Features of AutoCAD Mechanical

Karajko CAD

7 Oct, 2017 12:32 PM

This time I am going to show you some basic features of AutoCAD Mechanical.

1. Step 1:

   AutoCAD Mechanical is not much different from standard AutoCAD but it has some features and tools which may be an advantage to mechanical engineers.

   My version is 2012 and,newer versions are not much different,I m not going to show you all the details anyways.

2. Step 2:

   

   This is what you get when you start your AutoCAD Mechanical,newer version like 2016 or 2017 look a little bit different but nothing drastically.

   
   

   
   

   
   

3. Step 3:

   

   There are workspaces of course,you have got Mechanical which is the regular 2D drafting space with its tools,you have Structure,I will talk latter about it.

   And of course you have got 3D modeling workspace with its tools.

   
   

4. Step 4:

   

   This is now Mechanical workspace and there are a few tools you wont find in a regular AutoCAD like Welding and Surface Texture and similar symbols bellow the Annotate TAB.

   You have got Power Dimensions,they are a little bit more practical than those in regular AutoCAD.

   Be aware I m talking about my 2012 version,some things are different in newer versions.

   
   

5. Step 5:

   

   Now here is the Content tab.Here you can find a loot of Mechanical parts (Shafts,bolts,chains,nuts and more),but they are not 3D like in Solidworks.They are all 2D.You just click on the part you want,you choose the size and all the parameters and insert them in your workspace.

   There are also different types of calculations like FEA,Deflection Line calculations,chain calculations between sprockets and so on.

6. Step 6:

   

   We are now in the Structure workspace.

   What is Structure in AutoCAD Mechanical?

   It is a workspace where you arrange parts of your assembly in 2D.

   You create components and you create views of those components.On the picture you can see that we now have got an extra tab called Structure which we use to create all the stuff.This is all in 2D.

   On the picture you see Structure Catalog.It shows you your files and the details.

   More important is the Mechanical Browser which is at the left side of the window.We have got those two tabs,Model and Drawing.

   Now there is a DRAWING3 file name here and you can name it how you want of course.Mechanical Browser is the window where you can see all of your parts and their views when you make them.

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

7. Step 7:

   

   3D Modeling workspace is almost the same like the vanilla AutoCAD (Default one).

   
   

8. Step 8:

   

   In the Options you have features you can change.There are those AM:Standards (AutoCAD Mechanical Standards) and other features you can justify and change.

9. Step 9:

   

   What about layers?Well AutoCAD Mechanical has many layers for us.Red line on the picture is where you can see them.This can save a lot of time.

   
   

10. Step 10:

    So this will be the end of the tutorial,as I said I did not show all the details,just some features which this software has and that can be useful to you.

    Have a nice day :)

    
    

    Karajko CAD