Recommendation

[Leehound]

My customer has come to me for advise. He wants to find a software package that does some specific things. He wants to be able to view all the major cad files (shaded models and 2d drawings)and to be able to calculate mass and volume of 3d models. I know Mastercam can do all that. But he will not be doing any machining. So maybe there are some non machining packages that will do what he needs. Any advise?

[Teh Bear without Brains kinda idiot]

Mastercam demo

[J Coulston]

AutoView

[cadist]

+1 to mastercam demo.

[Brent Wilkerson]

Free or got the money to blow?

 

Free...eDrawings Viewer from SolidWorks, ProE has a viewer too, called ProductView.

 

Must viewers will not find area or volume.

 

SolidWorks will open most 2d and 3d file and calculate volumes and mass.

AutoCAD and Inventor will do the same too, as will most CAD apps. But you are still talking $4000+ for any good CAD app.

I don't believe AutoCAD LT, $500 range, will open all files and I don't think it will find mass properties or volume. But it is a cheap/light version CAD app.

 

IMHO BTW

[cadist]

Most engg. people do have Autocad. But Autocad can open step files only not parasolids and many other formats.(CMIIW).

[Teh Bear without Brains kinda idiot]

It not a money matter.

Mc9 demo rocks over any of them.

Just one thing analize-dynamic is enough to convince anyone !

[Leehound]

My customer has a budget of about $3000.

 

It has to be able to calculate mass and volumn.

 

Will Mastercam demo do that?

[Teh Bear without Brains kinda idiot]

Yes (from solid) .

 

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The Solid Properties dialog box displays the solid’s volume and mass relative to a defined density, the center of gravity, and the moment of inertia relative to a selected axis line. In addition, you can save the solid data to a file. You can set the following fields:

Density sets the amount of mass per unit volume.

Create Pt. (Center of Gravity) creates a point at the solid’s center of gravity. The center of gravity is the point from which the solid body can be suspended or poised in equilibrium in any position.

 

Axis Line returns you to the graphics window to select a line entity to be used as the axis line for the calculation of the moment of inertia. The moment of inertia is the resistance to angular acceleration about the selected axis line, based on the current density value.

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Analize->area/volume ->solid props

HTH

[RandyN]

Since when does MC demo read files from "all" the major cad systems? We had to buy a lot of translators to be able to do this with full blown MC.

[Leehound]

The mastercam demo comes with the solids option? What about all the extra "pay for" file formats that mastercam offers, are these also included in the (step, dwg, pro engineer ect.) demo?

 

Thanks for you wisdom.

[Rob Dusenbury CAD/CAM CONSULTING]

Keep in mind any output you do get from the demo CD gets rounded to one dec. point. I would go with Autoview.

[Teh Bear without Brains kinda idiot]

It depends what you consider main .

For us an ability to read Sat ,X_t ,dwg,dxf,sldprt,vda,ipt,Iges,step and stl is sufficient .

And you can update convertors :hush:

[cqualls]

Check out http://www.solidview.com/overview.html

this software will do everything you are wanting for about $1500. It is a good viewing software.

[cadist]

edited out(Please ignor.)

[Teh Bear without Brains kinda idiot]

Well ,

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Keep in mind any output you do get from the demo CD gets rounded to one dec. point.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

True .Checked now .

Sorry ,consider something else for Mass/volume calc .

Other than that demo is full solid with most convertors

[Leehound]

I really like the looks of Autoview. I am going to send him in that direction.

 

Thanks to all for your wisdom.

[CAM-mando]

Auto View Solid Model Pro

 

You can download a 15 or 30 day trial.

 

I think they might be rinning a deal now for aroung $1200

[Gilberto]

Use Mastercam Design with Solids (no toolpaths)

 

Gilberto

[BernieT]

+1 to Gilberto.

 

And in the price range.

 

And he has a teacher in you.

[cadcam]

I would follow the autoview package it will work with all kinds of files.

 

One other would be Solid Veiw SolidVeiw

 

I play with both softwares.