IRONCAD vs Fusion 360 Lesson 8 3D Modeling Techniques Defined Streamlined Sketching/Feature Based Modeling
The modeling technique is
hugely responsible for the level of productivity. Those of you that
are only trained in the sketch, sketch, constrain, constrain world
are truly limited by not using the freedom of Streamlined Sketching
and Feature Based Design,
that is available in even the most Pro/e-ish of CAD systems. If your
designers are designing in these very unproductive and time
consuming processes it might be time to review your standard design
processes. Don't have any do you? When I introduce IronCAD's very
flexible design paradigm I have a hard time to get the Pro/e clone
users, like Solidworks and other programs to understand the drag and
drop design paradigm.
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I saw the
following video challenge on linkedin and thought I would give it a
try on IronCAD. I actually did it before I watched the video, so I
did it a bit differently. This will give you an idea how different
and flexible IronCAD is compared to the conventional Pro/e clone and
to the not so conventional Fusion 360.
While creating 3D models from drawing is the very best
way to learn 3D CAD and maybe some design techniques is does not
expose the designer to the design flexibility necessary in product
design. IronCAD is all top down due to the single model environment.
Creating mating parts is a cruise. But modeling is just one aspect of a
well designed productive 3D CAD system.
I would do a
video, but I really am not good at it. So I will show you step by
step. I will try and get IronCAD support to create one. They are
very good.
I always create the part before I watch
the Fusion 360 Video, so as to not taint my process. Of course,
there are a multitude of ways to create a model. There is no right
way, just more productive ways. From what I have seen from these
very complicated processes done by the Fusion 360 fellow, it is not
just limited by the 3D CAD system.
The modeling technique is
hugely responsible for the level of productivity. Those of you that
are only trained in the sketch, sketch, constrain, constrain world
are truly limited by not using the freedom of feature based design,
that is available in even the most Pro/e-ish of CAD systems. If your
designers are designing in these very unproductive and time
consuming processes it might be time to review your standard design
processes. Don't have any do you?
Here is IronCAD. My default is inches,
so we will set the units to mm. Let's get started.
I instantly differ from the Fusion 360 presenter by dragging and
dropping a slot block into to the scene and sizing it. It is funny
we call it a slot block, I suppose it could have been called a oval
block, but slot works with the hold slot.
Why does IronCAD call it a scene instead of a workspace? IronCAD was
first released as a graphic design program called Trispectives. It
still has much of the graphic design functionality. It truly is a
wonderful mixture of professional 3D CAD and graphic design, which
puts it in a much more flexible category as compared to the Pro/e (Creo)
clones.
IronCAD does not have a sketching module. In this case I use Extrude
Wizard to drop a sketching plane on the center point of the slot
block. Nope, no separate plane. Just a complete sketching plane, in
this case ready for extrusion. We have wizards for spin, sweep and
loft.
I use the triball to rotate the sketch plane 90 degrees to
orient the plane in the correct position.
As you can see I project a few edges and just sketch the
graphic, no not constraining but just drawing the lines and trimming
or extending.
We extrude to the correct size and locate the block. We could
extrude symmetrically but this is just a non-thinking way.
Now for the Slot. We just drop a extrude wizard on the face and
locate it.
Again we just project the edges and offset. No, dimensions or
constraints.
We now just extrude the slot and
locate.
We go to the catalog select tool>custom hole and drag and drop a
hole on the center of the slot.
We size the counterbore and hole.
Then using the triball link it to the center of the other side of
the slot. I could have also mirrored it but I would have to locate
the triball which would have been an extra step.
Add the blends on the edge of
the slot
Then the blends on the side.
It is important on how you put in the blends. It should be in steps
to make sure they go in correctly.
There you are. A very simple part made even more simple
with a mixture of Streamline Sketching
and Feature Based Modeling.Modeling technique is a huge part of productive design. Of
course, a much more productive 3D CAD system helps too!!
We
It is
very important that you look into how you or your engineers are
creating the parts. Streamline Sketching and Feature Based Modeling
is easy to learn and implement. It, alone, will increase
productivity 10X. Now, IronCAD with its unique integrated
history/direct edit functionality can increase your productivity
another 5X or more with changes! Again, time is money in
engineering.
More on Streamline Sketching and Feature
Based Modeling.
To experience this increased level of productivity, please download
IronCAD for a 30 day evaluation. Legacy data is no problem, IronCAD
can read the native files of all of the popular programs. IronCAD is
a great replacement for the subscription only Autodesk and PTC
products.
Give me a call if you have any
questions. I can set up a skype or gotomeeting to show this part
or answer any of your questions on the operation of IronCAD. It
truly is the very best conceptual 3D CAD system.
