Newby questions: How to get started?

[stef_r]

As I mentioned I have used a CAD program to draw electrical drawings and Printed Circuit Boards and in some ways I do see some similarities like the command line bar.

Back at school in '92 (geez I feel old now...) I did some basic mechanical practice as well, but is has been a while...

But I get the point! It was a stupid question

Serious, I do understand it right now, My monitor is just like a piece of paper on wich I draw with pencil and stuff.

[stef_r]

BTW let me explain a bit...

 

I recently got this job because a former colleague has left the company.

It's a company in The Netherlands and there is a lot of custom building and adjustment, electrical as well mechanical.

And because there aren't much good sketches of some parts, like the bracket I showed in my first post, I have the task to document the whole workflow with good electrical drawings and mechanical drawings to make things easier for both the company and customer and not to loose time by inventing (meassuring) the same part over and over again. (From this bracket, several drawings has been made, none of them in AutoCAD or any other program, just by hand but now no one seemds to knw were the drawing should be. And this is for a lot of standard- and custom build parts as well!)

 

I'm hired mainly because of my electric skills, and because I seemds to be a 'handy guy'

(Meaning knowing a little bit of a lot of things so to speak...)

[ReMark]

Let me be clear (as in crystal). Your's was not a stupid question.

 

I think it will benefit you if you learned to model objects like the bracket in 3D. These 3D models can then be used to extract the 2D views which you can then dimension. Let AutoCAD do the hard work for you. We are here to help so do not be afraid to ask questions. With members from all over the world and 24/7 access/activity an answer will not be far away.

 

Have you seen any examples of 2D output extracted from 3D models?

[JD Mather]

But I get the point! It was a stupid question

...

 

Not a stupid question at all.

 

Draw the L-shaped profile 1:1 scale (I would do as Right Side View).

Using orthographic projection draw the Front View showing the length and height (height projected from RS View), and location and size of slots.

Using orthographic projection draw the Top View showing length and depth (depth projected from RS View).

 

The suggestion of 3D was brought up because the program will do all the projection and create your views for you if you model the part (like you would fabricate it out on the shop floor). For something this simple the manual projection would not be all that difficult and is what we did for years on the drawing board (and some still do in CAD).

 

Dimension.

 

I started to draw this up myself using traditional 2D orthographic projection and couldn't bring myself to the torture.

I realized that it would be easier to help you do it as 3D.

 

Draw a L shape with the vertical and horizontal distance.

Assuming you don't know how to draw lines.

Hit L on the keyboard and hit Enter.

Click somewhere on the screen.

Move your mouse down vertically.

Type in the height.

Move your mouse over horizontally.

Type in the width (looks to be the same as the height).

Double click the mouse wheel (to zoom all).

Turn the wheel a bit to show the L shape aesthetically pleasing.

 

Hit F on the keyboard and hit Enter.

Hit R on the keyboard and enter the outside Fillet Radius (at the bottom of the screen you will see the command line prompting you what to do).

Select the vertical line and then the horizontal line well back from the corner.

You should now have an arc connecting the two lines.

 

Hit PE on the keyboard and then Enter.

Click one of the lines and hit Enter for Yes.

Hit J on the keyboard and hit Enter for Join.

Select the arc and other line.

 

Type Extrude and then hit Enter on the keyboard.

Click the L shaped profile (the entire profile should highlight if the previous procedure was done correctly) hit Enter to accept the selection.

Type in the length of the part and hit Enter on the keyboard.

 

Hit Escape a couple of times.

Hold down the Shift key and the mouse wheel.

Move your mouse a bit to rotate the geometry.

 

Type Thicken on the keyboard and hit Enter.

Select the surface and then enter the Thickness.

 

Type Shademode and hit Enter.

Hit S and Enter.

 

Save and Attach your file here of what you have been able to complete so far.

 

 

You could save the PE (Polyline Edit) steps by starting with a Pline rather than L.

Edited July 6, 2012 by JD Mather

[ReMark]

JDM: In your opinion would the OP be better off modeling parts like the bracket in AutoCAD Mechanical or consider switching to Inventor?

[JD Mather]

JDM: In your opinion would the OP be better off modeling parts like the bracket in AutoCAD Mechanical or consider switching to Inventor?

 

Well since Inventor has tools specific for doing a job like this... ...no contest.

To get where I am above in AutoCAD instructions - all I need is two lines. (there are no "polylines" in Inventor - it sees everything as connected)

Inventor would return the thickness and add the bend for me (base on sheet metal specification) and all I need to do is enter the length.

Holes and/or punches would be similarly easy but not all that different than presspull in AutoCAD.

The real power there is in resizing or moving these features if needed (who gets everything right the first time around?).

Edited July 5, 2012 by JD Mather

[ReMark]

Not sure why the OP is using Mechanical if he is doing primarily electrical drawings. Sounds like Inventor might be a better fit. Could always drop into AutoCAD to do the electrical drawings right?

[stef_r]

Not sure why the OP is using Mechanical if he is doing primarily electrical drawings. Sounds like Inventor might be a better fit. Could always drop into AutoCAD to do the electrical drawings right?

 

To be clear, I don't use AutoCAD for electrical drawings but another program called Cadsoft Eagle.

With that program I can draw a PCB layout and go to a board manufacturer to have the PCB etched.

Also with this program, when I draw a electrical wiring diagram, the program cab automaticly connect all the right connections to the various different parts.

(See picture of what it could look like...)

There are so much specific tools and command I don't think even AutoCAD (electrical) can beat Eagle...

 

But now I also have to draw mechanical stuff.

So that's were AutoCAD (mechanical) comes in.

My former colleague has managed that the company has bought a licence of autoCAD 2012 Mechanical and than he left......

 

So now I have this very beatifull program, exiting to learn to deal with it.

I feel like I walk into the same steep learning curve as I did with the Eagle program but now I feel like a fish in the water with that program.

Hope it will be the same with AutoCAD in a while...

[stef_r]

Hit PE on the keyboard and then Enter.

Click one of the lines and hit Enter for Yes.

Hit J on the keyboard and hit Enter for Join.

Select the arc and other line.

 

And here is were I get stuck...

First of all, thank you for this great explanation!

I have viewed some tutorials from this site so I did know how I could draw a simple line, circle or box. And how I could type in the dimensions etc.

But again, thank you for explaining it to me.

 

Everything goes well and does what you wrote down.

But it goes wrong at the end, when I have selected the arc and the bottom line.

It looks like the program needs an enter or other command to stop before I can proceed to the next step.

 

Like you mentioned, if everything went right, the whole profile should be highlighted, but with me only a part is being highlighted. Just the part I click on.

 

Oyeah, one other thing...

I think if I follow your instructions, it is going to be a drawing in 3D right?

[Dadgad]

And here is were I get stuck...

First of all, thank you for this great explanation!

I have viewed some tutorials from this site so I did know how I could draw a simple line, circle or box. And how I could type in the dimensions etc.

But again, thank you for explaining it to me.

 

Everything goes well and does what you wrote down.

But it goes wrong at the end, when I have selected the arc and the bottom line.

It looks like the program needs an enter or other command to stop before I can proceed to the next step.

 

Like you mentioned, if everything went right, the whole profile should be highlighted, but with me only a part is being highlighted. Just the part I click on.

 

Oyeah, one other thing...

I think if I follow your instructions, it is going to be a drawing in 3D right?

 

Yes, the instructions JD gave you will be MODELING in 3D the object which you are interested in representing.

Be sure to select one of the lines first, not the arc, do it exactly as described in JD's post.

Can you upload what you have so far?

Edited July 6, 2012 by Dadgad

[stef_r]

Ok, I have the rectangle (right?)

When I hold down the Shift key and move the mouse I can view the 3D image.

 

But now I have problems with the thickness part.

I type in THICKEN, press and select my model.

The model gets highlighted and I read the little gray bar wich mentioned "Select surfaces to thicken"

And here I get stuck...

[Dadgad]

Left click on each surface to select it, then ENTER,

after which you will have to follow the prompts

which will guide you in entering the thickness which you are aiming for (I think you said 2mm in an earlier post).

[stef_r]

Ok, this is what I got so far.

I have followed the steps until the commend.

So far the commands spoke for themselves but what does the command do exactly?

[Dadgad]

The EXTRUDE command will create a 3d solid entity from a closed polyline.

It is a modeling command. It will also create SURFACES from POLYLINES.

At this point you appear to have a closed polyline, which is not exactly what you are after.

It would be easier to tell what is going on if you posted the .dwg file.

At this point I would suggest (based on the ASSUMPTION that what I see is a closed POLYLINE)

that you explode it, then reJOIN the horizontal line with the arc and the vertical line using the PE

command, as discussed earlier, and in JD's post.

[Dadgad]

This is another way to approach making this part, which is only slightly different than JD's, it is more like ReMark's technique.

 

Here is a little graphic for you showing you a progression of steps from

an L shaped POLYLINE

to a FILLETED POLYLINE with a fillet of radius 5

I then OFFSET it by 2mm, which you mentioned in your first post as the thickness of the material

using the PE command I JOINED and CLOSED those 2 polylines

(that was really extra work, as I planned on using the PRESSPULL command I could have just drawn 2 lines, one to close each opening)

using the PRESSPULL command I essentially pulled the polyline into a 300mm length of that 2D profile

I then used the FILLETEDGE command to put a 5mm radius on the sharp corners of the piece.

 

Once you have the 3D solid you can draw the holes on any of the surfaces of the solid, and as mentioned by ReMark earlier

you can use the PRESSPULL command to press the holes through the piece.

I hope that helps you to visualize one approach.

So many different ways to get to the same place.

 

Generally when modeling I will choose an isometric perspective for the 3 dimensional clarity inherent.

Edited July 6, 2012 by Dadgad

[ReMark]

JDM: Having read through your instructions (post #24) I find it unusual that you, of all people, would have the OP PEDIT lines then Extrude rather than immediately go with the PressPull command. I did not think you were much of an advocate of Extrude. Are you feeling well? Has the heat gotten to you?

[ReMark]

One thing you are going to have to get used to doing is manipulating the UCS so you can work in different planes. There are a handful of ways to do this. Many new users find the Dynamic UCS to be most helpful. There is an icon for this feature located in your Task Bar (bottom left hand corner of your screen). As you pass your cursor over the icons located here a "Tooltip" will appear telling you the name/function of each. You may first want to read up on the topic in your Help file which can be accessed by pressing the F1 key.

[Dadgad]

JDM: Having read through your instructions (post #24) I find it unusual that you, of all people, would have the OP PEDIT lines then Extrude rather than immediately go with the PressPull command. I did not think you were much of an advocate of Extrude. Are you feeling well? Has the heat gotten to you?

 

Now that you mention it, I was a bit surprised too, it seemed a pretty UN-MODERN approach from such an INVENTIVE guy.

While I was most inclined to agree with his assessment that language matters, as do radii, he did profess a slightly suspect

notion about the depth of the pierced edge of the slot in the model he was critiquing (at least the G-term never came up: like in subtle as a heart attack).

The pierced hole as shown in this image, if placed tight to the fold could certainly have an appreciably longer edge than the thickness of the piece, but only if it were

punched after it had been folded, which would be unlikely. On an extrusion it would be.

 

If not the heat, perhaps it was your self-deprecatory and deferential air that caught him off balance. :beer:

Edited July 6, 2012 by Dadgad

[ReMark]

Only if you say so Dadgad.

[JD Mather]

JDM: Having read through your instructions (post #24) I find it unusual that you, of all people, would have the OP PEDIT lines then Extrude rather than immediately go with the PressPull command. I did not think you were much of an advocate of Extrude. Are you feeling well? Has the heat gotten to you?

 

Note that my description creates an open profile. (closing it is extra work an leads to errors in creating sheet metal parts).

Note that my extrusion will result in a surface body.

Note that Thicken will create a uniform thickness solid body with all sides perpendicular to the flat pattern when flattened (if AutoCAD could do that). One of the most common mistakes beginners make in sheet metal parts is that sides are not perpendicular to the flat or bend radii not correct resulting in non-uniform thickness. Now this was a trivially easy part - so it was less likely that mistake would have been made, but in general Thicken (of surface body) is the safest way to go.