Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: EskimoJoe on November 13, 2009, 06:24:05 PM
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I could use some help finding sources loaded with information on AutoCAD, more specifically AutoCAD and aviation. I have a report due late this month/next month, and I'm going to be presenting an 8 minute, 15-20 slide presentation.
I have yet to decide on specifics, but any help with finding any information on careers that use AutoCAD for aviation/aeronautical purposes would be greatly appreciated.
-EJ
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Closest thing on this forum would probably be Ripsnort because of the whole Boeing thing, but does he even post here any more?
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I'd be interested in reading those sources too. It seems to me like my generation is being phased into the newer technologies such as SolidWorks. I'd like to see the impact it's having.
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IMHO Autocad is not being used because its simply outclassed in 3D modeling by many different other programs.
To be honest Autocad is not used in one specific field or career, its often determined by the company your working for.
Your question is worded a little funky, just what kind of info are you looking for?
Strip
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I agree with strip.
I'm an engineer that designs systems for recycling plants, equipment, structures, conveying and sorting equipment...etc.
We use AutoCAD, but primarily on a preliminary layout basis. We use Inventor for the main bulk of our designing and layouts.
Currently there are MANY programs out on the market for 3D modeling that can do everything that AutoCAD can do, and then some.
It's just way easier to model and spot collisions and interferences with a 3D model, than a 2D. Even more so, it's far more difficult to keep section views current with the plan views in most circumstances.
As for careers that use AutoCAD in aviation, just about anything requiring design work will be done with some form of CAD software.
One of the heavy hitters in the CAD industry is AutoDesk. Take a peek at their website, and see if that doesn't satisfy what your looking for.
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I was an Aerospace Engineering student in the late 80's and early 90's... At that time, AutoCad was still relatively new. But then again, they were still teaching us Fortran77 and ADA at that time.
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FORTRAN RULES
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I use a design program DataCad12, Specifically for Homes and Commercial Designs, and it renders 2D and 3D shapes very nicely no blocky shapes or lines even with radius's, the Design Grids have endless increment's as far as layout of what your Drawing, and your able to "fly" around your design, I'll have to check my program, I've never tried to use it for anything else but buildings.
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If you have a major airport nearby - contact their cad department and see what you can get out of them. Sydney Airport has one ie. http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/SACL/AirportPlanningApprovals.html (http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/SACL/AirportPlanningApprovals.html)
Tronsky
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FORTRAN RULES
If only... Twenty some years ago I learned Fortran77... It was outdated when I learned it in the late 80's... Schools couldn't keep up with programming back then... Can they now?
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Local community college and technical school cant....they are still dealing with AutoCad and FeatureCam.
Both of which are sub-par when it comes to 3d work, tho FeatureCam is not nearly as bad.
Strip
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EJ,
I have been designing a Formula 1 racer for a few years now. The project has been on hold for about a year and a half. Regardless, I used Solidedge 2D to do the preliminary drawings. 2D has some application, in that you can accurately draw airfoil shapes with all the compound curves, etc., and still keep them symetrical and smooth. Further, the ability to quickly compute areas of the wing, fuselage, etc. are very helpful, so that you can plug them into various performance formulas. That being said, 3D CAD is superior, and offers some really big advantages. Drag approximations are always a big part of the performance analysis while the aircraft is in design stage, and given the past use of 2D images to derive a 3D area, the drag numbers arrived at can be imprecise at best. 3D CAD can give you accurate values for wetted area, especially when using the cutting-edge, compound shapes you see in aircraft today.
I could go on, but I'll stop and say that ultimately, 2D CAD was a big improvement over the older, manual methods. 3D CAD makes 2D look almost as outdated 2D CAD did to the drafting table.
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I have been doing interior design on executive jets for some time now. Usually the process needs to be accomplished from concept to product (CNC data) in ten working days. With Autocad you create the drawings as solids just like any other package and then send it off for CNC mockup. Usually there will be one or two revisions and almost never goes through the first time. Thats probably not what you meant by aviation related autocad work but there it is.
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Here is a related site: http://www.onlineamd.com/article.cfm?id=2242
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That being said, 3D CAD is superior, and offers some really big advantages. Drag approximations are always a big part of the performance analysis while the aircraft is in design stage, and given the past use of 2D images to derive a 3D area, the drag numbers arrived at can be imprecise at best. 3D CAD can give you accurate values for wetted area, especially when using the cutting-edge, compound shapes you see in aircraft today.
I could go on, but I'll stop and say that ultimately, 2D CAD was a big improvement over the older, manual methods. 3D CAD makes 2D look almost as outdated 2D CAD did to the drafting table.
That's what impresses me about SolidWorks. Feed in some knowns about the material and it will do all sorts of physics tests on it for you. Really amazing stuff.
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The toolset your thinking about is Cosmos.....a very expensive addon.
Strup
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Yep, and I've been fortunate enough to use it. :) Our school district bought the version of SolidWorks that comes with literally everything. I ended up being the go-to for the 3D Printer we just got as well...hardware's my thing, but SolidWorks is still miles and miles easier for me to grasp than AutoCAD.
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Thank you all for your replies.
I'm looking for almost any information I can get my hands on, such as pay rates, how AutoCAD is useful in the particular field, things of that nature.
This is for my 9th grade Tech. Drafting class. We use AutoCAD 2004, as we do not have the funds for anything better.
If words can be kept simple, that would be a great help to the dumb-dumbs in my class ;)
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Pay scales vary according to region of course but averages run from $15/hr entry level to $32/hr for twenty year veterans. Of course if AutoCAD is only one skill of many you have then your salary can be higher. CAD managers for instance make much more and its the same in aviation except because you are a specialist in one 'language of the trade' but it is still up to you to make yourself irreplaceable. Work with clients directly when you can and make sure you put your best foot forward when you do. They will ask for you by name next time and follow you with their work if you trade jobs.
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Pay scales vary according to region of course but averages run from $15/hr entry level to $32/hr for twenty year veterans. Of course if AutoCAD is only one skill of many you have then your salary can be higher. CAD managers for instance make much more and its the same in aviation except because you are a specialist in one 'language of the trade' but it is still up to you to make yourself irreplaceable. Work with clients directly when you can and make sure you put your best foot forward when you do. They will ask for you by name next time and follow you with their work if you trade jobs.
Excellent, thank you Chalenge.