BXProject

[mat_the_cat]

As you may know, my missus has been out of work for quite a while now (8-9 months). She's not had much luck even finding jobs in the area to apply for with her skills (Design Engineer) and with the unskilled jobs, they're not interested as they think she'll bugger off as soon as something more suitable comes along.
Couple of weeks ago she applied for a job as estimator at a motorhome manufacturers that was only about 5 miles down the road, as they wanted someone who understood CAD drawings. Not perfect but once she was in she was hoping to get a design job. It turns out that the current main designer was after more pay, and as he wasn't really pulling his weight they were reluctant to give him a rise. He called their bluff last week saying he would leave for another job if they didn't give him what he was after (presumably he felt certain they would give it to him as there wouldn't be much chance of finding someone to replace him in a mainly farming/tourism area!) They didn't give him the rise, so last Friday he handed in his notice and they have offered Lana the Head of Design job, starting on Monday!
Result! At the right time too, as we'd have to consider moving house in a couple of months if she didn't find anywhere. That would have been really sickening given all the work we've put into this place.

[Philhod]

See! see! I told you. If you keep looking something always turns up. Or if you take something with potential, something happens.
We always forget, when looking at our own situation,That others are dealing with their own position.
Given the numbers we are looking at here, it makes the possibilities endless.
You do need some type of training or qualifications behind you though, as it does help get you in the door, so to speak.
Pass my congratulations on to missis, best of luck with the job.
There may be issues outstanding, that he's left behind!! make sure she identifies any and highlights them.

[docchevron132]

Fucking eh! Congrats Lana!
So, you can now resume the role of being kept in the manner to which you have become accustomed!

I really should get off my arse and get a new job, this one is failing to keep me in the manner to which I have become accustomed..

[mat_the_cat]

Cheers guys! I shall pass on the congratulations.

Yes Phil, you wuz right. And I think you may be right about 'issues', like perhaps someone getting enthusiastic with the delete key. I think it helped that during her time off she got a load of qualifications in different CAD packages, and this company is looking for new software so she can advise on most of the main options.

So what's the story with your job now Chris? I remember you saying a while back that the long term future looked a bit shaky.

[docchevron132]

I'd be amazed if the previous incumbent hadn't fucked things up, everytime we fire / make redundant / kill off a manager down here the leaving party usually fucks up as much as the can before heading through the gate!

Well, I still have a job this week, thats as much as I know really, although everyone else is the same boat right now, things will get MUCH worse for everyone in April, the next round of service reductions, redundancies and blood baths...
Whether I'll still have a job here by then is debatable..
That said, I'm on a fair chunk less than I was a couple of months ago due to not having a set line anymore, so reduced hours since these days spares only get paid "actual", ie, time spent driving. Given that some days I'm doing less than an hour of actual driving, then it's getting a tad grim.
Wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't propping up the welfare state with Kate, and if I owned less crap, but either way somehting should give really.
Ironically, when I didn't want to move jobs, there were lots of options, most of which paid a good deal more, now I might have to move jobs, there's naff all about!

Not panicking though, at worst it means I'll have more time to spend on the bus, which is fine by me right now!

[jonathan_dyane]

Excellent news Mat! Congrats to your other half

[Bx Bandit]

kewl, nice one Mrs Matt

[Philhod]

I'd start looking and putting out feelers now Doc. It's like I said to Mat, once you start to look elsewhere seriously, things do start to happen.

Depending on what level the company wants to work at, beyond the different versions of AutoCAD, there is a very nifty piece of kit called Pro Engineer. I've used it and it takes you on to another level altogether.

[mickey taker]

cor just think of all that extra booze you will be able to afford now mate.

congrats to the missus.
mind you, if I can get a job I should think anyone can

[Vanny]

Phil, if you think Wildfire is good, then you need to look at Catia and SolidWorks, very very pretty!

[Philhod]

I've seen Solidworks used at one of the companies I had and was very impressed with the reduced input from the operator. Especially the bits where you tell it what outcomes you want to achieve and it writes it's own programmes/sub programmes and then offers different scenarios run out in real time. That was just the 3D modeling package he was using and explaining to me, but apparently there is a whole range of packages to suit various industries.
All very clever but right at the end of my comprehension

[mat_the_cat]

Lana reckoned that Pro Engineer was probably better if you're working with very complex components, but that Solidworks was better for rendering and animations. You can get a fair few add ons to it as well. Plus it's easier to use, especially compared to pre Wildfire versions - ironically Pro Eng is becoming more like Solidwords!
Apparently.

[Philhod]

Yeah. Well that was where I got involved with Pro engineer.
Some of the detail parts and machining was very complex and very big. I mean a turbine rotor forging comes in rough machined and weighs around 75 Tonnes. It also has a value of 1/2 a million squid. All aspects of the work can be modeled, including movement and transport within the shop, as well as the machining processes.
A complete planning schedule. It can also suggest design arrangements for handling equipment.

Again, the fabrication of the casings that hold the above mentioned, is a very complicated process involving hundreds of parts and sub assemblies and they were starting to use the design and plan packages on that.

[Vanny]

From a users point of view, a mouse is no good for ProE whcih is why some other programs look swish. ProE is meant to be used with a 'power ball'/'space navigator', quite frankly if your on ProE and you haven't got a Space Navigator then your just kidding yourself.

Catia can't be all that bad as rather large chunks of automotive industry use it because there is a lot of stuff ProE can't do. Like pipes and cabling are so much easier in other programs. Given i've only got ProE4 (and was trained on ProE2 and 3) and i know 5 is out, so maybe things have improved.

Soliworks is FANTASTIC for anything pretty, i've spent some time in one of the spin offs, namely 3dMAX which is the sort of CGI package that you could make the Matrix films on, bloody impressive, something akin to ProE but over time, y'know adding the 4th dimension!

[Philhod]

Heh!. We had an experimental unit in college. using Solidworks as the driver, we had this machine, which had laser guided guns that shot plastic threads at a hologram produced by a model projected by solidworks, from something you downloaded.
I produced one of my hand, just from the wrist, held as though I was holding a ball.

It was uncanny the way my hand sort of just appeared