Classroom Exercises

This book was written for users and to support an Advanced AutoCAD class that is designed to reflect a workplace setting as much as possible. As a result a course using this book should be based on substantive projects rather than the classroom exercises commonly used in basic courses.

Each of the following 15 major projects represents work that can be started in two lab sessions and completed outside of the classroom.

Major Projects

This course has 15 major assignments in addition to tests during the semester. It’s my intent that students create products that have a direct value to them—products they can use at work, place in a portfolio to help obtain work, or apply to other courses. This handout gives general guidelines for each of the assignments. Students must develop the content of all assignments themselves based on a specific field of design and drafting.

Assignment 1—AutoCAD Review, pre-test and post-test

The purpose of this assignment is to develop speed and efficiency at using AutoCAD for 2D drafting and to review key procedures and commands. If students have difficulty with this assignment, it may be an indication that they aren’t yet ready for an advanced-level course. They should be given three choices if that is the case: review and practice 2D procedures while continuing to take the course for credit; audit the course within the first week;or wait until they have more experience with AutoCAD, and take the course at a future date.

The first assignment is to complete several drawings within a fixed period of time and answer a group of questions about the geometry created. The drawings must be done with perfect accuracy to answer the questions correctly. During the first class, give students a nongraded pre-test, after which you should present some strategies for drawing faster while maintaining accuracy. During the second class, give them a post-test. Their grade will be based on how well they do on the post-test only. Give a maximum time limit for each of the drawings and questions.

Due date: week 2

Assignment 2—Batch files and batch-file annotation

There are two parts to this assignment.

First, give students an existing batch file and have them annotate each line. Sample batch files are on the website for this book: They contain a variety of sample code that I use or have used for a variety of maintenance tasks.

Second, have the students create a batch file that will copy backup files from a location on a hard drive to a directory structure on a CD or flash drive. Have them use the XCOPY command and write the batch file so that only newer versions of files are copied.

Due date: week 3

Assignment 3—ACAD.pgp file

The ACAD.pgp file (an ASCII text file) defines operating system–level functions that can be used from AutoCAD's drawing editor, and defines aliases for existing commands. Editing this file is a great way for students to begin programming, because it’s an easy file to modify and doing so gives them experience with an ASCII text file.

Aliases are much faster to enter than command names. This assignment has two parts: define at least 12 new external AutoCAD commands, and create at least 24 new aliases. Among those 24 aliases, define the following letters as logical commands: J, K, N, Q, and Y. Point out that students may also use two- and three-letter aliases. Before they begin, students should review the entire file to see what aliases are already used for commands and then change or add any aliases for other commands at the bottom of the file.

Due date: week 4

Assignment 4—ACADDOC.lsp file

Although this assignment comes out of sequence when compared with the book, introducing AutoLISP with an early assignment gives students a chance to understand basic command creation so they can plan additional programs during the remainder of the course. Then, a more involved AutoLISP assignment can be given at the end of the course. Start here with Chapter 8, “AutoLISP by Example: Getting Started.”

The ACAD.pgp file allows only single command aliases. More involved commands can be created in the Lisp programming language. Assignment 4 requires that students develop a personal ACADDOC.lsp file. Set a minimum number of new functions for a passing grade—I used 12 as the minimum requirement. The more varied and involved the programming is, the better the grade will be.

Students must write these programs themselves, of course. If you have any question about whether they did, ask them to explain the programming to you, to make sure they understand what they did. They should be encouraged to look at other programs for help, but not to copy code without understanding it.

Due date: week 5

Assignment 5—Menu, toolbar, linetype, tool palette

Students should complete a group of customization modifications that allow them to develop an understanding of the range of possibilities, including pull-down menus, cursor menus, grips menus, toolbars, tool buttons, tool palettes, accelerator keys, and linetypes. I suggest the following:

  • Change the Save command on the pull-down to a QSAVE command.
  • Add a new Save command that issues the AutoCAD SAVE command.
  • Modify the cursor menu to add functions, remove osnaps, or reorganize any of the osnaps they want to change.
  • Add a new option of some kind to the grips menu—I use copy/rotate/basepoint as an example.
  • Create at least two new toolbars containing at least six custom tool buttons with new icons, in addition to the buttons students use most often.
  • Use the CUSTOMIZE command to create new tool palettes: one containing hatch patterns, commands, and individual blocks of your choosing; and at least one created from all the block definitions in a single symbols drawing.
  • Open the ACAD.lin file, and add a group of new linetypes using text that refers to a style other than STANDARD, using the existing linetypes as a model.
  • Change the F1 key from Help to functioning as the Esc key.

Due date: week 6

Assignment 6—Template drawing

The most straightforward customizing that can be done with AutoCAD is the development of template drawings to use instead of the default DWT files. This assignment requires students to develop one or more template drawings in their design field that they can use as a starting point for all drawings. They should be encouraged to continue to revise their templates continuously. Give them some minimum guidelines for what a template file should include, such as:

  • Block definitions of title blocks and appropriate borders
  • Dimension styles saved with names other than “standard”, including child variations as appropriate
  • Appropriate units, limits, and text styles
  • Logical layer names with colors and linetypes set to bylayer, with at least two layer filters and two layer states
  • Variables set to appropriate values, and a listing of the variables that they changed
  • Layout configurations with appropriate plot style tables for each sheet size

Due date: week 7

Note: for the rest of the assignments, I recommend target dates, rather than due dates, to encourage students to combine some of the assignments into single drawings or sets. You may decide that having due dates will get better results.

Assignment 7—Drawing with tables, fields, external references and blocks using attributes

This assignment requires that students develop a symbol library in their field. Symbols that are used in every drawing should be part of their template file, but most of their symbols should be saved in one or more separate drawing files for insertion as needed using AutoCAD DesignCenter or a tool palette. The blocks must be created and used at proper scales, and at least some of them must include block attributes in the definition. The symbol library should include at least two dynamic blocks if students are using AutoCAD R2006 or later.

Once their symbol library is created, students should be required to use the symbols in a drawing in their field, along with both external references and blocks that contain attribute information.

They should modify their title block so that completing it is automated by using attribute values and fields—placing file data or plot date in the title block can be suggested.They should also add attributes to the blocks in their symbol library for this purpose and then use them in a drawing.

Symbols may have attributes for cost, size, manufacturer’s number, special features, and so on. Make sure the scale is given correctly in the title block. Have students consider using this drawing to satisfy assignment 8 by including views in Paper Space done at different scales. This isn’t just an exercise: It must be an actual drawing—a mechanical part, a floor plan, a plot plan, a piping diagram, or something else in their chosen field of design.

Target date: week 8

Assignment 8—Attribute information extracted from drawing 7

Once they have completed the drawing in assignment 7, have students extract the information contained in the attributes into a table in R2006 and into a text file that is imported into a database application. They can use either space- or comma-delimited formats, but comma delimited is better for importing into most database programs. I have them pass in the template file used for extraction (XX7temp.txt), the resulting extract file (XX7.txt), and the Access file. I have them use the ATTEXT method for this assignment so they will know how to apply the same process to AutoLISP programming. Demonstrate how the EATTEXT command can be used to create a database file directly through a dialog box, but have them complete this assignment using ATTEXT and a template file.

Target date: week 9

Assignment 9—Paper Space layout with plotted drawing

By the time students take Advanced AutoCAD, they have had a lot of exposure to layouts and plotting, beginning in the first AutoCAD 2D class they take. I use this assignment to make sure they understand the process thoroughly. They must include multiple layouts, some of which contain views at different scales. The scale of each view must be properly identified on the view. At least some views at different scales must contain dimensions requiring that layers be frozen by viewport.

The plotted sheet must accurately reflect the scales indicated. All lineweights must be correct. All text heights and dimensions must be uniform. The drawing layouts must meet all standards in the students’ field and include some irregularly shaped viewports. They must also use the Freeze by Viewport function of the Layer Manager or the VPLAYER command to manage the visibility of layers in each viewport. The frames of the viewports must not be plotted.

Target date: week 10

Assignment 10—Sheet sets and transmittal zip file

I emphasize that this course is designed to prepare students for the possibility that they may someday become CAD managers. Even if that doesn’t happen, they will be most useful they are capable of solving problems and getting information on their own.

This assignment requires students to teach themselves something new about AutoCAD. I don’t do a presentation in class about those features. Their job is to determine, from experimentation, the book, the Help system, the Internet, or other references, how to create both a sheet set and a transmittal file.

The sheet-set file should include multiple sheets from different drawing layouts, with saved views. The transmittal file must be a compressed file that contains a drawing and all images and XRefs included in the file. For this assignment, students are on their own. Tell them it will be fun. Really.

Target date: week 11

Assignment 11—Sharing data with other applications

For this assignment, have students use the IMAGE command to insert several related raster-based images into a drawing file that also contains vector-based geometry. Have them use existing image files or create them with a digital camera.

They should also import a large amount of related text from an RTF file into the drawing, using the MTEXT import function. Note that the images and text must be related to the vector drawing in a logical way. It will not be enough to combine text and images together as an exercise. OLE objects, such as spreadsheets, may be included in the drawing. Fields that reference drawing file properties must be used in the drawing by placing them in the title block or into an AutoCAD table. A gradient hatch pattern must be used.

Target date: week 12

Assignment 12—Sharing data with other applications

This assignment involves the creation of a text document in which several vector-based illustrations are used. The document must contain text that refers to the illustrations—a brochure about a product, a standards sheet illustrating a required title block, a letter of transmittal about a product design, and so on. The AutoCAD graphics must be vector-based and created using the WMFOUT command, but students can use additional graphics of the screen, captured using the Print Screen key. Warn students that this assignment will be graded in part on structure, grammar, and spelling.

Target date: week 12

Assignment 13—Processing multiple drawings

For this assignment, have students use a batch file, a script file, and a Lisp file to make changes to all the drawings contained in a specific directory.The process for doing this is laid out in the book.

They should decide what changes they want to make to all the drawings. The chapter on this process includes several examples. They may get some idea from them but should not use those examples to satisfy this assignment. Have them demonstrate that the drawings work as intended by running them for the class.

Target date: week 13

Assignment 14—3D models

I don’t use this assignment in my Advanced AutoCAD class, because students do 3D modeling in an earlier class. If they have not had any experience with 3D, this assignment should be included. They can do the tutorial in the book and then create a modestly demanding model in their chosen field.

Taget date: week 14

Assignment 15—Resubmitting ACADDOC.lsp

During the semester, students will have received substantial exposure to AutoLISP. Chapter 9, “AutoLISP by Example: Getting Better,” is fairly comprehensive and includes a number of advanced functions. Students should expand and resubmit the ACADDOC.lsp file from assignment 4 by adding annotation and error handling, and create at least one more-advanced program.

Target date: week 15

Assignment Sheet: Advanced AutoCAD

Date Grade Assignment Summary

1. ______AutoCAD review, and completion of timed drawing post-test. (XX1a.dwg, XX1b.dwg, XX1c.dwg)

2. ______Create a batch file as assigned, and annotate the sample batch file provided by the instructor. (XX2.doc, XX2.bat)

3. ______Create external commands and aliases by editing the ACAD.pgp file. (ACAD.pgp)

4. ______Create a set of functions written in AutoLISP to improve your productivity. (ACADDOC.lsp)

5. ______Create a custom toolbar, tool buttons, accelerator keys, linetypes. and tool palettes that contain your block symbols. (XX5.cui, XX5.lin, XX5.xtp)

6. ______Create an extensive template drawing, symbol library, and profile.(XX6.dwt,XX6.dwg, XX6.arg)

7. ______Create a drawing that uses tables, fields, multiple XRefs, and multiple blocks with attributes. (XX7.dwg)

8. ______Extract attribute values from XX7.dwg (XX8.txt), and use them to create tables in AutoCAD and an Access database file. (XX8.mdb)

9. ______Create and plot a drawing with all required elements. (XX9.dwg)

10. ______Generate sheet sets that span multiple drawings; export the sheet sets to .dwf files, and prepare all necessary files for electronic transmittal. (XX10.dwf, XX10.dst, XX10.zip)

11. ______Create a drawing that includes multiple images, imported RTF text, fields that reference drawing properties, and the use of gradient hatch patterns.(XX11.dwg, XX11.rtf, *.jpg)

12. ______Create a Microsoft Word document containing multiple vector-based graphics created in AutoCAD and raster images captured from the screen. (XX12.doc)

13. ______Create a program to automatically modify multiple drawings in a specified directory. (XX13.scr, XX13.bat, XX13.lsp)

14. ______Create a 3D model. (XX14.dwg)

15. ______Resubmit an updated ACADDOC.lsp file. (XX15.lsp)