MODULE 24

ARRAYING

LEARNING OUTCOME
After the completion of this module, you will be able to:

Utilize the ARRAY command to enhance drawing productivity.

Arraying
There are commands in AutoCAD that can be used to increase your drawing
productivity and ARRAY is one of them. You can use this command to produce
copies of an object in rectangular and circular patterns.
Using the Array Command
The ARRAY command is used to create copies of objects in rectangular or polar
(circular) patterns.
Command

Keyboard input / Alias

Array

Array / AR

Icon

Menu
Modify > Array

When you start the ARRAY command, the ARAAY dialogue box is prompted. In
this dialogue box, you have two options:

Rectangular Array

Polar (circular) Array

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Rectangular Array
The following steps describe the procedure to use the ARRAY command to
produce rectangular patterns.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4
Step 5
Step 6

Step 7

Step 1: Select "Rectangular Array". This will array the object in a row/column
pattern.
Step 2: Next select the object you want to array, by pressing the button in the top
right corner. Select the objects and then press Enter when finished.
Step 3: Enter the
number of rows and

Column Offset

column.
Step 4: Enter the
Row offset. In the
figure

shown

for

example, the row

Row Offset

offset is 20.

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Step 5: Enter the Column offset. In the above figure, the Column offset is 15.
Step 6: Enter the Angle of array. The default value is 0.
Step 7: Press the Preview button to see the result before accepting.
Step 8: If you are happy with the result press Accept, if not press Modify to make
the necessary changes.

Polar Array
The following steps describe the procedure to use the ARRAY command to
produce circular patterns.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4
Step 5
Step 6

Step 7

Step 1: Select "Polar Array". This will array the object in a circular pattern.
Step 2: Next select the object you want to array, by pressing the button in the top
right corner. Select the objects and then press Enter when finished.

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Step 3: Enter the center point of the circular pattern.

Step 4: Select the method you want to use to array. You have three different
methods to select form.

Step 5: Enter the total number of items.

Step 6: Enter the angle to fill.
Step 7: Press the Preview button to see the result before accepting. If you are
happy with the result press Accept, If not press Modify to make the necessary
changes.

Exercise 1: Draw the following object. Utilize the array command.

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In this exercise, after drawing the circle and the rectangle, enter the required data
as shown below.

Select this
object.

Select the
center of the
circle.

Tick this
box.

Exercise 2: Draw the following object. Utilize the array command.

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In this exercise, after drawing the circle and the rectangle, enter the required data
as shown below.

Select this
object.

Select the
center of the
circle.

Press More
and set the
Object
base point.

Untick the
box if it is
ticked.

Select the Midpoint of the diagonal.

Note:
In the Array command, if you are not rotating items as they copied you should
in most cases select the center of the object to be arrayed as the object
base point.

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Task1 Details
Drawing Specifications
Name

Template

Units

Text Style

Font

AutoCAD 2D Exe- 24-1

IAT Module Template A3

Millimeters

N/A

N/A

Color

Linetype

Lineweight

Green

Continuous

N/A

Layering Scheme
Objects on Layer

Name

Construction Objects

Construction

All Objects

Object

Black/White

Continuous

N/A

Centerlines

Center

Blue

Center

N/A

Instructions:
1. Open the template IAT Module Template A3.
2. Setup the layers as per the layering scheme.
3. Draw the chair shown below. Your starting point is 175,150.

l
Start Point
175,150

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4. Use the Array command to arrange the chairs as shown below. The row and
column offset is 25.

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Task2 Details
Drawing Specifications
Name

Template

Units

Text Style

Font

AutoCAD 2D Exe- 24-2

IAT Module Template A3

Millimeters

N/A

N/A

Color

Linetype

Lineweight

Green

Continuous

N/A

Layering Scheme
Objects on Layer

Name

Construction Objects

Construction

All Objects

Object

Black/White

Continuous

N/A

Centerlines

Center

Blue

Center

N/A

Instructions:
1. Open the template IAT Module Template A3.
2. Setup the layers as per the layering scheme.
3. Draw the object shown below. Your starting point is 190,160.

Start Point
190,160

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Module 24 Review Questions

1. You can use the Array command to produce copies of an object in
rectangular and _______ patterns.
a. square
b. circular
c. triangular
d. hexagonal
2. The number of rows in the following pattern is ______.
a. 4
b. 5
c. 6
d. 2
3. The alias used to start the Array command is _______.
a. AR
b. ARR
c. ARRAY
d. RAY
4. Which of the following represents the Array command icon?
a.
b.
c.
d.
5. What is the column offset in the object shown?
a. 5
b. 10
c. 15
d. 20

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6. By default, if the row offset is ________ the rows are added downward.
a. positive
b. negative
c. negative or positive
d. big
7. By default, if the column offset is ________ the columns are added to the
left.
a. positive
b. negative
c. negative or positive
d. big
8. In the object shown the total number of items and angle to fill are ____
and _____ , respectively.
a. 8, 180
b. 8, 360
c. 8, 90
d. 7, 180
9. In the object shown the items were _______ as copied.
a. rotated
b. not rotated
c. deleted
d. refreshed
10. In the Array command, if you are not rotating items as they copied you
should in most cases select the ________ of the object to be arrayed as
the object base point.
a. end
b. center
c. bottom
d. top

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