CAD systems

[leo-rcc]

Thats how I do it too, only I use Lightwave instead of 3ds max.

It gives me the general idea, but its not a tool to make designs to send straight into the CNC machines.



This is a small cut and paste of the modeler screen, if I want i can render it in various settings, like 3DS does.

[peterwaller]

While these three D packages produce nice rendered pictures I dont find them very useful. I need dimensions and views to allow me to make the component parts so they fit together and also fit in the 4 inch cube.
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n66/ ... efiant.jpg
I use DesignCAD 3D MAX which can do all the clever 3D stuff but I normally use it in 2D mode.

[leo-rcc]

3d packages are just as precise as normal cad programs, so you can input dimensions (obviously, how else would you ever get your models to scale with others?). What they dont have is a calculator for weights and stuff like that, but to see if a robot would fit in a cube, that will work just as wel in 3ds and lightwave as it would in Autocad and Solidworks.

[Flippt]

I use Solidsworks aswell, it got such cool features. (and I belive you've seen my CADs on the other threads)

Gary, you need to be serious if you want to win

[EpicentrE]

3d packages are just as precise as normal cad programs, so you can input dimensions (obviously, how else would you ever get your models to scale with others?). What they dont have is a calculator for weights and stuff like that, but to see if a robot would fit in a cube, that will work just as wel in 3ds and lightwave as it would in Autocad and Solidworks.

Leo is right, all my designs in 3DS start with a set of lines making up a 4 inch cube, then I import whatever components it is I'm going to be using (that I've premade) and work from there. Also, it is possible to do weight in 3DS, there is a tool that tells you the volume of whatever peice you have selected, so you just multiply this by the mass and voila. Although I do agree engineering-based 3D programs do give better graphical output when it comes to dimensions etc, I do fine with 3DS. I just drag whatever part it is im working on out of the rest of the model, zoom in on it, and then work out the sizes from the background grid. In the end I guess it's just what your used too.

[Cavecrusher]

the new DBA (codename: DBA Evil) had her frame build using 3d printer technology, which needed a 3D STL file, the disk designed for waterjetcutting, all things that need a 3D software program, altough the disk could be designed in autocad or some other 2D program.