3D Modeling Techniques IRONCAD vs Creo Lesson
Four Streamlined Sketching/Feature Based Modeling
Modeling note:
It is funny,
you may not realize how you model because you have many ingrained
processes from the past. I have been doing Boolean (direct edit)
design since the beginning of solid modeling in CAD. In 1998 I was
part of the IronCAD release and was introduced to history based
modeling, but IronCAD has integrated direct edit so I still had that
functionality available. As I have been doing these comparisons I
realized that I design in shapes. I look at the drawing and pick out
the basic shapes of the part. You can see that in this part.
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 process.
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your legacy engineering information.
I saw some
Fusion 360 exercises online and I decided to compare ZW3D. It
quickly turned into a study in modeling techniques. I have created
many comparison lessons with Fusion 360, Creo, Solidworks, Solid
Edge, Catia, Inventor and NX to show the difference between ZW3D and
my modeling techniques. I found every presenters 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.
Many of these modeling techniques can easily
be implemented even within the most Solidworkish of systems. I call
it Streamlined Sketching and Feature Based Modeling. Please review a
few of the above IronCAD vs these other systems, there are some very stark differences.
Please watch
a Creo user model this part! I really think that Creo cannot be a
complicated as this user makes it. I use three sketches, three
extrusion, a draft command, 7 fillets and a shell! Any system can do
this like I did in IronCAD.
While creating 3D models from drawings 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.
Creo
is a marginal 3D CAD system based on the dated Pro/e history
based modeling system released in 1988. I sold Pro/e years ago
and found it 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
and Solidworks comparisons
I have found the same problems with Creo. The modeling
technique is hugely responsible for the level of productivity. Those
of you that are only trained in the 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?
As I watch the Creo user sketch this
part, I am amazed at the way he does it. I
just can't understand struggling with all the constrained
dimensioning. This IronCAD exercise took a few minutes and allows
for faster and much easier modification. Again these exercises turned
into a study of modeling techniques even though most of this model
is Feature Based Modeling not available to most of the Solidworks clones.
Here is IronCAD. My default is inches,
so we will set the units to mm. Let's get started.
We create a standalone sketch. Rotate it
with the Triball to the correct orientation. I do like the way ZW3D
has X0Y0Z0 planes shown. But it really is not conducive to the
single model environment that offers such incredible in context or
top down design.
Note: 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 very mechanical
engineering focused Solidworks clones.
We create the side profile sketch
We insert
another stand alone sketch!
We create the
profile this is going to be a remove function so we create the large
rectangle.
We prepare the
side profile to extrude from mid-plane 100mm.
We select the profile and set it to
extrude, and remove from the existing shape.
We now have the basic shape.
We copy using
the Triball profile 2mm and move it 2mm.
We edit the
sketch by deleting the outer rectangle and offsetting the upper
graphics by 2mm.
We clean up
the sketch.
I exit the sketch and select it and set
it to extrude remove.
We
now are done with our sketching and extrusions. We now draft the
inside face 30 degrees
We
put in the fillets.
Now for the life of me I cannot understand the Creo's presenters
modeling techniques, the work here could be done in any of the Pro/e
(Creo) clones. I am sure that Creo could do this last step, the
Shell. I did this in 3 other CAD systems to make sure all had this
functionality from dumb models.
We shell the bottom face ad
we are done. I did no more in this model than you would do in yours.
I used only sketching.
We
are done. I show the hidden line to see the shelled part.
Now for the
AID (drawing).
You can see the two process that IronCAD offers are both hugely
more productive than the tedious constrained based sketching. You
can see more on modeling techniques here.
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.
Now for the
AID (drawing). 