Any CAD users here?

[IronFreak]

google 3D sketch is cool, just different. I have played with it a few times.

[seatown88]

I have 5 years of experience with Catia, it's what we solely utilize at school now. I have been more recently be trying to teach myself AutoCAD.

My girlfriend actually utilizes more CAD than I do for her Interior Design school. She uses AutoCad, Revit, and google sketchup

[nando]

The one designer that I know pretty well here is non-exempt (hourly) making $28-30/hr. But she is quite good at what she does. For an entry level job, they probably start out around $20/hr. If I didn't have a degree, I wouldn't mind doing that job at all. If you're a designer with good knowledge of the shit that you are working on (rather than just being a good modeler/drafter and not having any mechanical inclination), that can take you a long way. Only problem is, without an engineering degree there is something of a ceiling that you will eventually hit.

Sure, you can make that much if you have a trade that you're good at (or you're in a union -- then you can suck shit at your job). But the work sucks and if it is hard labor, eventually your body isn't going to keep up with you.

It depends on the industry a lot too. $30 hour is about average for a structural "designer" but you can definitely make more. The difference is some people are just 2D drafters, and some are designers.

I don't know if it's just my industry, but the structural work I do, the designer comes up with the layout and principles, and the engineer checks it and make sure it works. Or the oppsite, the engineer comes up with a concept, the designer puts it together and says - well, it sort of works, but we need to change X and Y and Z. Of course some things are too complicated to go by your gut, and take a lot more thought to put together properly, but I don't really get pushed around by the engineers here. But I also respect them and try to learn from them, so they tend to like working with me.

Another thing that has helped me is really changing how everyone else does their work. We used to do everything ass backwards - we'd build a crude "stick" model, then we'd trace over everything by hand in 2D (very time consuming and error prone), and then maybe, maybe, at the end of the project we'd go back and modify the 3D model to match the drawings.

well, this leads to problems. we work with 3 other disciplines at the same in the 3D model, and if what is in the model isn't accurate, they could put a pipe or an electrical box right through where you need steel, or vice versa. You end up getting hit with hundreds of RFI's during construction, which is bad, and things field designed or scabbed together by the contractor (also bad, especialy the seismic structures we do). It ends up costing a lot more to re-do engineering in the field than to just model it correctly the first time.

I've had to push back a lot on some of the older guys who think we should do crude stick figure 3D models and detail everything by hand. The last job I worked won best project of 2012 for north america, and I think part of that was because all the disciplines worked very hard on an accurate 3D model that reflected the drawings and field conditions as exactly as possible.

What we do now is totally the opposite of the "old way". I don't do any hand drafting at all - everything is modeled in exact detail, and the software creates 2D drawings out of the model (I had tp put in a lot of effort to really learn the software and also teach it to everyone else, of course). The result is better, more accurate products and we can do it with less people.

[kung fu jesus]

You are absolutely right. One reason I enjoy the career I have is because I was fascinated by and interested in all things mechanical before I even had an idea about getting a ME degree. Even my first two years in college I was a mathematics major and was planning on being a math/physics professor. I figured out that I could combine my affinity for math/physics/problem solving with my passion for machines and mechanisms.

One thing that boggles my mind is the fact that most of the people that were in the ME program with me didn't have the same appreciation or knowledge of mechanical systems... many of them couldn't tell you how to change the oil in a car. Some of them are very smart, but I wouldn't want them designing any system for me because they have no aptitude when it comes to the real world application of the theory they know so well.

That is why a lot of people don't have any respect for engineers -- many of them do stupid shit like design parts and/or systems that simply aren't realistic. Shit, some of them couldn't even grasp the concept of dimensioning a part properly. It is hard to teach someone to have that aptitude.

Interdisciplinary experience is very valuable. Right now I am heavily weighing the pros and cons of changing jobs. I am a design engineer right now for a company that makes aerospace electronic connectors and systems. I have the opportunity to be a quality engineer with a small design role with a company that makes server racks and the crazy mechanical systems that support them. It would be a career path altering move, but getting experience in a different sub-field is something that seems very valuable to me.

So I agree, the stigma that comes with job titles can muddle things up and give people a false sense of understanding of what it is that you are capable of. I worked as an "engineering tech" right out of school, and I know that people would assume that I just didn't have knowledge enough to be a design engineer. I had to bust my ass to prove myself enough to be considered for a design engineer job.

Oh, man! Don't get me started. I, too, see so many engineers with fantastic degrees from tremendous schools with so little application experience. Very much book-smart, no field or hands-on experience. I'm sure veterans in the field thought the same of us, but there is a huge generation gap in terms of expectations and work ethic. No all, but far too many.

I began as an ME major, but my queer-eye side for design caught up with me and I gravitated towards architecture, then industrial design. I have worked in the automotive, consumer electronics, surgical/medical, and furniture industries. My variety or lack of staying at one company less than 3 years used to be detrimental, now it's considered a positive. I have enjoyed the smaller companies and firms more because they move so much faster and anyone that cannot keep up is glaringly obvious and sent along. I am also working with a start-up domestic manufacturer, and that is very interesting too. It's like taking your previous experience and blazing a trail for the company.

Switching companies is always risky, but if you stop learning or aren't challenged by your job, it's time to find something else.

[kung fu jesus]

It depends on the industry a lot too. $30 hour is about average for a structural "designer" but you can definitely make more. The difference is some people are just 2D drafters, and some are designers.

I don't know if it's just my industry, but the structural work I do, the designer comes up with the layout and principles, and the engineer checks it and make sure it works. Or the oppsite, the engineer comes up with a concept, the designer puts it together and says - well, it sort of works, but we need to change X and Y and Z. Of course some things are too complicated to go by your gut, and take a lot more thought to put together properly, but I don't really get pushed around by the engineers here. But I also respect them and try to learn from them, so they tend to like working with me.

Another thing that has helped me is really changing how everyone else does their work. We used to do everything ass backwards - we'd build a crude "stick" model, then we'd trace over everything by hand in 2D (very time consuming and error prone), and then maybe, maybe, at the end of the project we'd go back and modify the 3D model to match the drawings.

well, this leads to problems. we work with 3 other disciplines at the same in the 3D model, and if what is in the model isn't accurate, they could put a pipe or an electrical box right through where you need steel, or vice versa. You end up getting hit with hundreds of RFI's during construction, which is bad, and things field designed or scabbed together by the contractor (also bad, especialy the seismic structures we do). It ends up costing a lot more to re-do engineering in the field than to just model it correctly the first time.

I've had to push back a lot on some of the older guys who think we should do crude stick figure 3D models and detail everything by hand. The last job I worked won best project of 2012 for north america, and I think part of that was because all the disciplines worked very hard on an accurate 3D model that reflected the drawings and field conditions as exactly as possible.

What we do now is totally the opposite of the "old way". I don't do any hand drafting at all - everything is modeled in exact detail, and the software creates 2D drawings out of the model (I had tp put in a lot of effort to really learn the software and also teach it to everyone else, of course). The result is better, more accurate products and we can do it with less people.

I'm in similar situations.

I don't draft by hand anymore, but I have drawn somethings out on bar napkins with dimensions, various views and had them go to production within a matter of weeks. Clients like to see their ideas develop right in front of them. Sometimes the CAD just gets in the way.

[IronFreak]

Oh, man! Don't get me started. I, too, see so many engineers with fantastic degrees from tremendous schools with so little application experience. Very much book-smart, no field or hands-on experience. I'm sure veterans in the field thought the same of us, but there is a huge generation gap in terms of expectations and work ethic. No all, but far too many.

I began as an ME major, but my queer-eye side for design caught up with me and I gravitated towards architecture, then industrial design. I have worked in the automotive, consumer electronics, surgical/medical, and furniture industries. My variety or lack of staying at one company less than 3 years used to be detrimental, now it's considered a positive. I have enjoyed the smaller companies and firms more because they move so much faster and anyone that cannot keep up is glaringly obvious and sent along. I am also working with a start-up domestic manufacturer, and that is very interesting too. It's like taking your previous experience and blazing a trail for the company.

Switching companies is always risky, but if you stop learning or aren't challenged by your job, it's time to find something else.

This is my brother in law!! He is and ME in Minneapolis, designs multi-million dollar cryogenic manifolds......but can't change the brakes on his car.I still love him, but real world application comes in very handy, especially in my field of structural design and fabrication. I work in our engineering department, but I started at my company as a welder, then a fitter, shop manager then moved to the office. I look at design and application so differently then anyone else in my office.

[kung fu jesus]

Ugh.

I know an ME who quit 1/2 way through his program at UC-Berkeley to start his own race shop. He builds and races some of the fastest, most reliable Mazdas on the west coast in NASA. This guy is 25 and told me he quit because he wasn't learning anything and there wasn't enough applied applications for what was taught. I admire his hands-on approach balanced with theory and science. Wish I had half his skill.

[LEANE30]

I'm actually looking forward to work next week... No one should say that on a Friday. We are finally upgrading to acad13, and with it we are getting inventor fusion and our other plugins and piggy back software updates too.

Edit: Inventor Fusion sucks and is a waste of space. Would still love to learn inventor professional...

[e30rapidic]

Cad, Revit and Solidworks.

[MeanM50]

I started using solidworks last year. Love it.

[Massimo]

Auto Cad
Inventor
12D
Auto Desk Civil 3D
PDMS

Currently learning Solidworks

[slaterd]

But, I'm curious why you narrowed it to Inventor and SW? Like I said, I've personally used SW and Pro/E (Creo) and I have found that Creo is much much better.
Oh and I almost forgot... if you plan to utilize the FEA portions of your 3D modeling software, don't even consider SolidWorks.

Well time for an update ya'll. After weeks of 2 hour meetings almost everyday, the big man in the company has agreed to get us a package that consists of:
AutoCad Architecture 2013
AutoCad Mechanical 2013
Inventor Professional 2013
3d's Max
and some other program that came with it but we won't be using it. After a long and grueling time of research, debate, and convincing my entire CAD and marketing team now has all those programs. Unfortunately it's now my job to go through them before anyone uses it and write out a report/manual for the things that we will be utilizing in the programs. I've been in Inventor all weekend, first time I've been in it in a long, long time. That bitch is a MONSTER compared to traditional ACad 2012. Feels good though cause I don't know too many people that have managed to convince someone to spend over $80,000 on something just because they said it would be better at 23 yo and no degree. Sorry for the bragging, just feeling good right now.

[rwh11385]

Catia V5 all day, errryday

Lucky.

NX here. :(

But also use Solidworks, thankfully.

[slaterd]

I have a question. In Inventor, is there an option to allow me to independtly manipulate the length and width of say...an assembled door frame that is in an assembly file? AutoCad has this ability but I really need this for Inventor.

[mechdonald]

I have a question. In Inventor, is there an option to allow me to independtly manipulate the length and width of say...an assembled door frame that is in an assembly file? AutoCad has this ability but I really need this for Inventor.

I'm not 100% sure what you want to do.
If you are in the assembly, you can edit the parts individually:
*find the part in the assembly tree. (or just right-click the part itself)
*Right click and select "edit". This allows you to make the changes in the context of the assembly.

Alternatively, you could select "open" so that you can make the changes outside of the assembly.

Inventor has some really good tools now for direct modelling. You can move faces and bodies without the need to figure out how it was made in the model tree.