Slot Command in AutoCAD

Including blind and through slots

Securing Slots

The Holes panel drop-down on the Content tab of the ribbon contains the Through Slot command. The Select a Slot - Through dialogue box appears when you click the Holes panel's title and choose the Through Slot icon. As you can see, through slots can be inserted in a variety of classes.

Expand the tree structure on the left to show the available options, or choose from the icons on the right. The three main categories for fasteners are ANSI, DIN, and ISO.

Another option is User-defined size. In the case of ANSI inch fasteners, these are further separated into Close fit and Free fit. Or for the different metric fasteners, Close, Normal, or Loose fit. They are then split into Type I, Type II, or Type III if the user-specified slot is used.

These classifications concern the positioning and presentation of the feature on the drawing. For instance, after positioning a Type I in the slot's center, you may then specify how wide the slot is. Two centerlines, one in the middle of each arc, are used to design it.

You set one arc center for a Type II and then specify the separation between arc centers. These may be a slot machine.

For the Type III, which is once again only offered in user-specified sizes, you must first position the slot's center and then specify its general bounds. There is just one centerline drawn. This can be a sign of a punched feature.

Let's choose a Type I, Close fit, ANSI inch slot. Choosing the Top view. Enter the slot's placement point first, followed by the rotation angle—in this instance, I'll choose 120 degrees—at the prompts. It will then be parallel to the edge that is visible. Next, specify the size of the fastener for which this will be a clearance slot in the Nominal Diameter dialogue. Maintain the 1/2-inch default. Finally, provide the slot's size. You may either enter a precise value or choose the shape and drag it to the desired location. Additionally, you can see the centerline of the slot on the screen as well as the centers of the two arcs there.

Return to the Through Slot command and choose a Close Type II, once more in Top view.

Select an insertion point that is parallel to the newly created slot. You may now insert the rotation angle at the end of the current slot. Choose the nominal diameter once more and the 1/2-inch clearance. Although the location was considerably different, the visual outcome is the same as the first slot.

Let's now go over the instructions for the Blind Slot. I have two rectangles that represent a block's top and front views. I'll choose the Blind Slot command from the title bar drop-down menu in the Holes panel of the Ribbon's Content tab.

Choose a User Type II slot in the dialogue box, followed by Top view. Type 3 to specify a distance of 3 units from the rectangle's midpoint at the insertion prompt. Select 180 degrees to represent the rotation angle. Enter 0.5 units for the slot's diameter, and leave the default value of 1 for the slot's depth.

Please take note that using the Top view alone will not instantly reveal the slot depth. Remember that you may measure the existing geometry in both of these fields to determine the size of this feature by clicking the buttons next to them. To finish, click. You can drag to change the slot's size, but for now, input 6 to designate a space that is 6 units long.

I'll utilize the Power View tool in the Tools panel on the ribbon to construct the geometry for the front view. Choose the item, in this example the top view of the slot, and then specify where you want the view to be placed. I'll select Front view. For a 270° angle, the perpendicular object snap has begun. As you can see, the slot has been positioned at an angle relative to its proper location. I can move it using the Move command.

This Front view of the slot has two more features that deserve your attention. First of all, the depth is accurate. Mechanical placed the Front view using the information that was stored with the Top view. Second, the concealed line layer for this Front view, which is by default AM 3, was automatically selected. The Options dialogue box setting is to blame for this. Then select Options from the Applications menu. The Create Front View of standard/custom features on hidden layer checkbox is selected in the Object properties overrides section of the AM Content tab.