Doors in AutoCAD Architecture

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With AutoCAD Architecture, you can create doors using different insertion points and other specifications.

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AutoCAD comes preloaded with ready-to-use door styles.

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While doors are typically placed into existing walls, you can also create freestanding doors.

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When a door is inserted into a wall, the wall adjusts accordingly.

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To begin, with a drawing with walls already placed, expand the Tool Palettes, and from the Design tab, click Door.

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Then, in the drawing area, pick one of the walls.

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When inserting a door, several options are available.

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To review your options, before selecting an endpoint, right-click to display a shortcut menu.

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To exit the shortcut menu without selecting an option, from your keyboard, press ESC.

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Notice if you move your cursor from one side of the wall to the other, the swing of the door updates accordingly.

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Pick a point to place the door.

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Then, press ENTER to complete the command.

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Once the door is inserted, switch to an isometric view.

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Expand the viewport and click Isometric.

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Select the door and review the door’s dimensions in the Properties panel, Design tab, under Dimensions.

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Change the viewport back to Top and begin placing another door, this time on a different wall.

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Right-click to display the menu of options and click Auto.

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This allows you to specify the offset from the wall end during door insertion or for the door to be unconstrained.

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When Offset/Center is enabled, notice how the location of the door snaps to a certain distance

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away from the wall ends and the center of the wall using an automatic offset.

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You can override the Automatic Offset distance.

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From the Properties palette, Design tab, under Location, in the Automatic Offset field, enter 8".

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Press ENTER.

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Move your cursor along the wall again, and now, the distance is different than before.

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Pick a point to place the door, and then press ESC to exit the command.

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Invoke the door command again and notice when hovering your cursor over the wall

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that it is using the same offset as the previously placed door.

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To unconstrain the wall, from the Properties palette, Location section, expand Position along wall and select Unconstrained.

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Now you can move the door anywhere along the wall.

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Pick a point to place the door, and then press ESC to end the command.

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AutoCAD has a variety of ways to insert doors.

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Select all three doors in the drawing area and on your keyboard, press DELETE.

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Start the Door command again.

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Select a wall and notice the insertion point is based on the door’s hinges.

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To change the insertion point, right-click and select Cycle measure to.

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This option allows you to specify a point to switch the insertion point of the door from hinge to center and latch.

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Move your cursor along the wall to see how the insertion point is now based on the center of the door.

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Open the options menu again and select Cycle measure to and the insertion point is now based on the door’s latch.

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Open the options menu again.

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This time, select Reference point on.

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This allows you to base the insertion point of a door in relation to a specified point in the drawing.

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Specify a point, such as the corner of the other wall.

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Move your cursor along the wall where you wish to place the door

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and notice the distance between the reference point and the insertion point of the door displays.

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Place the door, and then press ESC.

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Start the Door command again and select a wall.

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Right-click and from the options menu, select Width so you can specify the width of the door.

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In the Command line, the text field is already active so you can enter the width, such as, 2' – 6", and then press ENTER.

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Note that the door width can be adjusted from the Properties palette under Dimensions, and standard size options are sometimes available.

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As they say, when one door closes, another opens,

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and with AutoCAD, the number of open doors is endless, as well as the multitude of ways in which to create doors.