SSA fee is due, what updates are coming?

[HamlinBC]

Terry,

 

Is Chief hard to learn, or just that you use a multitude of other software that you find yourself doing commands and actions that match what those do?...

 

I'm just curious, because I started using Chief in High School (probably almost 18 years ago now) and it was somewhere around version 7 or 8.  Then I hadn't used Chief for close to 6 years.  In fact I was not even working in the architectural industry in that time.  Then, one day I got offered a job where I am now.  They said that they use Chief.  I was nervous because I hadn't used it in so long that I knew they were expecting me to start cranking out drawings.

 

Needless to say, I jumped in with both feet.  It was totally different than what I was taught in high school so I had to relearn everything.  I would say that I was a competent user within a month and just get more and more comfortable as time goes on.  I'm not a guru by any means, but I can usually find the answer with a little looking.

 

Fast forward almost 9 years, and I just trained our second draftsperson who had ZERO knowledge of Chief (let alone the building industry), and she was confidently making drawings within 1-2 months.

 

I understand that this is one persons story and other people learn differently.  But I encourage you to not give up, and to feel free and ask questions whenever you have them.  You have many good users at your disposal who are willing and eager to help, and if you want send me a PM and I will shoot you my email.  You can then email me whenever you want and I will try and personally answer any question you might have (to the best of my abilities).

 

That was a bit of a tangent, but I'll say I think that X8 will be great.  I'm sure there's going to be new features...I'm sure you'll think they're useless...but here's the great thing, you can draw how YOU want to.  Then as you progress in skill level, you'll learn more and more features.

[mthd97]

Not X8 due rating?

[Paramount]

Is Chief hard to learn, or just that you use a multitude of other software that you find yourself doing commands and actions that match what those do?...

 

 

HI Jonathan, interesting question. The commands in CA are different than solid based CATIA/PRO_E/Solidworks I use mainly which is more product based than object and only found in part in solid functions CA offers. I do not think that is what is taking so long. If anything that experience helps me learn CA faster. My comments above were not meant for me. I figure if I am taking a while since I have a large software background others will struggle even more depending on their background. 

 

Needless to say, I jumped in with both feet.  It was totally different than what I was taught in high school so I had to relearn everything.  I would say that I was a competent user within a month and just get more and more comfortable as time goes on.  I'm not a guru by any means, but I can usually find the answer with a little looking.

 

 

CAD/CAM programs were just some dream when I went to high school back in the late 70's. Drafting was on the board, ink and mylar. Kids coming into industry these days are better since it is taught in HS levels, nothing but CATIA are fast since that is all they have ever been taught. When it comes to closely related software I think it easier to want to do commands that are closely related and get confused. CA object drag and drop commands would not be an example as compared to subtracting a solid from one another, CA is entirely different so is auto-build than CATIA. In solid modeling software we build in detail what one would drag and drop in CA or auto-build. 

 

Fast forward almost 9 years, and I just trained our second draftsperson who had ZERO knowledge of Chief (let alone the building industry), and she was confidently making drawings within 1-2 months.

 

 

I just started a new job using V6 CATIA mechanical HVAC design after working building engineering and construction in my own company past year. I and most have little experience with V6 more V5, some have only learned V5 their whole life. I know whats it's like going in with cold feet under pressure. The difference when I am around other users in corporate we walk over to each others terminals and questions get answered in a matter of minutes so the drawing release process proceeds fast. I am expected to have drawing out fast too, or we have in house IT support. The biggest struggle has been pushing CAD data to BIMS and ML's. Time is money whether that is working for someone else or ones own company. When I am using CA I am alone, I do not work in a firm where I can reach out to co-workers or IT. All I have are the videos, ref manual, forums, me, myself, and I. That is a TOTALLY different learning environment than a firm or class room setting. Granted, how effective we learn from others has variables too. Yes we all learn and teach differently and teaching requires credentials especially when high prices are charged. 

 

If you want send me a PM and I will shoot you my email.  You can then email me whenever you want and I will try and personally answer any question you might have (to the best of my abilities). 

 

 

Thanks much I just may take you up on that offer. I just spent the past 6-8 hours doing my first trusses and I had several issues I finally figure out. I had followed the ref and videos but none described the complexity of what CA was auto building around my trusses. When I put a truss at the intersection of the ridge hip intersections CA was twisting one of three ridges at an angle to the ground for whatever reason and muti-copied from that one truss it solved the problem. Prior to that setting a truss one at a time, auto building roof framing to identify what was causing CA to twist that ridge was a very long process. Had I been next to another user with that experience 1 minute fix. Had I found a video with that or it in the ref manual a 5 minute fix. 

 

I have some other weird stuff going on I posted on a Framing thread noone answered. I may start another thread if I can't fix one remaining auto-siding issue this morning. I'd appreciate your or anyone's watching and answering my questions. I'm trying to get some spec homes built for my company asap and plan a long relationship with CA. 

 

I think it's great CA realizes the learning curve for most is a little steep, markets "massive learning resources" to sell licenses. I still hold that CA should have all it's training videos it puts in that marketing to latest version released. Also, include in that training some of the many identified and resolved issues from these forums. Put the videos in a version folder, it is waste of my time to pull up a V1 video when I have V7. I also hold that the price of private training is way too high and the need for it would be low if the proper up-to-date and comprehensive training were available. That will sell more SSA and licenses. 

[mthd97]

I don't know what others think but CA to me is very easy to learn and use. The problems come when you need a work around so that's when you need to ask and search on this forum. I have been using CA since V6 and that's probably why I find it easy? As I have been around and seen it develop with input from us users too!..All the best Terry with learning CA and I agree about having the training videos properly organised for the latest vesrion.

[Rosco2017]

"The feature list, which is significant for the new release, should be out in a few weeks."

Will that be released on the forum?