Noticed our new hires struggle more with manual edits than previous generations

Are we too reliant on perfect CAD models now?

2 comments

2 Comments

Ugh, my friend Jake at an auto supplier had this happen... Their CAD model for a bracket was perfect, but the prototype came back wrong. He spent hours trying to 'fix' the digital file instead of just redlining the print. Missed a whole batch because he couldn't visualize the manual change... Said his training was all about perfect 3D models, never how to correct a flawed one. Now he's begging the old timers for sketching tips.

the_jordan2h ago

Yikes, that hits close to home! I once wasted an entire afternoon perfecting a digital layout when the printer just needed a sticky note with "move this over a inch" scribbled on it. Our training really does hammer in this idea that every flaw must be corrected in the system, not on the page. It sets up a mental block where you can't even see the simple solution right in front of you. I feel for Jake because that panic to fix it in the model is so real when you're deep in that mindset. Honestly, learning to redline felt like unlocking a secret skill after years of relying solely on perfect models. There's a weird humility in going back to paper and pencil that the all digital workflow just doesn't teach you.