Re: You Need Good Modelers (was: CAD University)

From: Steven Pollack (steve@familyjeweler.com)
Date: Tue Sep 14 1999 - 05:02:32 EEST


My thinking on the need for CAD university is along the lines that you
describe: That it is not so much the software that will make modeling easier
but the amount of training and use one can get on the software. I find that
there is a large void in CAD training availability and that is a shame for RP.

On another note, some of the responses to this idea were to the effect that it
would be difficult to put together a unified CAD class given the differences
between softwares. My idea was actually that each CAD software developer
would maintain and administer their own classes within the unified framework
of a single Online CAD University.

Steven Pollack
http://www.familyjeweler.com

"Steven C. Beck" wrote:

> I may be reading too much into what I've seen in the "CAD University"
> thread recently but it was starting to taste like, "CAD/CAM would be easy
> if I just had the right software."
>
> I encounter this mind-set over and over in many of the companies that I've
> consulted with or done training for. My suspicions are that it stems from
> managers being able to crank out a document within a half hour of
> installing MS Word. Or even being able to modify a digital image within
> an hour or so of installing a program like Adobe Photoshop. This is
> unfortunate for a variety of obvious reasons.
>
> Interestingly, I also tend to get contacted by these same people on a
> fairly regular basis with problems that, although not trivial, just aren't
> that difficult for an experienced modeler to solve.
>
> The notion that your design/engineering staff is going to be more
> productive if only someone would come out with the right 3d software is
> like saying this same team could also create really good music if they
> just had the right midi interface.
>
> Good modeling tools are a necessity. There are plenty of good packages to
> choose from and as with all purchasable items, you'll pretty much get what
> you pay for. But keep in mind that the skills required to be useful with
> whatever 3d tools you choose are difficult to obtain and it's not going to
> happen quickly.
>
> One last thing.
>
> Orchestras don't hire people with music degrees and then hand
> them a violin along with The Idiot's Guide to Fiddlin'. They
> seek out people who can already play those things very well.
>
> Thanks for your time and with that . . . . my soapbox and I are outta'
> here.
>
> Steven Craig Beck | beck@galt.iaf.uiowa.edu
> 73 EMRB Image Analysis Facility | http://www.uiowa.edu/~image
> University of Iowa | 319.335.6713 (phone)
> Iowa City, IA 52242 | 319.335.6710 (fax)
>
> For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/

For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Tue Jun 05 2001 - 22:52:42 EEST