Digital Design and Communication Teaching (DiDACT)Department of LandscapeA

utoC

ad -

Wor

ksho

p 3

In this workshop we will look at: Hatch objects Make, and use Blocks Type text and Dimensions in Autocad Develop your garden design (See Image 1)

Proposed seating(600 x 1800 x 450mm)

Proposed turf

Proposed hedge - Buxus sempervirens(planting position centres marked)

Paving

FVLi

Li

FVMpMpOb

Ov

ObTv

MoFVMoMp

ObRo

Ro

5m

6m

10m

2m 20m

Proposed planting -Miscanthus sinensis

Site BoundaryProposed treeplanting -Betula utilisvar. jacquemontii

Proposed planting -Eupatorium purpureumsubspp. maculatum'Atropurpureum'

Proposed planting -Salvia nemorosa'Amethyst'

Proposed planting -Filipendula rubra'Venusta'

Proposed planting -Origanum'Rosenkuppel'

Proposed herb planting -See Notes, TABLE 1Drawing number L101

Drawing Name:

Smith Residence

Drawing Number:L101

Drawing Scale:1:100@A3

TABLE 1: Herb species:

3x Foeniculum Vulgare2x Lavandula x intermedia2x Melissa officinalis3x Mentha piperta3x Ocimum basilcum2x Origanum vulgare1x Rosmarinus officinalis1x Thymus vulgaris

Proposed Plan

Plants to be planted in position shown

FVLiMoMpObOvRoTv

NotesKey:

Image 1 - Garden design in Autocad

Image 1 Garden design development

Digital Design and Communication Teaching (DiDACT)Department of LandscapeA

utoC

ad -

Wor

ksho

p 3

You’ll notice a number of elements in the drawing that you’re not familiar with (see Image 1) The first of these is...

HATCHES:

A hatch can be a very useful means of giving some charcter and identity to a drawing and elements within it.

Image 3 - Hatch IconImage 2

Image 4 - Hatch Box Image 5

TASK:

Create a new “Hatch Outline” layer, make it a colour that stands out, the “Linetype” is “Continous” and ensure that the “plot on/off” is clicked off by clicking on the icon of the printer for that layer, so that it has a red line through it. Create a second layer called “Hatch Paving” with a grey colour and continuous Linetype. (see Workshop 2 for creating layers)

To hatch an object, you first need to ensure you have an enclosed space such as a “closed” polyline - one where the beginning and end of the polyline are connected. Draw a shape like the one in Image 2, in the “Hatch Outline” layer you’ve just created, using the snap tools to make sure the shape is closed.

To hatch it, firstly go on to your “Hatch Paving” layer you need to click on the Hatch icon (see Image 3) or type

“H” and press return

A box will appear like the one in Image 4. Ensure that “Associative” and “Create seperate hatches” are ticked. Then:

- Click on the area next to “Swatch” to select your pattern. - Choose a scale (try 10 to start with, you can always change it later) - Click on “Add: Select Objects” - this will take you back to the screen, click on the line of the shape you’ve drawn and press return. Then click on “Preview” in the hatches box and you will have a chance to see what the pattern looks like. If you like it, press return, if not, press “Escape” on the keyboard and you can try a different scale or hatch.

Digital Design and Communication Teaching (DiDACT)Department of LandscapeA

utoC

ad -

Wor

ksho

p 3

BLOCKS:

Blocks are objects in Autocad that may have lots of detail (i.e. are made up of lots of different polylines and shapes) but form one entity in a drawing, so that wherever you click on it, the whole thing will be selected. Common examples are Trees and bushes.

To create a block you must be in “Layer 0”. This is because you will want the block to take on the properties of the layer you put it in (e.g. if you create a tree block, you want it to inherit the tree layer properties you’ve created) and drawing in “Layer 0” allows this to happen (it is impossible to delete “Layer 0”).

Select one of the trees you drew at the end of Workshop 2. Then select layer 0 from the pull down layers menu (Image 6) so that all the parts of the tree are on Layer 0. Then click on the “Make Block” icon (see Image 7) and a box similar to Image 8 will appear. Name the block (e.g. Tree_1) and click on “Select Objects” - you will return to your screen, select the tree and press return. Click “OK” in the box and your block will be created. Now put it into the tree layer and it should inherit the properties of that layer.

Image 7 - Make Block iconImage 6 - Drawing your block in “Layer 0” Image 8 - Block Definition Box

Digital Design and Communication Teaching (DiDACT)Department of LandscapeA

utoC

ad -

Wor

ksho

p 3

TEXT:

Putting text into a drawing is simple. It’s also easy to change its character once it’s done.

Firstly create a new text layer called “Text”.

Next, click on Text Icon (Image 9). You need to draw a text box in which to write the text - after clicking on the text icon, the command bar will ask you to “specify first corner” (click in the model space) then “specify opposite corner,” as if you’re drawing a rectangle, creating the Text Formatting box (see Image 10).

This has all the usual text editing tools that other programmes such as Word and Indesign have. Type the text you need and click “OK” (pressing return will start a new line of text).

You can move the text to the location you want it by clicking on it once and then clicking the “Move” tool or typing

“M” and pressing return

then specifying where you’ll move the text from, then where to move it to, just like moving any other object.

Image 10 - Text Formatting BoxImage 9 - Text Icon

NB/ Different font sizes will be needed for different scale drawings, e.g a 1:1000 masterplan will need a different font size to a 1:20 detail drawing. For the garden plan you’ll be doing in these Workshops, it is suggested a font size of about 200 in Model Space, but see what works - you can easily change the size by double clicking on the text and changing it in the Text Formatting Box or by clicking once on the text and the changing its size under the “height” category of the Text Properties in the Properties Manager. You can also change the Font and other characteristics of the text here.

Digital Design and Communication Teaching (DiDACT)Department of LandscapeA

utoC

ad -

Wor

ksho

p 3

LABELS:

As an extension of writing text, you can write text with arrowheads and leaders labelling different elements of your drawing.

Click on;

Dimension > Multileader (see Image 11)

You’ll be asked to “specify leader arrowhead location” i.e. where you want the arrow to point, then to “specify leader landing locations” i.e. where you want the text to start. It’s suggested you have the “Polar” option on to ensure the leader is straight.

A similar box will appear to the Text box (see Image 12). Type the text you need (for example you may want to type “Proposed Tree” for your garden design), setting the font size to the same as typing text. It may all look like an odd scale whilst typing, and you may need to zoom out a bit using the scroller on the mouse to see the text, but don’t worry, once you’ve typed the text and clicked “OK” in the Text Formatting box it will be the size you want.

Zoom into the beginning of the word and you’ll see blue arrows that can be used to drag the word on a horizontal axis (See Image 13) whilst clicking on the middle blue box will pull the word and arrow up, leaving the arrowhead in the correct spot (see Image 14)

To edit the size and type of the arrowhead click on the text once and the Properties Box will show information on the text and arrowhead that you can edit (see Image 15) including: “Leaders - Arrowhead type” “Leaders - Arrowhead size” (try 200) “Text - Height”

Image 11 - Dimesion > Mulitleader

Image 13 - Moving text horizontally

Image 12 - Typing text for label

Image 14 - Moving text Vertically Image 15 - Editing leader and arrowhead properties

Digital Design and Communication Teaching (DiDACT)Department of LandscapeA

utoC

ad -

Wor

ksho

p 3

DIMENSIONS:

This tool has applications from large scale plans right down to highly detailed drawings. You can set up a “Dimesion Style” so that your drawing has unifomity.

Create a “Dimensions” layer. Then click on;

Dimensions > Dim Style > Dim Style Manager “NEW” (see Image 16). This is where you can create a new dimension styles. Firstly Click on “Standard” in the style box and then click “New,” call it “Style 1” and click “Continue”.

You will then be able to alter different characteristics of your dimension style (see Image 17), although most of them will probably stay the same (which is why you click on “Standard” as this tends to have the basic settings correct).

Some elements you may want to change are: “Symbols and Arrows” - try altering the “Arrowheads” to “Architectural Tick” and the “Arrow size” to 200 (see Image 18) “Text” - try setting “Text Height” to 250 and “Text Alignment” to “Align with dimension line” (see Image 19)

Image 16 - Dimension style manager

Image 17 - New Dimensions Style Image 18 - Symbols and Arrows Image 19 - Text

Digital Design and Communication Teaching (DiDACT)Department of LandscapeA

utoC

ad -

Wor

ksho

p 3

DIMENSIONS (contd.):

Now you’ve created your Dimension Style you’re ready to measure elements of your drawing. Make your dimesions layer current and click on “Dimension Style” (see Image 20) and choose your created style.

Next click Dimensions > Aligned

on the tool bar and specify the two points you want to measure. A dimension bar will then be created for you to place in your drawing, leading from the two points that you’ve just specified (see Image 21). Image 20 - Choosing your dimension style Image 21 - Dimension bar

TASK:

DESIGNING YOUR GARDENYou can now design your garden. You don’t have to copy the design shown here exactly, but it must fit within the area you drew in Worshop 1 and contain the following:

Hatched areas of paving and turf Key elements of the design labelled Dimensions of key parts of the design At least one tree Shrubs A hedge that uses the “shrub” linetype Labelled herbaceous perenials See Image 22 for an example.

Image 22 - Hatching your drawing and adding labels and dimensions

Digital Design and Communication Teaching (DiDACT)Department of LandscapeA

utoC

ad -

Wor

ksho

p 3

NB/ You can copy text and labels easily by clicking on them and typing “CO” and pressing return, thus quickly creating lots of the same label or text that you can then change. This can be a very quick way of labelling a drawing.Using the “Polar” tool can also mean that your text all lines up vertically and/or horizontally (see Image 23).

Image 23 - copying and changing text and labels