> spent so much time building a fancy 3d model in solidworks that you forgot to test your final creation in real world conditions And that, almost precisely, b

> spent so much time building a fancy 3d model in solidworks that you forgot to test your final creation in real world conditions And that, almost precisely, betrays a lack of understanding of mechanical (or electrical, or architectural, etc.) design. CAD is a tool for documentation and, to some extent, verification. A mechanical engineer (or self-taught designer) isn't made by being able to use the tool. Mechanical design starts with a fundamental understanding of principles, techniques, structures, familiarity with historical solutions to similar problems and a deep understanding of DFM as well as DFMEA. CAD isn't about creating fancy 3D models at all. You can use 3D CAD to design things that are impossible to make. I think you are equating 3D CAD with mechanical design, which isn't quite right.