Best 3D Modeling software to learn?

College Majors Engineering Majors
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<p>I don;t mean to hjiack the thread, but personally I am interested in modeling. However, I am not a ME. I am computer engineering, and I want to work in modeling, analytical, simulation area. I
Do these softwares require sketching on papers? Do they require any real artistic skills? I only had seen a little bit of AutoCAD. </p>

<p>Can someone explain further on how ME or engineers use modeling and simulation software?
Thanks.</p>

<p>As CpE, I only get to use MultiSim and LabView to simulate circuits. But they don’t require any graphical design skills because all we need is drag and set.</p>

22

<p>My personal preference: Solidworks. However Autodesk Inventor and Pro/E are good too. Having CAD drawing skills is good for any major (in response to the poster above). It takes practice but once you get good, you can design almost anything. Autodesk also has a electronics simulation software that you can check out. BTW, I’m EE too.</p>

23

<p>I know AutoCAD, will it be difficult for me to make the switch from AutoCAD to a more useful program?</p>

24

<p>Solidworks is good, but Siemens NX (formerly Unigraphics) is a high-end industry standard. All the big companies use it, including Apple. Solidworks is nice and pretty and easy to pick up at first, but NX solves many of the complications you get with Solidworks. From what I gather, that easy-at-first aspect of Solidworks bites you in the rear later on, while NX is really meant for the power user, and once you know what you’re doing, you can really rock with it. My boss swears it’s 100x better, primarily because of how it quickly it deals with linked equations, etc.</p>

<p>I’d seriously recommend learning it, but its also kind of hard to find much documentation on. It isn’t taught many places, but I’ve had some success at NXtutorials.com</p>

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<p>I was talking to a recruiter from Raytheon at my school last year and he said to focus on learning Solidworks.</p>

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<p>My son learned Solid Works last year and is doing a research project using it right now. The professor he works with has Pro Engineer on his computer, not Solid Works, but is allowing the research kids to use Solid Works to work on their project since that’s what they’ve learned so far. I was thinking he should probably try to pick up Pro Engineer soon, perhaps over the summer, although I don’t know whether it’s too advanced for him. The grad student he’s working with is only taking it now. He’s a second year mechanical engineering major, and is currently taking Calc 3. Would he be ready for Pro Engineer this early, or should he wait to have more engineering courses under his belt? He’s taking statics and thermodynamics right now.</p>