Expert: Bob - 2/13/2009

Question
hi ,im planning to join an auto cad course for my apprentice at one of the interior designing office here.can you please tell me wat all topics i need to practice in auto cad for interior desingning.ill be joining interior design college in march and parallely would like to take up an apprentice,wat would u advice on this?

Answer
Hi--
First of all, good luck!

I can tell you are in another country, because we dont have apprentices in the US (when we did, the term was for manual trades, such as carpentry). Interior designers may hire interns, meaning students, usually.

Since the practices are different in your country, you should be inquiring of local designers --- or really, wait until you start school and see what they teach about preparing to work. (maybe in the 2nd year or so).

Of course, one must learn all about the elements that he/she needs to draw, before using AutoCAD or anything else. I hope the school will have courses showing how to use AutoCAD in Interior Design --- I cant list all the aspects here.

Once you study drafting, you will see that AutoCAD is computer drafting (with more added). We dont use the term "topics" --- basically, one uses AutoCAD to create documents used to build the project, rather than using pens and pencils. You will be taught how to draw the needed objects and how to organize the drawings for printing.

Many schools don't have time to teach enough AutoCAD -- you should plan on lots of extra practice time. It takes at least a year to get good, and a few years to get very good, usually. Very few new designers are really good designers as well as very practiced in AutoCAD --- if you are one who is good at all of it, you will have the largest choice of jobs.

BOB