AutoCAD 2023 Essential Training

Learn how to become a competent AutoCAD user for design projects in architecture, engineering, construction management, manufacturing, and product design.

Introduction

• The essentials of AutoCAD
• The advantages of using AutoCAD
• What you should know before watching this course
• Using the exercise files
• The AutoCAD 2023 user interface

1. The AutoCAD Interface

• The application menu
• The infobar
• The Quick Access Toolbar (QAT)
• The ribbon and panels
• Using workspaces in AutoCAD
• Working with palettes and dialog boxes
• The command line
• Using Dynamic Input (DYNMODE)
• The status bar
• Using your Autodesk account

2. Using Units and Options

• Setting drawing units
• Setting the Options dialog box
• Drawings using metric units
• Drawings using imperial units
• Working with templates: DWT

3. Navigating Your Drawings

• Working with the ViewCube and the Navigation Bar
• Modelspace and Paperspace
• Saving and restoring views
• The mouse and mouse settings

4. Drawing Accurately

• Using Grid and Snap
• Working with coordinates
• Using Dynamic Input (DYNMODE)
• Direct Distance Entry (DDE)

5. Creating Simple Geometry: The Basics

• OSNAP and OTRACK
• POLAR and ORTHO
• Lines, arcs, and circles
• Polylines and splines
• Using Realtime Zoom and Realtime Pan

6. Other Drafting Tools

• Rectangles and polygons
• Points and donuts
• Ellipses
• Isometric drafting (ISODRAFT)

7. Exploring the Interface Further

• Working with the file tabs
• The shortcut menu

8. Modifying Objects

• Selecting objects
• Using Move and Copy
• Using Rotate and Scale
• Using Mirror and Offset
• Using Break and Join
• Using grips and grip editing
• Using Boundaries
• Using Fillet and Chamfer
• Using Divide and Measure
• Editing polylines and splines
• Using Trim and Extend
• Creating and using arrays
• Using Stretch and Lengthen

9. Hatching and Gradients

• Using the Hatch command
• Using the Gradient command
• Using Draw Order to display hatches and gradients
• Editing hatches and gradients

10. Annotating Your Designs

• Creating and using text styles
• Single line text (TEXT) and multiline text (MTEXT)
• Creating and using dimension styles
• Adding dimensions to your drawings
• Using Quick Leader (QLEADER) in your drawings
• Creating and using table styles
• Adding a table to your drawing
• Creating and using multileader styles
• Working with multileaders
• Aligning text

11. More Dimensioning Techniques

• Editing dimensions and dimension overrides
• Breaking and spacing dimensions
• Using Continue and Baseline
• Automatic dimensioning

12. Object and Layer Properties

• Working with object properties
• Changing the linetype scale
• Using Hide and Isolate
• New layers and the layer drop-down menu
• Using the layer tools
• Working with layer states

13. Reusing Content

• Using groups
• Creating and inserting a block
• Redefining block definitions in a drawing
• Using the EXPLODE command
• Creating a simple dynamic block
• Using the WBLOCK command

14. Attributes and Tables

• Creating a simple block with attributes
• Enhanced Attribute Editor
• Working with table styles
• Designing a table
• Adding fields to a table

15. External References (XREFS)

• Attaching and overlaying XREFS
• Altering and clipping XREFS
• Editing XREFS
• Editing XREFS in place

16. Working with Viewports and Annotation

• Locking viewports
• Freezing viewport layers
• Using annotative text styles
• Using annotative dimensions
• Using revision clouds

17. Communicating Your Design Intent

• Creating a simple titleblock
• Defining your page setup
• Adding new scaled viewports
• Using annotative scaling
• Printing and plotting

18. Creating Output

• Plotting from the Model and Layout tabs
• Packaging with eTransmit
• Batch Plotting (PUBLISH)
• Outputting to different file formats
• Using Autodesk Design Review with a DWF file
• Checking a reviewed DWF file in AutoCAD

19. Drawing Management Tools

• Comparing drawings with DWG Compare
• Using the Count functionality to check the number of objects in a drawing

20. Collaboration Tools

• Working with cloud-based storage
• Saving and opening to and from AutoCAD web and mobile folders
• Working with the AutoCAD web app
• Using the Traces palette to collaborate in AutoCAD web
• Using the Traces palette to collaborate in AutoCAD desktop
• Sharing drawings with others from AutoCAD

Conclusion

• Next steps