AutoCAD Essentials

Configure AutoCAD's classic workspace instead of the default ribbon interface for faster access to tools. You'll customise toolbars, dock palettes like Properties and Layers, and arrange your screen for architectural drafting. Once set up, save your workspace as a template so every new project starts with your preferred layout. This foundation speeds up everything that follows.

A hands-on walkthrough of AutoCAD's drawing tools: line, polyline, rectangle, arc, and circle. Then the modify commands: trim, offset, rotate, scale, stretch, explode, break, and mirror. You'll also learn to create and insert blocks for repeating elements like doors and furniture. Each tool is demonstrated with practical examples you'll use throughout the course.

Set up object snaps for precision drafting—endpoint, midpoint, intersection, and perpendicular let you click exactly where you need. Configure orthogonal mode to lock lines to horizontal and vertical, and polar tracking for angled lines at set increments. These settings eliminate guesswork and ensure your geometry is accurate from the start. Small setup, big impact on drawing quality.

Start drawing the Farnsworth House floor plan by importing reference images and scaling them to match real-world dimensions. Set up layers for walls, glazing, columns, and annotations to keep your drawing organised. Trace the building's steel frame and glass enclosure using polylines, then add column blocks on the precise grid. By the end, you'll have a complete floor plan ready for detailing.

Populate the floor plan with door blocks including swing arcs, bathroom fixtures, and furniture. Add hatching patterns for floor finishes, decking, and grass areas to distinguish materials. Label rooms with text annotations showing names and floor areas. These details transform a basic outline into a readable architectural floor plan.

Produce elevations that align perfectly with your floor plans using the lining-through method. Rotate and mirror the plan to create a baseline, then project vertical lines up to establish key heights. Draw the elevation details—roof edges, glazing, columns, and ground line—while maintaining accurate alignment. This traditional technique ensures your plans and elevations stay coordinated.

Add depth to your elevations using 45-degree hatch patterns for cast shadows beneath overhangs and behind columns. The shadow direction follows architectural convention, making drawings easier to read at a glance. Finish by adding entourage—trees and shrubs in the background to give context and scale. These touches lift flat line drawings into presentation-quality graphics.

Move from model space to paper space layouts where you'll arrange drawings for printing. Create viewports that display your model at specific scales like 1:100 or 1:50. Position your title block with project information, drawing number, and revision details. This separation of model and paper space is how professionals organise drawings for issue.

Create plot styles (CTB files) that map AutoCAD layer colours to specific line weights for printing. Configure page setup with paper size, plot area, and scale settings. Plot to PDF from both paper space layouts and directly from model space when needed. You'll have consistent, professional output every time.

Add linear, aligned, and angular dimensions to your floor plans and elevations. Configure dimension styles to control text height, arrow types, and offset distances from the geometry. Set up running dimensions and chain dimensions for setting out information. Proper dimensioning makes your drawings usable for construction.