Not getting sucked into CAD 3

[desnov74]

Hello all;

My company had a recent round of layoffs. Since I started taking revit, and it is new for us, Im being pulled to help with discipline specific revit projects.

I don't mind, especially in this economy. I have two points I'd like to bounce off the forum.

1) How do I avoid being a CAD guy?

2) How can/will Revit change the way engineering is done?(shop drawing review, specifications, etc.)

 

[SKIAK]

I like to hide behind the "I am not a drafter... " excuse which drives my boss nuts.

BUT I will say that my CAD skills (2D and 3D) are starting to prove very valuable. I'm getting to be a part of some projects just because I get the gist structurally and can produce models quickly. Just make sure that your skills as an engineer are equally valuable, if not more, than your drafting skills to advoid getting sucked into CAD.

 

[desnov74]

Wow!! I'm suprised to see this question have such a big response.

I agree with everybody on the point that CAD is important, and that we shouldn't shirk away from it. Technical drawing is essential. I started drafting in a architectural office that wouldn't go to CAD, and our technical drawing teacher was from ye olde school of technical drafting so we did it all by hand. I went on to take more cad courses for the heck of it, and got through college part time and working in various technical jobs full time. Currently, I'm learning and starting to use REVIT.

Anyway, what I feared is turning into reality. I'm taking revit in a regular semester class at nights at a community college, and answering a lot of questions for it at work. But my time ain't billable for it. People are starting to horde work and try to cross disciplines as well to get more hours and look more productive(scarry situation). I don't want to be reduced to a cad jockey, nor do I want to lose my billable hours.

 

[FXjohn]

"I don't want to be reduced to a cad jockey, nor do I want to lose my billable hours. "

hmm, I'm a CAD jockey and i don't want to be reduced to a bill of material clerk, powerpoint presenter or meeting attendee.

 

[drawoh]

FXjohn,

The people who read to you the text of the powerpoint slides seem to be very important, for some reason.

JHG

 

[cculp]

1. How to avoid being "the cad guy".

- When someone comes to your desk, and says "can you help me with this model/etc, I can't get it to work" have the proper response. Something like this typically works:

"I am currently working on this XYZ project, and it is important to finish on time. I can help you once it reaches (xyz stage)." Modeling questions never last multiple days unless they are serious.

If they are serious, and you are really the only one at the company that can fix it, then after a few days the managers will know about it. Then you will be the person who fixes problems; that is never a bad thing in a bad economy.

In my mind ALL design engineers should know the CAD that the company uses, even companies that have designers (we don't). If someone comes to you for help, it is not because you are the expert, but because they are deficient.

Charles Culp
Design Engineer - Solidworks User

 

[KENAT]

"ALL design engineers should know the CAD that the company uses"

Tosh.

It can have advantages but at the same time, I'm pretty sure our 'lead engineer's time is better spent coming up with technical solutions and the like and leaving it to my designer colleague or occasionally me to refine & capture/communicate in CAD.

Now having some appreciation for what the CAD can do and/or being willing to listen to us when we tell them what it can do is more significant.

KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of faq731-376 recently, or taken a look at posting policies:

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484

 

[controlsdude]

from an electrical perspective

if you dont know cad software packages then you better have programming skills, otherwise your no good to anyone in my line of work as a controls engineer.

I have had almost 20 years experience in cad and then went into programming plcs during that same time. When I am out in the field trying to get a project complete by debugging my software, I wish I would of stayed in the cad world.

 

[ChrisDuncan]

Thinking that the further the manufacturing process goes toward virtual prototyping the more engineers are going to need to 3D cad. It's like a potential loss of translation when you ask someone else to model what you're thinking.

That said I prefer Cad and engineering separate because I'm a drafter and need a job. It's more time consuming in certain aspects but maybe keeping the different disciplines separate provides more specific available expertise due to the potential to concentrate effort.

Engineers are already spread over many different aspects, should one more, sometimes quite complicated aspect, be added to that workload?

 

[IFRs]

I do a lot of engineering while I am drafting and consider it a good way to work. On the other hand, I truly love it when I get paired with a gifted draftsperson and together we kick ass on a project.

 

[rmw]

I'm working on a project that the CAD operators are preparing the dwgs for from sketches I made. The sketches are done the old fashioned way; straight edges, triangles and lettering guides - pencil, not pen and ink, though. It had some tight tolerancing due to close fits and lots of weld views (not symbols).

We had the opportunity to do a Beta test on our test engine (before the CAD dwgs would be through the approval process) so I had to get a prototype made at a machine shop. I sent the same sketches over that I had sent to CAD. I expected them to come back with some questions that would have helped me to give more complete or better instructions to the CAD operators (not located in this country.)

The machine shop sent back a completed piece for our test from my sketches - no questions asked. Just what I wanted.

One of the kid engineers, a sharp engineer at that, very CAD savvy saw my sketches and seemed impressed. I guess he hadn't been taught how to draw like that.

I still can't do CAD but I work closely with those that can and direct them every day.

What seems to me to be lacking today is the designer; a person in my previous experience who while not an engineer, knew the machine and how to draw stuff like no engineer could and so that the draftspersons could then detail.

I am having to be the engineer and the designer. The CAD folks do the drafting and modeling.

rmw

 

[brandoncdg]

From what I saw Civil 3D will eliminate the drafter. Basically the engineers will need to understand how to use the software and draft their design right in, in real time. This means only Engineers who can design on the fly will actually be useful if Civil 3D eventually takes off.

My buddy who is starting an architecture firm took a Revit class. From his description it sounded as though Civil 3D and Revit are meant to work together as one. I really do think sooner than later a computer drafter will be like a pencil drafter.

I love watching the old school guys take pencil and straight edges and design. And then watch them knock it out in the computer.

CDG, Los Angeles Civil Engineering specializing in Hillside Grading

http://www.CivilDevelopmentGroup.com

 

[s0eebuch]

HA. No lie, this just happened to me yesterday! We got busy and deadlines were looming and the CAD manager pipes up in a meeting, "Hey, don't YOU know AutoCAD??? Couldn't YOU lay out your own designs in AutoCAD???"

sigh.

So, here I am. Actually, I rather enjoy it. I continue to make my current salary but I log in my hours for Drafting time - so my budgets doesn't take the hit. The work is tangible and satisfying as I can see my progress as I complete tasks. And my Boss is in awe as she doesn't understand (nor can she utilize) any CAD software. And I am earning the respect of the CAD designers as I'm the only engineer that understands their daily job functions (and frustrations) and - as such - am "in the trenches" with them.

Happy days!

 

[SiW979]

my job is CAD trainer for a global company, I train people in 18 of our design facilities on 3 different continents and believe me, in our industry CAD knowledge is essential for virtually everyone involved in the engineering and design of our machines. One of my opening slides has astatement along the lines of "You may be the best enigneer with the best ideas in the company, but if you cannot translate your genius into a 3D CAD model quickly and efficiently, then you will struggle to realize your true potential" We have a drafting faclity in India where there are 90 draftsmen to do the so called donkey work of all the drawings" However, all our brightest and best engineers are CAD super users and wouldn't be as effective as they are if they weren't. You have to have two trains of thought running together 1. what you are going to design to solve the problem. 2. How you are going to use CAD to produce the most efficient design as quickly as possible.

Best regards

Simon NX4.0.4.2 MP10 - TCEng 9.1.3.6.c - (NX6.0.3.6 MP2 native)

http://www.jcb.com

Life shouldn't be measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of times when it's taken away...