For those of us located outside major centers, online courses like the one Dennis teaches are really the answer.
II also enjoyed the fact that our training was only 3-4 hrs each session, once per week. The training at most VAR's is 3-4 x 8 hr days, way too much to absorb in one go if you are new to the technology. With Dennis' system I had time to actually work with the program on my own, trying to use what I learned on the job, before moving onto learning something new.
Believe me, it still felt like drinking from a fire hose, and there were still lots of frustrating days. No matter what your VAR tells you, Inventor is not Intuitive, it will not instantly solve all your detailing and design problems. If the program was that smart it wouldn't need the human counterpart anymore, LOL.
What Inventor will do, ONCE you've mastered it, is allow you to do most types of design work more efficiently, and allow for design reuse on a far greater level than AutoCAD. The accuracy of your drawings also can't really be overemphasized. This WILL save your company countless hours on the shop floor. I've proven it myself, even in our heavy steel custom fabrication shop, and I'm still learning.
During your training though, be practical and expect your first few projects to take 3-4 times longer than if you had just done them in AutoCad. Also understand that no matter what training you take, it will take you about a year to become anywhere near as efficient as you probably are with AutoCAD.
Regardless, I firmly believe that training is ESSENTIAL for this program. You can learn a lot from the tutorials, the built-in help inside Inventor, and these forums. Training will get you there faster though, and hopefully before you develop bad, time-wasting habits.
Best regards,
Shawn Fitzpatrick (Teckni Inaugural Group Alumni)