Should I buy AutoCad?

[UA_Iron]

I wouldnt bother with autocad at all

the industry standard is quickly becoming solidworks
followed by ProEngineer or catia (catia is big with boeing, it tends to handle massive assemblies pretty well)
then inventor probably wayyyyy back

I would get solidworks

we run FE analysis on pieces we design given material properties, exploded views are easy in solidworks, mates are easy in solidworks.

 

[yosa]

I would bother with autocad, many companies need engineers that are familiar with the software as well as the math and legwork. I dont discount UA's post, he makes a good point, but being familiar with the software your constituates use helps.

 

[UA_Iron]

I'm not sayign I dont think AutoCad is worthless at all - but you wont be able to do 3d modeling and analysis.

I just think a 3d modeling program would be more powerful in school and for resume material, plus it does everything autocad can do. Plus, experience with solidworks makes going and using autocad rather easy, its not necessarily the other way around though.

Aerospace engineers use quite a bit of FEA/FEM analysis. I think he'd benefit more from a 3d program that can use these tools.

A student license is 139.99 with the cosmos analysis addins
SolidWorks at Academic Superstore