Learning CAD

I expect you're going to find it easier to come up to speed on SolidWorks than on Pro/E. There are good 3rd party books on it by both David Murray and David & Marie Planchard and it would not be a real problem to teach yourself. There is no learning like the learning you do from a project, however. If you don't have time to actually create something more than simple then you're probably going to be fairly limited on how much you can pick up. Creating an Assembly of a number of parts, actually doing dimensioned engineering Drawings of the parts and also a Drawing of the Assembly (with Bill Of Materials) will teach you a lot about how the software works. Tip: pay special attention to Sketching. There's more to it than you think. Try modifying elements of Sketches while some of the elements are still blue (not completely constrained) as opposed to black (completely defined). Then when the Sketches do unexpected things try to figure out why and get them back under control. You'll learn reams that way and those lessons will be very important later.

'Sporky'

Philip wrote:

Go here to see good books by the Planchards.

WT

Well, I don't know if I'd capitalize "much". In fact, I'm not even sure I'd use the adjective at all and just suffice it to say; For most applications SW is going to be easier to learn. Some major subjectivity here, I'll admit, but.... What's the last version you've had "hands on" experience with?

Philip, do you have any CAD experience at all? What plans do you have for procuring a / getting access to a system to work with?

My reply was MOSTLY based on hands-on ProE several years ago. Hearsay on ProE has been much more prevalent & recent. Therefore, my response really wasn't worth a whole lot. :-)

WT

The Planchards do indeed put out good material. I have seen more than a few people use their books to come up to speed with the software. Mainly people that have had exposure to another cad program and find themselves in a situation where they need to come up to speed quickly on Solidworks or ProE as the case may be. I know that Marie actually prepares and teaches Design courses with CAD at the college level. This gives her a special insight on how to reach a learner.

-Larry Z

I have taken the 1 week training course three years ago but did have opportunity to use it. I am now looking for employment but my lack of CAD experience is killing me. I have a Master in Mechanical Engineering and over 15 tears of experience in product design and development.

For training, I will use a student version of the software and my own PC. I looked at taking courses but have not found much available expect for PTC which is excellent but expensive and a little too compressed time wise.

"Philip" ...

Ok. None of the local colleges or tech schools teaching either? Is there an active local users group for either?

I was going to suggest one of the $1K parametric solid modelers available if you wanted something to get your feet wet and use for less demanding professional use. I don't think many will argue that SW isn't the easier to pick up on from scratch and reach a reasonable level of proficiency. The only other consideration may be if there's a notable disparity in the number of people in your area and field using one software or the other. A knowledge of either should be an asset and once you've come to grips with the basics concepts the next one will come easier.

Good luck with it.

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I can't really claim that my responses are worth much either. 8~)

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I've used many of the text books from schroff.com and they're very useful for learning new software or new versions of old software.

Some of the books come with C-D media that have video clips of each of the lessions (step-by-step). This method works well for people who learn by watching(seeing).

If you already have 2D or 3D experience on another package, see if you can borrow a seat from a SolidWorks custome or at a VAR near you, and just sit down with the small Tutorial manual and follow through the step by step constructions. I see my VARs room full of computers sitting idle many times when I drop in for something. SolidWorks VARs usually also hold open introductions every week or so and usually post a calendar of these sessions. Don't be afraid to ask the VARs, because they want your business.

Once you go through the tutorial steps, the basics of SolidWorks construction methods will be obvious very quickly. I can't say how it would go for ProE, as I've never tried it.

At that point you will know enough to peruse other books the VARs or other users might have. I have a suspicion, based on learning 2D CAD and then 3D on SolidWorks, with a smattering of practice on other 3D packages, that you might find that practice hours is one of the most important factors. Then you can more easily decide if a book makes "sense" to you.

We tend to learn the features and tools and options that pertain to our work and the jobs at hand (unless you want to be a SWCP trainer). I don't use sheet metal and surfacing constructions, so I am rather ignorant on those as I just don't have time for them right now, though I have tried a few things.

If I want to find out how to do something 'unusual' like a 3D sculpted shape, or a standard Twist drill, I have often gone to the SolidWorks Model Library on their website and downloaded a demo part and then rolled back the construction to the start and stepped through the whole construction to see how someone else "did it". That has been a big help, though you have to be a SolidWorks customer to get to the Model Library.

There are usually a couple ways to get to the same "solid result", so practice in the type of work I do has led me to pick one method or another based on seeing which works best for me. In general, you can start from a big block and remove material, or start with a small feature and keep adding to it. As is often said, "It just depends.". Sometimes you construct things in a certain way to make assembly files easier to put together and maintain, other times you do constructions so you can easily make different configurations or a family of parts.

I may be unusual, but I tend to view books as reference manuals & problem solving aids.

Just my 2 cents, because I know there are different types of minds out there and it is sometimes tough to recognize yourself when experience is slight.

Bo

Practice and practice and practice, play and play and play. Learn the terminology used by the help files. Give yourself small goals at first, then expand. Try every command and see what happens. If in doubt, you can always ask here, there are lots of clever "helpers", lol

The first most important thing I have learnt, is to walk away and get a coffee, (or a beer, if at home :-) ), when stuck.

The second most important thing, is to take breaks, at least 5 mins every hour. Look out of the window, at something far away, or go for a walk, this will give your eyes a break.

Solidworks is like life, infuriating and full of challenges, with a great feeling of satisfaction, when something you do, works.

You will never know everything about SW, so you will always find something new.

Hmm, no I do not sell SW, but I use it, :-)

Wow! How did you manage to work the last 15 years without getting any CAD experience? I think my last drafting board experience was 19 years ago. Did you work for companies where the engineers did sketches and analyses and drafters/designers did the actual part design?

I'm just curious. If you think I'm being impertinent or poking my nose where it doesn't belong, feel free to ignore me or tell me where I can stick my nose.

Jerry Steiger Tripod Data Systems "take the garbage out, dear"

Thanks for the ideas.

The local colleges and tech schools seem to focus on AutoCAD. Outside of PTC, there is very little traing for PROE in NJ that I found.

Philip

Eek, negative modeling is typically bad practice.

Regards,

The last I heard Camden Community College in NJ was offering SW classes.Not sure about pricing. My AutoCAD teacher gave me this info. Rudy

"" wrote in news:WDCTc.95700$4h7.13070071 @twister.nyc.rr.com:

Like everything else, it has it's uses. In particular, if you know you're starting from a solid block of material, this can be helpful for designing a part that will be made on the mill. You'll be less likely to design something that will be difficult to machine.

It is easy to look at one's own work and miss what happens elsewhere.

Machinery designers and mold and die designers often start with rectangular or round solid shapes and subtract material. Just the nature of how the parts are made, and makes the most sense.

Bo

I refer to this the "virtual machining" modeling method, which can be eminently useful if one has to program a part in many operations downstream in CAM software and the part is configured properly. When used correctly this is very powerful, but when not needed and used anyways, it is often a big MCF (first word mongolian).

To our friend seeking learning advice:

- Set aside at least 40 hours in which to be completely frustrated

- Try to find a good user who can show you something

- Get a book

- Use the help system

- Do the tutorials

- Devise a project that you are interested in

- Generally SolidWorks is easy to use and do productive things with, but takes (I think) a few hundred hours (200-700) before one is proficient and a couple to a few thousand before one is "masterful", of course based on ones "natural" talent and so on . . .

Also remember: the engineering is the hard part (you already have that) and the CAD can be mastered with some effort. Knowing the reason why you are designing something a certain way is the hard part (you already got it)- modeling parts eventually becomes the easy part after the initial discomfort and groping with CAD.

Regards,

SMA

Easy. Unfortunately, I work at Bell Laboratories where we had a dedicated CAD group. My role was more conceptual design, analysis and overall project management. Enjoyed at the time but regretting now.

Thanks for all the replies.

Still looking for recommendations for training facilities. Anybody have recommendations about PROE?

Did everybody here learn from books and on the job training?

Philip