[SPEEDRE]

I'm starting a course in SW'08 on Wed. I've been using AutoCad 2000 since 2000, will I have a tough time making the transition ?. Bought the student version. Comments please!

[DareBee]

It won't be long and you will be hoping that you NEVER see ACAD again.
There basically is no similarities between the two. Unless you count that both can produce shop drawings that look the same.

[toastydeath]

My experience is that long-time autocad users have a hard time switching over to parametric modeling programs. No doubt that you'll be adept by the end of the class, but it will be rough going. I've been through a bunch of solid modeling and other drafting classes at college, and use solidworks for a wide range of model sizes at work daily. I feel that I've got a pretty good cross-section of what factors help and hinder learning the program after seeing 60-80 people learn it around me, of varying skill levels.

It boils down to what DareBee mentioned. The two are completely different. The Autocad way of doing things is the drawing itself, lines, circles, arcs, layers. You don't see a true drawing in parametric programs until the entire model is finished. In Autocad, you draw the part. In Solidworks, you define a series of volumes and the relationships between those volumes with a series very basic drawings and geometric constraints.

So, none of the skills transfer, and a lot of the old ACAD habits directly interfere with effective modeling in SW. My advice is to really, really wait up for the professor and do not get ahead of yourself until you are sure you know what the "parametric" way of doing things is. If you think something is going along similar to ACAD and you try to jump ahead, you stand a good chance (not always, but most of the time) of getting screwed over somewhere later on in a model.

This all reverses after you get a hang of parametric modeling, and you realize where your ACAD experience can help you. Once a long-time drafstman learns the tool, they quickly get back up to their prior proficiency.

[JerryFlyGuy]

I found the transition, challenging and exciting. I saw things that took HOURS in ACAD, only took seconds in SW.. I had to keep beating things into my head that I'd learned in ACAD. ie; in SW, you rarely ever draw a line at a certain degree and length. Instead you sketch a line and then drag it in the sketch to were you want it.. push and pull it.. then maybe dimension it. The dimensions in SW drive the sketch's [instead of the sketch's in ACAD driving the dimensions] so this took some getting used to.. All in all.. I haven't looked back.. after 6yrs. I cringe if I have to open A2000.

[ahofmann]

I'm starting a course in SW'08 on Wed. I've been using AutoCad 2000 since 2000, will I have a tough time making the transition ?. Bought the student version. Comments please!

Well...if you are familiar with three dimensional modeling the transition will not be as tough. Autocad experience always helps, however if you are only familiar with two dimensional drafting you'll have to learn a whole new idea on how to model stuff.
My guess is that you will be amazed with the things you can do in SW2008.

Andrew

[SPEEDRE]

Thank you all for your comments. It's 9:05am EST and at 2:00pm this afternoon I start a new way of graphic expression.

[SPEEDRE]

Well here's my opinion on SW08. I found the first lesson as challenging as I remembered AutoCad to be. Yes you just simply sketch the objects close enough then dimension it and there it is. Very different in application than AC. It's only been two classes but I'm liking it a lot. Thanks