I'm looking for someone in the CAD field that uses Solidworks. Need advice getting started. Thanks!
Gunsmithing Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
- Thread starter Kelly The Lionfish Hunter
- Start date
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
My best advice... just play around with the software in an "unprofessional" setting, ie. your home. I learned most of the neat tricks I use on SW just simply from playing with the software in my free time. There are some tutorials that I think are included with the software that are pretty helpful as well. Also, check out Solid Professor.
My best advice... just play around with the software in an "unprofessional" setting, ie. your home. I learned most of the neat tricks I use on SW just simply from playing with the software in my free time. There are some tutorials that I think are included with the software that are pretty helpful as well. Also, check out Solid Professor.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
IMHO the best way to learn any CAD software is to pick an object to measure and model and go for it. The tutorials are usually good for learning the basics of the program, if you have never used it before, and any specific questions can be answered on the software forums. The good news is, in my experience, the thought process behind all of the CAD software is fairly similar. So once you learn one, its pretty easy to pick up other ones. I have used AutoCAD, Inventor, ProE, Unigraphics, and Microstations at different times.
IMHO the best way to learn any CAD software is to pick an object to measure and model and go for it. The tutorials are usually good for learning the basics of the program, if you have never used it before, and any specific questions can be answered on the software forums. The good news is, in my experience, the thought process behind all of the CAD software is fairly similar. So once you learn one, its pretty easy to pick up other ones. I have used AutoCAD, Inventor, ProE, Unigraphics, and Microstations at different times.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
also there are millions of videos on youtube to walk you through certain tasks.
also there are millions of videos on youtube to walk you through certain tasks.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
If you have specific questions, I maybe able to help as well.
FYI, SW2011 is very buggy!
Paul
If you have specific questions, I maybe able to help as well.
FYI, SW2011 is very buggy!
Paul
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
Murray wrote a book called "Inside Solidworks." It's how I learned Solidworks in college and I think it's still an excellent reference. Buy a copy and dive on. I'd buy the student version of Solidworks so you can play on your own time.
Murray wrote a book called "Inside Solidworks." It's how I learned Solidworks in college and I think it's still an excellent reference. Buy a copy and dive on. I'd buy the student version of Solidworks so you can play on your own time.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
Thanks for yall's help. I found a friend of the family who's brain I can pick on SW. I had a million questions and didn't know exactly where to start with the question asking but he took care of me there with regards to SW. I didn't expect such a crazy price tag though. That's got me deterred from the SW software.
He doesn't work at the same place any more so he doesn't have access to it to actually show me about SW but it's looking like I need to do find another solution.
I've never used CAD software and was looking for software that can generate parts and test their fit and function so I asked my friend, who designs kitchens and uses CAD, where I should start. He pointed me to Sketch Up because I guess he only uses AutoCAD at his work and I don't think that does any kind of animation and he doesn't know of any other programs that can test designs. Well, Sketch Up looks like a program for drawing things without the ability to test fit and function.
Am I really stuck spending over $5000 for something like this? I just find it incredibly hard to believe that we can spend $50-$60 on complex software like we have in video games but when it's something like this the price blows up to over $5000 for the software and the license.
Is this going to be the only way I can design parts and test a design's action on a computer?
Thanks for yall's help. I found a friend of the family who's brain I can pick on SW. I had a million questions and didn't know exactly where to start with the question asking but he took care of me there with regards to SW. I didn't expect such a crazy price tag though. That's got me deterred from the SW software.
He doesn't work at the same place any more so he doesn't have access to it to actually show me about SW but it's looking like I need to do find another solution.
I've never used CAD software and was looking for software that can generate parts and test their fit and function so I asked my friend, who designs kitchens and uses CAD, where I should start. He pointed me to Sketch Up because I guess he only uses AutoCAD at his work and I don't think that does any kind of animation and he doesn't know of any other programs that can test designs. Well, Sketch Up looks like a program for drawing things without the ability to test fit and function.
Am I really stuck spending over $5000 for something like this? I just find it incredibly hard to believe that we can spend $50-$60 on complex software like we have in video games but when it's something like this the price blows up to over $5000 for the software and the license.
Is this going to be the only way I can design parts and test a design's action on a computer?
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
PM SENT!
PM SENT!
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
If you want something decent that's affordable, check out Alibre Design. It's $99 and relatively easy to use. If you're looking for a job, then you may want to invest in whatever employers are most interested in. But if you just want to get some stuff done and learn some CAD basics, that's a good tool.
A year and a half ago, I had the chance to buy AutoCAD for less than half price. After downloading a huge install, which took up 2 Gb and a couple hours just to get loaded, I was amazed how slow and clunky it felt. The interface was counter-intuitive so I couldn't get anything done and I've used a lot of drawing, engineering and GIS software over the last 25 years. The big, expensive choices are not always the best solution.
If you want something decent that's affordable, check out Alibre Design. It's $99 and relatively easy to use. If you're looking for a job, then you may want to invest in whatever employers are most interested in. But if you just want to get some stuff done and learn some CAD basics, that's a good tool.
A year and a half ago, I had the chance to buy AutoCAD for less than half price. After downloading a huge install, which took up 2 Gb and a couple hours just to get loaded, I was amazed how slow and clunky it felt. The interface was counter-intuitive so I couldn't get anything done and I've used a lot of drawing, engineering and GIS software over the last 25 years. The big, expensive choices are not always the best solution.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
Got to your local community college take a basics CAD course. The school will then offer you a nice website that is used for students to download programs such as inventor solidworks and autocad. You can download as many programs as you want plus tey give you the serial number key so it isnt a trial thing you actually get the software. I know have many different CAD programs on my home computer all for free. If your smart you dont even have to go to the class the whole semester just drop the class before the last day to get your money back.
Got to your local community college take a basics CAD course. The school will then offer you a nice website that is used for students to download programs such as inventor solidworks and autocad. You can download as many programs as you want plus tey give you the serial number key so it isnt a trial thing you actually get the software. I know have many different CAD programs on my home computer all for free. If your smart you dont even have to go to the class the whole semester just drop the class before the last day to get your money back.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CrazyTrain</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Am I really stuck spending over $5000 for something like this? I just find it incredibly hard to believe that we can spend $50-$60 on complex software like we have in video games but when it's something like this the price blows up to over $5000 for the software and the license. </div></div>
$5000 is a lot of money for an individual, but on the cheap side for good engineering software. Get a quote on Catia or Unigraphics and you will see what I mean. Or even worse the more advanced FEA software, for example Abaqus.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CrazyTrain</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Am I really stuck spending over $5000 for something like this? I just find it incredibly hard to believe that we can spend $50-$60 on complex software like we have in video games but when it's something like this the price blows up to over $5000 for the software and the license. </div></div>
$5000 is a lot of money for an individual, but on the cheap side for good engineering software. Get a quote on Catia or Unigraphics and you will see what I mean. Or even worse the more advanced FEA software, for example Abaqus.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CrazyTrain</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Am I really stuck spending over $5000 for something like this? I just find it incredibly hard to believe that we can spend $50-$60 on complex software like we have in video games but when it's something like this the price blows up to over $5000 for the software and the license.
Is this going to be the only way I can design parts and test a design's action on a computer?</div></div>
Good 3D CAD software is quite complex, probably more complex than video game programming (CERTAINLY much more complex than games which are built on existing engines), and the target market is MUCH smaller. As high or higher cost with fewer buyers to pass the cost to equals more expensive software.
Also I use Solid Edge and in the past used Inventor, and I do not use (and haven't priced lately) SolidWorks but the $5k SolidWorks package is probably CAD only (i.e., makes part and assembly files and drawings but does not include finite element analysis capability - which is what you need to "test a design" on the computer). FEA is even more complex to program and packages with reasonable capabilities START at about another $3-4K and the really capable ones (way more than you or most people need) can be $50K or more.
While there are inexpensive options that you can get by with for doing small projects or if you really can't afford anything better, they will feel absolutely crippled if you ever use a good 3D CAD program and then have to go back.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CrazyTrain</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Am I really stuck spending over $5000 for something like this? I just find it incredibly hard to believe that we can spend $50-$60 on complex software like we have in video games but when it's something like this the price blows up to over $5000 for the software and the license.
Is this going to be the only way I can design parts and test a design's action on a computer?</div></div>
Good 3D CAD software is quite complex, probably more complex than video game programming (CERTAINLY much more complex than games which are built on existing engines), and the target market is MUCH smaller. As high or higher cost with fewer buyers to pass the cost to equals more expensive software.
Also I use Solid Edge and in the past used Inventor, and I do not use (and haven't priced lately) SolidWorks but the $5k SolidWorks package is probably CAD only (i.e., makes part and assembly files and drawings but does not include finite element analysis capability - which is what you need to "test a design" on the computer). FEA is even more complex to program and packages with reasonable capabilities START at about another $3-4K and the really capable ones (way more than you or most people need) can be $50K or more.
While there are inexpensive options that you can get by with for doing small projects or if you really can't afford anything better, they will feel absolutely crippled if you ever use a good 3D CAD program and then have to go back.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
Thanks for all ya'lls help. It looks like I might not have to buy software at all. A buddy of mine is intending on getting this software for his gunsmithing shop that he's setting up and I had no idea, lol. Between the two of us we should be able to get set up.
My whole intention of buying this program is to make putting my ideas for inventions into action. I've always come up with all kinds of ideas for different products, training aids, and now, a gun, and it's been impossible to make anything happen without more cash than I have access to so none of my ideas have seen the light of day and It drives me nuts more and more every day.
It's just the best way I can think of to provide a potential investor with proof of concept since this gun idea is kind of a reach in terms of feasibilty. Hell, I'm not even sure it's even possible in it's original concept. Yet another reason I need something like this.
On the cost justification side of the whole thing, can anyone explain what this license actually does and why they charge so much for it?
Thanks for all ya'lls help. It looks like I might not have to buy software at all. A buddy of mine is intending on getting this software for his gunsmithing shop that he's setting up and I had no idea, lol. Between the two of us we should be able to get set up.
My whole intention of buying this program is to make putting my ideas for inventions into action. I've always come up with all kinds of ideas for different products, training aids, and now, a gun, and it's been impossible to make anything happen without more cash than I have access to so none of my ideas have seen the light of day and It drives me nuts more and more every day.
It's just the best way I can think of to provide a potential investor with proof of concept since this gun idea is kind of a reach in terms of feasibilty. Hell, I'm not even sure it's even possible in it's original concept. Yet another reason I need something like this.
On the cost justification side of the whole thing, can anyone explain what this license actually does and why they charge so much for it?
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
I work for a company that develops and sells such software. There are generally two types of license arrangements: paid up and leased. A paid up license is just that, it's yours to keep and use forever. However, you generally need to purchase maintenance and support on top of that if you want to receive updates and technical support. A leased license gets you the software for a set period of time and usually includes updates and support. When the lease expires, so does your access to the software unless you sign a new lease.
I think a previous poster explained why it's expensive. We have 1400 employees, the majority of which are dedicated to developing, selling, and supporting the ~10 software products we have. I don't know what our customer count is, but it's small enough that it wouldn't even be a blip on the radar for Microsoft, and we are the market leaders on some of our products. So, <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">the amount of investment per customer is very high</span></span> for us, and hence in order to stay in business the software must be priced as it is.
I am not on the software side, but rather a consultant that uses our software to do work for customers. This might be a good bet for someone like you, where you could pay for a certain number of hours of work rather than purchasing the license and spending the time learning.
I work for a company that develops and sells such software. There are generally two types of license arrangements: paid up and leased. A paid up license is just that, it's yours to keep and use forever. However, you generally need to purchase maintenance and support on top of that if you want to receive updates and technical support. A leased license gets you the software for a set period of time and usually includes updates and support. When the lease expires, so does your access to the software unless you sign a new lease.
I think a previous poster explained why it's expensive. We have 1400 employees, the majority of which are dedicated to developing, selling, and supporting the ~10 software products we have. I don't know what our customer count is, but it's small enough that it wouldn't even be a blip on the radar for Microsoft, and we are the market leaders on some of our products. So, <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">the amount of investment per customer is very high</span></span> for us, and hence in order to stay in business the software must be priced as it is.
I am not on the software side, but rather a consultant that uses our software to do work for customers. This might be a good bet for someone like you, where you could pay for a certain number of hours of work rather than purchasing the license and spending the time learning.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
To go in to a little more detail, I will copy parts of a long email I wrote someone who was looking into getting started with 3D CAD and trying to find out a little bit about the software and what package to choose.
The way you "make" something in this software is that you start by making a sketch in space. This sketch is or is related to some cross-section of some bit of your part. You can then make a solid out of the sketch by extruding (basically stretching it perpendicular to the plane of the sketch) it, rotating it, lofting it (having the sketch follow a path in a variety of ways) or a few other methods. You can then do more sketches either somewhere in space or on surfaces you have already created in the model. These sketches can be used to add or remove material from your model using the same methods just described. You only do this for discrete "parts" - pieces that can't be taken apart into smaller parts.
The sketches are also quite different from AutoCAD drawings because in AutoCAD you have to place every line exactly where it is supposed to be and then the dimensions of everything arise from where the lines and curves are in the drawing. In modern 3D-native CAD packages you just rough out your sketch and then apply dimensions and constraints to the sketch until everything is the right shape and position. The constraints and dimensions can be related to other parts of the sketch, to space, or to other features of your part model.
Each CAD package uses its own proprietary file format so that it can store all of these sketches and different actions you went through to make the part. While this sounds like a nightmare for moving things back and forth, it is actually pretty easy because every CAD package can import and export a variety of file formats which store only the geometry of the parts themselves. Probably the two most common formats used for this are STEP and IGES. When I was working for the small company I mentioned and using Inventor, I worked constantly with a polyurethane manufacturing company that used SolidWorks and it was never a problem. We went back and forth quite a bit on part designs we needed them to make for us and I even designed a pretty complex mold for them.
When you want to make an "assembly," you open your new assembly file, insert all the parts models the assembly will contain, and then assemble them using "constraints," just as if you were putting together a physical assembly.
When you want drawings, you open a new drawing file and the software produces drawings for you from the part or assembly models. Typically you will have to do a little fiddling to get the important lines to show up in the drawing and the unimportant ones not to. Then you can add dimensions between different bits of the drawing. The dimensions come directly from the model geometry and will update if you change the part.
The whole system is vastly different from the older 2D drawing-based CAD systems like AutoCAD and it is vastly faster and easier to use.
If you want to "import" an actual physical object into the CAD system that is difficult to simply measure and draw there are a variety of ways to do this based on physical probes, lasers, cameras, and a bunch of other stuff. As far as I know none of these systems output directly into one of the proprietary CAD software file formats, they all output into more general geometry-only formats like STEP and IGES which can be read by any CAD package. The machines which do this range from pretty expensive to hugely expensive and have quirks in their operation that generally require some model cleanup after the scan. The physical probe systems have trouble connecting surfaces together which come to a sharp edge and the optical systems have problems with holes and complex surface features. Although the optical systems will rotate the part through a variety of angles, any surface which is always hidden from the pickup will of course not be rendered correctly. This can be done in house or there are plenty of firms which can be contracted to do it for you.
As far as finite element analysis goes, there are several options: you can get a license for the built-in analysis package provided by the CAD software company, a third-party package which integrates with your CAD package, or a third-party package which accepts files like STEP and IGES files which you must first create in your CAD package. Any of them will work fine although obviously the first two are a little less work. There also is relatively inexpensive software (some is even free) which requires you to define all the geometry within the package but these packages are slow and cumbersome to use.
The least option is an FEA package which will only model single parts and which will only do a linear elastic stress/strain analysis. This limits you to small strain/small deformation cases with materials that can reasonably be modeled with an elastic material model. This will work OK for most engineering materials under small loads. Plastics and biomaterials can be modeled this way but you lose some information. Generally with a linear elastic model and trying to model nonlinear, nonelastic materials you can get a reasonable approximation of the response to a rapidly applied and released load and a reasonable approximation to the steady-state response to a constant load (i.e., the configuration after enough time that everything has stopped moving) but you can't get the changing response over time to an applied load or a good result for a changing load. In some applications that doesn't matter, it depends on what you are doing. Last I checked most of these packages run in the neighborhood of $1-5k.
There are packages which can do nonlinear elasticity, plasticity, viscoplasticity, viscoelasticity, etc., which can be in the $10-25k range.
There is some software now which combines solid modeling with computational fluid dynamics, heat transfer, electromagnetics, etc., (this is called multiphysics usually). This can be very useful for modeling things like the opening and closing of valves because it lets you model what is happening with the fluid in the valve and how that puts loads on the interior of the valve. This type of software gets really expensive.
What I really would recommend is this. You don't buy this software directly from the software company, you buy it from "partners" or "service providers." You can search for them locally or you can generally get the CAD software company's website to list the ones that are local to you. If you call up the distributor and tell them you are interested in buying a seat of SolidWorks or Inventor or whichever package they distribute, they will be more than happy to demo the software for you. Many of them even offer one-day or half-day free introductory/training seminars on the CAD packages they supply to show you how the software works before you make a decision. If you already know that there is someone or some firm you are going to be working a lot with, or if you are hiring someone to do your CAD/FEA work, I would look first at the software they use. If not, check out Inventor, SolidWorks, and Solid Edge and see which one you like best.
Once you have made a decision, you will have to purchase one or more licenses for the software (generally referred to as "seats"). You can get a node-locked seat, which is usable on only one computer, or a network-licensed seat. The network seat allows multiple computers on a network to all use the software (but only one at a time, or as many at a time as you have licenses). As an example, the company I used to work for had eight or nine people who could reasonably be expected to need to use Inventor SOME TIME plus occasional use in a conference room but would usually only have 5 or 6 people at most needing it at any given time. We had six network-license seats, had the software installed on probably 15 computers in the office, and if you needed it, you opened it up on your machine. If all the licenses were in use, you'd ask someone who had it open but wasn't actively using it to save their work and close the software and then you could run it. That way we didn't have to keep swapping around what computers we were on.
You will also want to pay "maintenance" on your licenses (generally ~20% or so of the up-front license cost per year) which entitles you to patches and full version updates and technical support form the service provider. You should absolutely pay for "maintenance."
Once you have the software, your service provider will usually also offer training courses which range from one day to two weeks. These can be quite expensive (I have been to several 2-day training courses for obscure analysis packages which cost about $3000) but in my experience there is no faster way to quickly learn to use a CAD or analysis package quickly and efficiently, and to make use of the advanced features, shortcuts, and alternate methods available that are not immediately obvious. This is a much more expensive option than books, videos, or tutorial packages but I think it is worth it.
To go in to a little more detail, I will copy parts of a long email I wrote someone who was looking into getting started with 3D CAD and trying to find out a little bit about the software and what package to choose.
The way you "make" something in this software is that you start by making a sketch in space. This sketch is or is related to some cross-section of some bit of your part. You can then make a solid out of the sketch by extruding (basically stretching it perpendicular to the plane of the sketch) it, rotating it, lofting it (having the sketch follow a path in a variety of ways) or a few other methods. You can then do more sketches either somewhere in space or on surfaces you have already created in the model. These sketches can be used to add or remove material from your model using the same methods just described. You only do this for discrete "parts" - pieces that can't be taken apart into smaller parts.
The sketches are also quite different from AutoCAD drawings because in AutoCAD you have to place every line exactly where it is supposed to be and then the dimensions of everything arise from where the lines and curves are in the drawing. In modern 3D-native CAD packages you just rough out your sketch and then apply dimensions and constraints to the sketch until everything is the right shape and position. The constraints and dimensions can be related to other parts of the sketch, to space, or to other features of your part model.
Each CAD package uses its own proprietary file format so that it can store all of these sketches and different actions you went through to make the part. While this sounds like a nightmare for moving things back and forth, it is actually pretty easy because every CAD package can import and export a variety of file formats which store only the geometry of the parts themselves. Probably the two most common formats used for this are STEP and IGES. When I was working for the small company I mentioned and using Inventor, I worked constantly with a polyurethane manufacturing company that used SolidWorks and it was never a problem. We went back and forth quite a bit on part designs we needed them to make for us and I even designed a pretty complex mold for them.
When you want to make an "assembly," you open your new assembly file, insert all the parts models the assembly will contain, and then assemble them using "constraints," just as if you were putting together a physical assembly.
When you want drawings, you open a new drawing file and the software produces drawings for you from the part or assembly models. Typically you will have to do a little fiddling to get the important lines to show up in the drawing and the unimportant ones not to. Then you can add dimensions between different bits of the drawing. The dimensions come directly from the model geometry and will update if you change the part.
The whole system is vastly different from the older 2D drawing-based CAD systems like AutoCAD and it is vastly faster and easier to use.
If you want to "import" an actual physical object into the CAD system that is difficult to simply measure and draw there are a variety of ways to do this based on physical probes, lasers, cameras, and a bunch of other stuff. As far as I know none of these systems output directly into one of the proprietary CAD software file formats, they all output into more general geometry-only formats like STEP and IGES which can be read by any CAD package. The machines which do this range from pretty expensive to hugely expensive and have quirks in their operation that generally require some model cleanup after the scan. The physical probe systems have trouble connecting surfaces together which come to a sharp edge and the optical systems have problems with holes and complex surface features. Although the optical systems will rotate the part through a variety of angles, any surface which is always hidden from the pickup will of course not be rendered correctly. This can be done in house or there are plenty of firms which can be contracted to do it for you.
As far as finite element analysis goes, there are several options: you can get a license for the built-in analysis package provided by the CAD software company, a third-party package which integrates with your CAD package, or a third-party package which accepts files like STEP and IGES files which you must first create in your CAD package. Any of them will work fine although obviously the first two are a little less work. There also is relatively inexpensive software (some is even free) which requires you to define all the geometry within the package but these packages are slow and cumbersome to use.
The least option is an FEA package which will only model single parts and which will only do a linear elastic stress/strain analysis. This limits you to small strain/small deformation cases with materials that can reasonably be modeled with an elastic material model. This will work OK for most engineering materials under small loads. Plastics and biomaterials can be modeled this way but you lose some information. Generally with a linear elastic model and trying to model nonlinear, nonelastic materials you can get a reasonable approximation of the response to a rapidly applied and released load and a reasonable approximation to the steady-state response to a constant load (i.e., the configuration after enough time that everything has stopped moving) but you can't get the changing response over time to an applied load or a good result for a changing load. In some applications that doesn't matter, it depends on what you are doing. Last I checked most of these packages run in the neighborhood of $1-5k.
There are packages which can do nonlinear elasticity, plasticity, viscoplasticity, viscoelasticity, etc., which can be in the $10-25k range.
There is some software now which combines solid modeling with computational fluid dynamics, heat transfer, electromagnetics, etc., (this is called multiphysics usually). This can be very useful for modeling things like the opening and closing of valves because it lets you model what is happening with the fluid in the valve and how that puts loads on the interior of the valve. This type of software gets really expensive.
What I really would recommend is this. You don't buy this software directly from the software company, you buy it from "partners" or "service providers." You can search for them locally or you can generally get the CAD software company's website to list the ones that are local to you. If you call up the distributor and tell them you are interested in buying a seat of SolidWorks or Inventor or whichever package they distribute, they will be more than happy to demo the software for you. Many of them even offer one-day or half-day free introductory/training seminars on the CAD packages they supply to show you how the software works before you make a decision. If you already know that there is someone or some firm you are going to be working a lot with, or if you are hiring someone to do your CAD/FEA work, I would look first at the software they use. If not, check out Inventor, SolidWorks, and Solid Edge and see which one you like best.
Once you have made a decision, you will have to purchase one or more licenses for the software (generally referred to as "seats"). You can get a node-locked seat, which is usable on only one computer, or a network-licensed seat. The network seat allows multiple computers on a network to all use the software (but only one at a time, or as many at a time as you have licenses). As an example, the company I used to work for had eight or nine people who could reasonably be expected to need to use Inventor SOME TIME plus occasional use in a conference room but would usually only have 5 or 6 people at most needing it at any given time. We had six network-license seats, had the software installed on probably 15 computers in the office, and if you needed it, you opened it up on your machine. If all the licenses were in use, you'd ask someone who had it open but wasn't actively using it to save their work and close the software and then you could run it. That way we didn't have to keep swapping around what computers we were on.
You will also want to pay "maintenance" on your licenses (generally ~20% or so of the up-front license cost per year) which entitles you to patches and full version updates and technical support form the service provider. You should absolutely pay for "maintenance."
Once you have the software, your service provider will usually also offer training courses which range from one day to two weeks. These can be quite expensive (I have been to several 2-day training courses for obscure analysis packages which cost about $3000) but in my experience there is no faster way to quickly learn to use a CAD or analysis package quickly and efficiently, and to make use of the advanced features, shortcuts, and alternate methods available that are not immediately obvious. This is a much more expensive option than books, videos, or tutorial packages but I think it is worth it.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
Also I think the biggest reason that CAD is so complex from a programming perspective is that it has to sort out how to change everything in your entire part every time you change a dimension or move something. This is tremendously complex behavior. SolidEdge, which doesn't use history based modeling, is even more complex.
FEA software is complex to program because solving an FEA problem is solving a system of, typically, hundreds of thousands of partial differential equations simultaneously (and that's on easy problems
).
Also, if you are going to be using your friend's license on his machine, great. If you think you are going to be able to take his DVD of the software and install it on your computer, you won't be able to. The licenses are heavily protected.
Also I think the biggest reason that CAD is so complex from a programming perspective is that it has to sort out how to change everything in your entire part every time you change a dimension or move something. This is tremendously complex behavior. SolidEdge, which doesn't use history based modeling, is even more complex.
FEA software is complex to program because solving an FEA problem is solving a system of, typically, hundreds of thousands of partial differential equations simultaneously (and that's on easy problems
Also, if you are going to be using your friend's license on his machine, great. If you think you are going to be able to take his DVD of the software and install it on your computer, you won't be able to. The licenses are heavily protected.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
Unless you are doing something extremely complex, i.e. moving parts and wanting to see aerodynamics on an object, I would just buy Google Sketchup Pro. Things like bolts, firing pins, receivers etc. would be relatively easy to do with some practice. I think it runs about $300. It is a really simple program. It may seem unreliable since it is some program from google, but a few of my fathers architectural employees use this sometimes, and we are even being taught to use it in my Building Science major as well as the Architecture major here at Auburn. I have used AutoCAD, DataCAD, SolidWordks, and Sketchup. I find Solidworks to be the easiest to use for 3D modeling, but Sketchup is a close second. Also, the $5,000 price tag on Solidworks is much harder to swallow than Sketchups $300.
Unless you are doing something extremely complex, i.e. moving parts and wanting to see aerodynamics on an object, I would just buy Google Sketchup Pro. Things like bolts, firing pins, receivers etc. would be relatively easy to do with some practice. I think it runs about $300. It is a really simple program. It may seem unreliable since it is some program from google, but a few of my fathers architectural employees use this sometimes, and we are even being taught to use it in my Building Science major as well as the Architecture major here at Auburn. I have used AutoCAD, DataCAD, SolidWordks, and Sketchup. I find Solidworks to be the easiest to use for 3D modeling, but Sketchup is a close second. Also, the $5,000 price tag on Solidworks is much harder to swallow than Sketchups $300.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
I've always been a bit of an Autocad fan but recently decided to upgrade my cad skill and enrolled in a course at the local TAFE college (not sure what the US equivalent is?).
They are teaching Solid Edge and it is an amazing program. with "smart dimensioning" and other tools, you rough sketch the item then dimension and align it. It's amazingly quick and very easy to use with a bit of drawing experience and training. A 16 week course, 4 hours a week, cost me $180 and it's worth ten times that in the time it would have taken to learn otherwise.
The cost of the program is pretty scary but I think I'm going to have to buy a seat later in the year. I've got 2 CNC mills now and hopefully a lathe shortly so I suppose I can justify it, just need to find the money somewhere. Solid Edge and a few others now integrate directly with a number of CAM packages so you can go directly from drawing to generating code.
Maladat is dead right, going back to basic software from something like Solid Edge is pretty crippling, there are just some jobs that would justify paying the price.
My 2c worth anyway
I've always been a bit of an Autocad fan but recently decided to upgrade my cad skill and enrolled in a course at the local TAFE college (not sure what the US equivalent is?).
They are teaching Solid Edge and it is an amazing program. with "smart dimensioning" and other tools, you rough sketch the item then dimension and align it. It's amazingly quick and very easy to use with a bit of drawing experience and training. A 16 week course, 4 hours a week, cost me $180 and it's worth ten times that in the time it would have taken to learn otherwise.
The cost of the program is pretty scary but I think I'm going to have to buy a seat later in the year. I've got 2 CNC mills now and hopefully a lathe shortly so I suppose I can justify it, just need to find the money somewhere. Solid Edge and a few others now integrate directly with a number of CAM packages so you can go directly from drawing to generating code.
Maladat is dead right, going back to basic software from something like Solid Edge is pretty crippling, there are just some jobs that would justify paying the price.
My 2c worth anyway
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
My preference is for Solid Edge over Inventor and Solid Works.
Synchronous modeling is a HUGE step forward over the history based modeling used by the other two.
All three are leaps and bounds ahead of 2D CAD, though.
My preference is for Solid Edge over Inventor and Solid Works.
Synchronous modeling is a HUGE step forward over the history based modeling used by the other two.
All three are leaps and bounds ahead of 2D CAD, though.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
I feel a bit like a child stumbling into grown-up conversation, so please bare with me, but I have a similar question and this seems like the right crowd to ask.
Say I have a firearms related widget I'm prototyping in a physical fashion, and I am about to the point of the project that I want to create a simple but true scaled 3d CAD model in a relatively universal format that can be sent to injection molders, and/or be used as part of a patent application.
It seems like my requirements are much less than is being described in the posts above in that I'm not function-modeling or testing clearances or measuring strains- i just need the 3D shape of a relatively simple planer item with few moving parts am I being naive?
Could anyone recommend an acessable, user friendly (read EASY), and inexpensive (read CHEAP) CAD software that a pretty clever and computer literate layman could master to create my CAD model?
Say my widget has some basic moving parts- does that change the complexity of the CAD program I'd need to build a model of it?
I've used the free google sketchup on-line version, and was able to figure out the basics of it without too much trouble, but quit fiddling with it after having the thought that the on-line program wouldn't provide me a sharable file in a proper format, was I wrong? I read above that STEP or IGES formated products are what I should be shooting for in a software, correct? Which of the two is best for me?
sorry to hijack the OP's thread- Any help is appreciated-
I feel a bit like a child stumbling into grown-up conversation, so please bare with me, but I have a similar question and this seems like the right crowd to ask.
Say I have a firearms related widget I'm prototyping in a physical fashion, and I am about to the point of the project that I want to create a simple but true scaled 3d CAD model in a relatively universal format that can be sent to injection molders, and/or be used as part of a patent application.
It seems like my requirements are much less than is being described in the posts above in that I'm not function-modeling or testing clearances or measuring strains- i just need the 3D shape of a relatively simple planer item with few moving parts am I being naive?
Could anyone recommend an acessable, user friendly (read EASY), and inexpensive (read CHEAP) CAD software that a pretty clever and computer literate layman could master to create my CAD model?
Say my widget has some basic moving parts- does that change the complexity of the CAD program I'd need to build a model of it?
I've used the free google sketchup on-line version, and was able to figure out the basics of it without too much trouble, but quit fiddling with it after having the thought that the on-line program wouldn't provide me a sharable file in a proper format, was I wrong? I read above that STEP or IGES formated products are what I should be shooting for in a software, correct? Which of the two is best for me?
sorry to hijack the OP's thread- Any help is appreciated-
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
Msahlm, take a look at Alibre, it's a proper 3d modelling program and the price is pretty good. I know Tormach sells it if you buy one of their machines from under $100 for the basic version. I'm not sure of the full price but definitely cheaper than Solid Works/Solid Edge. It used a similar interface, just doesn't have all the bells and whistles. It exports IGES and STL files and also has a CAM program that can be paired up with it.
Cheers,
Greg
Msahlm, take a look at Alibre, it's a proper 3d modelling program and the price is pretty good. I know Tormach sells it if you buy one of their machines from under $100 for the basic version. I'm not sure of the full price but definitely cheaper than Solid Works/Solid Edge. It used a similar interface, just doesn't have all the bells and whistles. It exports IGES and STL files and also has a CAM program that can be paired up with it.
Cheers,
Greg
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
STEP is better than IGES - IGES is old and some older systems can't use STEP (every now and then you run into a company that is using a 10 or 15 year old piece of software and hasn't ever updated it). However, you won't be actually working in either of those formats, you would only use them to send models to people using different software from yours.
I haven't used Alibre but it at least looks like a real 3D-native CAD program and they offer a free trial on their website. I'd give it a try if I didn't want to pony up for SolidEdge/SolidWorks/Inventor.
They have a $99 "personal" version that would do your 3D models and drawings and everything but won't import from/export to STEP or IGES - you'd have to upgrade to the $699 "pro" version for that. That's still a fraction the cost of the least expensive cut down versions of SolidEdge/SolidWorks/Inventor.
STEP is better than IGES - IGES is old and some older systems can't use STEP (every now and then you run into a company that is using a 10 or 15 year old piece of software and hasn't ever updated it). However, you won't be actually working in either of those formats, you would only use them to send models to people using different software from yours.
I haven't used Alibre but it at least looks like a real 3D-native CAD program and they offer a free trial on their website. I'd give it a try if I didn't want to pony up for SolidEdge/SolidWorks/Inventor.
They have a $99 "personal" version that would do your 3D models and drawings and everything but won't import from/export to STEP or IGES - you'd have to upgrade to the $699 "pro" version for that. That's still a fraction the cost of the least expensive cut down versions of SolidEdge/SolidWorks/Inventor.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
Thanks all-
Looking at the Alibre it seems EXACTLY what I had in mind except that I don't have the background to know how much utility a STL output has (or doesn't have) relative to the aformentioned STEP/IGES. If I find myself with a perfect 3D CAD model of my widget in the STL format, what can I expect to be able to do with it? Can STL be somehow converted to STEP or IGES? Why are these other formats prefered- is it a VHS- versus betamax scenario, or a VHS versus DVD scenario?
From the Alibre website
"The list of software and services that accepts STL files is way too long to list. But here are a few examples:
Almost all CAM software
MakerBot (DIY CNC Machine)
QuickParts
AlphaPrototypes
RedEye ARC
Fortus "
Is this list as impressive as Alibre would have me think?
By the way, thanks for your help so far.- great thread.
Thanks all-
Looking at the Alibre it seems EXACTLY what I had in mind except that I don't have the background to know how much utility a STL output has (or doesn't have) relative to the aformentioned STEP/IGES. If I find myself with a perfect 3D CAD model of my widget in the STL format, what can I expect to be able to do with it? Can STL be somehow converted to STEP or IGES? Why are these other formats prefered- is it a VHS- versus betamax scenario, or a VHS versus DVD scenario?
From the Alibre website
"The list of software and services that accepts STL files is way too long to list. But here are a few examples:
Almost all CAM software
MakerBot (DIY CNC Machine)
QuickParts
AlphaPrototypes
RedEye ARC
Fortus "
Is this list as impressive as Alibre would have me think?
By the way, thanks for your help so far.- great thread.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
Here is one of the best SolidWorks Professionals on the market:
http://www.rickyjordan.com/
If he does not know it, it has not been done yet.
Also, don't re-invent the wheel if you do not have to, visit 3D Content Central for libraries of various models for you to use:
http://www.3dcontentcentral.com/default.aspx
I believe there is a Barrett 50Cal modeled up on this sight...
Enjoy, SolidWorks is a pretty nice program.
Here is one of the best SolidWorks Professionals on the market:
http://www.rickyjordan.com/
If he does not know it, it has not been done yet.
Also, don't re-invent the wheel if you do not have to, visit 3D Content Central for libraries of various models for you to use:
http://www.3dcontentcentral.com/default.aspx
I believe there is a Barrett 50Cal modeled up on this sight...
Enjoy, SolidWorks is a pretty nice program.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
STL files are really used for machining mostly. They only define the surfaces of a part rather than the solid geometry. You can import them into another cad program and use them to rebuild a model but it is more work.
All the things alibre lists there are cnc machining or rapid prototyping software or services.
STL files are really used for machining mostly. They only define the surfaces of a part rather than the solid geometry. You can import them into another cad program and use them to rebuild a model but it is more work.
All the things alibre lists there are cnc machining or rapid prototyping software or services.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
Thanks, One last question and I'll get my nose out of your guy's conversation- thanks for humoring me.
What I really am looking to do is take on as much of the leg work as possible with my limited skill set to get my widget prototyped, CAD modeled, and patented. The vibe I'm getting is that something like Alibre with an STL output is about as advanced as I'll be able to (or want to) teach myself (and afford) But it also seems like an STL file with all of my surfaces done would save me quite a bit of money in hiring an engineer to produce a more complex model using professional software, am I understanding this right? If I needed a more complex model, My having the surfaces done in STL would save me some billable hours, right?
My widget is relatively simple geometrically and is more of a plastic accessory type item- seems like surfaces are my primary concern anyway. In the context of sending a CAD model to an injection molder as a foundation for building a mold for my widget- an STL may be all that I need, am I right? I should also be able to produce 2D models with Alibre for use in my patent application, right?
Just wondering of Learning CAD at the Alibre-type level is worth my while. I taught myself Adobe Suite, Sketch-it, and have used some home design software and world builders in some of my favorite video games- Seems like I could figure out the broad strokes- or if I'm just kidding myself and need to count on hiring a pro with the right tools?
Thanks in advance guys, I won't bug you anymore with this.
Thanks, One last question and I'll get my nose out of your guy's conversation- thanks for humoring me.
What I really am looking to do is take on as much of the leg work as possible with my limited skill set to get my widget prototyped, CAD modeled, and patented. The vibe I'm getting is that something like Alibre with an STL output is about as advanced as I'll be able to (or want to) teach myself (and afford) But it also seems like an STL file with all of my surfaces done would save me quite a bit of money in hiring an engineer to produce a more complex model using professional software, am I understanding this right? If I needed a more complex model, My having the surfaces done in STL would save me some billable hours, right?
My widget is relatively simple geometrically and is more of a plastic accessory type item- seems like surfaces are my primary concern anyway. In the context of sending a CAD model to an injection molder as a foundation for building a mold for my widget- an STL may be all that I need, am I right? I should also be able to produce 2D models with Alibre for use in my patent application, right?
Just wondering of Learning CAD at the Alibre-type level is worth my while. I taught myself Adobe Suite, Sketch-it, and have used some home design software and world builders in some of my favorite video games- Seems like I could figure out the broad strokes- or if I'm just kidding myself and need to count on hiring a pro with the right tools?
Thanks in advance guys, I won't bug you anymore with this.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
Hey guys. Only briefly read though the posts, feeling to lazy tonight, but thought i'd add.
Im a design mechanical draftman here in Australia. We use both Autocad and Inventor for 3d stuff. Havent had a chance to play with solid works yet. Clients love the 3d stuff, makes alot of jobs easier for them to visulise.
3d has alot of benefits, however i would suggest also learning to use 2d autocad as well. Alot of the times it is easier to layout a design in 2d and then use that to build your 3d models up from. For small parts/designs this is not needed, however more complex large scale designs this is the way to go.
Not sure what you want to design, but make sure you think ahead while making your 3d models. If you want to make manufacturing drawings off the 3d model, your parts need to be modeled in the right way to make this easier.
Learn the basics and then just play around, you will figure stuff out pretty easy. As said above, youtube has alot of videos.
You can do some pretty amazing stuff with these programs. Our company has done some large scale stuff, working on one at the moment. Its always good to design something in 3d and then follow the building/manufacturing process to the end. Its even better when shit all fits together and doesnt come back to bite you in the ass...lol. People like to blame the old draftsman.
Anyhow, all the best with the learning. If anyone has any questions about inventor or mechancial type design let me know.
Pete
Hey guys. Only briefly read though the posts, feeling to lazy tonight, but thought i'd add.
Im a design mechanical draftman here in Australia. We use both Autocad and Inventor for 3d stuff. Havent had a chance to play with solid works yet. Clients love the 3d stuff, makes alot of jobs easier for them to visulise.
3d has alot of benefits, however i would suggest also learning to use 2d autocad as well. Alot of the times it is easier to layout a design in 2d and then use that to build your 3d models up from. For small parts/designs this is not needed, however more complex large scale designs this is the way to go.
Not sure what you want to design, but make sure you think ahead while making your 3d models. If you want to make manufacturing drawings off the 3d model, your parts need to be modeled in the right way to make this easier.
Learn the basics and then just play around, you will figure stuff out pretty easy. As said above, youtube has alot of videos.
You can do some pretty amazing stuff with these programs. Our company has done some large scale stuff, working on one at the moment. Its always good to design something in 3d and then follow the building/manufacturing process to the end. Its even better when shit all fits together and doesnt come back to bite you in the ass...lol. People like to blame the old draftsman.
Anyhow, all the best with the learning. If anyone has any questions about inventor or mechancial type design let me know.
Pete
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
Pro/E, NX and MasterCAM user here.
Pro/E, NX and MasterCAM user here.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
msahlm, I wouldn't be overly concerned as long as whatever software you use can convey what you are wanting to make. I know a lot of the time I end up redoing drawings I get sent because the CAM software doesn't like them, maybe an extra line somewhere or a couple of lines that weren't quite snapped together.
In the total cost of things, a couple of hours of cad time for someone to tweak the drawing before making molding dies and the like isn't going to make a huge difference. If you can produce a model, or even a 2d drawing that has the dimensions, you are 90% of the way there.
The more I look at Alibre, the more I think it might be worth buying. Sure it's missing some of the trick features that SE and SW have but for 6 or 7 grand less to buy, it's worth a look.
Cheers,
Greg
msahlm, I wouldn't be overly concerned as long as whatever software you use can convey what you are wanting to make. I know a lot of the time I end up redoing drawings I get sent because the CAM software doesn't like them, maybe an extra line somewhere or a couple of lines that weren't quite snapped together.
In the total cost of things, a couple of hours of cad time for someone to tweak the drawing before making molding dies and the like isn't going to make a huge difference. If you can produce a model, or even a 2d drawing that has the dimensions, you are 90% of the way there.
The more I look at Alibre, the more I think it might be worth buying. Sure it's missing some of the trick features that SE and SW have but for 6 or 7 grand less to buy, it's worth a look.
Cheers,
Greg
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
Alibre does way more than I need.
Was recomended by customer about 7 years ago.
I personaly have expert seat.
Buddy has used it for aluminum 7.3 turbo intakes.
I use it for customer, or personal gun parts.
File go right to Gibbs Cam for programming.
We also use Solidworks and a couple others.
To convey idea use a print screen, not a file!
No "Usable data" given for manufacturing.
Hope this helps.
Alibre does way more than I need.
Was recomended by customer about 7 years ago.
I personaly have expert seat.
Buddy has used it for aluminum 7.3 turbo intakes.
I use it for customer, or personal gun parts.
File go right to Gibbs Cam for programming.
We also use Solidworks and a couple others.
To convey idea use a print screen, not a file!
No "Usable data" given for manufacturing.
Hope this helps.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: msahlm</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just wondering of Learning CAD at the Alibre-type level is worth my while. I taught myself Adobe Suite, Sketch-it, and have used some home design software and world builders in some of my favorite video games- Seems like I could figure out the broad strokes- or if I'm just kidding myself and need to count on hiring a pro with the right tools?</div></div>
It is possible to achieve basic competency in 3D CAD software very quickly. The basics are not hard.
STL can be used directly for rapid prototyped or CNC machined parts. With injection molding what you actually machine is the mold. The "positive" (the imaginary part that fills all the cavities in the mold) a mold is based on for injection molding has additional features through which the resin (or whatever) is poured and sometimes drains (small features often need vents to fill properly or wells to prevent voids forming through shrinkage). It also will be scaled up by a certain amount because most cast polymers shrink as they cure.
There is enough extra work turning a part file into a mold that I wouldn't worry too much about it. I have done a fair bit of mold design and we typically would build a solid model of the part and scale it up by the estimated shrinkage factor, build a solid model of the basic structure of the mold, align the positive as desired in the mold, then use a feature of the CAD software to subtract the intersected area between the mold and the positive from the mold model. After that comes cleanup of garbage left over from that operation and addition of the necessary mold features.
It is also totally reasonable to contract the CAD work out and just provide a description, sketches, and dimensions.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TCA4570</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
To convey idea use a print screen, not a file!
No "Usable data" given for manufacturing.</div></div>
I REALLY hope you mean using screenshots for conveying ideas to random people so that they can't copy your not-yet-protected work rather than not sending "usable data" to someone who is actually going to be making parts for you.
It's reasonable but a competent engineer could produce a functional copy of a simple part based on a description and a screenshot.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: msahlm</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just wondering of Learning CAD at the Alibre-type level is worth my while. I taught myself Adobe Suite, Sketch-it, and have used some home design software and world builders in some of my favorite video games- Seems like I could figure out the broad strokes- or if I'm just kidding myself and need to count on hiring a pro with the right tools?</div></div>
It is possible to achieve basic competency in 3D CAD software very quickly. The basics are not hard.
STL can be used directly for rapid prototyped or CNC machined parts. With injection molding what you actually machine is the mold. The "positive" (the imaginary part that fills all the cavities in the mold) a mold is based on for injection molding has additional features through which the resin (or whatever) is poured and sometimes drains (small features often need vents to fill properly or wells to prevent voids forming through shrinkage). It also will be scaled up by a certain amount because most cast polymers shrink as they cure.
There is enough extra work turning a part file into a mold that I wouldn't worry too much about it. I have done a fair bit of mold design and we typically would build a solid model of the part and scale it up by the estimated shrinkage factor, build a solid model of the basic structure of the mold, align the positive as desired in the mold, then use a feature of the CAD software to subtract the intersected area between the mold and the positive from the mold model. After that comes cleanup of garbage left over from that operation and addition of the necessary mold features.
It is also totally reasonable to contract the CAD work out and just provide a description, sketches, and dimensions.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TCA4570</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
To convey idea use a print screen, not a file!
No "Usable data" given for manufacturing.</div></div>
I REALLY hope you mean using screenshots for conveying ideas to random people so that they can't copy your not-yet-protected work rather than not sending "usable data" to someone who is actually going to be making parts for you.
It's reasonable but a competent engineer could produce a functional copy of a simple part based on a description and a screenshot.
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
10-4 great help!
Where I am at now is that I have a functional homebuilt prototype of my widget, and am working on building a second (significantly different) prototype of my widget designed around a ruger 10/22 (which for my widget is the obvious place to start as a first product to go to market with)
I have only shown my idea to a handful of close people and no images or descriptions exist in the world except amoung my close family. (Everyone who's seen it so far wants to invest in the project- so that seems encouraging)
When my second prototype is (soon) completed, I'll file a Disclosure Document with the Patent Office which stays on file with them (for up to two years) to establish myself as the senior party to the idea while I prepare a patent application. Soon AFTER I get Patent Pending status, I'll be going out to injection molders under industry standard confidentiality agreements-
My preliminary research into injection molding has led me to think that they'll need a Cad Model of the item up front in order to bid and build a mold- I'm just trying to do what I can (myself) to forward the project while the other aspects of this whole thing is moving forward- I spoke (ambiguisly) with some CAD/CAM guys yesterday at Falcon Industries (ERGO grips http://www.ergogrips.net/ ) who happen to be located near me. They gave me a lot of good contacts and advice that will help me with my modeling/molding when the time comes.
I thought it would be helpful if I already had the prototype completed in CAD form when I grab traction on my patent process- I may spend the $99 bucks on Alibre and fiddle with it to see what I can come up with. Like you guys are telling me- All I REALLY need are scaled and dimentioned drawings (screenshots?) and I'd guess that the Alibre would be plenty of program for that.
Anyway- Now I've really hijacked this thread and taken it on a tangent- Please forgive me for the distraction, and thanks to all for your patience and help.(Now go discuss the virtues of Solidworks in peace)
10-4 great help!
Where I am at now is that I have a functional homebuilt prototype of my widget, and am working on building a second (significantly different) prototype of my widget designed around a ruger 10/22 (which for my widget is the obvious place to start as a first product to go to market with)
I have only shown my idea to a handful of close people and no images or descriptions exist in the world except amoung my close family. (Everyone who's seen it so far wants to invest in the project- so that seems encouraging)
When my second prototype is (soon) completed, I'll file a Disclosure Document with the Patent Office which stays on file with them (for up to two years) to establish myself as the senior party to the idea while I prepare a patent application. Soon AFTER I get Patent Pending status, I'll be going out to injection molders under industry standard confidentiality agreements-
My preliminary research into injection molding has led me to think that they'll need a Cad Model of the item up front in order to bid and build a mold- I'm just trying to do what I can (myself) to forward the project while the other aspects of this whole thing is moving forward- I spoke (ambiguisly) with some CAD/CAM guys yesterday at Falcon Industries (ERGO grips http://www.ergogrips.net/ ) who happen to be located near me. They gave me a lot of good contacts and advice that will help me with my modeling/molding when the time comes.
I thought it would be helpful if I already had the prototype completed in CAD form when I grab traction on my patent process- I may spend the $99 bucks on Alibre and fiddle with it to see what I can come up with. Like you guys are telling me- All I REALLY need are scaled and dimentioned drawings (screenshots?) and I'd guess that the Alibre would be plenty of program for that.
Anyway- Now I've really hijacked this thread and taken it on a tangent- Please forgive me for the distraction, and thanks to all for your patience and help.(Now go discuss the virtues of Solidworks in peace)
Re: Any Solidworks CAD guys here?
As far as the screenshots thing goes - when you are in the model view, all that is visible is the model and you can change the orientation and it is more or less like looking at the actual part so screenshots can be helpful before your thing is actually made.
All the 3D cad programs produce drawings automatically from the part or assembly model by selecting different views to put in the drawing. You then put dimensions on the features that need to be dimensioned and the software determines the dimension values from the part geometry. It makes it harder to make the stupid drawing mistakes that can happen in 2D drawing type cad software.
As far as the screenshots thing goes - when you are in the model view, all that is visible is the model and you can change the orientation and it is more or less like looking at the actual part so screenshots can be helpful before your thing is actually made.
All the 3D cad programs produce drawings automatically from the part or assembly model by selecting different views to put in the drawing. You then put dimensions on the features that need to be dimensioned and the software determines the dimension values from the part geometry. It makes it harder to make the stupid drawing mistakes that can happen in 2D drawing type cad software.
