hi
I need your opinion(s)
I’m looking for a 2D or 3D modeling software.
I have never used any sort of design software before.
Which design software would you recommend i start out with
(preferably something easy/ simple to use, and that doesnt take weeks to finish a drawing on)
Thanks
It all depends on how accurate you want to be in your drawings. If you have an intricate drawing (such as a robot), it won’t be done in a day unless you dumb it down a bit.
For example, I did a 3D Model in AutoCAD of 470’s robot. It is exact to the millimeter. (Including the extruded aluminum. No parts are from the firstcarlibrary either. It took me roughtly 2-3 weeks of on and off work.
I’m also by no means an ‘advanced’ CAD user.
My best suggestion would be AutoCAD, as it’s what I use. You can do 2D modeling, and once “mastering” that it’s not a hard jump to 3D.
I taught myself most of AutoCAD’s procedures. I took a Introduction to CAD class in my highschool and learned the very basics (circles, offsets, etc.) and now I’m doing 3D full scale robots.
If you are really trying to get a decent model of something, AutoCAD I think will be one of your best bets. It may take a week or two to finish a drawing, or it may take 10 minutes. It really depends on what you are trying to do.
Rhino3d is what I use for all my modeling, I find it works really well.
IMHO Inventor is a much better application for 3d modeling than Autocad.
If mechanical modeling is what you want to do, and since your team has a free copy of Inventor, why not spend a little time checking it out?
PS
Sorry to all those who have eMailed me as of late and received no response. I was involved in a shop accident during the last days before the shipping deadline and now have a broken jaw, several broken teeth, & stiches in my hand and face.
I’m going to have to back up Ed Sparks by saying that Inventor is really good for 3d modeling (especially version6), but I also really really like Solid Edge. It’s somewhat like Inventor, but I think it’s harder to use. 
Inventor rocks! I really suck at it, and I can still be semi productive, much more than with autoCAD. autoCAD is so hard to learn compared to inventor, and I don’t think it is nearly as capable either.
Cory