What is the advantage of learning AutoCAD over the internet?
What are the disadvantages of learning AutoCAD over the internet?
How much time will I have to spend on the course?
Are there any pre-requisites for the course?
Do you offer a degree on line?
 

How does the cost of on-line training compare to other types of CAD training?
 

Courses

What is the advantage of learning AutoCAD over the internet?

There are many advantages of taking a course over the internet. When taking an internet-based CAD course, you can work at your own rate, at your own home or business. You work on the course at your own convenience during the 8 week class. You never have to appear on-campus or attend class sessions. If you go on vacation or are suddenly called out of town, you can continue with the course from where you left off upon your return, however you still need to have everything complete within the 8 week course time frame. While there are interactive help sessions, attendance is not mandatory.

The cost of the on-line class is significantly less than other forms of training. A typical AutoCAD fundamentals course is around $700.00. This includes 32 hours, or 4 full days of training. Adding in the expense of travel, meals, housing, and missed work time taking an on-line course is significantly cheaper than other forms of training. Additionally, a 32 hour course will not cover near as much material as our on-line course.

All on-line courses are taught by Dr. Jay H. Zirbel, an internationally recognized expert in AutoCAD training. He has authored several best selling books on AutoCAD, some of which were translated into different languages and are used throughout the world, so you will be taking the class from an individual who not only understands the program, but knows how to teach it to others.

What are the disadvantages of learning AutoCAD over the internet?

As there are no mandatory classes to attend, you must be self-motivated to complete the course. If you start falling behind you will receive friendly E-MAIL messages, but it is up to the individual to complete and submit all assignments and tests. You will also not have immediate answers to questions or problems as you would in a conventional class. While you have constant E-MAIL and support through the course Forum, it normally takes 12-24 hours for a response. If you are not an organized or self-motivated person and have difficulty working on your own, you should probably seek an alternate form of training.

How much time will I have to spend on the course?

Most people spend an average of 10 hours per week on the course. If you decide to do one of the optional assignments in the Mechanical, Architectural, or Electrical areas you will need to devote more time to the course. To become proficient at AutoCAD you must work with the program on a continual basis. There is no substitute for practice.

Are there any pre-requisites for the course?

While there are no pre-requisites for the course, you should be familiar with the internet and basic computer operations. You should be able to create a subdirectory, and know basic file management procedures. You should feel comfortable using the internet, and be able to access a website. You should  be able to use E-MAIL to send messages with attachments, and receive and read messages. You should also know how to read a simple blueprint. If your drafting background is weak or needs refreshing you may want to consider the Drafting Manual Pocket Companion. This publication offers "nuts and bolts" advice on understanding basic drawings.

Do you offer a degree on line?

At the present time we do not offer any type of degree on-line.

How does the cost of on-line training compare to other types of CAD training?

On-line training is MUCH cheaper than just about any other form of training. A typical CAD course will run approximately $700.00 for 32 hours of instruction, not to mention travel, meals, housing, and missed days of work. Because of the lower cost and ease of access, Internet-based training is projected to grow exponentially in the years to come.

What is the difference between AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT?

The LT versions of AutoCAD are 100% compatible with the comparable full versions of AutoCAD. The LT versions are significantly cheaper than the full AutoCAD versions. The primary difference between all of the LT versions and the corresponding full version is in the ability to do 3-D work and program customization. The LT versions have limited 3D capability, and cannot use the majority of customized apps available for the full versions. While customization may not seem like a big issue initially, as you become more involved with the program it can become very important. This is one of the main reasons AutoCAD has literally dominated the PC CAD market for many years. Once you know basic AutoCAD, it can be customized to meet a wide variety of applications.

The main versions of AutoCAD have over 2,300 partners worldwide who develop custom applications tailored to specific requirements. These applications vary by industry or discipline, and extend AutoCAD for production drafting and design. AutoDESK also creates and develops several industry-specific, AutoCAD compatible applications that either run on AutoCAD or enable sharing of CAD and other data. Some of these are Mechanical Desktop, Architectural Desktop, and AutoCAD MAP. For example, having a customized version of AutoCAD specifically for architectural applications can increase drawing productivity substantially.

All LT versions will handle just about all basic 2D drawing needs, and is significantly cheaper than the full version. Your expandability options are limited with LT, however. Unfortunately AutoDESK does not offer any type of trade-in or trade-up program for migrating from LT to any other versions.

What are the hardware requirements for AutoCAD?

This information was taken directly from the AutoDESK website located at www.autodesk.com.

AutoCAD 2011

AutoCAD 2011 is available in 32 and 64 bit versions depending on your operating system.

Microsoft® Windows® 7 Enterprise, Ultimate, Professional, or Home Premium; Microsoft® Windows Vista® Enterprise, Business, Ultimate, or Home Premium (SP1 or later); or Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional or Home edition (SP2 or later)
For Windows Vista or Windows 7: Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon® dual-core processor, 3.0 GHz or higher with SSE2 technology.
For Windows XP: Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon dual-core processor, 1.6 GHz or higher with SSE2 technology
2 GB RAM
1.8 GB free disk space for installation
1,024 x 768 display resolution with true color
Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 7.0 or later
Install from download or DVD

AutoCAD 2010

For Microsoft Windows XP

XP Professional or Home edition (SP2 or later)
Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon® dual-core processor, 1.6 GHz or higher with SSE2 technology
2 GB RAM
1 GB free disk space for installation
1,024 x 768 VGA display with true color
Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 7.0 or later
Install from download, DVD, or CD

For Microsoft Windows Vista or 3D modeling:

Microsoft® Windows Vista® (SP1 or later) including Enterprise, Business, Ultimate, or Home Premium edition
Microsoft® Windows® Intel Pentium 4 processor or AMD Athlon, 3 GHz or higher; Intel or AMD dual-core processor, 2 GHz or higher
2 GB RAM or greater
2 GB hard disk space available in addition to free space required for installation
1,280 x 1,024 32-bit color video display adapter (true color) 128 MB or greater, Microsoft® Direct3D® capable workstation class graphics card

AutoCAD 2009

For Microsoft Windows XP SP2:

Intel® Pentium® 4 processor or AMD Athlon®, 2.2 GHz or greater
or
Intel or AMD Dual Core processor, 1.6 GHz or greater
1 GB RAM
750 MB free disk space for installation
1024x768 VGA with true color
Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 6.0 (SP1 or higher)

For Microsoft Windows Vista or 3D modeling:

Intel Pentium 4 processor or AMD Athlon, 3.0 GHz or greater
or
Intel or AMD Dual Core processor, 2.0 GHz or greater
2 GB RAM or greater
2 GB free hard disk available not including installation
1,280 x 1,024 32-bit color video display adapter (true color) 128 MB or greater, OpenGL®, or Direct3D® capable workstation class graphics card. For Windows Vista, a Direct3D capable workstation class graphics card with 128 MB or greater is required.

AutoCAD LT2009

Intel® Pentium® 4 processor or AMD Athlon, 2.2 GHz or greater
or
Intel or AMD Dual Core processor, 1.6 GHz or greater
Microsoft® Windows Vista™or Windows® XP SP2 operating systems
512 MB RAM Microsoft Windows XP
1 GB RAM Microsoft Windows Vista
550 MB free disk space for installation
1024x768 VGA with True Color
Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 6.0 internet browser (SP1 or higher)
CD-ROM or DVD drive

AutoCAD 2008

Intel® Pentium® 4 processor, 2.2 GHz Recommended
Microsoft® Windows Vista™, Windows® XP Home and Professional (SP2), Windows® 2000 (SP4)
512 MB RAM
750 MB free disk space for installation
1024x768 VGA with True Color
Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 6.0 (SP1 or higher)
Available on CD (Worldwide) and DVD (select countries and languages)

AutoCAD 2008 System requirements for Windows Vista or 3D modeling

Intel® 3.0 GHz or greater
2 GB RAM or greater
2 GB free hard disk available not including installation
1280 x 1024 32-bit color video display adapter (True Color) 128 MB or greater, OpenGL®, or Direct3D® capable workstation class graphics card.
For Windows Vista, a Direct3D capable workstation class graphics card with 128 MB or greater is required.

AutoCAD LT 2008

Intel® Pentium® 4 processor, 2.2 GHz
Microsoft® Windows® Vista™, Windows XP Professional or Home Edition (SP2), Windows 2000 (SP4)
512 MB RAM
550 MB free disk space for Installation
1024x768 with VGA display with true color
Mouse, trackball, or compatible pointing device
Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6.0 (SP1 or higher)
CD-ROM drive

AutoCAD 2007

Intel 3.0 GHz or greater
Windows® XP SP2
2GB RAM or greater
2GB available not including installation
1280 x 1024 32-bit color video display adapter (True Color)
128 MB or greater, OpenGL-capable workstation class graphics card

AutoCAD LT2007

Intel Pentium III or later processor or compatible, 800 MHz or higher
Microsoft Windows XP (Professional, Home Edition, or Tablet PC Edition with SP1 or SP2), Windows 2000 Professional with SP4
512 MB RAM
500 MB free disk space for installation
1024x768 VGA with true color
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 (SP1 or later)
CD-ROM drive

AutoCAD 2004 - 2006

Intel® Pentium® III or later, with 800 MHz or faster processor, or compatible Microsoft® Windows® XP (Professional, Home Edition, or Tablet PC Edition), Windows 2000, or Windows NT® 4.0 (SP6a or later)
256 MB RAM (recommended)
300 MB free disk space for installation 1024x768 VGA with true color (minimum) Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6.0
Mouse, trackball, or compatible pointing device

AutoCAD 2002

Min. Pentium II or AMD K6-II 450MHz Processor
Min. Windows 98/2000/Me or NT 4.0 (With Service Pack 5)
Min. 128MB RAM
Min. 200MB Available Hard Drive Disk Space
Min. 1024 x 768 Resolution

AutoCAD 2000

Pentium-based PC with 133MHz microprocessor, or better
Windows 98, Windows 95, or Windows NT 4.0
32MB RAM (64MB recommended)
200MB free hard disk space (minimum); approximately 250MB is required for a typical installation
96MB swap space (150MB recommended)
800 x 600 x 256 VGA display (1024 x 768 recommended), with Windows video display driver
CD-ROM drive (for initial installation)
Mouse or other pointing device

AutoCAD R14

Intel Pentium® (recommended) or compatible processor
Windows 98, Windows 95, or Windows NT 4.0
32MB RAM recommended, plus 10MB (recommended) of additional RAM for each concurrent AutoCAD session.
50MB of free hard-disk space (minimum), plus additional 2.5MB of free hard-disk space during installation only (this space is used for temporary files that are removed when installation is complete).
64MB of disk swap space (minimum)
800 x 600 x 256 VGA display (1024 x 768 recommended), with Windows video display driver
CD-ROM drive (for initial installation)
Mouse or other pointing device

Optimal R14 System Configuration

The Pentium® Pro with 64MB memory delivers the best value for "power" AutoCAD users working with complex drawings and heavy applications. However, if you work with large drawings, especially those exceeding 15MB, you may require more memory.

AutoCAD LT® 2004-LT® 2006

Intel® Pentium® III or later, with 800 MHz or faster processor, or compatible Microsoft® Windows® XP (Professional, Home Edition, or Tablet PC Edition), Windows 2000, or Windows NT® 4.0 (SP6a or later)
256 MB RAM (recommended)
300 MB free disk space for installation 1024x768 VGA with true color (minimum) Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6.0
Mouse, trackball, or compatible pointing device

AutoCAD LT® 2002

Min. Pentium II Or AMD K6-II 450MHz Processor
Min. Windows 98/2000/Me or NT 4.0 (With Service Pack 5)
Min. 128MB RAM
Min. 200MB Available Hard Drive Disk Space
Min. 1024 x 768 Resolution

AutoCAD LT® 98

486DX/66-based PC (Pentium®-based PC recommended)
Windows® 98, Windows 95, or Windows NT® 4.0
16MB RAM (minimum)
VGA display (800x600 display recommended)
50MB free hard disk space for full installation
CD-ROM drive
Windows system pointer (IntelliMouse®-compatible device recommended)
Wintab digitizer (optional)

Why are you so specific on the version needed for a particular course?

While all of the versions are very similar, they are different enough to make learning the program confusing. When discussing a particular topic and the examples presented are not the same as what you are seeing on the computer screen, it can become very confusing. The textbook and website were developed specifically for the version of AutoCAD taught. While the lessons and exercises are the same for the different versions, the way the material is presented is version-specific. Once you learn how to use one version you will not have any trouble adopting or changing to another version.

Where can I obtain the software?

The full versions of AutoCAD (2004) are only available from an Authorized AutoDESK reseller. You can get a list of Authorized Resellers from the AutoDESK website located at http://www.autodesk.com/.

The commercial version of LT2006 can be purchased here. If you would like more information on purchasing student versions of AutoCAD click here or select the button below.

Do I have to buy or own the software to take a course?

You are not required to purchase or own any version of AutoCAD to take any course. Many people who have taken the course in the past used AutoCAD through their place of employment, for example. Since internet-based training is very cost effective, many companies are more than willing to let employees use AutoCAD during breaks, after hours etc. to obtain training.

What is the AutoDESK symbols library?

As you begin working with CAD you will see that one of the major advantages of CAD over conventional drafting methods is you should not have to draw anything more than once. For example, architectural drawings often contain a variety of symbols to indicate things such as doors, cabinets, lights etc. After drawing a symbol once, you can easily use it in other drawings.

The AutoDESK symbols library contains over 12,000 symbols for mechanical, architectural and electrical applications. This can be a significant timesaver when creating a drawing, since you do not have to draw them. To purchase the symbols library click here.

What are educational AutoCAD products?