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CAD - Engineering - Technical > what is a good CAD program for a person without any experiance of any CAD at all
 
 
helicopter1968
Heliman
Location: england

hi looking for a CAD program to learn in the UK. I have know experiance for any cad progams.
The reason is want to be able to make moulds.
I do have artwork expriance as in illustrator and coreldraw.
If anyone could point me in the right direction then great.
02-18-2008 11:24 AM
 
 
rover
Senior Heliman
Location: Brandon,FL

I suggest Solidworks. I have used many CAD systems ranging from Autocad and Intellicad on the 2d side to Catia, NX, on the 3d side. Of all of the programs I have used Solidworks has been the easiest to learn and grasp. It also has good analysis and simulation tools. Solidworks also has great tools for Mold Making.

Rover
Mechanical Engineer
02-19-2008 01:09 AM
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
helicopter1968
Heliman
Location: england

CAD design

thanks rover.
Do you know how much it costs?
If anyone in the uk,cornwall area around newquay has a copy or would be willing to show me then that would be great.
will
02-19-2008 11:27 AM
 
 
rover
Senior Heliman
Location: Brandon,FL

I am unsure what the exact cost is, but i do recall there being a student edition of the software. http://www.studica.com/products/pro...productid=53929 is a good link. It says it for it is personal learning, students or faculty.

Rover
Mechanical Engineer
02-19-2008 11:50 PM
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
helicopter1968
Heliman
Location: england

A big thanks rover.
Thanks for the link as well and for it in uk pounds as well.
What can i say about this site, people really do help and with quality advice.
Thanks rover
02-20-2008 09:00 AM
 
 
Bruce Naylor
Senior Heliman
Location: Swindon, Wiltshire, UK

Solidworks is great, but expensive. You could also look at http://www.alibre.com as a cheaper alternative, and possibly cheaper still, http://www.turbocad.com

B.

"If you know what you're doing, you're not learning much"
02-22-2008 09:18 PM
 
 
thrx
New Heliman
Location: Montreal, Canada

SolidWorks is nice and all...

I use it my self, however, if you're starting from scratch, this is the future of CAD: http://www.spaceclaim.com/ (30day trial available).
02-22-2008 11:05 PM
 
 
moyesboy
Heliman
Location: uk

soidworks will cost about £4000 - plus if you want to get the yearly update (and if you don't then you won't be able to access other current users data) it is a further £1500 per year maintenance.

If you are in the USA then just use the same figures in dollars (yes we are totally ripped off for it in the UK).

Soldiwork is a very very good system. It is a parametric system which is the current most popular way for 3D engineering solid modelling. Thunder tiger use it (or they did for the miniT). I suspect align and compass use it. For assemblies the size of a model heli it is the market leader.

The student edition of solidworks has a watermark on any print output you create that is not removeable. It may have other limitations designed to prevent commercial use - I'm not sure. The EULA certenianly procludes any commercial use of the student edition.
Solidworks uses a robust dongle based licencing system.
Nastily they also dissallow you from buying in the USA via an office there and installing in the UK. They will take you to court for the difference in price backdated if they find you.

So before you buy the market leading system, take a look at www.alibre.com/xpress. This is a free download that is restricted to something like 10 parts in the assembly (part of unlimited complexity). It does most of what solidworks will do. The way it works is more or less the same so learn to use it for free and solidworks wil be quick or instant to pick up afterward. Or you can buy the full version of alibre for $400 approx (yes, again £400 in the UK) and it will then do some more advanced stuff and have any number of assembly parts.

One thing, it may not do the boolean subtract you need for a mould tool cavity with the xpress version, or it might only after you do the free registration so they can keep trying to get you to buy it.

No restrictions on commercial use of the free version, no watermarks etc and anything you create can be picked up with the paid version later. So give it a try why not?
03-04-2008 03:34 PM
 
 
FrankC
Heliman
Location: Bradenton, Florida

I am also looking for a starting point in cad and was looking at the TurboCAD website. One of the versions they are showing is Designer at only $39.95 for the download. Would this be a viable starting point? I don't know how far I will go with this and would much rather spend $40 rather than several hundred, but not if this would be a dead-end. Anyone out there using the Designer version?
03-04-2008 11:29 PM
 
 
thrx
New Heliman
Location: Montreal, Canada

TurboCAD Designer is very basic 2D only. Do you only want to create flat blueprints? The TurboCAD version that comes close to SolidWorks in functionality is TurboCAD PRO Mechanical, at a cost of 1,395 USD.
03-04-2008 11:47 PM
 
 
Bruce Naylor
Senior Heliman
Location: Swindon, Wiltshire, UK

I use TurboCAD, but only for hobby 2.5D work - now if someone would write a CAMWorks package for Alibre at say $49.99 a pop .... :>

B.

"If you know what you're doing, you're not learning much"
03-05-2008 03:14 PM
 
 
TomRex
Elite Veteran
Location: West Palm Beach Fl.

what about Rino?

The AMA is way better than what you belong to!
03-05-2008 08:26 PM
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
thrx
New Heliman
Location: Montreal, Canada

Rhino 3D

It's a very good tool, but mostly for surfaces. Designing canopies or fuselages, sure, perfect app for that. But designing the mechanics, with moving parts... no way. Rhino is mostly used for modeling stuff with complex, free flowing surfaces. It is not a parametric solids modeling application, like SolidWorks.
03-05-2008 08:48 PM
 
 
FrankC
Heliman
Location: Bradenton, Florida

Mach 3

Is anyone using Mach 3 from ArtSoft? I have been looking at a small cnc machine from Rockcliff and they link to the ArtSoft site.
http://www.rockcliffmachine.com/index.htm
03-06-2008 03:12 AM
 
 
Greg McFadden
Key Veteran
Location: Spokane Valley, WA

mach 3 is a great program with great support if you want to drive off windows...

I have been running it since Jan 2006 successfully

The silence often, of pure innocence persuades, when speaking fails
03-06-2008 06:38 AM
 
 
moyesboy
Heliman
Location: uk

if you want a non parametric system then there is a free version of crocreate.
I'm not sure how restricted it is but it seems to work.
This would appear to fall somewhere between rhino and solidworks.

search for crocreate onespace (PTC who made the first parametric cad system, proEngineer, now own crocreate which was originally invented by HP and used to design all those printers).
03-06-2008 09:11 AM
 
 
umdpru
Key Veteran
Location: Massachusetts

Quote 
I use it my self, however, if you're starting from scratch, this is the future of CAD: http://www.spaceclaim.com/ (30day trial available).

As claimed by you and a few magazines. It has yet to prove itself in industry.

Solidworks is still the best bang for the buck. You can get a student version of the program for around $200.
03-07-2008 05:43 PM
 
 
thrx
New Heliman
Location: Montreal, Canada

Mach3

Another thumbs-up for Mach3 from me. It's working great with my CNC router.
03-07-2008 05:51 PM
 
 
DSR
New Heliman
Location: Pretoria , South Africa

I have work with Powershape for a couple of years now and wasn't to
difficult to learn. You can download a free version of Powershape called
Powershape-e at http://www.delcam.com/general/downloads/software_dl.asp
hope it helps.
03-21-2008 07:57 PM
 
 
helicopter1968
Heliman
Location: england

thanks for all the info and help.
03-27-2008 05:37 PM
 
 
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CAD - Engineering - Technical > what is a good CAD program for a person without any experiance of any CAD at all
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