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The One thing you wish a new Drafter would know!


Tiger

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I am wrapping up my first longer course in AutoCAD, now we have a few weeks of assigments to be handed in and some repetition to go through.

 

I want to leave the class with a good basic knowledge of AutoCAD and a sense of what the most common pitfalls is when it comes to AutoCAD.

 

So the question that I ask you, so that I can carry it on to them is:

 

Imagine you have a new employee. The boss gives her to you and says "teach her how to use this finnagled AutoCAD so that she can be productive ASAP!"

 

What is the one thing you want her to already know about AutoCAD? What is the most cardinal sin in your book? What is the thing you have tried and tried to hammer down your co-workers throat for ages?

 

TIA!

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Keeping the boss out of hot water (say what you are going to do then do what you said like "I'll have that drawing for you first thing tomorrow morning boss.").

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What is the most cardinal sin in your book? What is the thing you have tried and tried to hammer down your co-workers throat for ages?

TIA!

 

AutoCAD -

1. don't explode dimensions

2. draw 1:1

 

Field specific (mechanical)

1. We can't manufacture perfect parts - design and model with realistic tolerances and clearances.

2. The hole size for a threaded hole is not the major diameter of the fastener (Ex. do not use 10mm hole for an M10 thread...)

 

I'm sure each field (arch, civil...) have a similar commonly repeated sin.

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AutoCAD -

1. don't explode dimensions

2. draw 1:1

 

I have some explaining to do about the Draw 1:1 concept thanks to another teacher... He told the class that You should always draw 1:1000, because that is the way we do it.

 

It took some time to explain to them that what he meant was the annotative scale should be 1:1000 as that is what the drawings will be printed in. And to explain annotative scaling to someone that doesn't fully grasp the "normal" scaling procedure was not easy. Add to that that we draw in meters in Model but in Millimeters in Paper so the scales are off anyway.... Scaling will be repeated again before we're done.

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I have some explaining to do about the Draw 1:1 concept thanks to another teacher... He told the class that You should always draw 1:1000, because that is the way we do it.

 

It took some time to explain to them that what he meant was the annotative scale should be 1:1000 as that is what the drawings will be printed in. And to explain annotative scaling to someone that doesn't fully grasp the "normal" scaling procedure was not easy. Add to that that we draw in meters in Model but in Millimeters in Paper so the scales are off anyway.... Scaling will be repeated again before we're done.

 

Tiger, you made my brain hurt reading that explanation for the 1:1000. Not because I don't draw 1:1, but because why would a teacher phrase it like that? :ouch: As you say, an extra lesson on scaling won't go amiss.

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In no particular order.

Use layers

Use Osnaps

Paper Space and Model Space

Don't move existing geometry, the whole project is based off of an agreed upon base point for xrefs

Xrefs

Text height, fonts to use and not to use

How to edit blocks with attributes, no exploding blocks

 

Field:

Go into the field and ask questions, they know more than you do.

When shopping, dining out, etc. pay attention to how things are constructed

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I always say, in addition to the previous comments of others, that they should ask questions frequently and encourage them to discuss their projects, problems and ideas with their peers. We do it every day over a 15 minute coffee break in the afternoon, which often runs over. Then there is a single person responsible for taking ultimate decisions on how things are done in the company.

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I would advise them to spend time in the field as a blue collar worker so they have a practical understanding of what they're attempting to draw/model.

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A good basic knowledge in geometry is essential. Being able to draw by hand on a sheet of paper is also a good plus.
Yes, and the hand drawing does not have to be freehand or pretty either, just clear and useful. The last thing I want in a technical chair is an artist.:lol:

 

Boss interviewing a brand new fresh PF drafting school graduate: "How many degrees are there in a triangle?"

 

Interviewee: "F or C?"

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The first thing my old boss used to do with every new chemical engineer hired right out of school was to make them sit at their desk and read through all the operations manuals. I told him that was the quickest way to kill their enthusiasm and make them regret they became an engineer in the first place. As soon as I could I'd rescue them from their cubicle-of-utter-boredom and bring them out in the field, take along a P&ID (process piping and instrumentation diagram) and go through every line on the drawing showing them what all those funny/weird symbols and lines represented. Then we'd go talk with an operator and have them explain how the process worked. It was much more informative and it really helped them to make the connection between the drawing, manual and equipment.

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I would advise them to spend time in the field as a blue collar worker so they have a practical understanding of what they're attempting to draw/model.
that sounds like an apprenticeship - the sort that was common when I was a lad.
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I'm currently doing an apprenticeship as a CAD Techy/Draughtsman. While the big boss want draughters in as much as possible, the senior draughtsman is pushing for more site visits.

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