Autocad 2014: How To Draw Steel Square Tubing?

[autocad2014newbie]

@ReMark, I want to learn/design steel structures. Mainly just small structures like sheds for now and once I'm more experienced, stuff like oil rigs just for fun. This is my first time diving into computer design. It's nice being able to fabricate something virtually that will allow you to take life-like measurements to know how much material you need and how much $ one will need to spend for a project. I can see myself diving into houses and what not, but mainly for now my primary focus is steel structures.

 

Oh wow, I can see that tutorial/lesson link helping a lot soon. So far I've just been watching random videos with no general direction which explain my lack of basic fundamentals on autocad. I learned win32 programming this way when I was younger, so I guess that falls into play on my style of learning when I didn't have the resources to learn in lessons and chapters format back then. I will be going through the lessons on mycadsite one by one as it seems like a great and consistent resource. Before I take that dive though, I have just one final question that would help me understand why on something I've been wondering about.

 

I understand changing the units of measurement from the beginning by using the Units command, and designing from there. I am just curious though as to why when I insert one of your blocks, the scale of the inserted block is massive compared to what ever I'm drawing in architectural units.

 

I'm trying to figure out if there's an advantage to drawing your blocks like this or just personal visual preference? Does everyone design their own blocks this big? Basically what I'm trying to get to is how you scale them in your own personal projects after you insert it so that it doesn't end up so massive relative to your drawing in architectural units?

 

And one last question that has been bothering me for quite a bit which plays into my OCD of having everything to spec, how do you know what radius to use for the corner fillets/bevel like on that square tube or angle iron after designing them? Do you guys use a random radius as long as it looks to spec, or is there a specific number or equation to figure out the exact fillet radius when drawing it to spec?

[ReMark]

Re: structural steel shapes. In the U.S. the "bible" is the Manual of Steel Construction by the ASIC.

 

Re: "inserted block is massive". I'm guessing the "units" are supposed to represent millimeters not inches.

 

Re: oil rig design. First you'll have to acquaint yourself with the several different types of offshore fixed platforms. You'll also want to look into oil and gas production and become familiar with the equipment one might find on a rig.

[autocad2014newbie]

Yes sir, I'm aware oil rigs are very intricate structures. I just want to familiarize myself with autocad and steel fabrication within the program. I'm just a bit lost on the scale of the blocks and how you guys calculated the fillet radius for your blocks.

[JD Mather]

...I understand changing the units of measurement from the beginning by using the Units command,

 

Type -dwgunits and read and follow the command line. (Note the - symbol in front of the command.)

You will probably benefit from Properties and List commands as well.

 

Do not harbor the expectation that anything you see is done correctly - verify.

[ReMark]

Maybe you missed this.

 

Re: structural steel shapes. In the U.S. the "bible" is the Manual of Steel Construction by the ASIC.

 

"The tables in this book referring to tube shapes are based on an outside corner radius equal to two times the specified wall thickness. Material specifications stipulate that the corner radius may vary up to three times the specified wall thickness."

[autocad2014newbie]

Will do. Thank you guys so much. Will be looking into those new commands and ASIC standards.

[BIGAL]

One comment that I thought was missed is that there are some programs out there to draw steel sections so you dont need a block for every shape, the way they work is that they have a database of the dimensions of the particular shape and just draw a pline etc where you want. Then make into 3d. Just can not remember name of free sections I have at home.

 

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?66244-steel-shapes

Edited August 13, 2014 by BIGAL

[Dadgad]

Will do. Thank you guys so much. Will be looking into those new commands and ASIC standards.

 

Here is a link to AL's Steel Mill download

 

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Drafting-Techniques/Al-s-Steel-Mill-Updated-DIM-Files/td-p/1919004

 

which I snagged from the thread which BIGAL referenced.