How To Learn AutoCAD For Interior Design
Been wanting how to learn AutoCAD for Interior Design?
You’ve come across the right article.
AutoCAD is a software that engineers and architects use to draft everything from houses to electrical schematics and so on.
It’s a substitute for pen and paper, which was used for decades.
With an electronic drafting board, you can create designs pretty accurately.
You can also print them and probably modify them easily.
No need for pencil and eraser.
The importance of learning AutoCAD for interior design cannot be overemphasized.
Not only is it an excellent software for an interior designer to learn, it’s also precious.
Plus, learning it is a very well-respected skill, which could boost one’s career.
The reason for it is because AutoCAD is very widely used.
If you learn it, it’s probably one of the best things you can add to your resume.
Let’s now figure out how to learn AutoCAD for Interior Design.
Table of Contents
AutoCAD For Interior Design
Here is the thing: you can either learn AutoCAD on your own or through a professional course.
Either way, depending on your pace of assimilation, you can become a master of the art.
However, whether you’re learning on your own or through a course, you ought to know how the key features on AutoCAD works.
And because you’re here, we’ll assume that you are kind of new to using AutoCAD for Interior Design.
AutoCAD For Making Floor Plan
With AutoCAD, you can now learn to create a basic floor plan.
Best practices are supposed to be carried on and maintained in the architectural world today.
Inside the AutoCAD software, you will have to go into the format and units section and check the unit of measurement.
Choose architectural and the scale in inches, then click on OK and click on the line tool.
First, click on the plain black background since the auto-tool is always on, draw perpendicular lines, and leave them there.
So let’s say the first measurement which you are going to punch in is 10 feet.
Once you get there, enter the 10 feet, and press the “ENTER” key.
If you want to exit the command, press the enter key once more.
As soon as you do that, you’ll notice that your perpendicular line has gone outside of your page.
If you want to bring your line within visible limits, double scroll and then move the scrollbar towards yourself.
To resize, click on the line tool, get to the endpoint, click on top of it, and the next line should be 6 feet.
Move your mouse upwards and draw a line of 2 feet towards the right, 10 feet towards the right, then 4 feet.
Now once you’ve done this, your primary job is to move your mouse in the desired direction and keep punching in your measurements.
You’re going to pan it downwards by double-clicking, and then moving the mouse inwards.
Resize
If you want to resize, move the mouse upwards 8 feet and double scroll, and you’ll notice that you can continue drawing.
Once you are at this point, click at the endpoint, two feet out, take it up nine feet.
Take it inwards another two feet, press the mouse, scroll down and move the object down, and take it up eight feet.
Towards the left a 10 feet, take it up five feet towards the left, and then 10 feet more.
Onto the left a 12 feet, take it down five feet towards the left, four feet down again, 11 feet down.
Move 6 feet inwards, take it down 8 feet, and the last 2 feet, press ENTER to exit.
If the object turns out to be adequately closed, then your plan is right, or else, you may have made a minor error.
Rooms
Now using the line tool, you’ll be able to create the rooms for the floorplan.
Click on two opposite endpoints in the object and press the ENTER key.
Then, press the ENTER key again to execute the command.
Once you’ve done that, you’ll see an endpoint.
This endpoint is a junction between 12 feet on the left, and 10 feet on the right.
Thus, click, come down, and click again to create further bifurcations for the rows.
Press the ENTER key again to repeat the command.
On each object, there is always an endpoint.
In this case would be a division between the six feet on the top for the toilet and eleven feet down for the master bedroom.
Thus, click at that point, and in the small area where your toilet is, above the bedroom.
Once you’ve located the spots, click on them, including the space in front of them, which would, in most cases, be the veranda.
Click on the other endpoints until you can make room for places.
Using AutoCAD For Interior Design
One cool thing about AutoCAD is that irrespective of the version, the basics often stay the same.
This is because AutoCAD’s unique characteristic is that you can start any action by typing the command name with the keyboard.
So, for example, if you want to draw a line, you can type “LINE,” and this with activates the command.
If you press “options,” it will open the panel of options so, it’s straightforward.
Also, if you hold your mouse pointer over any icon, it appears, there’ll be a small box with a brief explanation of the tool.
It could be the multiline text, and the word below is going to be the command name.
So, you can activate any action by inserting the name with the keyboard, and the name of the commands are the same for all versions.
And even though there’s a possible exception, it won’t be much.
Learning How To Use The AutoCAD Workspace
At first, it may be possible for you to feel a bit confusing, but don’t worry because you will get used to it quickly.
Now, in an AutoCAD’s workspace, you’ll always find a “cross,” which, in that case, is your mouse indicator.
And it has precisely that shape when you don’t have any command active.
Thus, the most common way to go to different sections of the drawing is using the mouse wheel.
If you scroll up, you can zoom in, and if you scroll down, you’ll zoom out.
To move the workspace, just click, hold the wheel and slide it.
If you are familiar with Google Maps, this works just the same way so that it will be easy for you.
Again, if you click anywhere with the “right ” button, it will open a panel with several options you can choose from.
On the other hand, the “left button” is used for selection.
Thus, if you want to select from the left to the right, the selected area will appear as blue, and you’ll have to cover all your lines.
If you just cover apart, it will not be selected, but if you open the selection from right to left, the selection area will be green.
And if you don’t touch the line, it will be selected.
To cancel the selection, just click on “ESC”.
Learning How To Draw In AutoCAD
The command “LINE” is the essential tool and will probably be the one you will use most of the time.
To draw a line, you’ll have to go to the home panel on the top, and click on the icon “LINE.”
Another way of doing this is with the left button, where you could just type “LINE” with the keyboard and click “ENTER.”
Once you do this, look to the command bar.
You’ll notice that the command “LINE” will become active and that the mouse indicator will change.
So, to start drawing, open the drawing panel, as you’ll find tools that will help you with it.
Just click somewhere in the middle to enter the first point and click again where you want the second point.
Also, if you enter a second line but wish to cancel the command, all you have to do is press the “ESC” key.
And once you’ve drawn a line, you need to understand that it is going to be without any specific dimension and direction.
This is not going to be useful to you, especially in interior design.
So, to insert a horizontal line with dimension, perhaps 1000 for now, press the “ENTER.”
When the command “LINE” popups up, insert the first point and drag it.
Doing this will first ensure that your line will be horizontal.
Then, you’ll have to type 1000 and press “ENTER.”
Once you do this, the line will be completely horizontal and specified as 1000.
Polar Mode
However, to draw wholly horizontal or vertical lines, you’ll need the “POLAR MODE” to remain on.
Once you’re drawn, you’ll have to deactivate at the bottom.
To further prove this, if you draw another line, as you’ll notice, the dashed line will not be there.
Even if you bring it as horizontal as possible, it will surely be a little bit out of place.
That’s why it’s strongly recommended for you to have the “POLAR MODE” on if you want to carry out lots of horizontal and vertical “LINES.”
Ortho Mode
And if you wish to draw only orthogonal lines, you can switch on the “ORTHO MODE” button next to the polar mode.
So, in this case, you’ll have to draw a line again, click for your first point.
At this time, the cursor will only allow you to draw a vertical or horizontal line.
As such, you will type now “100’’, “200,” and then you’ll continue drawing.
That will be “100”, as you’ll draw another line; you can draw as many lines as you want.
As soon as you’re done, simply click “ESC,” and that’s all.
If you want to draw a line with a specified angle, using the ” LINE” command, you’ll first have to draw a horizontal line.
Once you’ve done that, the next thing you might want to do is press the “TAB” button.
With this, you can specify the angle that you want.
So, for instance, you want a 30 degrees bent line, you’ll input 30 degrees and click enter to place it.
Learning How To Set Up and Edit Units
When it comes to the use of AutoCAD for interior design, it is highly recommended that one draws with scale 1:1.
Put differently, if you want to draw a line with one meter of length, draw it with the real length and not with 1cm.
That’s because this way, it’s easier not to get confused, and you only need to scale the drawing when you plot it.
Once you’ve launched your AutoCAD, look to the bottom left corner, and you’ll find the coordinates of the mouse pointer.
The first one is “X,” the second “Y,” and the third one is “Z.”
This always remains at zero because, if you’re working in 2d, that point is where your coordinates are all going to be “0”.
And to set up your units, all you’ll have to do is type units and press ENTER to open the panel.
In the panel, you’ll find options like length, where you can choose the type of units you want.
So let’s say in your case, you need decimal units, you can also find that.
However, in some countries, it’s common to use the architectural or engineering units in precision.
The best part is you have all these options to choose from.
On the other side, you can choose the type of angle units.
Thus, you can choose decimal degrees in the insertion scale.
You can also choose the units that you want if you use standard units.
However, those are just used for conversion.
When you want to insert a block or an external image just for drawing, the units you chose won’t matter.
It’s because AutoCAD has a dimensionless system of measurement.
All you need to do is put the scale when you need to print.
Benefits Of AutoCAD For Interior Design
For an engineer or architect, interior designing is the ideal way of making sure your client’s home pans out beautifully as expected.
And luckily for the craftsmen today, AutoCAD can help one achieve this and many more.
So, let’s get to look at these benefits.
Saves Time
If there is any benefit an architect or engineer stands to gain when using AutoCAD for making interior designs, it is in the aspect of saving time.
This is because virtually everything done on this software is automated.
Thus, you won’t have to waste time making manual moves.
Put differently, it reduces the manufacturing time because, traditionally, the documentation should be printed in various forms of multiple users.
But with AutoCAD, it presents ease of document reproduction, cloning and if offers the visualization of the complex technical elements.
So, AutoCAD is essential if you want to save yourself some time while making interior designs.
Maneuverability
Before the introduction of AutoCAD, architects mainly often had to go through some chains of processes, like faxing and making scans of various forms, rules, and changes.
However, with AutoCAD, that’s far from the case as sketching, and all other processes can be done in the workspace.
It’s more like all-in-one software.
Variety
One of the benefits of using AutoCAD is that, from its drawings, sketches, templates, and tools, an architect or engineer will be exposed to a wide array of varieties.
This is in terms of ideas and visualization, when mapping out their interior designs.
Also, it adds a bit of spice and flares to the act of drawing, as one will be able to conduct some tests on what design would be ideal for that particular project.
New Age
Currently, it’s an edge for an architect or engineer to possess an AutoCAD.
In reality, no company has that time to navigate the old way or hire what would be termed as an “analog” architect or engineer.
This is primarily because of these days, it’s easier for companies to use AutoCAD for interior designs.
Thus, if you want to stay relevant and boost your résumé while applying for jobs as a civil engineer or architect, you need to master the art of using AutoCAD for interior design.
Storage Space
Are you using the drawings and designs from the material library again and again in AutoCAD?
You should know that you are just saving a great deal of space on your computer.
Put differently, if you happen to be a space-conscious person, perhaps because your device is low on storage capacity, making interior designs on your computer would only be ideal in an AutoCAD software.
Correction
AutoCAD offers architects and engineers the ability to correct.
Unlike some software, it can be done quickly by just pressing the undo button, and it will go back.
It’s human to make a mistake.
But it’s even more painful when you can’t correct one, especially when you’re doing something important, as sketching or drawing a plan.
That’s why you need to make use of AutoCAD, as it gives room for one to make corrections, in case they made a mistake while drawing.
Recycling
With AutoCAD, repetitive parts of the drawing can be saved and imported from the CAD library.
Plus, while using the workspace, you can import the parts which are saved on your computer, and you can just call it anything.
Both designs can be realistic by using “my library material.”
Generally, the library gives your drawing or component a great look, allowing you to bring in added materials, which then takes us to our next benefit.
This also falls under the aspect of flexibility.
Most engineers and architects commend the AutoCAD software as being quite flexible for interior designs.
Attraction
AutoCAD can be used to create some simulated environments to show to the client.
It gives you a window to make an attractive look for your components because you can import beautiful materials and spice up the beauty and elegance of your drawing.
The software also gives your drawing a professional look.
It offers significant flexible design changes, and auto specification check features.
Gap and Reusability
AutoCAD has reduced the design time gap and offers easy reuse of designs.
This way, the costly mistakes in the design or the production can be avoided using this feature.
You can modify the existing ideas that save you time, as said earlier.
Checks
Another advantage of the AutoCAD software is that it helps the designer automatically check if the design is within the specification.
Put differently; it enables the clients to view the design at an earlier stage, before getting to the final phase.
So, it’s safe to say that an architect or engineer can hardly come out with a disastrous sketch or drawing when using AutoCAD.
It’s because it allocates one with the ability to spot any faults before the final stage.
Final Thoughts
Overall, AutoCAD is the real deal today, in the business of Interior Design.
Thus, to get on par with the level of demands, an architect, engineer, or perhaps any designer should have a basic knowledge on how to use AutoCAD..
Use this article on how to learn AutoCAD for Interior Design as your guide.
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