Mastering AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011: Autodesk Official Training Guide

Description
Mastering AutoCAD teaches AutoCAD essentials using concise explanations, focused examples, stepby-step instructions, and hands-on projects for both AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT. This detailed, real-world resource works as both a tutorial and stand-alone reference. It also includes information to help readers prepare for the Autodesk Certified Associate and Certified Professional exams and features both Imperial and metric measurements. Part I introduces AutoCADs interface and drafting tools; Part II moves into such intermediate skills as effectively using hatches, fields, and tables; Part III details such advanced skills as attributes, dynamic blocks, drawing curves and solid fills; Part IV explores 3D modeling and imaging; and Part V discusses customization and integration. The books supporting DVD includes all the project files necessary for books tutorials, a searchable PDF of the entire book, video tutorials, a trial version of AutoCAD 2011, and additional tools and utilities. Its the perfect book for those who prefer a reference/tutorial approach, and it offers enough depth of content that new users will be able to use the book to further develop and enhance their skills after the initial training classes conclude. Pages 1248, 7-3/8 x 9-1/4, perfect bound, English; includes DVD with trial version of AutoCAD, tutorial files, searchable PDF of the book, a symbols library, and other utilities Yes No


Trial DVD Onscreen Exercises Prerequisites

Architectural design, drafting, or engineering experience is recommended. No previous CAD experience is necessary. A working knowledge of Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows XP, or Microsoft Windows 2000.

Class Information
Suggested Duration Objective
1 day or 3 days

To provide new AutoCAD users an understanding of the softwares core functionality and features so that they can create, edit, and organize their first drawing. Users will have a solid grounding in the software so that they can immediately be productive using AutoCAD. New AutoCAD 2011 users or other Autodesk software users who want to learn the core features and functionality of AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT. Mastering AutoCAD can also be used to teach intermediate and advanced users. If youre interested in teaching a more advanced class or a class on a niche subject, please contact atcfeedback@wiley.com for suggestions on how Mastering AutoCAD can be employed. Please also use that email address to share your thoughts about the book and supporting materials.

Who Should Attend

Note

Single and Three Day Course Description

These courses are designed to present a basic overview of AutoCAD for those unfamiliar with the software. This syllabus provides a structure to help the student become familiar enough with AutoCAD to perform basic drafting tasks. Some complex or advanced concepts, like attributes, polylines, and 3D, are meant to be covered separately in other advanced class at a more complete level of detail. Intermediate and advanced topics are not covered in an effort to provide a compact and concise set of instruction that can be given in a short period of time. The single day class is designed to give users a general overview of the AutoCAD, present the concepts behind the drafting process, and provide a focused, dedicated time to immerse the student in the program. The single day class can provide a foundation for project managers or other team members that need a general understanding of AutoCAD concepts but who will not be using AutoCAD on a daily basis. The three day class starts with the one day program but continues with further instruction that provides production level staff with the experience needed to create CAD documents. Both the single day and three day class formats are set up with six, seventy minute sessions per day. Each session is devoted partly to lecture and partly to lab exercises. You may choose to shift the times allocated to the different parts of the session to better suit your style of teaching. If so, you should adjust the section break points appropriately. Consider offering a short break between the seventy minute sessions or at least one break in the morning and one in the afternoon. Finally, you can use parts of the Full Course Syllabus to design single day and 3 day sessions for intermediate level instruction. The Full Course Syllabus may also be used for a 15 week (30 session) course. Since these one and three day courses are so short and the software so complex, you as the instructor are limited in what you can provide to the students. You may want to encourage the students to review course related chapters in Mastering AutoCAD to reinforce topics covered in the classroom. Learning AutoCAD requires hands-on experience. Most chapters of Mastering AutoCAD provide step-by-step instructions for accomplishing general tasks. Whenever possible, you should encourage your students to experiment with their AutoCAD installations, whether in the classroom or on their own systems.

General Class Format

Learning about AutoCAD requires hands-on experience, and the hands-on experience works best soon after formal presentation of the material. This means that you should try to intersperse lectures and labs. A typical class session will be 70 minutes long, broken down roughly as follows: 10 minutesReview of previous sessions material 20 minutesLecture 40 minutesLab In addition, you may want to offer a brief Q and A session after the lab as time permits. Most chapters of the book consume two sessions. Of course, you may have your own preferred structure, and some days will require changes.

One-Day Course Syllabus

Session 1 (70 min)

Introductions and course overview. Be sure to take some time to get to know your students. Pay particular attention to their relative skill levelsask them to introduce themselves and also ask why they may be interested in AutoCAD. You might also ask about the field of work the student is involved in. This knowledge will help you adjust the level of your lecture material for your class. Chapter 1, Exploring the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface. Taking a Guided Tour and Working with AutoCAD. This is a basic introduction to AutoCAD showing the student the layout of AutoCADs window and the various parts. The goal is to help the student become familiar with AutoCAD and to identify the parts of the window for future reference.

Session 2 (70 min)

Chapter 2, Creating Your First Drawing. Text sections: Getting to Know the Home Tabs Draw and Modify Panel through Interpreting the Cursor Modes and Understanding Prompts. This session introduces the student to the methods for entering commands to start drawing or editing. This is a basic introduction to the fundamental methods of working with AutoCAD, from using commands to using entering data. The goal here is to develop a foundation of understanding in how AutoCAD behaves.

Session 3 (70 min)

Chapter 2, Creating Your First Drawing (continued). Text sections: Editing with Grips. AutoCAD offers many different ways to accomplish the same task. Users who are comfortable with the standard Windows method for editing objects will find grip editing an intuitive way to get up to speed with AutoCAD. This session focuses on grip editing and its methods.

Lunch Break Session 4 (70 min)

Chapter 2, Creating Your First Drawing (continued). Text sections: Using Dynamic Input through Displaying Properties of an Object. This session continues the grip editing theme of the previous session then transitions into the Dynamic Input feature which works with grip editing. In additon, the student is introduced to the help resources of AutoCAD.

Session 5 (70 min)

Chapter 3, Setting Up and Using AutoCADs Drafting Tools. Text sections: Setting Up a Work Area.

This session helps the student understand the drawing area and how to select drawing units such as Imperial feet and inches or metric units. Students explore ways to set up the size of the drawing area and are introduced to concepts of drawing scale.

Session 6 (70 min)

Chapter 3, Setting Up and Using AutoCADs Drafting Tools (Continued). Text sections: Using the AutoCAD Modes as Drafting Tools through Exploring the Drawing Process. Unlike other graphic programs, AutoCAD allows you to draw with pinpoint accuracy. This session shows the student how to place objects accurately and how to get a close up view so drawing can take place at any number of veiw scales. Students are also introduced to the concept of laying out a drawing using drawn objects. This is similar to the way we might draw by hand using light lines to help guide our drawing. A feature called Object Snap Tracking is also introduced which helps align drawing components.

Three-Day Course Syllabus Day 1

Session 1 (70 min)
Introductions and course overview. Be sure to take some time to get to know your students. Pay particular attention to their relative skill levelsask them to introduce themselves and also ask why they may be interested in AutoCAD. You might also ask about the field of work the student is involved in. This knowledge will help you plan the level of your lecture material for your class. Chapter 1, Exploring the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface. Taking a Guided Tour and Working with AutoCAD. This is a basic introduction to AutoCAD showing the student the layout of AutoCADs window and the various parts. The goal is to help the student become familiar with AutoCAD and to identify the parts of the window for future reference.

Session 2 (70 min)

Chapter 2, Creating Your First Drawing. Text sections: Getting to Know the Home Tabs Draw and Modify Panel through Interpreting the Cursor Modes and Understanding Prompts. This session introduces the student to the methods for entering commands to start drawing or editing. This is a basic introduction to the fundamental methods of working with AutoCAD, from using commands to using entering data. The goal here is to develop a foundation of understanding in how AutoCAD behaves.

Session 3 (70 min)

Chapter 2, Creating Your First Drawing (continued). Text sections: Editing with Grips.

AutoCAD offers many different ways to accomplish the same task. Users who are comfortable with the standard Windows method for editing objects will find grip editing an intuitive way to get up to speed with AutoCAD. This session focuses on grip editing and its methods.

Lunch Break Session 4 (70 min)

Chapter 2, Creating Your First Drawing (continued). Text sections: Using Dynamic Input through Displaying Properties of an Object. This session continues the grip editing theme of the previous session then transitions into the Dynamic Input feature which works with grip editing. In additon, the student is introduced to the help resources of AutoCAD.

Session 5 (70 min)

Chapter 3, Setting Up and Using AutoCADs Drafting Tools. Text sections: Setting Up a Work Area. This session helps the student understand the drawing area and how to select drawing units such as Imperial feet and inches or metric units. Students explore ways to set up the size of the drawing area and are introduced to concepts of drawing scale.

Session 6 (70 min)

Chapter 3, Setting Up and Using AutoCADs Drafting Tools (Continued). Text sections: Using the AutoCAD Modes as Drafting Tools through Exploring the Drawing Process. Unlike other graphic programs, AutoCAD allows you to draw with pinpoint accuracy. This session shows the student how to place objects accurately and how to get a close up view so drawing can take place at any number of veiw scales.

Day 2

Session 7 (70 min)

Chapter 3, Setting Up and Using AutoCADs Drafting Tools (Continued). Text sections: Planning and Layoug Out a Drawing. In this session, students are introduced to the concept of laying out a drawing using drawn objects. This is similar to the way we might draw by hand using light lines to help guide our drawing. A feature called Object Snap Tracking is also introduced which helps align drawing components.

Session 8 (70 min)

Chapter 4, Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups. Text sections: Creating a Symbol through Inserting a Symbol.

Technical drawings can contain an overwhelming number of objects so users need ways to keep drawings organized. Blocks are a major tool in organizing drawing data. With blocks, you can create symbols that you use frequently and insert them into a drawing whenever you need them. This session shows the student how to create and use blocks in an efficent way. The goal is to help the student get comfortable with one of AutoCADs most frequently used tools.

Session 9 (70 min)

Chapter 4, Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups (continued). Text sections: Modifying a Block through Grouping Objects. The student continues to explore object grouping in this session by learning how to edit blocks. They are also introduced to Groups which is another tool in organizing objects.

Lunch Break Session 10 (70 min)

Chapter 5, Keeping Track of Layers, Blocks, and Files Text sections: Organizing Information with Layers. Another way to organize drawing information is through layers. Objects that share a common purpose can be placed on a layer to keep them separated from other objects. Layers can be hidden from view when not needed so they can server as a type of overlay. For example, in a floor plan, one layer may contain the foundation drawing while another the wall layout. The goal of this session is to introduce the user to Layers and how they might be used.

Session 11 (70 min)

Chapter 5, Keeping Track of Layers, Blocks, and Files (continued). Text sections: Organizing Information with Layers throught keeping Track of Blocks and Layers. This session continues where the last session leaves off in covering layers. It also introduces methods for adding hidden and dashed lines and for recording lists of blocks and layers.

Session 12 (70 min)

Chapter 6, Editing and Reusing Data to Work More Efficiently Text sections: Creating and Using Templates through Copying an Object Multiple Times. Technical drawings are frequently made up of the same item repeated several times. Oneof the advantages of using AutoCAD is that you can draw something once and then copy it as many times as needed. This Session shows the student the various methods available to reuse data.

Day 3
Session 13 (70 min)
Chapter 6, Editing and Reusing Data to Work More Efficiently (continued) Text sections: Developing Your Drawing through Drawing Parallel Lines.

This session shows the student some basic editing techniques for building a drawing. Students learn how to use the geometry of an object to align other objects.

Session 14 (70 min)

Chapter 7, Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References Text sections: Taking Control of the AutoCAD Display. AutoCAD offers a broad range of tools to view a drawing. This session give the student an in depth look at the way AutoCAD displays drawings including Zoom, Pan, and saving views.

Session 15 (70 min)

Chapter 7, Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References (continued) Text sections: Using Hatch Patterns in Your Drawings through Understanding the Boundary Hatch Options. Hatch patterns are often used to show types of materials or uses when applied to technical drawings. They play an important role in conveying information. This session introduces the student to the methods used to apply hatch patterns to areas of a drawing.

Lunch Break Session 16 (70 min)

Chapter 7, Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References (continued) Text sections: Using External References through Editing Xrefs in Place. Technical drawings often make use of the same data in many different ways. The external reference feature of AutoCAD lets users include existing drawings as backgrounds for new drawings. This chapter introduces the student to external references and how they can be incorporated in their work.

Session 17 (70 min)

Chapter 8, Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts Text sections: Plotting the Plan through WYSIWYG Plotting Using Layout Views. Plotting is one of the most complex feature of AutoCAD so a solid understanding of the process of plotting will be of great value to the student. This session introduces the student to the basics of plotting and printing.

Session 18 (70 min)

Chapter 8, Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts (continued) Text sections: Adding an Output Device through Using Batch and Electronic Plots. This session continues with plotting by showing the student how output devices are added and page setup options can effect the output.