I am a retired Mechanical Engineer. Way before CAD I worked my way through college as a Design Draftsman in the Aerospace Industry. CAD systems became available after I had moved into management. So unfortunately I never had the opportunity to really learn and use the systems. My employer was moving from 2D Autocad to the 3D modeling system, Solidworks. I had a deal with our Chief Draftsman that allowed me to attend any Solidworks classes where there was an empty seat. I really enjoyed learning the system and even considered purchasing a subscription after I retired but could not justify the expense. I tried using SketchUp but did not care for the user inferface. I was thrilled to discover that Shapr3D used a similar user interface to Solidworks and for me was very cost effective. Shapr3D is a great design tool. I use it for my woodworking projects.