AutoCAD 3 - 3D Modeling

In this 56 hour, online CAD course you will master the powerful 3D modeling capabilities of the latest versions of AutoCAD. This course has been developed and recorded using AutoCAD 2007 but AutoCAD 2008 or AutoCAD 2009 can also be used to complete all of the exercises.

New concepts include 3D workspaces and the dashboard control panel, 3D user coordinate systems, creating and modifying 3D primitives, working with visual styles, 3D navigation tools, Booleans and composite solid modeling, Extrude and Revolve operations, Region modeling, Helix, Sweep and Loft modeling techniques, editing and manipulating models at both the object and sub object levels, 2D drawing extraction procedures, meshes and surface modeling, sections and live sections, assembly modeling, and an introduction to Rendering.

Detailed Course Description

Students will create over 50 detailed 3D practice models in this course along with 6 assignment models. The content for the level three course begins with an exploration of the 3D workspace environment first introduced in AutoCAD 2007.

Students will examine the Dashboard control panel and learn how to create a series of simple models by combining solid primitives such as boxes, wedges, and cylinders with the Union command. Students will learn to control the User coordinate system and use the Subtract and Intersect command to create increasingly complex primitive models before progressing with Extrusions, Revolves, Sweeps, and Loft objects.

For the duration of the course, emphasis is placed not only on modeling but also on drawing extraction methods and students will learn techniques to create base, orthographic, section, and auxiliary drawing views that can be easily updated as their model changes. Advanced modeling techniques will be examined in depth as students create complex freeform models and learn to display their work in live sectioned views.

During the second half of the course students will have the opportunity to pursue their own designs as they work on optional assignments such as light fixtures, furniture pieces, architectural parts and assemblies, and for the final assignment either an entire store to be set in a supplied retail environment, or a classically detailed exterior model of a two storey house.