MECH&AE 94
Introduction to Computer-Aided Design and Drafting
Description: Lecture, two hours; laboratory, four hours. Fundamentals of computer graphics and two- and three-dimensional modeling on computer-aided design and drafting systems. Students use one or more online computer systems to design and display various objects. Letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
The professor isnt concerned much about teaching. he didnt show up for some classes too and any emails i sent him, he would just forward to the TA to figure out. I think he does not even bother to check the exams. On the contrary, the TA used to teach us pretty good. He even made CAD videos for those of us who never bothered to turn up in the discussion sessions and studied for the exams last minute. the TA's office/discussion hours were pretty helpful, he solved a lot of my doubts. the course would sink like a rock without the TA but why is the guy below me bitching about the TA? isnt this review about the professor?
The professor isnt concerned much about teaching. he didnt show up for some classes too and any emails i sent him, he would just forward to the TA to figure out. I think he does not even bother to check the exams. On the contrary, the TA used to teach us pretty good. He even made CAD videos for those of us who never bothered to turn up in the discussion sessions and studied for the exams last minute. the TA's office/discussion hours were pretty helpful, he solved a lot of my doubts. the course would sink like a rock without the TA but why is the guy below me bitching about the TA? isnt this review about the professor?
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2023 - Went in with CAD experience so I can't speak for how well Gao teaches it, but overall I'd say that he's a fair professor. Homework and a lab every week, plus a final project, but no exams. Most of the class is learning drawing conventions, working in SolidWorks, making models, and turning the models into drawings. Depending on your TA, prepare to have your homework put under a microscope though. One word of warning, the final project is relatively simple but is accompanied by a tedious report. If you can, pick people who you know won't slack off... Don't ask me how I know.
Fall 2023 - Went in with CAD experience so I can't speak for how well Gao teaches it, but overall I'd say that he's a fair professor. Homework and a lab every week, plus a final project, but no exams. Most of the class is learning drawing conventions, working in SolidWorks, making models, and turning the models into drawings. Depending on your TA, prepare to have your homework put under a microscope though. One word of warning, the final project is relatively simple but is accompanied by a tedious report. If you can, pick people who you know won't slack off... Don't ask me how I know.
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Most Helpful Review
I had Jain for MAE 94. He taught only the drafting part of the class. He primarily used powerpoint slides and he has a really boring voice so it was really easy to fall asleep in lecture. He had us buy SolidProfessor to learn SolidWorks and we had to watch about 12 hours of video. The TA didn't teach us anything, he was only there to help if we had any questions. The only bad part about his tests is that he puts a couple of things that are said during lecture and NOT in his slides. But if you get everything else right, you should get an A. The final project was actually graded pretty fairly and I ended up with an A in the class.
I had Jain for MAE 94. He taught only the drafting part of the class. He primarily used powerpoint slides and he has a really boring voice so it was really easy to fall asleep in lecture. He had us buy SolidProfessor to learn SolidWorks and we had to watch about 12 hours of video. The TA didn't teach us anything, he was only there to help if we had any questions. The only bad part about his tests is that he puts a couple of things that are said during lecture and NOT in his slides. But if you get everything else right, you should get an A. The final project was actually graded pretty fairly and I ended up with an A in the class.
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2020 - This is not a class you take for the actual class material (it was all online due to covid and the "labs" were just completing tutorials/guided exercises from an online tool, SolidProfessor), but rather for Prof. Shaefer's delightful personality. He clearly cared about each student in the 60-something person class, and took the time to give extensive feedback even if what we were doing was relatively simple. The format of this class, at least online, was a lecture on the first day of the week and then two lab sections "led" by the TAs (the TA's actually don't really do much besides answer questions). Lab attendance was essentially optional; all you do is go onto SolidProfessor, watch a series of tutorial videos, and complete 2-5 practice exercises. The practice exercises usually take longer than the allotted 2 hours (there was one lab that took me 10 hours) so you're expected to finish them outside of class. The only advantage of going to the (zoom) lab is that you can ask questions to the TA's/your classmates. Some of the exercises were tedious especially later in the SolidProfessor course (weeks 4-7) but weeks 8, 9, 10 were all spent on the final project. Don't expect to do a lot of CAD modeling for the final project but prepare to do a lot of documentation and writing. Overall, this was a solid class (no pun intended) and recommend taking it.
Spring 2020 - This is not a class you take for the actual class material (it was all online due to covid and the "labs" were just completing tutorials/guided exercises from an online tool, SolidProfessor), but rather for Prof. Shaefer's delightful personality. He clearly cared about each student in the 60-something person class, and took the time to give extensive feedback even if what we were doing was relatively simple. The format of this class, at least online, was a lecture on the first day of the week and then two lab sections "led" by the TAs (the TA's actually don't really do much besides answer questions). Lab attendance was essentially optional; all you do is go onto SolidProfessor, watch a series of tutorial videos, and complete 2-5 practice exercises. The practice exercises usually take longer than the allotted 2 hours (there was one lab that took me 10 hours) so you're expected to finish them outside of class. The only advantage of going to the (zoom) lab is that you can ask questions to the TA's/your classmates. Some of the exercises were tedious especially later in the SolidProfessor course (weeks 4-7) but weeks 8, 9, 10 were all spent on the final project. Don't expect to do a lot of CAD modeling for the final project but prepare to do a lot of documentation and writing. Overall, this was a solid class (no pun intended) and recommend taking it.
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