Should someone like me make a career using autocad?

[nathanadamenos371163]

Please bear with me, this may be long, but I feel its important I give you folks all the facts in order to be able to give me the best bits of wisdom. I am a student currently taking courses at a community college. All my life I have been artistically inclined, and for a year I was at this community college aiming to get a degree in graphic design. For various reasons, I didn’t enjoy graphic design, it didn’t appeal to my understanding of art and what I would want to see myself using art for. Recently my mother mentioned AutoCAD, and recommended I take some courses because of the visual way you are dealing with information. I just started taking courses, a drafting class, and an AutoCAD 101 class, just getting our feet wet in the program… I have no idea what I’m getting into. I talked to the teacher about where specifically to take AutoCAD, whether it’s a job in and of itself, or whether its just a tool to be used with another specialized field, like firefighting or engineering or something. She really was very frustratingly vague, despite my efforts to get a larger understanding of what AutoCAD is all about in todays economy, and even more importantly, what area of AutoCAD someone who is artistically inclined should go. Currently she has me set on a course towards mechanical drafting, but I am coming to the community here to ask those with experience and wisdom whether this is a good direction? Is there jobs doing mechanical drafting? Is that an area that would be fun? What would a day in a job like that look like? Am I going about this the right way by reaching out to the online community for help?
What exactly am I getting myself into here?
Any wisdom from the community would be incredibly valuable to me. Thank you to those who took the time to read my story.

Heres some of my art:
90642

[jaberwok]

Hi, welcome to AUGI. I wish I had some artistry.

AutoCAD (like all CAD programmes) is intended for technical, not artistic, use. That's not to say it can't be used that way but it will be harder than necessary.
It might be usefull for creating component parts to be incorporated into a larger work with flowing lines.

AutoDesk also publish 3DStudio Viz and 3DStudio Max which are less technical (as in less dimensionally precise and more "freehand") and might be a better fit for you.
The content of many computer/video games is produced with 3DStudio.

Edit: You might take a look at the Design Visualization forum. (http://forums.augi.com/forumdisplay.php?299-Design-Visualization-%28DV%29)

[Wanderer]

what area of AutoCAD someone who is artistically inclined should go. Currently she has me set on a course towards mechanical drafting, but I am coming to the community here to ask those with experience and wisdom whether this is a good direction? Is there jobs doing mechanical drafting? Is that an area that would be fun? What would a day in a job like that look like? Am I going about this the right way by reaching out to the online community for help?
What exactly am I getting myself into here?
Any wisdom from the community would be incredibly valuable to me. Thank you to those who took the time to read my story.


Welcome to AUGI! I think coming to ask the community is definitely the right way to go. There wasn't much information available online back when I was in community college, so I envy your ability to do so. There are so many options for tools and niches in technical design that it's hard to be anything but vague.

I'd recommend checking out the results of the Salary Survey (http://www.augi.com/surveys/salary-surveys/previous-salary-surveys) to get an idea of some niches, then maybe hit up Indeed.com to see what the job openings are like in your area for fields that sound good to you (pages 6 & 7 on the 2012 survey might be a good place to start when looking at niches that are hiring, then pages 13 & 14 for advice on being valuable in the design/visualization field.).

John's got a good suggestion with checking out the Design & Visualization area of the forums, the galleries there might inspire you. Of course, learning how to render well could serve you well in architecture and interiors, too, so, perhaps search for the 'gallery' area for each section of these forums. You'll be getting well out of the realm of AutoCAD in most of those cases, though, so you might have to pursue online training instead of local classroom training to get really ramped up.

[Iceberg]

Autodesk has some products that you may want to do some research on that is used in the Film and Video Game industry that I think you might find more to your liking do to the intense detail of the art piece you shared with us.

The software that you need to look into is:

3ds Max
AutoDesk Maya
AutoDesk Mudbox
Autodesk Motion Builder

If you are familiar with the video game Prototype 2, the above named software was used as part of the creation of that video game.

[Ed Jobe]

Autodesk does have software that is used in the movie industry that would be more in line with the picture you posted. On this page (http://www.autodesk.com/products), look at the section on Media & Entertainment. As far as jobs go, first you need to answer the question, "What do I want?". Some feel that they have to pursue their passion full-time. Others would be satisfied to do art as a hobby and have a "day job". AutoCAD is used in many technology related fields, mechanical is just one. AutoCAD is just a tool for drawing. When I was your age, we used paper/pencil. The work is the same, but the tools change as technology itself changes. A community college usually isn't going to be all that supportive of art as a career. They usually tailor their curriculum to focus on the markets that hire the most. Most of us like our jobs. Maybe not the workplace we are in at the moment, but the line of work. For me art is a creative process. While my job wouldn't be considered "art", it does satisfy my creative side. I supplement that with other hobbies like woodworking and photography.

So you just have to figure out what you want. If you want a career in art, you might consider entertainment, e.g. movies, video games, etc. If you don't want to do art full-time, then a CAD operator is not a bad way to go.

[nathanadamenos371163]

Thanks for the reply jaberwok,
Is it harder to find work using programs like 3DS Max and 3DS Viz than it is to find work in some other field like mechanical drafting? I want to enjoy the work I do, but I also want to find work. Based upon my work, do you think I should probably first start with a more freehand program like 3DS Max?

Wanderer – Im glad you pointed me in the direction of that salary servey, interesting read, very insightful. It mentions that Designers were the largest number of people surveyed. Silly question, but are Designers those who work with the 3DS Max and they are doing more freehand design? If not where does that fit into this industry? Also, its interesting that you mention online schooling. Is that what you recommend over a physical environment? Will I run the risk of not having any connections since I can’t physically reach out to others in the class? Are there any online schools you would recommend?
Sorry if I’m asking a little too much, I’m just very interested now.

Iceberg – Thanks for pointing out some programs to check out. Is there one you would recommend I start out with? Is there one that would lead me into the next? Or one that is most highly regarded? Or do they all kind of serve different purposes?

Interesting points Ed Jobe. I don’t really know whether I would want to do 3d art full time because Ive never really delved into it, or any CAD field for that matter. I may play around with a few of the programs and get an idea on whether its something I would really enjoy doing more frequently. I went to your link, and it says that there are like 20 different programs for entertainment purposes. Is there one you would recommend starting out with?

[jaberwok]

Thanks for the reply jaberwok,
Is it harder to find work using programs like 3DS Max and 3DS Viz than it is to find work in some other field like mechanical drafting? I want to enjoy the work I do, but I also want to find work. Based upon my work, do you think I should probably first start with a more freehand program like 3DS Max?

AutoCAD is almost exclusively used in technical situations by people with technical training and knowledge - mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, architecture etc..
Designers design sytems in these fields whilst engineers make sure that the designs will work.
This is NOT the same as "design" as in drawing pretty pictures. There are designers who produce good looking, smart, efficient products but, first and foremost, it's the technical knowledge that matters to make them successfull.

So, to me, AutoCAD is not the ideal software for you but that doesn't mean that you cannot make it work for you; and knowledge never hurts.

You talk about "work" but exactly what kind of work are you anticipating? You obviously have artistic talent so technical illustration might appeal to you if you also like to know how things function.

HTH

[xSmiffyx]

Firstly WOW that is some seriously good artwork mate. I think the others have pretty much explained things for you regarding software.
You might like to think about animation perhaps you could be creative with your art work whilst getting to use some rendering software etc.

Good luck whatever way you decide to go.

[tedg]

I will "pile on" to this discussion too :p

Nice artwork! You are talented.

I guess it depends on what you want to do for a living and what interests you.
And what is practical for you career-wise.

I was in a similar situation (about thirty*cough*years ago) that you are in now ..
I had been very artistic and had geared my high school career toward being a commercial artist/graphic designer.
I went to art school right out of high school, but only attended one year, it wasn't really for me and so I got a job.

[I also had taken several drafting courses in high school, and worked for a sign company during summers and and after high school, learning that industry.]

After working in a technical field for about 14+ years, as well as taking more advanced drafting courses, I went back to school at a community college and got a degree in techinical graphics and design. Went out in the work-force and learned everything I could, and have been employed doing what I like for over 15 years.

I still love doing graphic design and I own and operate my part time sign business, which isn't my full-time gig, just extra money and I like doing it.
And I love drafting and design, I started out in architectural design and now mostly do structural drafting and design, and also have recently got into mechanical design working in Autodesk Inventor while mentoring a FIRST robotics team.

Sorry, trying not to make this "about me" :roll:
But as Melanie mentioned, it's good that you can ask these questions here in AUGI, where we couldn't when we started out.

As I mentioned, it depends on what interests YOU and what is practical for YOU.
Your talents lead me to belive that techinical illustration would be a good fit, probably more marketable then graphic design(?)

As others have mentioned, to work in the drafting/design industry, you can't just "get on AutoCAD and do it".
You need techinical training, drafting training, etc.
AutoCAD is just a tool to help create technical drawings.
I've worked with n00bies right out of school who can "use AutoCAD", but can't draft, don't know what they are drawing, and their drawings look terrible.

Good Luck!!

[Iceberg]

Wanderer – Im glad you pointed me in the direction of that salary servey, interesting read, very insightful. It mentions that Designers were the largest number of people surveyed. Silly question, but are Designers those who work with the 3DS Max and they are doing more freehand design? If not where does that fit into this industry? Also, its interesting that you mention online schooling. Is that what you recommend over a physical environment? Will I run the risk of not having any connections since I can’t physically reach out to others in the class? Are there any online schools you would recommend?
Sorry if I’m asking a little too much, I’m just very interested now.

A word of caution with training. If you do choose online schooling make sure that the school is a credited meaning that you will get a legitimate degree once you complete the course work. Also too, I have found it in my experience that companies hold not having some form of college degree against you. I have a degree from a technical school for CAD and graphical design but that doesn't seem to hold the same weight as an Associates degree or bachelors degree. There are schools out there that do offer these degrees for drafting.



Iceberg – Thanks for pointing out some programs to check out. Is there one you would recommend I start out with? Is there one that would lead me into the next? Or one that is most highly regarded? Or do they all kind of serve different purposes?


All of the programes need 3dsMax to run. Here is a link to the Autodesk website where you can download free software for 30 days. I would suggest to download it (check your system requirements) and play around and see if it is something that you like. This software contains all of the other software like Mudbox etc.

http://www.autodesk.com/suites/entertainment-creation-suite/included-software

9065090651

Click on the attached images above to see what kind of stuff you can produce and do using the Mudbox program from AutoDesk.

[Ed Jobe]

Is there one you would recommend starting out with?
Sorry, I don't have any experience with them. But I think that's working backwards. Don't pick a software and then try to find a job using it. Think of what industry you want to work in and then get the skills. Like I said, software is just a tool, and they change. Then you'll have to learn that new software. What some others said about degrees bears upon the fact that employers want to know that you understand the whole process of the field you're in, not just a piece of software. For example, if you do choose something CAD related, like architectural design, employers are more concerned that you know the construction industry than the the software you use. That involves building codes, product specifications, construction practices, etc., etc. Those other things are what you go to school for. You could learn the software by reading Help or the user guide. Its all about understanding what you're drawing, not how to draw it. Knowing the software well makes you efficient and that's a plus, but it takes second place to practical knowledge. Employers know they can train you to use the software if necessary, but aren't willing to fund the expense of training you to know their industry.

The previous mostly applies to the technical and engineering fields. The entertainment industry focuses more on the creativity that you bring. Again, the software is just a tool for you to share your creativity.

[Wanderer]

Wanderer – Im glad you pointed me in the direction of that salary survey, interesting read, very insightful. It mentions that Designers were the largest number of people surveyed. Silly question, but are Designers those who work with the 3DS Max and they are doing more freehand design? If not where does that fit into this industry? Also, its interesting that you mention online schooling. Is that what you recommend over a physical environment? Will I run the risk of not having any connections since I can’t physically reach out to others in the class? Are there any online schools you would recommend?
Sorry if I’m asking a little too much, I’m just very interested now.

Well, as John said, most of the people with the title 'designer' are making buildings, systems and machines work (with an engineer or architect stamping above and a drafter doing markups below, in the simplest terms.).
I don't necessarily mean online schooling, I meant more online training for a specific program for your chosen field.
For example, I was interested in mechanical design. I got my associate's degree. But, even though that school still mostly teaches autocad, if I were going into the field now, I'd seek training on my own for Inventor (manufacturing) or Revit MEP (hvac) on top of that associate's degree.
In which case, if I bought a book or a set of training dvd's, I'd reach out to the people here on these forums when I got stuck (oh, wait, I DO do that already ;) ), or meet up with them through a Local User's Group (LUG [either search on this site to find one near you, or ask your local autodesk reseller because many of them provide some form of sponsorship for the groups or have customers who are members]).

Try some random searching on indeed.com for 'designer' 'drafter' 'autocad' 'revit' 'inventor' 'engineering' 'architecture' or any random industry or tool mentioned in this thread or in the salary survey. Read up on some of the job descriptions available near you and see which of those you could picture yourself doing.

Me? I work in the Engineering department of a large medical facility. I didn't see that happening back in college because the career advice was so vague, but, it's a great fit for my personality. I don't do much in the way of drafting, but, I do work with a ton of files from varying sources, so I have to be pretty darned good with AutoCAD to make that work, and I'm also transitioning us to Revit MEP, as a more data-rich environment.
A guy that currently works for my reseller used to work for a home plan company that makes those plan books they sell at Lowe's. Both pretty small niches.
You want a lot of jobs? Go for architecture. If you've got a strong manufacturing community near you, go for mechanical. If you want a slightly better niche that is smaller but with decent opportunity because they're hard to find, go for mechanical with a specialty in hvac.
~shrugs~

You're asking great questions so far, and that's the trademark of someone who will do well in any technical field. Best of luck.