3D CAD Tips

3D CAD Tips

PTC shipping mobile apps with 10.1 release of Windchill

It’s a foregone conclusion that mobile computing is changing the way people work. If CAD and PLM vendors want to be relevant in the future, they need to address the mobile market. PTC has been working on mobile apps for some time now, and is set to deliver its first generation with the 10.1 release of Windchill, in March. In a phone call today, David Blair, VP of Product Management for PTC, provided some background on PTC’s mobile plans. The company is delivering first... Read More

Should you buy your CAD software—or rent?

CAD software isn’t cheap. A mainstream 3D CAD program will set you back thousands of dollars upfront, and a bunch more in annual maintenance charges. The cost can be daunting. But what if there was a way to spread it out, and pay as you go? Rental: An idea that’s been tried. A dozen years or so ago, a relatively new CAD vendor, Think3, started offering their CAD software on a monthly rental basis. It was an intriguing idea, but it would have worked better had Think3′s... Read More

Electromagnetic design tool provides short route to motor perfection

Cobham’s Machines Environment introduced a new level of user friendliness when it was launched by providing a design entry system that allows precision FEA models of motors and generators to be created and solved in minutes. The 2D version of the software has now been integrated with Cobham’s optimization tool which automatically finds the optimal solution within a design space – even for multiple or competing design objectives.The software is an application-specific... Read More

Should you buy an expensive graphics card?

You already know the answer to this question. If you’re perfectly happy with the graphics performance of your CAD system, then the answer is “no.” If you’d like faster, smoother, or more realistic graphics on your system, then the answer is “yes.” The term “expensive graphics card” might be troubling to GPU suppliers such as Nvidia and AMD. Yet, it is probably more accurate than, for example, “high-performance graphics card.” For many years, all graphics... Read More

SpaceClaim: Sheet metal design for pirates?

Let this be a warning to all CAD vendors: Don’t encourage your application engineers to “be creative and have fun.” You might end up with product videos such as this one:All seriousness aside, SpaceClaim does have compelling sheet metal tools for people other than pretend pirates. And, unlike some older CAD programs, SpaceClaim is relatively fun to use – probably because it doesn’t make you “walk the plank” to get your job done. What this video alludes... Read More

High-tech tools for a cool ride

When Marcus Hays first heard about an electric bike, he was less than enthusiastic. Why load a bike with battery weight, turning the human motor into passenger in the process? That was 1995 and Hays was working with Lee Iococca to develop electric cars and bikes.Electric bikes use less than 1,000 watts of total power and can be used on bike paths. When Hays first encountered these hybrid vehicles, most models were imported from a variety of countries. They relied on an injection... Read More

Guitar maker speeds design process

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is a leading manufacturer of stringed instruments, including electric, acoustic, and bass guitars as well as guitar amplifiers. While the company handcrafted guitars and used 2D AutoCAD design tools for many years, the 2002 acquisition of the JACKSON guitar brand brought more complex geometry challenges that required 3D design technology to drive manufacturing.Fender chose SolidWorks CAD software – first deployed on the JACKSON and FENDER... Read More

Athletic gear gets muscle

Concept2, the world leader in rowing exercise equipment, uses KeyCreator software to design and develop its complete line of indoor rowers and oars, including the recently introduced Model E and the popular Concept2 ‘Model D’ rowing machine – voted  “Most Innovative Fitness Product” by Health Magazine. Concept2 rowing exercise equipment is used by 99% of the rowing clubs and school rowing teams throughout the world.Concept2 was founded by Dick... Read More

Giant sculpture created in 3D CAD

Whether they need a reminder that they’re late or welcome a distraction from the hassle of modern travel, visitors to Sacramento’s International Airport will not miss Denver-based artist Lawrence Argent’s Leap sculpture. Completed recently in the new Corgan Associates-designed Terminal B, the 56-foot-long red rabbit is suspended mid-jump in the building’s three-story central atrium. An oversize “vortical suitcase” placed in the baggage claim below completes the piece.... Read More

Michigan Autonomous Aerial Vehicle robots take flight

Danny Ellis was first introduced to CAD in high school with a course in Autodesk Inventor. As he advanced into the engineering program at the University of Michigan, he was introduced to CATIA.“In between my freshman and sophomore years, I became irritated at how cumbersome it was to rotate a model using a traditional mouse. I thought I could get a trackball mouse and program it so when I rotate the mouse it rotates the part on screen. That’s when I came across 3Dconnexion.... Read More

Siemens PLM

Should you buy your CAD software—or rent?

CAD software isn’t cheap. A mainstream 3D CAD program will set you back thousands of dollars upfront, and a bunch more in annual maintenance charges. The cost can be daunting. But what if there was a way to spread it out, and pay as you go? Rental: An idea that’s been tried. A dozen years [...]

Pro/Engineer

Analysis linked to CAD

Comsol’s latest update to its flagship multiphysics software Comsol 4.2a includes enhanced LiveLink capability. The new associativity to between Comsol and Creo packages means any changes to a feature in the Creo CAD model automatically updates the geometry in Comsol Multiphysics while retaining physics settings. All parameters specified in Creo can be interactively linked with [...]

SolidWorks

Guitar maker speeds design process

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is a leading manufacturer of stringed instruments, including electric, acoustic, and bass guitars as well as guitar amplifiers. While the company handcrafted guitars and used 2D AutoCAD design tools for many years, the 2002 acquisition of the JACKSON guitar brand brought more complex geometry challenges that required 3D design technology to [...]

Catia

Michigan Autonomous Aerial Vehicle robots take flight

Danny Ellis was first introduced to CAD in high school with a course in Autodesk Inventor. As he advanced into the engineering program at the University of Michigan, he was introduced to CATIA. “In between my freshman and sophomore years, I became irritated at how cumbersome it was to rotate a model using a traditional [...]