AutoCAD is 2D CAD software by Autodesk. Although it also has tools for 3D modeling, it’s famous for its main focus is on 2D CAD. What is 2D CAD? It’s a method of drawing, much like you would in a drawing software like Krita, but using parametric tools to achieve high precision technical drawings. CAD stands for computer-aided design, and that’s exactly what AutoCAD is for.
Some applications where AutoCAD is really popular are architecture, to create house blueprints and layouts; mechanical engineering, to create blueprints and manuals for machines; electrical engineering, to design PCBs; and manufacturing with sheet metal, where AutoCAD is the main tool used to create DXF files of pieces to be cut. AutoCAD is also a popular tool to model the complete layout of industrial factories during their conception and construction periods.
Because it has so many uses, there’s a lot to learn about it. The good thing is, there are plenty of sources out there, both to get started with AutoCAD and to deepen your knowledge. In this article, we’ll go over different paths you may want to take as you get the hang of or master AutoCAD. But first, let’s consider why getting into AutoCAD can feel like an uphill battle.
The Challenge
If your background is in 3D modeling, learning AutoCAD can be a bit challenging at the start as you have to completely change your mindset. If you’ve never done any CAD at all, it will also pose a challenge, as there’s so much to learn.
When working in AutoCAD, any line or shape you put on the workspace is already fully defined, meaning that you have to place them already in the angle, length, and position you want them in. This is in contrast to software like SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or SolidEdge, which are 3D modeling programs. When you’re sketching in these, you can draw a line and then by using dimensions and constraints, change its angle, position, and size. In AutoCAD, you’d have to use tools such as scale, transform, and rotate to be able to change any of these once they’re already created.
Because in AutoCAD every object is already fully defined, AutoCAD aids the user by heavily relying on commands. AutoCAD has a command bar at the bottom of the screen, and here is where AutoCAD’s power really shines. You don’t need to be moving to the ribbon too much to select tools, as you can just start typing anywhere and access commands that way. This makes experienced users extremely fast in their design, as most can be done by keyboard. But at the same time, it makes it difficult for beginners to know what’s available.
There are many great ways to learn AutoCAD, but the most important thing is to constantly keep practicing. It doesn’t matter which of the below methods you follow, as long as you’re doing something and don’t stay inside your comfort zone. With that said, let’s take a look at different ways of learning how to use the program!
Online Courses
In the olden days, you would have to go to a classroom to be taught a new skill, but nowadays you can get this education in an online format, and if the site is any good, the lecturer will usually have some sort of certification to indicate their qualifications to be teaching a course.
Even more so, you can get a diploma by completing an online course, and sometimes there may even be an agreement with the software company so you can get official certification (in this case Autodesk, though we’ll come to Autodesk’s own training program next).
An advantage of these types of courses is that they’re usually self-paced, so you can progress through the content in your own time. You can also check the reviews and content of a course before making the commitment to purchase it, making it a very safe bet. But because it’s self-paced, the disadvantage is you depend on your own discipline to be constant in following the course. Additionally, usually, there’s no interaction with the instructor – although some courses may allow for comments to be posted and instructors may answer, depending on the platform.
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Courses like AutoCAD 2020-2021-2022 2D from Zero to Hero from Udemy teach you many tricks to improve your efficiency with AutoCAD. The exercises are short and to the point so you feel like you advance quickly. Best of all, you get a certification at the end, it isn’t expensive, and it’s self-paced.
Autodesk Training
If you’d rather go straight to the source, Autodesk has an official training site where they share tips, tricks, and courses for all levels of knowledge. Whether you’re starting out or want to learn about the more advanced features of AutoCAD, Autodesk has free and paid resources to recommend. For free options, Autodesk offers Autodesk University, which is a compilation of resources offered by experts. Here, you essentially find articles explaining a specific feature set of the program.
For paid resources, Autodesk has a list of authorized training centers. These are sites Autodesk has endorsed as offering a quality training service. The curriculum is often developed hand-in-hand with Autodesk to cover a desired range of subjects. The instructors for the courses are also approved or selected by Autodesk, as they must have the qualification of Autodesk Certified Instructor. The greatest advantage of these authorized training centers, though, is the ability to get an official AutoCAD certification by completing the courses.
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You can use their Authorized Training Centers (ATC) locator by inputting the city where you live, it can be anywhere in the world, and the software you want to learn (in this case, AutoCAD). You’ll be pointed to an Authorized Center in that location, and from there you can contact the training center directly.
YouTube Tutorials
YouTube is a free resource for a vast range of subjects, and you can find information in many different languages. You can watch without being registered and without having to pay, and in some cases you can interact with the creator and other members of the community via the comments to get feedback or to clear doubts you may have.
Series of related videos can be organized into Playlists, which allow creators to create complete series explaining a subject, and because of this, there are many tutorial groupings dedicated expressly to AutoCAD. You can even check out a page’s “About” section to find other ways to contact the creators.
You can advance at your own pace and create your own compilation of useful resources, so you’re not limited to only one source of information. The disadvantage of YouTube is that you can’t really know the qualifications of the person teaching, but usually the comments will have some information about how good a tutorial is.
Recommended Resources
From CAD CAM Tutorials’ AutoCAD learning series, there are many to choose from, including AutoCAD basics with updates for each new version of the program. There are also specific courses for architecture and 3D modeling. For something more targeted, the AutoCAD Floorplan Series by SourceCAD is specific for floor planning in architecture. According to comments, the descriptions are simple and to the point while remaining clear and not skipping important information. It’s reviewed as having a thought-out structure when considering the way it is explained and its good pacing, so it’s not frustrating or boring to follow.
Modeling structural steel is one of the most useful skills you can have because it’s needed absolutely everywhere and it’s very versatile, which makes it a good tool for any machine or structure, so Advance Steel in AutoCAD for Beginners may be the way to go if you’re interested. This is more of an advanced tutorial series, but comments say it’s great because it explains not only how to use the program to create structural steel structures, but also the regulations and details behind it so that you can actually apply it in real life.
Textbooks
Working through textbooks for matters such as software or programming is always a great idea because they offer an almost endless list of exercises to try for yourself. Even more, they often have step-by-step solutions so you can check them at any point you get stuck. Academic books should also have a pretty well-thought-out progression from basic concepts to complex exercises, so the build-up will be gradual, making the learning curve less steep.
There are many things that a tutorial won’t teach you and you probably won’t even know exist until you start working in a professional field with AutoCAD. This is another advantage of books: If it’s published through an academic publisher, the author has to have some sort of reputable expertise in the matter. This means that these books are written by experts on the subject and will most likely have information you can find nowhere else.
Finally, nowadays you don’t even need to have the book in a physical format, although that’s also an option. You can have as many books as you like and carry them anywhere in eBook format, making them more accessible. And even physical books aren’t hard to get thanks to online shopping.
Recommended Resource
We have a complete article discussing the best books for AutoCAD learning. From it, we suggest Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2020 by Pearson Education. This is a pretty extensive and thorough book that leaves no stone unturned when it comes to real-life exercises, design standards, and homework to try out yourself. The latest edition of this book is available for pre-order.
Diagrams
You want to practice AutoCAD but coming up with design ideas is hard? Just copy existing ones!
If you’re interested in learning AutoCAD, you’re likely doing something related to engineering or architecture, which means you see a fair share of blueprints and diagrams. Sometimes you want to practice but you can’t come up with any ideas on what to draw. A great strategy is taking any textbook and recreating the diagrams. This can often result in some challenging drawings, as they might include annotations, isometric views, dimensions, different hatching patterns, and colors.
For example, try to replicate a diagram of a Rankine cycle, or take your Fatigue textbook and recreate some isometric shaft and components into AutoCAD, complete with dimensions. Once you master plain 2D, isometric is a great escalation point before 3D, and it will surely give you a few headaches while you get the hang of it.
Even if you don’t have access to textbooks or don’t know any useful ones, you can look for a blueprint of these systems online and then copy what you see, using keywords like “mechanical drafting exercises”.
Recommended Resource
At the end of the day, any book you have will do, however, if you don’t know where to start, we suggest Engineering Mechanics: Combined Statics & Dynamics by Russell Hibbeler. This book is filled with mechanical diagrams you can use as a reference.
Competitions
Once you’ve got your bearings and you feel like practice is all you need, the issue may not be a lack of skill, but a lack of things to do. A good way to keep inspired to come up with new concepts is to participate in design competitions. These don’t always necessarily care what software you use, so you can challenge yourself to use AutoCAD. Design competitions usually have a theme, which will take you out of your comfort zone, thinking of new ideas in categories you would usually not dive into.
In some cases, it may even get you a good prize, like money, software licenses, 3D printing filament, a job opportunity, or some cool merch. However, don’t go into your first one thinking you’re going to win – focus more on what you’re going to learn.
A good place to start looking for competitions is on the Autodesk Competitions Site, where you can see if you’re eligible to participate in one; they vary by program, age, and education stage (e.g. high school or university level). 3D design contests on Printables aren’t specific to AutoCAD, but you can participate in them anyway and win some Prusament and, in some cases, even 3D printers. Your academic institution or local engineering or research companies may also hold competitions, so be on the lookout for those.
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GrabCAD is an online community for mechanical designers to share and explore designs. GrabCAD challenges set a design problem for anyone in the community to try to solve. By participating in their competitions you get to promote your company or yourself as a freelancer in design. And what’s more interesting is that they sometimes partner with organizations, like the recent NASA Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative, so you can not only practice your AutoCAD skills, but also get some new life opportunities along the way.
License: The text of "How to Learn AutoCAD: 6 Easy Ways" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.