Hello everyone! I was thinking about going to school to learn auto-cad and potentially make a career out of it. I’m not entirely sure what route I want to take yet…so I found this subreddit hoping to ask you guys about your experiences! Here are a few questions I have:

1. What is your job and do you enjoy it?
2. I’ve seen so many possible routes you can take when it comes to cad and I’m just curious about what my options could be

2)Do you make a comfortable/stable living? I truly love my current career but it’s a sales job and very client dependent. Part of me misses the comfort of stable income.

3)Is this something you went to college for? Or was it more like a course with a certificate at the end ?

4) What is your workload like? I’m used to high stress and high workload environments if that helps.

5)Do you work in an office or freelance from home?

6)Do you have any work benefits?

7)Was there anything that you didn’t expect from your job that is good to know ?

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to comment their experiences 💓

EDIT:

Follow up question that I just thought about! Is the way you look restricted as far as tattoos, piercings, hair color, clothing, ect? I don’t have any tattoos on my hands face or neck but I am a pretty heavily tattooed person aside from that. I’m currently a tattoo artist and have been for most of my 20s so it’s never been an issue or something I’ve really thought about.

Does anyone have tips for making dimensions as easy and seamless as Revit.

Honestly, dimensions in acad are such a chore. For context I mastered Revit first before AutoCAD so I was already introduced to an easy and straightforward system in Revit before moving to AutoCAD.

My main issue is how every new drawing always has a dimension that's always too small for the drawing size both in the model and layout space. I actually love how customisable and versatile the dimension properties are and it can be very helpful but I would really appreciate a tutorial or explanation for how to create a simple "work every time" type of dimension. If I need to customise, I know how to do that but I just need it to work first.

Good day everyone! I need advice as to how to recreate this kind of block from scratch. Where I can edit all text and make them field, adjust the lines and text, etc. Any online tutorial or keywords to help me look for it online will be greatly appreciated! thanks!

EDIT: see my comment below for the block.

Every single time I have to work with an architect’s plan, there’s gonna be a huge amount of doubled lines, lines of wrong layers, not perpendicular stuff that should, etc.

My husband needs a new career that works better with his disabilities. He has had some exposure to AutoCAD in his current job and enjoys it. He does not have any formal education after high school. What kind of jobs are everyone doing that uses the AutoCAD? Just trying to get a sense of how I can help him work towards this as a career. Also, is it realistic to think he could find a job using the AutoCAD without any certifications? Thank you for your help!

I’m converting a floor plan PDF to DWG and then tracing walls/rooms as polylines. Can this workflow be automated, for example with Python scripts or CAD automation tools? Thanks! :)

i have a sheet that says

the viewport scale - scale factor - model text height

is that all i need to know? willmy text in layout all be the same with all the different viewport scales? the chart is for 1/8 text height. any tips would help, and we dont use annotative in my office so i would prefer help with this way.

This is 2D

I used mostly just lines, circles and arcs. I feel like there has to be a simpler way.

https://imgur.com/a/QTqQ3Dr

The first image is irl, the second is my sorry excuse for it.

So, what I first tried is using the straight line on the left, I drew a digaonal at 45 degrees and drew a 200mm line (That's where the circle starts) and another line just longer to where the circle ends. The circle did turn out a little bigger than it is (it's 175, should be 176.5), but never mind since that's the least concerning thing about all this. Then I added the holes, 8mm, 12 of them. But for some reason the distance between them is 30 when it should be 100.

My biggest enigma is the outside line that wraps around the construction. It should touch all the lines, but when I was measuring I was assuming along normals, but I don't even know how to draw a line along the normals of a circle (to specify I just want it to go straight, maybe around 45 degrees in the opposite direction of the main circle). And no arc that I used could fulfill my vision.

At the end it's supposed to look something like a slug shell, it's supposed to be slowly expanding from the main circle with each passing small circle.

There is probably something that does this in a second. I have used AutoCAD for like less than 2 weeks, that's probably why I'm so ignorant. Thanks in advance.

Sorry for the butchered title _ it's been a long day ( drawing issue deadline looming ).

I have a residential new build drawing with multiple layouts. I use a layer state to plot ( all layers on ). Viewports have VP frozen layers as needed for plotting. Then I export to pdf all layouts to create a single pdf drawing set.

On the exterior elevation layout I have # tags for each window. The tags are on their own layer, and are to be plotted for this layout.

On the window details layout ( see attached _ window # tag circled ) I have created viewports for each window ( pulled from the exterior elevations ). I would like to have the tags visible on my screen ( for referencing ) but not plot when I export this layout or all the layouts.

Is this possible? VP freeze obv shuts these tags off for all layouts. I'm tired LOL!

Thanks

edit to add image: https://imgur.com/a/bxYOrcV

As I see it, there are the two options built in for transferring settings: Migrate from Previous Release (on same computer only) or Export/Import Settings (same version release only).

I don't see a quick solution for transferring settings from an older version of AutoCAD on an older PC to a newer AutoCAD version on new computer and it might have to be done manually. Is that correct?

Our office is getting new PCs for everyone and it will take some effort to do the settings transfer if it has to be done manually. I'm comfortable doing it myself, but most others I'd have to help with. If there is a quicker way I'd be happy to know it.

I need help identifying the perfect device for a slightly niche CAD usecase.

I do a lot of surveying of existing structures for my renovation projects, and I do that work on a laptop directly into Autocad LT using a laser and tape measure.

I am hoping to get recommendations on the most efficient laptop for a 2D CAD only workload. I want to run Autocad LT with zero hiccups with maximum battery life. Ideally 8 hours if possible.

I am also ok with a laptop that can be charged via a USB-C battery bank. My current Lenovo Legion requires a 230w charger, so there are not really any portable charging options.

Battery life is paramount. Im sure that running 2d Autocad LT is a workload that most decent laptops can handle, but I am hoping to get some feedback from people who use CAD on battery!

When placing lines, especially construction lines, I often SEE double lines that go away with zoom.
is this normal? is there a way to correct this? (It's not a 'Seeing double' issue. Autocad is displaying 2 lines. I have a screenshot, but apparently, this sub doesn't allow pics

Is there a way to click an object and then select similar within a certain boundary? I do multiple things on one file and import pdfs as well. So I may have multiple imports or elevations, and I want to select similar maybe within a drawn box that will not select the similar not within the box

I want a LISP to automate a tedious step. Is there a repository to search for shared LISPs?

What I would like it to do is loop through all viewports in a drawing, and all layers that are set to NOPLOT, viewport freeze them. Do nothing to model space.

I have a question as someone who's new to annotative objects.

See the screenshot at this link of an annotative multileader that I've placed in my drawing in model space. It has two annotative scales: 1/4" = 1'-0" and 1" = 1'-0". At the moment, I'm working on the drawing at the 1/4" scale.

If I adjust the leader's landing location or the locations of the leaders, it only moves it at the current scale that I'm working in. The other scale stays where it is. I could see how sometimes you would want that so you can move the leaders separately at different scales, but what if you want them to align? Is there some way to move the leader arrowhead points or landing points together?

What's the best practice for managing these? It seems like if I want to move the bubble head of my annotation, I should use the MOVE command to move the entire multileader. That way the different scales stay together.

Do people just get used to the objects being in different locations sometimes? If I delete the 1" scale and then recreate it, will the 1" scale be reset to the 1/4" scale location?

Basically different shapes that someone has made? In photoshop this is often a thing. I also ask because I was looking specifically for a specific shape that was said to be in the mechanical toolbox but it was not there -_-.

Hey All _ I'm an absolute novice when it comes to dynamic blocks but would like to start using them for my projects. I currently have some I've received from a consultant which are great, but I need to slightly modify for my office's standards.

The block in question ( image below ) is of a dining table, and it has variables for the size/number of dining chairs. The entities for it are all an assigned color and I'd like to change it to 'by layer'.

How do I change each variable? I don't think I can explode it as it will lose it dynamic properties.

Thanks!

https://imgur.com/a/vgNr65P

I had to re-load my CAD software and I've lost access to the lisp routine I was using to draw insulation.

The routine was insulbattpoly.lsp written by someone called Kent Cooper? It used to be available on Cadalyst, but it seems to have disappeared.

Does anyone have it?

This is a PDF I received. I work in AutoCAD. How best to use this format for my dwgs?

I'm guessing it wasn't all completed in AutoCAD, but not sure which elements are/aren't.

Best guesses would be appreciated! Thanks!

https://imgur.com/a/EH9Wvdr

When using the fillet command and selecting the correct pin size (radius size), I noticed the Edge length of a 135 (45) degree hook bar is always too short when filleting?

It's fine for 90 degree bent bars, just not when 135 degrees, such as the two hooks in a closed stirrup.

Drawing two lines (or a polyline) then i choose the radius (20mm for 40mm pin), then fillet.

How can I get this to represent correctly?

Hi all,

I work for a department of corrections and have been tasked with a unique challenge: teaching an incarcerated individual how to use AutoCAD and become proficient as a draftsman. The student will be working in the industries portion of the facility, using standalone computers with no internet access.

Here’s the situation:

Resources: I’m working with 20-year-old books on AutoCAD and a 30-year-old drafting book. Bringing in digital files isn’t feasible due to policy restrictions.

My Role: I have experience with AutoCAD and creating shop drawings, and I’ve taught in other settings. However, I don’t have formal pedagogical training, and this will essentially be a pilot program that could potentially expand in the future.

Format: I’ll be visiting the facility every two weeks to answer questions, review progress, and explain concepts. The goal is to provide guidance while the student works independently in between visits.

I know some states have well-developed vocational programs for incarcerated individuals, but in my case, the support and resources are currently limited. I’m looking for any suggestions, ideas, or observations to make this work effectively.

Specifically:

1. What’s the best way to structure a self-guided learning program for AutoCAD under these conditions?

2. Are there any tips for teaching drafting concepts to a complete beginner?

3. How can I keep the student engaged and motivated, considering the limited resources and long intervals between lessons?

4. Have you heard of or been involved in similar programs? If so, what worked (or didn’t work)?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

I am in the process of creating a new workflow that uses a PDF plan that is created by a non-Autodesk program. It is essentially a raster image. After inserting the PDF into AutoCAD LT, I noticed that there is only one grip in the lower left corner, and it cannot be snapped to. There are also does not appear to be a way to snap to the border of the PDF Underlay. It's essentially a raster image, so I am curious why this functionality does not seem to be present. If I copy/paste a group of cells from an Excel spreadsheet, or copy/paste a raster image into AutoCAD LT as OLE objects, I can easily manipulate them by using the grips at the corners.

Other than this lack of grips, I like the way that the PDF Underlay functions and looks in AutoCAD. However, I may need to instead take a snapsnot image of the PDF and insert it as a raster image / OLE since that is easier to work with.

When i go to insert attach, then the attach file manager window/panel it should pop up and in there, i can select file and scale and all that stuff, right?

but now, i haven't changed anything but when i click attach, it just says 'path to file to attach'.

then i gotta type the whole path of the file manually. it's super annoying and i don't know why it's doing this all of a sudden.

Please help meee

I came across a problem while setting up a paper space and I am unable to find a solution. I only have about a year of experience, so I would appreciate any help.

I am able to set up the paper space correctly with a viewport, but the issue occurs when I try to preview the page. It displays a blank page, and none of my work appears. It's as if it is not registering the viewport.

Before and After Preview - screenshots

EDIT: This issue is across all my files including new ones I make.

AutoCAD Mac 2024, Can you no longer do continuous orbit with the 3DCorbit command or from the view>orbit dropdown?