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!

CAD Viewers: Delcam Exchange

What type of files can Delcam Exchange open?
•DWG, DXF
•SOLID EDGE PAR (PART)
•CREO (PRT.#, AND
ASM.#
•CATIA
•PARASOLID, STEP, IGS
•STL
•NX (PRT)

Delcam Exchange Features and Limitations:

• NO MEASUREMENT CAPABILITIES
• ROTATE AND SIZE MODELS
• SETTINGS MAY BE ADJUSTED FOR FILE IMPORT
• SOME PROBLEMS WHEN IMPORTING CREO (PRO-E) ASSEMBLIES (MISSING PARTS)
• HOWEVER, THE SOFTWARE SHOWS ERROR REPORT FOR TROUBLESHOOTING IMPORT.
• VIEW MODELS AS SOLID (NOT WIREFORM)
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO ORDER FILE TRANSLATION FROM WEB SITE ($$$). 
• DELCAM POWERSHAPE:
• THIS IS A VERSION OF E DRAWINGS.
• ALLOWS SOME ON SCREEN MEASUREMENT.
• REQUIRES REGISTRATION (FREE).
• USE ‘IMPORT’ COMMAND (UNDER FILE) TO OPEN FILES
• SAME INPUT AS DELCAM EXHCHANGE BUT HAS TROUBLE IMPORTING NATIVE MODELS
• – WON’T OPEN PRO-E,
• – PROBLEMS WITH SOME SOLID EDGE PAR FILES, ETC
•  DelcamExchange (IGS,STEP, PART FILES)
  http://www.delcam.com/general/software/exchange.asp   

Let's Go Design Episode #5: Chassis Design and Assemblies

In the last episode, we discussed weldment features and sketch techniques. This time, we move closer to the final overall CAD design of our Hot Rod Baby Buggy. We watch as Jeremy hot-wires the golf cart motors to show how the aluminum tracks perform flawlessly.

In this episode, Jeremy takes us through:

The Overall Design: Jeremy shares 80% of the CAD design, complete with a 3D model of a dad placed in the center. He shows us the fenders, talks about key components underneath the buggy, and creates a battery compartment using sheet metal.

Sustainability: We use SolidWorks® Sustainability to compare material selections for the fenders of our buggy - sheet metal vs. plastic.

The Assembly: Jeremy shows the basic build and sub-assemblies. He puts together the steel base weldment, aluminum floor, components from the golf cart’s electrical system and finally powers the tank treads.

Watch Episode #5 now at LetsGoDesign.tv

Robocoaster Model

I constructed a recreation of a Kuka robocoaster in CATIA. I used the car from my cantilevered roller coaster simulations to save time. The track is created using three sketches with laws (one overhead, one side profile, and one for banking). I made this in about a day so please excuse the lack of detail. The purpose was more to show proof of concept that this was possible to create with CATIA.

For the simulation, I used the DMU Kinematics workbench. There are four user input commands to (1) drive the robotic arm down the track (2) horizontal rotation about the z axis (3)vertical rotation of the upper arm (4) rotation of the seats about the upper arm axis. In fact, in one of the video clips there is a fifth command- the rotation of one of the domes on which video would be projected, similar to the Harry Potter ride at Universal Orlando.

How do you render an image in Solid Edge?

Do you need to know how to render a 3D model into a marketable high-quality image? Well, check out the videos below for all you need to know about the rendering options in Solid Edge!

A Few New Catia Rendering Pics

What are the advantages of using rendering in CATIA?

Designer and engineers today need to constantly visualize, present and communicate their ideas and design. This can be very hard to do without the right tools. Visualization is an important component of the design process to, from marketing material to the design review, it is essential to have a natural support to easily communicate your concept and product. This is where rendering in CATIA steps in.


CATIA Rendering delivers all the appropriate tools for real-time visualization and photo-realistic rendering. You can create and manipulate your materials, lights and environments producing realistic and believable computed images. Rendering in CATIA replaces the need of a physical prototype, allowing for faster decision making and cost reductions!

Here is a quick example of what I mean. Say you are designing a new type of bike for a major manufacturer. Upper management and marketing want to see what the finished product may look like and what sort of uses the bike will have so they can target their market audience and formalize their marketing strategy. The design isn’t very far along yet, below is all that has been done in CATIA assembly design:

Click on the Render icon, it looks like a camera.

 

The render tool bar pops up. 

You can change the background to an image supplied by Dassault or you can choose one of your own. Adjust the lightning other rending options as needed.

For the best looking image, be sure to orient and light your product in a way that makes sense. Use the lines on the grid to help orient your object. I used the edge of the road as a reference to match against the grid.

Finally, hit the render button and after a few moments the specification tree and toolbars are hidden and you are left with a high quality image that can be sent out. Your design has been conceptualized with new life!

Below are a couple images I took with CATIA models I have built utilizing the CATIA rendering image creator.