AutoCAD Civil Architecture as a subject encompasses topics related to using AutoCAD software for civil engineering and architectural design projects. Here’s an outline of key subjects and areas of study within AutoCAD Civil Architecture:
1. Introduction to AutoCAD for Civil and Architectural Design
- Overview of AutoCAD software
- Understanding user interface and basic tools
- File management and drawing setup
2. Basic Drawing and Editing Techniques
- Creating 2D sketches and layouts
- Modifying geometry using commands (trim, extend, offset, etc.)
- Layer management for organizing different elements
3. Working with Civil Engineering Drawings
- Creating topographic maps
- Roadway and highway design basics
- Land surveying and plot layout
4. Architectural Design Elements in AutoCAD
- Creating floor plans, elevations, and sections
- Drafting building layouts and structural components
- Designing doors, windows, and furniture details
5. 3D Modeling for Civil and Architectural Projects
- Converting 2D plans into 3D models
- Using solid modeling and surface modeling techniques
- Creating 3D terrains, roads, and buildings
6. Site Development and Planning
- Designing site layouts for civil projects (roads, utilities, drainage)
- Incorporating environmental factors in site design
- Plotting and annotating site plans
7. AutoCAD Civil 3D Integration
- Using AutoCAD Civil 3D for infrastructure projects
- Surface modeling, grading, and alignment design
- Pipe networks and stormwater management design
8. Project Documentation and Output
- Creating detailed construction drawings
- Plotting and printing standards
- Exporting drawings to other formats (PDF, DWF)
9. Advanced Techniques and Automation
- Using parametric design tools
- Customizing the AutoCAD environment (macros, scripts)
- Automating repetitive tasks with AutoLISP
10. Building Information Modeling (BIM) Integration
- Introduction to BIM concepts in AutoCAD
- Collaborative design with Revit and other BIM tools
- Preparing AutoCAD models for BIM integration
- These subjects cover a wide range of skills needed for effective civil and architectural design using AutoCAD, making them essential for students and professionals working in these fields.
- Elevate your design career through our in-depth courses. Learn to create precise and detailed 3D models with expert-led training, suitable for all skill levels. Our personalized approach covers everything from basic drafting to advanced modeling, ensuring you gain the skills needed for professional growth.
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AutoCAD 3D Navigation and Visualization:
AutoCAD is often considered a 2D CAD software product, but it also has an extremely robust 3D environment. Accessing it is as easy as switching to one of the two 3D workspaces included by default. But, like moving into a new neighborhood or going to a new school, one of the first things you need to do is learn how to get around, and the 3D world of AutoCAD is no different.
You’ll be glad to know that zooming and panning in 3D work the same way as they do in 2D, so you’ve got a bit of a head start. You’ve probably already noticed some of the 3D viewing and navigation interface elements that bleed into the 2D world. They can be used there, but they’re really not very useful, so chances are you’ve ignored them. But, in 3D, they are useful, and they’re the subject of today’s post.
Please refer to the image below. The widgets in the upper left labeled as #1 are technically called Viewport Controls. The #2 item is the View Cube, and #3 is the Navigation Bar (or NavBar for short). There are some other places to find these and other tools, but today, we’re paring it down to these three, along with some keyboard and mouse methods.
Viewport Controls
Let’s start with the Viewport Control tools. There are three parts to it, and it’s an extremely efficient way to interact with your 3D model. The left widget brings up your Viewport Controls, the center one contains your View Controls, and the one on the right lets you quickly specify your Visual Style.
The following image shows the popup menu for each of the three widgets. As a 2D user, you probably equate viewport configuration to layouts. However, in the world of 3D modeling, setting up different views in Model Space can be pretty helpful. I wrote about it here on our blog as part of my Tuesday Tips series. In fact, I’m using the same model for this post as I did then (sometimes, the fine line between efficiency and laziness is a bit blurry with me.)
The View Controls (middle) is an extremely efficient way to quickly switch to a preset view of your model. Setting one takes just two mouse clicks. You can choose between all orthographic projections or from four isometric views.
The same can be said for setting a visual style. Depending on your model and workflow, you may want to change how it appears. Most of us modeling in 3D AutoCAD will have a favorite and just leave it that way. Experiment with each, and no doubt you’ll find a favorite also.
Let’s set the top view of our model to be shown in the SW Isometric view and its visual style to be Shaded with Edges. When you set the view, some of the interface elements will change. I’ve either enlarged them or pointed to them in the image below. The Viewport Controls widgets will change to reflect the current setting, the View Cube will rotate to show the current view, the cursor will change into its 3D style, and the UCS icon will change.
View Cube
Let’s now consider the View Cube. It is yet another very efficient way to change your view to a preset. Without delving too deeply into how it works (that might be a future Tuesday Tip), let’s just say that it’s a more visual, interactive way to change your viewing angle. The cube itself is made up of tiles on the faces, edges, and corners that you pick with your cursor to set that view.
You can also select one of the cardinal directions (N, S, E, W) or pick and drag your mouse along the circular compass below the cube. A home icon and a menu dropdown will also appear when you first hover over the View Cube. To change your “home view,” just right-click anywhere on the View Cube, and click “Set Current View as Home.”
Navigation Bar
Finally, there’s the NavBar, which shows up on the right side of the drawing editor and below the View Cube. I’m only going to talk about one of the tools within it. But it consists of – from top to bottom – the steering wheel tools (yet another full blog post of its own), pan and zoom, the Orbit tools, and, at the bottom, the Show Motion tool. Let’s focus on Orbit.
Notice there’s a little drop-down arrow just below the icon. Clicking it will allow you to set your Orbiting to a constrained orbit, a free orbit, or a continuous orbit.
Again, you’re invited to try all three, and no doubt one style will become your favorite. To read about the differences between these, go to the help page on the subject.
Keyboard/Mouse Combos
With all that having been said about the interface tools, in reality, you’ll be like most users, and you’ll do all of your navigating with either just your mouse or with mouse/keyboard combos. You already probably pan and zoom with your mouse (and if you don’t… why not?).
When you’re in a 3D view, your depressed scroll wheel becomes the 3DORBIT command when used in conjunction with your Shift key. So, there’s no slowing yourself down by taking your eyes off your work to hunt down an icon. Your hands are already in place, so use them! Do you like to use Free Orbit? No problem, just add the Ctrl key, making it a Shift/Ctrl combo with the mouse wheel.
Get Going With 3D
Hey, it’s a 3D world out there, and if you’re still using AutoCAD as just a 2D tool, there’s probably a good chance you’ll be using a 3D workspace sometime soon. Now’s a good time to get familiar with your new neighborhood and to learn how to get around efficiently.
All the methods I’ve discussed today are great to know. Try them all out and find your favorite methods. When you do get the call to work in 3D, you’ll be ahead of the game from the beginning.
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1. Make use of the Extended ToolTips to help you with command input
Some commands in AutoCAD may not be used as often, so AutoCAD provides a quick refresher on how they work.
If you hover over a command in the Ribbon, the short ToolTip will appear. If you keep hovering over the command icon, the extended ToolTip will appear.
An explanation of the command is given, and an illustration of how to use the correct input sequence is provided. Occasionally, the image is even animated for 3D commands. And you have a lot of flexibility on how they’re displayed.
Bonus Tips:
“AutoCAD certification program”
2. Access common editing tools by using Grips without launching a command
A Grip is often faster than a command to edit an object. Depending on the object, the default action is usually either Move or Stretch.
Hovering over the Grip displays other editing options, depending on the object. To launch an edit command, simply select one from the pop-up list or click on the Grip for the default action. Hold Shift while selecting multiple grips.
When a grip is active (a “hot” grip), you can select it and right-click on it to access additional options like Rotate, Scale, and Mirror. In addition, you can specify a basepoint or reference distance, as well as copy the object as you edit it. All of this can be done directly from the selected object.
Bonus Tip:
Have You Tried: AutoCAD Grips – Just Grip It!
3. Take advantage of AutoCAD keyboard shortcuts that can improve your productivity
- Bypass the Enhanced Attribute Editor to quickly edit an Attribute. Hold down the Control key when selecting the Attribute, and it will highlight similar to Single Line Text for editing.
- Clean up corners quickly using Fillet or Chamfer by holding down the Shift key when selecting the second object.
- Hold down the Control key when selecting an object to override any active Lock UI settings and move or close palettes or toolbars.
Bonus Tip:
Learn about all the AutoCAD keyboard shortcuts.
4. Right-click to access contextual popup menus
Contextual popup menus are a productivity enhancement favorite. The commands in the menu will be specific to your selection since they’re contextual.
With this method, a single, quick right-click will still function as ENTER, but if you hold down the mouse button longer—a quarter of a second by default—you’ll get the contextual popup menu instead.
Bonus Tip:
With the time-sensitive, right-click feature, you can have the best of both worlds if you use a mouse to right-click as ENTER. Simply call up the Options dialog box, select the User Preferences tab, and then select the Right-Click Customization button. The control for time-sensitive right clicks will appear in another dialog box.
5. Avoid endless project folder navigation by setting Places in the Open dialog
Whenever you have multiple icons with the same name – like “CAD” – you can right-click the icon, select Properties, and change the name to something more meaningful.
Bonus Tip:
6. Identify the differences between drawings and Xrefs with DWG Compare
DWG Compare allows you to quickly view the differences between drawings. All objects in both drawings will be shown as gray, those not in the current drawing will be red, and those only in the current drawing will be green.
The comparison feature has also been incorporated into Xrefs. Don’t waste time with endless email or DM threads trying to figure out what was updated. When you get the notification that something has changed, let Xref Compare show you what is different.
DWG Compare can also insert Revision Clouds, which may speed up your change process by pre-defining color, style, and size preferences.
Bonus Tips:
7. Use Quick Select to easily select multiple objects based on their properties
The Quick Select dialog allows you to build powerful queries to quickly select only the objects you want. You can access the QSELECT command at any time from the right-click pop-up menu.
Do you need to find every Circle with a diameter of 4.25? Every Polyline that is not closed? Every Block instance whose Z scale is higher than 1? All this and more are easy to achieve by using Quick Select.
Selecting all matching entities with QSELECT allows you to perform edit commands or modify common properties across the set.
Bonus Tip:
8. Speed up your workflow by copying objects from your external references with the Copy Nested Objects command
Copy objects from an Xref into your drawing without opening the Xref, copying to the clipboard, closing the Xref, and pasting it back in.
You can reach directly into the Xref to select the objects you want to copy with the Copy Nested Objects command. It’s found in the Additional Tools pulldown of the Modify panel of the Ribbon.
Bonus Tip:
You also won’t need to open the Block Editor, as Copy Nested Objects works on Blocks, too.
NCOPY – Swipe Text and Objects From External References:
9. Customize command aliases to better suit you with the Alias Editor
You can change the default command aliases in AutoCAD to match your preferred one. We’re all different, so if your mind says “C” means Copy instead of Circle, go ahead and change it.
In the Tools panel of the Express Tools, select Aliases Editor to add, remove, or edit command aliases. Click Edit and remap either “C” or Circle to match your preference.
In a similar fashion, you can add aliases to your favorites. For example, you might often use PDF Import. Just click the Add button, choose an alias, and map it to the PDFIMPORT command.
Bonus Tip:
Be the Office Rock Star With the AutoCAD Command Alias Editor:
10. Eliminate extra steps by using Named Views to quickly create Layout Viewports
The Insert View tool is located in the Layout tab of the Ribbon. You can select the View you want and then drag it onto your layout using the Insert View tool.
When you drop the View into your Layout, it will automatically scale itself based on the Annotation Scale. You can also set the scale before dropping the View into your Layout or use the triangular scale grip when it is placed.
This method saves you the important step of locking the Viewport, as it does it automatically for you!
