AutoCAD for Civil Engineering (Help needed)

Could someone please share some quick tips on how to draft basic elements in AutoCAD, such as walls and similar structures? I’m working through some coursework at my university right now, and while I’ve been following along with various tutorials to get some practice in, I would truly appreciate any extra guidance you all might be willing to offer. Thanks in advance!

Could you elaborate on the specific issue you're facing?
Are you comfortable enough with the fundamental commands—things like line, polyline, or boundary?
And what kind of environment are you working in?

Joshua Garcia31 said:Could you elaborate on the issue you're facing?
Do you feel comfortable using basic commands like line, polyline, or boundary?
Also, what kind of software environment are you working in?

I actually just opened AutoCAD for the very first time today, though I generally don't struggle much with complex software; I've never really felt the need to sit through formal classes for programs like Photoshop, Arcon, or Master Landscape. I'm mostly just looking for a starting point—something like how to draft a simple floor plan for a small house—and I'm confident that once I get the hang of the basics, I'll be able to figure out the rest on my own.

I know how to draw lines and make a square, so I can handle the fundamentals.

As for the "environment"... I'm honestly not quite sure what you mean by that.

2D vs. 3D

From what I can gather, you’re looking to draft a building, a house, or something similar—assigning dimensions and maybe adding some hatches later on.
Which CAD software are you currently using?

The starting point is always the same: you select a tool (line, polyline, rectangle, etc.), set your origin at 0,0 the coordinate system origin , and then define your dimensions.
(For instance, if you're drawing a wall that's 5m long and 0.3m wide)
-rectangle
-0,0
-@500,30

Since you're working within a coordinate system, handling the Dimension aspect shouldn't be an issue.

I should also point out something absolutely vital: pay close attention to the bottom of your screen—that’s where the command prompt lives.
Whenever you pick a tool, the prompt will always display the available options for that specific command.
Take the rectangle command as an example:
Specify first corner point or [Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]:
We just defined the first corner point at 0,0, but you could also adjust things like Elevation or Thickness right there. The logic is simple: you type the first letter of the option you want and hit , then input your desired values.

Joshua Garcia31 said:environment—2D or 3D?

From what I gather, you're looking to draft a building, a house, or something similar, where you specify the dimensions and perhaps apply some hatching.
Which CAD software are you currently using?

The starting process is always identical: you select a tool (like a line, polyline, or rectangle), set your starting point at 0,0 , and then define your dimensions;
(for instance, drawing a wall that is 5m long and 0.3m wide)
-rectangle
-0,0 >
-@500,30 >

Since you are working within a coordinate system, handling the dimensions shouldn't be an issue.

I should also mention something quite critical; keep a close eye on the bottom part of your screen—that's where the command prompt lives.
Whenever you select a specific tool, the options available for that tool will always be displayed right there.
Take the rectangle tool as an example:
Specify first corner point or [Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]:
We just set the first corner point at 0,0, but you can also adjust things like the height (Elevation) or the line weight (Thickness). The general rule is that you type the first letter of the option you want and hit >, then input your desired values.

I'm doing 2D work, specifically in AutoCAD 2004.

But nothing like that command prompt appears at the bottom of my screen.

Could you send over a screenshot?

Of course;
http://www.imagesforme.com/show.php/181100_untitled.JPG

The command prompt triggers when you hit F2.

Regarding what you're trying to achieve, the specific version of CAD isn't actually the deciding factor here; you'll be able to export that successfully regardless of which one you're running.

Thanks so much for the help... I was wondering if you might have some insight regarding dimensioning and labeling? We're currently trying to put together a site plan...

Once you have completed the entire layout, just run the Dimension tool. It isn’t a difficult process; you'll see exactly what I mean once you try it.

So, I'm also looking to put together a site plan... I'm working with a 1:500 scale, and I've already got some basic elements ready to go—like, say, 3 or 4 houses where I already know all the dimensions...
I’ve managed to get the grid set up on my own, but what I’m really stuck on is how much space should be between those two little dots in the grid? Where exactly do I adjust that? And do I need to input the scale right this second? Is there a way I can just type in something like "width 15m" and have the software actually draw it for me right where I want it?

Just a quick side note so I don't start a whole new thread; does anyone know if there is an AutoCAD version for Linux?

You can adjust the grid spacing yourself by heading to Tools> Drafting settings > the Snap and grid tab

As for scales, I personally draw everything at 1:1 using centimeters. Once the drawing is finished, I just specify the scale within the plot settings, though I suppose there are probably other ways to handle it...

Edward Peterson70 said:Quick side note so I don't start a whole new thread: is there an AutoCAD version available for Linux?

As far as I know, the answer is no. There isn't even a direct, reliable alternative out there. If I recall correctly, there was once a version of MicroStation—maybe MicroStation 95 or something similar—but I wouldn't recommend trying to get any actual work done using that.
What you could try is running an older version of AutoCAD that doesn't rely on .NET through a Windows emulator, such as AutoCAD 2000. However, in my opinion, your best bet is simply to run a virtual machine with Windows installed and run your CAD software from there. It'll be much more stable than any other workaround.

I managed to track down everything I needed and put together a solid situational plan, which has given me a much clearer picture of things than before. However, I'm running into some real headaches with printing and scaling; whenever I try to get a hard copy out, the formatting goes completely haywire and all the dimensions end up being totally distorted.

So, did you end up getting everything sorted out? Which college did you go to? And honestly, how long did the whole thing take you?

Jesse Carter7 said:Did you actually walk through the whole scenario? Which university are you attending, and how much time did it take you to get everything sorted?

I can manage to finish all the work, but I always seem to run into trouble when it comes to printing my files.

I'm studying at the University of Florida.

It didn't take me very long at all; I usually just sketch things out on paper first and then work through the measurements manually.

Well, I’m actually based out in St. Louis myself😉. Is this for a university course or more of a professional project? And what kind of scale are we talking about here—meters, centimeters, or millimeters? Oh, and which paper size should I go with? Also, which group are you in?

Jesse Carter7 said:I'm actually based out of Chicago myself😉—are you doing the university track or the vocational route? What scale are you using for this? Centimeters, millimeters...? And what paper size did you specify? Which group are you assigned to?

It's university level, Group B (you're either A or B depending on how you handle the scenario😉).

To be honest, I just sketched the whole thing out without really thinking about the scale... I suspect those numbers represent millimeters, since my grid setting was 420, which feels right for an 11x17 sheet... so I just used that as my guide.🤣

But if I can't wrap my head around the printing settings and these measurements by tomorrow, I might just give up and go back to hand-drawing everything... what a headache.

Hey, I'm part of the group... I totally tanked on the CAD work, and my printer decided to act up and screw me over too...
Did you manage to get yours sorted out?

Jesse Carter7 said:Hey, I’m actually in the same group... I couldn't get CAD to behave, and the printing situation was a total nightmare for me too. Did you manage to get everything sorted out?

If you head over to the courtyard near the Law School downtown, there’s a little copy shop tucked away there that handles all the course materials; if you take your files over to them, they can usually fix any printing issues you're having.

I have a feeling I know who you are... does your last name happen to start with "J"?