Learning Resources

Upcoming Design to Fabrication Classes

Single and multi-day training courses are offered in a classroom setting at EastCoast CAD/CAM headquarters in Marlborough, Massachusetts, led by EastCoast Staff Training Specialists. Click here for address and map directions to our offices.

Lou’s Shop – DuctMaker
(1 day) see course outline

Sheet Metal Design to Fabrication
(3 days) see course outline

Piping Design to Fabrication
(1 day) see course outline

Piping Design to Fabrication
(2 days) see course outline

Lou’s Shop - DuctMaker
1-Day Classroom Training - DuctMaker

Lou’s Shop - DuctMaker Training with Lou Rubino, EastCoast CAM Service Manager, covers all the essential features and functionality a CAM design and sheet metal professional requires to set up DuctMaker to work optimally in the fabrication shop.

The class covers system setup, fitting design and editing, CAD interoperability, reporting, ticket and label printing, layout optimization, and downloading to cutting and coil line machines.

This course is a core Fabrication Technology Training Component, and is offered monthly on the Monday before each 3-day Fabrication for AutoCAD MEP Sheet Metal Training. Upon completion of this course the user will be capable of working with ease with DuctMaker features, successfully setting up the software to their own shop standards, manufacturer specs and defaults, and customizing reports and tickets.

The class includes:

1. Shop requirements setup, including
1. Creating new default manufacturing (fitting geometry) settings
2. Creating and editing  allowances, specifications, and shop policies
3. Creating connectors, joints, seams and locks that fit your specific shop requirements.
4. Creating tap settings, automatic segmentation, undersizing setup, and double-wall setup
5. Working with environments to import settings, or create a metric version of your shop requirements
6. Sheet parameters and spiral roll setup
2. Using these shop settings to create jobs, and add fittings to the job
1. Fittings list creation
2. Customizing Fitting Views
3. Editing fittings, including
1. Adding taps, holes, and liner
2. Changing dimensions
3. Slicing fitting faces
4. Creating and editing a layout
1. Altering the layout using interactive nesting
2. Adding, rotating and moving faces
3. Taking measurements
4. Saving sheets ready for download to a cutting machine
5. Tickets and review of  their print capabilities
1.  Adding assembly instructions
2. Label customization
6. Reports Features
1. Report setup and customization
2. Exporting or printing reports
7. System Configuration
1. User logins
2. Plasma Cutter settings
3. Coil Line settings

Sheet Metal Design to Fabrication (Duct D2F)
3-Day Classroom Training

EastCoast‘s Duct D2F Training covers the setup and operation of duct detailing through to fabrication, where you will learn the process of taking an engineering drawing and use automated tools to apply real world fittings, detailing, and estimating data, and generate spools and pickoffs, using the following Design to Fabrication components: MEP Fabrication for Autodesk Revit MEP, Fabrication for AutoCAD MEP, and Part Manager.

The class begins by explaining what Fabrication brings to AutoCAD MEP and Autodesk Revit MEP. Students will learn how to set up their system according to the materials, the machines, and the fabrication practices that are used in their shop to fabricate ductwork. Students will also learn how to set up the system according to the specific requirements of a given project. Students will use Part Manager to create Allowances, Specifications, and Manufacturer Defaults in Imperial or metric units, and will leverage this information to build duct catalogs to be used when drafting in MEP.

Next students will draw with their respective catalogs, setting up the drawing environment using out of the box templates, tags, and schedules, learning to navigate the appropriate MEP tools as well as all the Fabrication tools. Students will learn to upload catalog data, draw duct, place equipment, place tags automatically and individually, and modify their duct drawings. The course continues by showing you how to work through coordination and modification, finally creating finished drawings, schedules, spools and also pickoffs for use by DuctMaker or Vulcan software. Students will also be introduced to the automatic duct conversion process offered by MEP Fabrication, when Autodesk Revit MEP engineering drawings are involved.

The course does not intend to teach you all of the functionality of AutoCAD MEP 2012; it shows you how to use Fabrication in the MEP environment.

The class includes:

1. What is the Duct D2F workflow
1. Integration into AutoCAD MEP and Autodesk Revit MEP
2. Database structure
3. Total capabilities
2. Quick review of the new AutoCAD MEP 2012 UI and tool navigation
1. Ribbon menus, palettes, and StyleManager
3. Using Part Manager
1. Specifications and Allowances
2. Manufacturer defaults
3. Settings for taps, dampers, connectors, couplings, undersizing, seams and locks
4. Catalog creation
5. Environments for metric and Imperial units
4. Setting up your drawing
1. Drawing template setup and ECTools
2. Insulation and lining display
3. Routing and system preferences
4. Bringing in the engineering drawing
5. Adding Duct
1. Loading a catalog
2. Drawing single and double wall duct with automatic duct break.
3. Drawing duct with Automatic Tagging
4. Adding taps and duct hangers
5. Working with equipment, VAVs and air devices
6. Using the many modification tools provided by Fabrication for AutoCAD MEP
7. Interference checking and using error logs
6. Coordination and Annotation
1. Inserting and customizing tags
2. Adding and customizing schedules
3. Creation cross sections
4. Adding a spool legend
7. Pre-Fabrication
1. Numbering duct and fittings.
2. Creating spool drawings
3. Creating pickoffs for download to DuctMaker and Vulcan.
4. Adding a pickoff legend
5. Adding duct estimate information
8. Using MEP Fabrication to convert generic AutoCAD MEP or Revit MEP duct drawings

Piping Design to Fabrication (Pipe D2F)
2-Day Classroom Training

EastCoast‘s Pipe D2F Training - 2 Day covers all the essential knowledge needed to use the Design to Fabrication Pipe solution. You will learn the process of taking an engineering drawing and use automated tools to apply manufactured parts, detailing, estimating data, and generate spools, using the following Design to Fabrication components: MEP Fabrication for Autodesk Revit MEP, Fabrication for AutoCAD MEP, and Part Manager.

The class begins by explaining what Fabrication brings to AutoCAD MEP and Autodesk Revit MEP. Students will learn how to set up the system according to manufacturers and the prefabrication practices that are used in your shop. Students will use Part Manager to create groups of manufacturer-specific and system-specific fittings that can be leveraged to build catalogs for typical projects or specific projects awarded to your company. The extensive piping content provided with Design to Fabrication is used to build catalogs that will be used when drafting in MEP.

Next students will draw with their respective catalogs, bringing in an architectural background and laying the groundwork for their pipe drawing, learning the best methods for using MEP tools as well as all the Fabrication tools to streamline the piping workflow. Students will learn to upload catalog data, draw pipe, place hangars and equipment and tags, and modify their pipe drawings. The course continues by showing you how to work through coordination and modification, finally creating finished drawings, schedules, and fabrication spool drawings. Students will also be introduced to the automatic duct conversion process offered by MEP Fabrication, when Autodesk Revit MEP engineering drawings are involved.

The course does not intend to teach you all of the functionality of AutoCAD MEP and Autodesk Revit MEP; it shows you how to use Fabrication in the MEP environment.

The class includes:

1. What is the Pipe D2F workflow
1. Integration into AutoCAD MEP and Autodesk Revit MEP
2. Database structure
2. Quick review of the new AutoCAD MEP 2012 user interface and tool navigation
1. Ribbon menus, palettes, and StyleManager
3. Using PartManager
1. Creating fitting groups and catalogs
2. Creating custom attributes, parts, and reports
3. Environments for metric and Imperial units
4. Setting up your drawing
1. Setting pipe options in ECTools and routing preferences
2. Create a base template drawing
3. Bringing in an engineering drawing into your template drawing
5. Adding Pipe
1. Loading Catalogs
2. Strategies for drawing and working with pipe
3. Dual pipe rack, sloped or gravity pipe, and hybrid systems
4. Adding equipment, and hangers
6. Annotation and numbering
1. Adding and customizing tags and labels
2. Generating and updating spool drawings automatically
3. Adding a spool legend
4. Adding and customizing schedules
5. Creating cross sections
7. Approval and pre-coordination
1. Interference checking
2. Modifying pipe based on approval and pre-coordination feedback
3. Adding labor and wage estimate information

Piping Design to Fabrication (Pipe D2F)
1-Day Classroom Training

EastCoast's Pipe D2F Training - 1 Day course is a condensed version of the full 2-Day training class, for customers who need just the essential instruction to get started. Many customers who plan to use the Design to Fabrication software for both HVAC and Piping select this one day course in combination with the 3 days of Sheet Metal Design to Fabrication training, to get up to speed during one visit to the Marlborough classroom.

The class includes:

1. What is the Design to Fabrication Pipe workflow
1. Integration into AutoCAD MEP
2. Database structure
2. Using PartManager
1. Creating fitting groups and catalogs
2. Creating custom attributes, parts, and reports
3. Setting up your drawing
1. Setting pipe options in ECTools and routing preferences
2. Create a base template drawing
3. Bringing in an engineering drawing into your template drawing
4. Adding Pipe
1. Loading Catalogs
2. Strategies for drawing and working with pipe
3. Dual pipe rack, sloped or gravity pipe, and hybrid systems
4. Adding equipment, and hangers
5. Annotation and numbering
1. Adding tags and labels
2. Generating and updating spool drawings automatically
3. Adding a spool legend
4. Adding schedules
6. Approval and pre-coordination
1. Adding labor and wage estimate information