Quote:
Originally Posted by Ngang
So my team is looking to use CAD to build custom parts on the robot next year or even develop a CAD subteam. We figured that veterans on departments with light or close to no workloads during the early weeks of build season could model stuff that can't easily be built by hand.
Any tips on where to start, especially with what program(s), teaching methods, or how to practice CAD in the postseason?
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Ngang,
I think you are in danger of investing a bunch of energy for little return. I might be wrong, but I want to caution you.
Setting aside CAD classes and vendors, "CAD" is a tool and not a product. That means saying you want to "Implement CAD" is sort of like saying you want to implement screwdrivers, or that you want to implement bandsaws.
Like you said in your post, what you have in mind is building stuff; and because CAD is one way to specify/model stuff, and because good specifications/models help human avoid mistakes; you are thinking that investing in CAD might pay off.
Let's think about the big picture for just a minute. Unlike bacon, CAD doesn't always make everything better.
Producing your system(s) (Robot, Driver Controls, Pit setup, etc.) is a real, tangible goal that has explicit boundaries, constraints, start/stops, etc. On the other hand, "learning CAD" is an open-ended notion that can turn into a lifetime of (satisfying) learning.
Also, there are alternative tools. Napkins and crayons can help you produce those systems.
Pencil/pen and paper/vellum drafting can also help you produce those systems. Physical models made from simple materials can also help you produce those systems. Lots of talking and gesturing can help you produce those systems.
Before you pick a tool, remember that no tool is going to be helpful if you aren't clear about what the tool is supposed to help you do. So,
before choosing to learn any specification/modeling tool (like a CAD tool),
learn what information must be specified/modeled in order to successfully answer questions about the thing you want to produce, and
THEN pick a method/tool to use recording/communicating that information.
In your case I think you need to think through these questions:
Who is going to consume the specification/model your chosen tool produces?
What questions will those people have about the thing you are producing (your custom part)?
What is the easiest way to create a specification/model that encodes and conveys the answers to those questions?
Bottom lines:
- Learning a CAD tool is good, if it's a tool you need, and/or an investment in your future.
- Learning a first CAD tool; becoming proficient with it; and then using it to record the hundreds (at least) of decisions/data needed to describe an FRC robot, or the tens of decisions/data describing how one simple custom part integrates with the rest of an FRC robot, is a fairly big undertaking.
- Definitely take the plunge, but A) Learn what needs to be specified/recorded, B) Plan to walk before you run, and C) Use CAD when it's the right tool for the job.
Blake
PS: SketchUp is an OK modeling/specification tool to use, especially if you want fast results, from an easily obtained/installed tool, for a simple task. On the other hand, it's something of a dead-end; and isn't a CAD tool you are likely to want to hang a career on. I use it because it's the right low-overhead tool for many of my jobs.