Basic CAD 2
This course builds on our Electrical CAD 1 course and is part two in a series of courses that teaches how to draft electrical schematics. The focus is on the draw commands in AutoCAD/IntelliCAD environment with the aim to ensure that participants attain CAD competency, and produceing CAD drawings to the Australian Standard for technical drafting (AS1100).
Sample some materials from the course
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.
Click here to play a movie which illustrates the use of handles on symbols.
Cost of courses
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Online learning via broadband
The most popular option is to take this course as an online learning student. Our online broadband learning courses features rapid enrolment, many multi media instructional movies, online forums, multi-choice reviews, questionnaires, submission of assignments, email support etc. This is an enhanced learning experience at an affordable price. Visit www.softwaretutor.designcad.com.au and enrol now. The course cost is $AUD75.00 for >30 hours of high quality training. You can pay by PayPal which accepts direct deposit and credit cards and start immediately or send us an email requesting an enrolment. We will enrol you and post out an invoice. Payment can then be made by direct deposit. Our bank details will be on the invoice. We do offer reduced rates for students from the same organisation.
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One-on-one training (Adelaide or Canberra - in our offices or yours).
We can provide face-to face training. Each course takes one day and costs $AUD550.00. We do require some information about what it is that you or your organisation hopes to achieve by training so that we can prepare appropriate materials in advance of the course.
Each participant in one-on-one full day courses is automatically enrolled at no extra cost in the broadband learning version of the matching course (at either softwaretutor.net or landscapetutor.net). This would normally cost an additional $75.00 per person. In this way, students get a double benefit - personal tuition and the ability to access any of the written instructional materials online, replay any of the demonstration movies, download sample files, log questions, take quizzes and submit assignments for review.
Printing materials
We continue our drive to reduce our carbon emissions by using digital delivery of course materials. If you do need to a paper print of part of the course notes (say to print the steps in an operation), we encourage you to print just the web page you are currently viewing rather than the whole module. This can usually be done through the preview option in the print facility of the browser you are using, and selecting print the current page. Another option is to press the Shift PrntSc key combination which puts a copy of what you are viewing onto the Windows clipboard. Then start your word processor Microsoft Word or WordPad (available in everyone's computer) and paste the clipboard contents into the page and print from Word or WordPad.
We also include a PDF version of your course notes on the CD-ROM and you can print from it if required. We would hope that you do not need to print to paper and can read it online using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
About our courses & methodology
Experience over many years has taught us that adults learn best by progressing through a course of study at their own pace and at times that suit them. Wherever possible, they like to learn by working on their own materials, rather than work through long unrelated practice exercises. Our courses are specifically designed so that this can occur. We introduce a topic, provide a movie showing you how to do the task with your software and then give detailed step-by-step instructions for you to follow.
Locations & times - face to face group training
Credit card payment
We use PayPal, an organization which takes all credit cards using a secure Internet facility. PayPal is a partner within the eBay system. We have chosen PayPal because it is independent of us, allows us to hold money in trust until we have delivered the course. Paypal is now operational in Australia. We will provide a tax invoice on receipt of payment in addition to the PayPal receipt if requested.
When you have finished this course
Please remember to build on your knowledge of Illustrator after you complete this course. We strongly recommend that Illustrator be used quite intensively after these early stages of learning. You will lose a lot if you let new-found skills ‘wither on the vine’. Practice is the key to learning sophisticated software. The key to success is to complete your first real project as soon as possible.
Philosophy
Here is a link to background material on the philosophy behind our course design.
Prerequisites
An understanding of basic computer operation including the ability to create, save and locate files. We would expect that you have used a computer with the Windows or Macintosh operating system for some time and perhaps developed reasonable facility with a word processor such as Microsoft Word. An understanding of the CAD process using either AutoCAD or IntelliCAD. We prefer that you have completed our Drafting Electrical Schematics - Part 1 course prior to commencing this course.
Before enrolling you need:
- To have played one of the movies above. this will reassure us that our learning system will work on your computer. (Even if you enrol for group or one-on-one training, you still get access to online materials).
- You need a copy of CAD software - IntelliCAD, AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT loaded onto your computer.
- Check out our white paper on CAD training.
The syllabus:
Module |
Description |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Dimensioning 2 |
Using dimensioning in the 'real world'. acceptable and non acceptable layout. Marrying dimensioning to the job. |
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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. |
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Printing with IntelliCAD |
Overcoming some common problems encountered when printing using IntelliCAD - pen tables, setting line weights, title sheet border etc. |
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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. |
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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. |
Course duration:
When taken in-house, Basic CAD 2 normally runs over a full day session. When taken externally, experience has shown us that students take significantly longer to complete the course, primarily because they are able to break up their learning into small 'chunks' as time permits. AutoCAD and IntelliCAD are large programs - please allow plenty of time to work through our materials. We would estimate that you have 40-50 hours of work in front of you!