The above subject came though my email. I read it and I thought:

“Who does needs to learn 3D CAD from scratch?”

Ref: All you want to know about 3D CAD training!

I was introduced to 3D CAD with Computervision CADDS 4 in 1982. I was then introduced PC based 3D CAD in 1986 with CADKEY while on contract with Boeing and quickly became a dealer.

CADKEY was the only viable 3D PC based solution until the late 1990’s.

Ref: The 1990's - 3D CAD/CAM Moves to the PC!!

It was the only 3D CAD system used in the NW to communicate with Boeing and Catia for over a decade. IGES was the preferred translation at the time. Mostly 3D wireframe then moving to surfaces. IGES Solids was also available, but STEP showed up and took over the standard translation, but I am getting ahead of myself.

I was filling 2 classes (15 students) a month. The students were mostly experienced draftsman with a few engineers thrown in. Many were Boeing engineering personnel. Even then they were not learning 3D CAD from scratch. All could already look at a drawing and see it in 3D. This was called reading a drawing. It was an easy transition to 3D CAD, probably easier than to an electronic drawing package. After you learned 3D design you never created drawings again, you just detailed (added dimensions) instances of the 3D model in a documentation module. This is hardly creating a drawing!

Ref: The Death of the Drawing

It was incredible and exciting as we watched 3D CAD improve. There were other 3D CAD systems but all were on expensive work stations. Then other PC systems started showing up in the late 1990’s.

For the next 10 years we were training experienced engineering personnel in 3D CAD, replacing the drafting board, Autocad and other electronic drafting packages.

Soon 3D CAD sales slowed. All of the major companies in the Northwest had moved to 3D CAD. Training slowed to a trickle. Soon many of the larger 3D CAD dealers were out of business. The large Companies had taken on the job to train their engineering staff.

The companies soon realized as they trained Pro/e and Catia, the employees became very valuable and were leaving for better paying positions. This left the companies needing to train more engineers. The companies soon realized that they were becoming nothing but training centers for these 3D CAD systems. Many of which were still based on expensive workstations, that demanded that training be done on-site. There were no other options. The major 3D CAD systems could not support local training centers.

Ref: The 2000's - The Age of 3D CAD Un-Enlightenment!

Sadly, that is the reason you have to have company specific 3D CAD experience when you apply today. Due to the complexity of the high end 3D CAD systems it could easily take 6 months to get someone proficient. You have to be a highly skilled engineer with specific experience for any company to even consider training you.

It became very hard to get the training on the high end programs. Yes, the community colleges tried to carry the load but with the myriad of 3D CAD systems they pretty much did not deliver the required 3D CAD users. And today you have to have a degree to get an engineering job, so the demand for training dropped even further.

Ref: The Death of the Draftsman or “Where has all the talent gone?”

Today the different 3D CAD systems have their base of users that are available, many jumping engineering disciplines. A few have made the change from the high end systems like Pro/e to Solidworks or other mid-ranged systems. But it is a bit nerve racking to walk on to a job with only a quickie training course in Solidworks and start working with experienced users. Especially if you are a highly paid consultant. I can hear the directs now “Screw that guy”. In the early days you had to be the best to take a contract on Computervision. You often walked onto the job not only to work but to make your 3D CAD expertise available to the direct employees.

Ref: The 1980's - 3D CAD - The Beginning

Ref: 28 Years of 3D CAD Incompatibility

So with all of that information under our belts let take a look at those that may want to learn CAD from scratch, today.

“Who needs to learn CAD from scratch?”

You have to have a purpose to need or want to learn 3D CAD. All of the engineers working already have a good working knowledge of 3D CAD. So let’s take a look at those that would want to do it on their own.
Let’s start with the completely non-engineering person.

Non-Engineering Person

3D printing

I have been called by many that want to create parts for 3D printing. I explain they will have to learn a 3D CAD system. I sell IronCAD, which is the most user friendly 3D CAD system since it is more like a graphics design program. They would balk at the price, but more formidably to them was the time it would take to become proficient. I now, actually, hesitate to sell to the non-engineering person.

Ref: Learning 3D Mechanical CAD

They quickly put the idea aside and probably went out and played golf. This was the same with the hobbyist or budding inventor.

I followed up on a lead of this older fellow that was working on a project to convert waste plastic to fuel. He wanted to buy a 3D CAD system and learn it to do presentations. I explained the length of the learning curve even for a experienced engineering professional. He hired me to do the job.

Now for the engineering personnel.

The Budding Engineering Student.

Ref: Educating the New 3D CAD Engineer - 2015

Ref: Should the New 3D CAD Engineer Learn Drafting?

Ref: The Millennial 3D MCAD Engineer

I used to see leads come through from many people from different colleges. I would give them a call and they would tell me they downloaded the 30 day evaluation license for IronCAD because it was required for a class. I would tell them you can buy the full students version for $124.00. They would say they were not interested. I would ask why? I am sure daddy would easily pay for the program.

They would say that they would not be using 3D CAD in engineering. These were mechanical engineering students. When I would quiz them they would get adamant. I wonder what they are doing today?

The next group, hmm what would the next group be?

I really don’t know.

All that need to know 3D CAD know 3D CAD.

There are no more drafting jobs in the industrial/mechanical industry today. There is just no entry point into engineering without a degree, all engineering jobs now require a degree and 3D CAD experience. 3D CAD is now a requirement for the beginning Industrial/Mechanical engineer.

Are the newbies being trained in 3D CAD in the large companies? Are they getting the CAD training in college? Would they go out on their own to train?

I am really not sure where anyone is getting 3D CAD training today. I do a bit on on-line training to support my current 3D CAD sales of IronCAD and ZW3D. But the 3D CAD dealers training rooms are empty, that is, if you can find a dealer anymore.

Well there you go!! There are very few that “Want to learn 3D CAD from scratch”

When I was a young boy I remembered looking up the word "Hydraulics" in the dictionary in 4th grade. I read it and said "That's what I want do". So I found out that it was engineers that did this kind of work. At around 11 or 12 I bought a drafting kit and and learned the basics of drafting. I tried to take every drafting class in high school. But like many of us, I was just pushed around and I was put in what they called round robin, a quarter in drafting, woodworking, metal shop and radio shop. I never followed up after high school. I wasn't interested in college, I really didn't care for school.

Then a miracle happened. Boeing was looking for draftsman. They had a couple of huge projects 727, 737, CX-HLS (747) and SST. They teamed up with the government program "The Manpower Development and Training Act of 1962". Some how I caught wind of it. They were looking to train draftsman and electronic assemblers. With my aptitude for descriptive geometry I was quickly signed up.

You can read more here: 

Ref: My First 17 Years or "How did we do it without CAD!"

How about today? Would I have found "Onshape"?
Maybe! So lets add one more category to those that would "Want to Learn CAD from Scratch.

The Born Design Engineer!!

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