Simpler the Better -what do you use?

To those of you that had been happily using CAD systems that were 10 or 20 years old and then had to give them them up when they were no longer compatible with the latest version of your operating systems, have you considered installing a virtual machine.

A virtual machine is a software implementation of a computer that runs its own operating system and programs independent from the host machine.

One such virtual machine is VirtualBox, which I have been using for a number of years. It is available as a free download and will run under Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. This has allowed me to continue to run my old programs on old operating systems.

One advantage I find with running anything over 10 years old, is there is no compulsion for the operating system/programs to call home at every opportunity, so no screen messages telling me that what I am running is out of date and needs updating.

Ron

This is why I like ViaCAD - it is one of the few programs that will import almost every variant of DXF cleanly and is compatible with many of 'the big boys' because of its ACIS modelling kernel.

As for the help files, well there are better out there, but I managed to get the hang of most functions without too much hassle, although it does depend on how complex the thing is you want to achieve.

Any imported 2d stuff will extrude and revolve to create solids as well.

Martin.

Martin, sending you a Pm in a few minutes

Can anyone give me a link to a 'test' DXF file to test the import on this programme?

> they have a tooth difference of 5 teeth.

Sounds like my Dad's mouth... before he got his false teeth.

Neil

Edited By Stub Mandrel on 29/12/2013 11:34:23

Try this link to my Skydrive

Martin.

For a solid to extrude from a 2D shape it must be an enclosed area (a perimeter if you like) or the 3D system will "extrude thin" if it has that ability when it will accept the line/lines as an open ended "shape" and give it an arbitrary thickness. This happens with sheet metal parts in the more expensive systems and you only want to draw the basic shape of a sheet part rather than draw a thin section etc.

The problems start when the DXF import does not contain joined up parts (usually due to the original software not being very thorough with the geometry) and the importing 3D system does not "merge" the end points very well - often due to the import settings not being adequately understood.

So in summary, if you have trouble importing DXF and then extruding the 2d shapes, it is either the conversion was poor or the import settings need attention - if it really is a software conflict, the 2D will not import in the first place due to blocks or other 2D shortcuts!

Mark

Overlaps (a line wholly or partly on top of another line) are another very common cause of the failure to extrude/revolve that Mark C mentions. These can be quite tricky to spot. The overlapping lines don't cause any problem in 2D, in 3D the software simply doesn't understand them.

Thanks Martin,

It imports, but I'm not sure if what I get is what you intend!

Neil

Yes David, overlaps (duplicate lines) are a real problem, when I get these I normally abandon the import and resort to other methods (usually tracing over the geometry) and doing something akin to a raster import.... The other problem are poly splines instead of true arc geometry!

Mark

It should look like a 14 toothed gear wheel, with spokes and a circle around it.

Martin

Martin, it does and it contains 756 individual entities (lines)!

Mark

I use Solidworks which is a full 3D modelling package. I have been using it for many years in my job and now for my own entertainment. I can produce 3Dmodels on request for any part or mechanism.

Hi Martin, for some reason I don't see one side of each spoke

Thanks

Neil