Could you be using your CAD software more effectively?
Since Autodesk are now releasing the new version of their software, I thought it would be a good time to talk about software training. Do you learn how to use the latest release or are you just going to carry on using it the same way you always have?
Over the last few years the way we consume and purchase software has changed. Previously we would buy the Autodesk 1998 version keep it for a couple of years then buy the 2000 version. Now with Autodesk subscription and maintenance models and software being hosted in the cloud, you can automatically get an update once a year, or if you look at Autodesk Fusion 360 every 6 weeks.
Do we use all of this new additional technology that the software companies develop for us? Realistically the answer is probably not very often. When you receive the latest version of your software most people take a quick look at the "What's new" help file presentation and think "that new feature is just what I have been waiting for". You promise yourself that you will use it tomorrow – that never happens, a project lands on your desk and your never have the time to go back and look at the new features, before you know it a new version of your software appears on your desktop!!
I’ve been at Symetri for over 20 years now, providing CAD training to a multitude of people. I love what I do especially when I can see the reaction from trainees when they realise that a particular feature or tool will save them time when working on their designs. Twenty years ago, I taught two courses, AutoCAD Essentials, and AutoCAD Updates. I still teach the essentials today, but very occasionally do I teach an update course for any software, be it AutoCAD, Inventor or Vault.
One of the more recent times I did teach the AutoCAD update course was to some of the most knowledgeable people I have ever had in my classroom, but they were surprised as to how much content they weren’t aware of in both the current release they were being trained on but also in the previous release. Thankfully, this company understood the value of CAD training and embarked on a training programme to update all of their users. This company unfortunately is in the minority. I have asked many people who attend our training courses and those we help on the support desk about their software usage and I would say that around 75% of people still use the software in the same way they always using the same workflows they were originally trained on.
Is this you - I don't mean just the CAD software that you are using, but probably Word, Excel etc. How many of you are still putting a sketch down to create a hole in Autodesk Inventor? If so, you could be a lot more productive, there are new tools and workflows in all of the latest Autodesk releases. Let us teach you them. Now we all have to look at working smarter and do more with less time, let your software help you do this, unleash its potential and your own.
What is your call to action from this blog? Book an update course, look at the what's new help files, read the blogs, speak to your support team and see if there is a quicker way to do what you are doing. Remember you don’t know what you don’t know - let someone teach you. We may even get the Update Course off the endangered lists.
Explore our range of CAD training courses here: https://www.symetri.co.uk/training/autocad-training-courses
