Todd157k

Don't know if they still have it going on, but Solidworks used to provide a "learning" copy of the program if you were NOT working and in the engineering environment. That's how I got mine.

Wallace

If you can output it as an .stl file, then you could very easily get a physical model made on 3D Printer.

It would probably cost a couple hundred dollars, but it might be pretty cool.

Pcar944

That would be a fun toy to have. The 3D printer I mean.

cie_lab

shhh....

This is a, umm, performance test for demonstraton purposes only for the new 2008 release.

There actually is a 'free' version called SolidWorks Personal Edition. If you go to a test drive at your local reseller, you should be able to snag a copy. It's good for 90 days. After that I'm not sure if you can install it on another machine. Worth a try. It's a very special version and not compatible at all with the retail version. At the moment, the PE addition is based on SW2006. There's also educational licenses that are something like $500.

As for a rpm (rapid prototype model), Stratasys is a customer of ours. They've provided us with printed models in the past. I hope to get this one 'printed'. Most of the rpm manufacturers can take native SolidWorks and some have plug ins directly to SolidWorks. If you've never seen a rpm machine, it's pretty amazing. A recent trend is to use these to create plugs for castings or even the molds themselves. Some even create actual, working parts for short run manufacturing.

apierce918

how about CATIA V5 model? its similar to solidworks, just buttons in different areas

ausgeflippt951

I'd definitely like to have the file so as to have a rapid prototype made. For students at my uni it doesn't cost too much. I'd wager well under $100 for a 4" model or so. Too bad material cost is inflated up the yin-yang...

JayP

Anything that'll import into Alias Studio .

Send me a good SLA file- the ladies at my work that run the stereolithography machines run crap like Mickey Mouse and flowers for tests... a good 1/18 scale of a 944 might be interesting.

944Fest (aka Dan P)

Does anyone have access to a 3d scanner that would bring a 1/24th model into our digital realm?

theedge

IIRC that one is more geared towards Aerospace. At least thats the only place ive seen it used.

cie_lab

Instead of that new engine and LSD, scrounge up $2500 clams for this.

Don't be mislead that since Catia and SolidWorks are owned by the same company (Dassault Systems) that they are similar in any way, shape, or form. All that is similar is that they can produce solid models. Catia is geared more towards 'Enterprise' wide engineering collaboration and therefore much more cumbersome to use as a 'casual' program. Yea, you see it a lot in Aerospace but that's simply due to its history of being developed by IBM decades ago. It used to be common in Automotive as well for the same reason. Not to mention the fact that in order to do all the stuff you can do in SolidWorks (in the $7k premium package) you'd need to fork out probably $30 in Catia. Not to mention the learning curve (or 'unlearning' curve if you already know how to run something else). Not knocking Catia, but if I were a small design house, I'd avoid Catia.

SolidWorks can save out to STEP, Parasolid, and IGES. These are neutral formats that any modern Solid CAD system can read in.

As for SLA, the standard format (as mentioned before) is .stl and I can output to that for your RP no problem.

944Fest (aka Dan P)

Does anyone have access to this $2500 toy that could zap a 1/24th model for the huge sum of, oh, maybe a six pack of beer?

JEC_31

My department runs our company's Stratasys rapid prototyping machine. Incredibly useful technology, but slow as poop and the hardware is not too reliable.

We were told in no uncertain terms by upper managment to never make cars, jet fighters, working gearsets, or statues of Homer Simpson again. We can only make work-related boring things (car parts).

On the plus side, we are trying like all freakin' hell to get the bigwigs to crack open the wallet and let us buy a real laser scanning Coordinate Measuring Machine. FYI, "real" means that it's accuracy blows away that silly Nextengine toy scanner.

When that glorious day comes... hehehe hehe heh...


Good work on the 951 CAD model!

cie_lab

hehe. Thanks.

Yeah, that NextEngine is pretty much a toy. But it's only $2500, not $25,000 (that extra zero makes a big difference for some). Interesting though, Mayo Clinic uses a NextEngine to scan body parts.

...and the true test of this forum's maturity begins.

JEC_31

$25,000? Our large Stratasys was six figures + brand new. On top of that, you can pay $30K a year for maintenace coverage.

Body parts?

The tech who has done 3 demos for us on his company's laser CMM had a couple interesting stories on that.

First, at a trade show a dude came in and had them scan his face and give him the CAD output. He returned the next day with his laptop and showed them his avatar in Unreal - a perfect replication of his face.

Next, they had a creepy fellow come in and price out a system for more facial scanning. He was making high-end custom coffins and a customer wanted his facial likeness molded into the casket ala Han Solo in carbonite.

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

The possibilities for reverse engineering are nearly endless with laser scanning.

I've used traditional contact-probe CMMs for years, I can generate thousands of data points per hour. The lasers generate millions per minute. All shapes, complex and simple, can be replicated to the nth degree. Combustion chamber shapes, for instance...

cie_lab

the $25,000 I was referring to was the scanner. Stratasys actually does sell a 'low end' RP unit for around $20k. Fairly crude, but good enough for some. Still slow. The media and maint. is the killer. I priced out an 18" model through their RedEye RPM: $1500!

Laser scanning is definitaly a huge deal. As of SW2007, we've been able to work with point clouds and other formats. There are some autosurfacing capabilities, but some of the purpose-built software that comes with the scanners does a better job of surfacing point clouds.

As for the NextEngine scanner, it's good for consumer design products where exact tolerences aren't necessarily that critical. One of our customers designs candy. Next time you eat a gummi monster truck, the mold was scanned in using NextEngine.