How to delete an element in AutoCAD

When you open AutoCAD for the first time and attempt to figure it out without watching any tutorial, it can be overwhelming.

How do you delete element in AutoCAD?

There is actually  two way of deleting element in AutoCAD as far as I can tell.

You can use the DELETE button to delete an element.

Here is where to find the delete button

To delete, you need to select the object you want to delete and click on the icon shown on the image above.

Alternatively, you can select the object to delete and PRESS the DEL button on your keyboard.

Hope you have learnt how to delete in AutoCAD with this quick tips.

Check my AutoCAD tips here.

Modeling a football in AutoCAD

I have long tried to model a football in AutoCAD without much of a success before stumbling across this video. It did it for me!

I will invite you to go through this AutoCAD tutorial if you happen to want to learn how to model a ball in AutoCAD.

A brilliant piece indeed!

modeling 3D rotor Blades in AutoCAD

Here is how to model 3D rotor blade in AutoCAD on the fly!

Something I would not have thought to be this easy if I had not watched this video

Enjoy!

Want to check more AutoCAD tutorials? 

Spring in AutoCAD

Here is a good AutoCAD tutorial that will help you learn how to create a spring in AutoCAD.

These can be very difficult item to create in CAD. Hope this does it for you!

How to use the MIRROR command in AutoCAD

The MIRROR command is that command that helps you create a symmetrical objects in AutoCAD.

If you want to create an image like the following, you will need to make use of the MIRROR command.

We will assume that you already create half of your object.

Here is how you use the MIRROR command.

First thing first, you want to have that center line in place before attempting to use the MIRRO command.

To use the MIRROR command

Select the image to mirror and click on the MIRROR command

Select the two ends of the center line and press ENTER

And there you have it!

Hope you liked this tutorial. You can check my other AutoCAD online tutorial here.

Lamp modeling

Here is another great AutoCAD tutorial by the guys at the sourceCAD

It shows how to model a bulb using AutoCAD. Yes, you can also use AutoCAD to model such an object.

Modeling with AutoCAD

Here is a nice tutorial from the sourceCAD.

If you have ever asked yourself how to model a ball bearing in AutoCAD, you would like this video. It shows how to go from zero to having a beautifully model 3D object in AutoCAD.

Here are some more tutorial.

How to create a network of object in AutoCAD

Let's explore the Polar Array in AutoCAD.

The Polar Array command helps create a network of object around a center point. each object being at a predetermined location from the others.

Let's use the following image as the base object of our network.

To create the array, we need to click on the following icon.

Now select the circe and press ENTER

Select the center of the circle.

Now you can use the tab that just popped up to specify the features of your array.

Check my other tutorials.

AutoCAD modeling tutorial

Here is another nice AutoCAD modeling tutorial.

If you want to have a quick opinion about what modeling in 3D using AutoCAD is like, feel free to check the following video.

If you are given the final image, you will barely know what it takes to model the whole things. It is surprisingly easy when you know how AutoCAD works.

3D AutoCAD tutorial

Here is a good AutoCAD tutorial you would want to learn from.

This is not a tutorial for beginners, if you want to take full advantage of this tutorial, you need to have completed your 2D courses and mastered them.

Here we go!

It is 3D modeling AutoCAD tutorial.

This is a youtube video.

How to use the FILLET command in 3D

Here is how to use the FILLET command in 3D.

We will be using the 3D object we worked on, last time.

Here is the image we are going to be working on.

Let's use the FILLET command on the two lower edges to make them a little less sharp.

To use the FILLET command in 3D.

1. Select the FILLET command
2. Type R and press ENTER
3. Specify the radius of the fillet
4. Select the edges and press ENTER when you are done selecting all the edges

Here is the FILLET command

Here is the final result.

Hope it helped!

Check my other tutorial.

How to subtract geometries in AutoCAD

Here is a quick tutorial on how to subtract geometries in 3D in AutoCAD.

We have had great time learning how to extrude and use the REGION command with AutoCAD in this post and this post.

Today we are going to learn how to subtract a geometry.

If you had time to check the post I linked up to above, you would notice that the piece at the center of the figure was a cylinder.

The whole 3D object was a combination of the bigger object and the cylinder.

Here is how to use that cylinder to make a cut at the center of the drawing.

The command we are going to use is called SUBTRACT.

To use this command

1. Type SUBTRACT and press ENTER
2. Select the bigger object and press ENTER
3. Select the object to be subtracted and press ENTER

Using these steps, Here is what I have been able to come up with.

Check my other tutorials here.

Using the REGION command

Using the REGION command before using the EXTRUDE command changes completely the end result you get after using the EXTRUDE command.

On this article, we learnt how to use the EXTRUDE command.

But I did not mention the REGION command there and if you remember, we used this image and got the following result.

Now let's use the REGION command before extruding. 

Type REGION, select the whole objects in the drawing area and press ENTER

After this. Use the step we learnt in the last post to extrude the whole thing.

And here we have it!

Check more AutoCAD tutorials here.

How to extrude in AutoCAD

Here is a simple and one of the most used command in 3D while using AutoCAD. In fact, when you have a rectangle or a square, you can easily extrude them to get a box.

To used EXTRUDE in AutoCAD, you need to have the basic object created. I mean by the basic object, the square or the rectangle.

Here is how it works.

Let's consider the following image which we worked on in this post.

Let's extrude this figure.

I will first use the FREE ORBIT tool to get into an isometric view

Here is what the isometric view looks like

Now let's EXTRUDE.

1. Type EXTRUDE and hit on ENTER
2. Select the whole figure and hit ENTER
3. Move upwards and click when the length of extrusion satisfies you

Here you go!

Check my other AutoCAD tutorials.

How to draw a straight line in AutoCAD

Here is how to make sure the line you are drawing is a straight line when using AutoCAD.

If you go on the tool bar down the main AutoCAD window, you will find the following icons.

If you activate the ORTHO mode, this will restrict all your movement in the drawing area. You then will be able either draw move vertically or horizontally.

Here is the ORTHO mode.

So. When this command is activated, you are sure that the line you are drawing will be a straight one.

I meant by straight line here, a either vertical or horizontal line though one might argue that all the lines you will draw in AutoCAD will be straight. This is true. I just need to emphasize the fact that in this post, a straight line is restricted to be either vertical or horizontal.

An oblique line would not be qualified as a straight line in this contest.

Check my other tutorials if interested.

How to set the unit in AutoCAD

Here is a simple route you can take to set the units of your drawings AutoCAD.

1. Type Units and press ENTER on your keyboard
2. Select the units and click on OK

Here is what the Drawing Units windows looks like

Here are different units you can select from

Hope this helped!

Feel free to check my other tutorials.

AutoCAD exercises #2

Here comes another AutoCAD exercises.

Let's solve this in AutoCAD. How do you create this in AutoCAD.

First thing, create the following.

Now create the two circle using the center of the upper side of the rectangle and delete that upper side once you have used it.

Now. select the bigger circle and the two side line. click on the TRIM icon and select the lower part of the circle.

Now I can bet you can find the way to draw the remaining part of the exercises. If you can, No Panic! I am coming back in with those information on the next post.

Feel free to check my other tutorials.

Using the TRIM command in AutoCAD

The TRIM command is one of the most used commands in AutoCAD.

Here is where the TRIM command icon is located.

How to use the TRIM command.

Let's consider the following set of objects

If I select the whole

Then, click on the TRIM icon and select a part of the drawing, each part I select will disappear. 

Here is an alternative of what the final image can be.

Here is another alternative.

Go ahead and try the command out. 

Check my other AutoCAD tutorial.

AutoCAD exercises

Here is an easy AutoCAD exercise I would like you to play with if you are interested.

How do you go about designing this in AutoCAD.

Draw a square with the following dimension

Create two circle at the ends of the rectangle as shown on the image below

Clean it with the TRIM command

Create a circle of 20 of radius on the upper side of out main object. Make sure the circle center is placed at the center of that upper vertical line.

Clean it again using the TRIM command

And you have it!

Check my other AutoCAD tutorials.

Create an arc in AutoCAD without using the ARC command

In this little and short post, we are going to create an ARC in AutoCAD without actually using the ARC command.

You will find this silly, but yes, it is doable.

How do we do it.

What if we create a circle, and cut it into two, would that be an arc to you? let's see what it looks like in real life.

After cutting the circle using the line we remain with the following.

Now we can clearly see that arc. What happen if we select it?

Yes, it is a arc. You have just learnt how to create an ARC in AutoCAD without uing the ARC command.

How to create an arc in AutoCAD

How do you create an Arc in AutoCAD?

This is actually something easy. You can use the ARC command.

To do so, click on ARC

Select the first and second point of the ARC.

Now select the last point of the arc.

Remember, If you select the arc, you will have the ability to alter its shape using the 4 blue square you are seeing on the picture above.

If you are interested in checking my other tutorial, feel free to drop by tutorial45.

Create a circle tangent to three circles

Here is another AutoCAD tip that will help you slowly become better at using AutoCAD.

How to create a circle tangent to three existing circle? Let's say you have created 3 circles in AutoCAD and now want to create a circle that is going to be tangent to the three later, how do you go about this?

There is a way to do this using the following command.

All you need to do, is click on the command highlighted on the image above, select the three circles and there you have it.

Draw a circle tangent to two other circle in AutoCAD

Let's say you have two existing circles in AutoCAD and you would like to draw a third one that will at the same time be tangent to the two existing circle. How do you do this with AutoCAD.

Fortunately, there is a dedicated command to help in such a situation in AutoCAD.

Go under the CIRCLE command and select TAN, TAN, RADIUS

After selecting this command, simply click on the two existing circles one after the other and enter the value of the radius of the circle you are about to create and that's it.

Learn from my other tutorials.