I recently had the opportunity to visit an amazing new facility—the Cyber Range at Tech Data—and got to meet the truly exceptional people who make it happen. The facility has many purposes, stemming from the powerful sense of mission that drives the staff.

Making the move to AutoCAD Civil 3D is a big step up for many agencies and public sector teams. Whether you’re coming off using Land Desktop or AutoCAD for your civil infrastructure projects, Civil 3D can seem like a daunting leap forward, despite the many benefits the software brings in terms of greater efficiencies, long-term cost-savings, and reduced errors. It’s something we often hear from our government clients.

The dog days of summer have arrived and what perfect time than to grab 5, 30 or even 60 minutes to brush up on your CAD skills.

Whatever your discipline, staying ahead of the curve is essential, but with tight government budgets training isn’t always that easy to come by.

Good news! We’ve put together a cross-section of upcoming webinars and online training that won’t cost you a dime. Go ahead, register for one today and surprise your boss with new ways of thinking and doing!

1. On-Demand Videos: Lynn Allen Video Library of AutoCAD Tips and Tricks

Written by Shaun Bryant

It’s 1988. I have received my joining instructions for my first AutoCAD Basic course, and off I go to sit in a classroom with 21-inch CRT monitors, a projector, a screen (if I am lucky), and a flipchart/whiteboard (with pens!), plus the all-knowledgeable AutoCAD instructor. In my case, my instructor was a lovely guy named Andy Corden, who later in my career became my applications engineer when I worked in CAD sales. Small world, huh?

Looking to refine your Autodesk software skills but can’t make it to Autodesk University this year? The good news is there are plenty of options for doing so, right from your desktop or mobile device.

Autodesk University Online

If you’re a transportation engineer, designer, planner or surveyor, you likely already know that there are countless video tutorials and webinars out there to help you master your craft. But how do you identify the genuine tutorials from the product pushes? We’ve done it for you!

Here are eight video tutorials featuring tips and tricks for all competency levels, whether you are an AutoCAD or Civil 3D user, or are making the move to BIM for transportation and infrastructure design.

If you weren’t able to make it to Autodesk University 2013 or are looking for a recap of your favorite classes, you can now access hundreds of the AU 2013 classes online. Registration is free and gives you access to on-demand versions of select sessions, handouts, presentations, and more. You can also use the “Find a Class” search tool to drill down to a particular software, industry or subject matter.

Professional development opportunities don’t end just because summer is here! We’ve scoured some of the best sources of free CAD online education to bring you the best of this summer’s webinars and online user groups from some of our friends and partners here at Acronym.

Explore what’s new in the CAD world, get productivity tips and more!

Webinar: What’s New in Civil 3D 2014 & Infrastructure Design Suites