AutoCAD^® Drafting Courses

In this course, you’ll develop the necessary skills to ensure your success in the program. You’ll learn how you can improve your study skills, so you’re able to use a number of tools that will help you to be successful.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Identify skills needed to be a confident and independent online learner

Did you ever build anything? Before building anything, you would have to picture how it would look when finished. You would have to imagine how the item would look from the front, the top, the sides, and the rear.

Throughout the ages, there have evolved many different languages; the variety reflects the wide range of cultures and communities in our world. Similarly, a drafter is effectively using a graphic language—a language of pictures. Because these pictures can be understood by people throughout the world, the graphic language of drafting can be thought of as a “world language.”

This course will help you understand how to draw different views of an object and the relationship between different views along with how you can use the drafter’s world language to accurately convey your ideas to others.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Categorize the various application of drafting in communicating ideas
• Analyze the fundamentals of making an orthographic projection
• Analyze the geometries and print-reading applications involved in various drawings and prints

This course focuses on the basic concepts and skills you’ll need to understand drafting. First, you’ll learn about the importance of sketching and why this is a pivotal skill to develop and practice. You’ll also learn about the instruments and notations you’ll use to create complete and accurate sketches. This course ends with a brief overview of basic mathematical concepts you’ll come across in sketching and drafting.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Distinguish between the different sketching methods and their importance
• Discover various measuring tools and proper notation for sketching
• Apply the basic concepts of numerals, mathematical operations, fractions, and geometry in solving drafting problems

In this course, you’ll study orthographic projection, applied geometry, and dimensioning and tolerancing. You’ll start by learning the fundamentals of drawing orthographic projections. Then, you’ll learn about calculations in applied geometry, such as how to find the perimeter, area, and volume of different geometric shapes. The last lesson in this course covers basic concepts in dimensioning and tolerancing.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Point out the fundamentals of drawing various orthographic projections
• Solve perimeter, area, and volume for a variety of geometrical shapes
• Differentiate between the various concepts of dimensioning and tolerancing

In this course, you'll learn about basic, introductory AutoCAD^® software functions. This includes essential tools and how to draw lines and circles. You'll also learn about layers, colors, linetypes, and a variety of other commonly used functions to create AutoCAD^® drawings. At the end of this course, you'll practice all of these things and more in a graded project.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Describe the fundamental elements of the AutoCAD^® environment
• Describe the different commands used to view drawings
• Identify procedures for creating line drawings and objects using commands, layers, and macros
• Create a drawing using various AutoCAD^® tools and settings

Software: Students can download a fully functional version of AutoCAD^® from the Autodesk website. Student eligibility must be verified with Autodesk every year to continue to have full access to the software.

This course continues your learning of AutoCAD^® software with more advanced functions. Building on what you've already learned, you'll look more in-depth at object properties and object snaps as well as text and dimension functions. You'll also learn about the functions of blocks and attributes. Then you’ll learn how to move drawings beyond your computer screen by printing or plotting them. You'll be instructed on how to create isometric drawings and 3D models as well. At the end of this course, you'll get a chance to practice all these new AutoCAD^® skills and more with a graded project.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Describe how to modify object properties and drafting settings and perform object snaps in AutoCAD^®
• Describe how to use AutoCAD^® dimensioning tools and text tools
• Describe how to use templates, blocks, external references, and attributes in AutoCAD^®
• Describe AutoCAD^® layouts, viewports, and plotting tools, and use AutoCAD^® utility commands
• Describe how to create traditional isometric drawings and 3D modeling files in AutoCAD^®
• Describe how to perform 3D rendering and create walkthroughs in AutoCAD^®
• Create a drawing using various AutoCAD^® tools and settings

In this course, you’ll learn about special symbols, callouts, and designs for structural drawings built from an engineer’s calculations and sketches. The structural drawings will be based on components associated with various types of commercial construction methods involving concrete, wood, and steel. You’ll also get an in-depth look at civil drafting by developing drawing plans, site plans, and profiles from survey information.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Identify a commercial structural drawing correctly made from an engineering sketch
• Create a structural drawing used in planning and constructing a small storage building
• Analyze survey information to use in drawing site plans and profiles, including cut and fill work for civil drafting
• Create a set of civil drawing plans that includes a driveway and a residence

This course covers topics in HVAC and electrical schematic drafting. In this course, you’ll learn about special symbols and drawings used in HVAC drafting. Some concepts include pattern development, intersections, and material bending and chassis layout. You also learn about the fundamentals of electrical schematics and diagrams, including electric power substation design drawing, residential and commercial electrical plans, and printed circuit technology.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Identify appropriate HVAC and sheet metal drawing solutions for engineering problems
• Create a detailed HVAC drawing
• Explain how to prepare an electronics drawing from an engineering sketch
• Create a detailed drawing of an electrical system and electronic diagrams