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Lew_Merrick_PE:
Richard,
I have been using CAD tools since 1971. I currently go back-and-forth among: CREO/ProEngineer, Geomagic Design, NX, SolidEdge, and SolidWorks (depending on what my customer demands). The question is, What do you want/need to accomplish?
I admit to being a partisan for Geomagic Design. It is, relative to the other programs I named, inexpensive, simple to use, easy to customize, and more powerful than most people realize. On the downside (which is true of all CAD products), it has not really caught up with the nature of (mechanical) design development in recent years. The greatest "issues" with it is that many otherwise wonderfully conceptual tools get tossed in without the deliberation they deserve and then are not brought back up to polish them to fit. [This may be said of most CAD products as well.]
On the other hand, were price no object whatsoever (yeah, sure, you betcha), SolidEdge would be my personal choice. [Just to be clear.]
As I said, the question is, What do you want/need to accomplish?
tramp92:
I know it is expensive but Solidworks would be my choice. I appreciate the software can seem pedantic to say the least when you start but after a while the reasons for it become clear. It is all about the actual intent of the design, not just modelling it.
I did have quite a play with the free version of PTC Creo. That seemed to work well.
John Stevenson:
I read the original poster as needing something simple like Cut2D ?
In which case simple usually goes with cheap so anyone offering Solid Works as advise is on to a hiding.
If the OP wants 2D CAD which contrary to popular opinion and regurgitated again and again, 2D CAD is still alive and kicking and for many things like a quick toolpath is far quicker than doing a model them getting the drawing off the model.
Plenty of free 2D programs out there, Draftsight and the solid edge 2D version is also free.
Good news on the 3D scene is that for small users there are a couple of free programs.
Onshape is a browser based free 3D CAD system from the original writers of Solid Works.
Autodesk Fusion 360 is also free for small users or home shop and has a 3D CAM package built in.
These two have only recently come about so expect some big changes in the 3D CAD/ CAM market over the months to come.
sparky961:
--- Quote from: John Stevenson on April 03, 2015, 04:54:21 PM ---If the OP wants 2D CAD which contrary to popular opinion and regurgitated again and again, 2D CAD is still alive and kicking and for many things like a quick toolpath is far quicker than doing a model them getting the drawing off the model.
--- End quote ---
You raise some good points here, and perhaps it is quicker - initially. That's where the "parametric" part comes into play. I have yet to use a decent 2D CAD program that takes changes into account. Most are based around the AutoCAD model, which seems to be more focused on one-time entry of a drawing rather than making inevitable changes easier. Really, how hard is it to let me change the length of a line, or move a line with connected lines remaining connected? How about all the other lines that are connected to it, plus that radius that needs to change now? Use some 2D el-cheap-o program to do this and not only do you spend way more time than you need to, but you end up with a bunch of disjoint line segments instead of connected paths.
I think it's pretty funny how Dassault Systems snubbed AutoDesk by essentially putting a free AutoCAD out there for everyone to use. It was kind of like saying "Oh, this thing? It has no real value".
Do I use 2D? Yes. I use MasterCAM's built-in editor for lathe toolpaths, CorelDraw for more serious editing of curves and more detailed items, and DraftSight for making quick tweaks to existing DXF's. But for any real designing - even a flat sheet metal part, it's always a 3D parametric model. I'm not a gambling man, but I'd be rich if I were to bet that design you thought was set in stone is about to change.
And yes, perhaps this doesn't quite answer the OP's question, but when when someone uninformed or naive (in the innocent sense) asks a question, they often don't know enough to ask it completely. And, as many have already astutely mentioned, CAD software is a tool and what's right for one may not be right for another.
I always think this is a fun discussion to have because it often brings to light the new product offerings, plus what has been rendered obsolete.
mattinker:
--- Quote from: John Stevenson on April 03, 2015, 04:54:21 PM ---Good news on the 3D scene is that for small users there are a couple of free programs.
Onshape is a browser based free 3D CAD system from the original writers of Solid Works.
Autodesk Fusion 360 is also free for small users or home shop and has a 3D CAM package built in.
These two have only recently come about so expect some big changes in the 3D CAD/ CAM market over the months to come.
--- End quote ---
I always follow this kind of thread looking for new software. Thanks John for the two programs you site, they look interesting!
Regards, Matthew
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