How to Draw Residential Windows in AutoCAD 2007

AutoCAD 2007 allows you to draw complex structures.

AutoCAD 2007 is a program for creating drawings that manufacturers read to make products large and small. Residential windows are one of the many types of structures you can draw with AutoCAD. The program offers several approaches for drawing windows. One approach involves assembling simple objects called primitives into the parts of a window. Making a drawing of a residential window in AutoCAD 2007 opens the door to drawings for more complex structures, including houses.

Instructions

1. Open AutoCAD. Type "Perspective" to switch to perspective view. This lets you see your window drawing more clearly.

2. Type "box," which enters box drawing mode. You'll create a window by assembling it from boxes. The boxes represent the upper and lower sashes, frame and stool (sill) of a residential window.

3. Drag the mouse to form a rectangular selection region in the approximate center of the drawing window. Size the box to be about one third the drawing window's area, with the same length-to-width ratio as the drawing window.

4. Click the mouse to complete the box's base, then drag slightly upward to complete the box's depth dimension. This completes the main shape of the upper sash.

5. Type "box" again. Then drag a selection region with the mouse that covers slightly less than the top left quarter of the upper sash you just completed.

6. Click the mouse to complete the aperture box's base, then drag slightly upward to form its depth.

7. Type "-view front" to enter "front" view. Then click the aperture box's "Z" axis until it appears below the upper sash's box. This makes the aperture box pierce the sash, which is needed to create the aperture for the window.

8. Type "-view top" to return to the top view. Then click the aperture box, which you modified in the previous step.

9. Press "Control-C," then "Control-V" to make a duplicate of the box. Drag the mouse until the duplicate's position is directly to the right of the first aperture box.

10. Press "Control-V" twice more. Position, by dragging the mouse, one of the duplicates directly below the first aperture box. Position the last duplicate directly to the right of the box you just placed.

11. Type "subtract," then click the upper sash box and press "Enter." Click all four aperture boxes. Then press "Enter." AutoCAD will "subtract" the aperture boxes from the sash to form the window apertures.

12. Click the sash, then press "Control-C" followed by "Control-V" to duplicate it. This forms the lower sash.

13. Drag the lower sash until it's positioned directly below the upper one.

14. Type "box," then drag a selection region slightly to the left and above the top left corner of the upper sash. Drag downward and slightly right until the right face of the new box abuts the left face of the upper and lower sashes. Make the new box's bottom face even with the bottom face of the lower sash. This step forms the left edge of the window frame.

15. Type "box" again. Then drag the mouse to form a box that sits directly atop the upper sash and has the same length as the sash.

16. Make the frame's right side using the instructions from step 14. However, switch instructions indicating "right" with "left," and vice versa.

17. Form the stool to complete the window by making a box directly below the lower sash and the same length as the lower sash.

References

• "AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD LT 2007 Bible"; Ellen Finkelstein; 2006
• HomeTips: Window Parts