Catia v5 - how long does it take to learn the ropes

[Kult2015]

Hello there!

Do you use Catia v5? I am looking for some advice about Catia 5.

I used to work in Catia v4, and also very familiar with AutoCAD. Now I would like to start working in Catia v5, and I am wondering how to do that in the best way … the best way for me is the shortest way

Based on your experience, how long does it take to learn Catia v5, to learn the ropes?

Can you recommend some books, learning materials?

Thank you!

 

[MrCATIA]

Yes, I use CATIA V5 almost everyday for design and drafting of mechanical parts and assemblies. I have been using (and teaching) CATIA V5 for almost 15 years now. I have also used and taught CATIA V4.

In my opinion, the best way to learn CATIA with to take a instructor-led class with hands-on exercises. The instructor can not only teach you what you need to know, but look over your shoulder and assist you and answer any questions you might have. The instructor lead classes are also the quickest way to learn CATIA V5, but it is very important to practice, practice and practice.

Your AutoCAD experience will be helpful. Your CATIA V4 experience will help, but only because many (but not all) of the terms are the same.

How long? Most CATIA Basic classes are 40 hours to familiarize you with the Sketcher, and the Part Design (solids), Drafting, and Assembly Design workbenches. Another week or 2 of practice, and you should know some of the ropes. NC Programming, Surface Design, Kinematics, etc can be added as you need it.

I see you live in Seattle. I believe there are several local companies that offer CATIA V5 training, as well as some of the community colleges. You can also purchase a student-edition of the software through the school. There are several CATIA V5 books that you can purchase online, if you want to try self-teaching yourself. I don't know the books well enough to recommend one over the others. There are many videos and tutorials available online - some are good, some are not so good. I have used the I.GET.IT online training materials in the past, and I do highly recommend that as a fairly cheap way to get good, self-taught CATIA training. With all the local CATIA users in that area, you could probably find someone willing to teach/mentor you one-on-one.

 

[Kult2015]

Thank you so much!