AutoCAD for Lighting Designers

We will have a look at the software we will be focussing in this tutorial and why this software (or softwares) are important.

Autodesk is the parent organization of all famous CAD software. We have a look at how its related to AutoCAD, and what other software are in the family.

A bird's eye view of the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT software, and why AutoCAD LT is more than enough for 2D manipulations.

In this video we deep dive into what are the different aspects of AutoCAD software, where the functions are, and what one can see in an AutoCAD software (for this tutorial, we are focussing on AutoCAD LT 2021 version.

Lets start with opening the CAD file, check the resources and grab your copy of the CAD file to follow along.

Now that we have the CAD file open and loaded, lets have a rough idea of the file, before we deep dive into all the commands that will be helpful for us as a lighting designer

Lets start understanding some of the more widely used commands of AutoCAD, and we start our journey with the "MOVE" Command

In this video we deep dive into the next important command for AutoCAD, the "COPY" Command

The key commands for speeding up cleaning of CAD files before design are the "Select Similar" and "Erase/Delete" Commands

Selection of objects, lines, blocks etc. is always the starting point of any command, or the very next step after selecting a command. In this video we see some of the ways we can do it in AutoCAD.

Zooming a CAD file has been the essential aspect of computer aided designs. This single command has changed the whole system of how we interact with CAD files. So, in this video, we take a deeper look at the different zoom commands in AutoCAD software.

The save or "QSave" command and the Save as commands are really helpful to retain any modifications done to the CAD file. Very helpful and at times important command, you wouldn't want to lose your hard work.

So, let's have a deeper look into the saving options.

A Tip that is mostly useful in post design, but can also be handy when you are just modifying the CAD files (without designs)

Clipboard commands are always helpful, and we start understanding these commands with the "CUT" command.

As you have seen Clipboard commands are always helpful, and in this video, we have a look at the "COPY" command for clipboard.

"PASTE" Command is one of the most versatile of the three clipboard commands. In this video we experience the different options under the clipboard paste command.

Let's understand the most powerful command - PURGE. This is the key command for removing any unwanted objects, lines, blocks etc. and reducing the file size. This one command has literally saved me hundreds, thousands of hours in lighting design.

Layers are the most powerful aspect of AutoCAD (infact of many professional software). In this video we have a brief look at layers, and some manipulations of layers, that are very helpful in long run.

Blocks are the objects of AutoCAD, and they can be really helpful to keep everything together, but what if you have to modify these blocks? In this video we have a look at the "BEDIT" command which helps modify blocks.

What if you cannot get inside the block? Don't worry just press "X" or type "Explode" command to explode the block. Now you can modify it along with the whole drawing.

Layouts are very helpful for a professional presentation to clients but are completely useless when it comes to working in DIALux. In this video we see how to delete unnecessary layouts.

In this video you can see how we delete each layer and reduce the overall size of the CAD file.

As mentioned before, Purge is the most useful command when it comes to reducing the file sizes. So, let's purge and see for yourself, how the file size reduces.

Reference is CAD's way of utilizing one plan in multiple layouts. Understanding the XREF command is key to working with references.

To work on a reference file, we need to open it externally first. In this video we will see how that can be done in two simple steps.

Lets use all those previous commands to enhance our reference objects.

After all that hardwork lets get rid of the nonbeneficial stuff. And OBVIOUSLY let's purge again!

So how did all this editing helped us? Have a look at the file sizes and see for yourself.

We have seen the benefits of "PASTE to clipboard" command in above lectures. In this segment we see another way to utilize the paste command.

Universal Command System (UCS) forms the base of all the drawings. In this video we take a look at how to use this command, and its twin brother the "PLAN" command.

In this video we have a look at some of the basic commands that can help to add lines, circles, squares etc.

Trim, Extend and Fillet commands come in very handy when manipulating lines and geometric shapes. Lets see some examples of its effects.

We have seen before how to work with blocks, but how are these blocks created in AutoCAD? In this video we have a look at the "BLOCK" command, which is a key command of AutoCAD.

Scaling objects, plans etc. can be very helpful in presentations and manipulations. In this video we not only see the "SCALE" command for AutoCAD, but also get some tips on how to scale properly.