QuickStart CAD

In many different disciplines, the advent of CAD has radically changed the way professionals work. Most project managers now expect that some type of CAD software will be used to create drawings describing professional design work. Managers and clients also assume that the work you do will be delivered in both printed and electronic format. So, in most professions, producing design work on paper drawings alone is no longer acceptable.

This change in attitude has major implications for many of us. If you are working, or intend to work, in the Architecture, Engineering or Construction industry, you need to be able to produce CAD drawings if required. It goes without saying that you need to learn to do this efficiently, making the CAD software work hard for you, not the other way around.

We offer a sequence of courses leading to CAD competency. This course is part 1 of a series of four courses. It can however be used as a stand alone introduction to CAD.

• QuickStart CAD >> (this course which provides and overview of the principles and operation of AutoCAD and IntelliCAD software)

• Basic CAD 1 >>  (a course focusing on CAD drawing skills)

• Basic CAD 2 >> (a course which emphasizes editing CAD drawings)

• Paper Space & Model Space (a course focusing on the presentation of design work)

If you have broadband access, click here to download a movie showing CAD in action. We look at a number of CAD drawings from different disciplines: landscape, landscape architecture, mechanical engineering, electrical schematics, instrument loop drawings, civil road design drawings and 3D representations of traffic control devices. We use many similar movies to teach you how to create CAD drawings.

Click here to play a movie on a more esoteric aspect of CAD use - we explain how the REDRAW command works.

 Both movies should give you a good appreciation of our methodology and ensure that your equipment works at an acceptable speed for our learning systems.

Here is a quote from a student satisfied with the course ' .. as I go thought the couse, I am really enjoying the material - top marks for layout. Very easy to follow.'

Note that this course teaches you to use AutoCAD and/or IntelliCAD to produce CAD drawings. It does not cover the use of competing software such as GardenCAD MicroStation, TurboCAD. We assume that you have has some exposure to reading technical drawing and can use a computer at a basic level (create and save files). This courses is intended for users of Windows computers, not Apple Macintosh computers.  

Module	Description
Preliminaries	Setting up your CAD workstation. Operating systems and CAD workstations - Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, XP Pro and Vista. Setting screen resolution. The value of using setting up and using dual monitors in your CAD workstation. Selecting the correct pointing device mice and digitizers. Creating the correct environment for CAD by configuring your CAD software. Setting the time interval for automatic backup. Installing CAD software. Protecting the unlock codes for your CAD software. Tuning and maintaining your CAD workstation. Making a suitable folder structure & filing system for CAD drawings. Starting a dialogue with your on-line CAD tutor.
The CAD process	A detailed look at some CAD drawings from different disciplines - architectural, mechanical, instrumentation, survey, civil, landscape, planning etc. Comparing AutoCAD to IntelliCAD. Drafting on paper vs. drafting using CAD software? Some advice on how to learn CAD software. The importance of 'Real World Units'. How to handle scale in CAD drawings. An example of the use of the AutoLISP programming language to speed the drafting process - automating CAD. Some comments on data extraction and creating bills of materials from CAD drawings. The importance of the command area and recognizing that unlike the Microsoft Office suite of applications, AutoCAD and IntelliCAD are command driven programs. The advantages of a 'command driven' CAD program? Setting up AutoCAD and IntelliCAD and adjusting the preferences. Creating an 'intelligent' desktop shortcut to start the program.
CAD Interface	A detailed look at the CAD interface, including the contents of the title bar, the tools on the standard and formatting toolbars, the importance of the command area, the status line - SNAP, ORTHO, tracking coordinate entry etc. Learning to float and dock toolbars. Using the ZOOM command; the value of the central mouse wheel in controlling your view of a design. Introducing the concept of layers in CAD drawings; we look at a survey drawing and an architects plan for a laboratory. The status bar. The importance of the text screen window using the DISTANCE command as an example. Saving CAD files. Different CAD file formats. The importance of understanding the underlying sequence in all IntelliCAD/AutoCAD commands. Creating CAD logos. Placing some text using different methods. An introduction to 3D visualization techniques.
Viewing Drawings	Controlling your view of a CAD drawing. The use of ZOOM, PAN, HIDE, VPOINT, REGEN and REDRAW commands. Capitalization of command options. How to get help when using an unfamiliar command - context sensitive help. Using the LIST command to measure the length of a wall (in feet and inches). Picking commands from toolbar icons - the ZOOM Extents sequence. Getting help in IntelliCAD and AutoCAD. The importance of recognizing the underlying sequence in all AutoCAD/IntelliCAD commands. The value of a proper printed manual. Using the REDRAW command. Moving between Paper Space and Model Space using the TILEMODE command. Switching spaces using tabs. The importance of the UCSICON command. Embedding raster images such as those taken with a digital camera in CAD drawings. Building a list of shortcuts for individual commands.
Precise Geometry	Experimenting with some of the more esoteric drawing commands in AutoCAD and IntelliCAD. Compound lines with the POLYLINE command, the SPLINE command, the RAY command, the ELLIPSE command, the POLYGON command, the POINT command. The ERASE command. Setting up a 400mm GRID. Building a design for a courtyard by snapping to grid points to demonstrated that drawing with precision can be a simple process. The COPY command - using the multiple option. Using some simple editing commands - ERASE, TRIM, EXTEND. Using CAD to create a very simple design - we will take a design for a rose garden as a simple example. The CIRCLE and OFFSET commands. Using the entity snap functions - calling the Endpoint, Centre, PERpendicular, Quadrant options from the command line. The value of setting up and using a template drawing. Using the DISTANCE command. The RECTANGLE command. The ROTATE command. The DTEXT command with a hand lettered font. Creating a title block sheet drawing using Cartesian coordinates. We emphasize the importance of working to a defined drafting standard using AS1100 - Australian Standard 1100 for technical drafting - as an example. Setting LIMITS, using the SNAP and GRID commands. Creating a block library and saving drawings sheets to it.
Using Blocks	An understanding of the importance of blocks in the CAD environment is essential. Here we show creating and inserting a logo and schedule in a drawing. Using block library symbols, inserting blocks into a drawing sheet. Using object/entity snaps.
Layers and Colours	Using the LAYER command. Creating new layers, assigning layer colours and linetypes. Accurate geometry by length, angle, OFFSET, FILLET and TRIM. Placing entities on layers, inserting a north indicator, controlling colour BYLAYER and by colour entity. Blocks, layers and colour.
Manipulating Text	Placing text in CAD drawings. Using various drawing aids to align text. Using the STYLE command to create new text styles. Style naming conventions and the use of fonts. Applying the DTEXT, TEXT and MTEXT commands. Controlling text justification, text height, inserting text in title blocks, single line text, paragraph text, using grid and snap.
Building the model	Creating an accurate model (the design) ready for the subsequent insertion of title block drawing at an appropriate scale. We create an accurate 2D model of a table and a drawing of a rectangular house block with a building and landscaping located on it.
Dimensioning and drawing settings	We apply some simple horizontal and vertical dimensions to an accurately drawn 2D model, explaining the use some of the various dimensioning commands. Some discussion of dimension styles is provided together with the role of the dimension toolbar.
Plotting	The PLOT and PRINT commands are used to get your drawings out to paper. We show how to inserting a drawing sheet and scale it up around your design by a known scale factor. The control of pen weights in the plotted drawings is discussed and a system which mimics using the Rotring system is proposed. We set screen colours and match to pen thickness, adjusting pens and line weights. The value of reviewing plots, plot configuration parameter files and the value of using paper space vs. model space is discussed.
IntelliCAD	Further comparisons between AutoCAD and IntelliCAD.