No clue where to start

Hey All,

I have to say this is a great forum. I've already seen some good stuff on here.

Over the last several months I've had the urge to finally get going with learning AutoCAD. The problem is, I have no idea how to get started.

My workplace won't buy a new license just for me, since drawing is not something I do regularly there.

I don't have AutoCAD at home, or even a computer that will be able to handle the software. I AM open to buying a new computer.

There seems to be a lot of online courses, but I have no idea if any of them are worth the money. (cadinstitute.org, globaletraining.ca just to name a couple)

On-site courses at various colleges throughout the area exist, (Chicagoland) but I really don't want to take an 8-12 week course without knowing if the course is any good.

I would appreciate ANY suggestions.

Thanks!

Hey All,

 

I have to say this is a great forum. I've already seen some good stuff on here.

 

Over the last several months I've had the urge to finally get going with learning AutoCAD. The problem is, I have no idea how to get started.

 

 

My workplace won't buy a new license just for me, since drawing is not something I do regularly there.

 

I don't have AutoCAD at home, or even a computer that will be able to handle the software. I AM open to buying a new computer.

 

There seems to be a lot of online courses, but I have no idea if any of them are worth the money. (cadinstitute.org, globaletraining.ca just to name a couple)

 

On-site courses at various colleges throughout the area exist, (Chicagoland) but I really don't want to take an 8-12 week course without knowing if the course is any good.

 

I would appreciate ANY suggestions.

 

Thanks!

The first thing I would do,and Did was to buy the AutoCad Bible by Finkelstein. Not only is this a great learning tool, but also a fantastic ref book. I refer to mine all the time.

There are heaps of other great books out there but you should have this one in your kit.

Dodge

Look at the free software DraftSight ?

Hi and welcome to the forum RedRex

If you don't have any access to AutoCAD today, I would second Bigal's recommendation of taking a look at Draftsight. It's a free AutoCAD clone that works very good. And if you do get The Bible (which I also have on my shelf), that should be able to aid you nicely through Draftsight as well.

After that, just get drawing. Use this forum for questions, use the tutorials availible on the net and read up in the Bible. It's a big task (in my opinion) to learn AutoCAd without at least a beginner course, but it is entirely possible, if you set your mind to it.

Good luck!

Welcome to the CADTutor forum.

I created two threads recently about CAD software. The first was about free software one of which has been already mentioned above. The second was about low cost alternatives to AutoCAD. Look in the Useful Links forum.

The nice thing about Draftsight is that there is also a 150+ page manual in PDF form that can be downloaded as well. Zero dollars for the software; zero dollars for the manual.

What are you current computer specifications? How much is your budget for a new computer?

If you were to somehow obtain a copy of AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT there are a number of options for learning it. If you use any other program then you'll be limited to what is contained within the user's guide and what can be found at the program's forum. Most of the programs are AutoCAD clones so they will be very similar to AutoCAD. You'll find that command names might very a bit but a line is a line no matter what program you use and erase is still erase. Get the point?

The first thing I would do,and Did was to buy the AutoCad Bible by Finkelstein.

We got a copy of the 2013 one for the office the other day and I've flicked through it and while it looks like a good reference book, it didn't look like the best book to learn from for a beginner. We use the AutoCad No Experience Required book (or something named along those lines) to help assist new employees to learn AutoCad.

My main gripe with the AutoCad Bible book however is that half of the book (what they conveniently call 'bonus chapters') is all online, i.e. missing from the printed book. Yes, at 800 pages (17 chapters) the book is already a good 5cm thick although the 14 bonus chapters (400 pages) that are available online are the chapters I personally find more interesting and of more benefit as these are the more advanced topics not covered well (or at all) in other books and I would rather have a physical copy of these. It would be better if the publisher published all of the book (including the bonus chapters) in hard copy form even if they had to split the book into two volumes and increase the sale price.

I guess the 1st question I would ask is what type of drawing do you want to do? Are you looking at 2D and then maybe 3D modeling? Architecture, mechanical or product design? Once you answer these questions then you can start to look at where to go for some training and education. I am a firm believer in taking an extended class to learn the software.

As for the PC, I would stick with either an Intel or AMD quad core setup with a dedicated nVidia graphics card. No Intel video solutions that rely on shared memory.

Best of luck and feel free to hit us up with any questions that come up.

Sean

Hi and welcome to the forum RedRex

 

If you don't have any access to AutoCAD today, I would second Bigal's recommendation of taking a look at Draftsight. It's a free AutoCAD clone that works very good. And if you do get The Bible (which I also have on my shelf), that should be able to aid you nicely through Draftsight as well.

After that, just get drawing. Use this forum for questions, use the tutorials availible on the net and read up in the Bible. It's a big task (in my opinion) to learn AutoCAd without at least a beginner course, but it is entirely possible, if you set your mind to it.

 

Good luck!

yup and yup. that's how i started and then i landed a CAD job for 5 years, just from self learning :-) just do work stuff at home for your skillz as doing irrelevant stuff is boring and pointless....you can learn that as and when you need to as you change disciplines throughout your career

Thank you all for your responses.

I will definitely give draftsight a try, and check out some books.

Just to clarify some of the points you all brought up:

1. I'm mainly interested in (for now) 2d drawing, particularly steel detailing.

2. I currently have a Windows Vista machine, with a 2.8GHz AMD processor. It's about 5 years old.

3. Like I said, I'm willing to buy a new computer, but I'd like to stay under $1,500 out the door.

4. I would eventually like to get into advanced 3d modeling.

Again, thanks for your input!

Is $1,500 including a new monitor? If so I think you are in good shape. Look at Inventor Fusion as well or sign up for Fusion 360. Not sure how they'll run on your machine.

Thank you all for your responses.

 

I will definitely give draftsight a try, and check out some books.

 

Just to clarify some of the points you all brought up:

1. I'm mainly interested in (for now) 2d drawing, particularly steel detailing.

2. I currently have a Windows Vista machine, with a 2.8GHz AMD processor. It's about 5 years old.

3. Like I said, I'm willing to buy a new computer, but I'd like to stay under $1,500 out the door.

4. I would eventually like to get into advanced 3d modeling.

 

Again, thanks for your input!

There is no reason that setup wouldn't handle 2D drawing. A dedicated video card is no longer required for 2D and a lot of 3D can be done on the newer intel integrated graphics. Ralph Grabowski recently tested a dedicated video card against the intel integrated graphics card and found them to be even on everything except with hidden lines in 3D work.

The best book out there for a beginner is one by Terry Wohlers. If you buy an older copy you can get it as well as the others for a huge discount from places like alibris.com. I have purchased really nice drafting books for $0.99 with shipping costing

I found the Autocad 2D and 3D City and Guilds courses excellent as a beginner to Autocad. You will learn pretty much everything you need to know for doing steel detaling. I only use the Autocad bible as a reference and would not recommend it for learning.

Could he get the student version of autocad for really cheap? I've never used it but I heard its great for learning autocad just can't print.

I just downloaded and installed Draftsight. Off & running!

For now, I'll probably hold off taking a class. A local college has one for almost $3k. Looks like I could get a nice PC and AutoCAD LT For that much.

Judging by all the free info on this site, it should be quite a bit to get me started.

We'll see what the future holds.

Could he get the student version of autocad for really cheap? I've never used it but I heard its great for learning autocad just can't print.

Student versions of AutoCAD are free for registered students. You can print just fine with it, it just displays a Educational Verison-banner on all drawings.

Student versions of AutoCAD are free for registered students. You can print just fine with it, it just displays a Educational Verison-banner on all drawings.

It also "infects" the files with the educational stamp.

It also "infects" the files with the educational stamp.

Nope. Doesn't do this. This has been repeated over and over on internet forums - but just doesn't happen.

An infection occurs through no fault of your own.

If you use (which you will be warned about) student work it will display the student banner.

A student file cannot "infect" other files on you HDD. Only YOU can use the work in such a way that the student banner becomes part of your work.

JD, where in my post did I say that ""infect" other files on you HDD"? Nope, just looked, did not say that.

I did mean that any file opened in the Educational version and saved will now be an educational file. Isn't this correct? Since we are playing the literal game.

Any regular drawing file in which content from a drawing created with an educational version has been inserted and the drawing saved will subsequently display said banner.