What CAD do you use

[RoboChan]

What CAD do you use?? My school has autodesk inventer and i love it but i dont have $7000 for it at home.

[Metal Slug 2]

Theres a whole bunch of forum posts on which CAD software to use.  For as list of some programs look here:

http://www.societyofrobots.com/robot_parts_list_software.shtml#cad

You can get google sketchup for free.  Its not as advanced as for example autodesk inventor, but it will still get the job done.

[SmAsH]

i would highly recommend google sketchup. Its free, has lots of tutorials and a fair amount of people on this forum use it. sure, it doesn't have all the features of the fancy smancy $7k cad but its still an awesome program to use.

[kpmcgurk]

Autodesk inventor is my CAD of choice also. I am in love with it, and i cant get away from it. I have a full version because I am involved with first robotics. but if you want, you can talk with your teacher, and he/she can give you a link to get a student version for free to use for a year, and then you just get another free licence. Although if school is over for you, that will not really work until next year.

(It will have restrictions like with printing it will have a watermark, but other than that the renders still turn out without watermarks, and there is a way to get rid of the watermarks)

-Kyle

[RoboChan]

ya im in project Project Lead The Way and when im done with high school ill have 6 collage hours befor i get there!! We learn about CAD and princibles of design, just a lot of Engineering. But ill have to wait tell next year to do that student thing.

[sonictj]

Another consideration would be Pro Engineer Wildfire.  I learned on this software.  The benefit is the full version for personal use is only $250 compared to $5000.  You get CAM, FEA, animation, and other features too.  I'm using Solidworks at the moment, and it seems nice, but I don't know of a way of acquiring a cheap permanent copy.

[RoboChan]

How do you test stress on inventor like the one suspension robot.

[guru]

SolidWorks has an educational version too for a low price. I use Solidworks and it's great, but I don't have anything else to really compare. The great thing about CAD now-a-days, the parametric versions anyways, is that you can simulate a lot of things, comes in handy for interference detection. My CNC machine measured identical to my CAD design when completed, it was also *very* close in it's mass calculation too. My new robot, I expect will be the same.

Then there is parametric design, dimensions can inter-relate between parts. Have a problem sourcing a part, then find the closest match, modify the dimensions, rebuild, and watch the other parts adjust to fit...that's of course if you think ahead and design your parts and assemblies properly!

I'm a little new to Solidworks, but "I'm lovin' it!".

C

[SmAsH]

im planning to get solidworks when i build my new pc with better specs.
the only problem i can see is that most people on this forum don't have it so you couldn't share the files

"I'm lovin' it!"

copyright infringement much?