Drafting Assistant

Course Description

TDR0370 – Drafting Assistant is the second Occupational Completion Point (OCP B) in Florida's postsecondary Technical Drafting program sequence, carrying 450 contact hours. It builds directly on the foundational skills introduced in TDR0070 (Introduction to Drafting) and prepares students for immediate employment as a Drafting Assistant or continued advancement toward the Drafting Detailer and higher occupational completion points.

The purpose of this course is to prepare students for employment in the drafting industry. It offers a sequence of instruction that provides coherent and rigorous content aligned with the Architecture and Construction career cluster, delivering technical skill proficiency through competency-based applied learning. Content includes, but is not limited to, freehand sketching, drafting by hand and computer, and 3D modeling. The course is part of the Florida Department of Education CTE Curriculum Framework (2025–2026) and is assigned through the Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS) in accordance with Section 1007.24(1), F.S.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Apply basic drafting skills — Use drafting equipment, measuring scales, and drafting instruments; identify drafting media and techniques; use freehand and architectural lettering techniques.
• Demonstrate algebra mathematics knowledge and skills related to drafting applications.
• Prepare multi-view drawings — Produce accurate orthographic projections using standard conventions.
• Prepare sectional views — Create full, half, offset, and revolved sections per drafting standards.
• Prepare auxiliary drawings — Develop primary and secondary auxiliary views from given orthographic projections.
• Apply basic dimensioning — Apply standard dimensioning rules including size, location, and notes per ANSI/ASME standards.
• Prepare pictorial drawings — Produce isometric, oblique, and perspective pictorial representations.
• Prepare surface developments — Construct pattern developments for prisms, cylinders, pyramids, and cones.
• Perform basic Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD) functions — Set up drawing environments, use draw and modify commands, manage layers, and produce plotted output.
• Prepare a physical three-dimensional (3-D) model from a two-dimensional (2-D) drawing — Construct physical prototypes or models from orthographic working drawings.
• Prepare basic architectural drawings — Produce floor plans, elevations, and basic construction drawings.
• Explain the importance of employability and entrepreneurship skills — Demonstrate work-readiness behaviors, professional communication, and career-planning competencies.

Optional Outcomes

The following outcomes may be covered depending on institutional emphasis and available resources:

• Demonstrate geometry and mathematics knowledge and skills related to drafting (trigonometry, geometric constructions).
• Demonstrate mathematics knowledge and skills with respect to market and industry applications of drafting (material estimation, scale conversions).
• Apply tolerance dimensioning — Use geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) symbols and concepts.
• Demonstrate an understanding of basic civil drawings — Interpret site plans, topographic maps, and plot plans.
• Demonstrate basic electrical/electronic literacy — Read and interpret schematic and wiring diagrams.
• Perform advanced CAD functions — Use Attributes, XREFs, Layers, Blocks, and Curve creation tools within CAD software.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Drafting Fundamentals & Instruments — Equipment handling, line types, lettering, scale reading, drawing media, and title block conventions.
• Geometric Constructions — Bisecting lines and angles, constructing polygons, tangent arcs, and geometric shapes by hand and CAD.
• Orthographic Projection (Multi-View Drawing) — First- and third-angle projection, view selection, line precedence, and missing view problems.
• Sectional Views — Full, half, broken-out, revolved, removed, and offset sections; section lining conventions.
• Auxiliary Views — Primary auxiliary views showing true shape and size of inclined and oblique surfaces.
• Dimensioning Practices — Size and location dimensions, tolerance notation, surface finish symbols, and ANSI/ASME Y14.5 standards.
• Pictorial Drawing — Isometric, oblique, and one-/two-point perspective drawings; exploded assembly pictorials.
• Surface Developments & Descriptive Geometry — Pattern layout for sheet-metal and fabrication applications.
• Basic CAD Operations — Interface navigation, draw/modify/inquiry commands, dimensioning tools, plotting, and file management in industry-standard software (e.g., AutoCAD).
• Physical 3-D Model Construction — Interpreting working drawings to build scaled physical models using appropriate materials and tools.
• Basic Architectural Drawings — Floor plans, exterior elevations, door/window schedules, and basic building section drawings.
• Career Readiness & Employability — Professional conduct, résumé development, job interview skills, and introduction to entrepreneurship in the drafting field.

Optional Topics

• Applied Mathematics for Drafters — Trigonometric functions, geometric proofs, and industry-scale calculations.
• Tolerance Dimensioning & GD&T — Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing symbols per ASME Y14.5; datum references, form and position tolerances.
• Introduction to Civil Drafting — Site/plot plans, contour maps, property boundary layouts, and basic roadway profiles.
• Electrical/Electronic Schematic Reading — Standard symbols, wiring diagrams, ladder diagrams, and printed circuit board layouts.
• Advanced CAD Techniques — Attributed blocks, external references (XREFs), parametric constraints, dynamic blocks, and sheet-set management.
• Introduction to 3-D CAD Modeling — Solid modeling basics: extrusions, revolves, fillets, and simple assembly constraints.

Resources & Tools

• CAD Software: Autodesk AutoCAD (primary); optional exposure to Autodesk Inventor, Revit, Civil 3D, SolidWorks, or Creo depending on program pathway.
• Drafting Instruments: T-squares, triangles, compasses, protractors, drafting scales (engineer, architect, metric), and templates.
• Drawing Standards: ANSI/ASME Y14 series technical drawing standards; Florida DOE CTE Curriculum Framework for Technical Drafting (2025–2026).
• Textbooks & References: Technical Drawing with Engineering Graphics (Giesecke et al.); Engineering Drawing and Design (Madsen & Madsen); AutoCAD official documentation.
• Lab Environment: Computer drafting lab with current CAD workstations; physical drafting studio for hand-drafting and model construction exercises.
• Online Resources: Autodesk Knowledge Network; Florida SCNS database (flscns.fldoe.org); ASME Standards Portal.

Career Pathways

Completion of TDR0370 qualifies students as an Occupational Completer at the Drafting Assistant level, making them eligible to enter the workforce or continue in the Technical Drafting program sequence. Typical entry-level and advancement roles include:

• Drafting Assistant / Junior Drafter — Supports engineers, architects, and designers in producing technical drawings under supervision.
• CAD Technician — Operates CAD software to create and modify technical drawings in mechanical, architectural, or civil environments.
• CAD Specialist — Advanced role focusing on a specific discipline (mechanical, architectural, civil, or structural).
• GIS Technician — Applies spatial data and mapping skills in civil/survey-related drafting contexts.
• Assistant to Architect, Engineer, or Surveyor — Provides technical drawing and documentation support in design offices and construction firms.

Graduates may seek employment with engineering firms, architectural offices, construction companies, manufacturing facilities, and government agencies. Florida employers in aerospace (e.g., L3Harris), infrastructure consulting (e.g., Kimley-Horn), and residential/commercial construction regularly recruit from Technical Drafting program completers.

Students who complete OCP B may continue the program sequence through TDR0775/TDR0776 (Drafting Detailer 1 & 2) and beyond, ultimately qualifying for higher-level roles such as Detailer, Designer, or CAD Manager.

Special Information

Occupational Completion Point (OCP B): TDR0370 is the second course in a seven-OCP postsecondary Technical Drafting program. Students who demonstrate competency at this point receive a transcript notation and may exit for employment as a Drafting Assistant or continue to the next OCP.

Certification Preparation: Students pursuing industry credentials should be aware that proficiency in AutoCAD at this level aligns with preparation for the Autodesk Certified User (ACU) – AutoCAD credential. Students completing advanced CAD optional topics may also prepare for the Autodesk Certified Professional (ACP) exam. Instructor certification for this course requires a valid Florida teaching certificate in Drafting, Building Construction, Technical Drafting, or Technical Construction at the 7G or higher level.

Basic Skills Requirement: In accordance with Florida CTE requirements, students must demonstrate or be exempt from basic skills competencies in reading, mathematics, and language as a condition of program completion credit.

Credit Award: Career and Technical credit is awarded on the student transcript in accordance with Section 1001.44(3)(b), F.S. This is a clock-hour course; 450 contact hours are required for full OCP B completion.