Just got AutoDesk AutoCAD 2004 LT and have a few questions!!

[SkyeHack]

My uncle is the owner at a woodworking buisness over in Conneticut at Yoguez WoodWorking, Llc and I will be going over there in a couple of weeks to help him out at his carpentry shop. I bought AutoDesk AutoCAD 2004 LT at www.amazon.com for $700 dollars and I am trying to get accustomed to it. I am used to the old Mac Cad software I have used in the past years on the old Apples he had but he has now upgraded to a PC and needed a new PC Cad program. I just have a couple of questions that I hope the posters on this forum could be nice enough to help me out with.

1) When I draw a rectangle how can I change it to like a 3 inch by 5 inch rectangle excatly? All I need this software is to draw cabinets out of rectangles by the exact size (specifically in inches) from the blueprints I have in my hand. Thats all I need a 700 dollar program for.

Hmmm, I thought I had more questions but I guess if you guys can help me answer this one I can figure out the rest by myself! Please be nice to a 17 year old CAD newbie and answer my question. Or if you have a link to a good tutorial that teaches how to CAD with carpentry in mind I would be very very grateful! Thank you! I appreciate it!

Sincerly,
Robert Santiago

[robfowler]

Robert, welcome to the forum.

To draw rectangles you may want to click on the following link on this site:

http://www.cadtutor.net/acad/acad2ki/draw/draw.html

and you may also want to look at the modifying tutorial to help you change existing parts of a drawing:

http://www.cadtutor.net/acad/acad2ki/modify/modify.html

Now wait until your uncle wants his cabinets drawn in 3D - then you'll have some fun

Rob.

[SkyeHack]

Thanks for your reply, robfowler! I just have another small question.

1) Is it possible to create a square or rectangle and then highlight it and specify that I want it to be reshaped to inches and type in how big I want the width and height? Because that's all we do when we are making blueprints on the computer.

For example, I want it to come out looking like this. Just exactly sized rectangles and squares resized in different inches in one another. I used Photoshop 7 to make it so its not perfect but thats just to show you what I want to achieve.



Thank you for welcoming me to your forum! Thanks!

Sincerly,
Robert Santiago

[SkyeHack]

Guys, please help me if you have any help to give at all. Anything would be greatly appreciated. I will be leaving to my uncles house on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 and I would like to be knowledgable enough into the software to teach him how to use it. Thanks guys!

Sincerly,
Robert Santiago

[f700es]

Sorry no, you can't highlight an item and specifiy the desired size. However you can draw a closed polyline rectangle to specified sizes.
Envoke the polyline command either through the icon or simply type "pl" and then enter. Pick a starting point and move the mouse to the right in a straight line (it will highlight when you are perpendicular or press F8 for "Ortho" mode). Move the mouse out from the starting point and type 36 (for 36") and either right-click or press either enter or space bar. You now have a 36' line, if you used the polyline command then you are still active in the command and ready for the next line segment. Move it up in a straight line and type "60" and press enter. Move back to left and press "36", only one left. You can now either draw the last line down 60" or simply press"C" for close and you are done. Good luck and go through the tutorials and by all means RTM!

F7

Thanks for your reply, robfowler! I just have another small question.

1) Is it possible to create a square or rectangle and then highlight it and specify that I want it to be reshaped to inches and type in how big I want the width and height? Because that's all we do when we are making blueprints on the computer.

For example, I want it to come out looking like this. Just exactly sized rectangles and squares resized in different inches in one another. I used Photoshop 7 to make it so its not perfect but thats just to show you what I want to achieve.



Thank you for welcoming me to your forum! Thanks!

[SkyeHack]

Thanks f700es for your reply and mini tutorial. I cant seem to get it to work how you say it. I think I dont have the paper big enough in the screen because when I type in just " 36 " the line goes all the way across the screen even when I am zoomed out completly. Maybe you can help me set up my area properties to make my paper bigger! Thanks in advance man!

P.S. I also read the manual but that stuff makes it more confusing. Its a big old book man and you guys seem to talk my language better! lol



Sincerly,
Robert Santiago

[f700es]

Thanks f700es for your reply and mini tutorial. I cant seem to get it to work how you say it. I think I dont have the paper big enough in the screen because when I type in just " 36 " the line goes all the way across the screen even when I am zoomed out completly. Maybe you can help me set up my area properties to make my paper bigger! Thanks in advance man!

P.S. I also read the manual but that stuff makes it more confusing. Its a big old book man and you guys seem to talk my language better! lol



Sincerly,
Robert Santiago

PM (private message) me with your e-mail address and when I get home tonight (USA-east coast) I will prepare a new base LT file for you and tell you how to set it as your default (it will be the file you always have open when you start LT).
Yeah, the manual can read like stereo instructions at times :lol

Maybe do a zoom percentage before you start my little tutorial. Hit the "Z" key and then type in ".25x" and then enter and this should back you out enough to see what you are doing. What are your units set to?Across the top, Format - Units. What are you using again LT 2004?

F7

[SkyeHack]

OK. I will private message you! Thanks so much for helping me man! That is so generous of you. In the next board election of the forums I am going to nominate you to be a mod because you are so very kind to help people! Thanks man!

My units are set to architectural units because we are using inches and stuff in the carpentry blueprints (drawing cabinets and stuff). And yes, I am using AutoDesk AutoCAD 2004 LT. Thanks again man!

Sincerly,
Robert Satiago
Tekken@tampabay.rr.com