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LA117 — Design Communication II — AutoCAD
AutoCAD Reference Cards
16 reference cards covering office-ready workflows from file setup through final delivery. Use these during lab when you need a concept, a command, or a reminder of why something matters.
How to use these cards: These are not step-by-step tutorials. They explain what tools do, why they matter professionally, and what breaks when you get them wrong. Read the concept, try the tool yourself, and use the Try This prompts to explore. A mistake is one UNDO (U) away from being a learning experience.
01
Foundations
Card 01
File Structure and Office Organization
Set this up before you open AutoCAD. Every time. For every project. Forever.
Card 02
Program Setup and Preferences
AutoCAD out of the box is not ready for professional production work. Fix that first.
Card 03
AutoCAD Vocabulary Reference
The words matter. Know what you're talking about before you start drawing.
Card 04
The Command Line
The most efficient interface in AutoCAD is the one most people ignore.
02
Drawing and Precision
Card 05
Polylines — Why Never Simple Lines
The LINE command exists. That doesn't mean you should use it.
Card 06
Object Snaps and Precision Drawing
Drawing without snaps is guessing. Guessing is not acceptable in production work.
Card 07
Core Drawing Commands
A reference for the commands you will use in every session.
Card 08
Layer Structure and Naming Standards
Your layer organization is either an asset or a liability. There is no middle ground.
Card 09
Blocks
One definition. Many instances. Edit once, update everywhere.
Card 10
Hatches
A hatch that won't generate is almost always a boundary problem. Fix the boundary.
03
Annotation and Output
Card 11
Linetype and Annotative Scale
A dashed line that looks right at one scale and wrong at another is a settings problem.
Card 12
Text and mLeaders
Annotation that doesn't match the drawing scale is a visible error. Avoid it.
Card 13
Paper Space, Viewports, and Scale Setup
Model space is where your drawing lives. Paper space is where it gets presented.
Card 14
Plot Styles, Pen Settings, and Output Logic
Color in this drawing system is not aesthetic. It is a lineweight instruction.
04