0470008784 Instructor Materials
Just Enough AutoCAD 2007
Syllabus: 15 Week (30-Session) Course
Course Description
This syllabus is intended as an aid and starting point to instructors who use Just Enough AutoCAD 2007 as part of their AutoCAD training material. This example syllabus provides a format for a 15-week (30-session) course. Each session is presumed to be 60 minutes in length, and to be devoted partly to lecture and partly to lab exercises. You might choose to shift the times allocated to the different parts of the session to better suit your style of teaching. If so, you should adjust the section break points appropriately. Each chapter of the text is covered in two or three sessions, with time in the second or third session devoted for chapter review purposes.
The syllabus does not include all of the chapter sections in the classroom sessions. The material that is not covered in the sessions is extra information that can be helpful to the student but is not absolutely necessary to be included in the classroom. However, the accompanying set of quiz questions assumes that the student has read each chapter in its entirety even though the chapters are not fully covered in the classroom. You may use only those questions that apply to your classroom presentation, or give a homework reading assignment of the chapter sections not covered in class.
Teaching a diverse range of students presents challenges—teaching to the least experienced students will bore the more advanced ones, and teaching for the advanced students will mystify the beginners. You must strike a balance and work to engage all the students. When a beginner asks a question that’s not challenging to more advanced students, consider passing it on to the class as a whole (“Does anybody know the answer to this question?”). This will help keep the more advanced students engaged. When a student asks a particularly advanced question, try quickly laying out at least the basics needed to understand the question and restating it in a simplified manner so that the less experienced students can better understand it.
Learning AutoCAD requires hands-on experience. Most chapters of Just Enough AutoCAD provide step-by-step instructions for accomplishing general tasks. You should encourage your students to experiment with their AutoCAD installations, whether in the classroom or on their own systems.
General Class Format
Learning about AutoCAD requires hands-on experience, and the hands-on experience works best soon after formal presentation of the material. This means that you should try to intersperse lectures and labs. A typical class will be 60 minutes long, broken down roughly as follows:
10 minutes—Review of previous lecture’s material
20 minutes—Lecture
20 minutes—Lab
10 minutes—Review and questions
Most chapters of the book consume two sessions. Of course, you may have your own preferred structure, and some days will require changes.
Course Schedule
Session 1
Introductions and course overview. Be sure to take some time to get to know your students. Pay particular attention to their relative skill levels—ask them to introduce themselves and also ask why they may be interested in AutoCAD. You might also ask about the field of work the student is involved in. This knowledge will help you plan the level of your lecture material for your class.
Session 2
Chapter 1, Getting Familiar with AutoCAD
Text sections: “Understanding the AutoCAD Window” through “Understanding the Layout Tabs”.
This is a basic introduction to AutoCAD showing the student the layout of AutoCAD’s window and the various parts. The goal is to help the student become familiar with AutoCAD and to identify the parts of the window for future reference.
Session 3
Chapter 1, Getting Familiar with AutoCAD (continued).
Text sections: “Understanding How Command Options Work” through “Getting Help”.
This session introduces the student to the methods for entering commands to start drawing or editing. The last part shows the student how to get help from the AutoCAD Help system. The goal is to help the student become familiar with the way AutoCAD works and how to get help when no one is around to ask.
Session 4
Chapter 2, Understanding the Drafting Tools
Text sections: “.Understanding the AutoCAD Coordinate System” through “Setting Up a Drawing”.
AutoCAD does not offer many clues to the size and scale of the drawing area. Here the student learns more about the drawing area and learns how to set it up. Coordinates and the specification of directions are also presented.
Session 5
Chapter 2, Understanding the Drafting Tools (continued).
Text sections: “Using a Digital T Square and Triangle: through “Changing the Grid and Snap Settings”.
Once the drawing area is understood, the student can begin to practice using some of the basic drafting tools. They are shown the ortho mode and Polar Tracking, features that restrain motion to horizontal and vertical directions. Grids and snaps are also covered.
Session 6
Chapter 2, Understanding the Drafting Tools (continued).
Text sections: “Selecting Exact Locations on Objects” through “Using the Temporary Tracking Point feature”.
AutoCAD offers object snaps which allow users to quickly locate exact locations on objects in a drawing. This feature is presented in this sesson along with object snap tracking, a related feature that lets you align objects.
Session 7
Chapter 3, Drawing 2D Objects
Text sections: “Drawing Straight Lines” through “Drawing Parallel Lines”.
This session begins the presention on drawing 2D objects including lines, circles and arcs.
Session 8
Chapter 3, Drawing 2D Objects (continued).
Text sections: “Drawing Revision Clouds” through “Working with Hatch Patterns and Solid Fills”.
Session 8 continues the presentation of 2D drawing by covering revision clouds and hatch patterns.
Session 9
Chapter 3, Drawing 2D Objects (continued).
Text sections: “Drawing Regular Polygons” through “Using Objects to Lay Out Your Drawing”.
The student is shown how regular polygons are drawn. Students are also shown how objects can be used as temporary layout tools.
Session 10
Chapter 4, Editing AutoCAD Objects
Text sections: “Selecting Objects” through “Editing the Windows Way”.
Here students are introduced to the methods for editing AutoCAD objects, starting with the basic methods for selecting objects. Next, students will be introduced to grip editing, which is a common method for editing graphics in the Windows environment.
Session 11
Chapter 4, Editing AutoCAD Objects (continued).
Text sections: “Changing Objects with Grips and Dynamic Input” through “Controlling Objects Using the Properties Palette”.
This session continues with more on grip editing. The Properties palette is also introduced as a tool for editing objects through settings presented in the Properties palette
Session 12
Chapter 5, Editing with the Modify Toolbar
Text sections: “Selecting Objects” through “Moving and Copying”.
Session 12 introduces the student to the Modify toolbar showing the student the various tools for shaping objects. Moving and copying objects are also covered.
Session 13
Chapter 5, Editing with the Modify Toolbar (continued).
Text sections: “Scaling, Stretching, and Rotating” through “Editing Polylines”.
More editing features are covered in this session, including scaling and rotating.
Session 14
Chapter 6, Creating 3D Drawings
Text sections: “Understanding the Modeling Methods” through “Surface Modeling Tools”.
3D modeling is often one of the more fun and challenging areas for students. This session introduces the student to the basic methods of 3D modeling in AutoCAD.
Session 15
Chapter 6, Creating 3D Drawings (continued)
Text sections: “Using 3D Solids” through “3D Solid Editing Options”.
Continuing from Session 14, this session shows the student how an object can be created and modified.
Session 16
Chapter 6, Creating 3D Drawings (continued)
Text sections: “Manipulating Objects in 3D Space” through “Saving and Restoring Your 3D Views”.
The editing theme continues in this session, then finishes with methods for viewing 3D models.
Session 17
Chapter 7, Getting Organized with Layers
Text sections: “Creating and Assigning Layers” through “Express Tools Layer Options for Managing Layers”.
Layers are the main tool for organizing drawing information. This session introduces the student to layers and shows the student what layers are for and the basic methods for creating and using layers.
Session 18
Chapter 7, Getting Organized with Layers (continued)
Text sections: “Organizing Visual Content throught Properties” through “Setting Colors, Linetypes, Linetype Scales, and Line Weight for Individual Objects”.
Layers enable the users to control the appearance of objects in AutoCAD. You can set color, line width, and even whether lines are continuous or dashed. This session shows the student how layers can be used to control these features.
Session 19
Chapter 8, Blocks, Groups, Xrefs, and DesignCenter
Text sections: “Using Blocks to Organize Objects” through “Organizing Objects Using Groups”.
Blocks are an AutoCAD feature that lets you group objects together into a single object. This session introduces the student to the blocks and how they are created and used. Groups are another feature that combines objects into a single object. They are mentioned, though it isn’t essential that the new AutoCAD users becomes an expert on groups.
Session 20
Chapter 8, Blocks, Groups, Xrefs, and DesignCenter (continued)
Text sections: “Getting Multiple Uses from Drawings Using External References” through “Keeping Tools on Hand with Tool Palettes”.
External References are really just AutoCAD files that are imported into an AutoCAD drawing. They behave like blocks (introduced in the previous session) but unlike blocks, the are not part of the current drawing. As their name implies, external references are used like reference background drawings. This session introduces the student to the concepts and uses of external references.
The chapter also covers the DesignCenter and other related features, though these are more for the student’s reference and not an essential part of their training.
Session 21
Chapter 9, Creating Text
Text sections: “Adding and Formatting Text” through “Adding Single Words With the Single-Line Text Object”.
Technical drawing would be useless if there were no way to include text. AutoCAD’s text feature is introduced in this session.
The student learns the fundamental methods for adding text and controling fonts and text size.
Session 22
Chapter 9, Creating Text (continued)
Text sections: “Adding Tables to Your Drawing” through “Creating Table Styles”.
Another very common feature in technical drawings are tables. Here students are shown the basic table creation features that AutoCAD has to offer. The book offers some fairly detailed descriptions of tables that the student can refer to once they have the basics down.
Session 23
Chapter 10, Using Dimensions
Text sections: “Understanding the Parts of an AutoCAD Dimension” through “Adding Tolerance Notation”.
Like text, dimensions are an essential part of technical drawings. Session 23 introduces the student to the methods and tools needed to add basic dimensions to a drawing. As in the previous session, the chapter covers more detail than the student needs to absorb. They can refer to chapter 10 when they want to explore dimensions beyond the classroom.
Session 24
Chapter 10, Using Dimensions (continued)
Text sections: “Editing Dimensions” through “Setting Up the Dimension’s Appearance”.
Adding dimensions is just half the battle. Like text, dimenisons need to be formatted for the correct arrows, text size and font, and measurement system. This session offers a survey of the dimension settings as well as how existing dimensions may be edited.
Session 25
Chapter 11, Gathering Information
Text sections: “Measuring Areas” through “Finding the Time Spent on a Drawing”.
Once a drawing has been started, the user can begin to query the drawing to gather information. You can find areas of shapes, perimeter distances and straight distances. This session shows the student how to gather information about a drawing thorugh the many tools designed for that purpose.
Session 26
Chapter 11, Gathering Information (continued)
Text sections: “Adding Nondrawing Data to Store with Your Drawing” through “Finding Missing Support Files”.
Along with data gathering, you can include data with a drawing that doesn’t appear in the drawing itself. You can include non-drawing textual information through the drawing preferences. Session 26 shows how this simple tool can be used. The student will also learn how to locate support files that may be misplaced.
Session 27
Chapter 12, Laying Out and Printing Your Drawing
Text sections: “Setting Up a Drawing for Printing” through “Adding Layouts”.
AutoCAD offers a full set of options when it comes to printing your drawing. You can control line weights, color, size, scale, orientation and many other options. But offering a high level of control makes the printing process more complicated.
This session gives the student a gentle introduction to printing in AutoCAD by showing how the user can set up their prints. The Layout tab is given a closer look as well as methods for adding drawing views.
Session 28
Chapter 12, Laying Out and Printing Your Drawing (continued)
Text sections: “Printing Your Drawing” through “Storing Your Printer Settings”.
Once the student understands the layout methods for printing, they can try their hand at actually priting a drawing. Here they learn how to configure the printer to achieve the results they want.
Session 29
Chapter 12, Laying Out and Printing Your Drawing (continued)
Text sections: “Controlling Color, Lines, and Fills Through Plot Styles” through “Converting a Drawing from Color Plot Styles to Named Plot Styles”.
AutoCAD offers a feature called plot styles that offers the user finer control over the way a print or plot appears. This session is intended to introduce the user to the concepts behind plot styles and how they can be used to fine tune printer output.
Session 30
Course review; may include question-and-answer session, review of Assessment Test questions, or other review practices.
Just Enough AutoCAD 2007. © Wiley Inc. 2006. All Rights Reserved.