Customer Reviews

Autodesk Architectural Desktop 2004: A Comprehensive Tutorial

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I am a Microsoft Systems Engineer, and MCDBA, I've read a lot of technical manuals and 'hands-on' are always my favorite. The concept is good 'from the ground up' following standardized procedures for project creation. I looked up Mr. Goldberg on Google and he seems to have credibility as an architect, but not, in my opinion, as an author.

Typical technical manual mistakes; tools and procedures that don't operate as described in text, what may seem perfectly clear to the author are muddy water to the reader. There is no CD backup, so if you can't get something to work, you're dead in your tracks. And, can not proceed to the following excercises.

A book of this price should have had an accompanying CD. Many times using the provided second and third steps, the first becomes clear as you gain application knowledge. If you remember Illustrator in the late 80's, buckleup, this is even more obtuse. I had an AD agency for over 20 years, I know graphics, and I read techno, this book did not perform. After 2 separate attemts to get past the 3rd page of the 1st hands-on, 6 hrs. I'm returning the book. I really wanted it to work desparately.

For those who want to get the building in their head on paper, like a pro the application is great. This tutorial is not.

Do not buy any AutoCad book that does not include a CD of the steps and finished project.

Just another technical book that doesn't deliver

EVER TRY TO DRIVE A TRICYCLE THROUGH DEEP MUD? WELL, YOU WILL KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE ONCE YOU SETTLE IN WITH THIS BOOK. I AM A DRAFTING AND DESIGN STUDENT AT A TECHNICAL COLLEGE SPECIALIZING IN ARCHITECTURE AND I HAVE SPENT HOURS ON THE FIRST CHAPTER IN THIS BOOK. MY INSTRUCTOR IS HAVING ME ORDER ANOTHER BOOK AND START ALL OVER. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME AS A STUDENT TO FOLLOW THIS TUTORIAL WHICH SKIPS STEPS AND IS NOT USER FRIENDLY. I HAVE LEARNED MORE FROM THE AUTODESK HELP MENU BUILT IN TO THE SOFTWARE THAN FROM THIS BOOK SO FAR. MY INSTRUCTOR EVEN HAS DIFFICULTY WITH IT WHEN I ASK FOR HELP. UNLESS YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF ALREADY A DESKTOP MASTER, FIND ANOTHER BOOK AND SPARE YOURSELF THE FRUSTRATION.

I AM A SECOND SEMESTER ARCHITECTURAL STUDENT AT PIMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND I FIND THE TUTORIALS TO BE VERY HELPFUL. EVEN THOUGH THE BOOK IS WRITTEN FOR ADT 2004, I AM USING IT WITH ADT 2005 WITHOUT ANY REAL MAJOR PROBLEMS... THERE WERE A FEW INSTANCES WHERE STEPS WERE OMITTED, BUT, LIKE ANY OTHER TUTORIAL, THE AUTHOR OBVIOUSLY WANTS THE STUDENT TO PUT THE THINKING CAP ON AND WORK OUT THE DETAILS. I RECCOMEND THIS BOOK, AND I OWN PAUL AUBIN'S BOOK TOO.