Importance of Continuing Education in CAD

I recently completed a course on advanced structural analysis, and it highlighted how crucial ongoing education is for our field. The focus on updated software tools really emphasized how we can improve our designs for better structural integrity and safety compliance. I’m curious if anyone else has participated in a similar course and how it influenced your work.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​⁠‌‍​‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠​​‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌​‍​​⁠‌‍‌⁠​⁠‌‌‍‍‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍⁠​​⁠​⁠​⁠‌​‌⁠‍‌‌​‌‌​⁠‌‌​⁠​⁠‌‌​​‌‌‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

I participated in a course on BIM integration and was amazed at how much it improved our workflow. It really helped me see the big picture for project coordination, especially when you mentioned ‘structural integrity and safety compliance.’ If you leverage these tools late in the game, it can be tough to catch everything. Just a side note, I think taking hands-on workshops can often make a bigger impact than online courses.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​⁠‌‍​‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍‌​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​​​⁠​‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌​⁠⁠​⁠​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‌‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‍​‌⁠‍‌​⁠‌‍‌​‍​‌‍‌⁠‌‌‌‌​⁠‌​‌‌​⁠‌​​‌‌‌​⁠‌‍⁠⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌

I totally get that! I just attended a course on the latest CAD tools, and it really helped with efficiency. @c_thomas34, have you tried any new software since your BIM course?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​⁠‌‍​‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍‌​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​​​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌‍​⁠‌​‌‍​⁠​⁠‍​‌‌‌⁠‌​⁠‍​⁠​⁠‌⁠​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‍⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‍⁠‌​⁠​‌‍‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌

That’s great to hear! I took a course on new structural software tools last year, and it has definitely made my designs more precise. Have you been able to implement any of those insights into your current projects?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​⁠‌‍​‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍‌​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​​​⁠‍​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌​⁠⁠‌‍‌‌‌​​⁠‌​⁠⁠‌‌​‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌⁠‌​‍‍‌​‍⁠‌‍​⁠​⁠‌‍‌⁠‌​‌⁠​⁠‌‌‍​​⁠‍‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌