Expert: Bill DeShawn - 11/18/2009

Question
I hate math, is autocad for me? All my children are in school and I am trying to determine what to go back to school for. My husband would like for me to take Autocad so that I can help him at his business. Algebra 1 was as far as I got in math.  

Answer
Jenny:
Don't sweat it.  Basic math will do.  AutoCAD does the math.  Draw a line from any point tangent to a circle.  AutoCAD will do that and no math is required on the part of the user.  AutoCAD will measure all the angles and dimension them if required.  Sometimes, however there are formula that you will have to solve for an unknown value like if you're going to do architectural work, you may need to do a forumula for things like how many foundation vents you need in a foundation, roof vents you need over an attic, lighting and ventilation in a room, total window area in an elevation view, but area calculation of each individual area is easy, because you just have to draw a polyline around the area or maybe even automatically ask AutoCAD to draw it (BPOLY command), and when you list the polyline, AutoCAD will return the area in the list.  Drafting no longer requires the knowledge of geometry that it used to, although it doesn't hurt.  An elemetary Algebra class could be helpful, but not especially necessary.  By the way, my motto is "When you stop learning, you start dying."  You're not ready to die yet are you?  I have another new motto:  "When you stop teaching, you start killing".

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Bill DeShawn
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