With recent advances in 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers and 3D scanners, which previously were all only ever used for commercial applications, these tools are more affordable to hobbyists, schools and future engineers than ever before. Something that all these tools either produce or use is digital models of the object that you are creating. CAD or computer-aided-design plays a big role for any of these tools. In this blog, I’m going to highlight the tools that are available to today’s future engineers for learning SOLIDWORKS.
3DEXPERIENCE EDU
This is a way for students and teachers to gain access to tools, training and certifications just by confirming academic status. The EDU space offers many hands-on training perfect for beginners trying to understand the basics of CAD design as well as more advanced purposes like learning about structural strength of parts through simulation. Not only does the EDU space give you the ability to learn, but also provides certification tests to prove your proficiency in them for your resume for a job application or even add to your college application. The 3DEXPERIENCE EDU space is the perfect location for future engineers to learn more about the broad field of engineering!
Vocational Schools
There are more and more schools offering a variety of programs to students prior to reaching college. Many schools call it different things but any CAD program, engineering class or robotics program will likely have some type of 3D modeling involved. This is a great way to gain access to tools like SOLIDWORKS and build your skillset even before graduating high school. These vocational programs have access to resources through whomever is supporting those seats of SOLIDWORKS. If you find yourself trying to learn SOLIDWORKS and don’t have learning materials or access to tutorials, please reach out to your VAR and see if there are any materials relevant to what you are trying to learn!
SOLIDWORKS and CAD Blog Articles
There is an immense amount of free content that everyone has access to. Blogs are an incredible way to learn about a specific topic, things like learning how to add a custom weldment profile into your library or how to create a basic feature. They cover a wide variety of topics and dive a little bit deeper into how a function is done. Tech tip videos are an awesome place to become more proficient at using the software and understanding customization and smaller features/tools that make using a CAD program that much easier. The TriMech website also offers frequent webinars that dive into functions and capabilities. These give users and anyone trying to learn the software an opportunity to ask our team questions directly through the chat window or become familiar with someone on our team to reach out to! Lastly, TriMech whitepapers contain very in-depth content on specific applications going into both the tool and the theory behind how that tool can be used. For example, our whitepaper on topology optimization is a great way to learn about how engineers can take advantage of additive manufacturing and create strong yet light structures.
Please reach out to the TriMech technical team if you have any questions or need any assistance getting signed up for any of the resources mentioned above!
