On Mon, 05 Sep 2005 18:25:13 GMT, "David Merrill"
wrote:


I'm surprised that no one has mentioned solid modeling CAD software. I
retired a few years ago from large-company engineering where wireframe CAD
has long since given way to solid modeling CAD, which is much easier (as
distinct from easy) to use. It's definitely much easier to visualize the
resulting design. Most of the packages being discussed on this
rec.woodworking thread are the old wireframe CAD. One good reason home
users haven't heard about solid modeling has been cost, which used to run
several $10K's per user and was used on UNIX terminals. More recently,
several software vendors have brought out PC versions which run very well,
given an adequate graphic card (same as required for some games).
Professional versions of these CAD packages still typically cost $500-$2000
but a couple of the vendors have offered 'express' versions of the same or
similar package for free download to schools and home users in the hope that
more widespread familiarity will lead to future sales to the future
employers of these users.


I mentioned that I currently work on AutoDesk Inventor 10, which is a
solid modeling program, and is bundled with AutoDesk Mechanical
Desktop.

At $5000.00 it is a bit dear for most home users. There is a student
edition, available via either yearly subscription or as a permanent
installation.

I would agree that these programs are better for visualization of the
project than a wireframe program but my advice to the OP still stands:
use paper for initial planning and mockups to tune the design.

I think that it is still difficult to judge the visual weight of the
components on a piece on paper, even if you can skin it and light it
and spin it like a top.

We have a number of guys at work who can do photorealistic renderings
but we still have to produce full boat samples for customer approval,
because apparent look and feel are qualitatively different from actual
look and feel.

Were I a hobbiest, with a limited amount of time to devote to my
pursuit of choice, I would not choose to spend a good deal of that
time learning a program that can design spaceships, when all I needed
was something that showed me the relationship of a few, mostly
rectilinear items.

An interesting publishing opportunity would be the production of a
text that would teach those subsets of program functionality that
would provide an aid to woodworking design.

Most texts are more general in their approach and spend too much time
on functions which will not be used in a typical woodworking project.

I've shown a number of builder friends how to use TurboCad (which, in
my experience, beginning with V.3, gives the best bang for the buck)
at a simple level. Basically, I show them how to draw rectangles and
join them together to make traditional 2D elevations, plans and
sections.

This can be done in less than an hour - but I've never seen a book
that told you how to do that.

I'd like to second CW's point about the TurboCad Forum as a resource.
They have a very active and knowledgeable community of users, who seem
to be able to maintain focus on helping other users solve drawing
problems, without a lot of the usual BS.






Tom Watson - WoodDorker
tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (email)
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/ (website)