auto CAD book advice

I just tried playing with AutoCAD 2000, I have never used any drafting software before. I have always used a pencil and paper, all the work I do is rather simple. Now I have a laptop to use for a few months that has AutoCAD on it and after playing for a while it looks like it takes some time to get to know. Any advice on a book to get me going would be great, I am not looking to master this program just make a dam drawing I can use. I did one very simple single plane drawing but am failing to see how to make my other views of it.

Reply to
Wayne
Loading thread data ...

Ha! Good luck!

AutoCAD is one of the most intense programs on the market, very difficult to learn if you're not familiar with drafting programs.

I'd suggest you go to a computer store that sells books and find a copy of a book titled Inside AutoCAD, by D Raker & H. Rice. It provides step by step instructions, and walks you through a series of plates so you learn to use the commands properly. It's not always intuitive, at least not to me.

You might get lucky and figure out how to run it without the book, but my money says you won't. For sure you'll never figure out all the variables. You wouldn't have any way to even find them.

I'd be interested in hearing how well it goes for you. It's taken me years to get on to the program, and I've always had a digitizing tablet to help me. I run release 10 under DOS.

Harold

Reply to
Harold & Susan Vordos

Well you said a mouthfull.

I was raised on a T-square and drafting table, and the first CAD system I was introduced to was (natch) IBM/Dassault CADAM. With the light pens and the function key box, and a huge CRT monitor in b/w.

Eventually mainframe CADAM went away and I've been running a PC based version called MicroCadam ever since. It's now completely obsolete and no longer supported by anyone. But it works so well!

Along the way I took a local voc-tech class in autocad, with the idea in mind of 'getting with the program' and upgrading to what the rest of the world things is great.

I passed the course but realized I hated autocad. A lot. It may be that my upbringing poisoned my mind to the difficulties of using it. The function key box in cadam allows you to short circuit the first level of menu picks of autocad. The instructor was raised on a non-windows based version of autocad so he knew all the mnemonics to run it from the command line, with shortcut text commands, rather than using the menu bars.

I heard that some Japanese company bought out Altium (the folks who were marketing MicroCadam) so that they could kill it, it was competing with one of their products, supposedly.

Jim

================================================== please reply to: JRR(zero) at yktvmv (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com ==================================================

Reply to
jim rozen

If at all possible see if you can get a copy of SolidWorks, It is a very intuitive windows based program. The learning curve is not steep.

-- Advertise your metalwork>

Reply to
Gears

Wow - Cadam - When I worked for SLB, we had the largest (most capable) version due to board designs, Lockheed had one next down. We were backups for each other as the next one our size was east of the Mississippi!

Several times they came as their hardware went down or was being worked on, and we used their site a couple of times for he same. CADAM for PCB's and Mechanical.

Then Daisy for IC's. The early days of CAD. About that time, the LISA from Apple came out - and the pc rush was really > >

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

Ask this question over on alt.machines.cnc and the sounds of retching when Autocad is mentioned will be horrifying.

Gunner

Some may decry the impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton as a national trauma, but not humorist P.J. O'Rourke, who thinks the proceedings are a win-win situation

-- and grand entertainment to boot. Mr. O'Rourke, writing in the latest issue of the Weekly Standard, acknowledges that "some earnest souls have gone so far as to aver that impeachment has distracted President Clinton from ... raising taxes, destroying health care, appointing 1960s bakeheads to high political office, soliciting felonious campaign contributions, hanging friends out to dry for Arkansas real estate frauds, giving missile secrets to the Chinese, taking credit for the benefits of a free market about which he knows little and cares less, using U.S. military forces as fig leaves for domestic scandals and au pairs for the U.N., leading foreign policy back into the flea circus of Jimmy Carterism, having phone sex, groping patronage seekers, and snapping the elastic on the underpants of psychologically disturbed school-age White House interns entrusted with the task of delivering high-level government pizza." Ouch. Tell us what you really think, P.J. "No matter what, Bill," Mr.O'Rourke concludes, "your girlfriend's ugly, your wife hates you, and your dog can't hunt."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reply to
Gunner

Try Mastering AutoCAD 2000 by George Omura I used Mastering AutoCAD 14 and still refer to it since I don't use the app much even the old book helps with the newer versions I have 14-2004 and the basics are the same. the book is about $60.00 at bn.com, it is 1622 pages and about 15 lbs

Reply to
James Schenck

Shit 1622 pages All I want is to do some basic drawings

Reply to
Wayne

autocad 2000 for dummies will give you the basics of how to use it. It is also good to have a copy of autocad 2000 bible as a reference book. The second book is quite large but it's good to have if you do anything in-depth and need to look up that individual thing. Between these two books you have enough information to start using the program quickly, and eventually (with a ton of practice) become fluent.

Reply to
Mr. Bla

"Wayne" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

I use AutoCAD 2002 on a daily basis, started out on R14 and am self- taught. The book that comes with 2000/2002 is good as a reference, but doesn't do a good job of teaching the basics.

For me, the first thing to do is set up your menus and preferences. I use the menu icons quite a bit, although for the normal things, the command line shortcuts saves a few mouse clicks. Turn on auto tracking in 2000, and you will never need the 'ortho' option at the bottom, in preferences, set the autotracking to every 45°, as this is very handy. I would also suggest changing the default preference under 'right click menu' from 'menu' to 'repeat command'. If I need a menu, I know where it is, when I right click, I want it to repeat the last command, (say for drawing holes, draw the first hole, then just right click, click the new center point, and right click again to put in the same size circle)

As for your other views, use 'construction line' to create the normal 45° view line, just like you would do in a manual drawing. The options for 'construction line' are 'a' for angle, (hit a, space, type in the angle,space, pick your location point) 'h' for horizontal (h, space, pick point), 'v' for vertical (v, space, pick point). Also a handy feature for use when you are using contruction lines, the 'f' or 'fence' option for 'trim'. Contruction lines run the length of the drawing, when you have a bunch to trim, say to the outside of a part, hit trim, click the line to trim to, hit f and space...click a trim start point (outside the lines you want to trim, draw a line across what you want trimmed and click again.

The most often used commands are going to be 'line' 'offset''circle' 'xline (construction line)' 'trim' and 'extend'.

When you want to start drawing in 3D, email me and I can help you out. I prefer to design in 3D, then section those drawings to generate the

2D's. It is faster, for me, and I can spot potential interference issues in assemblies much easier.
Reply to
Anthony

I was in an office supply place the other day and noticed that they had a rack of laminated quick reference sheets for most of the commonly used programs. Lists of shortcuts, lists of the various menu trees, stuff like that. They had one for Autocad. Not sure what release it was applicable to, but you might keep in mind to have a look for these when you are in one of these stores. Maybe useful, maybe not.

Cheers Trevor Jones

Reply to
Trevor Jones

the most useful book I have is the autocad command reference. the one I have is for version 14, but it's still useful for most of what I do...

Reply to
bridger

I started out with a T Square too. Had to pick up ACAD in a hurry. Try: 'AUTOCAD 2000 No Experience Required` David Frey - (SYBEX 1999) Availible in paperback, about $25.00 It's far from a complete course, but will give you the essentials to get started and covers the features you will use most in day to day drafting. The focus is architectural but the principles will work for mechanical too. Best of luck, Pragmatist "Where is Madame DeFarge now, when we really need her?"

Reply to
pragmatist

You might want to just save your money and use an online tutorial. There are several that will show you how to get started at least and some that go farther. A google search for Autocad tutorial will turn up quite a bit of info. Some links to tutorial site are below:

formatting link
formatting link
formatting link

Reply to
Bertie Pittman

Has anyone had any experience with Intellicad? I have heard that it is very much like autocad.

Scp

Reply to
Stephen

I use it to print. I draw in ACAD, but it's under DOS in my old computer. I then copy my print to a floppy and print through Intellicad. I don't want to spend money for a newer version of ACAD when I just use it for pleasure. I have a large HP 5000 laser printer, 11 X 17, so I get a B size print that way. I'm not familiar with using Intellicad because I run ACAD through a digitizing tablet, where I use a puck instead of a mouse, but the commands appear to be identical. The only problem I've discovered thus far is when I print an angle, instead of getting the degrees symbol, it prints a ? instead. Otherwise each and every function seems to be the same as ACAD. Intellicad, for the money, is a bargain. They used to give it free, but I think they now charge a couple hundred dollars. Not sure. You can check here:

formatting link

Harold

Reply to
Harold & Susan Vordos

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.