History-vs-Non History based CAD softwares 8

[btcoutermash]

Does anybody have any good articles where they have compared history based -vs- Non history based CAD software??? Primarily I was lloking for productivity benchmarks. Any help would be great. Thanx.

Brad

 

[ongybill]

Scott.

Thanks for the lengthy response. I skimmed through it and it looks excellent. I just copied and pasted it into a Microsoft Word file. I'll see what I can learn from it and respond later in the week when I hopefully have more time. Then I'll email the response to you at your web-site. Just skimming through I saw a couple good suggestions. Thanks again. I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge of SW like you have. It's helped more then you know.

Oh, the tutorial you linked to is for their 2D drafting program (Graphite). So you're absolutely right that it's like the old CAD systems. You're literally drawing an Isometric drawing that looks 3D, but isn't. Much as you would on a drafting table.

Graphite doesn't compare in any way to SW; or Ashlar's Solid modeling programs.

There're other ways, but I'd most likely draw that particular part the same way in SW and Vellum. With a single 2D sketch and an extrusion.

 

[ongybill]

Sorry about the link. Works on MY computer.<G>

This one should work for everybody else.

http://img38.imageshack.us/img_viewer.php?g=sebsystemoverview3si.jpg

 

[shifter]

Although I haven't read of any productivity comparisons for history vs non-history-based MCAD programs, Joe Greco (Mr. 3D) did write an article in which he picked the best program (with runnerup) for each of many categories. I will post the month and year of the Cadalyst issue that contained this "awards" article.

Essentially, the Conceptual Modeling award went to IronCAD, which is a non history-based program. IronCAD also won the "Visualization" award for its ease of creating photo-realistic images. If any of you have used this program, you'd know why Joe Greco chose it over all the others. First off, it has catalogs of dozens of solid and hollow shapes that you simply drag into a scene. This alone often saves a nice chunk of time. The other nice thing about IC is that each shape, whether solid or hollow (negative) contains pull handles that allow you to (in real time) change the size of the shape in all (xyz) directions. While this is happening, the dimensions (which are there by default if you wish) are displayed and are changing in real time.

In addition, the IC TriBall can be attached to any feature to move, copy, mirror, etc. This feature alone is worth the price of the software.

I use both IronCAD and Solidworks and it is obvious to me that unless SW makes major changes to its core structure, it will never be as easy to use as a conceptual tool as non-history-based programs. Certainly, it is a very powerful program. However, "fun to use for conceptual modeling" is not a description I would bestow upon it any time soon.

 

[Heckler]

I use both IronCAD and Solidworks and it is obvious to me that unless SW makes major changes to its core structure, it will never be as easy to use as a conceptual tool as non-history-based programs. Certainly, it is a very powerful program. However, "fun to use for conceptual modeling" is not a description I would bestow upon it any time soon.

In the entire design process from conceptual to releasing mechanical drawings no one MCAD package is superior. I think this link has proved this but I don't think SWx would have the user base if it didn't compete at a high level throughout the entire design process. I think this link has been flogged like a dead horse....lets move on.


Best Regards,

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SW2005 SP 2.0 & Pro/E 2001
Dell Precision 370
P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
XP Pro SP2.0
NIVIDA Quadro FX 1400
o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

Do you trust your intuition or go with the flow?

 

[SBaugh]

Heckler,

I agree whole heartdly!

Thanks,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
3DVision Technologies

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376
faq559-716 - SW Fora Users

 

[ctopher]

ditto

Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP2.0 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site

FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716