......is a pioneering 3D software. RS are giving it away for free, for some
reason.

Might be useful to someone -

https://uk.rs-email.com/pub/cc?_ri_=...blRJ38DXe-Nrmg.

http://designspark.com/eng/page/mechanical

On 18/09/13 09:43, bm wrote:
.....is a pioneering 3D software. RS are giving it away for free, for
some reason.

Might be useful to someone -

https://uk.rs-email.com/pub/cc?_ri_=...blRJ38DXe-Nrmg.


http://designspark.com/eng/page/mechanical

does it run on LInux?


--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

The Natural Philosopher explained on 18/09/2013 :
On 18/09/13 09:43, bm wrote:
.....is a pioneering 3D software. RS are giving it away for free, for some
reason.

Might be useful to someone -

https://uk.rs-email.com/pub/cc?_ri_=...blRJ38DXe-Nrmg.


http://designspark.com/eng/page/mechanical

does it run on LInux?

Apparently not - win32 and win64 only.

Odd they describe it as mechanical CAD, but the site seems to use
electrical/electronics graphics.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
does it run on LInux?

Installs under Wine, but requires .NET. I can't be bothered to do the
necessary hoop-jumping to get Mono set up right now.

Theo

Theo Markettos wrote:
Installs under Wine, but requires .NET. I can't be bothered to do the
necessary hoop-jumping to get Mono set up right now.

Been having a little play (under Windows). It appears to be a cut-down
version of SpaceClaim. Seems a bit like SketchUp but with proper support
for dimensions - you can set things to a given numerical dimension by
typing, and easily resize them later. It's not parametric though
(can't easily say 'hole=bolt_dia + 0.5mm')

Where it seems quite limited is in input/output formats. For example, I'd
like to pull in a 2D drawing that I can base a 3D design on. But it won't
take DXF, DWG or anything like that. It'll take STEP (a 3D format) but
won't edit the resulting object.

I managed to go Inkscape - DXF - FreeDXF importer - SketchUp 8 -
DesignSpark, but dimensions got lost along the way and my 16cm graphic
turned into 3.4m.

(SketchUp 7.1 will import DXF/DWG natively, but more recent versions only
have this in the SketchUp Pro payware version)

[much later]

Managed it:

Inkscape - Big Blue Saw DXF export -- .DXF -- FreeDXF importer -
SketchUp 8 - .SKP - DesignSpark

Then Select All, Fill, Pull and I've extruded my 2D DXF into 3D.


The other thing about DesignSpark Mechanical is there's little resources and
howtos available. However, knowing that it's SpaceClaim underneath is
useful when googling, though it's unclear which features are missing from
DesignSpark.

So seems like a decent tool, and feels like it might be easier to use than
AutoCAD, Pro/E, etc, though I have no direct experience of those.

Theo

Theo Markettos wrote:

Seems a bit like SketchUp but with proper support
for dimensions - you can set things to a given numerical dimension by
typing

I haven't tried it yet, but you do realise you can do that in sketchup
too? After having rubber-banded a shape, or extruded it type one or
dimensions as appropriate.

Andy Burns wrote:
Theo Markettos wrote:

Seems a bit like SketchUp but with proper support
for dimensions - you can set things to a given numerical dimension by
typing

I haven't tried it yet, but you do realise you can do that in sketchup
too? After having rubber-banded a shape, or extruded it type one or
dimensions as appropriate.

Can you do it after you've created a shape? In DesignSpark you just click
on the dimension number on the diagram (which appear when you select
something) and you can edit it directly.

I've never got into SketchUp, but I didn't find a way to edit sizes
numerically without dragging around watching the info bar. You can move
edges numerically, but can you easily resize a rectangle without risking it
becoming non-rectangular? How do you resize a complex shape without
deforming it?

Theo

In article ,
Theo Markettos wrote:
So seems like a decent tool, and feels like it might be easier to use
than AutoCAD, Pro/E, etc, though I have no direct experience of those.

Have you tried the free version of DraftSight? On the odd occasion I need
something on the dark side I use that - although not an expert on it. I
like ProCad+ ;-)

--
*I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:
In article ,
Theo Markettos wrote:
So seems like a decent tool, and feels like it might be easier to use
than AutoCAD, Pro/E, etc, though I have no direct experience of those.

Have you tried the free version of DraftSight? On the odd occasion I need
something on the dark side I use that - although not an expert on it. I
like ProCad+ ;-)

DraftSight is 2D, unless I'm missing something?

There are lots of 2D packages around, and many are reasonably easy to use.
Things like Inkscape and Illustrator are also quite usable for 2D. Even
PowerPoint will do if you're desperate.

2D CAD is simple because you can see the whole object at once. And
fabricating 2D objects is usually straightforward if you have the right tool
- you start with sheet material and cut it, or join pieces of sheet.

But 3D CAD is something else. It's not just having 3D support, but having
3D support in a form that's usable without a pile of training. Editing
in separate X/Y/Z views can be painful, and it's quite easy to do stupid
things (or, conversely, fail to express what you want). It needs to help
you visualise something you can't ever see all of at once, and let you
change it with only a 2D interface. All the while you probably don't even
have an exact idea of what you're intending to draw in the first place.

3D fabrication either means making a 3D object from 2D material (folding,
sticking, fastening pieces), somehow building it up (injection moulding, 3D
printing) or taking away (milling, drilling).

So any useful 3D design also has to take into account the manufacturing
process. Generally a 2D tool with 3D bolted on doesn't make a good job of
this, the UI suffers and tends to be awkward to use.

Which is why I'm interested in 3D tools with sane UIs (and sane price tags),
because I've yet to find one that's a good fit.

Theo