Anyone Use AutoCad?

[johnnymk]

The local tech school is offering an evening course on AutoCad.
The course is two nights a week for 15 weeks, 3 hours per session. It's 90% hands on.
Oh, and it's $400,
I am wondering if I should just get a CDROM tutorial for about $50 or take the course. Is it very hard to learn?

[bachviet]

Originally posted by johnnymk
The local tech school is offering an evening course on AutoCad.
The course is two nights a week for 15 weeks, 3 hours per session. It's 90% hands on.
Oh, and it's $400,
I am wondering if I should just get a CDROM tutorial for about $50 or take the course. Is it very hard to learn?
Take the course given that the instructor(s) is good enough and has lots of tricks. The tutorial basically shows you how to use AutoCAD but there are many tricks to be learned. I took couple of AutoCAD classes back in college and didn't learn much but after working a while with it and learned new tricks from drafters. SolidWorks is a better CAD program if you want to design in 3D.

[verve247]

Wow, what a coincidence. I was just about to do a search on autocad. I want to get into design engineering but never learned it in college (bioengineer). If anyone knows any helpful books or websites please give me a heads up.

[bachviet]

Originally posted by verve247
Wow, what a coincidence. I was just about to do a search on autocad. I want to get into design engineering but never learned it in college (bioengineer). If anyone knows any helpful books or websites please give me a heads up.
If you want to do 3D design, study either SolidWorks or Pro-E. AutoCAD is good for 2D only. AutoDesk (AutoCAD maker) has Mechanical Desktop, a 3D CAD program, but it's confused and hard to use. I took a class in SolidWorks and it's so simple to use + it's powerful.

[verve247]

solidworks? thanks i'll look into it. Are you familiar with the integration of these various cad programs? For instance can i import a CAD file into solidworks or Pro-E?

[bachviet]

Originally posted by verve247
solidworks? thanks i'll look into it. Are you familiar with the integration of these various cad programs? For instance can i import a CAD file into solidworks or Pro-E?
Yes you could import AutoCAD files (dwg) into SolidWorks. You could also export SolidWorks drawing file to AutoCAD.

[johnnymk]

OK, I bit the bullet and registered at the Tech School yesterday.
Thanks for the input!

[VileOFFender]

Originally posted by bachviet

If you want to do 3D design, study either SolidWorks or Pro-E. AutoCAD is good for 2D only. AutoDesk (AutoCAD maker) has Mechanical Desktop, a 3D CAD program, but it's confused and hard to use. I took a class in SolidWorks and it's so simple to use + it's powerful.

I agree, if you are looking into doing any kind of engineering or manufacturing, its much better to go into 3D with either Solidworks or Pro/E they are the two defacto standards in teh industry. If you are looking to jsut do design, there are several other programs that are much simpler and cheaper...keep in mind that both Solidworks and Pro/E are professional systems that cost $$$$$

[VileOFFender]

Oh, I almost forgot...while most companies (ISO 9001 certified ones at least) design and engineer in 3D, they still output to AutoCAD for production purposes since many fab shops are not utilizing 3D yet.

So, its not a bad thing to learn AutoCAD, but see what you want to do with the skills you want to learn.

[bachviet]

Originally posted by VileOFFender
Oh, I almost forgot...while most companies (ISO 9001 certified ones at least) design and engineer in 3D, they still output to AutoCAD for production purposes since many fab shops are not utilizing 3D yet.

So, its not a bad thing to learn AutoCAD, but see what you want to do with the skills you want to learn.
Actually you could design using SolidWorks and then use CAD/CAM to make parts thru CNC machine. We do that @ work (molds).

[verve247]

Can anyone recommend affordable AutoCAD classes in the SoCal area? I've found a couple in San Diego though they range from 600 to a grand. Way too much moola for me.

[ski]

I used Mechanical Desktop for basic design last semester, and I agree that it's not that great. This semester, they are using something called Inventor, which apparently is a much better version from Autodesk. But I'll take my circuit design projects over working in AutoCAD any day thank you ^_^

[ArkiStan]

majoring in architecture, I used AutoCAD all through my college years. As for difficulty, it's a piece of cake. It really isn't rocket science at all. No matter how many tricks the instructor has up his sleeves, you'll eventually learn and develop your own little shortcuts. And eventually you'll only use about maybe 10% of all the tools of AutoCAD to draw any diagram you'll ever need. Things are really straight forward and easy. Practice for a couple weeks and you'll be so fast you won't believe it. As for whether it's currently the most used App in the industry....not sure. Haven't used it for a while. good luck.

[VileOFFender]

Well, for architecture, i will agree, it is easy and fast once you get the hang of it. From time to time, i will still use AutoCAD to draw up a schematic and then import into illustrator to add the aesthetic stuff.

[VileOFFender]

Originally posted by bachviet

Actually you could design using SolidWorks and then use CAD/CAM to make parts thru CNC machine. We do that @ work (molds).

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear. Yes you are correct you can (and ideally you should) use 3D from concept to production. I was just saying that some fabs do not employ 3D CAD/CAM. For those you can still use Pro/E and output to 2D.

[johnnymk]

Someone has an original AutoCad 2000I full version or 2002LT student version for $150. I am debating which one to get from him.
I heard that the student version expires in two years.

[VileOFFender]

IMO, almost any version of the full is better then a newer LT or"lite" version. I have used several LT versions including r14 LT and it lost a lot of functionality that i have become accustomed to . But then again like i guess if you are just starting out, the LT wouldn't be too bad.