Just wondering how you keep on top of learning and adapting to new specialist software, whether its been introduced at your work place, or if youve changed jobs
I use Cad, amongst other things, and over the last 5 yrs ive had to become a pro at Photoshop, Vectorworks(cad), Artlantis, recently Autocad, and now the latest addition, sketchup.
not to mention dabling in things such as Cinema 4D and 3DsMAx
Id really like to develop my 3d skills more, but short of going on very expensive courses, how do you people generally learn new programs?
from a support point of veiw I learn on the fly to be honest. someone has an issue I don’t know how to fix I will go off find the answer and come back…
I know a lot about alot of different programs now.
I have a mate in your industry though, she has a friend download the new programs illegally for her so she can try them out before they get used at her workplace (3DsMAX/Maya/Autocad etc). once she’s leant enough she can get rid of them and learn something else
Thing i hate it, like you say, learning on the fly
so only really get a chance to scratch the surface of the programs, as professionally you dont have the luxury of playing around with them, and time is money!
and some of the programs aint exactly a walk in the park either.
Autocad for example, doesnt even have a print menu
It has been difficult keeping up over the last few years if you have to use complex software - new stuff seems to come out every couple of years.
Courses are expensive - and usually you forget what you have learn’t if you don’t use the software full time immediatly after completing the course.
My route has been to buy software how to books - because i’m freelance i have down-time - in my down-time I work my way through the book to learn the software. i revisit the software and target specific useful chapters in the book on a periodic basis to keep my skills current.
Well at my last job I only had ideas of what and how… after a few months to 1 year and a lot of experimenting and self learning and online tutorials I would laugh at the stuff I used to do before… wondering why the hell I would go such a long way at getting the same result:) so I would end up going over old projects re-editing them:D
I think it helps a lot when you know what you want to achieve, that way you can search for it or at least sometghing similar you can adapt.
Did that a lot with most Adobe softwares. It also helps if you can get hold of them. The main issue is that these days they keep upgrading them every year or even less… and sometimes compeltly changing the interface and feel, so you back at square 1.
The worst is when you change jobs or slack behind and you start forgetting… you realise a part of you is decaying, specially when you try and do something you used to know how to. Kinda scary, can only imagine it is the same when you get older and your brain starts going:(
Generally knobbing about with it in my free time. It helps that I’m interested in the bulk of what I do, and a lot of it (except the Windows bits) is free software, so I can have it installed all over the place.
I also know several people who’re a lot better than I am at what I do, so general discussion with them is often quite educational, and the odd “I need to to X by yesterday” phone call.
An understanding boss is pretty good, too.
That said, I don’t use applications so much as configure services. I just need to keep up with the logic of the latest or current version of whatever service this daemon runs, and have some idea of any odd nuances. Nothing that I look after has changed significantly in any single leap in the last few years, and I don’t think any of it’s likely to. The only ‘app’ that I use on a daily basis and need to know how to use really is Vim.
Been a professional solution developer for over ten years - business intelligence - and I can’t recall going on a single training course in that time. I would honestly say my colleagues and myself are the best there is in our field (heh, how’s that for self confidence?). Most of what I know I learned from following the steps below…
roll your sleeves up and get on with it. Experience is the best teacher. Start from the assumption that what you want to do CAN be done, then you usually find a way to get there. Learn from your mistakes and do it better next time.
Google is your friend.
blogs from people I respect provide fresh ideas.
user group meetings, conferences, etc. are a great way to get a new perspective on stuff.
ask a colleague. Although they probably don’t have the exact answer to your problem, just discussing it helps.
when there’s a new software release due, read everything you can find from the minute you hear a rumour about it to the day you get your hands on it.
I know what you mean about working to a deadline. I finish my current project tomorrow. I have one bug left. It has to be fixed by 5.30pm in order to be tested tomorrow. There is no contingency for an overrun. Yes, it might be a late night.
I work for a software company, and just keeping current on enhancements to the various manstream releases is nigh impossible.Add the customers that are on spur releases that have very bespoke enhancements and I’ve got no chance.Just have to sort it out on the fly… and as it’s ERP software, it’s pretty big and horribly complex.
I use firefox on pc, stuck with IE on laptop.What can i say, i dont have people looking over my shoulder, i work my own hours, whenever i like, so i can come on here whenever i fancy
so I would end up going over old projects re-editing them:D
Just recently you seem to be posting more than working 
