ASCENT Blog

Teaching CAD

By Elvis R. Sverko

Everyone who knows CAD had to first learn it. Whether you learned it in a typical educational school environment over the entire school year, in an accelerated all-day dedicated classroom, or were self-taught at your own pace, there was a specific order that you learned it. In each case, someone had to teach it, and create the curriculum for you (even if you were self-taught you probably used help menus, videos, tutorials, colleagues, etc.)

A CAD teacher’s knowledge is only finite. What they know is what they can teach. And they might teach it the only way they know how. But when teaching CAD, the students can be a diverse group, from their current knowledge of CAD (or computers in general), to their age, and to their way of learning. So teaching CAD can be very difficult. So how do you teach CAD?

In a paper written by Andreas Asperl at the Vienna University of Technology, this question is answered in the paper “How to teach CAD”. It mainly deals with teaching CAD in schools to students ranging in ages from thirteen to their early twenties, but the concepts are sound, and I feel can be used for someone teaching CAD to anyone, regardless of age.

The paper states that in starting to learn CAD, only a short intro to 2D is necessary, and that you should immediately dive into basic 3D (primitives, Boolean operations, etc.). If you’re trying to improve someone’s spatial ability it might be good, but if you’re teaching someone a specific CAD software (such as Autodesk’s AutoCAD), I would disagree. They should learn the basics of the user interface and many simple drawing techniques first, as those are the stepping stones to the more complex 3D tools. If someone is learning a 3D solid modeling software, than yes, starting right into 3D is the obvious choice.

It’s the spatial ability that should first be acknowledged when looking at 3D. For everyone, 3D spatial understanding actually comes instinctively, as noted in “The Back of the Napkin” by Dan Roam “When we first enter an environment, our eyes make a quick three-dimensional model to establish the space’s orientation and our position within it.” The problem exists in trying to parlay this space to the computer screen.

Other aspects that can be derived from Asperl’s paper are used in many CAD courses, from self-conducted learning (such as the online CAD training found at ProductivityNOW), to what should be included in a training manual (such as having instructions with screenshots for the student to follow step by step, as well as providing realistic objects as examples, so the student is motivated by seeing how they can use CAD in their everyday life.)

One of my favorite parts from Asperl’s paper is the topic of 3D problem solving versus 3D modeling. Teaching someone how to model in any CAD software is only half the battle. Teaching them how to solve problems is quite another. In the Autodesk Inventor courseware by ASCENT, there is a section at the end that discusses, after you’ve learned how all the features and commands are used, how best to use them and in what order. It’s about thinking of solving problems of your model, in particular, capturing the design intent. Because there are many ways to create the same model, but not all of them are the way you intend your design to behave (especially if changes to the model are inevitable).

Even though teaching CAD is the main topic covered here, it is only a small role in the student’s realm of learning CAD. As stated in Asperl’s paper, a good teacher is equivalent to a good coach, they can only lead the student showing them the best tools and methods, but it is up to the student to practice, practice, practice. But one main thing the teacher can bring to motivate any student, is enthusiasm for CAD.

I repeat, the teacher can only teach what they know. And CAD software is constantly updating with new features and workflows. So the student still needs to practice.

“Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.” – Rabindranath Tagore

 

5 Step Process to Developing Custom PLM Courseware

By Barb Nash

We are seeing more and more customers who are choosing to train their PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) users using customized training materials that are suited to their company’s environment, best practices, and processes. Being trained using the company’s environment on concepts that users need-to-know versus those that are nice-to-know helps make users more comfortable and productive right from go-live. When taking on these projects we work collaboratively with the customer and apply the following 5 step process:

 
 The activities involved in each of these steps are detailed below:

 1.       Initiation/Proposal

• Determine project objectives and scope of course (e.g., CAD and/or non-CAD Document Management, Project Management, etc.).
• Determine target audience (e.g., CAD users, PLM experience).
• Determine roles (e.g., Design Engineer, Viewer, or Project Manager).
• Determine deliverables (e.g., printed manual, ebook, web-based training, videos, and/or interactive simulations) and associated formats.
• Determine delivery methods (e.g., instructor-led, web-based, or both).
• Define preliminary course outline and estimate costs.

2.       Planning

• Gather existing company content, standards, and best practices.
• Obtain access to PLM system (e.g., VPN, remote desktop).
• Confirm course outline, dataset, deliverables, etc.
• Establish schedule to fit implementation, migration, and go-live plans.
• Establish communication plan and logistics.

3.       Development

• Set up orientation sessions to ensure custom processes are understood.
• Develop DRAFT1 of courseware, delivering modules as completed.

4.       Review

• Client review of courseware as modules are completed.
• Conduct pilot training to obtain additional feedback, if applicable.

5.       Produce Final Deliverables

• Implement review feedback into courseware.
• Produce final deliverables.
• Receive acceptance from client.

We’ve worked with customers using various PLM systems including PTC’s Windchill products, ENOVIA V6 from Dassault Systemes, and Autodesk’s Vault Professional. However, we can also apply the process to any custom PLM training project. Global training delivery services and translation services can also be provided and incorporated into the process.

 

September.... the Time for Personal Development

By Jennifer MacMillan

Wow, September already! Wasn’t it just March with all the new 2012 software being released?

What amazes me about September is that after so many years being out of school (No Hints!), September still always feels like the start of a new year. It gives us a second chance to look at things or set another New Year’s Resolution and start off fresh again. I started September by cleaning my desktop (actual and computer) and even that gave me a renewed sense of energy. Okay, maybe it is that I have started drinking coffee. Hmmm...there is my next resolution. I will save that one for January.

The idea of September and starting a new school year got me thinking that new beginnings should also be considered in the working world. Why not! We love learning. We are all back from holidays, are refreshed, and in a lot of cases our managers are looking at spending the rest of their budgets so they don’t lose them. To me this is the perfect time to focus on personal development. When was the last time you had training? I am not talking about the YouTube video you watched. It is really incredible to think how far training has come in the last 10+ years. There are so many training options available. Here are some ideas:

• Open enrollment training classes with a professional trainer and curriculum.
• Personal one-on-one consulting with a consultant.
• Live over the web training classes.
• Purchasing a hard-copy or e-book training guide for self-study. (Highly recommend ASCENT, great company! Had to say it!)
• Purchasing an on-line training course for self-study. (Again, ASCENT material rocks!)
• Accessing learning content through a searchable learning management system. (Wouldn’t you know, ASCENT offers this as well!)
• YouTube videos (I know, I kinda slammed this earlier, but it really is a great, economical way to learn something new. I wouldn’t recommend it for learning new software as there is a lot of smoke and mirrors included in these videos to help sell software, but there is some great information.)
• Custom classes for an entire company or team. (ASCENT is starting to get lots of requests for these. It gives companies the opportunity to create a course that is geared to only them. It can cut down on the number of days, focus on a specific workflow, or be written with the companies own models. I always tell customers “the sky’s the limit”.) 

So... along with cleaning off your desktop, get a good idea of where you want to be in the next 6-12 months with your software skills and get some training. Have fun learning and have a great September!

Jennifer

How do you see your CAD model while you create it?

By Elvis R. Sverko

We all use stuff. Sometimes we build or create stuff. Sometimes we fix stuff. Sometimes it’s small and fits in our hand. Sometimes it’s large and we have to walk around it. Regardless of its size or what we do with it, we always look at it. We look at it before we start doing anything to it. And then we look at it while we do stuff to it. We look at it from every angle that we need to, if it will help.

Take for instance a sculptor. If you’ve ever seen one in action, you’ll see that they constantly move around their model (or move the model in front of them if it’s small) while they sculpt. They’ll look at it from every angle before each modification they make. They want to make sure that their next chisel will look good from every angle. (If you’d like to electronically sculpt, try Autodesk 123D Sculpt for the iPad.)

Or an auto mechanic. When he’s got a car up on the lift and needs to take apart the engine, he follows any connected hoses and wires around, he looks for all the right screws or nuts to loosen, he’ll look how he’ll get his tools inside with enough clearance, and how the part will eventually be removed and replaced.

Or an everyday person looking for the ketchup bottle in their overstuffed refrigerator. They’ll look over the bread, move the beer can, look left around the mustard bottle, duck down to try and peek through the pickle jar, it’s like they’re bobbing and weaving around a swarm of bees. (Unless they’re like a few people I know who just open the refrigerator door, and if what they’re looking for isn’t right there in front, they stop looking and say they don’t have it.)

The point is, everyone looks at things from many different angles while doing whatever it is they’re doing. So why not take that same workflow process to your CAD models?

When I’m training students on Autodesk Inventor or AutoCAD 3D there are two things regarding viewing the model that I focus on.

1. The training manual may direct the student to orient the model to a specific view, such as Top or Front or a specific origin plane. From there, it gives specific directions to create or modify the model based on the commands learned in that course material. However, sometimes it may be better to have the student use different and several views to better understand and be able to see exactly how the model is being modified.
2. When I’m demonstrating a particular command, I’ll constantly rotate the model, viewing it from various angles, so the students will know the shape of the model before the command, and then be able to recognize how the particular command modified the model.

If you’re only viewing the model from one angle, it’s easy to miss what’s happening to the model from the other angles. Why do you think documentation drawings have Top, Front, and Side views? And with the advent of CAD, it’s easy to quickly add an Isometric view as well. And why do you think that is? Because it makes it that much easier to visualize the model.

So how can a student take that concept, and apply it to their workflow? Well, they are taught how to rotate the model through the use of the View Cube, or starting the Orbit command, or simply setting a predefined View, or some other various viewing command.

But one of my favorites, is the temporary orbit. Many students learn the standard orbit commands, but the temporary orbit keeps you right where you need to be, looking right at the model, not worrying about where to move the mouse to start it.

Simply press and hold <Shift> and the mouse scroll wheel simultaneously, and you’ve entered into the temporary orbit mode. Just move the mouse in the direction you want to rotate the model.

And what makes it an even greater tool, is that you can use it while smack dab in the middle of a command! So you can preview the effect of the command from any angle before applying it, so that you are positive it will complete the way you want and expect it. A tip anyone can use.

So how do you view your CAD model while you create it?

“Every view, and every object I studied attentively, by viewing them again and again on every side, for I was anxious to make a lasting impression of it on my imagination.” Karl Philipp Moritz