Engineering Graphics and CAD
Read and create engineering drawings, then model parts and assemblies in CAD and take them to fabrication.
Reading Drawings
Auxiliary and Detail Views
Show a flat sloping surface straight on, enlarge a small region, or shorten a long part on the sheet.
Choosing Drawing Views
Use flat views from different directions, with dimensions and notes, to describe a part clearly.
Drawing Terminology Review
Recognize drawing terms used when turning a drawing into a CAD model, then follow links for the full methods.
Engineering Graphics in the Design Process
Use sketches to explore ideas, models to develop geometry, and drawings to communicate a design for making and checking.
First-Angle and Third-Angle Projection
Identify the projection symbol before interpreting where the top and side views sit on the sheet.
Orthographic Projection and the Glass Box
Connect a part's width, height, and depth across aligned views, then unfold the six faces of an imaginary glass box.
Pictorial Sketching
Block out height, width, and depth, then use light construction lines to develop a clear freehand pictorial.
Section Views
Read imaginary cuts, choose a section type, and distinguish cut material from voids and conventional exceptions.
The Alphabet of Lines
Read line patterns, weights, and endpoints to distinguish part edges from centers, dimensions, cuts, and alternate positions.
Visualizing Parts from Multiview Drawings
Track the same surfaces through front, top, and side views, then reconstruct a pictorial without guessing hidden geometry.
Working Drawings and Title Blocks
Distinguish part and assembly drawings, then use title blocks and revision records to identify the information that applies.
Dimensioning
Choosing Dimensions
Break a part into simple forms, define each feature’s size and location, and remove redundant requirements.
Dimension Anatomy and Placement
Read the lines, arrows and text of a dimension, then arrange them so the part stays easy to understand.
Hole and Feature Callouts
Read radii, diameters, slots, repeated features and hole notes, including the units and decimal places on an inch drawing.
CAD Modeling
CAD Certification Preparation
Build dependable modeling habits, check your work, and use official sources to plan an entry-level CAD certification attempt.
CAD Certifications
Compare current mechanical CAD certification paths, distinguish requirements from recommendations, and verify the route before registering.
CAD Files and Documents
Choose the right container for parts, assemblies, and drawings, then check templates, units, and references.
CAD History, Versions, and Sharing
Separate feature order from edit history, preserve useful design states, and share the intended model with the right access.
CAD Model Views and Checks
Navigate a model, choose what edges to show, and check dimensions and mass without changing the design.
Creating Drawings from CAD Models
Set up a sheet, place linked model views, add requirements, and check the drawing after every design change.
Extrude and Revolve
Turn a sketch into a straight or rotational solid, and choose an end condition that preserves the intended shape when dimensions change.
Feature-based Modeling
Plan a solid part as a sequence of features, choose stable references, and test whether the model survives a change.
Fully Defined Sketches and Design Intent
Remove unwanted freedom with relations and dimensions, then test whether edits preserve the intended shape.
Geometric Relations in Sketches
Match each relation to the motion it prevents, and distinguish shared position, direction, size, and curvature.
Patterns, Mirror, and Applied Features
Repeat geometry with a rule, model useful hole information, and finish a solid with edge treatments, shell, draft, and ribs.
Sketch Entities and Planes
Choose where a 2D sketch lives, then build its shape from simple entities and construction geometry.
Sweeps and Lofts
Use a sweep to carry a section along a path and a loft to transition through ordered sections, with references that control the result.
Assemblies
Assembly Files and Mates
Keep component references intact and choose mates that locate parts while preserving their intended motion.
Checking CAD Assemblies
Diagnose mate errors, inspect overlap and clearance, and test the intended motion before trusting an assembly model.
Exploded Views and Bills of Materials
Show how components fit together and connect drawing balloons to clear part identities and quantities.
Digital Fabrication
3D Printing from CAD
Export a solid model, choose how its layers carry load, and inspect the sliced toolpaths before printing.
Choosing a Fabrication Process
Match geometry, load, surfaces, and fit to filament printing or laser-cut sheet construction.
Laser Cutting and Engraving from CAD
Separate cutting paths from engraved areas, preserve scale, and account for the material removed by the laser.