1 Go to the Layers panel of the Home tab.

      2 Click the arrow at the right-hand end of the Layer drop-down list.The current entry (from the running example) is Plate. Layer names are listed in alphabetical order, not in the order in which you created them.

      3 Choose the Anchor Bolts entry to set the Anchor Bolts layer as the current layer. Using the Layer drop-down list, in the upper-right corner of the Layers panel of the Home tab of the Ribbon, saves you from having to open Layer Properties Manager, select the layer, click the Set Current button, and close Layer Properties Manager when you want to change to a different layer. Becoming an AutoCAD master is all about efficiency. The real heart of all human progress is laziness — we will work hard at finding ways to avoid work.

      4 Draw the bolt:Start the Circle command, either from the Draw panel or by simply typing C and pressing Enter.Draw a circle by responding to AutoCAD’s prompts this way: CIRCLESpecify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]: intOf: Move the cursor until it is close to the lower-left corner of the rectangle and then click when a green X appears at the intersection of the two lines.Specify radius of circle or [Diameter]:AutoCAD defaults to the radius of a circle, but you want to specify the diameter, so enter D.Specify diameter of circle: 1.5

      5 Save your drawing. AutoCAD automatically backs up your work, but you could still lose the last ten minutes or so. Now is a good time to press Ctrl+S.

      1 Make the Nuts layer current by using the Layer drop-down list from the Layers Ribbon panel.

      2 Start the POLygon command.Its button is either in the upper-right corner of the Draw panel or on the drop-down list with the RECtangle button, depending on which command you last used. You can also type POL and press Enter.

      3 Draw a hexagon.Respond to these AutoCAD prompts: POLYGON Enter number of sides <4>: 6Specify center of polygon or [Edge]: cenOf: Click anywhere on the circle.Enter an option [Inscribed in circle/Circumscribed about circle] <I>: C The Inscribed option draws a polygon whose corners touch the circumference of the imaginary circle. The Circumscribed option draws a polygon whose sides are tangent to the circumference of the circle and has nothing to do with a medical procedure. Bolt heads and nuts are normally specified by the width across the flats (unless you own a vintage British car such as a 1937 Rolls-Royce, where Whitworth wrenches are arbitrarily defined by the diameter of the thread), so choose the C option.Move the cursor.The hexagon rotates about its center. You should still have ORTHO turned on, so AutoCAD shows only two possible choices for the vertex of the polygon: horizontal or vertical from the center of the imaginary circle.Move the mouse until a vertex is horizontal from the center of the circle.Respond to this AutoCAD prompt: Specify radius of circle: 1.5Press Enter, and AutoCAD draws the hexagon.

      1 Start the Move command, which is on the Modify panel.When AutoCAD prompts you, respond this way:MOVESelect objects: Click the circle or the hexagon. 1 foundSelect objects: Click the hexagon or the circle. 1 found, 2 totalSelect objects: Press Enter.Specify base point or [Displacement]: 6,6Specify second point or <use first point as displacement>: Press Enter.Like magic, AutoCAD moves the hexagon and the circle six units to the right and six units up.

      2 Take a break.Press Ctrl+S to save the drawing. It may be time for a hydraulic break; remember that the mind can’t hold more than the bladder.

      1 Start the COpy command, which is on the Modify panel. Then follow these prompts. COPYSelect objects: p Selects the Previous selection set, being the objects you selected to move. 2 foundSelect objects: Press EnterCurrent settings: Copy mode = MultipleSpecify base point or [Displacement/mOde] <Displacement>: 0,24Specify second point or [Array] <use first point as displacement>: Press Enter.Presto! AutoCAD creates a copy of the circle and the hexagon 24 units above the first set.

      2 Start the MIrror command, found on the Modify panel. Then follow the prompts. MIRRORSelect objects: p Selects the Previous selection set, being the first nut and bolt. 2 foundSelect objects: Click the upper circle or the upper hexagon. 1 foundSelect objects: Click the upper hexagon or the upper circle. 1 found, 4 totalSelect objects: Press Enter.Specify first point of mirror line: midof: Select the upper horizontal line.Specify second point of mirror line: Make sure Ortho (F8) is still on and pick a point above or below the upper line.Erase source objects? [Yes/No] <N>: Press Enter.That was a little faster than drawing four circles and four hexagons by hand, wasn’t it?

      3 Draw the column. Start by selecting Column to set it as the current layer.On the Layers panel of the Home tab, click the Layer drop-down list to display the list of layers. Select Column to set it as the current layer.Now you’re ready to create the hollow column, starting with its outside profile. Be sure to keep the cursor in the drawing area during this step and the next one.Start the RECtang command, found on the Draw panel. RECTANGSpecify first corner point or [Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]: 44,16Specify other corner point or [Area/Dimensions/Rotation]: @12,18A rectangle is drawn in the middle of the square base plate.Start the FILlet command, on the Modify panel, and watch the command line closely.In this step, you round the corners of the column with the FILlet command and then use OFFset to give it a wall thickness.FILLETCurrent settings: Mode = TRIM, Radius = 0.0000Select first object or [Undo/Polyline/Radius/Trim/Multiple]: rSpecify fillet radius <0.0000>: 2Select first object or [Undo/Polyline/Radius/Trim/Multiple]: pSelect 2D polyline or [Radius]: Move your cursor over the new rectangle and observe how AutoCAD shows you a preview. Click the rectangle.4 lines were filletedYou can pick the lines at each corner that need to be filleted (that’s eight picks), but because the column is a continuous polyline, a more efficient method in this case is to use the FILlet command’s Polyline option to fillet all four corners in one fell swoop. I discuss polylines in Chapter 6 and fillets in Chapter 11.Now give the column a ¾-inch wall thickness. Start the OFFset command. Once again, it’s a Modify item. OFFSETCurrent settings: Erase source=No Layer=Source OFFSETGAPTYPE=0Specify offset distance or [Through/Erase/Layer] <Through>: .75Select object to offset or [Exit/Undo] <Exit>: Click the filleted rectangle. Make sure that the Object Snap (F3) status bar button is toggled off for these next prompts, or AutoCAD may offset the object back on top of itself:Specify point on side to offset or [Exit/Multiple/Undo] <Exit>: Move your cursor over the new rectangle and observe how AutoCAD shows you a preview. Click inside the rectangle.Select object to offset or [Exit/Undo] <Exit>: Press Enter.There you go! You created a hollow structural shape with wall thickness and radiused corners (see Figure 3-6) in just four simple steps.

      4 Press Ctrl+S to save the drawing.AutoCAD saves the drawing and renames the previously saved version drawingname.bak — for example, My Plate is Base.bak. AutoCAD uses the filename extension .bak for a backup file. When (not if) things get out of hand, you can always rename the .bak file to .dwg to return to the most recent version.