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New to CAD learning pathway - am I missing something?
chris_martin444
Member Posts: 4 ✭
I wanted to make an honest effort to learn OnShape the "right" way, without picking up potentially bad habits from random YT tutorials. I'm not a total noob to 3D modeling but it's been a while and I wanted to follow a learning pathway as though I had no prior modeling experience. Seemed like the "New to CAD" pathway was what I needed. But I was kind of shocked that some really foundational stuff like the concept of sketching wasn't even covered.
Example: The 2nd module in that pathway is called Introduction to Part Studios and the first bit of content goes into extrusion as a method of creating a part with volume. But how is someone "totally new to CAD" who knows nothing about the notion of starting with what OnShape calls a sketch in 2D and then building through extrusion, revolve, paths, etc. supposed to grasp the various features like extrusion without even understanding sketching.
Everything else about OnShape, including documentation, has been so impressive…it makes me think I'm just missing something or that the New to CAD learning pathway isn't what I thought it was. Is there some other prescriptive progression of courses that covers the UI and features in a logical order that would make sense for someone with no prior CAD experience?
Thanks in advance!
Answers
Did you try the Onshape Fundamentals: CAD? This goes over UI and sketches.
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Yeah I saw that sketching is in that learning pathway. But it's not covered until the 4th module and before that, the pathway goes over things like building assemblies from parts. That's probably appropriate for experienced designers like it's advertised.
I'm so surprised there isn't a pathway that starts with the UI to tell you how to get around, then explains how all designs begin with a sketch. Then explains that you apply a feature/transformation to your sketch build volume. Then go over some of the various features that let you do that. And then probably some techniques to edit features. And eventually getting into assemblies, movement constraints, etc.
Obviously I have some notion now of how all of this works. But I've heard so many recommendations for OnShape's learning content, I thought I'd take the time to start at the beginning and make sure I'm learning things "the right way".
I have no doubt that all of the individual OnShape courses exist that you could stitch together in a progression like I'm looking for. I think it just doesn't exist as a learning pathway.
I had the same experience. My friend has gotten into 3D printing and I set him up with an OS account and we made a simple box together on screen share. I told him don't bother with all the youtube tutorials, go right to the source and do the built in training. I showed him the beginner course to do. A few days later he is completely lost in it. We do a screen share and he shows me what its asking him to do, and I'm agreeing with him in that it seems he either inadvertently skipped a few modules, or the training skipped a bunch of stuff complete beginners would not know.
I have not personally done the beginner training to have a well informed opinion. I jumped into the training module meant for people already experienced with cad when I started.