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.

 

[TheTick]

CAD is my b!+ch. It's my palette and canvas. It's my toolbox. I certainly am not any less of an engineer because of that.

 

[casseopeia]

Absolutely! You need to have a certain familiarity with CAD, but do not have to use those skills to become a CAD monkey. Use your knowledge as a way of estimating CAD time required to complete projects as a Project Manager.

I'll bet I suck at CAD worse than you. I'm the only person I know who has managed to delete the viewport on their drawing when I took a CAD class. Even the instructor couldn't replicate my error. Luckily we also learned Inventor 7 which was far more intuitive for me. I was good with that one.

I don't know what specific discipline you are in, but you might also peruse wanted ads or ask around if there are other programs that might be more useful, or that you should learn in addition to CAD.

"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Your employers will determine how much of a CAD jockey you would become. If they don't have dedicated drafters to assist the engineers, then you will end up performing that function.

Being CAD savvy would increase your effectiveness and value to a company.

CAD is a useful tool in the arsenal, but if not used correctly it can also be a pain in the arsenal.

 

[JohnRBaker]

CAD is like an amplifier. Many companies use it to amplify the skills and knowledge of their most capable and experienced employees. So it's your choice; do you want YOUR skills and knowledge to be 'amplified' or not?

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.

 

[drawoh]

...

So, my question is:
Does an Engineer need to be CAD savvy? ...

You do if you want to do any sort of design work. Whatever you do, you need to know how your tools work.

You never will become really proficient with the tool unless you use it on a day to day basis.

JHG

 

[KENAT]

"Does an Engineer need to be CAD savvy?"

No.

I'd estimate only around half of the Engineers around here are vaguely CAD savvy.

Of those, most aren't awesome CAD users.

However, it may come in handy, may enable you to get jobs you wouldn't otherwise...

It varies a lot by discipline, or even by individual employer so there is no single answer.

If you are in role where you're primarily doing analysis, especially of stuff designed by other folks, then it may be of limited use.

If you're at a place that has a lot of drafters, it may be of limited use.

What do you mean by learn CAD - there are lot's of different CAD packages and some of them are different enough from each other that learning one doesn't translate directly to another.

Or, do you really mean learn drafting - CAD is a tool used to do drafting. The CAD jockeys are often the guys that can operate the software but don't know how to properly draft to convey design intent etc.

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[KENAT]

OH, and how is this an ethical question?

Are you asking if it's unethical for an Engineer to learn CAD?

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[SLTA]

Just be careful because there's danger in knowing too much CAD. Don't let anyone turn you into a drafter, unless that's what you want to be.

 

[JohnRBaker]

It appears that some of you may need an update as to what the face of 'CAD' looks like these days:

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/nx/index.shtml

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.

 

[KENAT]

Um, anything more than a sales pitch intended there John?

I know what my CAD company, and most other CAD companies try to tell me CAD looks like.

However, the reality for many smaller or even mid-size companies, in at least some sectors, is a bit different. Heck, seems to me a lot of civvies and the likes are still hardcore 2D Autocad devotees.

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[JohnRBaker]

In my 34 years of CAD experience I've watched the 'D' in 'CAD' evolve from where it was once almost 100% 'Drafting' to where it's now primarily 'Design', and while 2D still has it's place, the real impact of CAD goes way beyond what it seems that people have commented about in this thread so far.

As for whether I was 'selling' or not, I'm not sure that I can even find a reference to a non-vendor produced site which would provide an up-to-date look at what CAD actually is like today. Granted, I can find several sites where one can learn about the history of CAD (one of which I developed myself) and to a certain extent, would show the evolutionary nature of the industry, but that would still not give anyone a good idea of what the state-of-the-art currently was. My primary intention was to try and make sure that an engineer of today, when asking a question like that, was not being offered a 25 year old response.

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.

 

[Bobber1]

I would die without using Cad in my engineering. I used to draw details by hand on a quad sheet, give it to a drafter, who would attempt to draw it more accurately to scale and nothing fit properly.

Now, I have learned to bang out the main parts of the detail to scale so I know it "works", then hand it to the drafter to finish up.

Then, too I can used my Cad details in the calulations.

And Cad will give you areas and moments of inertias of sections.

And I can Cad much faster than hand drawing.

And with my arthritis, I can barely draw by hand anyway.

Bob

 

[KENAT]

Fair enough, I suppose "CAD is a tool used to do drafting" is an over simplification. However, it seems a lot of Civil, Environmental & Structural guys are still primarily using 2D Autocad, and since the OP flagged themselves as Civil/Environmental that's what I used the simplification.

My bigger point was more to do with knowing what to do with the software, rather than just what the software can do.

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[JohnRBaker]

That's where the 'amplification' of one's "skills and knowledge" comes into play.

We are not asked this as often as we once were, but years ago one of the first questions asked by managers at companies just starting to implement CAD/CAM/CAE was, "Who do I train to use the system?" Our standard response was that one should try to train your best people first since you will gain more if you 'amplify' the "skills and knowledge" of people who already understand what it is that you're doing and have already demonstrated that they know how to do their jobs using the current tools available to them. Now that does not mean that someone should be forced to learn to use CAD if they feel that it's not what they wish to do, but everyone should be given the opportunity all the same.

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.

 

[KENAT]

Ah, so you're to blame for all the disgruntled Engineers forced to do their own drawings (often badly as they have have limited training/instruction in drafting and little interest in learning to do it properly) and all the unemployed drafters lamenting their lot.;-)

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[JohnRBaker]

I did my share of my own detailing long before CAD came along ;-)

But long term, this is what many of us in the industry sees as the future when it comes to 'documenting your designs':

http://machinedesign.com/article/the-changing-face-of-model-annotation-0315

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.

 

[KENAT]

Oh I know what you think the future will be, you might even be right, eventually. I've spent many hours trying to implement Y14.41 in the real world - outside of the integrated supply chain some big boys get to take advantage of.

However, I fear MBD is a long ways off for the OP, given their nominal specialization - unless he's really at the cutting edge of their industry.

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[patprimmer]

My last girlfriend insists I am a cad. That may be considered an ethical issue. ;-)

Regards
Pat
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[flash3780]

I find that knowing a bit of CAD is necessary for high-end analysis work. Sure, you could tell the CAD designer how to dice up your model, but wouldn't you rather just do it yourself?

Now, high-end CAD work, like top-down design of assemblies, is more likely to be done by a CAD designer rather than an engineer. Still, it can't hurt to have the skills. Besides, knowing CAD gives you a tool to go out and create your own designs. You can take that to the bank and cash it.