Worth taking an AutoCAD course if i'm studying Engineering?

[Jonnycoupe]

See proper use of CAD is not a drawing tool. Its computer Aided Design.

AutoCAD probably is useless if you want to work on interesting stuff.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

No what I am saying is that the use of FEA Programs should be limited to those who know the mechanics behind them, not just how to run the interface infront of them like some computer game.

KaHn

Indeed, like a stress engineer or CAE analyst. Which is what I said. Which is what you then made some random point about.

 

[KaHn]

Interesting stuff.

One of the companies who have approached me this week to work for them.

Their oil and gas experience (video on the right)

http://www.pdl-group.com/MarketsOffshore.html

KaHn

 

[Jonnycoupe]

http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/dd21/

http://www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/a350wxb/

http://lrx.landrover.com/index.html

AutoCAD pointless for any of these that i have come across. ^^^

 

[Simon]

I know AutoCAD operators on £43p/h not really so useless is it?

KaHn

I know footballers are on £50k a week, surely he would be better off paying for football lessons?

 

[Ethics]

See proper use of CAD is not a drawing tool. Its computer Aided Design.

AutoCAD probably is useless if you want to work on interesting stuff.

True, there is also a massive shift in the industry from 2D Drawings to 3D manufacturable CAD data, it started a while ago and will continue for a long time yet but we are already at the stage of building machining allowances, tolerances, draft angles into models as well as machining stations that can take this raw data and machine from it, and with 3D printers becoming a lot cheaper the market for CAD > Rapid prototypes is increasing. Although not really applicable in Oil and Gas for 2000m Pipes . Oil and Gas is most certainly not just pipes though, it does depend what part you work on, there's all sorts of flexible joints, riser systems, mooring systems, logging etc if you're into that.

When i was doing special purpose (military, packaing, assembly lines, jigs and fixtures). There was quite a lot of work contracted to us to convert 2D Autocad into 3D models, mind numbinging easy but it paid the bills, my old man still pines for the drawing board again though.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

When i was doing special purpose (military, packaing, assembly lines, jigs and fixtures). There was quite a lot of work contracted to us to convert 2D Autocad into 3D models, mind numbinging easy but it paid the bills, my old man still pines for the drawing board again though.

Yeah I haven't really come across many workplaces where thats too common, although I was offered a job where they want a lot of CATIA models generated for existing parts, which i guess would be 2D-3D. When i went to India on a recruiting drive for a UAE office the bulk of the experience was 2d-3d which was pretty disappointing.

The only drawings I have done are component spec sheets that go out to suppliers (ironically on pipes), and installation drawings for stage sets of a A400m wing build. Everything else is modelled and then exported as 3D data for CAD/CAM machining processes, far slicker and of course you have already built a 3D assembly of these exact items.