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Fabrication and Metalworking Get welding advice, discuss different alloys, share pictures of your first fabrication attempts, as well as welds you are especially proud of |
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#1
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SolidWorks
Beautiful, I just installed SolidWorks and it took me 15 seconds to make a block with a hole in it. I am sure it’s going to get more difficult than that that but so far I like it.
Anyway, if anybody has any tips or recommendations to the complete SolidWorks beginner, please share. |
#2
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Solidworks is on my short list of software to learn. I'm hoping that with a decent cad background it won?t be too tough to get the hang of.
I haven?t looked very hard yet, but from my initial search for solidworks it appears that the average Joe cant buy it. I have been playing with Google sketchup. Pretty cool, free, and I'm hoping a decent intro to 3d modeling. I have yet figured out how to draw accurately with it though... Sergey, my only tip would be to learn it thoroughly so I can bug you with questions as I learn it
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The trouble with common sense is it is no longer common |
#3
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The basic package is about five grand for a seat plus thirteen hundred per year for software assurance. In the CAD world, I think, this is very reasonable. I am on a special version that is a year behind and does not allow for commercial development. I am doing a feasibility study to see if I am capable of designing with this software or can learn it.
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#4
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If you're looking to learn an expensive program like Solidworks, why not pick up the student version for comparitively free and have at it? $139
http://www.journeyed.com/itemDetail....No=43005643FS3 I don't know if you have to prove you're a student, but I saw this looking on the alma mater's website. Let me know if it works. [edit] Plain old Solidworks without CMOS is only $89. http://www.journeyed.com/itemDetail....No=46225643FS3
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Jeff |
#5
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Jeff,
Yes, basically this is what I am doing. I have not received the license yet, though, but they give you 10 days to play with the software without a license. Except for COSMOS, and COSMOS requires it's own separate license. |
#6
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Jeff,
I saw the student version, but there was some pretty strong language about proving that you were actively enrolled in an accredited university The full version is too rich for my blood...
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The trouble with common sense is it is no longer common |
#7
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Matt,
As long as you are not using the software for commercial purposes, I can't imagine you'll have any problems. These software companies are not 'giving away' their products out of benevolence, they are trying to put them into the hands to train future users whose companies will purchase this software when they hire them. It seems to me that your objective is to learn the software which is mutually beneficial to you and Solidworks and the reasoning behind their student software pricing. FWIW, I use expensive CAD packages in my business which also use subscription services (pork). The only instances of prosecution against the user license that I've heard of were for companies using bootlegged software and then getting snitched on by ex-employees. Go for it! Jeff
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Jeff |
#8
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#9
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Little off topic here, but I have Autocad LT97 (yes 11 years old now). Anyways I upgraded to Vista and the programs are not compatible. Is there an Autocad program out there that just does the basics and a decent price. Even Autocad LT has more features than I need.
zman
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too many frick'n jeeps, not enough time. |
#10
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If you already know Autocad LT, I'd stick to that and look into a student version for non-commercial use. Acad has really come a long way since '97 so ...
If you want to give your current LT97 a shot, try right-clicking on the icon and then left-clicking on 'run as administrator' and see if it works. That is the go-around I had to use on a Vista machine prior to the release of Acad 2008.
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Jeff |
#11
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i have recently switched over to the "architecture" version of autocad. it models in 3d as you draw. pretty cool for the design work i am doing lately.
this is a dental office i am currently working on. it gives the customer a feel for what it will actually look like. a great tool for doing conceptual drawings. i hope you get a handle on the program you are using Sergey. |
#12
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Erik are you an architect?
would be quite a surprise to me that i hadn't come across this in discussion the handful of times we've met.
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'03 TJ, little lift. |
#13
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not an architect, Mike..
i do however design commercial, and some residential buildings, and T.I.'s. i do a complete set of drawings including construction docs, plumbing, electrical, and hvac layouts. our company then builds 90% of the designs i do. the other 10% are side jobs for jeep fund. my specialty is dentist offices, and other light medical, professional type B offices. are you an architect? how's the solidworks going, Sergey? |
#14
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I got a thick book with tutorials and I am following them diligently. I am very pleased with how powerful SolidWorks is and how fast and easy it is to do certain things. I am sure it will become more difficult once the training wheels come off and I start trying to design my own product, but so far I think it is going great.
Thanks for asking. |
#15
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PM sent and I will cease thread hi-jacking at this time...sorry sergey
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'03 TJ, little lift. |
#16
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Got a a wheel rim I've been building, need to cover up and protect the front 60 hubs. It looks cool prob not practicle to build though. I use the program for EOAT, dissecting wall thicknesses for part measurements. Its also real usefull for unloading weight from concept part. I have Autocad also put prefer SW...
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#17
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Progress report
I would like to update everybody on my progress with SolidWorks. I think it goes great. SolidWorks is a very powerful product, and it turned out that it is much easier to use than I anticipated.
My previous computer aided design experience is rutted in the PCAD system that I used back in the days for schematics and PCB design, and as well as design of anything else since it was the only CAD system I had access to. I must say that SolidWorks is much more intuitive and easier to use. An interesting thing happened after I implemented the design of my product. In my head it all looked great and appeared to make perfect sense. But now, that I have a 3D model in front of me, I can see that certain things need more thought put into them. I positively just gained a whole new level of respect for designers and inventors. |
#18
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My Solidworks just showed up
The company I ordered through would NOT ship prior to receiving proof of being a student. Fortunately the machine tool technology night class I'm taking was satisfactory to them. I've only had time to open it and poke around, but so far I'm very pleased with how intuitive it is, more similar to Google's sketchup then AutoCad but experience in both will be a help. Sergey, are you using the included tutorials or a book? If a book, would you recommend it?
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The trouble with common sense is it is no longer common |
#19
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I am using a book, Engineering Design with SolidWorks 2008 & MultiMedia CD I would not recommend it, it’s a badly written book, with very boring style (click this, then click that, not explaining why), inconsistent use of terms, poorly edited, and featuring very strange sequence of material. But it got me going anyway.
The current Student version is actually 2007. But I have no problems using the 2008 book. The look and feel of buttons and menus is a bit different, but everything is easy to find. |
#20
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Thanks Sergey. I'll skip that book
It looks like the online tutorial is very thorough. My plan is to go through all of them, then evalute if I need more help...
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The trouble with common sense is it is no longer common |
#21
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Matt-
Chris and I were just looking for a local course. Palomar Community College does indeed offer a course. Its currently in session and they arent offering a summer course. Id bet that they will again have the course available in the fall Its called DT128 search for it here: https://pccdpswb01.palomar.edu/servl...L_CLASS_SEARCH Hope that helps. It looks like it has a pre-req of DT 125 (Intro to Autocad) Tam
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02 TJ with some stuff |
#22
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Good info Tam! I'll have to check into the next class (Palomar College is just 15 minutes from me).
I went through the first 4 tutorials last night, amazingly powerful program.
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The trouble with common sense is it is no longer common |
#23
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Keep in mind..like most software SW versions cannot always see the new versions. Upgrading is expensive!
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#24
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Dennis Lutz is a good instructor.
I took some drafting classes from him a few years back. |
#25
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Ok Post up those 3D modeling skills! Been a while, play time is over....
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#28
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