Any CAD technicians on Mud Club??

[Cal]

Evening all - just wondering if there are any CAD users on Mud Club who can offer me some advice on where to start. For eg, is starting with a City & Guilds (say level 2) going to be enough to get me a foot in the door for a job? And would I have to have engineering experience (cos I haven't) or similar to get a look in?

Thanks in advance - any advice welcome! As usual just running through different ideas of ideas for the future - not enjoying my current job, although always mindful that I do have a job!

[Range Rover Blues]

Actually I need to find someone to help me with ProEngineer so I can do my acreditation this summer :-k

Of the few I've used, AutoDesk Inventor is the easiest, but you have to be "wired up" the right way to be able to think in 3D.

[Monkeymantulp]

Actually I need to find someone to help me with ProEngineer so I can do my acreditation this summer :-k

Of the few I've used, AutoDesk Inventor is the easiest, but you have to be "wired up" the right way to be able to think in 3D.

I've done 4 years of basic Pro E design on wildfire 2, 3 & 4 if you ever need a pointer, but truth be told, i never did the advanced stuff  :oops:

[Range Rover Blues]

I don't need to be too advanced, I need to understand it so I can teach it.  Might be sending you a PM soon.......

[wizard]

Mrs wizard,s a draughtsperson extrordinare and  auto cad user. E mail any questions she might be able to help you.

wizard

[ChrisW70]

I started this job with no CAD experience, put myself through C&G 4351 level 2 and to be honest it didn't teach me anything I hadn't already picked up with the job anyway but having the qualification to back it all up always helps.

I design straight to CAD as I find it quicker than putting it on paper for someone to draught, but that's just me - I would say experience of the trade you wish to work in would be good as it always helps when someone is doing CAD that they can draught with a bit of common sense rather than just draw what's been put on paper for them, mistakes and all.

Perhaps it might be worth dropping a few letters out to companies in the trade you want to work in explaining you are taking the qualification and whether they would be willing to let you have either some drawings you can use to practise with or any cad work you can offer to do for them.
The biggest thing that will stop you getting any work is going to be experience out in the field.

[boss]

slight hijack....


does anyone know how much the auto CAD program is? a large proportion of my b-tec was cad baised and i just want to draw some more.

[ChrisW70]

For the LT version about £200 - £250, for the full blown version over two grand  :shock:

[boss]

damn holmes i think ill give that a miss! :lol:

[carbore]

My farther keeps banging on about a free CAD program called "Solid Edge". Reckons its the DB's. He used Autocad for years as a prefessional engineer.

[carbore]

Sorry should have said Free version is 2D only. I did have a play with Google Sketchup, found it a bit wierd, but has some nice downloadable example drawings in 3D and for teaching may be good as its all webby and the kids are down with the web.

[V8MoneyPit]

I'd have to go along with Chris on this. Talk to companies in the industry you want to be in. Many of the job ads will advise what qualifications they require too. It's no good getting specific qualifications, only to find the industry you want to be in likes other qualifications.

Engineering is an industry that seems to heading back towards apprenticeships. So watch out for openings that way.

[TDi90]

@ Boss - Download it  ;)

[Boddle]

Well Started out with PDGS (old ford system) 20 years ago CADDS(Rover, and Ford powertrain) both stopped being use about 1995 moved onto SDRC I-DEAS (Ford, Jaguar and Nissan)  which is slowly dying out although Nissan look to be continuing with it at the moment also recently been train on CATIA V5 which most of the Automotive and Aerospace indudtry OME's use although a lot of there suppliers use PRo Engineer wildfire.
I would say you need to look at where you want to go (engineering wise) then look at the most commonly used software in that industry

[V8MoneyPit]

In my day (old git!) we were using ME10 and ME30 running on Pascal OS! When we 'upgraded', we were running 9 workstations off a 1 gig Unix server which was huge for it's day  :lol: How times change....  :lol:

Does ME10 still exist?

When I changes jobs, I was using an early version of AutoCad. That would have been about 23 years ago!

[littlepow]

Use to use AutoCad and AutoCam on 286's, which will tell you how long ago that was!

Do people even use a Cam testing software any more?

[Cal]

Thanks for all the replies!

Sounds like I'm looking at this the wrong way round as usual then!  :twisted: I was thinking of getting at least a basic qualification and taking it from there rather than chosing the industry first. Will do more research!

I like the idea of an apprenticeship but am now 30 and most places have an age restriction - plus I don't think I could survive on an apprentice wage - maybe will have to make the missus earn more!

Thanks again

[ChrisW70]

Use to use AutoCad and AutoCam on 286's, which will tell you how long ago that was!

Ha! I can beat that... I've still got my 0.25 and 0.5 pens and stencils here!  :P :lol:

[hairyasswelder]

Use to use AutoCad and AutoCam on 286's, which will tell you how long ago that was!

Ha! I can beat that... I've still got my 0.25 and 0.5 pens and stencils here!  :P :lol:

And I got a bookies pencil and a fag packet.....  :lol: :lol: :lol:

but seriously....

The cad guy @ work has 2 degrees and is totally useless at times. He will just draw what he is told,(usually a site sketch) will put 10 useless dimensions on his drawings and leave off the important ones so we have to work them out 

I have tried to explain this and when I do he will do as I ask, the other problem is that having no experience in the trade he needs a nudge in the right direction sometimes, others think it is funny not to help him and will do as drawing knowing it is wrong just so they can point the finger at him when the job turns out wrong 

He a decent chap too which makes me mad