Friday Training Follow Up: AutoCAD Basics

Robert Stephen Consulting, LLC provides free 30-minute Client Training session every Friday at 10:00AM PST!  RSC prides itself in providing learning opportunities for our clients.  We feel that if our clients know the system better, we will able to work better with them to discover and implement the solutions that they need.

Last week Matt Ritzman, our AutoCAD expert, discussed the basics of AutoCAD.  In the training, Matt set 3 goals:

1.  Learn how to get around AutoCAD
2. Learn how to find out more
3. Learn how to do specific tasks that relate to ARCHIBUS

Below you can find a basic outline for the bulk of the training.

GETTING STARTED

When you open AutoCAD (and I encourage you to do so)  You’ll find an interface that is much like many Windows interfaces.  Standard Menus, buttons, status items.  One big thing that sticks out is the Command Line interface.  This element has a long history that goes back to a time before Windows.  Although you can get by without considering the command line, I highly, highly, highly recommend that you give it some priority.

Command Line

Even when you aren’t using the command line directly, you are using it.  So you might as well embrace it.  Always trust the Command Line.  The command line gives a history of what has happened.  Press F2 – to see an expanded view of the command line

Elements

• Prompt – Command:
• Enter to submit command
• ESC Escape key to get out of a command (sometime you have to use escape multiple times)
• Available options: Specify other corner point or [Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]
• The capitalized letter is a short cut

Buttons, Menu, Ribbon

• Buttons 
• Click to engage a command 
• Menu 
• Tree structure access to commands and tools
• “A” 
• Ribbon 
• “New” access to tools
• Context sensitive
• Potentially more dense 
• Quick Access Toolbar 
• Customization 
• EVERY element in AutoCAD can be customized

Mouse

• Point Click
• Middle Mouse Button
• Right-click
•  Enter 
• Click-hold = Context menu
• Available everywhere
• Context sensitive
• Even in the command line 
• Shift-right click
• Ctrl/shift right click

Grips

• Click to move, stretch, add vertex
• Shift Click to select multiple
• Ctrl click to duplicate object

Palettes

• Tool Palettes ctrl+3
• Properties Palette ctrl+1
• Design Center ctrl+2
• Layers, Xref and others

Status Bar Tray

• Crosshair location
• Snaps
• Interface elements
• Model Space

Modify

• Turn Palettes on and off
• Add and remove toolbars

Intro to Options

• Most of the program preferences are held here 
• Profiles 
• Setup for different tasks
• Support File Search Paths 
• Display 
• It may be worth changing the background for various profiles
• Crosshair size (CURSORSIZE)
• Drafting
• Aperature size (cursor size when selecting an object)
• Selection
• Pickbox size (PICKBOX)

Workspaces

• Save your interface

As a reminder, we will not have training on Friday 11/28 due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.  We are excited, however, to announce our next training on Friday 12/04.  Below are some details on registering.

Please register for RSC's Friday Client Training: TOPIC on Friday, 12/04 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM PST at: https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/3799759723318496001

This week's free 30-Minute training will cover System Administration, specifically Roles & Users

To attend the meeting you must register! After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the training.

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