scoobydoo Posted November 10, 2018 Report Share Posted November 10, 2018 Trying to figure out which is the best cad program for 3d modeling and rendering. It's proven exhausting trying to learn multiple programs only to find out they don't do what I want them to do. If anyone out there has any suggestions I'll be using a surface pro or a dell XPS 15 "Panacheless is no way to go through life" Tims Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mircopolo Posted November 11, 2018 Report Share Posted November 11, 2018 I'm working only with AutoCad Electrical, but for 3D rendering I would go with Solid Works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobydoo Posted November 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2018 51 mins ago, Mircopolo said: I'm working only with AutoCad Electrical, but for 3D rendering I would go with Solid Works. Hey man! That's one I've seen and not tried. I'll look into it. Thanks "Panacheless is no way to go through life" Tims Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yossarian Posted November 11, 2018 Report Share Posted November 11, 2018 Seconding Solidworks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_L Posted November 11, 2018 Report Share Posted November 11, 2018 Yeah try solid works. I use revit for electrical design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent I Posted November 11, 2018 Report Share Posted November 11, 2018 (edited) Autodesk Fusion 360. Its free for. Non-commercial users, and very easy to use and full featured, with a full CAM suite and outputs for RP. For what it's worth, I find the lofted surfaces easier to use for free form surfaces, but that's probably just because of how I work. Edited November 11, 2018 by Kent I Typo JuvenileTortoise 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane_O Posted November 12, 2018 Report Share Posted November 12, 2018 (edited) Solidworks is widely used and probably a little more user friendly but NX Unigraphics is an extremely versatile option with high end features and crazy good rendering. Edited November 12, 2018 by Shane_O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobydoo Posted November 12, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2018 19 hours ago, Kent I said: Autodesk Fusion 360. Its free for. Non-commercial users, and very easy to use and full featured, with a full CAM suite and outputs for RP. For what it's worth, I find the lofted surfaces easier to use for free form surfaces, but that's probably just because of how I work. I spent a few hours learning lofting today! I keep forgetting to think in multiple planes..................... I dig it! Thanks for the tip..The free aspect was pretty well hidden. "Panacheless is no way to go through life" Tims Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent I Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 Fusion 360 update. Much to my chagrin, I turned Fusion on last week and was informed that my subscription has expired and I now have to start paying. Apparently the free part is only for a trial period...apparently a year or so. The subscription price isn't all tha high, but more than I'm willing to pay on an ongoing basis. Oddly, the program doesn't disappear, you just can't save or output anything. You can, however, create new objects and make drawings from them which can be output as pdf's, which works for me as I've been printing the drawings and glueing them to the blanks instead of making templates. Anyway, apologies to anyone who's invested a lot of time in software that's suddenly going to become useless in a year or so. Too bad...it's a very good CAD program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
put_em_back Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 I design sheetmetal and machined parts for a living and would recommend Solidworks. If you can stick with simple shapes Solidworks is great. If you need more artistic looking - think complex sweeps/surfaces, ProE would probably be better. To design reel parts, I'd go with Solidworks. Quote:Originally Posted by Surf HunterI don't wanna grow boobies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchGFX Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 I'm an EE but all of my MechE pals use Solidworks. I do my modelling in Cinema4D which is easily crackable (to get it free) but is primarily an animation/graphic design modeling software rather than a CNC design software, but it can work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackdogfish Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 Scoob You didn't say what your intended purpose is (or I missed it if you did) Each software is going to be better or worse for differing trades/disciplines/uses. I am in architecture. We used to be all based on AutoCAD Everyone has moved away from that to Revit. Both are incredibly expensive and complex. Revit is not a "learn by yourself in a weekend and have fun" kind of software. I have heard for general Industrial Design, that Rhino is good. Deals with complex curves like cars and shoes really well. i have no idea of the cost or how easy it is to pick up. While the rest of my office uses Revit and screams and swears...I use SketchUp for initial design. they are almost diametrically opposed. Sketchup: EASY to learn, lot's of general design capability, very good for early conceptual design where you don't have to be precise to a fraction of an inch.... not so great at complex curves like cars or shoes, not incredibly precise, inexpensive Revit: HARD to learn, limited general "design" as in, messing around and designing various options...not good for early conceptual design work (unless you are REEEALLLLY GOOD), complex curves require advanced knowledge,, incredibly expensive Note that SketchUp, while owned by Google, was good, and generally free. The paid version (Pro) allowed you to do three main things that the free one didn't. 1. Import and export DWG files 2. Import JPEG 3. Use the companion program Layout, which gets your drawings to proper scales on proper titleblocks. Now...the new owner, Trimble, has replaced the free version (formerly called Make) with an online web-browser-based on that is absolute crap. It's really just a dumb kids toy now. You have to pay $600 for the pro version. that being said, I love sketchup. there are a bunch of apps (they call Extensions) that do various extra things that the base program doesn't do inherently The Great Big Jig in the Sky...Shine on you crazy diamond jig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuvenileTortoise Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 I use AutoCAD/AutoCAD MEP at work (mechanical contractor) now and used Creo and SolidWorks during my schooling. The company is more than likely switching over to Revit soon too. Like someone else said, it depends on what you want from the software. SketchUp is okay but I think you'll be pretty limited to what you can model from it (or maybe not but I don't use it enough to say that with certainty). Fusion 360 is my suggestion. I use Fusion360 at home for my projects/designs. Pretty intuitive, free and provides FEA and CAM add-ons. I'm even machining something for my car that I designed in Fusion360 later today at my uncle's house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HillTop Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 Use both Solidworks and Fusion 360 at work, though Fusion 360 only for CAM since I'm currently using the free version. Will be paying the subscription price once the free trial runs out. Love Solidworks and Fusion both. Many tutorials online to help you learn. Can't go wrong with either. HT Currently have aphasia. Aphasia is a result of my head stroke causing a bleed. Happened in my Maine vacation in July (2021). Lucky me less than 1% of people get stroke aphasia. I'm making project but have been told this is easily 5 months to 1 year for this to improve. Until then hope you don't mind making sense with what I text. HT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viceversa10 Posted February 7, 2019 Report Share Posted February 7, 2019 (edited) Use to do 3d design for Sikorsky before Lockheed took over and we used Catia v5. Very powerful design program, kinda expensive to buy a license though. Same people who make solidworks As others have said though fusion 360 is free and pretty decent. Edited February 7, 2019 by Viceversa10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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