Author Topic: Best CAD software  (Read 7054 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline macbookTopic starter

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 45
  • Helpful? 0
Best CAD software
« on: June 21, 2009, 12:18:04 AM »
Hey,
I want to know which is the best CAD software for designing and simulating robots. PLz help me.

Offline SmAsH

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,959
  • Helpful? 75
  • SoR's Locale Electronics Nut.
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2009, 01:03:02 AM »
im going to assume that you don't want to pay anything?
i and a fair few people on here use google sketchup and it works great.
if you do want to spend money check out: autodesk inventor and solidworks.
Howdy

Offline macbookTopic starter

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 45
  • Helpful? 0
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2009, 05:07:30 AM »
Ya, I wud love a free of cost CAD software.  ;D
Hmm, i have never used or seen google sketchup. Is simulation also possible in google sketchup? 

Offline SmAsH

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,959
  • Helpful? 75
  • SoR's Locale Electronics Nut.
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2009, 06:00:08 AM »
ehh, i don't think so sorry :-\
im pretty sure you can get simulation in autodesk inventor though...
Howdy

Offline Canabots

  • Contest Winner
  • Robot Overlord
  • ****
  • Posts: 245
  • Helpful? 6
  • It's not a bug, it's a feature!
    • Salmigondis Tech
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2009, 06:41:33 AM »
Actually, simulation is available for Google Sketch-Up. It's called Sketchy Physics. It's more like an add-on to Sketch-up, since when you install it, you can use it while designing.

There aren't many tutorials about it...but there was a forum thread about it a while back...


EDIT: Ah, here it is! http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=5979.0
« Last Edit: June 21, 2009, 06:45:57 AM by Canabots »
My robotics, electronics, software, or other stuff blog:
www.saltech.wordpress.com

Offline macbookTopic starter

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 45
  • Helpful? 0
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2009, 11:32:10 AM »
From where can i download that sketchy physics? Its not there on torrentz. :(

Offline Canabots

  • Contest Winner
  • Robot Overlord
  • ****
  • Posts: 245
  • Helpful? 6
  • It's not a bug, it's a feature!
    • Salmigondis Tech
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #6 on: June 21, 2009, 11:39:42 AM »
My robotics, electronics, software, or other stuff blog:
www.saltech.wordpress.com

Offline SmAsH

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,959
  • Helpful? 75
  • SoR's Locale Electronics Nut.
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #7 on: June 21, 2009, 03:41:11 PM »
 :o and here i was thinking there was no free simulation software that goes with cad!
Howdy

Offline macbookTopic starter

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 45
  • Helpful? 0
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2009, 12:05:59 PM »
Which is better for designing and simulation and which is easier to use? Solidworks or Autodesk inventor?

Offline wil.hamilton

  • Robot Overlord
  • ****
  • Posts: 207
  • Helpful? 6
  • rtfm
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2009, 02:32:38 PM »
neither is very hard to use, i'd say solidworks is slightly better, but thats preference

I've used both, right now I use solidworks b/c i have to use it for school, I've never done any simulation though
use the google.  it's your friend.

Offline semismart

  • Beginner
  • *
  • Posts: 6
  • Helpful? 0
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #10 on: August 06, 2009, 12:06:45 AM »
well ive used autocad for 3 years now in my high schools robotics team and it works great. and from what ive heard from other robotics teams, solid works is a good program too, although it is very unfamiliar to me. but ive tried nearly every free cad program that there is and was very unsatisfied with all of them. you'll find that the free programs dont have command entry and have far less tools, and they also dont have parts libraries. so if your only doing this to get a ruff idea of what your bots going to look like and how its going to be layed out then sketch up or my top pick, emachineshop.com's program will work just fine. but if your doing anything more than look into a program that cost at least a few hundred, and make sure that you try the trial first.

Offline Joker94

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,119
  • Helpful? 26
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #11 on: August 06, 2009, 05:42:46 AM »
sketchup has command entry and part libries

Offline wil.hamilton

  • Robot Overlord
  • ****
  • Posts: 207
  • Helpful? 6
  • rtfm
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #12 on: August 06, 2009, 06:12:43 AM »
i've used sketchup some and found it to be rather good, i couldn;'t draft as fast in it as i could in autocad but that was because i hadn't learned the interface as well. 
i now people who are fast drafting with Pro/E but i can't stand it.  it's all up to preference.  Sketchup has enough features that you would be able to do just about any robot design in it

i'm not sure however if it allows for parametric modelling which could be an issue, but, with all the plugins it has, it might be able to.
use the google.  it's your friend.

Offline Joker94

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,119
  • Helpful? 26
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #13 on: August 06, 2009, 06:18:23 AM »
i use it and it takes some getting used to.

Offline wil.hamilton

  • Robot Overlord
  • ****
  • Posts: 207
  • Helpful? 6
  • rtfm
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #14 on: August 06, 2009, 06:21:09 AM »
i use it and it takes some getting used to.

any CAD software does, when i first started using solidworks all of my previous experience was in autocad and inventor, i'm still not used to solidworks though i am getting better (when i was using autocad i was using it everyday, i only use solidworks a couple days a month)
use the google.  it's your friend.

Offline macbookTopic starter

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 45
  • Helpful? 0
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #15 on: August 06, 2009, 06:22:33 AM »
I found skektchup quite confusing. I am using inventor and I find it more user friendly than solidworks and sketchup.

Offline Joker94

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,119
  • Helpful? 26
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #16 on: August 06, 2009, 04:45:33 PM »
i hope you should see a difference in inventor to sketchup, inventor is way better, just look at the price tag

hundred of dollars    =     free

Offline nagycnc

  • Beginner
  • *
  • Posts: 5
  • Helpful? 0
    • nagycnc
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #17 on: August 06, 2009, 06:01:47 PM »
If you want free sw try Alibre Xpress. It's a good tool if you want to learn solid modeling basics. You can do very basic interference simulations but no motion.

Offline matt liao

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 19
  • Helpful? 0
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #18 on: August 07, 2009, 12:30:44 AM »
So many 3d softwares are suitable for you, such as UG, PRO/E, Solidwork, CATIA, but they are not free, very expendsive, some companies may buy them.

Offline Joker94

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,119
  • Helpful? 26
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #19 on: August 07, 2009, 02:27:25 AM »
is Alibre design express a free down load and if so can you provide a link, just to try it out. It would greatly appreciated

Offline nagycnc

  • Beginner
  • *
  • Posts: 5
  • Helpful? 0
    • nagycnc
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #20 on: August 07, 2009, 11:40:20 AM »
Here is the link for the free version of Alibre.

https://www.alibre.com/Register/RequestInfo.aspx

It’s limited but functional (read the limitations). I’ve upgraded mine to the next version for about $500 but I recall even the free version supports STEP and IGES exports to CAM. If I had the money ($5000?) I’d use Solidworks but Alibre is sufficient for me.
Higher versions does support some motion simulations (it doesn’t do gears) I think it’s around $1000.

Offline sonictj

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 416
  • Helpful? 11
    • Tim's Workshop
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #21 on: August 07, 2009, 12:16:43 PM »
pro engineer wildfire is $250 for personal use.  Its not a bad package though I prefer solidworks.  $250 is the best price I found for cad software of this caliber.  Also if you are a student you can get if for $99 and you can still use it after you graduate.

Offline Joker94

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,119
  • Helpful? 26
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #22 on: August 08, 2009, 04:33:14 AM »
thanks nagycnc ;D

Offline wil.hamilton

  • Robot Overlord
  • ****
  • Posts: 207
  • Helpful? 6
  • rtfm
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #23 on: August 08, 2009, 06:28:34 AM »
if you're a student you can get any of autodesks products for free:
http://students8.autodesk.com/

this includes autoCAD and inventor
use the google.  it's your friend.

Offline Joker94

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,119
  • Helpful? 26
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #24 on: August 08, 2009, 07:46:47 AM »
it dose not work for me as my school has already been registed >:(

Offline wil.hamilton

  • Robot Overlord
  • ****
  • Posts: 207
  • Helpful? 6
  • rtfm
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #25 on: August 09, 2009, 07:43:03 AM »
it dose not work for me as my school has already been registed >:(

what do you mean?  it should work aslong as you have a valid email address from your school, although i could be wrong, i registered over a year ago

you should be able to have multiple people from the same school register.
use the google.  it's your friend.

Offline Joker94

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,119
  • Helpful? 26
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #26 on: August 10, 2009, 02:42:38 AM »
when i filled out the infomation page and clicked submit and it poped up and said "this e-mail has already been reistured"

Offline wil.hamilton

  • Robot Overlord
  • ****
  • Posts: 207
  • Helpful? 6
  • rtfm
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #27 on: August 10, 2009, 07:27:25 AM »
hmm, are you sure you got the email right?

if you did, you could always use the reset password feature and have it email you the password ;)
use the google.  it's your friend.

Offline Joker94

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,119
  • Helpful? 26
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #28 on: August 10, 2009, 05:45:55 PM »
i'll check now :D

Offline Joker94

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,119
  • Helpful? 26
Re: Best CAD software
« Reply #29 on: August 10, 2009, 05:53:02 PM »
this is what it says when i checked again

"Your registration could not be processed because the email address used has already been registered."

 


Get Your Ad Here