Click here try out an instructional movie from the course. The file is 2Mb in size, so in order to play the movie effectively, you will need broadband Internet access and a sound card in your computer. Here is the iPod version of the movie.

Click here to play a movie which illustrates the use of the move command. We move a group of trucks in a drawing precisely 1000mm in the X direction. Here is the iPod version of the movie.

Editing 1

A detailed look at the various edit commands found in the AutoCAD/IntelliCAD environment. Where to find the various editing tools on the standard toolbar, the modify toolbar and the drop down modify menu. In this module, CUT, COPY PASTE, UNDO. The importance of changing the general properties of and element versus changing the geometry of an element. The ERASE, MOVE, Selection Sets, UNDO, grips, overlapping entities, REDO, OOPS, EXPLODE, COPY, OFFSET, and PARALLEL commands are covered.

Editing 2

More edit commands:  The SCALE, ROTATE, MIRROR, ARRAY - polar & rectangular, BREAK, JOIN, TRIM, ALIGN, and EXTEND and EDIT LENGTH commands.

Editing 3

More edit commands: The STRETCH, MEASURE, DIVIDE, CHAMFER, FILLET, EDIT POLYLINE, CHANGE, and PROPERTIES commands.

Text Input

Placing single line text in drawings with the TEXT and DTEXT commands. Using DTEXT to annotate several parts of the drawing 'in one go'. Creating a text style with the STYLE command. We deal with style names, font type SHX and True Type fonts, height obliquing angle etc. Problems with text 'bleeding' across other entities. Installing font files. Creating an AS1100 compliant text style. Dealing with fixed and variable text height styles. Editing text with the DDEDIT command. Creating a keyboard shortcut (TE) for the DDEDIT command. Placing multi line text with the MTEXT command. Using external word processors to place blocks of text. Using the shareware word processor NotesPad to manage boiler plate text. Importing text into drawings via blocks.

Object Snapping

Revising and extending the use of object snap (entity snap) tools. Using transient entity snaps - one time snaps. Monitoring the status of esnaps in a drawing session. Modifying flyover markers. Using various entity snap options from toolbars and keyboard - INT, NODE, MID, QUA, CEN, QUICK, NEA, NODE, INT, PER. Combining osnaps. Using the OSNAP command to set running OSNAPS.

Using Blocks

What's a block? Where are blocks stored? The reasons for using blocks in CAD drawings. Blocks in the database. The BLOCK command. Making a ball valve block suitable for P&ID drawings. Horizontal and vertical versions of block. Listing blocks in a drawing. Blocks for landscape use. Using PDSIZE. The IntelliCAD (block) Drawing Explorer. The WBLOCK command from blocks already present, Using WBLOCK if no block definition available. Block and the importance of layer zero. Colour and linetypes in blocks. The block path. Counting blocks with an AutoLISP program. Using object snaps with blocks. Blocks for electrical, civil, mechanical, architecture, landscape. Building intelligent blocks.

External references

Using drawings by others as a backdrop for your work. Types of backdrop information - blocks, DXF files, external references, raster images. Using raster images. Examining and auditing reference drawings before you start to use them - scale, layers, ucs, limits, spaces etc. Using blocks as back drops to drawings. Using the XREF command. Checking sizes of drawings with XREF's.

Dimensioning 1

Simple dimensioning. The DIM command, dimension styles. The dimension toolbar. Placing horizontal and vertical dimensions. Updating dimensions. Creating and modifying dimension styles. Dimension styles in default drawings.

Dimensioning 2 

Using dimensioning in the 'real world'. acceptable and non acceptable layout. Marrying dimensioning to the job.

Printing&Plotting

An overview of plotters and plotting. Pen and pencil plotters, large format inkjet printers. System and non-system plotters. Plotting a test drawing without assigning line weights. Plotting with line weights. Colour and line thickness. Paper space complications. the value of the DEFPOINTS layer. Scaling drawings. Scaling in paper space viewports. Using PCP files. Configuring a plotter. Testing a system plotter. Colours, line weights, paper space, model space plotting.

Printing with IntelliCAD

Overcoming some common problems encountered when printing using IntelliCAD - pen tables, setting line weights, title sheet border etc.

Attributes

Using attributes with blocks. Creating an A1 drawing sheet with 3 attributes for project title, drafter, scale, drawing file name etc. Using DDATTE to edit attribute information.

Dealing with incoming drawings

A check list for dealing with drawings that have been produced by others. What to do with a foreign drawing before you use it.