Tweet
I am an engineer at a small but growing chemical plant. I help design processes, layout equipment, and produce piping and instrument drawings (P&ID's).
Up to this point I have used Visio for the layouts and P&IDs and some basic structural designs. It can be useful, but IMHO is more or less a supped up version of MS Paint.
Autodesk has a software package, Plant Suite, which can do P&IDs, three dimensional layouts, isometrics (pipe drawings), limited structural designs, and bill of material list.
I've watched a couple hours of videos on youtube. It is really powerful software, BUT they are really proud of it, to the tune of $10,000.
My superiors have said on a couple of occasions how useful (I think more of a geewiz from their point of view), the 3D modeling would be, but when I show them the price tag they choke and basically said it ain't happening.
Not for a second would I ever consider spending $10,000 on the company, but I am weighing the thought of spending it on myself.
I've worked really hard over the last 9 years to pay my house off, and now with out a mortgage due every month, my bank account has been steadily climbing with the $1500 or so I would have been sending into the bank.
I've had very limited use of AutoCAD (a drafting program) in the past and it is hard.
I've downloaded a 30 day trial of Plant Suite and it is not intuitive. I can tell there will be one heck of a learning curve. There are books and online courses to teach it. I foresee a year to get proficient.
With my meager $30k savings (excluding retirement), I have alot of heart burn on the issue when the house needs new siding ($10k) and a new truck after 15 years would be nice ($35k). It'd be really easy to say just keep saving for a year or two and then reconsider..... So, here is the pinch.
Autodesk claims after July they are going to a subscription based service only. $3,000 per year pay as you go. They will no longer sale perpetual licenses. I put pay as you go in the same category as leasing, in some limited cases it may be OK, but in general it is a BAD idea.
After the learning curve, it would be an extremely useful product for me professionally.
I am of the OPINION that on a resume it would stand out to future employers.
I am not sure there is any immediate financial payback at my current position / employer.
If I buy it out right, " I own it " and have it at my disposal forever.
I know people (not financially savvy mind you) who spend $10k on a bass boat or vacations, or any number of other items which I would view as frivolous.
Am I WAY TOO FAR out in left field or does this make the slightest bit of sense to anyone else?
Up to this point I have used Visio for the layouts and P&IDs and some basic structural designs. It can be useful, but IMHO is more or less a supped up version of MS Paint.
Autodesk has a software package, Plant Suite, which can do P&IDs, three dimensional layouts, isometrics (pipe drawings), limited structural designs, and bill of material list.
I've watched a couple hours of videos on youtube. It is really powerful software, BUT they are really proud of it, to the tune of $10,000.
My superiors have said on a couple of occasions how useful (I think more of a geewiz from their point of view), the 3D modeling would be, but when I show them the price tag they choke and basically said it ain't happening.
Not for a second would I ever consider spending $10,000 on the company, but I am weighing the thought of spending it on myself.
I've worked really hard over the last 9 years to pay my house off, and now with out a mortgage due every month, my bank account has been steadily climbing with the $1500 or so I would have been sending into the bank.
I've had very limited use of AutoCAD (a drafting program) in the past and it is hard.
I've downloaded a 30 day trial of Plant Suite and it is not intuitive. I can tell there will be one heck of a learning curve. There are books and online courses to teach it. I foresee a year to get proficient.
With my meager $30k savings (excluding retirement), I have alot of heart burn on the issue when the house needs new siding ($10k) and a new truck after 15 years would be nice ($35k). It'd be really easy to say just keep saving for a year or two and then reconsider..... So, here is the pinch.
Autodesk claims after July they are going to a subscription based service only. $3,000 per year pay as you go. They will no longer sale perpetual licenses. I put pay as you go in the same category as leasing, in some limited cases it may be OK, but in general it is a BAD idea.
After the learning curve, it would be an extremely useful product for me professionally.
I am of the OPINION that on a resume it would stand out to future employers.
I am not sure there is any immediate financial payback at my current position / employer.
If I buy it out right, " I own it " and have it at my disposal forever.
I know people (not financially savvy mind you) who spend $10k on a bass boat or vacations, or any number of other items which I would view as frivolous.
Am I WAY TOO FAR out in left field or does this make the slightest bit of sense to anyone else?