Tools of the trade - Software

[JeffreyK]

6 hours ago, TheBaron said:

One other thing. If you're going to be doing a lot of CAD design, get yourself a 3d mouse such as the Space Mouse from the 3dConnexion crowd. (The Compact version is more than sufficient for home use). Indispensable in my view.

Very happy user of the Space Mouse - I can't imagine how I coped without it...And the tendons in my right arm are much happier now as well!

Made several attempts at familiarising myself with Fusion 360, but always quit quite quickly and went back to Rhino...

J

[Pouln]

On 9/5/2020 at 8:56 PM, Mike said:

These! Also, who is poul?

Yes, who is Poul?

[Stephen W]

I use 3DS max but again something I know where all the buttons are, even though it’s probably over kill for paper modelling! I will look into the Space Mouse, it sounds like my next Xmas present from the kids! 

[wellsprop]

On 06/09/2020 at 01:02, JeffreyK said:

Very happy user of the Space Mouse - I can't imagine how I coped without it...And the tendons in my right arm are much happier now as well!

Made several attempts at familiarising myself with Fusion 360, but always quit quite quickly and went back to Rhino...

J

 

I've just started using a spacepilot, quite strange to get used to (never used one despite being a CAD engineer!), however, for doing lots of CAD, I agree, it's very helpful

[turnerdad]

Hi, wondering if anyone can help. I want to get back into CAD having had a good introduction a few years back. Then I had access to Solidworks with which I had just started surfacing, but lost access when job ended .

I’m looking for a cheap/free option but don’t want to share files (will be using for work) and have been considering Rhino, but Fusion 360 looks rather similar to Solidworks (which is ridiculously expensive). 
Any Rhino users here, but also to any Fusion 360 users who might have some advice? I’ve read through this topic so I know it’s horses for courses...

Cheers

[ICMF]

You can get an annual Solidworks (student) license for free with a $40/year Experimental Aircraft Association membership: New Member Benefit From SolidWorks (eaa.org) The student version is full powered, it just adds a mortarboard icon watermark in your features tree on all files.

 

If you want free though, F360 is going to be the most similar to what you're used to.  And, it's free, so my suggestion would be to register and play around with it to see if you like it.

 

(actually, my suggestion would be to use Solidworks, but barring that, I'd go the F360 route)

 

 

[turnerdad]

Thanks for that! I’ll look into that EAA membership, lots of benefits!

[bootneck]

5 hours ago, turnerdad said:

I’m looking for a cheap/free option ...........   also to any Fusion 360 users who might have some advice?

Hello Nick,

 

I've mentioned this before in another thread but cannot remember where,  so I'll mention it again here.  I am 72 years young and only started to dabble with CAD sometime around last September.   I use F360 and although it looks daunting initially, it is rather good for beginners as well as professionals.  There are quite a few easy to follow tutorials online, mostly youtube, and I'm learning a lot from them.

 

I haven't mastered the curves and contours of an aircraft fuselage yet; however, I am finding simple verticals and horizontals, plus the odd circle, to be manageable.  First off, I've always wanted to scratchbuild a Queen Mary trailer and I've finally managed it in CAD.

 

Another project of mine is to build a diorama of my local airport, Elmdon; before it became Birmingham International.  The buildings are easy to scratchbuild but airport vehicles and ground service equipment are another matter.  For example, this single decker Leyland PS2/1 with Weymann coachwork as eluded me for many years.  It is the bus on the far right.

 

So, I had a go at it with F360 and ended up with this.

 

As I said, F360 looks daunting to start with but watching a few of the tutorials helped me overcome my initial fears on the subject of CAD.  To me, it was like rocket science, but now I am looking forward to when I can produce aftermarket and stuff for my dioramas.

 

cheers,

 

Mike

[turnerdad]

Concern is change of policy down the road. Think I’ll bite the bullet and jump to Fusion...

[turnerdad]

Thanks Mike, great skills btw. Going to try it.

[tnuag]

On 7/31/2020 at 9:50 PM, wellsprop said:

I'm designing on CATIA V5, it's a ridiculously powerful tool, vastly better than Solidworks etc, but it's certainly not optimised for making models!

 

Just trying to get to grips with importing plans etc and it does actually work quite well. It has a very powerful surfacing workbench too which is useful for creating masks etc for complex surfaces.

 

EDIT: I should add, it's not really possible to buy CATIA as an individual and the license cost is astronomic - being the most powerful and widely used aerospace design software. It's also what Airfix a d a number of other modelling companies use.

I also use Catia V5 and an individual can buy a license. A superb program and I import plans or drawings as dxf on a sketch, then trace them. It isn't cheap, and I was surprised when one of the Airfix designers told me they use the same software as an expensive Italian car manufacturer, and not Catia.

[rickshaw]

Nothing for Linux users?  Oh, dear...

[dragonlanceHR]

7 hours ago, rickshaw said:

Nothing for Linux users?  Oh, dear...

FreeCAD

https://www.xsim.info/articles/FreeCAD/en-US/HowTo/Install-on-Linux.html

[Schwarz-Brot]

While on the electrical engineering side the Linux world is quite well equipped with KiCAD and several other very good tools I'm afraid the mechanical CAD side is only just beginning to grow... Blender works perfectly, but is no CAD system. Still very useful for modelling! OpenSCAD and FreeCAD are your choices. Probably anything else in a VM, just like it always was. I know the problem and indeed CAD- and Photo work made me setup a powerful Windows machine again. After several years on Linux it is still feeling wrong.