How can you maximize your CAD productivity?

2 Master the shortcuts

One of the easiest ways to boost your CAD productivity is to learn and use the keyboard shortcuts for the most common commands and operations. Shortcuts can save you a lot of time and mouse clicks, and make your workflow more efficient and ergonomic. You can find the list of shortcuts for your CAD software in the help menu, or customize them to suit your preferences and habits. You can also create macros or scripts to automate repetitive or complex tasks, such as creating standard shapes, applying materials, or exporting files.

4 Optimize your settings and preferences

Your CAD software may have default settings and preferences that are not optimal for your project or device. You can tweak them to improve your performance and quality, and reduce your file size and loading time. For example, you can adjust the resolution, display, and accuracy of your 3D models, the color, style, and visibility of your lines and curves, the units, dimensions, and tolerances of your measurements, and the format, compression, and quality of your output files. You can also save your settings and preferences as a template or a profile, and apply them to your current or future projects.

5 Use the best practices and standards

Your CAD productivity can also benefit from following the best practices and standards for industrial design. These are guidelines and rules that can help you create high-quality, functional, and consistent 3D models, and avoid errors, conflicts, and revisions. For example, you can use the design thinking process to define, ideate, prototype, and test your solutions, the engineering design principles to ensure the feasibility, reliability, and safety of your products, and the CAD standards to ensure the clarity, accuracy, and compatibility of your drawings and models.

6 Learn from the experts and peers

Finally, you can always improve your CAD productivity by learning from the experts and peers in the industrial design community. You can find a wealth of resources, tutorials, tips, and examples online, or join a course, a webinar, or a workshop to enhance your skills and knowledge. You can also seek feedback, advice, or support from other industrial designers, or participate in challenges, competitions, or projects to showcase your work and expand your network.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?