Theatre 546
Computer Assisted Drafting
Text: AutoCAD 2015 and AutoCAD LT 2015 Essentials: Autodesk Official
Press Paperback by Scott Onstott
Class meets 1530 to 1830 Monday and
Instructor: Loren Schreiber
Office: DA 203
Phone: 594-7711
E-mail: lschreib@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours: 1100 to 1300 MW; other times by appointment
Welcome to the age of electronic pencils and virtual paper. Throw away those
preconceived notions of drafting--no messy smudges, no flimsy T-squares, no plastic
triangles--just a mouse, a computer, a monitor and a plotter. Voila! Professional quality
drawings, improved accuracy and speed! This is an introductory course to Computer
Assisted Drafting. It presumes you have little or no experience with computers (but if
you do, so much the better).
Disclaimer-- It is not the place of a university to teach software programs. Software and
computers are merely tools to communicate one's ideas—they cannot substitute for
imagination. Ideally, these tools should improve one's ability to visualize and turn
abstract thought into concrete and tangible information. While we will spend a good part
of the semester learning a particular software, our emphasis will be on how we can use
this software to accurately express our ideas. Furthermore, mastering CAD is more than
just learning the commands; it requires continual practice to develop the motor skills to
use both hands efficiently—one on the keyboard, one on the mouse—and good eye and
hand coordination. It is much like learning a musical instrument: memorize the notes
(commands) and then practice, practice, practice.
The software for this class is AutoCAD 2012, a powerful 3 dimensional design and
drafting program—the de facto standard worldwide. This and perhaps Vectorworks are
the programs you will be EXPECTED to know when entering the entertainment
profession as a designer.
We will learn about the ANSI/USITT drafting standards for theatre and how to meet
them with AutoCAD. We will also cover axiometric and orthographic projections and
proper page layout. By the end of the course you will be able to produce professional
drawings in a professional manner at speeds beyond anything you might do with a pencil.
Assignments
All assignments will be turned in via e-mail. The subject line will be the name of the file
you intend to send. The format for file names will be: your initials followed by a dash,
the assignment number, a period and the extension. For example: LPS-1.dwg. If an
assignment has more than one drawing, then the format will be: LPS-1a.dwg. Do not use
spaces. It is your responsibility to master this complex format. Assignments are due on
the day requested and may be posted at anytime on that day. The server records the time
of receipt, which I will check. Please be prompt.
The course will follow the book from Chapter 1 through Chapter 14 and the two
appendices. We will attempt to cover two chapters each class period. However, some
chapters will take more time and others less. By week 8 or so, we will have completed
the book and moved on to Vectorworks. In order to keep up, additional work outside of
regularly scheduled class periods will likely be necessary.
Grading:
Since AutoCAD is such a precise drafting tool, it is possible, and likely, for students to
create identical drawings. The only real criteria for judging a student’s work are his
ability to “think” the drawing through and select the tools and techniques that will
produce results quickly. Therefore, practice is essential. Exercises in the class are
designed to give you this practice. Since drafting is a form of communication with a
grammar of its own, adherence to accepted drafting standards, as promulgated by the
USITT Drafting Standards Committee, will also be used to judge student work. A copy of
the current USITT standards is required for this course. The ability to master the complex
file naming scheme described above will also be considered.
Grading Criteria:
Class Participation (practice): 90%
Personal Evaluation: 10%
Personal Evaluation:
At the end of the semester, each student will write a personal evaluation that examines his
performance in the class. The evaluation should include a discussion of one's growth over
the semester, degree of participation and how timely the assignments were completed.
The evaluation should also include, based on the following criteria, the final grade the
student thinks he deserves.
A = Excellent analysis and high degree of completion, never misses class.
B = Good analysis and above average degree of completion, missed a couple classes.
C = Average analysis and average degree of completion, missed several classes.
D = Poor analysis and poor degree of completion, missed a lot of classes.
F = Really trying to provoke the instructor, no analysis and barely gets started, misses so
many classes the instructor doesn’t remember the student’s name.