www.robowars.org

RoboWars Australia Forum Index -> Technical Chat

CAD software


Post new topic   Reply to topic
  Author    Thread
kkeerroo
Experienced Roboteer


Joined: 17 Jun 2004
Posts: 1459
Location: Brisbane


 Reply with quote  
CAD software

I'm looking for new CAD package. I have previously been using SolidWorks 2000 which I "aquired" form a friend at Uni which I was using to design all my robots, but when I upgraded my computer and installed Windows XP, SolidWorks would refuse to run and reinstall due to XP changing some processor settings or something. I'm not even thinking of calling SolidWorks for help due to the origon of the SolidWorks CD. So anyone got any ideas were I can get a full 3d modelling package for very little money.
Now I don't won't people calling out any old CAD package. I've done a 6 month uni subject on 3d modeling with Solidworks, 12 month TAFE corse using AutoCAD and I work professionally with AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor. So I only want the good stuff.
Where did MYTQK get his copy of SolidWorks? And the FEA add-on?
Anyone else looked at the free trial for IronCAD at http://www.ironcad.com
?
_________________
Get Some!!!

Secretary of the Queensland Robotics Sports Club inc.

Post Thu Aug 12, 2004 1:29 pm 
 View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
colin



Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 102


 Reply with quote  

Anyone used unigraphics?

(sorry to piggyback off your thread)

Post Thu Aug 12, 2004 6:47 pm 
 View user's profile Send private message
mytqik



Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 127


 Reply with quote  

My company owns the Solidworks that I use. The FEA package is approx 15k along with the solidworks licence of about 12k. That does not include updates or tech support. My company also have a number of add ins which come to a total of about 200k!!!!!!! This includes mechanical libraries, gas flow analysis & electrical design software. No wonder the software companies are making so much money.

The difference between Inventer & Solidworks is minimal, bit like the same car with the cigarette lighter in a different spot. They basically do the same thing. I beleive that Solidworks have more add in packages, there by making it a more well rounded package. Any 3d package works well for doing robots, having said that, if you have the skill, you can use a stand alone autocad package to do the 3d, however it is much harder than solidworks, as 3d in autocad is done with wireframes & a UCS, not sketch planes.

The downside with any 3d solid modeller is the computer that it runs on. If you notice that any demonstration is always done with only a few parts. This is because the files sizes get massive very quickly as the number of parts increase & the computer requirements are extreme. My desktop in China was a twin proceesor, 4GB Ram, Twin Raid 1+0 hard drives & I would regularly crash it. I could open a full assembly & go and make a cup of coffee to wait for it to load, as files sizes 50Mb+ are not uncommon.

I haven't used unigraphics, what platform does that run on??

Kkeerroo, email me if you want to chat about solidworks in detail, without boring everyone here.

Post Thu Aug 12, 2004 8:07 pm 
 View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
colin



Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 102


 Reply with quote  

i don't really know much about it. its the standard package at work, just wondering what other people thought of it

Post Thu Aug 12, 2004 8:31 pm 
 View user's profile Send private message
mytqik



Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 127


 Reply with quote  

Unigraphics is a high end application, it competes with Pro-E, Catia & other such applications. Definately out of my league. It is amazing what can be done with it, but also an amazing price tag.

I would love to have a crack at using it, however as with most packages, it would take at least a month to feel comfortable with it & a year to get fluent with it. I would like a employer that would pay for it, but my current company uses solidworks, so that is what I am stuck with.

Post Thu Aug 12, 2004 9:28 pm 
 View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Totaly_Recycled
Experienced Roboteer


Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 1346


 Reply with quote  

mm 15 to 20 $k just to draw a picture of my bot s .. i think i will stick to my trusty pencil set square and ruler lol

Post Thu Aug 12, 2004 10:21 pm 
 View user's profile Send private message
mytqik



Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 127


 Reply with quote  

true, 15-20K seems excessive for drawing a 1k robot (being generous, maybe Nicks Ti bot), commercialy the software easily pays for itself in one job. It allows a drafting office to run with less employes & the accuracy is 1000% better than what is possible with the same number of staff in the same time using pencil & paper.

My lastest software has cut design & detailling of steelwork from an average of 4weeks per job, down to less than 2. That means the 10k I paid for it was repaid within the first month. After that I am approx 10k per month in front. So I can now either choose to double my output, or have twice as much lesure time. Not that sounds like a good investment to me.

While I may bitch about the excessive price of software, if it provides results & I can see a tangable difference, then I am more than happy for fork out for the latest & greatest software.

Post Fri Aug 13, 2004 2:39 am 
 View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
kkeerroo
Experienced Roboteer


Joined: 17 Jun 2004
Posts: 1459
Location: Brisbane


 Reply with quote  

I'd believe all that.
One thing I'm really hunting down at the moment is some way of converting my SolidWorks part and Assembly files into either STEP or maybe even IGES format so when I do get a 3D CAD program back on my computer I can access all the parts I've already created. Its mainly parts from my standard parts file I want at the moment, where I have models for 12V drills and cordless screw driver motors, RS-540, RS-550 and RS-775 motors, W/W motors of different sizes, batteries, wheels and any other parts that I've used in more then one robot. There are also other parts I want because I lost the bits of paper I scribbled the ideas on, such as the Huntsman shuffle legs, the clamping mechanism I want to add to my claws and even a very rough plan for a perpetual motion machine (it'll work, I'm sure of it).
_________________
Get Some!!!

Secretary of the Queensland Robotics Sports Club inc.

Post Fri Aug 13, 2004 1:53 pm 
 View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
mytqik



Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 127


 Reply with quote  

In Solidworks, for the IGES or STEP file format, simply open each individual part & then file save as either file format. I have tried it with assemblies, but it doesn't work as well & I have had some reliability issues as well.

Cant speak for inventer but I would assume the process would be very similar.

I would recomend also save as a ACIS (*.sat) file as well. Many different programs will accept this file format. EG Micro-strand for FEA.

Post Fri Aug 13, 2004 6:08 pm 
 View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
  Display posts from previous:      

Forum Jump:
Jump to:  

Post new topic   Reply to topic
Page 1 of 1


Forum Rules:
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

 

Last Thread | Next Thread  >
Powered by phpBB: © 2001 phpBB Group
millenniumFalcon Template By Vereor.