How to Improve your CAD Skills

Once you learn about CAD drafting and fine tune your newly discovered CAD skills, you should do what you can to keep those skills up to date.  In order to keep your artistic touch and utilize your CAD system properly, try these simple methods to improve your skills.  Drafters who can get on top of these skill growing exercises will be able to increase job skills and eventually yearly salary!

Golfers like to subscribe to golf magazines to get the best golf tips and CAD drafters can get brand new CAD techniques and tips by subscribing to a monthly or quarterly CAD magazine.  The great aspect to these magazines is the fact that you can retain small pieces of information over a longer period of time.  Let these magazines stack up and slowly learn about extra title blocks and panel schedule layouts that you can learn how to design on your own. 

Your CAD tools need to work well with your learned CAD skills.  When you use a computer that is running too slow for your taste, chances are your tools are not running up to their full speed.  Due to the amount of math that is involved with CAD drafting, most drafters opt to buy a CPU that has lightning speed.  Along with the CPU that you invest in, you will need to buy ample RAM.  Most computers will run slower with a CAD software system because there is not enough RAM available.  If your CPU is running a minimum of 128 MB, you are going to need to make some improvements.  You will also want to look at the video card that has been installed in the CPU.  Redraws that are slower and inaccurate are tell tale signs that you need to make some adjustments.  Look for a high resolution video card, which usually runs for as little as $90.

After you have taken care of your equipment, you will be ready to begin working on new projects.  If you are named the design engineer, you need to set the bar for quality ahead of time.  Effective CAD skills include having the ability to set the right standards so that there is no confusion during the project.  When confusion happens, you might find that you are trying to draw and redraw the same picture over and over again. All of your work needs to be backed up and de-fragmented on a regular basis.  CAD drafters have recently started using online backup services so that they never have to worry about losing their work.

Use basic timesavers to cut down on the amount of time you spend drawing or redrawing.  CAD drafters that link their drawings together typically cut their drafting time in half.   Employing a skilled team is also a great way to get a better creative edge as well as create high-quality drawings.  Project management will need to be a skill that you take under your wing as well.  This will help you to delegate and communicate with those working with you.

Your CAD skills are what keep you employed as a drafter.  While there are many tools to use and shortcuts to take these days, the fact is you still need to update your skills every so often.  In order to promote your skills and services, you should start doing your drawings over the Internet.  These methods will enable you to create your own drafting services site as well as outsource your CAD skills.  Take some time out of your day to improve your skills and ensure that you are providing the best drawings and title fonts to your clients!