want to learn CAD 1

[engr4life1979]

Hello everyone, not sure if this is the right area for this post, so please pardon me.
As an Engineer (approx 6 years experience), I have always sucked at CAD, but now want to invest some personal time in learning and getting better at it, especially because these days CAD programs can do so many different things!


So, my question is:
Does an Engineer need to be CAD savvy? I read a few posts online about how Engineers become "CAD jockeys", and wanted to get everyone's opinion here before I dive deep. any suggestion is very appreciated.

 

[peal724]

forgive the dorkness, but I love AutoCAD and I love Revit.

In addition to all the other facats involved with being an engineer, I do all my own drafting. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Having a draftsman is like sitting in the passenger seat and trying to tell somebody how to drive. wrong turns, accidents, miscommunications, are waiting to happen.

 

[TheTick]

I know lots of NX guys. Doing my best to help them find jobs.

 

[JohnRBaker]

TheTick, you are aware aren't you that there's an NX forum here on Eng-Tips:

http://www.eng-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=561

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[moon161]

Mostly self taught on Solidworks & AutoCAD, gotten me 3 jobs to date, food on your plate in lean times (like now) as well. Working through good books or sets of lessons will get you acquainted with features, skills and methods that just stumbling around with a project and the help files to sing for your supper(a useful skill in it's own right) may not teach you. Try and learn good practices, the people that touch your stuff later will thank you.

 

[csd72]

engr4life,

I would take what is said by the mechanical engineers with a grain of salt as they tend to use cad in a different way as part of the design process rather than just presenting the design.

Engineers using CAD entirely depends on the part of the industry that you are in and also the size of the firm that you work for.

All my work is issued in sketch form in my current role so I dont use any CAD. I have had other jobs where I did all the CAD on my own projects.

I would suggest caution in agreeing to do a lot of cad as this can reduce the amount of actual engineering you do and therefore your learning curve.

 

[KENAT]

At last csd, someone with 'structural' next to their handle clarifying the point I was trying to make. Thank you.

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