ok, so I want to use a cad/drawing program these days. Here's what I want, and someone tell me if it exists and or some cad whore share's their wisdom.
BASIC 3-d drawing.
basic rendering and perspective change
auto angle and dimension finding.
That's really it. Is there a simple program out there that doesn't take a class and a 4" thick book to learn?
ok, so I want to use a cad/drawing program these days. Here's what I want, and someone tell me if it exists and or some cad whore share's their wisdom.
BASIC 3-d drawing.
basic rendering and perspective change
auto angle and dimension finding.
That's really it. Is there a simple program out there that doesn't take a class and a 4" thick book to learn?
If you are talking about designing something with tube, I will have something available very soon. Here are a couple of examples:
The bumper assembly took about 8 minutes to design and the roll cage took about 30 minutes to design. And because it is a Bend-Tech program, all of the manufacturing instructions are available for bending the tube.
This product is not available yet, however, it is going to start alpha testing at the end of this month.
The price is going to be less than a cost of a die.
.
.
If you are talking about designing something with tube, I will have something available very soon. Here are a couple of examples
The bumper assembly took about 8 minutes to design and the roll cage took about 30 minutes to design. And because it is a Bend-Tech program, all of the manufacturing instructions are available for bending the tube.
This product is not available yet, however, it is going to start alpha testing at the end of this month.
When I was an undergrad ME, I remember "AutoCAD" being a supposedly easy program to use. Tons easier than Pro-Engineer... which is what I learned to use and DOES in fact take multiple manuals to learn. Any of the current professional engineers can probably give you what they are using... I'm doing grad work now and am kind of out of the loop at the moment. Expect to pay through the $%s though unless you can get the homey hookup on a pirated or educational version of something... and you have to decide the ethics of that.
ok, so I want to use a cad/drawing program these days. Here's what I want, and someone tell me if it exists and or some cad whore share's their wisdom.
BASIC 3-d drawing.
basic rendering and perspective change
auto angle and dimension finding.
That's really it. Is there a simple program out there that doesn't take a class and a 4" thick book to learn?
I wouldn't exactly say that AutoCAD is particularly easy to pick up - especially with 3D.
Take a look at www.sketchup.com and see if that might suit your needs. I've been using it for architectural modeling, but have been using it more lately for my woodworking and a few projects for my truck.
If you are talking about designing something with tube, I will have something available very soon. Here are a couple of examples:
The bumper assembly took about 8 minutes to design and the roll cage took about 30 minutes to design. And because it is a Bend-Tech program, all of the manufacturing instructions are available for bending the tube.
This product is not available yet, however, it is going to start alpha testing at the end of this month.
The price is going to be less than a cost of a die.
.
.
When it comes to tube assemblies, this product is going to allow any user in a matter of 30 minutes of training to create results. By the way the name of the product is going to be Bend-Tech PRO. I have had this idea for a couple of years and finally have had the time to put it togther.
How it works:
Step 1: Creating a Part: You can design any of the "major" parts using any of the interfaces in EZ, EZ-3D or SE. These include the Pre-Defined Templates, Custom 2D, Custom 3D, Sketch or XYZ interfaces.
Step 2: Rotate and Coupler Definition: Once a part has been defined you can rotate the part into any orientation and define a "Coupler" location. The Coupler is what is used to place the part to the Assembly. So as you "drag" the part into position, the cursor will be lined up over the correct Assembly side coupler.
Step 3: Locate the Parts: Locate the parts to any PickPoint on the screen. These points are automatically generated at the end of the straight sections of tubes, begining of the arcs, apex of the arc, mid point of the arc and center point of the arc. These "PickPoints" can also be created by defining there location in relationship to another PickPoint.
Step 4: Create Parts within the Assembly: You can create any Gusset Tube (Tube without a bend in it) by selecting any 2 PickPoints. Or you can select a series of PickPoints to create a single or multiple bent part. Once the part is defined it will automatically go back to a part file for your bending instructions.
Step 5: Creating Copes or Fish-Mouths: This feature isn't done yet, however the software will create the copes and give you a selection of machine instructions on how to set up your machine to create the cope or give you a to-scale print on the outline of the cope. The secrete is we are going to give you the wrapper with 2 phantam lines. One will describe the location from the previous bend and the other will give you the rotation according to the previous bend. This will include the intersection of multiple tubes and will allow for intersection of bend to straight, straight to straight or bend to bend.
Step 6: Dimensioning: Again this feature isn't done yet. We are going to use the "PickPoints" again for quick dimensioning techniques. You will be able to dimension as many views of a piece part or the assembly.
Here is an example on how the "PickPoints" look in an assembly:
I wouldn't exactly say that AutoCAD is particularly easy to pick up - especially with 3D.
Take a look at www.sketchup.com and see if that might suit your needs. I've been using it for architectural modeling, but have been using it more lately for my woodworking and a few projects for my truck.
Solidworks. It can be frustrating, in that it either works easier and more intuitively than you ever thought possible, or it doesnt, and you have to mess with it a bunch to learn to make what you want. It is an amazing program, though...
I am taking a Solidworks, Tolerance and Dimensioning, etc. class at college, and you can buy a tutorial by Howard and Musto with an educational Solidworks software package for under $100, but I think theres a time limit on the software...
Solidworks. It can be frustrating, in that it either works easier and more intuitively than you ever thought possible, or it doesnt, and you have to mess with it a bunch to learn to make what you want. It is an amazing program, though...
Ditto that. I started with SolidWorks a year ago just using the built-in tutorials for a couple projects and found it much easier to catch on to than I thought it would. But, there have been the times where I've done, and re-done things a few times to get it to do what I want.
Yeah, I forgot, Solidworks also comes with Cosmosmotion and Cosmosflow to analyze linkages and other moving parts, and fluid / gas flow. I think it'll also do stress analysis so you can figure if it'll break or not. It has a catalogue of materials and their properties, so it can calculate weight and centroid (center of gravity). Even a catalog of fasteners so it'll magically put bolts and screws where you want them. Very handy...
I checked out sketchup. VERY cool, simple and easy. However, I don't know if the file outputs are what I want yet. I usually cut all my pieces myself, but occassionally I need to have pieces lasered.
If you contact solidworks, they will send you a free "trial" version that is good for like 150 days. It isn't the "full" version, but it does have CosmosXpress, which is good for FEA on basic models. I guess you could just uninstall/reinstall it when it expires
Step 3: Locate the Parts: Locate the parts to any PickPoint on the screen. These points are automatically generated at the end of the straight sections of tubes, begining of the arcs, apex of the arc, mid point of the arc and center point of the arc. These "PickPoints" can also be created by defining there location in relationship to another PickPoint.
AWESOME! I especially like this feature. Will you have an "upgrade" Price from your current software packages? I'll definately be getting this when it comes out. As for other software. I've used pretty much everything out there, and at my current job I use Autocad... compared to Pro-E I feel like I'm drawing in corel-draw. Autocad is great for simple 2D plans (what we use it for). But 3D modeling is way more difficult than it should be. Solidworks is the one major package that I haven't used extensively, but the limited exposure I have had with it makes it look very attractive. Especially on very complicated 3D shapes like automobile bodies and such, I've seen solidworks models that quite frankly, I wouldn't even know where to begin drawing in Pro-E... never mind autocad.
Yep, The upgrade will be the difference in the product prices. If I don't do it this way, customers tend to hold off until I am done with the ultimate. Unless my eyesight goes I will never be "done" expanding this product line.
I have a significant more tech on the "PRO" product over on my support forums at www.bend-tech.com/forum
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