3D Boat Design Software

I recently found a nice 3D boat design software to help you design anything that floats. If you have ever wanted to design a boat yourself then this is the program for you. 3DBoatDesign is a versatile CAD software package that is easy to use yet also powerful at the same time. Some feature of 3DBoatDesign include enhanced hydrostatic calculations, easy 3d scaling, rotating, and moving, hull sculptor, resistance calculations and more!

3DBoatDesign is to boats as NoLimits Simulator is to roller coasters - simply the best available software to everyday consumers and affordable too!

Download 3D Boat Design today and starting designing the watercraft of your dreams!

Drafting and Dimensioning in Solid Edge Tutorial

Ally PLM has created another wonderful Lunch Bytes Solid Edge video tutorial. This time the topic they cover is Solid Edge drafting, dimensioning, and annotation tips and tricks. More detailed topics include how to create drawings in Solid Edge, how to create a quicksheet template, how to add different views, how to create dimensions and annotations, how to make sheet metal callouts, and more. Watch this awesome Solid Edge tutorial below:

Solid Edge simulation express video

Ally PLM returns with another video edition of Lunch Bytes, this time talking about Solid Edge simulation express. Watch the Solid Edge video tutorial below.
 

Evolution of Computer Skills of a Mechanical Engineer

Trust me, I'm an Engineer! This is sad but true. Excel is a great and powerful tool. I think you could group PowerPoint into that category too. I also enjoy the engineering flow chart!

What does CATIA stand for?

New users to CATIA are taught that CATIA officially stands for "Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application" (an alternative being Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Interactive Analysis). If you're a veteran and have been using CATIA for more than a few months or years you might have heard a few alternate versions for what CATIA stands for, or maybe even come up with a few on your own. After using CATIA for almost three years now I've compiled a list of the best acronyms I've come across:

CATIA - Crash and Try It Again
CATIA - Could Actually Take It All-day
CATIA - Close and Test it Again
CATIA - Come and Take It Away
CATIA - Constantly Aggravated & Tortured Individuals

And for good measure there's also these unrelated bits:

CATIA - Central Australian Tourism Industry Association
CATIA - Catalysing Access to Technology In Africa
CATIA - Computational Advanced Theorem Interface Application


What are your favorite CATIA acronyms?

How do you change the spindle speed in the middle of a tool path?

I was recently wondering if there was a way to change the machining speed in the middle of a tool path in CATIA's advanced machining workbench. I have a part that we want to enter slowly, proceed along a surface, and then change to the regular machining speed. Breaking the tool path into two operations is NOT possible in this situation. One solution, though not ideal, is to use the Toolpath Editor and inset SPINDL speed changing statements at the desired point using the PP Word Modification.

This option will lock the toolpath so you must make sure you have finalized your machining operation. If you unlock and regenerate the MO then you will lose all of the toolpath modifications, which makes this solution not the best one, in my opinion, but the only one I've discovered which works thus far. Any other solutions?

Theo Jansen Mechanism Matlab Code M-file

 A few readers have requested the full m file for the Theo Jansen mechanism. I've uploaded it here. If the download won't work for you lease me your email address and I will gladly send it to you. Please don't just copy the file. This is meant for reference only. In other words, figure it out on your own!

http://cadsystemshelp.blogspot.com/2010/04/theo-jansen-mechanism-matlab-code.html

Theo Jansen Mechanism Matlab Code.doc download 

*7/22/2011 download link should be fixed now!

Which version of CATIA program.zip free download

If you are a user of multiple versions or CATIA (R18,R19, etc) it can get quite frustrating attempting to open a R19 part in R18. Wouldn't it be great to be open to tell which version of CATIA a part was created in without having to open the part in CATIA? Well, now there is a such a program which you can download here. This software is the easiest way to know which version of CATIA a part has been created in. Run the .exe, browse and find the file and you'll see the latest version of the saved file and the minimal version to read it. Download it for free right now!

How to install :

Copy the .exe file in your directory. That's all.

It's also possible to add a shortcut to this exe in the C:\Documents and Settings\%UserName&\SendTo' directory.

In this case, you can use the right-clic Sento "Which version" menu (in the windows explorer).

Be careful ! you must install the VB6 runtime file that you can find here :

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=7b9ba261-7a9c-43e7-9117-f673077ffb3c


Click here to download: Which Version of CATIA.exe

What kinds of analysis and collison detection errors can Vericut perform?

I began learning Vericut a few weeks ago. Vericut is an analysis program, the goal of which is to detect errors in NC programming. The types of errors that Vericut detects are as follows:

Rapid cut into material

Holder collision

Fixture collision

Shank rubs on the part

Tool wrong size

Incorrect tool length or diameter compensation

Cuts exceeding tool capability

Reamer/tap collision

Thread size/shape

Boring bar orientation

Gouges

Excess material

Machine collision

Machine over travel

Spindle off

Spindle wrong direction

Coolant on/off

Table clamp on/off

Incorrect feed rate value/mode

Probe collision

Wrong syntax