Delcam is offering a CAD training programme as a series of podcasts for free download from the iTunes web site. The complete programme comprises 27 tutorials, covering all stages from basic sketching through to solid and surface modelling. The course can be used with Delcam’s free PowerSHAPE-e educational CAD software, which can be downloaded from www.powershape-e.com.
The course is intended mainly for students on design and engineering courses at college or university, who are looking for an introduction to computer-aided design techniques. It will also be helpful for anyone looking to gain a basic knowledge of CAD.
The free PowerSHAPE-e download includes all the surface and solid modelling tools from the latest commercial PowerSHAPE release. Unlike most other free evaluation versions, the software can save part-completed models, so enabling longer projects to be undertaken in a series of sessions. The software download includes an additional set of tutorials showing students a broader range of methods of using CAD for product design and decoration.
PowerSHAPE-e also includes a selection of 3D clip art so that students can experiment with Delcam’s patented Total Modelling approach to design. Total Modelling allows textures, logos and other decorations to be added to CAD models more quickly and more flexibly than any other design technique. It provides the fastest method for the early “What if?” stage of concept design, allowing a far greater number of alternative proposals to be created and compared in a much shorter time.
Once they have completed the course, students can use PowerSHAPE-e to create a portfolio of their work for potential employers. They can create as many new concepts as their imaginations allow and send a selection of screen shots of their designs with their CVs when applying for jobs.