How to Do a Schematic Drawing Using Autocad 2006

Open a new AutoCAD 2006 drawing and customize the settings to how you would like them.

Type in "PLINE" to the command bar to activate the polyline command. This tool is very useful during the schematic design phase because you can easily modify a shape without having to move lines. You also are able to easily calculate square footage when using polylines.

Draw any desired programmatic spaces using the polyline tool. It's recommended that you create a different polyline shape for each type of programmatic element. For example, you would one shape for a bedroom, one for a living room, etc., when designing a house. Drawing shapes with polylines first will be much more efficient when it comes to laying out the spaces.

Label each shape by changing its layer. To do this, select a shape and go to the "layer" menu. Select a new layer and color for each shape. This will help you distinguish each shape and space from each other.

Begin laying out spaces by using the "move" command. This command should be used by moving each shape and placing it adjacent to similar spaces based on the program. If you are laying out the schematic design of a house, it would make sense to move the kitchen shape close to the dining room space rather than the bedroom shape. By grouping similar and related spaces first, it will help save you time down the road.

Create multiple design options by using the "copy" command. By copying over all your shapes, you can move and modify them to create a second scheme. It is always a good idea to create multiple options when doing schematic design.

Type in "plot" to the command line to print your document. Select your paper size and window before printing.