Total new-comer to CAD. Which programme to choose.

[lee webster]

I use Design Spark Mechanical for my CAD work. It has a few limitations, like, no mirror function and poor text design. I use version 5 which will import a STEP file, reluctantly! The newest version, 6, won't import STEP files so I switched back to 5. It exports few file formats, but will export an STL. It is quick and easy to use, and FREE!

 

[petertha]

Thank you for who ever sent me an add for Solid Works for builders. I went straight to the file restrictions information.... The export format is limited to what could be sent to a 3D printer and likely a CNC machine. Can not export a step file to send to a friend and can not sent a Solid Works file to a person that has the standard program. And drawing will have water marks.

Can you please provide a link or where you obtained that information regarding, I believe SW calls it 'Maker? SW seem to be somewhat sparse with the fine print or maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places. Most of what I've picked up has been from other forums. You are saying one cannot export a STEP file, but isn't IGES more common format for outsourcing to CNC fabricators? Not having the Maker file readable by a licensed seat or watermarked drawings isn't a show stopper IMO, but everyone has a different purpose I suppose.

 

[Rumelyguy]

.STEP/.STP is a commonly used generic solid modeling file. IGES or more commonly known as I guess, is no longer a commonly used file IMHO.

Most common are:

Parasolid X_T
Step/Stp

 

[Richard Hed]

I have been looking at the selection of CAD programs out there and Atom 3D looks to me to be an attractive choice. It has a 1 time fee that is cheaper by a lot than AutoCAD and, if you use it for more than a year it's cheaper than SolidWorks too. I don't really want something that I have to use in or from the "cloud". Doesn't do much good if the internet goes down or is congested.
I also agree that SW is pretty restrictive.
I'm going to download the trial of Atom3D and try it.

I have Alibre, it's very good, but not nearly as powerful as expensive CADs. I have AUTOCAD also, but I now nearly use Alibre exclusively. I recommend it, especially for the price.

 

[petertha]

.STEP/.STP is a commonly used generic solid modeling file. IGES or more commonly known as I guess, is no longer a commonly used file IMHO.

I see, thanks. So I guess 'maker' means 'mostly manual machinist maker' LOL. Well, they are specific about non-commercial, or at least <2K$

https://trimech.com/blog/3dexperience-solidworks-maker-increases-accessibility
This <ahem> high energy video shows a glimpse of a CNC laser/plasma cutting, maybe exporting a 2D format is acceptable or deemed sufficiently limiting.

 

[Jasonb]

As most Laser and Plasma cutting is usually from flat sheet there is no need for a 3D file so a 2D like DXF or DWG will be all that is needed. Same with simple CNC you could do it with 2D files if just sheet but easier with 3D. All the CNC I do gets exported from Alibre as STEP files and the CAM is then done in F360 using those step files.. I send out DXF for laser and water jet cutting.

You can get cutters that will notch round and square/rect tube or cut whatever shape you want into it and these would need a 3D file but as I said most will just be from flat material.

The only thing that the guy in the video may have is "sheet metal" which will flatten out his helmet into the true shape of sheets which makes all the bending allowances for you. You would need Alibre Expert or whatever another package needs for that but with our type of engines there is not usually much need for sheet metal work and what is can be worked out easy enough.

This was posted on ME forum by a member who had been using Alibre Atom3D for about 4 weeks, not bad fort a beginner

 

[petertha]

Thanks Jason. Yes, I'm familiar with both 2D & 3D apps (I'm 3D all the way). It was more about figuring out exactly what SW Maker is & is not. Maybe its just me, but some of the sales/website info has been a bit vague. Just saying Cloud!! and Maker!! (exclamations are mine) doesn't really lay out all the pertinent details. But I think I have a clearer understanding now.

 

[Zeb]

I have been looking at the selection of CAD programs out there and Atom 3D looks to me to be an attractive choice. It has a 1 time fee that is cheaper by a lot than AutoCAD and, if you use it for more than a year it's cheaper than SolidWorks too. I don't really want something that I have to use in or from the "cloud". Doesn't do much good if the internet goes down or is congested.
I also agree that SW is pretty restrictive.
I'm going to download the trial of Atom3D and try it.

The nice thing about Atom 3D is that a lot of users here use it and it ticks most of the boxes for a manual machining engine project. You should be able to find plenty of help here if you have questions.

 

[Gordon]

There are two big advantages to Atom 3D. First it is fairly easy to learn. Second the program lives on my machine, not in the cloud. I tried Free Cad and just got more confused the more I worked with it. After learning how to use Atom 3D I could probably go back to Free Cad and make more sense of it. Just too many workbenches in Free Cad and most of us hobbyists do not need most of them. I am leery of a program which lives out in cyberspace where there is potential of hacking and the if the company went out of business I could be left with a bunch of drawings with no way to access them. If Alibre disappeared I could still use the program in it's present form. I do not need to submit my work the General Motors, I just need drawings for my personal use on my machines.

 

[Daryl_bee]

...snip

This <ahem> high energy video shows a glimpse of a CNC laser/plasma cutting, maybe exporting a 2D format is acceptable or deemed sufficiently limiting.

Speaking of "high energy", I'm getting the frame for a fast 30 ton press made as I simply can not weld 1" & 3/4" plate with my 240V MIG welder. The builder uses this plasma cutter which boggled my mind at the speed it pierces & cuts 1" plate. At the end it cuts 1/8" steel treadle plates faster than I can use scissors on paper. It's too big to plug into local hydro so runs off a 240hp propane powered generator. The movie starts off with some CAD work (not sure what it is - I think Fusion 360?) but at about 1:20 the plasma cutter fires up. He cuts two of the moving platen parts out from the center of the frame. There's another 1" plate in the back on stand-by for the rest of the parts. I'm pretty sure the "wind" noise is the radiating EM energy screwing with the camera's audio

 

[lee webster]

I only discovered last night that DS5 will calculate the area and weight of a part if you tell it what material you are going to use. Vary handy if you are casting the part.

 

[petertha]

The movie starts off with some CAD work (not sure what it is - I think Fusion 360?)

The YouTube video I posted in #125 is Solidworks (Maker version promo) if that's what you're referring to

 

[Carbuilder]

The nice thing about Atom 3D is that a lot of users here use it and it ticks most of the boxes for a manual machining engine project. You should be able to find plenty of help here if you have questions.

Since I use a Mac computer, I can't use this. I run a lot of Windows based programs on my Mac using Parallels, but Atom 3D doesn't seem to work. So low cost options are very limited. I'll try FreeCAD and see what I think.

 

[ajoeiam]

Since I use a Mac computer, I can't use this. I run a lot of Windows based programs on my Mac using Parallels, but Atom 3D doesn't seem to work. So low cost options are very limited. I'll try FreeCAD and see what I think.

A heads up - - - the learning curve for FreeCAD, imo anyway, is a vertical line - - - maybe because I learn best from the written word and almost all the tutorials are video based. You also may want to look at LibreCAD is 2D (maybe 2.5D) and its also available for the Mac.

 

[Carbuilder]

A heads up - - - the learning curve for FreeCAD, imo anyway, is a vertical line - - - maybe because I learn best from the written word and almost all the tutorials are video based. You also may want to look at LibreCAD is 2D (maybe 2.5D) and its also available for the Mac.

You are right about that! Just played around with FreeCAD and it is certainly not intuitive. At work I used CATIA, at home used Inventor then Fusion360. Certainly can't use FreeCAD without reading/watching how to use it.

I want 3D so LibreCAD is out. I downloaded Atom 3D and tried running it under Parallels on the Mac and it was giving me error messages. I emailed the company and got a reply quickly to say that many users do run it under Parallels so I'll give it another try.

I don't mind paying a reasonable fee for 3D CAD (of course "reasonable" varies from person to person).

Rick

 

[ddmckee54]

There is a written FreeCAD manual. FreeCAD manual I haven't tried using the manual yet, because I just found it. But I do agree that the learning curve is VERY close to vertical, probably even WITH the manual.

Don

 

[Carbuilder]

I did load Alibre Atom 3D on my Mac again under Parallels and it seems to work fine. And I managed to produce a simple 3D solid without reading any instructions.....a real plus in my book! I have no doubt that FreeCAD is very good if you are willing to put the time into learning it.

 

[Richard Hed]

You are right about that! Just played around with FreeCAD and it is certainly not intuitive. At work I used CATIA, at home used Inventor then Fusion360. Certainly can't use FreeCAD without reading/watching how to use it.

I want 3D so LibreCAD is out. I downloaded Atom 3D and tried running it under Parallels on the Mac and it was giving me error messages. I emailed the company and got a reply quickly to say that many users do run it under Parallels so I'll give it another try.

I don't mind paying a reasonable fee for 3D CAD (of course "reasonable" varies from person to person).

Rick

I have an old copy of Inventor that used to work on older microsux machines but will not work on the newere ones. Do hyou know if there is a cheapo copy for retirees?

 

[lee webster]

I have FreeCAD installed and find it fairly easy to use. It does have a confusing menu system, and there are features missing, like being able to add draft to text, but even my preferred cad programme, Designspark 5, sometimes fails to do that. DS5 is by far the easiest cad programme I've used with FreeCAD and Solid Edge trailing way back. All three of these cad programmes are free to use and are not cloud based. I would rather pay a one-off purchase price of a couple of hundred pounds to own Solid Works, but they don't do that.

 

[awake]

Don't y'all be hating on my favorite 3D CAD program (FreeCAD)!

Okay, I admit that some things are non-intuitive, not helped by the fact that different workbenches have been developed by different people at different times, so there can be an irritating lack of consistency. That said, it did not take me very long to get the basic hang of it, and now that I've been using fairly frequently, it all feels natural to me. There are times when I watch a video on "how to make this in Fusion 360" when I think, "Oh, that would be nice to do it that way in FreeCAD" ... but there are other times when I think, "That would be SO much easier in FreeCAD!"