auto trim

auto-trim: click on trim icon or type 'trim' in command line, then hit enter right-away. now every line, arc, circle, etc you click will auto trim to the nearest intersecting line. during this command, hold down shift and click on a line and it will extend it.

fast annotate

the fast and cheap way to add text and dimensions is to do it in paper space. otherwise you have to spend much time, much layers and much text and dim styles organizing scale factors.

toolbars

missing toolbar? right-click over any icon to bring up the entire list. what you use most is the draw and modify toolbars.

go to the carnegie-mellon and dgcad.com websites for on-line tutorial help.

think big

look at the bigger picture of what you want to model. take the time to think it thru, then start in with the commands. use the offset command much.

repeat

if you want to repeat the same command you just did, just hit enter or spacebar.

spacebar

spacebar is the same as hitting enter.

layers

draw different objects on different layers.

autocad resources

carnegie-mellon university on-line tutorials, they're FREE! and very, very clear, straight-forward and easy to understand.

www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/48-568




rather random tutorials, but still very useful.

www.dgcad.com


books:

introduction to autocad 2007
by paul richard and jim fitzgerald


using autocad 2007: BASICS
ralph grabowski


the illustrated autocad 2007 QUICK REFERENCE
ralph grabowski


there are other, like the autocad bible and text book with cd tutorials available from sdc publications.

i'll follow-up with this and give isbn numbers and maybe even graphics, if you guys are good.