How usefull are SW training manuals?
How usefull are SW training manuals?
(OP)
As a SW tech support and training guy I notice that lot of trainees dislike the more advance classes. They say it's to much command/feature oriented and it doesn't give much strategies when dealing with machine design. Some optinions? What would a user prefer? Industry related training? Ideas?
Thanks
Thanks






RE: How usefull are SW training manuals?
Learning SolidWorks is different than learning machine design. You can be knowledgeable in SolidWorks, but be a poor designer. What I have seen in CAD today is that companies really are not guiding drafters to become designers. Someone red lines a drawing and gives it to a drafter and he or she will incorporate them into the drawing. The drafters (I have seen) very seldom understand why something was done a certain way. Nor do most of them care. The boss wants the drawing done fast. Or I hear, “I just want to get this done so I can go onto the next project”. Those who want to learn SolidWorks should take SolidWorks courses and those who want to learn machine design should take colleges classes or trade school classes to learn Machine Design. You also can learn Machine Design on the job.
Many drafters have told me and I quote, “I hate ECN’s”. I used ECN as a learning tool many years ago. When a hole’s tolerance changed, I wanted to know why. Doing ECN’s quickly gave me many answers to these questions. How many drafters today own a Machinery’s Handbook?
The bottom line: Typing a manuscript for an author makes you no more an author than modeling parts for an Engineer makes you an Engineer. Leaning to type does not make you an author and learning SolidWorks does not make you a drafter. You still need to know where to place dimension and tolerances.
Bradley
RE: How usefull are SW training manuals?
You touched upon the problem though, companies today think they can still have "drafting pools" with their CAD operators. Very few understand the fine line that exists between "pure drafting" and "design work" now involved when using any CAD program. CAD operators (not realy true drafters by my standards) today must understand the design they are modifying, what the best method of model modification is, and how their modifications will effect surrounding and associated models and design parameters.
These are hard things to learn from any book.
Ray Reynolds
"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949
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RE: How usefull are SW training manuals?
CAD made things easier for all of us. I would have to agree with you that most drafters are not true drafters unless they learn on a board. Starting out in CAD is not proper. If you don't understand how to think of what your building then what's the point?
Regards,
Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com
http://www.scottjbaugh.com
FAQ731-376
RE: How usefull are SW training manuals?
Perhaps the trainees are looking for advanced training for applying SW for their particular field? That would need to be done more on a one-on-one basis (or per company) to really achieve that sort of specificity. Otherwise, for the broad target, I think the training does a good job. SW should not attempt to teach machine design, but the principles involved in best bringing those designs to life via SW. Once the principles are understood, individual users can apply them within their specific field.
Jeff Mowry
Industrial Designhaus, LLC
http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com
RE: How usefull are SW training manuals?
RE: How usefull are SW training manuals?