Continue to Site

Eng-Tips is the largest engineering community on the Internet

Intelligent Work Forums for Engineering Professionals

  • Congratulations KootK on being selected by the Eng-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

Features Tree in AutoCAD?.................. 3

Status
Not open for further replies.

CAD2015

Computer
Jan 21, 2006
1,953
Hi,

The Feature Tree represents all the steps that have been taken in a CAD design system to create the final Part.

For instance: Selecting a sketch and defining an extrusion. Selecting an edge and creating a fillet.

All these features can be accessed and edit in the tree.

Attached is a Catia feature tree:

download_lcez4c.jpg



What is the equivalent of the tree in the picture, in AutoCAD?

How are the features in AutoCAD found/access and/or edit?


Thank you!

CAD 2015
 
Replies continue below

Recommended for you

AutoCad is a 2D drafting tool. While some versions tried to include 3d capabilities, they were not solid modelling tools in the sense that Catia, SolidWorks, or Inventor are. The reversion of features (which implies a feature tree like you describe) never existed in AutoCad that I am aware of, or if it did, it was only briefly in some version between 14 and the versions denoted by release dates.
 
So, there is no option to modify a 3-dimension model, right?
I am new in AutoCAD, all of the previous CAD systems I handle (Catia, NX, SW) give the option for updates.

Thanks for your reply.

CAD 2015
 
I won't say no for sure, there are a lot of weird variants of AutoCad on the loose out there. But even if it's possible nobody does it that way, nor uses Acad for 3d models - there are too many better alternatives.
 
Btrueblood,
Great, thanks a lot!

CAD 2015
 
I got closer to the topic:
One last question: what is the main use of AutoCAD?
Thanks,

CAD 2015
 
Purpose? If your goal is a drawing, and the model only serves the drawing, then just do a drawing. Contain and control all model features using your brain. Make the drawing sufficiently detailed so that the person reading it can mentally build the exact same model in their own brain. This has worked rather well for many years.

AutoCAD can be used for any drawing in any industry. Automotive, nuclear, chemical, electrical, architectural, geotechnical, aerospace, and so on. It's become the standard in many of them, still resisting replacement by newer software packages that are tailored to each industrial segment. Note how it holds on by being useful for ALL, rather than choosing a specialty. This philosophy in AutoCAD was established by its creators in the 1980's. It's been dominant ever since.

In AutoCAD, each line, arc, point, surface, dimension, and block (etcetera) is its own feature and exists as placed in the drawing space. You can modify each drawing object by typing the command MODIFY or by selecting it from the menu.

There is a version of AutoCAD that is called "AutoCAD Mechanical". It comes with numerous features not in the basic AutoCAD that allow for parametric design with 2D shapes.
I used it for a little while but I don't recall any feature tree there, either. It's just a completely different work-flow, but half-way between typical AutoCAD functionality and the parametric design systems you may be more familiar with. If you are taught rigorous methods of reading and preparing drawings, then AutoCAD would be second-nature to you.
 
Sparweb:

Thanks for your reply, it makes a big difference in understanding AutoCAD.

[2thumbsup]

CAD 2015
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor