Topic Title

Hello,

I am thinking about enrolling in a cad program at my local college but the software they teach is Architectural Desktop. I would like to know if learning this program will give me the basics to use Datacad as that is the program of choice that I would like to learn or should I forget about the school and try a different approach to learning Datacad? Any suggestions would be great. Thank you.

Strictly a personal opinion, but if your going to use Datacad...learn Datacad.

Autocad operates from a different world-view that is 180-degrees apart from Datacad's. I found when I was trying to work in both...the reversed command-structure's very confusing. Plus while Datacad allows line peoperties, types and colors to be layer-independent; Autocad remains wedded to their "the layer detremines the line's properties" mind-set....and "hopes" the macros and submenus will keep the layering and colors/types/spacings correct.

At a conceptual level, the basics of "what" you can do are similar; but the "how" when you actually are sitting at the PC is very different.

...I would like to know if learning this program will give me the basics to use Datacad as that is the program of choice that I would like to learn or should I forget about the school and try a different approach to learning Datacad?

Hello Chase,

My experience teaching DataCAD is that when you haven't "any" knowledge of CAD you will need be making additional efforts for learning any CAD.
If you have "some" knowledge, independently from which software is it, you will make easier your learning curve.

I would say that you can learn a lot for the basics of "CAD". And all you have learned will be helpful for understanding DataCAD, later.
I suppose they will teach you using Architectural Desktop, but will start by AutoCAD basics.
So this starting point will help you to start up DataCAD too, even considering that there are lots of differences.

After this basic learning, you can go out from your college classes and move over DataCAD. You will learn it faster.

But, definitely, as Ted B says, if you want to learn, and be 'productive' in DataCAD, you must learn DataCAD.

Go ahead. You will fastly feel the differences.

Thanks,
Miguel

I agree with the sentiment. If you intend to use Dcad then LEARN Dcad. I am having to deal with some ADT (America's Dumbest Technology) and its about to drive me to drink. First off, in Dcad you can hotkey from command to command to command while in Acad or ADT you have to "back out" after every command before going to another. In Dcad you can click on a point and drag your mouse or hit "space" and enter coordinates to draw a line while in the other junk you have to type in "line" in the command line first. This is a killer if you are switching back in forth between programs as the whole command structure is different.

Worse still, ADT is more of a database than a CAD program. You have to setup all these "catalogs", and "Project files" and other headache inducing input. Granted, there are benefits that it has over Dcad, but my experience has been that it takes significantly longer to setup, takes more keystrokes to do the same work, and generally is less user-friendly. On average, I'd say that for me to do the same work in Dcad as in Acad, I can just about figure 1.75 - 2 times the hours.

Actually, I noticed yesterday that you no longer have to hit “space” before entering a distance or coordinates. Just pick a start point for your line and start typing. Pretty cool. I glanced through the revision history and couldn’t find a mention for this new feature. Did I miss it somewhere along the line? How long have we been able to do this?

Hi Brian:

This was added in v10.05.00. Additionally, in order to enter a negative distance or begin a distance with a period, you will need to add the following to the [General] section of the dcadwin.ini file:

Code: Select allMinusKeyTogglesOvershoot=FALSE
PeriodKeyRestoresLastEntity=FALSE

Dave