Discovering AutoCAD 2000

Dix, Mark; Riley, Paul

ISBN 10: 0130842648 ISBN 13: 9780130842640

Publisher: Pearson College Div, 1999

Synopsis

Book Description

This text, designed for first-time AutoCAD users, functions as both a classroom teaching tool and a self-study guide. With an accompanying website created to provide support to students and professors, Discovering AutoCAD 2000 gives readers a thorough and practical understanding of AutoCAD concepts through active, participatory learning.

Book - Discovering AutoCAD 2000 utilizes a combination of instruction and exercises to help the reader master AutoCAD. The text is organized around drawing tasks that demonstrate the techniques being taught at every point. Drawing exercises are reproduced in large, clearly dimensioned format, and are accompanied by tips, step-by-step suggestions, and illustrations that show what to expect when steps are completed correctly.

Companion Website - The accompanying website contains multiple choice assessment quest ions for each chapter that can be used as check-up exercises or quizzes to help both p rofessors and students assess how well techniques are being mastered. It also include s an extended AutoCAD project for each chapter that provides extra challenges for stud ents, as well as a syllabus builder that guides professors in creating a graphic web p age containing their classes' information and assignments. Finally, the site's Netsea rch capability directs readers to other sites that explore AutoCAD topics.

Instructor's CD: Qualified instructors using this text may order an instructor's solutions disk.

About this title

About the Author

MARK DIX began working with AutoCAD in 1985 as a programmer for CAD Support Associates Inc. He helped design a system for creating estimates and bills of material directly from AutoCAD drawing databases for use in the automated conveyor industry. This system became the basis for systems still widely in use today. In 1986, he began collaborating with Paul Riley to create AutoCAD training materials, combining Riley's background in industrial design and training with Dix's background in writing, curriculum development, and programming. Dix and Riley have created tutorial teaching methods for every AutoCAD release since version 2.5. Dix has a Master of Arts in Teaching from Cornell University and a Masters in Education from the University of Massachusetts.

PAUL RILEY has been an Instructor and designer specializing in graphics and design of multimedia. He is a founding partner of CAD Support Associates, a contract service and professional training organization for computer aided design. His 15 years of business experience and 20 years of teaching experience are supported by degrees in education and computer science. Paul has taught AutoCAD at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and Mt. Ida College in Newton, MA. He has developed a program, Computer Aided Design for Professionals, that is highly regarded and has been an ongoing success for the past 15 years.

From the Back Cover

Get Active with Discovering AutoCAD 2000. Mark Dix and Paul Riley use a hands-on, activity-based, introductory tutorial to teach the new features and the flavor of AutoCAD 2000. Users of Discovering AutoCAD 2000 don't just use this book as a reference, they actively create drawings as they flip pages.

From the Inside Flap

PREFACE

Get Active with Discovering AutoCAD 2000

Designed for introductory AutoCAD users, Discovering AutoCAD 2000 offers a hands on, activity-based approach to the use of AutoCAD as a drafting tool - complete with techniques, tips, short cuts, and insights designed to increase efficiency. Topics and tasks are carefully grouped to lead students logically through the AutoCAD command set, with the level of difficulty increasing steadily as skills are acquired through experience and practice. Straightforward explanations focus on what is relevant to actual drawing procedures, and illustrations show exactly what to expect on the computer screen when steps are correctly completed. This edition features new Web-based exercises and projects included in each chapter. These optional exercises both assess a student's understanding of the material and increase their ability to manage documents across the Internet.

Features

This book uses a consistent format for each chapter that includes the following:

Objectives, Key Terms, and Introduction Exercises that introduce new commands and techniques Exercise instructions clearly set off from the text discussion AutoCAD drawings and screen shots A Summary of key concepts and techniques 10 or more end of chapter Review Questions 4-6 Realistic Engineering "drawing problems"-fully dimensioned working drawings New Optional Internet Projects at the end of each chapter Companion Web site - prenhall/dixriley/

High-quality working drawings include a wide range of applications that focus on mechanical drawings but also include architectural, civil, and electrical drawings. This book contains an appendix with 10 drawing projects for additional review and practice, as well as 3D models of 24 objects drawn in 2D in earlier chapters.

Companion Web site - prenhaII/dixriley/

This dedicated site is designed to support both professor and student users of this text. We hope it closely supports the book and serves as a useful tool that both complements and increases the value of the text. In particular, students will find multiple choice assessment questions for each chapter. These questions serve as check-ups to see whether students have mastered new AutoCAD commands. Students can answer these questions as either check-up exercises or quizzes. They receive the results of these quizzes instantly and can email these directly to their professor. Each chapter is also supported by an extended AutoCAD project. These extended projects complement the book and provide extra challenges for students. Finally, this Web site contains a Netsearch capability that helps lead students to different sites dealing with AutoCAD topics. Professors can take advantage of this site's syllabus builder feature. Following a step-bystep interface, this tool quickly helps create a graphic Web page containing class information and assignments. Professors control access to this site and maintain it with their own user ID and password. Syllabus Builder makes managing your class in either a local or distance learning situation a snap.

Our Approach

It has been a great pleasure to dig into this impressive new version of AutoCAD, to explore its many treasures, and to continue to face the challenges we have set for ourselves in each of our AutoCAD books. That is, to create an optimum learning sequence, to get students involved in drawing as quickly as possible, to keep the learning process active, and to give students a thorough and practical understanding of AutoCAD concepts and techniques. In teaching something as content rich as the AutoCAD 2000 software package, it is often necessary to keep in mind that less is more, and that "coverage" can be the enemy of understanding. The AutoCAD world is full of books, many of which do little more than duplicate the function of the AutoCAD Command Reference. We have all seen them at the bookstore, huge books that grow larger with every new release. However, the job of teaching is not to try to tell everything all at once, but to anticipate what the student will need at each new phase of the learning curve.

This book is designed as a teaching tool and a self-study guide and assumes that readers will have access to a CAD workstation. We also hope that many who use it will have access to the Internet and our exciting new companion Web site, prenhall/dixriley/, which adds a whole new dimension to the interactive possibilities of this teaching method. WWW activities, including explorations, drawing projects, and self-scoring tests, are optional components of every chapter.

The book itself is organized around drawing tasks that offer the reader a demonstration of the commands and techniques being taught at every point, with illustrations that show exactly what to expect on the computer screen when steps are correctly completed. While the focus is on the beginning AutoCAD user, we have found over the years that experienced CAD operators also look to our books for tips, suggestions, and clear explanations of AutoCAD commands and principles. It has not been unusual for seasoned pros working with our books to recognize connections and concepts they had not noticed or considered previously.

But this is a by-product. Our target audience is the beginning AutoCAD student with a serious professional interest. We strive to present a highly efficient learning sequence in an easy to follow format. Topics are carefully grouped so that readers progress logically through AutoCAD commands and features. Explanations are straightforward and focus on what is relevant to actual drawing procedures. Review questions, drawing problems, and WWW activities follow new material. And, most important, drawing exercises are included at the end of every chapter so that newly learned techniques are applied to practical drawing situations immediately. Retention and skill development are optimized as the level of difficulty increases steadily and facility is acquired through experience and practice. At the end of the book we have included additional drawing projects for those who want to go further.

All working drawings have been prepared using AutoCAD. Drawing exercises at the end of all chapters are reproduced in a large, clearly dimensioned format on each right-hand page with accompanying tips and suggestions on the left-hand page. Drawing suggestions offer time-saving tips and explanations on how to use new techniques in actual applications. The book is not a drafting manual, yet the drawings include a wide range of applications. While the focus is on mechanical drawings, there are also architectural drawings in most chapters and anyone completing all the drawings will be well equipped to move on to more advanced and specialized applications.

Instructor's CD

Qualified instructors using this text may order an instructor's solutions disk. To order this disk, either contact your local Prentice Hall sales rep, order online at prenhall, or call 1-800-922-0579. The ISBN for the instructor's CD-ROM is 0-13-086475-7.

Bundle This Book!

To make the cost of purchasing several books for one course more manageable for students, Prentice Hall offers discounts when you purchase this book with several other Prentice Hall textbooks. Discounts range from 10 to 20% off the price of the two books separately. At press time, you may bundle this text for discounts with any core Prentice Hall graphics text by Giesecke, Earle, Lockhart/Johnson, or Sorby. To request more specific pricing information, get ISBNs for ordering bundles, and learn more about Prentice Hall's offerings in graphics and CAD, either contact your Prentice Hall Sales rep, or go to prenhall/cadgraphics/. For the name and number of your sales rep, please contact Prentice Hall Faculty Services at 1-800-526-0485.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pearson College Div
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0130842648
• ISBN 13: 9780130842640
• Binding: Textbook Binding
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 676