Learning AutoCAD (2023 Update)

I took 3 courses at night school. The first was AutoCAD basic which will get you up and going and is probably all you would need. The second was AutoCAD advanced which discussed some of the tools provided in AutoCAD which make the job easier and faster. The last was a 3D course. Each course was 1 night per week for 20 weeks and 3 hours per night. A lot (probably most) of the things you'll come to use will be self taught by using the help files and various Internet sources as well as trial and error. The basic course, though, is a must, just to get you going. To become adept at it afterwards would take a minimum of 12 months of practice on a full time basis (IMHO).

If that's true, then you should pursue something entirely different. No matter how many courses you take, or how many books you read, you'll never "learn" AutoCAD without a *lot* of hands-on experience. ___

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While it probably takes years to master, I think a bright, computer- literate individual with some experience of drawing and some knowledge of geometry could learn their way around AutoCad in 3 or 4 days. There are some concepts which are harder to grasp (blocks,xrefs,layers,paperspace) but if all you want to do is draw and manipulate polygons, lines and arcs, and add some text here and there then I think it's not too daunting. I did take a 3-day course once (release 11 !?!) - I wanted a piece of paper that said I could use it. I won't say it was very useful - but it did show me the basics, and I'd recommend something like that to get you going.

Thanks for the responses guys. I appreciate it. One more question - I've heard that just learning how to print/plot from AutoCAD requires a 6 - 12 week course that focuses only on that topic.

Is that really true?

Is somebody trying to sell you a lot of expensive training?

Bob

Plotting could probably be pretty well covered in a couple of days.

Bob

It might be one of the harder aspects to get to grips with - but a 6 -

Although I'm no expert in autocad, I do believe that the best way to learn how to use it properly is to simply tinker with it. Whenever you hit a snag then there is always the help file and also a couple of very helpful usenet newsgroups that does serve as probably the best knowledge base on this subject.

I do believe that the typical autocad courses are a bit of a scam. They ask for tons of money to teach you trivial stuff that you can easily pick by yourself after a brief moment fiddling with the application. The so called advanced courses are nothing better either.

Rui Maciel

Those of us who have been using Acad for years, had a bit of a learning curve when Acad changed how plots were done. I suspect that someone who is just learning the current way, will only take a couple of hours (if that - providing the person teaching you knows what they are doing). Pretty simple once you get the hang of it though. And that goes for the rest of learning Acad.

You can pick up the basics pretty fast. But it's learning personal 'tricks' and ways of doing things (and thinking ahead on what you are trying to do) will take some time.

BruceF

Learning AutoCAD refers to the process of becoming proficient in the usage of the AutoCAD program. Professionals such as architects and engineers rely on this program to build both 2D and 3D models. Understanding the AutoCAD interface, tools, and commands is crucial. After getting a handle on the fundamentals, it's time to move on to more complex topics including making 3D models, utilizing advanced commands, and working with layers. Books, courses, and video lessons are all options for learning AutoCAD.