Want to learn Autocad

I've always wanted to know how to use Autocad and finaly have a copy and computer worthy of the install. Now I would like to find a tutorial to learn the basics. I see several on E-bay for not to much coin and was wondering what you folks out here would recomend. I don't have need of any 3-D graphics or anything overly complicated. At home I like to build furniture and play with the mill, at work I will upgrade electrical drawings and make simple prints to pass on to the local machine shop for parts. Thanks!

Luke

I've used Shawna Lockhart's "A Tutorial Guide to Antocad ###" By Addison-Wesley. I don't know that it's the best, but it's at least ok. Since I also sat in out a course taught by her at our university, I was exposed to her book for R-12, but I've kept updated with both AutoCAD and her tutorial.

If there is a community college or vo-tech that offers AutoCAD training, I would sign up. It 's much easier to acquire in a setting with someone providing some direction and feedback. In my estimation, there is nothing intuitive about AutoCAD.

Luke
I have been using AutoCad for about 8 years. I never had any luck with the autocad books. I did manage to find a designer that worked with me and he taught me what I needed not all the extra BS.

I would agree with Troll that maybe a community college might be a good choice. But you need a teacher that understands the kind of drawing that you will be doing.

I'm totally self taught in ACAD (starting with R12, now use 2005) and Inventor. Thus I would most emphatically agree with either a college course or work out a deal with someone proficient.

Rob

I'm also self taught. I've been using Autocad since 1986. There are basics that are so simple that to do most of the major stuff, it's intuitive.

Here's my suggestion- Hit F1 and just start reading the index of the manual.

At first, all you'll need is to learn how to draw a line, and how to use the osnap command to draw a line starting from one endpoint of a line to another, so you can make a square or some other figure with lines that actually meet. Dimensioning is just a click on the menu. Although to fully understand all of the variables of just the dimension commands can take a bit of a long time.

And another thing, after being fluent in the program, I've lost it all after not using it for a few years. I say just learn what you need, and slowly cultivate more as you need it.

And I collected a shelf of Autocad books, and would never suggest buying any of them. A big waste of money.

It's a complex program, but unless one is using the full array of it's power, it's simple.

In 1988 an employer paid for me to sit thru a six week nights course on R9. Exceptionally competent instructor was bored and in a hurry by the time evening rolled around. I learned way more in after years by doing it myself. IMHO, it is the worst possible platform for any sort of 3D. OTOH, the solid modeling ones I have tried (Solidworks and Inventor), also IMHO, suck in 2D compared to Autocad.

As far as learning, I'd say if you can get some basics under your belt, then go home and just do it, finding out what you want along the way, would be the way to go.

John

John -
I totally agree. I am just finishing up a first course in A***cad at the local Jr College. `
I think the course was very helpful in getting started, especially the general 'lay of the land' within Acad, what to use right away, what to ignore, and all those myriad settings for polar / snaps , etc.
This course was a big help, I think some self learning on this over the summer will be even more so - as you mention, with a particular focus on the type of things I would like to know how to do in Acad.
Jess

Thanks for the replies. I would take the evening class, but my work schedual woud not allow for it. I agree that it is not very intuitive and thus the need for some sort of instruction. Has anyone had any luck (good or bad) with these CD tutors? Or Idiot guides?
Luke

Luke;
I took a two day introductory course back in the days of release 9. I bumbled around and finally took a course at the local community college. The course is the way to go. As for the books, the only one that had the answers I was looking for was by Omura. The others were mostly a waste of time and money. There is no substitute for experimenting with the features once you know the basics, you'll remember what you need and forget the stuff with little or no application to your needs, so if you think something falls into the "handy to know, but rarely used" category, write it down somewheres. Good Luck, and have fun!-JM

Luke

Did not say which version you've got, but I've started with ACAD10-386. Older than Noah's ARk, but pretty capable for 2D stuff. Backthen I've found that Inside Autocad was a very good help, as it went through starting with drawing a line to making and editing a complete widget.
The most important thing is to know what commands are available. After that, the best thing to do would be to come up with a major 2D project, somewhat comparable to a Space Shuttle complexity, and then try to figure out the ins and outs of each individual option for the commands.
Not really sure why, but there are lots of people who absolutely hate Autocad, but IMHO for 2D stuff you won't find anything faster or more comprehensive.
There are many little things that make your life easy, but short of spending time in a school or with an efficient draftsman, you just have to figure out on your own. You would have to collect an incredible amount of books to get all the little things it does, how it does it, why it does it. I think many people don't really spend the time to get really efficient with it, so perhaps that's the reason for the hatred.
Again, sit down and draw, edit draw edit ..... When you get a WTF moment, try to find it in the online help or in a book and keep at it.
For 3D stuff though, fogget about it.

To emphasize a couple of points:

When you figure out some little trick, setting, or oddball thing, WRITE IT DOWN. I have file folders both at home and work that sit next to the computer for those little things you discover after 3 hours of searching. By the time you need it again, you've forgotten it. And the three hours starts all over. It only took me a few years to figure out the folder trick.

Online help; AD's discussion forums can be good, sometimes googling something can get results. I usually check in help first, and if the answer isn't there, go online. You'll find things like commands that ARE NOT mentioned in the program help files, period. Lots of fun.

I'm not sure how I went about learning ACAD; it's been so long. I do remember having a book that wanted to teach me how to draw stuff an interior decorator might find handy, and was frustrated tring to find what I wanted. I find I can adapt to other 2D programs fairly easily.

The huge advantage of ACAD is your ability to customize it. From tool bars and buttons, through LISP and VBA, you can do a lot to suit it to you.

All in all, I consider myself a fair hand at ACAD. So it was a right kick in the nuts when I started trying to run Inventor. These parametric programs are just a whole 'nother thing. I did use the tutorials there to get a feel for the basics, and then began the beat-head against-wall routine. Still doing it. Trying to draw organic carved parts seems a bit of a stretch for it so far. I do use it more and more in conjunction with ACAD, feeding stuff back and forth to take advantages which program will help the current problem best.

It is quite possible to learn it yourself; my previous comments were from the point of "I've got drawings to get out, what's the fastest way there". If you're willing to put in the time, you can do it on your own. It still is a great help to have someone who knows show you some things. Wish I knew someone who was good at Inventor to come hold my hand.

Good luck,

Rob

feeding stuff back and forth to take advantage

Click to expand...

Absolutely! All the "sketches" for creating this solid model were done in Auotcad - far, far easier for me than trying to sketch in the solid program .

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v337/johnoder/Solid%20Stuff/

John

There IS an autocad for dummies book, I used it to get started with acad14, in 2d there isnt much I needed to get done that I couldnt find a solution for with the help of the book.

A good bookstore in a college town will have it, or order it online

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764589253/sr=8-1/qid=1146576503/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-0609322-4553741?%5Fencoding=UTF8

All the "sketches" for creating this solid model were done in Auotcad - far, far easier for me than trying to sketch in the solid program

Click to expand...

You mean in much the same way that dialing a phone is easier than pushing touch pads? Or the way typing on a keyboard is much more difficult than a ribbon typewriter?

Honestly - there's something seriously wrong with someone being able to design a part like that easier in a program like AutoCad. For all the fluff that CAD companies put out, there is still a basic truth to the whole mess - and that is, designing a complex part in 3D, and automatically generatring views, IS MUCH easier and less complex in the long run.

For the amount of time that you invested in that part, I'll show you a dozen guys that can do it in a fraction of the time. (not being a wise-ass - please don't take it that way)

You must have missed the only important part!

"for me"

I have no problem at all that you find something seriously wrong with that.

John

I didn't mean any disrespect by that...

In all seriousness - it takes a bit of time invested to learn initially, but the gains are quantum when you jump to a true 3D CAD system. I understand that you said you did just the sketches in AutoCad - but that just struck me as funny. I find positioning sketches, and verifying scales to be quite the pain in the arse!

What other programs have you dealt with, John? Autodesk is, IMO, the absolute standard for ease of use with its products. (for me, all others are judged by how easy they are to use, compared with AutoCad) Have you tried Inventor, or SolidWorks?

Both those. As you can see, one of that sort was used to make the solid model. Since this is strictly retirement fun, I'll do it this way. Far too much to do and enjoy to become "commercially proficient" in anything as mundane as such a tool.

I have used Autocad for 17 years, so it is natural to use what is known. Positioning and scale are never a problem - they are always full scale, and the centroid of the sketch is always 0,0

John

IF you have no experience in CAD drafting, forget 2D systems and start out with a solid modeling package...This is the future..2D Acad is a joke compared to SW or Pro-E... you can get a student version of SW for fairly reasonable cost.

CDi . . . I agree with your point about 3D.

To be fair, the proper comparison is Inventor vs. SW or Pro-E. Autodesk's 3D product, Inventor, has caught up to competititors like SW and SE in most respects and surpassed them in some (modern software architecture, ease of use, free data management, etc.). Pro-E, which was once the leading edge, and still a very fully featured (and priced) product has stopped the defections from its customer base, but doesn't seem to be winning many new customers compared to Inventor and SolidWorks. Just my opinion, FWIW.

You are right Pete! Pro/E is a dinsoaur that has all but priced itself out of the market. For as long as they've been around, they should have a better product at a lower price.