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Reuse of any or all material contained within this document for commercial purposes,without the express written consent of AUGI, Inc. or its authorized agents is expresslyprohibited.
 © Copyright 2008 Autodesk User Group International, Inc. All rights reserved.
1
ATP218AutoCAD 101 – A Survival CourseFor Beginners
 
Segment 1
Date:
 May 5, 2008
Instructor: 
Kenneth C. Leary
 Level:
Beginning
 Category: 
AutoCAD General
Web
:
 
www.AUGI.com
 
 
 
Reuse of any or all material contained within this document for commercial purposes,without the express written consent of AUGI, Inc. or its authorized agents is expresslyprohibited.
 © Copyright 2008 Autodesk User Group International, Inc. All rights reserved.
2
Welcome to AutoCAD 101
 
Is this class for you? Well I think most people who signed up for it can get something out of it.Perhaps you’re just new to the business and you don’t want to
look
like you’re new to the business. Ormaybe you’ve been in the business a little while and hope to learn some new tip and tricks. In eithercase you’ve come to the right place.It’s a scary feeling, being inexperienced, and AutoCAD is a big and intimidating program. Thereare literally thousands of commands and system variables. Most vocational and technical schools onlyteach the very basics. Often the former students are shocked to find that they weren’t taught some ofthe important tools most companies use on a regular basis.Amazingly, most experienced users only use about a third of the tools the program has to offer.The people who get into the program and use it to a greater potential are referred to as “power users”.Even power users don’t always use a lot of the new tools that are available in new releases.Here’s the good news, it’s not as bad as it seems. You can be on the road to becoming a poweruser before you know it. This course will teach you the basics you don’t usually learn in school, helpyou avoid the common mistakes most people make, and get you up to speed and working like a profaster than you thought possible.
Always know where your towel is
Some of you may have read the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. If youdidn’t that’s all right I won’t hold it against you. One of the mantras of the hitchhikers is to always knowwhere your towel is. This means always be prepared and always carry with you the tools that you willneed. In case that reference still doesn’t make sense, a towel is a very handy multipurpose tool forhitchhikers.I always suggest new employees whether it is CAD Drafter or Engineer (maybe Architect in yourcase) that they carry a notepad with them at all times. Well perhaps taking it with you to lunch or therestroom is a bit extreme. Regardless, there are so many commands and system variables that you willbe learning that, unless you’re an AutoCAD savant, you won’t commit them all to memory the first timeyou hear them. Just like any other craft or skilled trade it’s important to have the right tool for the job.One very important thing that I would like to stress is this; AutoCAD is your favorite new tool. It maylook like a big scary tool with a bunch of switches, knobs and sharp edges, but it is just that, a tool.This is very important for you to keep a good perspective. Weather you are a CAD Technician,CAD Drafter, Drafter, CAD operator, Designer, etc. In this course I will use the term CAD Drafter but thetitle is really of little significance for our purposes, it is your job to draw something well and this is thetool you use. Think of yourself as a drafter first, computer operator second.Lastly, always keep a drawer stocked with Antacid and Aspirin (or Ibuprofen). You
will
needthem eventually, often at the same time.
 
 
Reuse of any or all material contained within this document for commercial purposes,without the express written consent of AUGI, Inc. or its authorized agents is expresslyprohibited.
 © Copyright 2008 Autodesk User Group International, Inc. All rights reserved.
3
Good Sources for Support
Just like a good reporter how well you do all depends upon how reliable your sources are.Whether it’s learning new tools and functions of AutoCAD or finding out how to fix a problem you arefacing and can’t solve yourself (and there will be plenty). Having a good reliable source or sources forgood information at your fingertips is important. I’m going to cover some of the more reliable sourcesavailable to you, all are effective and the more of them you use the better it is for you.First, you’re already in one of the best places. AUGI is a great place to get valuable informationabout AutoCAD and the add-on packages that are offered by AutoDesk. TheForumsare a good placefor asking questions and getting answers. There is also a Tips and Tricks forum that is really handy forfinding the quickest ways to do things.In addition there are software specific forums that are specific to whatever type of AutoDeskproduct or Add-on you’re using. Last but not least, if you have a spare few minutes Coffee Without CADis a great place to meet AutoCAD users you can relate with and
not
talk shop.
Fig. 01
This is a screen shot of the AUGI Forums. A great source of informationfor AutoCAD related questions.
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