# S5E50 Roopinder Tara | Timing, FEA, & the Beginning of CAD

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2024-12-13
- Length: 42m
- Episode: 50
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-13-s5e50-roopinder-tara-timing-fea-the-beginning-of-cad

## Summary

Roopinder Tara, Editor in Chief at EngTechnica and former professor, discusses his journey from mechanical engineering to technical journalism and the evolution of CAD technology. He details the high costs and limited productivity gains of early workstation-based CAD systems like those from McDonnell Douglas and the transition to PC-driven tools. Tara critiques current AI implementations in design software, arguing that topology optimization often produces unusable 'blobby' shapes, and advocates for parametric optimization that assists engineers with specific constraints rather than replacing their judgment.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-13-s5e50-roopinder-tara-timing-fea-the-beginning-of-cad#t=0) Introduction and Guest Background
- [3:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-13-s5e50-roopinder-tara-timing-fea-the-beginning-of-cad#t=211) Roopinder's Path to Engineering and Teaching
- [15:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-13-s5e50-roopinder-tara-timing-fea-the-beginning-of-cad#t=935) Transition from Engineering to Publishing
- [24:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-13-s5e50-roopinder-tara-timing-fea-the-beginning-of-cad#t=1460) The Era of Expensive Workstation CAD
- [31:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-13-s5e50-roopinder-tara-timing-fea-the-beginning-of-cad#t=1897) Critique of AI and Topology Optimization in CAD
- [37:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-13-s5e50-roopinder-tara-timing-fea-the-beginning-of-cad#t=2236) Editorial Independence and EngTechnica

## Topics

- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- EngTechnica (company)
- SolidWorks (product)
- AutoCAD (product)
- McDonnell Douglas (company)
- Onshape (product)
- Drexel University (other)
- Penn State (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [CAD programs, Systems Design and Renewable Energy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2010-11-30-cad-programs-systems-design-and-renewable-energy) (The Amp Hour)
- [539: My Ai Powered Ergonomic Chair](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2026-09-25-539-my-ai-powered-ergonomic-chair) (Making It)
- [How Simulation Technology is Reshaping Product Design w/ Dr. Masha Petrova](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-05-21-how-simulation-technology-is-reshaping-product-design-w-dr-masha-petrova) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Implicit Design, AI & Next Gen Design Tools: Inside nTop’s Bold New Design Frontier](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-06-10-implicit-design-ai-next-gen-design-tools-inside-ntops-bold-new-design-frontier) (Additive Snack)
- [Unlocking Higher Performance 3D Printing Applications with Brad Rothenberg](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2021-01-15-unlocking-higher-performance-3d-printing-applications-with-brad-rothenberg) (Additive Snack)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-13-s5e50-roopinder-tara-timing-fea-the-beginning-of-cad. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Being an Engineer.