I would like to know if there exists a 3D design CAD software that:
Can be bought on line.
It doesn’t have a steep learning curve for somebody with technical training.
Can present a 3D picture of objects like chests, boxes, turned objects, chairs, etc.
It is for design purposes; not for publication or to show to customers.
The idea is to be able to have an glimpse of what a design will look like if built. The same purpose that a mock-up or a scale model has.
Thank you.
Justo
(It is a Spanish name, if you wonder)
Replies
Don't know what operating system you are running, but there is a very good one available for FREE from the US military. (Development paid for with tax dollars.) You do have to fill out a form and register it to get a key to use it, but it's quite a package for the price. It runs on Unix, Linux and Mac OS X. The description from the site is as follows:
"The BRL-CAD Package is a powerful Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG) solid modeling system. BRL-CAD includes an interactive geometry editor, ray tracing support for rendering and geometric analysis, network distributed framebuffer support, image- processing and signal-processing tools. The entire package is distributed in source code form."
You can get BRL-CAD from the Army Research Laboratory site at:
http://ftp.arl.mil/
A very powerful and also FREE ray tracing engine, by the name of POVRay is also available on the net. If you are running Windows, there is a very powerful modeller (think 3D CAD) called, Moray, that works with POVRay to create stunning results. The modeller is about $60 or $70. POVRay is available for virtually every operating system and other modellers (as well as many other utilities) are available through links from the POVRay site at:
http://www.povray.org
As a crude example of what can be done with POVRay, here is a restaurant scene I started work on sometime back and never finished. I edited the scene description script for POVRay using a plain text editor, no modeller was used. If you don't have a programming or math background, I'd suggest sticking with a modeller. Much more elaborate images can be seen on the POVRay site. (Just check the IRTC - International Ray Trace Competition - page.)
http://home.mindspring.com/~cwdaymon/_uimages/CWDCafe3Small.jpg
The IRTC features 3D images (and animations) created with a number of different programs, but mostly POVRay. Their site is at:
http://www.irtc.org
-Craig
One of the best 3D modeling packages available for the Windows platform is Rhinoceros from Mcneel & Associates (www.mcneel.com). They have an evaluation version available for free download from their web site.
It's fairly simple to learn, has several tutorials available to lead you through the learning process.
This is a true 3D NURBS (Non Rational BSpline) modeling program. If you're not interested in doing a lot of free form design work, it might be overkill. It's not cheap at ~$US900.00 but it's without a doubt the most powerful modeler of its type available at any price.
The rendering application (Flamingo) that's integrated with it does not only ray trace scan line rendering but radiosity lighting models as well for very realistic lighting effects.
I've used it for designing helical stairs and other forms that no other drafting package can come close to even approximating - I'm a long time user of AutoCAD and even its 3D capabilities pale in comparison.
Download a copy and give it a try.
No, I don't work for McNeel & Associates. I just appreciate a good product with great support from the people who produce it.
Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
Thanks CWDAYMON and DENNIS02,
I will give try to the solutions you suggested. I am running windows OS.
Justo
I have been using TurboCAD 3D for about a year, and I have been very happy with it. It costs a few hundred dollars for the professional version that I bought, but it is better than the other packages I have used in the past. I got a discount by asking about a competitive upgrade, since I owned an earlier version of DesignCAD 3D. Let me know if you have any specific questions about the package. I have also attached a couple JPG's that I created from the 3D model of a cradle I designed for my first child.
Did you ever get that cradle built?? I remember you asking a few questions a while back but I don't recall any outcome.
Tom
Thanks for asking... it is almost complete, but unfortunately I missed my deadline. Joshua David Moellenhoff was born on November 28th, which made for a very special Thanksgiving Day. Of course, I was planning on working on the cradle that morning, most of Friday, and most of Saturday, which I thought would get me pretty close. Karen wasn't due until 12/4, but once her water broke just after 3:00 AM on Thursday, there was no turning back. I need to make sure the cradle is plenty sturdy since Joshua weighed in at 9 lbs, 5 oz. My wife was concerned that he was going to be big, but the labor actually went very well. I have found a little time to work on the cradle since Joshua was born, but most of my time has been spent with my family. I hope to finish it before the holidays are over, so he can still use it for a few months before he moves to his crib. At least this way, I can carve a dedication in the bottom including his name and birthdate. I'm sure I will be proud of the cradle when it is complete, but not nearly as proud as I am of the guy who will use it. I will post pictures in the gallery when it is complete.
Craig
Congratulations on the new addition. I also added a member to the family. Jacob Thomas, November 20, and also 9 lbs 5 ounces. Luckily I had already made a crib and cradle when my daughter was born 4 years ago. Of course it wasn't ready quite in time back then but she still got plenty of use out of it. Don't skimp on the family time just to work in the shop, it goes by much to fast.
Tom
Congratulations. From the woodworking family to your family best wishes!!
John Cabot
There is a 3d modeler available for downloading which seems to be quite powerful. It also has included with it a tutorial which really helps to get started. The program will also generate line drawings from a 3d model and dimension them. I haven't used that feature a lot but it does work. The really nice thing about the program is that it will export directly to a jpg file which many cad programs won't do. I've been playing around with it for a month or two and here's a drawing I made for another post on another board to illustrate an idea I had. It's a pic of a stop for repetitive rip cuts. This drawing probably took me about 1/2 hour to do. It would be much faster if I were more adept with the program
http://www2.fwi.com/~krumy/wwhat/stopassembly.jpg
Here are some pics of an inside corner detail I was playing with. The program will display transparent as well as solid, shaded, enhanced and line drawings. It's also possible to rotate drawings for different views.
http://www2.fwi.com/~krumy/wwhat/insidecorner_2.jpg
http://www2.fwi.com/~krumy/wwhat/insidecorner_2a.jpg
http://www2.fwi.com/~krumy/wwhat/insidecorner_2b.jpg
The program can be downloaded at http://ptc.com/ if you're interested.
Steve K.
Edited 12/9/2002 6:42:15 PM ET by krumy
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