Getting Started With CAD (for engineering drawings)

Disclaimer: I am highly biased, as I am old-school and work in North America. I accept that fact wholeheartedly.

Engineering drawings are tools of translation, between engineers, construction staff and operators. They need to be printed and large enough to read. I detest drawings that are less than 11x17. These should be involved in all new construction and updated regularly. The bare minimum update is the red line: simply taking a red pen to mark-up modifications (after you make sure you have a copy).

What if I do not have the originals? Email the engineering firm who stamped the drawings and ask for copies! Most will provide them, at least as a PDF. If that fails, scan (or take photos of) your drawings in your cabinets.

AutoCAD is the primary software used to document. I was working with drawings from the 90s and no issues with it. I have found 2D drawings with vanilla AutoCAD (vs. AutoCAD Electrical) to be adequate. The tutorial that is right for you will depend on the version of AutoCAD you use and your application. Go to YouTube, look up "tutorial AutoCAD version {XXXX}," with XXXX as your version! Spend two hours on that, while pausing to work through the examples. Your goal is to pick up the basics and make things faster / more efficient.

Key points you want to learn include...

• Model vs layer space

• Templates

• External references

If you are a student and want to learn the basics but your school does not provide AutoCAD, you can get a very similar result using the free (and legal) version NanoCAD! It's a competitor and I use it regularly for smaller, one-off projects. I recommend it as it uses a lot of the same commands and a similar interface. Tutorials are here and here.

Why not pirate AutoCAD? First, it's not how the system works. Second, it's an easy way for an adversary to break into your laptops with private information. Third, because we are going for professional here. If you use software with cracked licenses, you can bet the program does not work 100% of the time. If you are trying to earn a reputation, you want it to be a good one.

LucidCharts is a novel software that might be applicable for newer installations. If you are the design engineer, keep in mind this will not be compatible with most customer requirements. If you are just trying to get something documented and are under 30, it might be perfect!

I encourage you to look around and take advantage of whatever tools you can for documenting things. If you are not comfortable with drawings things up yourself, you may want to reach out for help. Perhaps you have a sketch on a napkin and need it drafted up.

Keep up the good work!