Dear All, is this a good autocad 2007 course to spend my money on ?

[FunkyCatSpangky]

Dear All,

I am a total newbie here.

Can you please have at the course outline below to see if this is a good comprehensive autocad 2007 course ?

Would I be able to work in the architechtural Cad industry after doing this course ?

I have contacted the training center and it will be giving out Autodesk authorized certificates at the end of the course, so atleast there is some incentive .

The course is split into 3 levels, I, II and III

Total cost of the 3 courses == $750 Singaporean dollars.

Please have a look and tell me what you guyz think ?

Regards

FunkyCat - Spangky

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AUTOCAD 2007/ AUTOCAD LT 2007 ESSENTIALS
Course Duration: 3 Full Days (24 hrs)
Course Description:
This course is designed for the new AutoCAD® user who requires comprehensive training in AutoCAD. It incorporates the features, commands, and techniques for creating, editing, and printing drawings with AutoCAD 2007. It starts with the basics and over the three-day aims to equip the attendee with the skills and knowledge that, with a little practice, will allow the production of working drawings using AutoCAD.

Hands-on exercises throughout the courseware explore how to create 2D production drawings. This title also supports training on AutoCAD LT 2007.

Prerequisite: Familiarity with the Microsoft Windows® operating system and a basic understanding of design and drafting concepts.

GETTING STARTED WITH AUTOCAD 2007
AutoCAD Windows
Menus, dialog boxes and toolbars
Using command prompt

UNDERSTANDING BASIC CONCEPTS
Co-ordinate systems
Opening drawings
Creating new drawings
Using drawing aids
Creating lines & circles
Using co-ordinate entry
Selecting & Removing Objects
Saving Drawings

UTILIZING DISPLAY COMMANDS
Zoom
Pan
Real-time Zoom & Pan
Aerial view
Redraw & Regen

ENTITY DRAW COMMANDS
Line
Circle
Arc & Ellipse
Rectangle & Polygon
Donut
Point & Point style
Pline & Mline
Ray & Xline
Using object snap & PolarSnap
AutoSnap & AutoTrack

EDITING TOOLS
Erase
Undo & Redo
Copy & Move
Rotate & Scale
Stretch & Mirror
Offset
Break & Trim
Extend & Lengthen
Chamfer & Fillet
Pedit
Editing with grips
Using array
Modify & Change
Explode/Purge

APPLICATION OF LAYERS
Introduction to layers
Creating layers
Setting color & line-type
Managing layers
Changing object properties
Express layer

ENHANCING DRAWINGS – HATCH & TEXT
Introduction to Hatching Externa
Boundary Hatching
Editing Hatching
Text styles
Text & Mtext
Editing text
Table
Using formula

DIMENSIONING
Dim styles
Creating dimensions
Editing dimensions

DESIGNING AND MANAGING DYNAMIC BLOCKS
Creating Blocks
Inserting Blocks
Updating Block definitions
Dynamic Blocks
Dynamic Block Authoring

EXTERNAL REFERENCES
Inserting l References
Editing xref

DESIGN CENTER
Using design center
Design center online
TOOL PALETTES
Manipulating Blocks with Tool Palettes
Customizing Tool Palettes
Adding Blocks, Hatch to Tool Palettes
File conversation
Release 2007 to 14

PRINTING AND HOUSEKEEPING
Plot Dialog Box
Model Space & Paper Space
Recovering drawings
Copying & renaming files
Audit

PUBLISH TO WEB FEATURE
E-plot
Publishing DWG to DWF
Publish to Web Feature
DWF as underlay
Publishing to the Adobe PDF File Format

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AUTOCAD 2007 LEVEL II ADVANCED
Course Duration: 2 Full Days (16 hrs)
Course Description:
The AutoCAD 2007 advanced course is aimed at the current users to AutoCAD users who require advanced training in AutoCAD for professional drawing, design and drafting. It incorporates the features, commands and techniques for advanced editing, managing and publishing drawings with AutoCAD 2007 hands-on exercises.

This course helps students understand the technical side of CAD Management support. CAD managers learn how to reach larger CAD management goals of standardizing the work environment to attain greater productivity for their users.

Prerequisite: Familiarity with the Microsoft Windows® operating system and a basic understanding of design and drafting concepts. Students are expected to complete AutoCAD 2007 Essentials.
Course Outline

OBJECT CONTROL AND SELECTION
Selection modes
Grip Editing
Object group
Quick Select command

OBJECT FILTERING
How to search drawing objects
Filter options

GROUP
Creating object Group
Modifying and usage of Groups

TABLES
Using Formulas
Using Formulas from Excel

BLOCKS & ATTRIBUTES
Type of blocks
Editing of block
How to create blocks with attributes
Attribute options
Extracting attribute to Tables

SYSTEMS VARIABLES
What are system variables?
Preferences
User Profiles

MODEL SPACE/ PAPER SPACE
Differences between model and paper space
Tiled Viewports and floating viewports
How to crate and scale viewports

MODEL DIMENSIONING
Difference in dimensioning in model and paper space
Principles of dimension in model and paper space
Dimension Editing

SHEET SET MANAGER
Creating Sheet Sets
Viewing, Adding Sheets to Sheet Sets
Utilizing Resource drawing in Sheet Sets

FIELDS
Introduction to fields
Creating custom properties
Using fields in Sheet Set Manager

WORKSPACE
Creating profile
Customizing workspace

HOW TO PUBLISH DRAWINGS TO INTERNET
Design Web Format (DWF)
Publishing PDF
Publishing Option
Internet utilities
DWF Viewer
Mark Up Manager

RASTER IMAGES
How to create Raster Image
Advantages

TOOLS FOR CAD MANAGER
Configuring CAD Standard File
Checking and fixing file with Drawing Standards
Layer Translator

INTRODUCTION TO 3D MODELLING
Revision on coordinates
X,Y,Z planes
Differentiate between Wireframe, surface and solid objects
How to view drawings in 3D
Difference between isometric and perspective views
How to re-use custom views
Types of surfaces and surface objects
Creating Solids and Surfaces
Types of solid objects
Dynamic UCS

SHADING 3D MODELS
Extruding 2D Geometry

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AUTOCAD 2007 LEVEL III 3D MODELLING
Course Duration: 2 Full Days (16 hrs)
Course Description:
Creating 3D models helps users better visualize and present designs that are created with CAD. This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and workflows for creating 3D models with AutoCAD. Students explore how to create and modify both solid and surface models. Students also learn how to output 3D models from the CAD system to either paper or a distributable, electronic version. The concepts and practices taught will help students take their AutoCAD designs beyond 2D to the next dimension – 3D! The creation of scenes, setting up lights and cameras and assigning materials will allow the user to produce rendered images. By the end of the course the student should be comfortable with viewing and moving around in 3D as well as using various methods for construction of 3D models, Shading, Visualizing 3d models with materials.

Prerequisite: Familiarity with the Microsoft Windows® operating system and a basic understanding of design and drafting concepts. Students are expected to complete AutoCAD 2007 Essentials.
Course Outline

INTRODUCTION OF 3D MODELING
Basic 3D Concepts
Working with 3D Coordinates

DESIGN YOUR IDEAS
Conceptual Design Options
Designing with Dynamic Feedback
Changing Work Planes
Tracking Object Snaps
Consistency Creating Solid
Creating Pyramidal Solids
Creating Helical Shapes
Extruding 2D Geometry
Revolving 2D Geometry
Sweeping Profiles along a
Path Lofting
Profiles
Creating Planar Surface
Slicing Solids with Surfaces
Converting to Solids and
Thickening
Converting Thick 2D Objeto Solid
Converting 2D Objects to Surfaces
Geometry from Solids, Manipulating Solids and
Surfaces
Checking for In
Aligning Objects

VISUALIZE YOU
Navigating the Design
Swiveling the viewpoint

CREATING CAMERAS
Changing Projection Modes

RENDERING CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS
Applying Lighting
Applying Materials
Applying Visual Styles
Document Your Ideas
Defining Section Planes
Flattening a View
Share Your Ideas
Working with DWF Files
Plotting to PDF
Working with Reference Files
Saving to Older File Formats

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[profcad]

This is similar to what we teach in our Training Center. The only difference is the number of days. Our classes are one day longer that than the ones that you listed. You will have to spend a lot of time outside of class practicing.

The price is reasonable. This price that you are paying for all three courses is about the cost of our level 1 - Essentials.

I would recommend taking all three of them.

Good Luck and have fun.

[Ako]

The lesson plans look quite comprehensive. I'm not a great believer in 3 day full time courses for beginners who have never used CAD before. I think they are more suited to people who have been using CAD but need to get a qualification. Most beginning students need to practise a lot to become proficient and in 3 days there is just not enough time to do this. I'm not saying it can't be done. If you are competent in drawing methods and using computers and are a resonably quick learner you will get a good basis frrom which to learn.

Dave

[profcad]

I agree with Dave, three days is not enough. It takes many hours of hands-on practice. Once you go through the class, start drawing everything in sight... Practice, Practice, and more Practice.

[kari_sinkko]

Three days for all of that! I did a Autocad Traineeship that lasted one year that covered that. All up it costed me $595 AUD through my Technical College although I'm sure that price was subsidised as my income was 75% of the standard award rate during that time.

[Dipali]

I thought the same about the duration when i read original post and was not surprised at people's reaction as iI scrolled down.

You need to practice a lot in between.
When I did the same course 10 yrs back it was 4 hrs a day, 6 days a week, 12 weeks in toatal. 4 weks for each.
I picked up first two part ok bcs had lot of time to practice within the alloted time.
but in third stage(3d) I asked them to rush & finish it in 2 weks instead of 4 weeks bcs of my personla schedules, but I regret that till day bcs I don't know much 3d bcs of lack of practice in the begining.:(

[mrbucket]

I was in school for 1 1/2 years, learning Acad and Arch Desktop, I get out into the real world, and I feel like I hardly know anything, lol.

[ReMark]

It's a good beginning. Bear in mind that the road to full CAD proficiency is a long one.

"Would I be able to work in the architechtural Cad industry after doing this course?"

I doubt that you would be hired based upon a course of this minimal length. Some of the courses offered online and in local community colleges last 8 to 12 weeks. The student has a chance to build a respectible portfolio based upon works of increasing complexity. Your course only scratches the surface.

Follow the advice given above regarding practicing. See if there are any "internships" available in the field of your choice. The ability to do CAD drafting and design under the watchful eye of a fulltime CAD operator and learn as you go would be of great benefit to you and your career.

Good luck in your endeavors. Keep us posted as to your progress. And don't forget to never stop learning and to always ask questions. They go hand-in-hand to developing good CAD skills.

[zars]

Well, 3, 4, 5, 100 days is never enough, there is always something new, unless he has a teacher by his side during his career he will need to practice a lot in order he can gain experience. So I say go for it.

[mrbucket]

It's a good beginning. Bear in mind that the road to full CAD proficiency is a long one.

"Would I be able to work in the architechtural Cad industry after doing this course?"

I doubt that you would be hired based upon a course of this minimal length. Some of the courses offered online and in local community colleges last 8 to 12 weeks. The student has a chance to build a respectible portfolio based upon works of increasing complexity. Your course only scratches the surface.

Follow the advice given above regarding practicing. See if there are any "internships" available in the field of your choice. The ability to do CAD drafting and design under the watchful eye of a fulltime CAD operator and learn as you go would be of great benefit to you and your career.

Good luck in your endeavors. Keep us posted as to your progress. And don't forget to never stop learning and to always ask questions. They go hand-in-hand to developing good CAD skills.


All true, very true. Questions will not only make you faster in the future, but keep you from making mistakes now.