. Using the rectangle command, I prepare a path. To differ it from other objects, lets make the path green. You can see that the path is located on the ground. To make a better view, lets put it into some elevation.

You can see that the path has the 90 degree sharp corners. This is bad for your camera movement, therefore you need to soften the corners. I use the fillet command to create some round corners.

After the path is ready, you can put the camera and the target at the same path, or you can put them at separated paths. Okay, let’s prepare two different paths, so that you can see the difference.

Then, type anipath in the command line, or you could click the toolbar if you have already added it. Put the camera along the upper path, and the target along the lower path, as shown in this Autocad tutorial video. You can also put the target at certain point, but you could do it later. You could also arrange the frame rate, number of frames, and the duration of the output video. You could also choose the visual style, the format and the resolution. If you want to slower the camera movement along the corner, make sure that the corner deceleration box is checked. Otherwise, make it unchecked.

When you’re satisfied with the arrangement, take a preview. In this Autocad tutorial video, you could see the result when the camera is put along the upper path, and the target is along the lower path. You can also put the camera and the target along the same path, and you could see the result in this Autocad tutorial video. You could also try different path for the camera. In this Autocad tutorial video, I use offset command to create another path with wider distance. You can have many views by combining many paths for the camera and the target as well.

If you okay with the preview, then you can save the video. The saving process would take some minutes. The result of the video depends on your arrangement in the anipath box. In this Autocad tutorial video, the object is animated in 3d wireframe visual style. You could try to make it in other visual styles.

Okay, that’s all. I hope after this Autocad tutorial video you could do the animated Autocad presentation by yourself. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about this Autocad tutorial video.

How to draw a Tent | Autocad tutorial video

In this Autocad tutorial, we will learn how to draw a membran for a tent structure.

The main concept to draw a tent structure is to draw some frames, and then cover them with some meshes. Okay, let’s see how it is done.

First of all, you should change the view to a three dimensional view. Here I choose the south west isometric view. You can choose any other view you like. You need to take a three dimensional view because you are going to draw a three dimensional object.

Draw some frames using the polyline command. For this lesson, please duplicate what is drawn in the video. For how to draw a three dimensional objects, please go to the link shown on the Autocad tutorial video.

In the Autocad tutorial video, I divide the tent into four sections. This way, I could control the curve of the tent. You could divide it into two sections by deleting the middle curve, but as the result, the tent would be more curvy. You could do it by yourself after you accomplish this Autocad tutorial.

The most important thing to be noticed in drawing the meshes for the tent is, that each curve, must met each other’s end-point, instead of the lines’ intersections. This because to draw meshes, each edge’s end-point must connect to other edge’s end-point. Without this condition, the meshes could not be drawn.

For this reason, I add a layer called hidden, , to hide the curves I’ve drawn before, so that they do not distract my effort to link each curve’s end to the others’.

After the tent’s frame is completed, you should prepare the edges for the meshes. Each mesh need four edge, so in this lesson, I need to divide some arches, so that I could get four edges for the mesh. As could be seen on the video, I use the break-at-point command in this Autocad tutorial.

When the edges are ready, you could draw the meshes, and, voila, the tent is completed. You could add any materials for rendering purpose, or you just can switch the visual style into the conceptual style, or any other styles.

That’s all for this Autocad tutorial video. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about this Autocad tutorial.

AutoCAD Basic Tutorial: Preparing the Drawing Space

There are two types of drawing spaces you can use in AutoCAD. The first one is the model space and the other one is the paper space. Model space is basically provided to draw AutoCAD 3D model while the paper space is used to draw 2D drawings. However, some drafters use model space to create those two types of drawing maybe because all drawings are laid on a single layout so that they are easy to be found. Or maybe those drafters do not know what the paper space is and how to draw on it (I do have some drafter friends who really have no ideas about what the paper space is).

In this section, you are introduced to these types of drawing spaces. In the video below you can watch what the really usage of the model space is.

On video below, you can examine how to set up a paper space. In the next section you can find out how to arrange the scale on the paper space, and use the scale to scale your drawings on the model space.

I hope you find these tutorial helpful. You can leave a comment if you think there are some improvements that could be made. Thanks.

AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Section Part 2

In previous AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Section Part 1, it is shown how to create a section from a floor plan, which is done by drawing the guiding lines using Construction Line command. In this AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Section Part 2, the steps to create the notations, dimensions and hatches of the section will be shown, so that the drawing will become a drawing ready for construction.

The steps for AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Section Part 2 are :

1. Draw the dimension lines using Dimension > Linear command. Combine it with Continue command and do not forget to adjust the Dimension Style (see how to do it on AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Floor Plan (Basic) Part 1.

2. Draw the notation lines using Pline. Pline is used because you can draw multiple united lines using it. In drawing the notation lines, make sure that the lines is uniform and have a thin line-weight so that the do not distract the reading of the drawing (see related AutoCAD Tutorial video).

3. After all of the dimensions and notations are established, hatch the drawing using Hatch command (see related AutoCAD Tutorial video). The hatching is done in the end in order to avoid the difficulties when drawing the dimension lines since the OSNAP oftenly catch the lines of the hatches rather than the main drawing lines.

Related video : AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Section Part 2

Now you have a ready to construct drawing.

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AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Section Part 1

In this AutoCAD Tutorial, the steps to draw a section are shown. Principally, the steps are to draw the guding lines from the floor plan, followed by drawing the other lines.

The steps used in this AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Section :

1. Draw the guiding lines using Construction Line command (see related AutoCAD Tutorial video). The guiding lines are based on the wall lines.

2. Draw the land-surface line using Pline (see related AutoCAD Tutorial video). Using the same command, draw the line for the height of the wall.

3. In drawing the roof, notice that by activating the POLAR (see related AutoCAD Tutorial video), you will have guidance for the drawing of the angled lines. You can set more specific angles for your own purposes. 

4. Use various comands such as Trim, Extend, Copy and Mirror to draw the roof section (see related AutoCAD Tutorial video). You cand spend less time using those command than you draw new lines using Pline command.

Now you have a section drawing, but it has not been hatched, dimension-ed and notated. Please find it on the AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Section Part 2.

Related video : AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Section Part 1

Well, what do you think about this AutoCAD Tutorial?

AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Floor Plan (Basic) Part 2

In the AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Floor Plan (Basic) Part 1, it is shown how to draw a basic floor plan. However, in that tutorial, the plan has not been hatched and dimension-ed. In this AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Floor Plan (Basic) Part 2 the steps of hatching and dimensioning the plan are shown.  

The steps for this AutoCAD Tutorial are :

1. Drawing the hatches using Hatch command. Click hatch, and the opened panel, choose Add: Pick Point, then click in the area that will be hatched. End the area selection by clicking enter. Choose the type of the hatches in Swatch. After choosing the type of the hatch, set the angle of the hatch on Angle. This will make the hatch rotate in certain degrees according to your setting. If you want it default just leave the degree as 0. Set thescale of the hatch on Scale. This command will affect the size of the hatce. The result is shown on the related AutoCAD Tutorial video.

2. Drawing the dimension lines. Use Dimension > Linear command (see related AutoCAD Tutorial video) to start dimensioning. After that, use Dimension > Continue (see related video) to draw following dimensions. Adjust the type of the arrow, the line thickness, etc, using Dimension > Dimension Style (see related video).

You now have a complete floor plan drawing.

Related video : AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Floor Plan (Basic) Part 2

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AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Floor Plan (Basic) Part 1

In this AutoCAD Tutorial, the first step to be done for drawing a floor plan is to draw the ace lines. These ace lines are very important because every measurement of the built building is based on them. The steps to draw a basic floor plan are:

AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Floor Plan (Basic) Part 1. The steps :

1. Create ace lines using Pline command. By using Pline, multiple lines can be created continuously. The advantage of using Pline is when the lines are offset-ed, all lines will be selected (see related AutoCAD Tutorial video).

2. Establishing the width of the wall using Offset command. Principally, we create similar lines at the right and the left side of the ace lines. If we want to establish the wall as 15 cm thick, then the ace lines will be offset-ed as far as 7,5 cm to the right and left. The steps : click Offset, ty the offset distance (e.g. 7.5), enter, choose the ace line, click on the right side of it, click the ace line once more, click on the left side, enter (see related AutoCAD Tutorial video).

3. Creating columns using Rectangle command. The Steps: click Rectangle, click a corner of the wall, click the opposite corner (see related AutoCAD Tutorial video).

4. Creating the door using Pline command. Basically it is similar with the steps on no.1 previously. For the application, please see the related AutoCAD Tutorial video.

5. Naming the rooms using Multiline Text command. Principally, pay attention to the size of the text. Adjust it with the scale of the drawing. For how to do it, please see the related AutoCAD Tutorial video.

For now you are able to draw a floor plan. In order to shorten the video, the hatching and dimensioning of the drawing will be shown in the other video (AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Floor Plan (Basic) Part 2). 

Related video : AutoCAD Tutorial : Drawing a Floor Plan (Basic) Part 1

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AutoCAD Tutorial 2D – For Construction Drawing

This AutoCAD Tutorial provides you step by step on how to draw a simple basic plan. The tutorial is presented in a concise way and practical way so that the learner is supposed to be apply the tutorial directly to his or her project.

The most important step emphasized in this AutoCAD Tutorial is that you should take more attention on the lines you put in the drawing. Do not draw any unnecessary lines, and watch carefully whether your lines are in the right position or not. For instance, in drawing a plan, you must notice your ace lines since every measurement on the field will be based on these lines. Once you misplace the ace lines, the building will shift from where it is supposed to be. Believe me, your every single line on the drawing will be noticed, followed and built as it is drawn on the blueprint. Therefore, be careful with your lines!

Other important thing to be noticed in this AutoCAD Tutorial is that there are two types of drawings: the first is a presentation drawing and the second is for construction drawing. A presentation drawing is meant to be presented for persons who are in charge with the design. They won’t annoy themselves with any tiny details of the drawing. Therefore, you can provide them with a fairly general drawing without any construction details such as the hatch of the wall. But in the for-construction drawings, you should provide every construction detail of your project (e.g. you must provide the measurement of every detailed element of the project).

This AutoCAD tutorial website will provide you steps to draw the for-construction drawings.

AutoCAD Tutorial – for construction drawing

AutoCAD Tutorial – presentation drawing

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