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Tutorial 1Tutorial 2Tutorial 3

 

Tutorial 1 - Introduction

 

    This tutorial is designed to show you how to use some of the basic operations of IntelliCAD. This tutorial will cover some of the basic Draw commands fundamental to using all CAD packages as well as explain to you how to use the interface and basic menu functions. For a basic progeCAD 3D tutorial click here. The rest will be covered in future tutorials.

 

Basic File Operation

 

In this section we'll run through the basic file operations within IntelliCAD. These include creating a new drawing, opening a previously saved drawing, saving your current drawing and printing your drawing. There are a few ways that these operations can be done. A very easy way is by using the File drop down menu. Another approach is to use the Standard toolbar and finally certain commands can be activated by using the keyboard.

progeCAD basic floating toolbar

IntelliCAD new DWG drawing command iconCreating A New Drawing

                                                                                              

To start a new drawing all you have to do is click on the New icon on the standard toolbar, alternatively you can select "New.." from the File drop down menu or use <Ctrl> + 'N'. The window that you see below will appear. Simply select the template you would like to use and click OK.

 

CADDIT progeCAD New DWG File Drawing Dialogue box IntelliCAD

 

Open DWG Drawing iconOpening A Saved Drawing

                                                                                                                     

To open a previously saved drawing all you have to do is click on the Open icon on the standard toolbar, alternatively you can select "Open.." from the File drop down menu or use <Ctrl> + 'O'. Then simply select find the drawing that you want to open and click Open.


Open AutoCAD DWG Drawing file dialogue box IntelliCAD

 

Save AutoCAD DWG file iconSaving your Drawing

                                                                                                                            
To save the drawing you are working on all you have to do is click on the Save icon on the standard toolbar, alternatively you can select "Save" from the File drop down menu or use <Ctrl> + 'S'.  Please note that if you are working on a previously opened file that this will simply save the changes that you have made. To save to a new drawing file you will need to select "Save As" from the "File" drop down menu. You should then see the window displayed below, then simply select the location you would like to save the drawing to and give it a name, when you are happy that you have it in the right place with the right name then click "Save".

 

progeCAD "Save as renamed AutoCAD DWG file" dialogue box IntelliCAD

 

 

progeCAD "Print AutoCAD DWG" to paper icon IntelliCADPrinting your Drawing

                                                                                                                            
To print the drawing you are working on all you have to do is click on the Print icon on the standard toolbar, alternatively you can select "Print.." from the File drop down menu or use <Ctrl> + 'P'. The window below will appear. Select the printer that you would like to output the drawing to and verify that your settings are correct. When you are happy with these then just click print, otherwise make the appropriate adjustments. Please note that it is always recommended that you check all your output settings before you hit "Print".

 

progeCAD "printing Autodesk DWG file" dialogue box IntelliCAD

 

 

Draw Commands and Properties

 

progeCAD wireframe tools circle line etc

 

progeCAD context sensitive drop down command menus

            progeCAD IntelliCAD properties palette (similar to AutoCAD)

    The Draw commands can be used to create new objects such as lines and circles. Most IntelliCad drawings are composed purely and simply from these basic components or entities.The sections below cover the most frequently used Draw commands such as Line, Polyline and Circle as well as the more advanced commands like Multiline and Multiline Style. In common with most IntelliCad commands, the Draw commands can be started in a number of ways. Command names or short-cuts can be entered at the keyboard, see below. Commands can be started from the Insert pull-down menu, shown on the left or from the Draw toolbar, seen above. The method that you choose to use is entirely up to you and what you are comfortable with. In time you will find that each method has its pros and cons and that one method may be faster for certain tasks than others.

The picture you see to your right is the Properties box. This box allows you to edit attributes to a specific entity or multiple entities depending on the situation. These include: Color · Elevation · Layer · LType · ltScale · Thickness.
 


 

 

BASIC DRAWING & GEOMETRY - PART 1

 

 

Lines

 

Lines are the most simple of IntelliCAD objects. With the Line command you can draw a simple line from one point to another.

 

Toolbar

Draw

IntelliCAD line command icon

Pull-down

InsertLine

Keyboard

LINE

short-cut

L


When you select the first point and move the cross-hairs to the location of the second point you will see a rubber band line which shows you where the line will be drawn when the second point is picked. Line objects have two ends (the first point and the last point). You can continue picking points and IntelliCAD will draw a straight line between each picked point and the previous point. Each line segment drawn is a separate object and can be moved or erased as required. To end this command, just hit the 8key on the keyboard or right click

 

Command Sequence Example

 

Command : _LINE

ENTER to use last point/Follow/<Start of line>:

Angle/Length/<End point>:

Angle/Length/Follow/Undo/<End point>:

 

               beginning to draw an AutoCAD line in progeCAD

Here is an example of a line being drawn.

Infinite Lines

The Infinite Line command creates a line of infinite length which passes through two picked points. Infinite lines are very useful for creating construction frameworks or grids within which to design.

Toolbar

Draw

draw infinite line progeCAD icon

Pull-down

Insert Infinite Line

Keyboard

INFLINE

short-cut

XL

 

You may notice that there are a number of options with this command. For example, the "Hor" and "Ver" options can be used to draw construction lines that are truly horizontal or vertical. In both these cases, only a single pick point is required because the direction of the line is predetermined. To use a command option, simply enter the capitalised part of the option name at the command prompt. Follow the command sequence below to see how you would draw a construction line using the Horizontal option.To end this command, just hit the 8 key on the keyboard or right click.

 

Command Sequence Example

 

Command : INFLINE

Infinite line:  Bisect/Horizontal/Vertical/Angle/Parallel/<Point along Line>:

Direction:

 

Results of Horizontal and Vertical infinite lines in progeCAD

 

Polyline

 

Polylines are different than lines in that they are more complex objects. A single polyline can be composed of a number of straight-line or arc segments. Polylines can also be given line widths to make them appear solid.

 

Toolbar

Draw

IntelliCAD polyline command icon

Pull-down

Insert→Polyline

Keyboard

PLINE

short-cut

PL

 

The Polyline or Pline command is similar to the line command except that the resulting object may be composed of a number of segments which form a single object. In addition to the two ends a polyline is said to have vertices (singular vertex) where intermediate line segments join. In practice the Polyline command works in the same way as the Line command allowing you to pick as many points as you like. Again, just hit Enter to end. As with the Line command, you also have the option to automatically close a polyline end to end. To do this, type C to use the close option instead of hitting 8. Follow the command sequence below to see how this works.

 

Command Sequence Example

 

Command : PLINE

Start of polyline:

Arc/Distance/Halfwidth/Width/<Next point>:

Arc/Distance/Follow/Halfwidth/Width/Undo/<Next point>:

Arc/Close/Distance/Follow/Halfwidth/Width/Undo/<Next point>:

Arc/Close/Distance/Follow/Halfwidth/Width/Undo/<Next point>:

 

drawing a polyline in progeCAD

 

Splines

 

The Spline command creates a type of spline known as a nonuniform rational B-spline, or NURBS for short. A spline is a smooth curve that is fitted along a number of control points. The Fit Tolerance option can be used to control how closely the spline conforms to control points. A low tolerance value causes the spline to form close to the control points. A tolerance of 0 forces the spline to pass through the control points.

 

Toolbar

Draw

IntelliCAD spline command icon

Pull-down

Insert→Spline

Keyboard

SPLINE

short-cut

SPL

 

Splines can be edited after they have been created using the SPLINEDIT command. Using this command, you can change the tolerance, add more control points move control points and add splines, amongst other things.

 

Command Sequence Example

 

Command : SPLINE

First point for spline:

Second point:

Close/Fit Tolerance/ <Next point>:

Close/Fit tolerance/<Next point>:
Close/Fit tolerance/<Next point>:
Close/Fit tolerance/<Next point>:
Select starting tangent point:
Enter tangent for ending point:


Drawing an AutoCAD spline in progeCAD IntelliCAD

 

 

Rectangle Tool

 

The Rectangle command is used to draw a rectangle whose sides are vertical and horizontal. The position and size of the rectangle are defined by picking two diagonal corners.

 

Toolbar

Draw

the IntelliCAD rectang rectangle command icon

Pull-down

Insert→Rectangle

Keyboard

RECTANGLE

short-cuts

REC, RECTANG

 

The Rectangle command also has a number of options. Width works in the same way as for the Polyline command. The Chamfer and Fillet options have the same effect as the Chamfer and Fillet commands, However we will look at these later. Elevation and Thickness are 3D options.Notice that, instead of picking a second point to draw the rectangle, you have the option of entering dimensions.

 

Command Sequence Example

 

Command : RECTANGLE

Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Rotated/Square/Thickness/Width/<Select first corner of rectangle>:

Other corner of rectangle:


drawing a rectangle in progeCAD IntelliCAD

Polygon

 

The Polygon command can be used to draw any regular polygon from 3 sides up to 1024 sides. This command requires four inputs from the user, the number of sides, a pick point for the centre of the polygon, whether you want the polygon inscribed or circumscribed and then a pick point which determines both the radius of this imaginary circle and the orientation of the polygon. The polygon command creates a closed polyline in the shape of the required polygon.

 

Toolbar

Draw

IntelliCAD polygon command icon for progeCAD

Pull-down

Insert→Polygon

Keyboard

POLYGON

short-cut

POL

 

This command also allows you to define the polygon by entering the length of a side using the Edge option. You can also control the size of the polygon by entering an exact radius for the circle.

 

Command Sequence Example

 

Command : _POLYGON

Polygon:  Multiple/Width of line/<Number of sides> <5>: 5

Specify by:  Edge/<Center of polygon>: _E

First endpoint of edge:

Second endpoint of edge:


Drawing a closed polygon in progeCAD IntelliCAD

 

Circles & Arcs

 

Along with Line and Polyline, the Circle command is probably one of the most frequently used. Fortunately it is also one of the simplest. However, in common with the other commands in this section there are a number of options that can help you construct just the circle you need. Most of these options are self explanatory but in some cases it can be quite confusing. The Circle command, for example, offers 6 ways to create a circle, while the Arc command offers 10 different methods for drawing an arc. The sections below concentrate mainly on the default options but feel free to experiment.

 

Arc

 

The Arc command allows you to draw an arc of a circle. There are numerous ways to define an arc, the default method uses three pick points, a start point, a second point and an end point. Using this method, the drawn arc will start at the first pick point, pass through the second point and end at the third point. Once you have mastered the default method try some of the others. You may, for example need to draw an arc with a specific radius. All of the Arc command options are available from the pull-down menu.

 

Toolbar

Draw

IntelliCAD arc command icon for progeCAD

Pull-down

Insert→Arc

Keyboard

ARC

short-cut

A

 

 It is also possible to create an arc by trimming a circle object. In practice, many arcs are actually created this way.

 

Command Sequence Example

 

Command : _ARC

ENTER to use last point/Center/Follow/<Start of arc>:

Angle/Center/Direction/End/Radius/<Second point>:

End point:

Draghting an AutoCAD LT arc with progeCAD IntelliCAD
 

Circle

 

The Circle command is used to draw circles. There are a number of ways you can define the circle. The default method is to pick the centre point and then to either pick a second point on the circumference of the circle or enter the circle radius at the keyboard.

 

Toolbar

Draw

IntelliCAD circle command icon for progeCAD

Pull-down

Insert→Circle

Keyboard

CIRCLE

short-cut

C

 

Command Sequence Example

 

Command : _CIRCLE

2Point/3Point/RadTanTan/Arc/Multiple/<Center of circle>: _2P

First point on diameter:

Second point on diameter:

Draughting a closed circle in progeCAD IntelliCAD

 

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