Discovering AutoCAD 2000 [Textbook Binding]

Mark Dix (Author), Paul Riley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 1999

For courses in AutoCAD. Based on the belief that computer-aided design, like many other skills, cannot be learned by merely reading about it, this text engages students in hands-on activity from the very beginning and integrates explanatory material, techniques, tips, and shortcuts with practical exercises. Each chapter is organized in a consistent format around a series of tasks to be done at a CAD workstation. This text further features an abundance of substantive working drawings (complete with dimensions) for use as problems.

Editorial Reviews

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.

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. The new edition now features its own website - http://www.prenhall.com/dixriley/ - that includes supplemental drawing projects, WWW activities, and self-scoring quizzes.

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Product Details

• Textbook Binding: 676 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1st edition (September 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130842648
• ISBN-13: 978-0130842640
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,330,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Self Learning Book, December 28, 1999

By 

Wil Marqz (Tijuana, Mex) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discovering AutoCAD 2000 (Textbook Binding)

I bought this book expecting to learn only the minimum basics but I was pleasefully amazed and I am very satissfied with it's contents, so far I've learned far much on my own self tutoring that I thought I would manage to accomplish, I Highly recommend it, it suave and easy to grasp and the exercises are thorough so you learn at your own pace. The only detriment I've found, it's some small errors in the drawings given as exercises, but I think they'll correct that in a latter edition. I did my comparisons to other books on Autocad 2000 and this on is the one to get!

4.0 out of 5 stars I have Paul Riley as a teacher, April 16, 2005

By 

Shelby Russell "Shelby" (Wrentham, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discovering AutoCAD 2000 (Textbook Binding)

I just wanted to say that Paul Riley is an excellent teacher. I have him for a teacher at King Philip Regional High School. The book may have some errors, but it is easy and I have learned an extreme amount of information about the program, AutoCAD. I hope that you think carefully before looking at other books about AutoCAD because this book is most certainly worth the money. Have fun with AutoCAD!

5.0 out of 5 stars Paul Riley is my Teacher and he teaches a great course, January 25, 2004

By 

Sean Webber (Wrentham, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discovering AutoCAD 2000 (Textbook Binding)

Paul Riley is my Design Technology(AutoCAD) teacher. We use this book to learn the program and he does a great job with making the book easy to learn and not boring to read. Before I started this course i learned alittle about the program from my brother Jason who has a couple of his drawings in the AutoCAD 2004 book. Mr. Riley's book and himself have taught both of us alot about the program. I strongly suggest this book to all that want to learn and use AutoCAD.