AutoCAD 2D Modify
Welcome to our comprehensive guide on mastering essential AutoCAD commands for digital design and fabrication. In this section, we delve into the fundamentals of manipulating objects with precision and creativity. From the basic yet crucial skills of moving, copying, and rotating, to the more advanced techniques of mirroring, trimming, and scaling, each module is designed to enhance your spatial understanding and technical expertise. Accompanied by practical experiment ideas and engaging case studies, these lessons are tailored to inspire innovative thinking and hands-on application in a variety of design challenges. Whether you're designing intricate jewelry or planning a complex architectural layout, these tools and resources will equip you with the skills needed to bring your visions to life.
MOVE, COPY, & ROTATE (3.30-3.32)
Students learn to move, copy, and rotate objects, mastering precision in positioning and manipulation.
Experiment Ideas: Assembling a simple machine, designing a modular furniture layout, creating a windmill.
Case Study: Design a fully filled Tetris board by moving, copying, and rotating pieces so no two of the same touch. Use hatching to fill in the pieces, and create a unique design based on research.
COPY & MIRROR (3.33-3.35)
Students understand mirroring objects along an axis and offsetting objects to interior/exterior with precision.
Experiment Ideas: Reflecting a landscape scene, creating a symmetrical building design, designing a patterned tile.
Case Study: Design superhero logo pins, completing designs like Batman, Wonder Woman, or Green Lantern based on half-provided logos. Finish the design with hatching and research-inspired elements.
TRIM, EXTEND, & ERASE (3.36-3.38)
Focus on trimming overlapping objects, extending objects to connect, and erasing unnecessary elements.
Experiment Ideas: Editing a city map, refining a mechanical part design, adjusting a garden layout.
Case Study: Design a Celtic knot based on an incomplete template. The design should be inspired by research and meet the design brief.
SCALE & STRETCH, (3.39-3.41)
Students learn scaling, stretching, and aligning objects, enhancing their spatial and design skills.
Experiment Ideas: Designing a miniature cityscape, altering a character's proportions, aligning a series of dominoes.
Case Study: Design two sets of vehicles for Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey's new show. Redesign provided vehicle templates inspired by research.
FILLET & CHAMFER (3.42-3.44)
Students explore creating fillets and chamfers with various radii and distances, applying them to both open and closed shapes.
Experiment Ideas: Designing a smartphone's edges, creating a piece of modern furniture, drafting an architectural detail.
Case Study: Design a skate park, incorporating fillets and chamfers into the layout. The design should be inspired by research and meet the design brief.
EXPLODE, JOIN, & OVERKILL (3.45-3.47)
Learning to use explode, join, and overkill commands on various object types, enhancing design flexibility.
Experiment Ideas: Dismantling and reassembling a puzzle, joining a segmented snake design, cleaning up an intricate logo.
Case Study: Design an extension of the Lincoln Tunnel. The design must respect Art Deco style, based on research and meeting the design brief.
ARRAY - RECTANGLE, POLAR, & PATH (3.48-3.50)
Students grasp creating rectangular, polar, and path arrays, expanding their design capabilities.
Experiment Ideas: Laying out a flower bed, designing a circular staircase, creating a curvy path in a park.
Case Study: Design a set of string lights using a path array, a dozen donuts in a box using the rectangular array, and a sand mandala using a polar array. Each design should be original, inspired by research, and meet the design brief.
text (3.51-35.3)
Overview: Students delve into creating and editing text in AutoCAD, mastering multiline text with various fonts, sizes, justifications, and line spacing.
Experiment Ideas: Designing a custom invitation card, creating a poster for a school event, developing a logo with a tagline.
Case Study: Design and create a Scrabble board using tiles to spell out ten words that represent them.