Computer Aided Design & Manufacturing - CAD/CAM

Difference between CAD and CAM:

CAD: Computer-Aided Design (CAD) can be defined as the creation, modification, analysis and optimization of a new component using a computer.

 CAD involves 3 major elements:-

     1. Hardware

     2. CAD software and

     3. The user

The primary function of CAD involves design, analysis and application to manufacturing. An object drawn with CAD can be analyzed interactively on the CAD screen and the physical information can be extracted from it.

In an engineering sense, Cad also incorporates finite-element analysis, stress analysis, heat transfer analysis, and fluid flow analysis and so on. I.e. which enables a part to be constructed and tested virtually before any physical object is manufactured.

CAM: computer-Aided manufacturing (CAM) can be defined as the application of computers to plan, process, manage and control various operations in a manufacturing organization either with direct or indirect computer interface with the available resources. 

Keyboard input for Auto-CAD software:

How to use Keyboard Special Keys in Auto-CAD software:

Keys	Action
ESC	Use the ESC key to cancel all current actions and return to the Command: prompt.
ENTER	Press the ENTER key following all keyboard input. You also complete many commands by pressing ENTER.
SPACEBAR	Pressing the SPACEBAR is equivalent to pressing the ENTER key and is often easier to use. Pressing the SPACEBAR or ENTER at the Command: prompt repeats the last command used.
UP & DOWN arrows	Pressing the UP and DOWN arrow keys will cycle through previous commands used.
TAB	The TAB key is especially useful to navigate in a dialog box. Use the TAB key to move from field to field. Be careful not to press ENTER.

How to use Keyboard Function Keys in Auto-CAD software:

Function	Description
F1	Displays Auto-CAD Help
F2	Toggles Text Window
F3	Toggles OSNAP
F4	Toggles TABMODE
F5 or CTRL+E	Toggles ISOPLANE
F6 or CTRL+D	Toggles UCS,  i.e. Coordinate Display on/off
F7 or CTRL+G	Toggles GRIDMODE.
F8 or CTRL+L	Toggles ORTHOMODE.
F9 or CTRL+B	Toggles SNAPMODE.
F10 or CTRL+U	Toggles Polar Tracking.
F11 or CTRL+W	Toggles Object Snap Tracking.
F12	Toggles Dynamic Input.

How to Use the Wheel Mouse in Auto-CAD software:

To Do	You have to do
Zoom In	Roll the wheel forward.
Zoom Out	Roll the wheel backward.
Zoom Extents	Double-click the wheel button.
Pan	Hold down the wheel button and drag the mouse.
Constrained Orbit	Press and hold the SHIFT key and the wheel button and drag the mouse.
Pan (Joystick)	Press and hold the CTRL key and the wheel button and drag the mouse.

How to Use the Control Keys in Auto-CAD software:

CTRL+0	Turns user interface elements on/off
CTRL+1	Turns properties on/off
CTRL+2	Turns design centre on/off
CTRL+3	Turns tool palettes window on/off
CTRL+8	Launches calculator window
CTRL+A	Select all
CTRL+C	Copies objects to clipboard
CTRL+H	Turns a group on or off
CTRL+J	Repeats last command
CTRL+N	Opens create new drawing dialogue box
CTRL+O	Opens the select file dialogue box
CTRL+P	Opens the plot dialogue box
CTRL+R	Switches between viewports
CTRL+S	Opens the save drawing as dialogue box
CTRL+SHIFT+S	Save as
CTRL+V	Pastes data from clipboard to drawing
CTRL+X	Removes select object from drawing to clipboard
CTRL+Y	Performs the operation cancelled by UNDO
CTRL+Z	Undoes the last operation
CTRL+TAB	Switches between open drawings
CTRL+PAGE UP	Switch up between layout tabs
CTRL+PAGE DOWN	Switch down between layout tabs
Arrow UP/DOWN	Recall last command

How to Entry Coordinates in Auto-CAD software:

Location measured by distance from 0,0 in current UCS	#X,Y
Location measured by distance from last point	@X,Y
Location measured by distance and angle from 0,0 in current UCS	#distance<angle
Location measured by distance and angle from last point	@distance<angle
Location by extracting and combining coordinate values from 2 or 3 points	.x or.y or .xy etc
An angle override from current point	<angle

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