Wondering what you using to design parts.

I'd like to double check my numbers.
A 3D if possible.
I'd also like to make some decent drawings so I can get some bids on parts.

I've used AutoCad, ProE, and SolidWorks.

Cost is a real big issue, FREE would be nice! :)
Any decent freeware cad programs out there?

Thanks.

 

I would try to use ACAD if possible. I am very familiar with it - went to school for it, and use it everyday at work, but depending on what you are trying to design, it might be easier to use something else. I like ACAD alot but there are limits to ts 3-D capabilities.

 

Assuming I had to go out and buy something...

First off, are you (or anyone you know) going to qualify for a student license of the software? If not, I'd go to option B. Option C is if you can charge it off to the company ;)

Option A) If I ONLY had to draw a part in 3D and dimension a 2D print, I would probably use IronCAD..but that would be the extent of it. It gets confused with bill of materials and stuff like that. Takes a week to learn, 3 to get proficient at it, etc.

Option B) If I only had to draw a 2D part, I would probably use one of the "Lite" programs by AutoDesk...think they made/make AutoCAD1-14 and 2000 and up. Heck, I think you can get AutoDesk stuff at the local electronic stores. Most AutoCAD files can be opened by their light-weight versions and vice versa.

Option C) ProE

If you know anyone in college, you might want to see if they can get a student price (of course, legally they will have to use the program for you). Problem with many of them is going to be that an education license will print out "For EDUCATION USE ONLY" on the final prints. One way around that is to transfer the file to a different program's format (i.e. save an IronCAD file as an AutoCAD file) and print it out that way...I can check to see if that works...not 100% sure it would since all the ones I was using were licensed.

And as you know, it'd be good to know beforehand if the software is going to print "EDUCATION USE ONLY" on all the prints.

However, one thing to keep in mind about that is that the people taking the bids might just want your file and not your blueprints. In that case, a legal and legit college license might be fine.

Good luck, Matt

 

Pro E or Catia. One of the great things about Pro E...not only is it easy to learn...it has a great ablity to anaylize parts when you are done if you want to do any kind of stress testing (theortical of course)

Iron cad is worthless short of its thread and gear selection :smash: :smash: :smash: :smash: :smash:


[Modified by 1LEThumper, 12:53 AM 12/12/2003]

 

You love the 'Triball', townie ;)

 

I use Catia V4. We model everything in 3D; within aircraft coordinates, then project any required 2D views from that. I don't know where you can find a 3D CAD package for free, plenty of 2D stuff out there... Online, Best Buy, Etc.

 

Brian,
Email me. I may be able to help you out. I am the Director of Operations for a Autodesk/SolidWorks dealer here in South Florida.
Neil
:cheers:

 

I have to say I love solidworks for 3d modeling. I know its wrong but there are lots of hacked versions out on the web you can get for free. I have used acad, catia, pro e, etc. Soldworks and catia are about the same level, but I prefer sw. I recently aquired a 3d cnc software which allows me to build my part with their program or import mine and watch the end mill follow the path it will take to make it, pretty cool stuff. As for finite element analysis you can use pro e with ansys and get a good element analysis. You can do the same with S.W. and cosmos, but I do all of my element analysis by hand and then build my model in ansys and test. Pro e is a pain in the butt to use compared to SW, but I hear their new version is like solidworks. Acad= :rolleyes: Let the EE's and CE's stick with that pile.

 

the ME's where I work use Solidworks and they love it, I am a EE so I haven't played around with it... yet! :)

 

You would want to use SolidWorks or Inventor. AutoCAD is a major pain to do 3D modeling in. In fact, we no longer teach AutoCAD 3D classes. Instead, we teach the Desktop products (which really simplified 3D in AutoCAD). Inventor is Autodesk's version of SolidWorks. Both are parametric modelers. Sheetmetal design is better in SolidWorks, as is surfacing. Autodesk is quickly catching up to SolidWorks with Inventor. Inventor Series 8 was just released two weeks ago. It has a lot of very nice features. For CNC processing, either one needs an add-on package. One very nice package is one by Pathtrace. They offer 2 axis, 3 axis and 4 axis CNC software that takes the file created by SolidWorks or Inventor. For FEA, Cosmos (now owned by SolidWorks) is for SolidWorks (they no longer sell a product to add on to Inventor) and Ansys for Inventor. We have a pretty even percentage of mechanical engineering firms using either one.
:cheers:

 

I have used ACAD for several years and now have Acad 2004. Its cumbersome to use the 3D tools. I have Solid Works as well but I don't do much with 3D so I haven't used it much except just some experimentation. Like a couple of the last posts have said, leave the Acad "pile" to the EE's......hmm I guess I ressemble that remark :lol:

I guess I need to learn Solid Works so I can make better detailed drawings of my blower drive systems that I build.....for now Acad is what I use 99% of the time for CAD work. Thats cool about the Auto Desk Inventor. I guess I am going to have to get me a copy somewhere.


[Modified by tjwong, 12:48 AM 12/13/2003]

 

ACad is good, but how about Striker? We use that at work. Very expensive, but quite cool. :thumbs:

 

Who makes Striker?

 

http://www.strikersystems.com


[Modified by 95AquaC4, 4:17 PM 12/13/2003]

 

Wow thats cool stuff. I think my sheet metal guy uses that as well as Solid works. I had him build me a sheet metal intake housing for my blower and it turned out great. He has a CNC Laser cutter that does all of his cutting and so forth. Excellent shop that makes all sorts of high end SS resturant counters and whatever can be made with sheet metal.

 

Pretty cool stuff, I wish Cessna would purchase some of the dedicated tooling/die software packages on the market. Catia is great but we lack any specifc automated tooling/die creation stuff like you see in Pro E and this package...
http://www.striker-systems.com/ssdie/proddesc.htm

 

Superlund, be happy you have Catia....Piper uses plan ole AutoCAD. :smash:

 

Oh, I'm very happy with Catia... :cool:
I use the multi-axis machining package, surfacing, kinematics, Etc. I'm one of the few guys still using V4 in my group; everyone else is migrating to V5, which is desktop based. Appears to be a very steep learning curve from V4 to V5, it's taking the guys up here about 4 months to make the switch & be productive with V5.