Guys,
Thanks for taking the time to write those overviews - really what I was looking for. I'm getting along even if at a slower clip than someone coming in with actual drawing training.
I do wish the Softplan team would put more topical training videos on youtube. It's a great format for accessibility and you can listen at 1.5 or 2 X speed if your mental computer so allows. The Friday Fundamental Q&A videos are really helpful, though, just need about 30 more.
Thanks again.
-Caleb
Welcome Caleb,
I've been a LONG time user, haven't hit the forums all that much until recent, but I will say, I am almost completely self taught. I learned back in the vs. 4 days when you had two VERY large manuals, and I had one each opened on each slide out on my desk. I wanted to perform a function, I looked it up in the index, went to the instructions, and well, you can guess the rest. It took me 6 weeks to draw my first plan, but as I progressed, I learned tips and tricks, that I was later invited to share at training classes. I took my first actual class over 2 years of having taught myself. One advantage to self teaching is you can develop your own style, then pick up pieces of others, and as well, you tend to not learn others habits that may not benefit you. I beta tested for them for a number of years, and it was a great experience for the development team and as well, myself.
My best advice is the videos/tutorials and the manual. Also, the online help is as good as any manual, especially if you have the advantage of multiple screens. I used my laptop, plugged in the video out to a monitor and used the monitor to have my help opened this way, before I built my current system, which I am in the process of ordering parts to build a power house system upgrade.
If you use the resources for training online and with help/tutorials and start with a simple ranch with basement, you will find that you will start to pick up things fairly quickly, and you will be drawing quality plans in no time.
I have in fact trained a dozen or so users in SP, and they seem to pick it up rather quickly for the most part, it does take a little longer to get into the intense plans, details and such but not that long considering.
You have an advantage going in with the fact you have construction knowledge so you know what you are drawing and why, thus you know the parts and pieces. I've trained several with little to know real extensive construction background, but a couple job site visits so they could see the parts and pieces in place in real life, allowed them to take off even more quickly.
I'm still learning, every day, as there is so much capabilities, and I find myself using more and more as I progress. I've also used it in functions it really wasn't designed for, but with a little patience, I have created engineering drawings, steel detailing and with building race cars as a part of my several worn hats, I have even designed parts and various items for the cars to be machined once we developed our mock ups from my drawings.
I will offer this, I am working most all the time, it is one of my greatest passions, both the design, the building and the career process overall, so if you wis, private message me, we can exchange numbers, and I can talk you through most anything, and as well, I am great at multi-tasking so I can work at the same time.
I've created my own wall sets, pertinent to my geographical area, and have kept them and added to and improved them over the years constantly, in fact, I have details, sections and about any kind of drawing created for about any condition you could likely come across, and if not, I just create another. In all I am sure I have several hundred, they are very specific and each reference the code that controls the parts, noted right in the details.
If my offer sounds of interest, and you are willing to pursue learning time on your own as well, again, just PM me and we'll exchange contact info and I'll gladly help.
As for specific "topical videos", I haven't found a lack of much needed, both from Softplan and some power users like myself. If I wasn't always so busy, I would love to make some videos to upload myself, but just don't have the time as of yet, but it looks like I may be bringing back a former associate soon, to help me with the work load and negate the need to turn work down as much as I've had to recently.
I've got commitment from my 3 largest clients already, to not outsource work if I do bring him back, so it is well worth it. At one point, prior to the market crash, I had 5 designers, including myself and we constantly had in excess of 20 plus projects on the books at all times. At that time I had 18 consistent clients, a dozen of them had been with me for well over 12 years. The average house price was $700k and up as well.
Those times are gone for now anyway, but I am seeing a huge growth just in the past 13 months, and as well, several of the clients that didn't go under, are coming back to me, so at least one additional designer will be necessary, and if need be, I have a previous assistant from another company I was under contract with for just over 4 years that I could likely bring back as well. She was a AutoCAD user until she came to work with me and now she prefers SP, but still uses ACAD for quick and simple revisions of existing ACAD drawings.
I did show her though, that I can redraw a ACAD drawing in SP, and revise it as required in the same or less time often, than it takes her to revise some of them.
Anything at all I can help with, feel free to let me know.
Good luck and good day