Discussion
Evening all,
Currently sitting at a college about to enrol on a city an guilds Autocad 2d course. I have zero experience but have an option of level 2 or 3. I'm not stupid and I learn reasonably quickly (also willing to work hard). I'm really struggling to decide between level 2 and 3!!!
Anybody got any words of wisdom or encouragement? I'm nervous, thought I was done with college!!!
Currently sitting at a college about to enrol on a city an guilds Autocad 2d course. I have zero experience but have an option of level 2 or 3. I'm not stupid and I learn reasonably quickly (also willing to work hard). I'm really struggling to decide between level 2 and 3!!!
Anybody got any words of wisdom or encouragement? I'm nervous, thought I was done with college!!!
Good luck.
I was an architectural technician back in the mid 1990's, when everything was done on a drawing board, parallel motion and pens and ink.
I changed to Project Management just as AutoCAD came in, so had no training in it.
Fast forward 10 years and I found a job where CAD would be useful. So I went on a 6 night course at the local high school over six weeks.
The teaching was great and practicing on a Student Licence version at home allowed me to really progress.
Now I use it all the time at work.
To the point where in my degree course, I got 99% on my CAD exam
Now learning to use Revit.
Go for it, you won't look back!
I was an architectural technician back in the mid 1990's, when everything was done on a drawing board, parallel motion and pens and ink.
I changed to Project Management just as AutoCAD came in, so had no training in it.
Fast forward 10 years and I found a job where CAD would be useful. So I went on a 6 night course at the local high school over six weeks.
The teaching was great and practicing on a Student Licence version at home allowed me to really progress.
Now I use it all the time at work.
To the point where in my degree course, I got 99% on my CAD exam
Now learning to use Revit.
Go for it, you won't look back!
Cheers for the words guys.
I have no idea what I was hoping to achieve with this thread... I'm enrolled now so all is good.
Turns out that level 3 was only for people using CAD at work currently or for people with a engineering background. Neither apply to me so I'm on level 2 (can be moved to level 3 if you are progressing well within the first month).
I have friends using CAD that have pushed me onto the course. They enjoy it and all do very different jobs all using the same software so the potential for a career is what appeals to me.
I start next week and can't wait!
I have no idea what I was hoping to achieve with this thread... I'm enrolled now so all is good.
Turns out that level 3 was only for people using CAD at work currently or for people with a engineering background. Neither apply to me so I'm on level 2 (can be moved to level 3 if you are progressing well within the first month).
I have friends using CAD that have pushed me onto the course. They enjoy it and all do very different jobs all using the same software so the potential for a career is what appeals to me.
I start next week and can't wait!
What industry are you in? Having Autocad skills will never do you any harm, but you also need a good understanding of what you will be drawing.
One thing I would strongly advise, is. Learn to use and customize the keyboard shortcuts. This will make you faster/more productive. Your college will try to get you to use the ribbon.
I have been using it for 11 years and consider myself something of a cad geek. I moved on to Revit MEP two years ago.
If you have any question, just ask.
One thing I would strongly advise, is. Learn to use and customize the keyboard shortcuts. This will make you faster/more productive. Your college will try to get you to use the ribbon.
I have been using it for 11 years and consider myself something of a cad geek. I moved on to Revit MEP two years ago.
If you have any question, just ask.
Cheers for the info guys. Will bare it all in mind, I'm all enrolled on this course so will see how I get on and then look at the next step...
Anyone recommend any good sources of info? Books, websites etc??
I can do the level 3 course or 2d Autocad next too which might be worth it and then maybe 3d inventor but not sure any of this is going to help much baring in mind the number of people with degrees that will no doubt apply for similar jobs to me!
Anyone recommend any good sources of info? Books, websites etc??
I can do the level 3 course or 2d Autocad next too which might be worth it and then maybe 3d inventor but not sure any of this is going to help much baring in mind the number of people with degrees that will no doubt apply for similar jobs to me!
Donatello said:
Cheers for the info guys. Will bare it all in mind, I'm all enrolled on this course so will see how I get on and then look at the next step...
Anyone recommend any good sources of info? Books, websites etc??
I can do the level 3 course or 2d Autocad next too which might be worth it and then maybe 3d inventor but not sure any of this is going to help much baring in mind the number of people with degrees that will no doubt apply for similar jobs to me!
I'm a CAD Engineer, been doing it for about 5 years.Anyone recommend any good sources of info? Books, websites etc??
I can do the level 3 course or 2d Autocad next too which might be worth it and then maybe 3d inventor but not sure any of this is going to help much baring in mind the number of people with degrees that will no doubt apply for similar jobs to me!
You need to decide what field you're going to work in. I work in construction M&E Building Services, so I use a lot of CADDuct and AutoCAD Mechanical. I also use a bit of 3D Inventor, but this isn't really used a lot in my industry, it's more for manufacturing and product design.
As said above by others, learn to use the keyboard commands. Once you've mastered the basics, CAD becomes about speed.
They do an 'AutoCAD for Dummies' book, which is actually quite informative for the basics. There is also a lot of answers online. If you learn all the correct AutoCAD terms or know what you want to do, but can't think how to do it, then the Autodesk help menu is quite good. If I recall it's the F1 key.
Hope you enjoy it OP.
davepoth said:
This. After having a long conversation about it with architect friends, it's going to be a key skill.
Whilst only doing a little bit of CAD and Revit at Uni (a few examples classes and work when working on projects) I thought they were very very similar, obviously the advantage with the BIM is you actually put the materials in, but the overall interface seemed very interchangeable.As an aside, I know that we were being pushed to use Robot when it becomes fully compatible to analyse the revit buildings we designed, do any of you guys use robot?
Steameh said:
Whilst only doing a little bit of CAD and Revit at Uni (a few examples classes and work when working on projects) I thought they were very very similar, obviously the advantage with the BIM is you actually put the materials in, but the overall interface seemed very interchangeable.
As an aside, I know that we were being pushed to use Robot when it becomes fully compatible to analyse the revit buildings we designed, do any of you guys use robot?
we using building designer in conjunction with Revit structureAs an aside, I know that we were being pushed to use Robot when it becomes fully compatible to analyse the revit buildings we designed, do any of you guys use robot?
I put of learning to use cad for 12 years, and then finally but the bullet and got it installed on my machine at work I was working with an " electric pencil" autocad draftsman who couldn't understand what I wanted him to draft, and that was for £25hr!
As gas been said above, I don't use ribbons just classic with word commands. Once you know how cad does stuff speed greatly increases. I still find myself looking for stuff that I have just drawn on a frozen layer or viewport.
Good block management and layer discipline is key!
BIM training next an work are pushing that all civics project engineers can drive it.
Good luck.
As gas been said above, I don't use ribbons just classic with word commands. Once you know how cad does stuff speed greatly increases. I still find myself looking for stuff that I have just drawn on a frozen layer or viewport.
Good block management and layer discipline is key!
BIM training next an work are pushing that all civics project engineers can drive it.
Good luck.
some good advice above but i would question what you want to do with the qualification from a career perspective?
most mechanically biased fields of work do not really use 2D cad these days, save for electrical drawings and piping/instrumentation layouts. 3D is fast becoming the industry standard.
advantages of 3D are also: compatibility between platforms [solidworks and inventor are near identical], more £££ per hr as a contractor, more fun to play with and much more intuitive to use.
most mechanically biased fields of work do not really use 2D cad these days, save for electrical drawings and piping/instrumentation layouts. 3D is fast becoming the industry standard.
advantages of 3D are also: compatibility between platforms [solidworks and inventor are near identical], more £££ per hr as a contractor, more fun to play with and much more intuitive to use.
shirt said:
some good advice above but i would question what you want to do with the qualification from a career perspective?
most mechanically biased fields of work do not really use 2D cad these days, save for electrical drawings and piping/instrumentation layouts. 3D is fast becoming the industry standard.
advantages of 3D are also: compatibility between platforms [solidworks and inventor are near identical], more £££ per hr as a contractor, more fun to play with and much more intuitive to use.
I would agree with this. most mechanically biased fields of work do not really use 2D cad these days, save for electrical drawings and piping/instrumentation layouts. 3D is fast becoming the industry standard.
advantages of 3D are also: compatibility between platforms [solidworks and inventor are near identical], more £££ per hr as a contractor, more fun to play with and much more intuitive to use.
When I worked in building services (many moons ago) I used AutoCAD extensively but once you start doing anything else you soon realise why a parametric model is leagues ahead. It does depend on what you want to do and whilst 2D is a great start, make sure you get as much exposure to other packages as you can.
I started out using 2D AutoCAD when it was running in DOS lol and subsequently went on to Mechanical Desktop and then IDEAS. I've since stopped using CAD but still play with CATIA and ProE to interrogate models.
Sorry for lack of activity guys. I've been reading but unable to reply.
I am literally a complete novice, it just interested me and as it was entry level stuff I just wanted to get a feel for it. So at the moment, I probably can't answer a lot of your questions.
I started on Thursday, we were using AutoCAD Mechanical 2013 and I enjoyed it. Lots to learn, but it is interesting.
The tutor so far has shown us how to use the ribbons but is actually pushing us to use typed short-cuts. However, he really likes his own voice and does not stop talking, even if it isn't relevant!
We just started on basic set-up, setting up the functions we would be using for ease of use and we did some basic shapes. I seemed to get more done than anyone else, alot of people really struggled, but I am just concerned that I am battering through the work, finding it easy, but missing vital functions?
Once I complete the course (if I pass obviously!) I will then look into specifics, but I think for now I just need to get the hang of the commands and see what I can actually do.
I'm sure I will be able to talk in greater detail after a few weeks.
Thank you very much for all the input so far, I have lots to look into.
I am literally a complete novice, it just interested me and as it was entry level stuff I just wanted to get a feel for it. So at the moment, I probably can't answer a lot of your questions.
I started on Thursday, we were using AutoCAD Mechanical 2013 and I enjoyed it. Lots to learn, but it is interesting.
The tutor so far has shown us how to use the ribbons but is actually pushing us to use typed short-cuts. However, he really likes his own voice and does not stop talking, even if it isn't relevant!
We just started on basic set-up, setting up the functions we would be using for ease of use and we did some basic shapes. I seemed to get more done than anyone else, alot of people really struggled, but I am just concerned that I am battering through the work, finding it easy, but missing vital functions?
Once I complete the course (if I pass obviously!) I will then look into specifics, but I think for now I just need to get the hang of the commands and see what I can actually do.
I'm sure I will be able to talk in greater detail after a few weeks.
Thank you very much for all the input so far, I have lots to look into.
Make sure you fully understand the UCS and how it works, I really struggled from opening up other peoples drawings that were drawn at 1:1 in the real world (which you could pull coordinated off for say setting out - quite a common civils requirement), and other drawings at different scales i.e 1:1000 so mm vs m.
There was also the issue of rotating the screen via using UCS and then forgetting. Its the sort of thing you get the hang of quickly.
I have print out here of the most useful cad function and will email them to you if you like. As others have said once you know what the function is called you have cracked it. Google does sometimes help.
I picked it up quickly having sat next to very good cad guys and having told them what to draft, remembered the commands.
Enjoy,
There was also the issue of rotating the screen via using UCS and then forgetting. Its the sort of thing you get the hang of quickly.
I have print out here of the most useful cad function and will email them to you if you like. As others have said once you know what the function is called you have cracked it. Google does sometimes help.
I picked it up quickly having sat next to very good cad guys and having told them what to draft, remembered the commands.
Enjoy,
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