Best way to go about learning cad?

Moogman

Moogman

Moogman

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6 Oct 2003
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I'm trying to find a C&G coarse in cad around my local area without much luck. I have also requested I be put on a coarse through work but my boss is stupid so I dont expect it any time soon. For all the cad users on here how did you go about learning how to use it? I cant afford any of the software so I cant even tinker. I have many friends who use it for work that reckon I would love it.
 
I recently started using Solidworks (used autocad a lot last year), learnt quite a bit so far at uni, ~2-4h a week of practical sessions using Solidworks. Although I've learnt basics from that, I've learnt a lot just by playing around with it, experimenting to see what features do :)

After several weeks I managed to do:
assemblysmall.jpg
 
^^^ Impressive

I find that the main elements you need to get to grips of are, extend, trim, cut, duplicate, center, how to draw curves, snap and learn a few other short cuts/command and then you can do a lot with those.
 
You can buy Intellicad Standard for around £50 which is almost identical to Autocad. It is start and 95% of the commands are exactly the same as AC so in the future you will easily be able to move across if you need to. There is a free demo as well but at 50 notes for something virtually identical to Autocad it's a no brainer.

http://www.intellicadms.com/store/catalog.asp?categoryID=Mg==

Work you way through this and you will be a CAD Ace in no time.
 
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AJUK said:
You can buy Intellicad Standard for around £50 which is almost identical to Autocad. It is start and 95% of the commands are exactly the same as AC so in the future you will easily be able to move across if you need to. There is a free demo as well but at 50 notes for something virtually identical to Autocad it's a no brainer.

http://www.intellicadms.com/store/catalog.asp?categoryID=Mg==

Work you way through this and you will be a CAD Ace in no time.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much:)
 
i think the only way to learn cad is to use at work on a daily basis. I 'learned' cad in my 2 year Btec course which was a waste of time. Funny to look back with what i know now and see that it was about 10 minutes work spread over a 1 year course.

Cad has it problems, where solidworks actually forces you to work correctly. When we made the change from cad to solidworks here at work 4 years ago it was very fustrating to get to grips with. As we were used to how easy it is to be bad at drawing with cad it made it easier to fudge drawings. Solidworks on the other hand makes you really think about what you are doing or want from the drawing and design.

Get a copy, pay for it if you have to or attend a mates place if they have it. I strongly suggest you go for 3d and solidworks. Its made me a much more of an 'Engineer' with my drawings.

I also find 3D fun to do.
 
Are you talking about CAD to actually Design something or some fancy graphical rendering software?

Solidworks, is not 'the Daddy' for design.
 
The system you want to learn will depend very much on what you need to draw or design when you have mastered the software. For instance Solidworks is great for mechanical draughting but absolutely useless for architecture.
 
I'm also interested in this, using Auto cad or Art of illusion. But I'm finding it hard to find tutorials of what I want to learn.


I want to create DFX/aoi files of structures. Namely plane wings and boat hulls.
Don't need to be rendered but would be good.

But does need to be hollow structures, but the skins with depths.

Things like this..
6891_Untitled.jpg
 
Raymond Lin said:
I find that the main elements you need to get to grips of are, extend, trim, cut, duplicate, center, how to draw curves, snap and learn a few other short cuts/command and then you can do a lot with those.
Click to expand...

"Learning" CAD is about finding the most efficient way of drawing. CAD packages generally give you the same tools but with different layout/menus. There are a hundred ways of creating a drawing but only a handful will be quick to produce, easily modified and properly organised.

Remember kids, layers, blocks and components are your friends!! ;)
 
Jonnycoupe said:
CATIA V5 ***.
Click to expand...

Not sure what the *** are for but I've fallen in love with Catia, it's bloody great and pretty easy to learn. So easy to surface complex geometry that it is genuinely a pleasure to use.

to the OP: Solidworks sounds like it will suit you fine though :) Best way to learn is a few basic tutorials and then just getting stuck in, i reckon!
 
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