A quick chat with a civil engineer at a job site last week got me thinking

We were looking at a set of my old 2D plans for a small bridge. He just said, 'You know, for something this complex, a 3D model first would save you a ton of rework on the details.' I mean, I've heard that before, but seeing him point at three different clashes I'd missed on the spot just hit different. It made me realize I'm still defaulting to 2D out of habit even when it's not the best tool. Has anyone else made that switch on smaller projects and found it worth the extra time upfront?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_skyler1mo ago

That "defaulting to 2D out of habit" line is so real, it's like my brain refuses to learn new software shortcuts.

the_keith1mo agoTop Commenter

My brain still tries to draw centerlines with a pencil. I caught myself trying to mentally rotate a duct in 2D last week instead of just spinning the model. The old ways die hard, but man, catching those pipe clashes before you even print is pure magic. It's like learning to type after years of hunt-and-peck.

elliotl2411d ago

Took me a solid six months to stop reaching for a phantom pencil. I just forced myself to only use the spin tool, even when it felt slower. Now my brain finally gets it.