Jeff's Tool Shed

I started following Roopinder Tara’s training diary, and it’s brought back some memories of when I started using SolidWorks.

Back in ‘98 or ‘99 is when I started using SolidWorks. Keep in mind, I’m not an engineer and I had no experience with CAD, aside from about 20-30 hours with AutoCAD. (I actually referred to myself as an "uneducated hack" when I sent Roopinder some words of encouragement). I followed the online tutorials, learned the basic functionality and went off on my merry way. Thankfully, most of the parts I had to model at Genie were, for the most part, quite simple. Very few parts were "complex" and this allowed me to start creating the models from the AutoCAD drawings almost from the get-go. Yes, there were plenty of pit-falls along the way, and zippo outside training (not my choice), but I wanted to learn SolidWorks. I knew it was my way out of the box I’d been put in. Now, I’m a CSWP and I have a job, as a CAD Administrator, that I never would have been considered for without SolidWorks.

If the opportunity is there, I strongly suggest anyone learning SolidWorks get some training. Whether it’s from your VAR, SolidProfessor or a consultant, learning how to do things correctly the first time will save you a lot of headaches down the road.

One other thing…Network with other users. There are plenty of forums. Two of my favorites are eng-tips forums and the SolidWorks forum. You can learn tons of stuff from all the users on both of these sites. There are others as well…comp.cad.solidworks comes right to mind.

Remember, too, that just because you can’t get it to work doesn’t mean it’s a bug. Matt Lombard actually has a great post about learning to ask to learn, which may help out new users when asking questions in one of the forums.

Ok, I’m done for now. I’ve actually forgotten why I started writing…gotta love Mondays…

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