"Design is Iteration."
When you go through multiple iterations and revisions of a design, and it continues to evolve, the end-product will be much better than the original.
More revisions = more improvements. (This is not a linear trend, eventually you need to shoot the engineer and just build the thing).
It is much easier to iterate drivetrain numbers if you are able to plug and play.
I have a strong understanding of the underlying concepts, I've lived these numbers for 3 seasons now. Using this understanding of how a change here or there effects the overall outcome (be it speed, acceleration, or torque) I am able to change/tweak various factors in my spreadsheet to help "optimize" a design.
I would HATE to have to recalculate by hand every time I wanted to make a change. This would greatly slow down, and possibly impede the design process.
A tool like this doesn't make you dumber.
To take an extreme analogy: "I have a nailgun but I don't use it for building my house, because I want to make sure I'm really good at hammering."
If you have a true understanding of these numbers, a design spreadsheet is an incredibly helpful resource. If you don't know what you're doing... you can mess around and maybe come up with something passable. Most people will take the time to learn the underlying principles. (There is definitely no shortage of opportunities to learn these within the FIRST community.)
- I know how to hand-draft, but I use CAD.
- I know my algebra, but I use Excel.
- I know my DiffEqs, but whenever I can use a numerical approximation that works, I will.
- I am a lazy, productive engineer.
Just another opinion, good debate happening here.
-JV