How did you learn CAD?

[mmosley]

Inventor 3D modeling is a royal PITA to learn, even if you've been doing 2D cad your whole career, nothing translates over. Autocad is pretty easy to learn though, but no 3D in it.

Now that is irony. I learned how to machine first, then learned solid modeling. I tried using 2D Autocad afterwards and it was a royal PITA! With SolidWorks or Inventor I take my "block" of material, then extrude cuts, holes, or what not into my material the same as if I was machining it. Same with sheetmetal. I create a flat sheet in Inventor then draw a line, bend it, and etcetera. When I am done creating my solid model I click a few buttons and presto, 3 view drawing falls out already on the template with all the title blocks. Drag a few dimension call outs and they automatically populate with the size of the feature just as I created it. One or two more simple steps and I have a PDF print I can send to any machine shop for a quote. Assemblies are equally easy. BOM is generated automatically. Weldments take a little more thought. But you can do fitted pieces and fixture all in 3D model, then go cut the part with a bevels cut into them so all your welder has to do is assemble the jig saw puzzle and burn it in.

I guess if you learn one first, then looking at it from another mindset or methodology you have to take a few steps back to get into it.

[jakespeeds]

For me 20 years of machining and sheet metal experience. Got involved with autocad for a number of years and took a vocational school for it. Then switched to Solidworks. Paid for the school offered by Solidworks and been using it for over 10 years now. I guess the moral of the story after reading other experiences on here is that there is no one way.

Jake

[mitch_04]

Kind of turned into "Which CAD program" thread! I don't mind, still interesting. For me, for now, it is more about what I'm able to acquire. I already have AutoCAD, I have to look into Inventor, and I'll check Solidworks as well. My re-enlistment is not for a while yet, so I have time as far as college courses go.

Does anyone have experience with online courses relating to CAD?

[rockytopper]

You tube is your friend. We now use Catia V5 at work. We have a very large training dept but the easy way to learn a new function is you tube. People have made step by step videos. I'm sure there is solid works, auto cad etc and lots more on there. My older brother who is a registered surveyor took auto cad on line from a college to pass his bar ex so that's a option for you.
Rocky

[captainofiron]

You tube is your friend. We now use Catia V5 at work. We have a very large training dept but the easy way to learn a new function is you tube. People have made step by step videos. I'm sure there is solid works, auto cad etc and lots more on there. My older brother who is a registered surveyor took auto cad on line from a college to pass his bar ex so that's a option for you.
Rocky

Catia? let me guess Aerospace?

This brings something up to the OP, the choice of software greatly depends on the industry you will be going into.

[MonsterCarlo]

My Dad was a pattern/tool & die maker and he got into AutoCAD in the late 80's or something after being a machinist for over 20 years. But now ProE, AutoCAD, MasterCAM, and SolidWorks are standards. If you're just diving in, there are some included Tutorials, and there is some YouTube stuff, but in my web and graphic design world, a resource I've always liked to use is www.lynda.com and I believe they have tutorials for all of these, as well as sample files, data, etc.

Lynda is definitely cheaper than school and learn as you go online.

[ih8z28s]

I started out on Catia back in 1987 right out of school, I have used AutoCAD up to 14, and currently have been using nx7.5, we are switching to 9.5 in September, should be interesting! If you do take classes, you should be able to get a student version for not a lot of money. It's real handy to be able to create a sheet metal part I might need and have it made where I work.

[minendrews68]

Joe,
How do you like the nx7.5? Isn't that what UniGraphics use to be before Siemens bought them out?

I started out on Catia back in 1987 right out of school, I have used AutoCAD up to 14, and currently have been using nx7.5, we are switching to 9.5 in September, should be interesting! If you do take classes, you should be able to get a student version for not a lot of money. It's real handy to be able to create a sheet metal part I might need and have it made where I work.

[feeble]

I went to school for drafting in the early 90s, a mix of board drafting and AutoCAD and have been using Inventor almost exclusively for about 13 years. To echo what the others said, get an Engineering degree. I am paid very well for my education level, more than some engineers, but there are some things I will never get to do no matter my ability, experience or ambition because I lack the degree. I am getting too old now, the ROI isn't there for me to go back to school (although there are other reasons to go back). Don't wait!

Also, it wan't explicitly stated by others I don't think, but knowing how to use a CAD program to model something in 3D is not the same thing as knowing how to design and engineer something. See GrabCAD for bucketloads of CAD models that have zero basis in reality (presumably modeled by students but I guess you have to start somewhere right?)

[Barrrf]

I started with SDRC I-DEAS in college. Been using Inventor and Solidworks ever since. The stuff comes naturally to me now.

As odd as it sounds, Im designing a Pram right now in INventor. The idea is to just be able to print off the details of the tube bending I want done and give it to my fab guy.

[Samckitt]

It was Unigraphics up to V18 or V19, EDS bought back all of Unigraphics Solutions & SDRC & the Next version of "unigraphics" was when the 2 were merged together. Someone had said it was the Next chapter & that is were NX came from. I currently have 3 versions, 7.5, 8.5 & 9. But I get it free working for Siemens. ;-)

[minendrews68]

Well, If you ever decide to get rid of one I'm available. I have a copy of ver 15 or 16 but I can't use it, It was one that had to be run at our corporate office and we had to get in through the internet at the satellite offices. I just didn't want to throw it away. I really liked using it. I'm retired now I just draw for fun anymore.

It was Unigraphics up to V18 or V19, EDS bought back all of Unigraphics Solutions & SDRC & the Next version of "unigraphics" was when the 2 were merged together. Someone had said it was the Next chapter & that is were NX came from. I currently have 3 versions, 7.5, 8.5 & 9. But I get it free working for Siemens. ;-)

[Samckitt]

Sorry Carl, it wouldn't do you any good either. I work for Siemens, the NX licenses are registered to Siemens computers. Won't work anywhere else.

Well, If you ever decide to get rid of one I'm available. I have a copy of ver 15 or 16 but I can't use it, It was one that had to be run at our corporate office and we had to get in through the internet at the satellite offices. I just didn't want to throw it away. I really liked using it. I'm retired now I just draw for fun anymore.

[minendrews68]

Yeah, I figured. Are they still really expensive? I remember when the company I was working for upgraded their engineering department. All new computers, LANs, we thought we were something because we could do a drawing here in Arkansas and plot it out on a plotter in Indiana. (or any of our other sites). We were using 16 MB ram, 500 mb hard drives, video cards with maybe 250 mb memory. It seems funny now. I believe each 3D seat of Unigraphics was around 27K. Our company would send 10-15 of us from different sites to the training we had a ball! I'll have to tell you some time what we did to one of the instructors, really funny stuff.

[ih8z28s]

Joe,
How do you like the nx7.5? Isn't that what UniGraphics use to be before Siemens bought them out?

yeah it was called unigraphics up to 18 or 19 I think, and then changed to NX, next spring we are going live with teamcenter, that will be a big learning curve for us old folks I really like NX, I think its one of the best 3d modeling programs out there, I just hope they don't screw us up like when we went to NX6, we called it "more clicks with NX6", they added all these extra steps to everything. the best thing they ever added was the escape to clear commands, finally caught up to AutoCAD with that one! I'm still waiting for the day that I can pick multiple individual groups of text and have it cycle through them for editing like you could back in the mid 90's with AutoCAD 12

[Samckitt]

Yeah, I figured. Are they still really expensive? I remember when the company I was working for upgraded their engineering department. All new computers, LANs, we thought we were something because we could do a drawing here in Arkansas and plot it out on a plotter in Indiana. (or any of our other sites). We were using 16 MB ram, 500 mb hard drives, video cards with maybe 250 mb memory. It seems funny now. I believe each 3D seat of Unigraphics was around 27K. Our company would send 10-15 of us from different sites to the training we had a ball! I'll have to tell you some time what we did to one of the instructors, really funny stuff.

Yeah its still expensive, probably worse. I never see how much a single seat license costs, so I don't know. And depends on which modules you get too, and what sales person you deal with, Siemens recently donated millions of dollars of software to the colleges around Hampton VA area. I am working on a project at the shipyard that builds the country's aircraft carriers.

[Samckitt]

Joe, I will have to find it & report back, but I am pretty sure there is a check mate check that will do a spelling check for you.

[Samckitt]

Did a quick check on NX 8.5, I dont know how to use it or when it was implemented.

[GaRys69]

Sorry to highjack the OP

next spring we are going live with teamcenter, that will be a big learning curve for us old folks

Joe, I also am one of those old folks.
Do not sweat the use of Teamcenter it works great/easy (our training only took about 1 hour).

the best thing they ever added was the escape to clear commands,
finally caught up to AutoCAD with that one!

What version are you using?
We are using NX6 and that is something that is so needed in the large files that we use.
This is one of those things that always they tell us that it will be fixed in the next version
(but seems it has not happened yet).

Down here in the Houston Oil Field Business we are always looking for Engrs, Designers and Drafters.

[Samckitt]

The Escape to exit a command has been in NX for years. You are not seeing it on NX6? What kind of computer, Windows, UNIX....?