Beginners problem. (solved)

My first couple of lessons using the Bob Woltz Users Manual went well, however, since then I've not done any good at all, in fact results can be best described as chaotic.
Sometimes, I sort of got it to work. Using lines - 2 points - I could draw lines that were sometimes in the correct vector (horizontal or vertical) that I chose, and sometimes even the right direction and length. Often, it will draw the line vertical when I'm trying to draw one horizontal and vice versa. Or sometimes even draw the line in a completely different place to what I clicked etc. I can (sometimes) draw a rectangle, but only with the above "2 points" setting and not with the rectangle selections (I could during one or two earlier sessions). These obviously gave me false confidence.

I took great care to read and re-read the first instructions for starting a new drawing in the Users Manual. However, I must be missing or wrongly clicking some setting or other that is causing such random behavior.

Can someone please help out? I'm avoiding it until I get some suggestions as it's making my head spin!

Hello Jim

Getting used to CAD can at the beginning sometimes be confusing - that's for sure. I think from what I read you just need to get used to the 'Snap' tools. When you select the line tool for example and place the first starting point the line will snap to whatever snap options are available to use...be it Grid, End point, middle etc.

My advice is to relax and have a play around with the snap options, try turning all the snap tools off (clicking on/off the buttons) first of all and choose the line tool and choose only the grid snap to begin with, see now that you can only snap to the grid.
Now as well as the grid snap turn on the End point snap option and now you can snap to end points also. Once you get used to what's happening with the snap tools it will help you to use the drawing tools more effectively.

Good luck Jim, let us know how you get on.