Re: cad software

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Message: 11
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2000 10:50:41 +0100
From: Andrew Werby <drewid@...>
Subject: Re: cad software

"Patrick Huss" <patrick@...>wrote:
Subject: cad software

I have been reading the thread about cad software and I think it might be
important to note that there are several kinds of 3d software that really
serve very different industries. 3d modelling software, such as 3d studio,
blender, and softimage, are made for rendering, animation and video game
creation/playing, they were not designed for manufacturing at all. They are
multimedia only. The learning curve on these is as long as any software
could possibly be, especially Blender.
The various other software mentioned in the thread ARE made with
manufacturing in mind. Some, such as Rhino, have decent rendering
capabilities, as mcneel recognizes that presentation and collaboration go
hand in hand with manufacturing. [btw anyone who doesn't like the rhino
interface - you can customize the interface very easily]

[Rhino's built-in renderer is rather primitive, actually, but they are
working on a better one, which they will be selling as a separate module.
If you buy the current version, you'll be able to use it for a while as a
beta, but then you'd have to pay for it.]

>>Pat's reply>> Yes, primitive and decent enough for anything an hsm would

need it for.


I use Rhino AND I use solidEdge origin, for most of my work. I output
parasolid files from both to featurecam for gcode.

[Could you tell us a bit about FeatureCam? Does it require parasolid input,
or just prefer it? ]

>>Pat's reply>> Actually I had to purchase an additional plug-in for

parasolid import. This was worth it in order to make full use of the solid
model work I've been doing with SolidEdge Origin, which outputs parasolid
files, not iges. Featurecam will import iges, dxf, ezmill, and a few others,
but I have never needed to use anything but parasolid( *.x_t, *.x_b ). I
would say that it prefers parasolid because it is using the parasolid kernel
and parasolid files will transfer 'features' created in another software.
I'll be honest, featurecam wouldn't be my first choice (that would be
mastercam$$$) for cam software, but I have been able to get it to do
everything I've needed, sometimes jumping through hoops. As a sculptor, I
find that I don't use much of the feature recognition stuff which is really
the main selling point of the software. One thing that I have been impressed
with, but I hopefully won't need to use again for a while, is the post
processor 'wizard'. This uses a gui to walk you through creating a new post
processor. Every cam software should include something like this.




As someone pointed out
Rhino has incredible file format control and I wouldn't hesitate to pay
$500. for that alone. As I work at a university, I am eligible for the
educational version, so Rhino cost me considerably less than $500. I believe
anyone who is taking a course at a tech school or some equivalent is
eligible for the discount. IF that is the case, it would be worth it for
someone to pay a couple of hundred for a class and still get the software
for less than the asking price.

[Unfortunately, they require you to be a full-time student or faculty
member; taking- or even teaching- one class doesn't qualify you for the
academic discount.]


If anyone HAS used blender to produce machinable surfaces please email me
and indicate what software you used to read the surfaces and what file
format did you use to transfer from blender to your cam software. I would be
willing to bet money that noone has been able to do this.

Patrick Huss

[Last I saw, Blender was able to export animations, but nothing machinable.
Has anybody found any of these free programs to be useful for this? ]

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com


Andrew Werby - United Artworks
Sculpture, Jewelry, and Other Art Stuff
http://unitedartworks.com