Product Design with CAD (Pro-Engineering)

If you're designing mechanical components, go with the 3D method.

For schematics go with the 2D method.

How much training have you had in either program?

Dear ddk,

Thanking for comment. I have learned both in 2009 and till date i am on practice with these tools ..actually my current job belongs to processing and i tried to keep touch with design because its my passion as well as related to my academic qualification.

I request you all for light on some related tools and commands (specially pro-e )

You present a far too general subject for an online forum.

As a former application engineer for various CAD-CAM companies (including AutoDesk and PTC), I recommend getting vendor training for the basics and advanced modeling, then contract with your vendor's application engineers for specialty/tailored training and consulting.

If that is not possible, for this type of forum you need to be specific about the design issues you are facing.

Hooker

I have been using a form of CADD since 1980. I have a strong opinion of the use of 3D. 1980 we were using 2D for piping at a facility and structural was using 3D for the engineering uses.

1983 I was trained on a 3D system (which by the way failed all requirement test). The mechanical department took years to make all the components to create piping spool pieces. By the way, in the industry hand drawn spools are one of the quickest created drawings. At the same facility, management decided to go 2D with Autocad (1985). Instrumentation, electrical, and piping all used Autocad for drawings. I was given the task of estimating our companies first CAD generated drawings. I estimated it at about one hour hand drawn to one hour CAD drawn. The manager took my estimate and divided the time in half, because he thought CAD was supposed to be faster. The job propossal went to the head engineer, and he too cut the time in half, because he thought CAD was faster. When the work was completed, it was found that my estimate was pretty much right on. The CAD salesmen had sold their idea to management that CAD is faster. But, it still takes your same workers to make it work, not the CAD companies skilled specialist.

The computer industry was pushing the 3D for the CAE uses. Mechanical manufacturing has definite uses for 3D. The mechanical world of piping is not the best use of a 3D system. The actual facility tolerances are so loose you will have many interferences that a 3D model will not show.

I am sitting at a big facility that was created with a 3D system. Not all equipment was shown in the systems because vendors did not use the same system. When it comes down to a fitter making pipe spools, he needs paper to create the piece. You need paper to make change documents. You need people to incorporate (interpret) all change paper back to the model. When all is built and changes are incorporated, the files are given to a facility, who's engineering department does not have the background, equipment, nor the $ to support this highfaluten model. Therefore the 3D model is pretty much useless. I wished they could support the system, it would have been fun. I had many of young engineers requesting a portion of the model to work their projects, and I would have to tell them the reality of the facility was not the bloated ideals of a product CAD salesman. The A&E firm had to dumb the files down to match the facilities working system (2007) before the turn over.

I went to school to become a drafting teacher. Pretty much understand it's workings. Drafting was to create a document that the widget could be built to/from. You were to use the quickest and money saving ways to make such a document. There was a creation of some rules for time savings. These rules can be eliminated with the auto gereration of drawings. So, old school way may have become obsolete. One needs an open mind to the final deliverable.

Thanks both of you for your kind suggestion and all the idea which really does well to understand industrial meaning of these CAD software.

It would be helpful for me if any one suggest me CAD forum where i can discuss Pro-E tool and application. and get some good tutorials.