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DCAD - Diploma in Computer-Aided Design

AutoCAD 2D drafting, layers, dimensions, plotting, 3D modelling and a civil, mechanical or electrical design project.

Talk to a counsellor about DCAD - Diploma in Computer-Aided Design

Fees, batch dates and timings are shared by a counsellor. No payment is needed to ask.

What you will cover
  • AutoCAD 2D drafting
  • layers
  • dimensions
  • plotting
  • 3D modelling
  • a civil
  • mechanical or electrical design project

Topic list from the institute's programme record.

Certification

Certificate terms for this programme are confirmed by the institute at admission. Any ADIVAS course-completion certificate is an institute certificate; it is not a university degree, an externally accredited qualification or a vendor certification (such as AWS or Microsoft) unless the institute states so in writing.

The programme title is as supplied in the institute's list. Please confirm the awarding body and recognition with the institute before enrolling.

Curriculum 0.1 · Draft: written for ADIVAS and awaiting academic review and approval. Topics and weeks may change before your batch starts.

Your skill trail

You move through 7 stations. Each week builds one skill you can show, not just a topic you have heard.

  1. Drafting foundations

    Set up drawings and create accurate 2D geometry with coordinates and snaps.

    • Week 1 AutoCAD interface and drawing setup
    • Week 2 Coordinates, lines and object snaps
    • Week 3 Draw tools: polyline, arcs, circles and curves

  2. Editing and organisation

    Edit efficiently and organise drawings with layers, blocks and templates.

    • Week 4 Modify tools I
    • Week 5 Modify tools II and layers
    • Week 6 Blocks, attributes, xrefs and tables

  3. Annotation and plotting

    Dimension, annotate, lay out and plot drawings to scale.

    • Week 7 Text, hatches and annotation scale
    • Week 8 Dimensioning
    • Week 9 Layouts, viewports and plotting

  4. Views, sections and discipline drawings

    Produce orthographic, sectional and discipline-specific 2D drawings.

    • Week 10 Orthographic projection and auxiliary views
    • Week 11 Sectional views and details
    • Week 12 Civil drawings: plan, elevation and site
    • Week 13 Mechanical and electrical drawings

  5. 3D modelling

    Build, edit and present 3D solids and generate views from them.

    • Week 14 3D workspace and visual styles
    • Week 15 Solids from profiles
    • Week 16 Boolean operations and solid editing
    • Week 17 Sweep, loft and 3D for civil and electrical use
    • Week 18 Materials, lights, rendering and views from 3D

  6. Standards, checking and quantities

    Check drawings, extract quantities and manage files and revisions.

    • Week 19 Drawing checks, standards and revisions
    • Week 20 Quantities and bills of material

  7. Design project

    Complete a civil, mechanical or electrical design project from brief to review.

    • Week 21 Project: brief, sketches and 2D set
    • Week 22 Project: 3D model and details
    • Week 23 Project: layouts, plotting and checks
    • Week 24 Project: report and presentation

  8. Two-Bedroom House Design Pack (or Mechanical or Electrical Alternative)

    Your project, reviewed by a trainer.

The ADIVAS mastery ladder: how each skill is recognised
  1. Explored You have seen the idea and tried a first example.
  2. Practising You can do it with hints and keep improving.
  3. Proficient You complete the weekly practical task correctly on your own.
  4. Proven You apply it in a project reviewed by your trainer.

Skill-level tracking is being added to the learner workspace. Your trainer already reviews weekly practical work.

What you will be able to do

  • Set up drawings with units, templates, layers and standards and draw accurate 2D geometry using coordinates and snaps.
  • Edit and organise drawings efficiently with modify tools, blocks, attributes, xrefs and tables.
  • Annotate drawings with text, hatches, dimensions and leaders in styles that suit a stated plot scale.
  • Create layouts with scaled viewports and title blocks and plot correct PDFs and sheet sets.
  • Read and produce orthographic and sectional views and relate them to a 3D form.
  • Build 3D solids and surfaces, edit them with Boolean and solid-editing tools, and generate views from the model.
  • Apply discipline conventions: civil (plans, sections, details), mechanical (part and assembly drawings, tolerances) or electrical (layouts and schematics).
  • Check drawings for errors using a checklist, manage versions and files, and incorporate review comments.
  • Deliver a complete design project with a drawing set, a 3D model, a bill of quantities or materials and a short report.

Who it suits

  • School Students in Classes 11-12 and polytechnic aspirants who enjoy technical drawing and want to learn how engineers make drawings on a computer.
  • College Diploma and degree students in civil, mechanical and electrical streams who want strong CAD skills for projects and internships.
  • Professional Site supervisors, fabricators, electricians, interior workers and draughting trainees who must produce and check drawings to professional standards.

Prerequisites: Basic computer use. School-level geometry and measurement. No earlier CAD experience needed. Tools: AutoCAD (licensed or education edition provided in the lab), A free CAD such as LibreCAD or FreeCAD for concept practice outside the lab, A PDF viewer and a spreadsheet for quantity tables, Graph paper, scale ruler and a measuring tape for site sketches.

Weekly plan

Drafting foundations Weeks 1–3

Week 1: AutoCAD interface and drawing setup

Theory
  • Workspace, ribbon, command line and model space
  • Units, limits and 1:1 drawing
  • Saving, naming and backing up files
  • Templates and drawing standards
Lab
Set millimetre units, make a template with a border and a title block placeholder, and draw a rectangle 150 x 90 with absolute and relative coordinates.
Homework
Sketch your study table and list its dimensions in millimetres.
Deliverable
A saved template and a coordinates note.
Weekly checkpoint
Convert a sketch into coordinate entries; predict the end point of a polar entry.
You will be able to
Set up drawings with units, templates, layers and standards and draw accurate 2D geometry using coordinates and snaps.

Week 2: Coordinates, lines and object snaps

Theory
  • Absolute, relative and polar coordinates
  • Direct distance entry, ortho and polar tracking
  • Object snaps: endpoint, midpoint, centre, intersection, tangent, perpendicular
  • Checking with distance and list
Lab
Draw a gusset plate and a stepped shaft outline using only keyboard coordinates and snaps; verify lengths with the distance command.
Homework
Draw a plan of your classroom with door and window openings to scale 1:1.
Deliverable
Plate, shaft and classroom outline.
Weekly checkpoint
Choose the right snap for six tasks; one timed drawing.
You will be able to
Set up drawings with units, templates, layers and standards and draw accurate 2D geometry using coordinates and snaps.

Week 3: Draw tools: polyline, arcs, circles and curves

Theory
  • Polyline, rectangle, polygon, ellipse and spline
  • Circle and arc options (centre-radius, three-point, tangent)
  • Construction geometry and tangents
  • Regions and closed boundaries
Lab
Draw a link plate with slots, tangent arcs and holes from a dimensioned sketch; compute its area with a closed polyline.
Homework
Draw the profile of a gate with an arched top.
Deliverable
Link plate and gate profile.
Weekly checkpoint
Identify which draw command suits five shapes.
You will be able to
Set up drawings with units, templates, layers and standards and draw accurate 2D geometry using coordinates and snaps.
Editing and organisation Weeks 4–6

Week 4: Modify tools I

Theory
  • Move, copy, rotate, scale, mirror
  • Offset, trim, extend, fillet and chamfer
  • Selection methods and grips
  • Undo discipline and saving versions
Lab
Turn a centre-line layout into a 230 mm wall plan with offset, trim and fillet; add door openings.
Homework
Re-draw the plan with two alternative room positions and compare.
Deliverable
A wall plan and an alternative.
Weekly checkpoint
Order modify steps to produce a wall plan from centre lines.
You will be able to
Edit and organise drawings efficiently with modify tools, blocks, attributes, xrefs and tables.

Week 5: Modify tools II and layers

Theory
  • Array (rectangular, polar, path), stretch, break, join
  • Layers: naming, colour, linetype, lineweight
  • Layer states and layer filters
  • Property matching
Lab
Create a polar array of bolt holes in a flange; create a layer standard (WALLS, DOORS, DIMS, TEXT, CENTRE, HIDDEN) and reorganise a messy file.
Homework
Write a layer standard for your discipline of choice.
Deliverable
A flange drawing and a reorganised file with a layer table.
Weekly checkpoint
Find three layer mistakes in a given screenshot.
You will be able to
Edit and organise drawings efficiently with modify tools, blocks, attributes, xrefs and tables. Set up drawings with units, templates, layers and standards and draw accurate 2D geometry using coordinates and snaps.

Week 6: Blocks, attributes, xrefs and tables

Theory
  • Creating and inserting blocks
  • Attributes and extracting data
  • External references and file paths
  • Tables for schedules and parts lists
Lab
Create door, window and bolt blocks, insert them, attach an xref of the site boundary and create a door schedule table.
Homework
Make a small block library with insertion points chosen carefully.
Deliverable
A plan with blocks, an xref and a schedule.
Weekly checkpoint
Explain what happens to an xref when its file is moved.
You will be able to
Edit and organise drawings efficiently with modify tools, blocks, attributes, xrefs and tables.
Annotation and plotting Weeks 7–9

Week 7: Text, hatches and annotation scale

Theory
  • Text styles and plot-scale heights
  • Multiline text, leaders and notes
  • Hatch patterns, boundaries and gradients
  • Annotative objects
Lab
Add room names, notes and material hatches to the plan; compute text heights for 1:50 and 1:100.
Homework
Create a legend with four hatch patterns.
Deliverable
An annotated plan with legend.
Weekly checkpoint
Compute the text height needed to print 2.5 mm at 1:100.
You will be able to
Annotate drawings with text, hatches, dimensions and leaders in styles that suit a stated plot scale.

Week 8: Dimensioning

Theory
  • Dimension styles: arrows, text, extension lines, precision
  • Linear, aligned, radius, diameter, angular, baseline and continuous
  • Associative dimensions, overrides and when not to override
  • Dimensioning practice: no duplicates, no closed chains that over-constrain
Lab
Fully dimension the link plate and the plan using a single dimension style; review a drawing with intentional dimension errors.
Homework
Find and fix eight dimension errors in a given file.
Deliverable
A dimensioned plate and plan with an error log.
Weekly checkpoint
Mark missing, duplicate and conflicting dimensions.
You will be able to
Annotate drawings with text, hatches, dimensions and leaders in styles that suit a stated plot scale.

Week 9: Layouts, viewports and plotting

Theory
  • Model space versus paper space
  • Page setup, plot styles and PDF output
  • Viewport scale, locking and layer overrides
  • Sheet sets and consistent title blocks
Lab
Create an A3 layout with a title block and two viewports at different scales; plot a PDF and check a printed dimension.
Homework
Plot a part at 1:1 on A4 and verify a 50 mm length.
Deliverable
A plotted PDF with correct scales.
Weekly checkpoint
Compute viewport scales; troubleshoot a PDF that prints at the wrong scale.
You will be able to
Create layouts with scaled viewports and title blocks and plot correct PDFs and sheet sets.
Views, sections and discipline drawings Weeks 10–13

Week 10: Orthographic projection and auxiliary views

Theory
  • First-angle and third-angle projection and their symbols
  • Plan, front and side views
  • Hidden and centre lines
  • Auxiliary view for inclined faces
Lab
Draw three views of a stepped bracket from an isometric sketch; add an auxiliary view of an inclined face.
Homework
Draw three views of a household object after measuring it.
Deliverable
A three-view drawing and an auxiliary view.
Weekly checkpoint
Match isometric pictures with three-view drawings.
You will be able to
Read and produce orthographic and sectional views and relate them to a 3D form.

Week 11: Sectional views and details

Theory
  • Full, half and offset sections
  • Cutting-plane lines and section hatching
  • Detail views at a larger scale
  • Conventions for thin parts, webs and fasteners
Lab
Draw a section through the bracket and through a wall with lintel and roof slab; add a detail view of the wall-slab junction.
Homework
Explain why a section cuts a bolt differently from a plate.
Deliverable
A sectional drawing and a detail sheet.
Weekly checkpoint
Read a section and list the materials shown.
You will be able to
Read and produce orthographic and sectional views and relate them to a 3D form. Apply discipline conventions: civil (plans, sections, details), mechanical (part and assembly drawings, tolerances) or electrical (layouts and schematics).

Week 12: Civil drawings: plan, elevation and site

Theory
  • Floor plan conventions: wall thickness, openings, room labels
  • Elevation and section conventions
  • Foundation and column layouts
  • Site plan with north point and setbacks
Lab
Draw the plan, front elevation and a section of a two-bedroom house from a brief, with a door and window schedule.
Homework
Measure and draw a room of your house with all openings.
Deliverable
A house plan, elevation, section and schedule.
Weekly checkpoint
Find three conflicts between a plan and an elevation.
You will be able to
Apply discipline conventions: civil (plans, sections, details), mechanical (part and assembly drawings, tolerances) or electrical (layouts and schematics). Annotate drawings with text, hatches, dimensions and leaders in styles that suit a stated plot scale.

Week 13: Mechanical and electrical drawings

Theory
  • Part and assembly drawings, balloons and parts lists
  • Tolerances, surface finish and fits in introductory form
  • Electrical layout symbols, circuit labelling and cable routes
  • Schematic versus layout drawings
Lab
Create an assembly drawing of a simple clamp with a parts list; draw an electrical layout of a small shop with switch and light positions and a circuit table.
Homework
Choose your discipline for the final project and write a one-page brief.
Deliverable
A clamp assembly drawing and a shop electrical layout.
Weekly checkpoint
Interpret a tolerance note and a circuit table.
You will be able to
Apply discipline conventions: civil (plans, sections, details), mechanical (part and assembly drawings, tolerances) or electrical (layouts and schematics). Annotate drawings with text, hatches, dimensions and leaders in styles that suit a stated plot scale.
3D modelling Weeks 14–18

Week 14: 3D workspace and visual styles

Theory
  • 3D workspace and orbit tools
  • World and user coordinate systems
  • Visual styles: wireframe, hidden, shaded
  • Views: top, front, isometric
Lab
Navigate a provided 3D part with orbit, change visual styles and set a UCS on three faces.
Homework
Explain in five lines why the UCS matters when drawing on a slanted face.
Deliverable
A set of named views of a provided model.
Weekly checkpoint
Identify the UCS needed to draw on a given face.
You will be able to
Build 3D solids and surfaces, edit them with Boolean and solid-editing tools, and generate views from the model.

Week 15: Solids from profiles

Theory
  • Extrude, presspull and revolve
  • Primitive solids: box, cylinder, cone, sphere
  • Closed boundaries and regions
  • Checking volume and mass properties
Lab
Model a flange by revolve, a bracket by extrude and a building mass from a plan; read the volume of each.
Homework
Hand-calculate the flange volume and compare with the model.
Deliverable
Three solid models with a volume comparison.
Weekly checkpoint
Choose the best command for five shapes.
You will be able to
Build 3D solids and surfaces, edit them with Boolean and solid-editing tools, and generate views from the model.

Week 16: Boolean operations and solid editing

Theory
  • Union, subtract and intersect
  • Fillet and chamfer edges, shell and slice
  • Face editing: move, offset, taper
  • Order of operations and history
Lab
Model a bearing housing with bores, bolt holes and pockets; shell a box and slice a section.
Homework
Explain the result when two subtract operations are done in a different order.
Deliverable
A bearing housing with a section view.
Weekly checkpoint
Predict the result of Boolean operations on two solids.
You will be able to
Build 3D solids and surfaces, edit them with Boolean and solid-editing tools, and generate views from the model.

Week 17: Sweep, loft and 3D for civil and electrical use

Theory
  • Sweep along a path and loft between sections
  • Building from a plan: walls, slab, openings and a roof
  • Pipe and conduit routes
  • Naming and layering 3D objects
Lab
Model a staircase using sweep or extrusions, a tapered duct with loft and a house shell from your civil plan.
Homework
Model a simple conduit route for the shop layout.
Deliverable
Staircase, duct and house shell models.
Weekly checkpoint
Identify the path and profile needed for a sweep.
You will be able to
Build 3D solids and surfaces, edit them with Boolean and solid-editing tools, and generate views from the model. Apply discipline conventions: civil (plans, sections, details), mechanical (part and assembly drawings, tolerances) or electrical (layouts and schematics).

Week 18: Materials, lights, rendering and views from 3D

Theory
  • Materials, lights, camera and sun settings
  • Rendering settings for clear output
  • Creating plan, section and elevation views from a solid
  • Honest presentation: realistic camera and materials
Lab
Render the house or clamp and create plan and section views from the 3D model for a layout.
Homework
List what in your render could mislead a client.
Deliverable
A rendered image and generated 2D views.
Weekly checkpoint
Order the steps from solid model to plotted view.
You will be able to
Build 3D solids and surfaces, edit them with Boolean and solid-editing tools, and generate views from the model. Create layouts with scaled viewports and title blocks and plot correct PDFs and sheet sets.
Standards, checking and quantities Weeks 19–20

Week 19: Drawing checks, standards and revisions

Theory
  • A drawing checklist: units, layers, scale, dimensions, notes
  • Purge, audit and file size
  • Naming, versions and a revision table
  • Reading and answering mark-ups
Lab
Check a peer's drawing set with a checklist, record 10 comments and then resolve comments on your own set with a revision table.
Homework
Write a one-page drawing standard for your project.
Deliverable
A completed checklist, revision table and standard.
Weekly checkpoint
Find errors in a given drawing set using the checklist.
You will be able to
Check drawings for errors using a checklist, manage versions and files, and incorporate review comments.

Week 20: Quantities and bills of material

Theory
  • Areas, lengths and counts from a drawing
  • Data extraction to a spreadsheet
  • Civil quantities: wall volume, plaster and flooring area
  • Mechanical parts list and electrical cable length, with allowance for waste
Lab
Extract block counts and areas from the house plan, build a quantity sheet with a waste allowance and cross-check one number by hand.
Homework
Write what assumptions your quantity sheet makes.
Deliverable
A quantity or parts sheet with a hand cross-check.
Weekly checkpoint
Compute wall volume and flooring area from a given plan.
You will be able to
Check drawings for errors using a checklist, manage versions and files, and incorporate review comments. Apply discipline conventions: civil (plans, sections, details), mechanical (part and assembly drawings, tolerances) or electrical (layouts and schematics).
Design project Weeks 21–24

Week 21: Project: brief, sketches and 2D set

Theory
  • Reading a client brief and listing constraints
  • Planning sheets and layers
  • Choosing standards and scales
Lab
Finalise the brief, make a hand sketch and start the 2D drawing set with layers, dimensions and views.
Homework
Complete the first draft of the 2D set.
Deliverable
A brief, a sketch and a draft 2D set.
Weekly checkpoint
Review the brief and sketch with the trainer.
You will be able to
Set up drawings with units, templates, layers and standards and draw accurate 2D geometry using coordinates and snaps. Annotate drawings with text, hatches, dimensions and leaders in styles that suit a stated plot scale. Apply discipline conventions: civil (plans, sections, details), mechanical (part and assembly drawings, tolerances) or electrical (layouts and schematics).

Week 22: Project: 3D model and details

Theory
  • Building the 3D model from the 2D set
  • Details and sections that explain construction
  • Checking volume or area against hand calculations
Lab
Build the 3D model, create sections and details, and extract quantities.
Homework
Fix issues found in the first peer review.
Deliverable
A 3D model, sections, details and a quantity sheet.
Weekly checkpoint
Mid-project review with checklist.
You will be able to
Read and produce orthographic and sectional views and relate them to a 3D form. Build 3D solids and surfaces, edit them with Boolean and solid-editing tools, and generate views from the model. Deliver a complete design project with a drawing set, a 3D model, a bill of quantities or materials and a short report.

Week 23: Project: layouts, plotting and checks

Theory
  • Sheet composition
  • Final drawing check and revision table
  • Preparing the PDF set and file archive
Lab
Create the sheet set with correct scales, plot PDFs, run the checklist and resolve review comments.
Homework
Prepare a five-minute presentation outline.
Deliverable
A plotted PDF set with a completed checklist.
Weekly checkpoint
Plot verification with a ruler.
You will be able to
Create layouts with scaled viewports and title blocks and plot correct PDFs and sheet sets. Check drawings for errors using a checklist, manage versions and files, and incorporate review comments.

Week 24: Project: report and presentation

Theory
  • Writing a design note: decisions, assumptions and limits
  • Presenting drawings to a client or a supervisor
Lab
Present your design pack in ten minutes, answer questions and submit the final archive with a one-page report.
Homework
Archive all files with clear names and write a reflection.
Deliverable
Final DWG, PDF set, render, quantity sheet and a one-page report.
Weekly checkpoint
Project viva with rubric.
You will be able to
Deliver a complete design project with a drawing set, a 3D model, a bill of quantities or materials and a short report. Check drawings for errors using a checklist, manage versions and files, and incorporate review comments.

Sample lessons

Week 8

Dimensioning so that a drawing can be built from

Dimensions are instructions for the person who builds the object. Each size should appear once, be readable and be placed where the builder looks for it. The set of dimensions must be complete so that no one has to measure the drawing or calculate a missing size. Dimension styles control arrow size, text height and extension lines, and should be set for the plot scale. Use associative dimensions so that they update when geometry changes, and avoid overriding the number with typed text.

Good dimensioning

  • Each size shown once
  • Overall size present
  • Associative dimensions
  • Outside the object

Poor dimensioning

  • Duplicated and conflicting values
  • Typed overrides
  • Missing overall size
  • Clashing lines

Step by step

  1. Create a dimension style with text height and arrow size suited to the plot scale.
  2. Dimension overall sizes first, then the positions of features.
  3. Place dimensions outside the object, avoiding crossing extension lines.
  4. Use baseline or continuous dimensions for rows of holes or openings and avoid closed chains.
  5. Add diameters for holes, radii for arcs and angles where needed.
  6. Review: is every size present once, readable and not contradicting another?

In real life

A fabricator in Madurai receives a drawing of a gate frame with the overall width missing and the same bar length written twice with different numbers. He has to call the designer, delaying the job and risking a wrong cut.

Worked example

Problem. A plate 200 mm long has four holes equally spaced, the first 25 mm from the left edge and the last 25 mm from the right edge. Which dimensions do you show, and why avoid dimensioning every gap and also the overall length?

Solution. Show the overall length 200, the 25 mm from each edge only on one side if symmetrical, and the hole spacing as a single baseline or continuous run: spacing = (200 - 25 - 25) / 3 = 50 mm. Dimensioning every gap and the overall length creates a closed chain; if one number is rounded the others conflict. Give either the gaps or the overall length, not all.

Common mistakes

  • Overriding the dimension text with a typed number that no longer matches the geometry.
  • Dimensioning the same feature twice with different values.
  • Placing dimensions inside the object where they clash with lines.

Try it yourself

  • Dimension a rectangular plate with four holes without creating a closed chain.
  • Compute the dimension text height for 2.5 mm printed text at 1:50.
  • Review a given drawing and list its missing and conflicting dimensions.

Week 16

Building a part with Boolean operations

Complex solids are built from simple ones. You start with a basic solid, add material with union, remove material with subtract and keep only the overlap with intersect. The order matters: subtracting a cylinder from a block makes a hole, but subtracting the block from the cylinder leaves nothing useful. After each operation, check the result in a section view and read its volume, because a solid that looks right can still have a missing hole or a thin skin.

  1. 1Base solid
  2. 2Cutting solids
  3. 3Subtract
  4. 4Union additions
  5. 5Section and volume check

Step by step

  1. Plan the part as a base shape plus additions and cuts.
  2. Create the base solid, such as a box 120 x 80 x 30 mm.
  3. Create cutting solids, such as cylinders for holes, that extend beyond the faces.
  4. Subtract the cutting solids from the base.
  5. Add features such as bosses with union.
  6. Check with a section and the mass properties volume.

In real life

A bearing housing needs a 40 mm bore and four bolt holes. A designer models the block first, subtracts the bore and holes, then adds fillets, and sends a section view to the machinist to confirm the depth of each hole.

Worked example

Problem. A block is 120 x 80 x 30 mm. A through hole of diameter 20 mm is subtracted. What is the remaining volume? (pi = 3.14)

Solution. Block volume = 120 x 80 x 30 = 288,000 cubic mm. Hole volume = 3.14 x 10 x 10 x 30 = 9,420 cubic mm. Remaining volume = 288,000 - 9,420 = 278,580 cubic mm. The model's mass-properties volume should match this closely.

Common mistakes

  • Making the cutting cylinder exactly as tall as the block, leaving a thin film on a face.
  • Subtracting before the base is complete.
  • Not checking the volume or a section after the operation.

Try it yourself

  • Model a plate with a central hole and four corner holes and compare volumes with a hand calculation.
  • Create a L-shaped bracket using union of two boxes and then subtract a slot.
  • Use intersect on a cylinder and a box and describe the result.

Try the questions

The same skills are asked at three levels: School (Classes 6–12), College and Professional. Switch the level and the language (English or Tamil), and say how sure you are before you check: knowing what you are unsure about is part of learning.

Classes 6–12: everyday examples, no prior knowledge. Practice only. Nothing here is graded or saved.

Question 1 / 4 · Understand coordinates

A point is 5 units to the right and 2 units up from the starting point. How is it written as x,y?

A point is 5 units to the right and 2 units up from the starting point. How is it written as x,y?
How sure are you?

Projects

Two-Bedroom House Design Pack (or Mechanical or Electrical Alternative)

Design a small two-bedroom house on a 12 m x 9 m plot in Madurai, or, if you choose the mechanical track, a bench vice assembly, or, for the electrical track, the wiring layout of a 20-seat computer lab. Produce a dimensioned 2D set, a 3D model with a render, a quantity or parts sheet and a plotted PDF set with a drawing checklist and revision table.

Tasks

  1. Write a brief with constraints, such as setbacks, room sizes and a budget range, and make a hand sketch.
  2. Produce a layered, dimensioned 2D set (plans, elevations and sections, or part and assembly views, or layout and circuit table).
  3. Build a 3D model and generate at least two views from it.
  4. Extract quantities or a parts list into a spreadsheet and check one number by hand.
  5. Plot a sheet set at correct scales and complete the checklist and revision table.

Sample input

Plot 12000 x 9000 mm, setbacks 1500 mm front and 1000 mm sides, two bedrooms of at least 3000 x 3000 mm, wall thickness 230 mm.

Expected output

A PDF set with plan at 1:50 where a 3000 mm room prints 60 mm, a 3D render, a quantity sheet with wall volume, and a clean checklist.

How it is assessed

CriterionWeight
Accuracy of 2D drawings and dimensions25%
3D model and views20%
Discipline conventions and detail15%
Quantities or parts list with check15%
Layouts, scale and plot15%
Checklist, revisions and report10%

Stretch challenge: Develop a second option with a different layout and compare floor area, wall length and cost estimate in a table.

How you are assessed

Each week: five short questions (drawing reading, commands, calculations, with one diagram or table question) and one timed drawing or modelling task checked against a dimension and layer checklist.

Practical work. Learners submit DWG files and plotted PDFs each module. The trainer measures key dimensions, inspects layers and standards, verifies 3D volumes against hand calculations and checks the plotted scale with a ruler.

What trainers look forWeight
Accuracy of geometry and dimensions25%
Organisation: layers, blocks, standards15%
Discipline conventions and views20%
3D modelling and verification15%
Layout, scale and plot15%
Checking, revisions and report10%

Where this can lead

  • Prepares you for junior draughtsman and CAD operator roles in civil, mechanical and electrical settings.
  • Prepares you to produce, check and revise drawing sets and simple 3D models.
  • Provides a base for further study in design, BIM or engineering.

These describe skills you will build. ADIVAS does not guarantee jobs, placement or salary.