ShastaCAD Basic Training

Start producing your drawings faster and more accurately with 5 days of ShastaCAD Basic Training.

Have a question? Send an email to request more information or call 941-730-4447.

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Training Center Info
Benefits of using ShastaCAD Software.

ShastaCAD Basic Training Class Schedule
Class Date	Registration Deadline	Location
		Orlando, Florida

---ShastaCAD Basic Training includes an 80 page manual.---

ShastaCAD Basic Training takes a hands-on approach to learning. During your 5 days of training you will get individual attention from an experienced instructor with enough time to practice and ask questions. You learn by doing, on a computer, guided by an instructor.
The class is followed by 60 days of free technical support via phone and online meeting software. During an online meeting we can watch your screen over the web rather than play 20 questions to get the heart of the issue.

When you choose to be a ShastaCAD customer we commit to your success. We feel strongly about taking the time up front to develop your skills. We strive to increase your comfort with the program features before you start producing plans on your own. Therefore, we won't let you purchase ShastaCAD software without first becoming adequately trained. Not only will you be learning the commands, you will be learning efficient design and drawing techniques paced at your level of absorption.

ShastaCAD is a precision drafting program build on an AutoCAD platform. It is not some wanna-be CAD program with "nudge and fudge" editing techniques. Accurate and efficient plan production is our goal. Training and customer service is how we achieve it.

Section One – Basics of ShastaCAD

The first part of basic training will give you an introduction to starting and stopping the ShastaCAD program. Learn how to create new drawings or open existing drawings. Develop good work habits for file management. Learn to organize the lines and text of your drawing into layers. Learn how the program works as we browse through menus, toolbars, and the command line.

• Learn basic file management techniques with the Open and SaveAs commands.
• Organize drawing content using Layers
• Launch commands using mouse clicks and tool buttons
• Zoom and Pan using the mouse wheel for faster drawing navigation

Section Two – Basic Drawing & Editing commands

Create simple drawings using

• Lines
• Arcs
• Circles
• Rectangles

Made a mistake? Use the UNDO command.

Section Three – Drawing Precision

Why settle for “close enough” when “exact” drawings are easier and faster to produce. This section explores the productivity enhancing tools which produce accurate drawings with ShastaCAD

• Object Snaps
• Object Tracking
• Polar Tracking
• Object Selection
• Object Selection made faster using options such as window, polygon, and fence.

Section 4 – Modify & Edit commands

Still drawing with pencil and paper? What do you do when you need to change the drawing? How long does it take? Are smudges from erasures ruining your artwork? Quickly change drawing objects using these commands, and if you like, UNDO those changes and try again.

• ERASE
• COPY
• MOVE
• MIRROR
• ROTATE
• SCALE
• OFFSET
• (...and by now you are very familiar with the UNDO command)

Section Five - Understanding Layers

We get deeper into drawing organization and controlling the display of objects.

Section Six – Inquiry commands

Find out more about what is on your screen.
Get the answers to these questions:

• How long is that line?
• What is the radius of this arc?
• What is the area of the deck?

Section Seven – Complex drawing and editing commands.

By now you have a good foundation of basic skills. Explore more advanced drawing and editing commands. Do more work in less time. Improve the appearance and accuracy of your drawings.

Section Eight – Understanding Blocks

The ultimate in drawing efficiency; draw it once, re-use it over and over again. Combine lines and arcs into one object, a block.

Section Nine – Text and Dimensions

A picture is worth a thousand words. Annotation doubles it’s value. Learn to add greater beauty and clarity to your drawings. Discover how quick and easy you can place text and dimensions in your drawing. Dimensions automatically update when drawing changes are made.

Section Ten – Creating a Yard Layout

This section is fun. Here is the moment you have been waiting for. Apply the knowledge and skill you have accumulated to this point to draw a site plan. Draw the building footprint, patio, property lines, setback lines, and insert symbols representing trees. Add text and dimensions.

Section Eleven – Drawing the Pool & Deck

Choose from an extensive library of pools, spas, and water features. You will get extensive practice creating and modifying layouts for pools and decks.

Section Twelve – Calculations

More than just a pretty face, these designs have smarts. You are in control. You determine the exact size and shape for your pool and deck. This fast and flexible design strategy combined with powerful drawing and annotation commands puts you way ahead of any of your competitors. Automatically label the area and perimeter of your pool. Label the area of the deck in just 4 mouse clicks. No typing, no scaling, no pocket calculators required. Not only are you being exact with your drawing but it is so much faster than any other method; and the drawing is beautifully labeled as well. This is the power of ShastaCAD.

Section Thirteen – Alias Commands

Your drawing commands are available in pull-down menus and toolbars and the command line. In this final section of basic training we will explore ways to speed up your productivity by using one and two letter keystrokes on the keyboard to launch frequently used commands.

Have a question? Call Brian Morse at 941-730-4447 or send an email to find out more about ShastaCAD^TM.