AutoCAD 2D for Beginners
AutoCAD 2D for Beginners is a hands-on course in 2D drafting with AutoCAD, from the interface, coordinates, drawing and editing commands and object snaps to layers, blocks, hatching, dimensions and layouts. It suits architects, interior designers, product designers and complete newcomers to AutoCAD, and you leave able to finish a drawing and plot it to PDF.
- Duration12 hours · 2 days
- FormatOnsite / live online
- Next roundOn request
- CertificateIncluded
Course overview
AutoCAD is the standard drafting program in architecture, interior design, engineering and manufacturing, and DWG files pass between designers, contractors and factories every day. Many beginners open the program and do not know where to start: they can draw lines but not to size, use one command at a time without knowing how to combine them, and print drawings with lines or text at the wrong scale.
This course lays the foundations of 2D drafting in AutoCAD 2027, from the interface, file handling, coordinates and units to the drawing and editing commands used most, and drafting accurately with object snaps and polar tracking. It continues with organising drawings with layers, creating blocks and hatches, adding text, tables and dimensions, and then setting up layouts, scaling viewports and plotting to PDF. It closes with a workshop that takes one drawing sheet from start to finish. (2 days, 6 hours per day, 12 hours in total, Beginner level.)
What you’ll gain
- Use the AutoCAD 2027 interface and create, open and save DWG files and templates
- Set units and enter coordinates in different ways to draw to exact sizes
- Combine 2D drawing and editing commands fluently
- Draft accurately with object snaps, polar tracking and object snap tracking
- Organise drawings with layers and create blocks and hatches
- Add text, tables and dimensions correctly
- Set up layouts, scale viewports and plot drawings to paper or PDF
Who this course is for
- Architects, interior designers and design assistants starting to use AutoCAD
- Product designers, technicians and engineers who draw or revise 2D drawings
- Students and newcomers to design, construction or manufacturing
- Anyone who wants to produce 2D drawings on their own
Prerequisites
- Comfortable using a Windows computer and managing files and folders
- No previous experience of AutoCAD or other drafting software is needed
- A basic understanding of scale and reading drawings helps you learn faster
- A laptop that can run AutoCAD 2027 or AutoCAD LT 2027 (your own or your organisation's licence, or a trial) and a mouse with a scroll wheel
Curriculum
Course Details
This is the 2026 edition of the AutoCAD 2D for Beginners course. It runs for 2 days, 6 hours per day (12 hours in total, 09:00-16:00), at Beginner level. The content has been rewritten for AutoCAD 2027 and covers the interface, coordinates, drawing and editing commands, object snaps, layers, blocks, hatching, text, tables, dimensions, layouts and plotting to PDF, closing with a workshop that takes one drawing sheet from start to finish. It is the foundation for the AutoCAD 2D Drawing Workshop and AutoCAD 3D for Beginners courses. Learners use their own or their organisation's copy of AutoCAD, or a trial, and take home the course handbook, practice files with answers for every lab and the drawing produced in the workshop.
Day 1 Drawing and Editing Basics
Section 1: Lab: Getting Started with AutoCAD 2027
- 2D drafting, DWG files and the difference between AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT
- The Start tab, ribbon, command line, status bar and Quick Access Toolbar
- Create, open and save files from a template, and recover work with Autosave
- Zoom and pan with the mouse, and an overview of Autodesk Assistant
- Lab: adjust the workspace and create a first drawing from a template
Section 2: Lab: Units and Coordinates
- Set millimetre units and precision with the UNITS command
- Absolute, relative and polar coordinates
- Enter distances and angles with Dynamic Input
- Lab: draw shapes to given sizes using all three coordinate types
Section 3: Lab: Basic Drawing Commands
- LINE, CIRCLE, ARC and ELLIPSE
- RECTANG and POLYGON for common shapes
- Polylines (PLINE) and editing them with PEDIT
- Lab: draw a geometric part from a sample drawing
Section 4: Lab: Drafting Accurately
- Object snap types and setting running object snaps
- Ortho mode, polar tracking and object snap tracking
- Measure distances, angles and areas with MEASUREGEOM
- Lab: draw a plate with holes in exact positions without calculating coordinates
Section 5: Lab: Selecting and Modifying Objects, Part 1
- Window, crossing and lasso selection
- MOVE, COPY, ROTATE, SCALE and MIRROR
- Quick edits with grips
- Lab: arrange furniture in a room plan with modify commands
Section 6: Lab: Modifying Objects, Part 2
- OFFSET, TRIM and EXTEND
- FILLET, CHAMFER, BREAK and JOIN
- Rectangular, polar and path ARRAY, and STRETCH
- Combine several commands to draft faster
- Lab: draw a room plan with walls, door openings and windows
Day 2 Organising, Dimensioning and Printing
Section 7: Lab: Layers and Object Properties
- The Layer Properties Manager: colours, linetypes and lineweights
- Turn layers off, lock and freeze them, and move objects between layers
- LTSCALE, the Properties palette and Match Properties
- Lab: separate the room plan from day one into layers by type of work
Section 8: Lab: Blocks and Hatches
- Create blocks with BLOCK and set a base point
- Insert blocks from the Blocks palette and save them as files with WBLOCK
- Edit blocks in the Block Editor so every copy updates
- HATCH with material patterns, solid fills and gradients
- Lab: make door and window blocks and hatch the floor of the room plan
Section 9: Lab: Text and Tables
- Text styles for Thai and English
- TEXT and MTEXT, formatting and editing text
- Multileaders for notes and material callouts
- Lab: add room names, notes and a material list with TABLE
Section 10: Lab: Dimensioning
- Set up a dimension style: text height, arrowheads and units
- Linear, aligned, radius, diameter and angular dimensions
- The all-in-one DIM command, and continued and baseline dimensions
- Lab: dimension the room plan and the part completely and clearly
Section 11: Lab: Layouts and Plotting to PDF
- Model space and paper space, and page setups
- Create viewports, set their scale and lock them
- Add a drawing frame and title block
- Plot with AutoCAD PDF (General Documentation).pc3 and monochrome.ctb
- Lab: lay out the drawing on an A3 sheet and export it to PDF
Section 12: Workshop: One Drawing Sheet from Start to Finish
- Take a room plan or part brief and plan the drawing order
- Draw it, separate layers and add blocks, hatches and text
- Dimension it, set up the layout and plot to PDF
- Workshop: present the result, review it together and see the next steps in 2D and 3D
Schedule & training options
For individuals — public rounds
No public rounds are open right now. Join the waiting list and we will contact you first when the next round opens, or ask us on LINE. Or call 02-570-8449 or 088-807-9770
For organisations — in-house / private
- Tailor the content to your team’s tools and projects
- Your dates, at your office or live online
- Quotation with tax ID for procurement
Instructors
Frequently asked questions
What are layers in AutoCAD for, and how should you set them up?
Layers separate the objects in a drawing by type, such as walls, doors and windows, furniture, text and dimensions. Each layer has its own colour, linetype and lineweight, so you can hide, lock or exclude groups from printing. Set up layers before you start drawing or keep them in a template, give them meaningful names and draw each object on the right layer rather than changing colours object by object.
How do you plot an AutoCAD drawing to a PDF file?
Open the Plot command from a prepared layout and choose AutoCAD PDF (General Documentation).pc3 as the printer. Select a paper size such as A3, plot the layout at 1:1 and set the drawing scale in the viewport, and choose monochrome.ctb as the plot style if you want all lines in black. Check with Preview, click OK and name the file. The same steps print to paper when you select a real printer.
What is a block in AutoCAD and how does it help with drafting?
A block combines several objects into a single reusable item, such as a door, a table or a drawing symbol. You create it with the BLOCK command, setting a base point for placement, then insert copies from the Blocks palette wherever you need them. Blocks keep files smaller, speed up drafting, and when you edit the block definition in the Block Editor every placed copy updates at once.
Who is the AutoCAD 2D for Beginners course for, and what should I know beforehand?
It suits architects, interior designers, product designers, technicians, students and anyone who wants to start 2D drafting with AutoCAD. No previous AutoCAD experience is needed, as long as you are comfortable with a Windows computer and bring a laptop with AutoCAD 2027 or AutoCAD LT 2027 installed.
What will I be able to do after the AutoCAD 2D for Beginners course?
You will be able to produce 2D drawings to exact sizes in AutoCAD, creating and editing objects, using object snaps, organising work with layers, building blocks and hatches, adding text, tables and dimensions, and setting up layouts to plot to paper or PDF. You can then move on to the AutoCAD 2D Drawing Workshop or AutoCAD 3D for Beginners. Participants who complete the training receive a Certificate of Completion with its own number, which can be verified online.
Which version of AutoCAD does the course use, and can I use AutoCAD LT?
The course is based on AutoCAD 2027 and follows the latest release on the training day. The 2D commands taught are core commands found in both AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, and they work in nearby versions, although parts of the interface may differ slightly. Learners use a licensed copy of AutoCAD, their own or their organisation's, or a trial from Autodesk.