3D Modeling Techniques
IRONCAD vs Solidworks Lesson Eight
Streamlined Sketching/Feature Based Modeling
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.
Download IronCAD/Inovate and
take the one day and 17 lesson course. I get rave reviews from my
new customers. Give it a try, this is a fully functional 30 day
evaluation with all of the native translators so you have access to
your legacy engineering information.
I saw some Fusion 360 exercises online and I decided to compare
IronCAD. It quickly turned into a study in modeling techniques. I have created
many comparisons to Fusion 360, Onshape, Solid Edge, NX, Creo,
Catia and Inventor lessons to show the difference between
IronCAD and my modeling techniques. I found the presenters working
identically wasting massive amounts of time
with overly complex constrained sketching procedures. I was so unimpressed that
I decided to model the parts or assemblies showing my modeling techniques plus IronCAD's superb design system.
3D Modeling Techniques Defined
Many of these modeling techniques can easily be implemented even
within their existing system. I call it Streamlined Sketching and
Feature Based Modeling. Please review a few of the above IronCAD
comparison lessons, there are some very stark differences. This is my second lesson that is based on a comparison between KeyCreator (CADKEY) and Solidworks.
KeyCreator is a direct
edit only CAD system. I sold CADKEY and KeyCreator for over 31 years
in 1987 and lost the product in 2009 when they went to direct sales. I would
be selling it today. It is a very flexible direct edit system but a
bit clunky for design. You need both history and direct edit for
highly productive modeling. I quickly moved to IronCAD, that offers
both, in 1998 for
all my solid modeling only using KeyCreator for some hybrid
modeling. But our other product, ZW3D, offers much more powerful hybrid
modeling functionality.
KeyCreator is level based and the level management
becomes quite a chore. Even though both IronCAD and KeyCreator are
single model environment IronCAD has much better way of displaying
and manipulating the parts, by hiding, showing and suppressing. ZW3D has just too
many advantages over KeyCreator to even get into it.
But
KeyCreator offers 2X productivity over Solidworks not only in ease
of modeling but the single model environment, even with the levels
is miles above the separate part and assembly environment of
Solidworks.
Please watch both presentation separately. I have
tens of thousand of hours on KeyCreator, being introduced to CADKEY
in 1986. The presenter claims at the beginning to 100% 3D, yet
starts with a sketch. Go figure.
If you watch close you will
see that there will be a Boolean join or subtract with each feature.
KeyCreator is a bit of a primitive Boolean system. Not that that is bad, like I have
said KeyCreator can easily outperform Solidworks and the clones.
Direct edit is very fast
modeling system with 2D to 3D conversions but suffers hugely as a
design product without the flexibility of history design. You really
need both to productive 3D CAD modeling.
The Solidworks presenter seems to really
struggle with this simple part!
Here is the drawing if you would like to
give it a try.
While creating 3D models from drawing is the very best
way to learn 3D CAD and maybe some design techniques it does not
expose the designer to the design flexibility necessary in 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.
Solidworks
is a marginal 3D CAD system based on the dated Pro/e (Creo) history
based modeling system. I have sold this product years ago and found
it, like all of the other Solidworks clones, not productive enough
for our engineering department. We use what we sell. That gives us
the experience to effectively support our user base.
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.
As with my Ironcad vs Fusion 360/Creo exercises
I have found the same problems with Solidworks. The modeling
technique is hugely responsible for the level of productivity. Those
of you that are only trained in the complex and time consuming
constrained sketching world are truly limited by not using the freedom of
Streamlined Sketching and Feature Based Modeling, that is available in even the most
Solidworks-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?
KeyCreator offers a
much different design experience. Designing with no history is
relatively easy. Much simpler than the constrained sketched history
based systems such as Solidworks. But direct edit only does not
offer the flexibility of history based modeling. IronCAD with both
history and direct editing integrated and available in the design
process, then add the new dimension of drag and drop design it easily outperforms both.
Let's get started!
We are using the newly released IronCAD
2019!
We are set the units to millimeters.
I first start inserting a extrude wizard
sketch and set the 10mm thickness of the triangular base.
We first draw a 75mm line, then the 30mm line. If you hold the right
mouse button when putting in the line it will ask you for the
length. I create the two 10mm R circles then mirror the right circle. Then connect the circles
with tangent lines.
Trim the lines and we have our sketch
ready to extrude. Notice none of these entities are constrained.
We
select okay and we are done with the base.
We
will now drag and drop a block onto the top face using the center of
the front arc to locate and size it.
We drag and drop another block on the top of the existing block, locate and size it.
We drag and drop the last block
on to the end and size it. As you can see that it automatically
becomes a feature of the part. There is no need to Boolean join as
required in KeyCreator. It is a bit
surprising KeyCreator still is totally based on Boolean design. IronCAD has
robust Boolean operations when needed.
You can drag and drop
shapes with the right mouse button an get the option to make it a
standalone shape. Designing in shapes is closer to how the real
world works.
We
drag and drop the first hole cylinder from the catalog size and locate it
at the center of the arcs, using the Triball
we locate and link the other holes. Linking them allows then to all
reflect any changes to one.
We
now drag and drop the large and small hole cylinders on the relevant
faces, locate with the Triball and size them. Drag and drop a hole
block of the front face locate and size.
The Triball is incredibly powerful, it can
locate any feature, part or sub-assembly with many locations,
the command used was the "From point or circle" here.
We
are done with the catalog, so I will close it. I usually have it
automatically hidden to have more of the scene available.
We will just put
in the two larger fillets.
Now
for the most time consuming, the fillets
There
you go. So much simpler, faster and fun than either the Solidworks or
KeyCreator exercises.
This is
another stark examples
of how Streamlined Sketching and Feature Based Modeling utilizing IronCAD's drag and drop of smart editable
Intellishapes from a catalog and
the use of the Triball can increase productivity easily 5X. I
usually estimate 5X increased productivity in conceptual design and
10X in changes, and I believe I am being conservative. IronCAD can
edit most of the Solidworks clone parts and assemblies faster than it
can be done in the native CAD system.
Give me a call if you have any
questions. I can set up a skype or go to meeting 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.
If you are interested in adding professional
hybrid modeling capabilities or looking for a new solution to
increase your productivity, take some time to download a fully
functional 30 day evaluation and play with these packages. Feel free
to give me a call if you have any questions or would like an on-line
presentation.
