I would like to learn mechanical engineering as a side project. But, I would like to learn in a way similar to programming. Learn by doing.
Of course I understand I can't build things automatically just yet as I have no 3D-printer and they aren't advanced enough for most things (right?)... but Autodesk has simulation software which may do what I need.
Can I learn mechanical engineering by using AutoCAD for real projects?
AutoCAD is a computerised drafting package that lets people draw pictures.
Mechanical engineering is more than just knowing how to draw pictures in two or three dimensions.
Amongst other things, mechanical engineers are required to know about:
You won't learn any of this from AutoCAD or any other drafting package. Such software may help you develop drafting skills.
All forms of engineering need to be studied at universities or colleges to ensure those who study engineering are qualified and competent. It's not something you pick up by reading a book or learning how to use one or more software packages.
No. AutoCAD isn't going to teach you mechanical engineering any more than a compiler will teach you software engineering. You have to actually learn some things, then you will pick up experience by doing. Also AutoCAD is a tool for describing mechanical parts in machine-readable form. It's not going to design a part for you, or teach you how. Without a sufficient background in math and physics and other fields, you will have no way of knowing how to synthesize a design that meets a set of specs.
Knowledge and experience are two different things. Without up front knowledge, learning by experience and making mistakes will be very slow, and will never show you the things that you could have learned that you didn't bump into.
There is a reason it takes a four year degree minimum to become a mechanical (or any other type) of engineer. There is much much more to being a engineer than knowing how to run a few tools.
As Fred alluded to in the above post, mechanical engineering is a vast topic. It takes time and commitment to become a mechanical engineer. Also AutoCAD or 3D-printing alone is not mechanical engineering.
AutoCAD and 3D-printers are tools used by mechanical engineers. By the way, there are few good self-taught mechanical engineers. Following a four-year engineering program is the conventional approach to becoming a mechanical engineer. But alternatively there are plenty of free online material to help become a mechanical engineer or learn a specific area of mechanical engineering. Below are few from edx and coursera.
Edx
Coursera
As a working professional ME with 18 years in the field, I'll tell you that there's a great deal of difference between what will work in AutoCAD (or any other such software package) and what will work in the real world. That's why we still review designs and build prototypes before going into production.
I can't tell you the number of times I've had to get the designers who draw up stuff and the people who have to make the stuff in the same room to hash out how to make something work. The designers will pull up their model and say something like, "But it works in the model..." while the people from production show them why it doesn't work in the real world. Then, after everyone sees the same problem, the work starts.
If you just want to goof around and make stuff for your 3D printer, that's great. I'd suggest a solid modeling package like Autodesk Inventor that will let you export .stl files directly and do assemblies, etc. It's expensive for commercial use, but they're supportive of people learning on their own, so I think you can get a license for little or no $$. Still, even becoming an expert user of that, or any CAD package won't make you into an engineer.
One thing that other people don't seem to have touched on is the utility of the simulation packaged in AutoCAD. It's a type of Finite Element Analysis, which is an incredibly useful tool, but one that must be wielded very carefully. You can model a part, load it into an FEA package, apply constraints and forces as the part would see in the real world, and yet there is no guarantee that the results you get from that simulation have any correlation to real world outcomes.
Understanding how to set up and run the simulation takes training of its own, and even with a well-designed simulation, understanding the results takes independent engineering knowledge. The software I primarily work in is Creo, and Creo's FEA package has a warning message that actually tells you that it thinks something is up with the results of the simulation, but it doesn't know exactly what, and that you need to use your engineering knowledge to analyze the results for accuracy.
That being said, don't let any of this (or anything anyone else has said) stop you from playing around in AutoCAD. It doesn't matter how good of a concept an engineer can come up with, if they can't put it on paper or communicate it to someone else, it's worthless. However, if you want to learn by doing, realize that the end product of mechanical engineering is a machine. What you need to be doing is working with machines. Take apart existing things, find things that you can build yourself, and examine all of this stuff to try and understand how things were made and why they were designed they way they were.
I think that there's a problem with your analogy. Autocad is to engineering as is programming - to actually running your code with meaningful results. Otherwise it's just drawing. 3D printing is as the name implies, drawing. In three dimensions, rather than two.
I suspect that you're looking at hobby level engineering if you're categorizing it as a "side project". That can be rewarding and complex too. If you're interested in CAD and 3D printing, design and print some widget. Then, get it to work. Repeat process until it does work.
Examples off the top of my drink addled head:-
I know that the above examples are trivial, but if you get into it, real engineering techniques can be discovered. After all, it's pretty useless printing a million angels on a pin head, but dwell on the engineering know how that lets you do it...
As a current Mechanical Engineering student I have been working at a company for 3 years mainly doing 3D design. This ranges from 3D modelling of very complex assemblies all the way down to the simple pipes and sheetmetal.
The most you will learn is the way assemblies should be assembled in order, welding standards, sheetmetal standards and possibly the strength of structures.
However, to be a good mechanical Engineering you need to have knowledge in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics etc.
