AutoCAD

[risho900]

Anyone use this before? I’m trying to get into it but getting really confused especially with like importing CAD files and how to align shapes. I’m also not sure of the differences between each type of template too. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!!

[MikLast]

Any reason you dont use Inventor/Solidworks/Creo?

[gorrilla]

Anyone use this before? I’m trying to get into it but getting really confused especially with like importing CAD files and how to align shapes. I’m also not sure of the differences between each type of template too. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!!

If you are just starting out drawing stuff, first thing your going to want to do is smash that f7 and f8 to turn off grid lines and turn on Ortho so you can snap to straight lines,

Next think about what you are actually trying to draw and go to YouTube to search for a tutorial, if you are a visual or auditory learner this is going to be your best way to learn how to use AutoCAD on a day to day basis, the software is actually pretty simple once you get the commands down.

Remember that default when you try to draw a circle it will be asking for radius numbers and not diameter, this gets me every now and again and I use AutoCAD for work every day.

Hot keys will come in handy if you are not a mouse forward user.

Just find a few videos on YouTube and follow along and you will pick it up fairly quickly.

[risho900]

Any reason you dont use Inventor/Solidworks/Creo?

I’ve actually uses Fusion, Inventor, Onshape, and SW. Just seeing what’s available and seeing which I like best.

[risho900]

If you are just starting out drawing stuff, first thing your going to want to do is smash that f7 and f8 to turn off grid lines and turn on Ortho so you can snap to straight lines,

Next think about what you are actually trying to draw and go to YouTube to search for a tutorial, if you are a visual or auditory learner this is going to be your best way to learn how to use AutoCAD on a day to day basis, the software is actually pretty simple once you get the commands down.

Remember that default when you try to draw a circle it will be asking for radius numbers and not diameter, this gets me every now and again and I use AutoCAD for work every day.

Hot keys will come in handy if you are not a mouse forward user.

Just find a few videos on YouTube and follow along and you will pick it up fairly quickly.

Thanks!

[TedG]

I’ve actually uses Fusion, Inventor, Onshape, and SW. Just seeing what’s available and seeing which I like best.

So are you doing 3D modelling in AutoCAD?
What is the end result you are trying achieve?

I use AutoCAD every day, for over 22 years, working in the A/E/C industry: architecture, structural engineering etc.

You “can” use AutoCAD for FRC stuff, I’ve used it for mostly 2D geometry work, and have done some 3D ACAD work too.

But if you’re designing and modeling your robot and parts in 3D, I highly recommend you use some of those programs suggested, such as Inventor, SW or OnShape.

There isn’t an easy way to create 3D assemblies with constraints in AutoCAD like there is in those others, and 3D models can take up a a lot of file space.

We’ve been using Inventor for the most part (dabbled in Fusion) and recently started working in OnShape.

To answer your question about AutoCAD, not knowing what templates you’re talking about, the basic template without extra stuff is “acad.dwt” (for imperial units). If you’re talking about aligning 2D shapes or entities, you can use the “align” command and follow the command line prompts, there are options to scale or not between picked points.

HTH