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.