Get an in-depth understanding of how to insert blocks into a floor plan and create parallel copies using AutoCAD. This detailed guide explores how to create a kitchen counter, use offset, fillet, extend, and trim, and correctly insert bath and kitchen fixtures into a complex floor plan.
Key Insights
- The article detailed how to utilize the offset feature in AutoCAD to create kitchen counters. The function allows for the creation of parallel copies to a specified distance, making it easier for users to layout precise designs on their floor plan.
- AutoCAD provides numerous ways to connect lines, including fillet, extend, or trim. In the context of designing a kitchen counter, the article demonstrated how to use a combination of the extend and trim functions for practice. The extend function, unlike trim, elongates the line instead of reducing it, offering more flexibility in the design process.
- The tutorial also explored the process of inserting bath and kitchen fixtures into a floor plan. Important considerations were highlighted, such as ensuring the scale factor is set to one for real-world objects and setting the rotation angle correctly based on the layout of the building.
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Now we can start inserting our blocks and really finish this floor plan. Before we begin, if we take a look at the handout, we can see that there is a counter in the kitchen that is not drawn.
Then we can insert our bath fixtures and our kitchen fixtures. The first thing we need to do is change our current layer to the A-counter layer. Then, if we zoom in and check the handout, we see that the counter is two feet wide and is only one inch away from this top corner.
We know how to create parallel copies. Let's use the offset command. I'll go to offset.
The first offset will be a distance of two feet. Press ENTER. This will be from this line to the right, then click. Press ENTER to finish.
Press ENTER to go back in. The next offset will be a distance of one inch. Press ENTER. This will be from this line down, then click. Press ENTER to finish. Now there are multiple ways to connect these two lines, including fillet, extend, or trim in certain circumstances.
For now, let's use a combination of extend and trim for practice. I'll go up and choose extend. Extend is like trim, but it does the opposite.
Instead of trimming a line at a cutting edge, it will extend the line. If I zoom in on this small line here, and I am purposely showing this wall, by the way, if I hover over the right side of the line, it will extend to the right. If I hover over the left side of the line, it will extend to the left.
Please make sure you hover over the right side of this line and click to extend the line. Now press ENTER to finish and switch to trim. I can quickly trim this end here and this end here.
Press ENTER to finish. Of course, we could have done that with fillets, stretch, or many other options. Again, AutoCAD has many ways to get to the same destination.
Now, we've changed our current layer, but you'll notice that the counter lines are still yellow. This is because the offset command was set to copy to the same layer. Selecting a line will change this to display a wall, and I'll pick both of these lines.
When I press Escape, it will show a counter again. It's important to understand that your current layer will only impact new geometry created using the draw options or sometimes using the modify tools if specified. For now, we need to move this geometry to our A-counter layer.
We can do that simply by picking both of these lines and selecting A-counter. I'll press Escape, Escape, Escape. Now those lines are on the A-counter layer.
Let's switch back to Layer 0, use Zoom Extents, and press CTRL S to save. Now we can begin inserting our bath and kitchen fixtures. Remember that pressing I, Enter will open the Insert Blocks dialog box.
Let's zoom in here and talk about inserting the bathroom sink. This bathroom sink is outside of the bathroom because of the building layout, but we still named it the bathroom sink. Now, before we insert this drawing, remember this is a real-world object coming into real-world model space.
Because of that, the scale factor should be set to one. The feet and inches of the bathroom sink match the feet and inches of our drawing. When we look at the options over here, we do want to use the insertion point to place it on screen, but we do not need a scale factor greater than one.
So let's set the scale factor back to 1. Now we can browse for our drawing by clicking the Browse button. Let's choose bathroom sink. I'll click Open, and right away we see the preview of the sink as we move our cursor.
Notice that the crosshair intersection is at 0,0, which is one inch below the edge of the sink. This step is straightforward. We just need to come down, find that midpoint snap, and click.
We see it added into our current drawing blocks and placed on the screen. Notice that we placed it on Layer 0, but the geometry remains green. Additionally, if I hide Layer 0, I'll get a warning, and I can turn it off, but more importantly, you'll notice that a fixture in our current drawing still controls our A-fixture geometry.
If I hide A-fixture, that’s when the fixture disappears, not when I hide Layer 0. This is why Layer 0 is so important when inserting blocks. Please make sure you're on Layer 0, or you’ll notice a difference as you work through your model.
Let’s continue with the shower. Again, I want to insert the block and use a uniform scale of 1, but in this case, I’m not sure about the angle of rotation. So I’ll check the box to specify rotation on screen.
If we knew the rotation angle already, we could type it in, but I don’t know it. Let’s browse to find the shower. I'll scroll down and find showerstall.dwg, then click Open.
Remember, insertion point is specified on screen, uniform scale is 1, and I'll click here to set my shower. Now, because we had rotation checked for on-screen placement, I can rotate to place my block. Here, I'll choose this endpoint on the wall to rotate it 90 degrees.
Press CTRL S to save. Next, I want to bring in the toilet. The toilet is going to come in right between this point and this point.
In this case, there are multiple ways to find that distance. I'll go to Quick Measure and quickly see the distance between those two points. It’s 2'6".
I don’t need any fancy calculator to help me here. That's 1'3" to find the exact middle of that distance. So I’ll use this wall for some construction geometry, and I'll offset a distance of 1'3". Press ENTER.
Choose this line, move down, and click. Press ENTER to finish. Now, I know we drew the toilet in a vertical orientation, and we want to rotate it 90 degrees to the left.
I’ll uncheck the rotation checkbox and type 90 degrees. Now, this toilet should rotate to the left.
It is still coming in at a scale factor of 1, and we're still placing it on screen. So let's browse, find the toilet, and click Open. I can click this endpoint to place it. Now, I can select that construction line and press Delete.
In the next video, we will bring in the kitchen fixtures. Let's use Zoom Extents and press CTRL S to save.
