Course 6 of 8Applied Course

Computer-Aided Design and Visualisation

Develop practical capability in digital design, technical drafting and visual communication, progressing from CAD fundamentals and 2D drawing to material-informed design and an integrated applied project.

About the Course

Computer-Aided Design and Visualisation develops practical skills in digital design, technical drawing and visual communication using computer-aided design methods.

Participants progress from fundamental CAD concepts and geometric construction through technical drafting, dimensions and annotations, drawing organisation, design visualisation, material considerations and basic design calculations.

The course places strong emphasis on accuracy, design communication and practical application, culminating in an integrated CAD project that brings the major course elements together.

Website note: keep the course software-neutral until the exact platform or platforms used for delivery are confirmed.

What You Will Learn

Explain the fundamental concepts and workflow of computer-aided design.
Set up and organise digital drawings appropriately.
Create accurate 2D geometry using CAD tools.
Apply common technical-drawing conventions.
Develop dimensioned and annotated drawings.
Apply appropriate scales, views and drawing layouts.
Organise drawings using layers, reusable elements and templates.
Review drawings for accuracy, consistency and completeness.
Develop clear visual representations of design concepts.
Consider material properties in basic design decisions.
Apply fundamental calculations to support dimensional decisions.
Translate a defined design brief into a structured CAD solution.
Present completed technical and visual design outputs professionally.

Course Curriculum

8 modules · ~40 h indicative total

Fundamentals of Computer-Aided Design~4 h10 topics

Role of CAD
Digital design workflows
CAD workspace and interface
Coordinate systems
Units and scales
Drawing setup
Basic geometric entities
Selection and editing
Drawing precision
File organisation

2D Drawing and Geometric Construction~5 h10 topics

Lines, arcs and circles
Polygons and geometric shapes
Coordinate input
Object snapping
Offsets
Trimming and extending
Fillets and chamfers
Arrays and repetition
Construction geometry
Precision drawing techniques

Technical Drafting and Drawing Communication~5 h11 topics

Technical-drawing principles
Orthographic projection
Plan and elevation views
Sectional views
Dimensions
Annotations
Line conventions
Drawing scales
Symbols and notes
Title blocks
Drawing readability

Layers, Blocks, Templates and Drawing Standards~4.5 h10 topics

Layer management
Object properties
Line weights
Reusable drawing elements
Blocks and symbols
Templates
Standardised layouts
File naming
Revision-control concepts
Drawing-quality review

Design Visualisation and Rendering~5 h10 topics

Purpose of design visualisation
View selection
Perspective
Surface representation
Material appearance
Lighting fundamentals
Rendering principles
Design alternatives
Presentation views
Technical versus non-technical communication

Materials and Design Considerations~4 h10 topics

Material-selection fundamentals
Material properties
Strength and durability considerations
Environmental exposure
Manufacturability
Availability
Cost
Surface finish
Sustainability considerations
Using material data to support design decisions

Design Calculations and Dimensional Decision-Making~4 h9 topics

Units and dimensional consistency
Basic geometric calculations
Areas and volumes
Material quantities
Dimensional feasibility
Selected sizing considerations
Design assumptions
Translating calculations into drawing decisions
Documenting calculation inputs and outputs

Integrated CAD Design Project~8.5 h8 topics

Design brief
Concept development
Geometric construction
Technical drawing
Material considerations
Dimensional checks
Visualisation
Final presentation

Who Should Attend

Designers and draftersEngineering and technology studentsTechnical professionalsManufacturing and fabrication personnelProduct-development personnelProject and technical officersConstruction and infrastructure personnelTechnical entrepreneursProfessionals involved in technical documentationIndividuals seeking practical CAD and digital-design capability

Prerequisites

Basic computer literacy
Basic numerical and spatial-reasoning skills
General familiarity with technical drawings or design concepts is helpful

No previous CAD experience is required.

Practical Learning

This course is strongly hands-on, with participants developing practical CAD and design capability throughout.

CAD Setup Exercise

Create and organise a digital drawing environment.

Geometric Construction Exercise

Produce accurate 2D geometry from defined dimensional information.

Technical Drawing Exercise

Develop a complete technical drawing with dimensions, annotations and appropriate views.

Drawing Organisation Exercise

Create structured layers, reusable elements and a standardised drawing template.

Visualisation Exercise

Prepare visual representations of a design using appropriate views and rendering approaches.

Material Selection Exercise

Compare candidate materials and justify a preferred design choice.

Design Calculation Exercise

Apply selected calculations and incorporate the results into the drawing.

Applied Case Study

The course concludes with an integrated CAD design project.

Applied workflow

Design brief
Concept development
Geometric construction
Technical drawing
Material considerations
Dimensional checks
Visualisation
Final presentation

Final deliverable includes

Design brief

Concept development

Working drawings

Final technical drawing

Dimensions and annotations

Material considerations

Selected calculations

Visualisation or rendering

Final design presentation

Resources Included

Representative resources for the website (the full internal toolkit may be broader):

CAD Drawing Setup Checklist

Technical Drawing Standards Guide

Layer and File Organisation Template

Dimensioning and Annotation Checklist

Material Selection Worksheet

Design Calculation Worksheet

Drawing Quality Review Checklist

CAD Project Planning Template

What You Will Gain

Develop practical capability in computer-aided design, technical drafting and design visualisation while building a structured workflow that can be applied to future technical and commercial design projects.

Practical CAD drawing capability
Stronger technical-drafting skills
Greater confidence developing accurate digital drawings
Improved drawing-organisation practices
Stronger visual-communication capability
Practical understanding of material-informed design
Experience incorporating calculations into design decisions
Completion of an integrated CAD project

Industry Applications

Product designManufacturingFabricationEngineering servicesConstructionInfrastructureIndustrial designTechnical documentationEquipment designProject development

Delivery Options

Live Virtual Training

Interactive instructor-led delivery incorporating exercises, analysis and discussion.

Instructor-Led Classroom Training

Face-to-face delivery with practical activities, case work and direct instructor interaction.

Corporate Cohorts

Organisation-specific delivery with examples and scenarios adapted to relevant operational or technical contexts where appropriate.

Blended Delivery

A combination of instructor-led sessions and structured independent activities or applied project work.