To all CAD users I have a few questions.
Which program do you prefer, AutoCAd or Solidworks
Are you self taught or did you take classes
How long did it take you to get proficient
What do you think or do you recommend any online courses

Ive been wanting to learn this for awhile so now is the time. Any info you have would be appreciated. I wish I had a copy to play around with.(hint)

 

uhhhhhhhhh.....hmmmmmmmm. welcome? and what do you ride? where you from, come on man give us something before you start spamming us...LOL

 

Actually Revit is the best program out there.

It is made by Autodesk and pretty much renders AutoCAD obselete.

 

I have not really tried out the solid works. I have been using autocad for the most part since '90 ish or so, and tend to stay with autocad because of it being used for so long.

Welcome to KF and post up your ride. (hopefully you are here because of that)

 

Most local tech schools and some universities offer CAD courses. You need to find out what they are using. You may get a student discount on software, maybe not. No way I would simply send out a bootleg copy to someone - that is a prosecutable crime.

I use AutoCAD LT2007 which is simple 2D cad, because that is all I need. I don't need modeling capabilities. In fact the company I deal with has to have me save the .dwg and .dxf files I make in LT2000 version because that is what their equipment runs. So no need for overkill.

The best thing to do if it might go job related is to ask the local tech or university teachers what local industry is using. Where I went to school back in the early 2000s it was AutoCAD and Pro E. Who knows what it may be now.

If it is for personal use there is always the free A9CAD which is like an ancient version of AutoCAD and a bit unwieldy or the Google Sketch Up freebie. Both can do a lot. You also need to know what you're going to do with it. If it's just drawing up parts to cut out with low tech methods a simple 2d program is great and cheap. If it is muti-axis machining you need to know modeling and you'd definitely need to know what software is being run by whomever might do the machine work.

A lot depends on the who, what, and where.

Like when I made business cards and stickers I went for a sign shop that used CorelDRAW for the work. I had and could do all my own art with Corel. I walk in with a flash drive and hand it to them. No $90 art fees. It would be the same with CAD. Your drawing work is near worhless if it has to be redone or highly modified to be used. A sketch on a napkin with good dimensions would serve the same purpose in that case... and yes, I've done that.

 

I work in services engineering and I prefer to use autoCAD. Its a very versitile but easy to use package, once you get the hang of it.

Depending how computer savvy you are, and what drafts experience you have would depend on whether you need lessons. If you have some experience producing/reading drawings and are computer able I would just recommend a good book (Introduction to autoCAD - newnes publications).

I would recommend autoCAD2000 as the best package to learn on - There are plenty cracked copies available


spend as much time as you can mastering 2D and isometric drawings - if you can understand the principles of this 3D modelling is a doddle.

Hope this helps.