Need a good 3D modelling program.

[Xyver]

Hey I was going to get a good computer program and I was wondering what to get.  To the owner of this website, I heard that you have a program called 3D CAD.  Is that actually a program or does it just mean you use a 3D Computer Aided Design program.  I was hoping you would answer, (or anyone else who knows)  What people use out in the real world at job sites and stuff.

[jessman275]

Yeah it probably just mean like what you said. Computer Aided Design ( or Drafting ) . A good program that i have used for many years is Solidworks. I have also used ProE, Catia V4 and V5. They are much more complex than Solidworks. Im not saying that its legal but you can probably find a copy of isohunt or some torrent.

[dunk]

or if you only need basic functionality,
Google Sketchup is free.

dunk.

[devlpr]

It depends on what you are trying to do... I'm in the film industry and we use Maya and Mudbox.   They both have their pros and cons.  What are you trying to model?  CAD or modeling for looks?  Are you going to texture them?  Solidworks is really nice for parametric modeling and creates water tight models(i.e. the seems are very tight and can usually be used on a CNC).  Solidworks allows you to print out blueprints as well which is really nice.  If it's just something to look at then you would want something more like Maya or Mudbox, etc...  Also, do you require animation tools?  Simulations? 

[Xyver]

Well I'm hoping to go to University for a bachelors of mechatronics, and I hope to get a masters and maybe even a doctrite one day.  I'm going to be building stuff so blueprints are the main thing,  animation and textures not so much.  I can get autoCad, my dad says its used industrially for car companies and stuff.

[Joker94]

autocad is great. it has the abilities to make solid parts, sheet metal parts and then go into an assembly window and put them all together very accurately. you can make animations, blue prints of the finished product. i really like it.

[Dont_Taz_Me_Bro]

For my last job, we used Unigraphics.....

I liked it....

SolidWorks is probably most used throughout the engineering world though.

If you know your Torrent sites you can find both pretty easily. Figuring out how to load the software and getting past any licensing issues can be tricky if you've never done it before.

When you referred to AutoCAD did you mean Inventor? I use AutoCAD when I am making structural plans and only am working in a 2-D environment. I believe you can make 3-D objects, but I don't think it's ideal....or maybe I'm just using a really old version.

[Razor Concepts]

I've used Solidworks, Autocad (2d), and Autodesk Inventor (3d version of autocad). I prefer solidworks also, it just gives you more control IMO then Inventor does.

If you do torrent Solidworks, be aware that the guys behind Solidworks are very aware of this and can actually monitor what you make in solidworks - so don't go about making a WMD or some official thing for the government with it 

[Jdog]

I like Auto Desk Inventor myself, and if you are a student it is free.

[Admin]

 

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

Oh, and all my robot files I upload and open source use Inventor . . .

[Xyver]

Auto desk inventor?