Best Cad for learning?

[daveimi]

As above really, want to have a go at learning to draw stuff up so I can send it off for cnc. Wondered which software was easy to learn, which file formats the cnc companies use and anything to be aware of i.e. it's really hard don't bother lol. What do you all use and was it hard to learn? Any software better for certain things etc.?

[harry hills]

Inventor 2014. Interfaces can be pretty clunky but it does everything. Free too for students, although everything is free on the internet.

[Ellis]

+1 Autodesk Inventor. It's a very steep learning curve (vertical, really) if you're coming from pen/paper, but it's worth it. There is an immense amount of help online. And you can get it legitimately.

The other option in the same league is Solidworks, which is just as powerful and just as challenging. It's just personal preference that I use Inventor.

I could suggest you start with something more straightforward, like Sketchup, but you will just have to learn the higher end software later on instead of straight off. I did this, as it happens. Might as well cut out the middleman.

[suvv]

i can see me looking into this aswell does it allow you to send stuff to be 3d printed /?

[Shakey]

Any 3D program that can produce an .stl (.obj and .dae for shapeways aswell) file is able to 3D print so it should be able to.

[Ellis]

It can allow you to do pretty much anything!

[daveimi]

Thanks for the help, my fabrication skills are a bit so so and want to move over to cnc etc. to build something nicer. I just finished my degree and am bored lol so it'll give me summat to learn

[typhoon_driver]

Never used inventor. Currently using solidworks, previously used pro engineer. Each program is much the same for the basic modelling tools just different interfaces so really, once you've learned one, you've learned the basics for em all.

[Eventorizon]

I have used Solidworks for 7 years at school and university and now I use Inventor every day at work, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Put simply, both have advantages and disadvantages. Solidworks is more helpful and predictive, giving you what you want automatically 99% of the time but that last 1% can be a pain. Inventor, you have to tell it exactly what you want, that takes longer and can get repetitive/annoying but you get exactly what you want each time.

As mad as it may seem, download both and then see which you prefer. A good way to do this would be to sketch out a robot and then draw it in both software packages.

Off the top of my head, Solidworks is great for any machines that are primarily waterjet cut or CNC's before being bolted together as you can make every part in the same model, as separate bodies, and then separate them when it comes too having each part machined. For example, Conker 3's chassis is all one Part in SW with multiple bodies for the 3 Alu bulkheads and each Titanium plate. Binky is the same with each panel that makes up the armour being a separate body which are all derived from one set of core sketches. SW's sketching and modelling is much easier IMO, it will let you snap to anything; pretty much, lets you select any set of areas or contours when extruding/cutting and will even zoom in on what is wrong if something fails. SW's assembly is also easier to use IMO as you have more options when constraining parts and it gives you a preview where as inventor doesn't.

Inventor wont let you have multiple bodies in a part which means you have to make each part individually with no reference and then put it together in an assembly. Even at work where whole machines have 500+ parts they are all done on their own and then put together, any discrepancies have to be changed manually. However Inventors Sheet Metal functions are much more powerful and intuitive than SW so if your machine is going to be bent out of just 3 or 4 pieces of sheet metal and then welded together, Inventor will make it a cinch. Inventor also has a more powerful mechanism designer; Pulley, Chain, pneumatics, hydraulics and Gear designing tools, great for complex designs and machines.

Overall, I think Inventor is technically the better software but unless you are designing a Jumbo Jet or Drag Line digger from scratch Solidworks will do the job and be much easier when doing it.

PS: Sorry for the monolog

[daveimi]

Thanks for the info. I design server networks for a living so am hoping I'll get into it quick lol (famous last words). So the general consensus is a 50 50 split. Thank you for taking the time to outline them both it's a big help. What file formats does cad software commonly save as?

[typhoon_driver]

they typically save in their own proprietary formats however there are a number of formats that can be passed between although some data will likely be lost. If you are 3D printing you want to be saving in STL

[daveimi]

Ok that's cool. So I'm I being dead naive or is it a case of drawing out what you want and sending it off to somewhere to be cut etc.?

[harry hills]

Remember, just because something is drawn up in CAD, doesn't mean its well designed and by the same logic, just because a part has been CNC milled or turned doesn't mean it will be good.

[daveimi]

good point lol

[Revsmin]

I agree with Haz, I recommend that you make a to scale wooden model of the CAD before proceeding with fabrication just in case anything doesn't fit correctly etc. And remember to factor in room for wiring! Almost caught me out on multiple occasions :P