Re: Cad software

cs

I have used Blender on and off for several years to learn 3D
modeling. I have tried it for CAD solid modeling but it lacks several
key features for Solid modeling use.

First it has no easy way to accuratly dimension any feature. So if
you want to make a 3.254 diameter wheel, you would end up taking you
best shot by hand and then scaling it to get final dimensions. The
dialogs to rescale are not convenient.

Sencond there is very little info presented on the detailed size of
objects. 3D modeling ( unlike solid modeling) seems to not care
about absolute dimensions but about relative ones, so you see if one
thing is "bigger" than another on the screen. You don't tend to look
at object dimensions numerically. To do so is tedious in the menu
system.

The user interface is very cryptic but once you get used to it it is
very productive. But you need the manuals ( or the video tutorials)
to get anywhere. Those are availiable and cheap.

All this said it is an amazing program. It can export into a variety
of 3D formats STL being one of them. So in theory you could get an
output file that could be converted to gcode.

I created a few 3-D files of Model locomotive wheels, exported them
to stl and used IMS services free 30 day trial stl to gcode converter.
I never fabricated the parts but it seemed to work.

not easy or intuitive though.

Now that it is an open source project there might be someone
interested in appylin a few tools to the user interface to assist in
solid modeling. Perhaps post on the Blender news group and ask if
someone is trying to do that. The modeling power and export is
there... Just lacks a few tools.

Contact me offlist if you want more info:

daveland at nni dot com

Dave


--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, Codesuidae <codesuidae@c...>
wrote:

> I'm curious if anyone has tried using the Blender modeler for

produce

> DXF's to feed to a CAM program?
>
> Its a high-quality, free, open source 3D package thats focused

around

> producing 3D graphics, so it has a well-developed modeling

interface

> (and of course it has advanced rendering capabilities too). Since

I've

> never used commercial CAD programs (other than electronics-related)

I'm

> not sure what features a modeling interface should have as far as
> supporting engineering requirememnts, but given the price (nothing)

and

> my needs (hobbiest), I'm inclined to give it a go and see if I can

make

> it produce acceptable models.
>
> cs