I want to learn drafting on the computer

_RaT_ · Apr 25, 2007

Do you have any advice how to go about doing this? I know AutoCad is one of the more popular programs, are there others that are preferable? The drafting is primarily for myself, but want to learn and understand it. Thanks, Mark.

thcri · Apr 25, 2007

Mark,

We have Auto CAD Lite 2006. I have two guys that know how to use it. I can open them up and print them but that is about it. I can do some editing. But what some of my guys did was watched the local newspapers for night classed put on by your local colleges. One guy got in a 6 month course, was given the full autocad program for a two year run. He is now pretty good with with it and it only cost him around $400.00. I have been looking for a class like that but have not found one in the last two years.

murph

RobertN · Apr 25, 2007

See if Sierra College has a class. Is there an outreach campus in Auburn? I know there is a Sierra outreach campus in Grass Valley...

AutoCad or AutoCad-Lt would be the way to go, kind of a standard. If you go through the college, you can usually get a student discounted version. Would have to do summer or fall class though; spring semester is almost over.

Check the local print houses in Auburn too. Before my wife bought a BIG HP printer, she was able to email her print file to a local blueprint/printer shop. For a 24x36 B/W, it was only like $3 a print. Her printer has a 24" bed; if she needs larger, she still send out to the print shop.

My wife uses a landscape CAD program, based on AutoCad.

livincountry · Apr 25, 2007

I've used AutoCAD since 1985 or so. Not sure what your target market is but any 2d stuff works well on it. I'm mostly self taught and have read up on enhancements over the years to learn more. I also know PRO/E extermely well (10+ years). It's more complicated and required formal training.

A few evening classes are a good start if you think you need it.

AL_Josh · Apr 25, 2007

I have been a draftsman for a surveying company in Miami and now work for a engineering and surveying company located in Mobile. I graduated from one of our local community colleges with a associates in Drafting and Design. I was in the last class to actually draw on a table. I recomend trying to find a community college offering intro to Auto Cad classes. It will get you started and you will learn alot while you use it.

Tractors4u · Apr 26, 2007

I too started out with an AAS in Design & Drafting Technology. We started with some of the earlier programs. We had a system called M.A.T.C. CAD. It stood for Milwaukee Area Technical College CAD. Supposedly some professor designed it. That was the introduction, then we moved up to a Baush and Lomb system. Before I graduated we got AutoCad. Now the two big names in CAD are AutoCad and Intergraph Microstation. In my civilian job I work at NASA at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville Alabama. Depending on the department you work in, you might use AutoCad or Microstation.

_RaT_ · Apr 26, 2007

Thanks everyone.

dmccarty · Apr 26, 2007

_RaT_,

I use a program called General Cadd. Its based on a long dead 2D program called Generic Cadd. Generic Cadd was a very good full featured CAD program that cost $50-$75 back in the the day of DOS. AutoCadd bought Generic Cadd, killed the product and started selling AutoCadd lite.

I tried to use AutoCadd but I was just too used to Generic Cadd's command structure. Never could "get" AutoCadd.

When it was time to design the house I did it the old fashioned way with paper. That worked for a while.

I went back to the drawing board, aka googled, and found that General Cadd had released so I bought it.

They seem to release an upgrade every year or so which I seem to buy every other release.

Try to get a demo program of both programs and see which one you like best. Autocadd has the market and if you want to do this for a living its the way to go. If you need the program for your own use then General Cadd is a good option.

I use CAD all the time on projects. Its a handy program to have and know how to use regardless of the software one uses.

Later,
Dan

reb · Apr 26, 2007

A cheap way to go is to download the free version of TurboCad (I think they call it TurboCad LE, for learning edition). I don't have the link handy, but a google search will yield it. I had a purchased version of TurboCad about three computers ago, but it wouldn't load into the new one. Then I found the free version and it works great for all my home projects.