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AutoCAD for Beginners

Learn how to use AutoCAD for creating 2D and 3D professional schematic designs.

(AutoCAD.AE1) / ISBN : 978-1-64459-515-2
Lessons
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About This Course

AutoCAD for Beginners is a professional design course that covers the fundamentals of this popular design software. You’ll learn how to create extensive yet detailed 2D and 3D design models using this versatile tool. This course will enable you to visualize and create complex technical projects for a variety of purposes including Architectural, Engineering, Industrial Design, drafting, and animation. This beginner-friendly AutoCAD course covers interface, tools, and techniques, for creating both 2D and 3D professional drawings. Learn how to customize AutoCAD and optimize your workspace by creating personalized tool palettes.

Skills You’ll Get

  • AutoCAD interface and navigation: layouts, menus, toolbars & commands
  • Expertise in using design tools for lines, arcs, circles, polylines, splines, and ellipses, and so on
  • Use editing commands like move, copy, rotate, scale, trim, extend, and offset to modify drawings
  • Add dimensions, text and other annotations to the drawings
  • Using layers to organize drawings and blocks for reusable components
  • Create simple 3D objects
  • Using tool palettes and templates to customize your workspace 
  • Understanding of design principles and CAD terminology, concepts, and workflows
Download Course Outline

1

Introduction

  • About This Course
  • False Assumptions
  • Conventions Used in This Course
  • Icons Used in This Course
  • Where to Go from Here
2

Introducing AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT

  • Launching AutoCAD
  • Drawing in AutoCAD
  • Understanding Pixels and Vectors
  • The Cartesian Coordinate System
3

The Grand Tour of AutoCAD

  • Looking at AutoCAD’s Drawing Screen
  • Getting with the Program
  • Fun with F1
4

A Lap around the CAD Track

  • A Simple Setup
  • Drawing a (Base) Plate
  • Taking a Closer Look with Zoom and Pan
  • Modifying to Make It Merrier
  • Following the Plot
5

Setup for Success

  • A Setup Roadmap
  • A Template for Success
  • Making the Most of Model Space
  • Making Templates Your Own
6

A Zoom with a View

  • Panning and Zooming with Glass and Hand
  • Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
  • A View by Any Other Name
  • Degenerating and Regenerating
7

Along the Straight and Narrow

  • Drawing for Success
  • Introducing the Straight-Line Drawing Commands
  • Drawing Lines and Polylines
  • Squaring Off with Rectangles
  • Choosing Sides with POLygon
8

Dangerous Curves Ahead

  • Throwing Curves
  • Going Full Circle
  • Arc-y-ology
  • Solar Ellipses
  • Splines: Sketchy, Sinuous Curves
  • Donuts: Circles with a Difference
  • Revision Clouds on the Horizon
  • Scoring Points
9

Preciseliness Is Next to CADliness

  • Controlling Precision
  • Understanding the AutoCAD Coordinate Systems
  • Grabbing an Object and Making It Snappy
  • Other Practical Precision Procedures
10

Manage Your Properties

  • Using Properties with Objects
  • Working with Layers
  • Using Named Objects
  • Using AutoCAD DesignCenter
11

Grabbing Onto Object Selection

  • Commanding and Selecting
  • Selecting Objects
  • Perfecting Selecting
  • AutoCAD Groupies
  • Object Selection: Now You See It …
12

Edit for Credit

  • Assembling Your AutoCAD Toolkit
  • The Big Three: Move, COpy, and Stretch
  • More Manipulations
  • Slicing, Dicing, and Splicing
  • Getting a Grip
  • When Editing Goes Bad
  • Dare to Compare
13

Planning for Paper

  • Setting Up a Layout in Paper Space
  • Any Old Viewport in a Layout
  • Practice Makes Perfect
  • Clever Paper Space Tricks
14

Text with Character

  • Getting Ready to Write
  • Creating Simply Stylish Text
  • Taking Your Text to New Heights
  • Entering Text
  • Using the Same Old Line
  • Saying More in Multiline Text
  • Turning On Annotative Objects
  • Gather Round the Tables
  • Take Me to Your Leader
15

Entering New Dimensions

  • Adding Dimensions to a Drawing
  • Dimensioning the Legacy Way
  • A Field Guide to Dimensions
  • The Latest Styles in Dimensioning
  • Scaling Dimensions for Output
  • Editing Dimensions
  • And the Correct Layer Is …
16

Down the Hatch!

  • Creating Hatches
  • Hatching Its Own Layer
  • Using the Hatches Tab
  • Scaling Hatches
  • Pushing the Boundaries of Hatch
  • Editing Hatch Objects
17

The Plot Thickens

  • You Say “Printing,” I Say “Plotting”
  • The Plot Quickens
  • Plotting the Layout of the Land
  • Plotting Lineweights and Colors
  • It’s a (Page) Setup!
  • Continuing the Plot Dialog
  • The Plot Sickens
18

The ABCs of Blocks

  • Rocking with Blocks
  • Creating Block Definitions
  • Inserting Blocks
  • Attributes: Fill-in-the-Blank Blocks
  • Exploding Blocks
  • Purging Unused Block Definitions
19

Everything from Arrays to Xrefs

  • Arraying Associatively
  • Going External
  • Blocks, Xrefs, and Drawing Organization
  • Mastering the Raster
  • You Say PDF; I Say DWF
  • Theme and Variations: Dynamic Blocks
20

Call the Parametrics!

  • Maintaining Design Intent
  • Understanding Geometric Constraints
  • Understanding Dimensional Constraints
  • Lunchtime!
21

Drawing on the Internet

  • The Internet and AutoCAD: An Overview
  • The Drawing Protection Racket
  • Outgoing!
  • AutoCAD Web and Mobile
22

It’s a 3D World After All

  • The 3.5 Kinds of 3D Digital Models
  • Tools of the 3D Trade
  • Modeling from Above
  • Changing Work Planes
  • Visualizing 3D Objects
  • On a Render Bender
23

From Drawings to Models

  • Is 3D for Me?
  • Getting Your 3D Bearings
  • From Drawing to Modeling in 3D
  • Adding the Third Dimension to 2D Objects
  • Modifying 3D Objects
24

It’s Showtime!

  • Get the 2D Out of Here!
  • Visualizing the Digital World
  • Adding Lights
  • Creating and Applying Materials
  • Defining a Background
  • Rendering a 3D Model
25

AutoCAD Plays Well with Others

  • Get Out of Here!
  • Open Up and Let Me In!
  • Translation, Please!
  • The Importance of Being DWG
26

Ten AutoCAD Resources

  • Autodesk Discussion Groups
  • Autodesk’s Own Blogs
  • Autodesk University
  • Autodesk Channel on YouTube
  • World Wide (CAD) Web
  • Your Local Authorized Training Center
  • Your Local User Group
  • Autodesk User Groups International
  • Books
  • Autodesk Feedback Community
27

Ten System Variables to Make Your AutoCAD Life Easier

  • APERTURE
  • DIMASSOC
  • MENUBAR
  • MIRRTEXT
  • OSNAPZ
  • PICKBOX
  • REMEMBERFOLDERS
  • ROLLOVERTIPS and TOOLTIPS
  • TASKBAR
  • VISRETAIN
  • And the Bonus Round
28

Ten AutoCAD Secrets

  • Sheet Sets
  • Custom Tool Palettes
  • Ribbon Customization
  • Toolsets
  • Programming Languages
  • Vertical Versions
  • Language Packs
  • Multiple Projects or Clients
  • Data Extraction and Linking
  • Untying the Ribbon and Drawings

Any questions?
Check out the FAQs

Still have unanswered questions and need to get in touch?

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AutoCAD is a popular design tool used for creating professional schematic designs for various purposes including architectural & engineering drawing, industrial designs, drafting, mapping and animation. It is especially for visualizing and designing complex technical design projects.

This design course can be pursued likewise by professionals or students of design, architecture, or engineering wanting to enhance their AutoCAD design skills. Or those who want to design technical drawings, blueprints, or 3D models as a hobby.

AutoCAD is a popular design tool used extensively for professional projects. However, it’s a bit hard to learn and it is very expensive. Other CAD options include SolidWorks, StetchUp, Fusion 360, Rhino 3D, and FreeCAD. Which software to choose, would depend on your needs and budget.

Yes, you’ll be learning both 2D and 3D designs.

Good AutoCAD Skills are valued in many industries and it can help you build a successful career in design, engineering and construction. Potential job opportunities include architectural drafter, mechanical drafter, electrical drafter, CAD designer, product designer, interior designer, landscape architect, and so on.

Build A Bright Future With AutoCad

  Enhance your design skills and career with AutoCAD.

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