New User in Sailing Equipment

Hi Everyone, Greetings.
I'm a new user of Librecad, just ordered a CNC router.  I'm from a boatbuilding background and will be learning with LibreCAD to upgrade my rather ancient tech drawing skills with a pencil to digital, and then on to learning to use CAM as well.
It has become clear our business (very small SME) needs to step up from me making everything by hand with traditional tools.  We're developing a new product line of emergency Man-Overboard Ladders, the prototype of which worked for me when I fell overboard when alone on the boat in February (UK), a time of year when you'd want to get out very quickly before you wouldn't be able to without help.  So we hope to save lives and certainly support peace of mind.
Any advice on how to learn this stuff without confusing myself unnecessarily would be welcome.
Thank you

Hi DenisMCBurke,

For me, it was a kind of 2 step-process:
1/ learn CAD drafting
2/ learn how to CAD draft based on LibreCAD tools and logic
For you:
3/ since you run a business, have a deep look at key shortcuts (and SPACE validation) once you get more familiar with the tools to increase productivity -> one hand on keyboard and one hand on mouse as much as you can (check AutoCAD or Draftsight tutorial) even if the capabilities are different.

1/ Numerous ways to do the same drafts depending on which tools and combination of tools you know and you are comfortable with. Exemple: you can draw a lot of baselines using Parallel to command and then trim them (much similar to pencil drafting) or you can use relative coordinate and lines. Same result, different approach, different preparation, not suitable for all drawings.
I advise to look at video tutorials for LibreCAD or Draftsight (even if LibreCAD capabilities are different). You can see experienced people's process and get a feeling for their logic until you build yours.

2/ Have a look to user manuals to get a feeling of capability. Then look at LibreCAD only video tutorials. for many commands you can select a line or another object and perform a command OR launch a command and select the object(s).

At the very begining, I train doing several times the same simple draft with different ways:
- much computation for coordinate and relative coordinate lines
- much crossing baseline trimmed in the end
- other mix of commands.

Good luck !

Merci Fabrice, that's really helpful and very much apreciated.