A few months ago, Autodesk invited me to attend and cover their yearly user conference. They even offered to cover the hotel and conference admission. Of course, after much consideration, I accepted and it being held in Las Vegas,Nevada had nothing to do with it. Autodesk’s user conference is called Autodesk University and this is the 17^th year that the conference has been held. if you have ever attended SolidWorks World, the user experience is much the same. The Autodesk products discussed in various session relate to the family of products including: AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Maya, Revit Architecture.

The SolidWorks AutoCAD Geek?

Now, before rumors start to float through the media that The SolidWorks Geek has switched sides, you should know that I still know where my heart is. But this was a good opportunity to see how the other side lives. I am a very strong believer that you can never say that something is the best if you don’t know anything about the alternative. Here I get to see how the real experts use the software, not the ones teaching the sessions but rather the hard working engineers, drafters, designers and artist use the software. That is not to say that the speakers are not all awesome. I have seen true masters of the craft sharing their experience and knowledge. But experts, including bloggers, authors, instructors and sometimes even CAD managers find themselves living in a bubble. They eat, sleep and drink the software, whether it be SolidWorks, AutoCAD or ProE.

Inside the bubble, it is sometimes difficult to get a feel for how the software actually works in the real world. As a CAD Manager, I learn everyday from my users. Sometimes, I learn something I would have never thought of just because I worked myself into a routine. These users don’t have time to make the software their lives they just want to be able to their jobs and go about their days. They will tell you what the best things are about the software but they will also tell you what s the issues are. If you have ever read the SolidWorks forums or the SolidWorks Geeks forum you will find the most candid thoughts about the software, the good and the bad.

Among the Natives

To truly be able to observe the natives and learn their ways you must become part of the group. You must blend in and observe from within, learn their customs and learn to understand their language. If you keep calm and make no sudden movements, there should be no danger to the observer. The next step to talk and I mean talk, to everybody including users, bloggers, managers, speakers and even employees.

After arriving yesterday, I had the opportunity to observe a one of their social customs. They held what was referred to as a Blogger Social at one of the many watering holes. While drinking a variety of beverages some were even alcohol beverages called beer and wine, these bloggers shared stories and talked and some laughed. I found it to be a very nice change of pace and I was able to speak to a few of my blogging counterparts most of them I must admit that I am a fan of sorts. Even Josh Mings from SolidSmack made a guest appearance with much fanfair. I also had the opportunity to speak to a few of the Autodesk employees and it was very informative to hear how the software has changed since I stopped using it in 2001. Overall it was an amazing night and I consider myself luck to be a part of it and accepted as one of the tribe.

AU Keynote and Welcome Address

This morning, the conference was kicked off with the Keynote and Welcome Address. As a SolidWorks users, I know know about AutoCAD and Inventor. Inventor being the 3D solid modeling package that as far as I know is much like SolidWorks. I have not had a chance to actually try to use the software so I can really say anything about it yet. That is one of the reasons I am here, is to experience Inventor and see how it is matches up against SolidWorks. (expect my review at a later date) But the keynote was not just about AutoCAD or Inventor, it was a showcase of some of what the other software packages offer. Even the producer of the upcoming film, Avatar, made an appearance. He spoke about the amazing technology used in the filming of Avatar and the use of 3D.

Since my career is based around mechanical engineering and product design, I have never really seen how 3D modeling is used in other fields such as architecture, civil and 3D animation. I was knocked out by some of the images on the screen showing examples of these fields. Even as a die hard SolidWorks fan boy, I had to say wow. A lot had changed in those fields since some of the classes I took in college. It wasn’t just floor plans and contour maps anymore. Some of our architectural and civil counterparts are creating some amazing stuff. It would be nice to have a sit down with some of those guys and see how 3D has made an impact on their industry today. I think as a mechanical designer I could learn a couple of things that would be helpful in my own designs.

Sessions Galore

Just like SolidWorks World, Autodesk University is all about sessions. There are sessions for how to use the software, how to improve productivity, how to improve designs and even how to be a good CAD Manager. Even though I don’t use the software, I have already learned a couple of things that I can take back to my job as a CAD Manager. It is late afternoon now and my feet feel like they are going to fall off. They say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. I hope that also means a few of my extra pounds will stay in Vegas from all the walking.

I have many sessions scheduled so I may get a better feel for AutoCAD and Inventor. I am also working on getting a hold of the software itself so I can run it through its paces. I think it would be a very good learning opportunity for me and you as my reader. It will be a chance to see SolidWorks and Inventor match-up. Not so much as to say which is better. I still love SolidWorks and I do not see anything changing that soon (unless some VERY large sums of money were involved). But like I said earlier, you cannot claim something is the best without exploring the alternatives. Hopefully, some really informative blog post will come of my experiences and I hope that you will find them helpful.

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