So I was just wondering.
What programs do most teams use for their Designing? We’re personally using SolidWorks, which is what I’m skilled in and I’m the head Designer.
Yet there’s this whole AutoCAD inventor.
Which one is better? What do you guys/gals think??
3553 is currently modeling using CATIA as its what the Boeing engineers on our team use. I personally use Solidworks. This topic is pretty much based on what you have available and what you’ve started out with though.
Even though I work for SolidWorks, I would strongly suggest using the CAD software your mentor uses or your outside machine shop uses. These good people give of their time or give you a discount on their services. You want to make it easiest for them to help you.
As a mechanical engineer, I have used at least 10 CAD products over 25 years, these are software tools. Learn as many as you can.
I hope you make the decision to learn SolidWorks, we sponsor any FIRST team that comes to us, www.SolidWorks.com/SponsoredDesignContest
Our first goal is to help young engineers get a job in the engineering design field. That is why we will give any FIRST team member the ability to take our first level certification exam, CSWA. At SolidWorks, we believe by increasing your engineering design skill sets, reading a drawing, creating accurate parts and proving your visualization techniques will assist our commericial customers in hiring qualified graduates. Even if you learn another CAD system, these skills are classic in the industry and will not change.
Good luck. Marie
Our team uses Inventor, though there’s a few of us proficient in SolidWorks. The other main CAD guy and I contemplated a switch, but with just one more year before we’re shipped off to college, we decided it’s not worth it. We’re an interesting case, where the kids use CAD more than the mentors, so students are rather forced to be the final designers.
Thanks for all the Good information. 
Personally hoping to get certified in SolidWorks at the end of the year, but I’m going to instal this AutoCad Inventor and check that puppy out.
I got Solidworks from Marie Planchard for our team (1189 Gearheads) this past fall. The kids thought it was very easy to use and the four of them were able to learn, for scratch, how to CAD in only 2 weeks, in 4 weeks they were doing swing studies and tolerencing and at 6 weeks they were able to use the Mastercam plug-in to generate toolpaths for automatically making parts on our Bridgeport. Don’t underestimate these kids. All this with no meaningful help from mentors.
Last year the team tried KeyCreator, which just didn’t work for them.
I reviewed Inventor when it first came out and again last year for business. I found quirks in the program that didn’t fit our file control system, otherwise it is a good program.
Frankly, Solidworks, ProEngineer and Inventor are all good programs for what is done on these robots.
We chose Solidworks due to the industrial usage and for its incredible features and ease of use. I wanted the kids to learn a trade while having fun. It may help pay for college over the summers, who knows?
We’re also in the CAD software review stage. What were the quirks that you found with your file control system?
Thank you,
Trying to Help
I filled out the survey a few weeks ago, but haven’t recieved an E-mail or anything. Just wondering how long it usually takes for them to get back to me. Thanks 
Aaron
Team 781 filled out the survey about 2 weeks ago, and got our package last friday (there were no notice emails or anything though).
Mkay thanks, we haven’t recieved anything yet. I filled it out on May 14th I believe so hopefully soon.
How many copies did you get??
Team 1515 uses Autodesk Inventor. Great piece of software in my opinion. I gave SolidWorks a spin in the summer of '09 and it really didn’t suit my immediate desires. I found the content-center to be less than complete, and (I know this is a terrible reason to choose a CAD package) the graphics quality is far inferior to that of Inventor. I’m not sure if this has changed since then, or really what SolidWorks really has to offer now. I haven’t used it in nearly two years.
I have also come to use and love every one of the Design Accelerators built fluidly into Inventor. Never again will I manually CAD a chain, a pulley system, a gear, a nut and bolt. Inventor fluidly integrates everything a designer could need to design and present his system.
Anyways, that’s enough of an Inventor promotion!
:yikes:
i have used two methods to make cam in solidworks.one using camtrax and the second utilising the toolbox addon in solidworks.but i am having problem dimensioning it because it want to send this drawing to the manufacturer for fabrication.
i have attached files for both methods.please help.
for the file(dimension)…cam made using camtrax…PROBLEM: how to convert the selected entities into arcs so that I can dimension the arcs similar to what I have done to two arcs as show in the pictures…having dimensioned arcs makes it easy for the manufacturer to come up with a realistic model.have no prolems with the rest of the two views
second is the camtoolbox cam…having problems dimensioning the arcs…but it dimensions for me the horizontal and vertical ordinates.
dimension.pdf (606 KB)
dimension.pdf (606 KB)
Do the arcs really need to be dimensioned? I would assume the sponsor is making this on a CNC machine, and you’re giving him a solid model to CAM.
It’s not uncommon for parts that are infeasible to dimension every feature to just dimension the critical hole sizes, placements, etc. and then just throw a few reference dimensions for the rest. This is assuming it will be made via CNC and they have a solid model.
u mean to say i just send them the solidworks file.SWD…and they will make it out?..hey camtrax lets me have the cnc g-codes for the cam profile and it even simulates the fabrication…y not send them that?..
i have attached the camtrax pics…why not send this camtrax cnc code to the vendor?
camtrax.pdf (478 KB)
camtrax.pdf (478 KB)
We interface with quite a few shops on our team, and they all make quite a bit for us.
Most commonly, they want some sort of solid model, and some sort of (electronic) printed drawing for reference. Some want .stp, some want .igs, some want solidworks, some want .dxf, etc… We default to a .stp and a .pdf if they have no preference.
It really comes down to what kind of machine they’re using, what CAM program they use, and how they like to make parts (for example, a waterjet really only needs a .dxf, nothing else).
I would say it’s incredibly unlikely they would want raw g-code.
The best thing to do would be to ask them.
We have received Solidworks about a month ago and i installed it a couple weeks after that. However every time i try and activate it a notification says that the serial number is not valid for this version. We were never given a serial number but when i installed it, a serial number appeared in the “enter serial number here” boxes. What should i do before my 10 day grace period runs out??
Thanks
Where did you get the serial? Generally, they are the ones who can help you.
Our team also uses SolidWorks, its very easy to pick up and learn. The only other software I’ve used for CAD is at work, where we use Unigraphics NX. That program is like SolidWorks, though i prefer NX more. I have a disk for ProE sitting at my house that my dad got through his work that I have yet to install and use, but I plan on it.
We got it from solidworks. We Asked if we could have it from filling out the survey an dthey mailed it to us.
I am using Pro/E right now at work … apparently the people who made solidworks came from pro/E. 
it isnt to hard but i like solidworks better because it is easier to use and alot faster