AutoCAD: Secrets Every User Should Know
Dan Abbott
Study Guide Syllabus
Course Description
Although this book was written for AutoCAD users, it’s based on papers originally written for two purposes: as a textbook for an Advanced AutoCAD class at Southern Maine Community College, and to present workshops at Autodesk University. The book is based on all releases through AutoCAD 2007, but the material included is usable with any release. This syllabus is intended to describe the manner in which the book is used as the basis for an advanced AutoCAD class.
Because this is an advanced course, it’s based on a series of projects, with fewer tests and quizzes than might be typical in entry-level classes. By the time students take this class, they should have a solid grounding in the use of AutoCAD, through either comprehensive study or significant experience. Students should supplement this material with the AutoCAD Help system, the Autodesk.com website, other web-based resources, and a comprehensive AutoCAD reference.
When I teach this course, I require students to choose a field of design that they are interested in and apply the concepts presented by producing a group of projects within the field they’ve selected. Generally, my students select either architectural, mechanical, or civil design as their field. I emphasize the need to produce work that meet the standards of our department, which are contained in a standards manual to which all students have access. In particular, I stress the following:
Accuracy
AutoCAD has a commercial price of about $3,000 per workstation. Adding the cost of hardware, it costs between $4,000 and $12,000 for an employer to place this tool in a designer’s hands. What that kind of money buys is an extremely accurate graphical database that has the potential to be used for far more than a plotted drawing, if the drawing is done accurately. I expect perfect accuracy in the use of this system, because it’s possible and faster than drawing by eye. If a drawing file is accurate, users can rely on dimensions to be correct, can extract accurate information about distances and areas from the drawing, and can use the drawing in computer-numerically controlled operations. No matter what some uses in the field think is good enough for a particular drawing, they never know how someone else may want to use it in the future.
Graphics standards
AutoCAD doesn’t automatically conform to graphics standards. Users must make it conform. ASME (ANSI), ISO, and general practices in architectural and other fields all require that users master the variables in AutoCAD to produce results that are acceptable in different fields of design. As instructors, I believe we should be very picky about student work meeting graphics standards. That means never using the TXT.shx or MONOTXT.shx font in creating a text style, creating several dimension styles, placing all dimensions correctly, making sure dimensions are uniform and conform to standards, and using proper title blocks and borders on drawings. In short, students should be responsible for making AutoCAD meet standards, no matter what AutoCAD does out of the box.
Layers
I require students to develop a system for organizing their drawings using as many layers as necessary for the task. Color and linetype must always be controlled by layer.
Dimension styles
I expect all dimensions to be associative and to belong to a dimstyle with a name other than Standard. If a dimension has the wrong value because the drawing is wrong, I expect students to fix it. The Express Tool DIMREASSOC can be used for that purpose.
Computer knowledge
To work effectively with AutoCAD, users must understand the basic processes of a computer. They need to know how to control the location and how to find files again. The element that is most likely to confuse students is the need to understand how a program like AutoCAD knows where to look for the files it needs to run—in other words, the path that it follows to find information it needs.
This syllabus assumes 30 lessons in a 15-week format, although I normally teach the class in one session per week. Each session is assumed to be 90 minutes, partly lecture and partly lab; however, you may choose to shift labs entirely to the second session of each week.
Course Schedule: Presentations and Reading Assignments
Session 1: Introductions and course overview
This course can form the basis for becoming much more efficient at using AutoCAD. It’s designed to introduce students to variety of means by which they can take control of the software.
I would emphasize that many students find this to be a demanding course. When students don’t do well, the primary reasons are not budgeting enough outside time, not using the Help system and other references to help them understand the concepts, and not doing the assignments immediately after the material is presented.
Chapter 1, “AutoCAD Productivity”
Review the “Design Standards” section from Chapter 1. Emphasize that all student work must adhere to these standards.
Session 2
Chapter 1, “AutoCAD Productivity”
Review the “AutoCAD Best Practices” section.
Pass out copies of drawings that will be used to develop strategies for increasing speed and accuracy and to make sure students know how to extract information from drawings. Tell them that the first exercise will be a timed drawing test that won’t be graded.
Give students 15–20 minutes to complete one drawing and answer the questions.
Stop them, and give them another drawing with the same time constraints.
Session 3
Chapter 1, “AutoCAD Productivity”
Review “Feature Review (All Releases).”
Review strategies for drawing: repeatable patterns, included angles, tangencies.
Demonstrate drawing strategies, and have students take the drawings home to practice.
Session 4
Chapter 1, “AutoCAD Productivity”
Review the strategies presented in the last session.
Give students 2–4 drawings to complete as a speed test. This one is graded.
Session 5
Chapter 2, “Managing Your System”
Review “Managing Files” and “Managing AutoCAD.”
Emphasize the importance of understanding the computer. Point out the value of knowing how to manage the operating system, including how to create and use batch files.
Session 6
Chapter 2, “Managing Your System”
Review “Directories” and “Why DOS Isn’t Dead Yet.”
Session 7
Chapter 2, “Managing Your System”
Review “External Commands.”
Session 8
Chapter 3, “Customizing AutoCAD’s Interface”
Review “Tool Palettes.”
Session 9
Chapter 3, “Customizing AutoCAD’s Interface”
Review “Menus” and “Accelerator Keys.”
Session 10
Chapter 3, “Customizing AutoCAD’s Interface”
Review “Custom Linetypes.”
Session 11
Chapter 4, “Applying Graphics Standards”
Review “Dimensions,” “Dimensioning Rules,” and “Text Styles.”
Session 12
Chapter 4, “Applying Graphics Standards”
Review “Linetypes and Weights,” “View Placement,” and “Applying Standards.”
Session 13
Chapter 5, “Symbols, Tables, and Fields”
Review “Blocks” and “Editing Blocks.”
Session 14
Chapter 5, “Symbols, Tables, and Fields”
Review “Managing Symbol Libraries” and “Adding and Extracting Attributes.”
Session 15
Chapter 5, “Symbols, Tables, and Fields”
Review “External References” and “Tables and Fields.”
Session 16
Mid-term exam
Session 17
Chapter 6, “Plotting”
Review “Model Space, Paper Space, and Layouts” and “What to Put Where.”
Session 18
Chapter 6, “Plotting”
Review “Plotting a Layout” and “AutoCAD Graphics in Other Applications.”
Session 19
Chapter 7, “AutoCAD Scripts”
Review “Characteristics of Scripts” and Writing and Running Scripts.”
Session 20
Chapter 7, “AutoCAD Scripts”
Review “Updating Thousands of Drawings.”
Session 21
Chapter 8, “AutoLISP by Example: Getting Started”
Review “Background” and “Writing AutoLISP Programs.”
Session 22
Chapter 8, “AutoLISP by Example: Getting Started”
Review “AutoLISP Examples” and “Automatic Loading.”
Session 23
Chapter 9, “AutoLISP by Example: Getting Better”
Review “Debugging Techniques,” “Error Handling,” and “Annotation.”
Session 24
Chapter 9, “AutoLISP by Example: Getting Better”
Review “Selection Sets,” “IF Function,” and “While Function.”
Session 25
Chapter 9, “AutoLISP by Example: Getting Better”
Review “COND, INITGET, and GETKWORD Functions.”
Session 26
Depending on the experience of the students in the class, you may choose to replace these two 3D units with additional AutoLISP, open lab time, or more extensive coverage of Chapter 11.
Chapter 10, “3D for Everyone”
Review “A Brief Overview,” “Managing Coordinate Systems,” “Managing Views and Viewports,” and “Creating a Model.”
Session 27
Chapter 10, “3D for Everyone”
Review “Using Existing 2D Geometry.”
Session 28
Chapter 11, “AutoCAD Puzzlers”
Review puzzlers 1 through 18.
Session 29
Chapter 11, “AutoCAD Puzzlers”
Review puzzlers 19 through 35.
Session 30
Course review/final exam
You may choose to use selections from the “AutoCAD Puzzlers” chapter as a final exam.