AutoCAD Classes/Seminars

Is it naive to think that I could learn a "rough" idea of what CAD is
in a Seminar or 3 day course? I am only wanting to have a light
knowledge of it since we are doing a company move in a year and I would
like to be able to alter some of the interior of the building - wothout
having to ask an architect to do it. Just to see how different things
would look or work!
If anyone has ever attended a basics course on CAD or if you know of
one in Southern California - I WOULD greatly appreciate knowing yours
thoughts and any classes you know of is Southern Cali. that aren't
college classes that take 16 weeks...
thanks

 

It depends on your experience with drawing, computers, design, construction,
etc.
If all the above are good, and you don't need polished drawings, and you
have good and simple base building drawings, and the final design won't hurt
your business too badly if it's not 'perfect', then I'd say yes.

Mind you, a pencil, scale and trace paper would have to be easier.

 

Hi

It is true that a pen can be "easyer" also if you look around you se
how CAD produce what could aswell be done as an impressive 2D painting
acturly it is as if a lot of artists realised that "this CAD thing" is
a dead-end road.

And why is that, well the dead-end thing come from architect
applications being just how things done as before computers now written
into fast computer code, CAD by first view do not offer the grand
oppotunity the splendid vision or an easyer way to visualise --- but
that was never the idear. The Idea was to draw 3D not 2D to draw the
actural 3D space not an artists perception with or without bad
measurements CAD and 3D was there to ensure that what is drawn can
acturly be made ,reson ; well there is no garentie that if you can draw
it 2D that it can be made.
Now architecture followed the dead-end road and ended up with a
mountain of lazyness or a sea of ignorance. Even everyone know the lead
is 3D everyone complain that they can not make a 2D painting and add
better perspective that "it is difficult" , ofcaurse it is when you mix
together apples and oranges apes and monkeys and expect to find a
mashin to manufactor what evolve from a painterbrain.
Want to know the reson why arts talk are dull and spetacular ,reson is
painterbrain ; "Oh how splendid and spetacular the colors move" DAMN
_colors_ do not move and no spetacular 2D painting can in any respect
be the issue in CAD if you want a 2D painting go get a cheap 2D
paintbrush program and don't mix it up with 3D, 3'D is somthing
compleatly different it is a gurentie that what you draw can acturly be
made.

http://home20.inet.tele.dk/h-3d/

 

If all you are going to do is basic floor planning skip the classes, save
hundreds of dollars and many weeks of time and just buy a copy of 3D Home
Architect. It is only $69.99 and can be purchased off the shelf at CompUSA
or directly from Broderbund [1] who licensed it from ART (the developer of
Chief Architect which is marketed to residential builders). Even though this
version of 3D Home Architect is for residential usage it can be used for
any type of floor planning, insertion of doors and windows, fixtures and so
on. In general, a floor plan is a floor plan.

I'm a degreed architect and was a Chief Architect reseller. I'm giving you
sound advice. There is virtually no learning to do with this software. I sat
my nephew down when he was 10 years old and he 'got it' in less than five
minutes. Its all push buttons and drag and drop. The files can be saved in
..dxf
format that can be reused with AutoCAD or any other major CAD program
so your architect will be able to reuse your design ideas to get building
permits.

--
<%= Clinton Gallagher
METROmilwaukee "Regional Information Services"
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/

[1]
http://www.broderbund.com/jump.jsp?...itemType=PRODUCT&path=1,2,4,14&iProductID=450