Skills Bootcamp in Computer-aided Design for the Creative Industries

Course details

Course provider: Academy of Live Technology

Eligibility: Applicants must be aged 19 or older and reside in West Yorkshire

Start date: From September 2025

Duration: 2 weeks or 5 weeks 

Venue: Hybrid - Academy of Live Technology, Production Park, South Kirkby campus

Course overview

This Skills Bootcamp introduces you to the tools, techniques, and creative applications of AutoCAD within the context of live event and performance production. You will explore the use of industry-standard CAD software to plan, model and visualise technical drawings used in theatre, live music, exhibitions, and events.

The course focuses on real-world application, guiding you to create a highly detailed and complex digital model of a venue and a full production setup. Throughout the programme, you will gain confidence working with layers, blocks, annotations, and 3D tools, while also learning how to customise AutoCAD to suit specific workflows.

The course structure includes:

•  A structured series of modules demonstrating technical tools and workflows
• Step-by-step application of skills to create a full theatre drawing and equipment layout
• Development of plans for lighting, scenery, rigging, and other staging components
• Best practice in model organisation, version control, and industry expectations
• Customisation of AutoCAD settings and toolsets to optimise user productivity

Practical exercises throughout the course reinforce each skill and allow you to progressively build a project-ready technical drawing, applying industry techniques used by production professionals. By course completion, you will have developed a portfolio-quality model that demonstrates their ability to deliver accurate and professional CAD outputs for live production environments.

The course is delivered in six progressive parts, moving from foundational to advanced AutoCAD skills with increasing complexity and real-world application:

Basic Level

Part One:

• Introduction to AutoCAD and Computer Aided Draughting;
• The AutoCAD interface;
• Customising the Mouse;
• X & Y orientation
• Drawing Lines and Circles; Erasing objects; Copy, Mirror and Offset; Units
• Using and creating Layers
• Adding Single Line text; Using the Distance command; Quick Measure
• Basic plotting
• Customising the Mouse

Part Two:

• Drawing Polylines, Rectangles and Arcs; Moving and Rotating objects;
• Trim and Extend, Groups, Isolate Tools
• Creating Blocks, Inserting Blocks,
• Creating Text Styles; Multiline Text; Editing Text
• Using Properties/Properties Palette/ Quick Properties;
• Layouts; Model and Paper Space; Linetypes
• Options; Status Bar; Floating Windows
• Drawing Recovery

Intermediate Level

Part Three:

• Drawing Splines and more Arcs; Fillet and Chamfer; Attributes; Block Layers; Counting Blocks; Rectangular Array; Express Tools - Move Copy Rotate; Alternative entry methods
• Dimension Styles; Smart Dimensioning; Express Tools; Dtext to MText; Mirrtext
• Hatching; DWG Compare,
• Plot Style Tables; Not Plotting Layers; Creating PDFs;
• Further Option

Part Four:

• Ellipses; Isometric Drawing; Polygons; Donuts; Polar and Path Array
• The Blocks Palette, AutoCAD Design Center & Content Palette; Creating a library drawing; Dynamic Blocks
• Divide and Measure; Points and Point Styles; Stretch; Scale;
• More Dimensioning; Moving the UCS; Revision Clouds; Attribute Extraction; ATTOUT & ATTIN; AutoDWG; Annotative Text
• Templates & Titleblocks; Creating Keys; Gradient Hatching; Transparency,
• PDF Plotting, Drawing History
• Customising the Ribbon; Workspaces

Advanced Level

Part Five:

• Break; Wipeouts; Grips; Explode; Nested Blocks: Block Edit and Synchronize; Nudge, Join and Blend: OSnaps
• Annotative Text; Annotative Text Styles; Anno Text in Blocks; Multileaders; Multileader Tools; Express Text Tools; Default Scales
• Layers in Viewports; Layer Tools; Layer States; Linetype Scaling; Lineweights; Redraw and Regen; Purge
• Batch Plotting; PaperSpace Annotation; Exporting drawings as images
• Add Ins; Customising the Quick Access Toolbar; Mouse Tools

Part Six:

• Multilines & Multiline Styles; Multiline Editing; Polyline Editing; Importing DWGs from other programmes; External References; XRef Compare;Clipping XRefs; Creating Sections (Cons & Rays)
• Tables; Measuring Areas;
• CAD Standards; Layer Translator; Rotating Plots;
• Exporting in different file formats; DWG Viewers; Share; AutoCAD Web App; AutoCAD Mobile App: AutoCAD Web & Mobile
• Cloud Storage;
• Customising the User Interface; Creating New Buttons; AutoLisp, Sysvar Editor (Express Tools)
• Alternatives to AutoCAD – The Clones

Conclusion:

At the end of this course learners will be able to create highly complex drawings, extract information from them, collaborate with others on drawings and customise the AutoCAD UI.

The course is suitable for those with an interest in Computer Aided Draughting, particularly within a live performance environment. No previous experience with the software is required as the course starts at a basic level.

An interest in live performance would be helpful for context, however the skills gained are transferrable across many industries including engineering, architecture, construction and renewables.

What next?

Upon successful completion of this Skills Bootcamp, you will be equipped for entry-level roles and career progression in the live events and creative production industries.

Potential job roles include, but not limited to:

• Assistant Production Manager
• Assistant Events Manager
• CAD Draughtsperson for live performance, theatre, or touring shows
• Technical Assistant in set, lighting, or scenic design
• Production Support Technician

You will gain the technical foundations, industry awareness, and portfolio development needed to progress into employment, further training, or apprenticeship routes related to design for performance, creative technologies, and production planning.

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