ZW3D vs CATIA Lesson 1 3D Modeling Techniques Defined With 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 constrained sketching world of the major CAD
systems
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 you
or 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?
These
lessons started out as
product comparisons, but quickly turned into a study in 3D modeling
techniques.
See this done in
IronCAD! I am not sure if it is due to these
exercises but I have replaced a few Creo, Solidworks and Fusion 360 with ZW3D. Listen to
what these two fellows said.
Brian
"We spoke a year and a
half or so ago about ZW3D. I took the Autodesk Fusion
360 but am becoming increasingly unhappy with it… It’s not very
productive for me, just too slow and cumbersome to get things done
quickly. On on the strength of your recommendations I am ready to
give ZW3D Standard a shot, probably as a rental for the first year.
Bottom line is,
Fusion 360 is “free” but not really free… I am finding that the
slow, clumsy pace of design with it is counterproductive… time is
money."
Thanks much,
Brian
Peter
The initial hull design was done in Rhino, which for some reason
is a standard in the boat industry.
The surface already had
a few problems!
It was imported into Fusion 360 and I did
some of the early concept design work, but when it came to surfacing
I hit road blocks every way I tried it.
At this time Phil
was not part of the project, but I suggested to my client that we
needed Phil's help. Phil also hit road blocks in Fusion 360 even
using some of his unique re-topologizing workflows and T-Splines.
The rest is history, as they say.
Thanks to ZW3D
paired with Phil’s surfacing skills we now have tooling for the hull
created.
You should see the images.
Perfectly smooth
reflections!
Peter
I saw the
following CATIA YouTube tutorial and thought I would give it a
try on ZW3D. I have to tell you it is almost tortuous to watch
the CATIA presenter. CATIA is a constrained sketched based
system as are Fusion 360, Solidworks, NX and Creo. This modeling paradigm is used throughout
the industry causing millions of wasted hours.
I was a bit
surprised to see a bit of direct editing in CATIA. ZW3D includes
robust direct edit functionality. Direct editing should not be used haphazardly
especially in a history based systems where every face move is a
step! He should have organized the features better so this was not
needed.
I have to say the CATIA
presenter struggle with such a simple part. I cannot imagine the
wasted time CATIA is creating for companies like Boeing, Bombardier,
Airbus, Gulfstream, Chrysler and so many more.
While creating 3D models from a 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. ZW3D is all top down due to the
multi-object design environment.
Creating mating parts is a cruise. But modeling is just one aspect of a
well designed productive 3D CAD system.
The drawing is at the end of this article if you would like to try
this lesson.
ZW3D vs CATIA
ZW3D is very similar to
CATIA and the Pro/e
clones with differences that make it much more streamlined. It is very easy for those users
to get up and running with ZW3D. The unique benefits over the other systems
is the multi-object environment with the integrated drawing. You can
do complete projects (parts, assemblies and drawings) in one file.
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 ZW3D support to create one. They are
very good.
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 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?
ZW3D is a history based
system with planes, but it also has primitive shapes to increase
your productivity. It seems to me watching this CATIA
exercises that there is no concern for simplifying the process and
increase design productivity. Most of us do engineering design and
have schedules to meet. Not only do these more productive modeling
techniques and a productive system increase design speed it allows
us to meet our goals much easier. Especially with changes.
I have to say this is
incredibly simple. But the CATIA presenter has been
indoctrinated into these designs techniques. It started with Pro/e (Creo)
and has been the way the sketch, constrain and assemble. The
Solidworks clones are costing the industry millions, if not billions,
in lost productivity.
Here is ZW3D. It is set to mm so let's
get started
We open a Part/Assembly and call it PUMP BODY
These have actually turned into exercises in
modeling techniques as compared to showing a more productive CAD
system. Again, I say there are many different ways to model a part.
I see with my exposure to direct edit modelers like CADKEY, I
rarely sketch like you see the CATIA fellow doing. I have always
created my basic sketches by mostly creating offsets and trimming or
extending. It seems to be much easier. I never put in a fillet that
can be created later. What do you think?
I will start my part a bit differently
with the top flange by inserting a Center/Height block
primitive shape and sizing it. I will locate the top middle at
X0Y0Z0. This will make modeling this part much simpler. Setting up
you model correctly will save you time and frustration. You can see
in the CATIA presentation it was done much differently.
I will insert another Center/Height primitive block,
size and locate it and set it to add.
We will add
the fillets. I turned on the hidden lines to get to the edges that
are not shown.
We can now use the centers of the
fillets to put in our M10 holes. I will put all of my holes in at
once which is easy in ZW3D. The CATIA presenter had to create a
point, insert the hole and then pattern.
We are done with the top feature for
now. We put locate a Cylinder primitive on the mid-point of the
lower edge of the lower face and set the offset of 102/2 from X0Y0Z0
and set it to add.
I could have created the large
cylinder with a sketch but we are focused on Feature Based Modeling.
We will create a line for a reference point for our first boss. We
locate a primitive cylinder on the face of the large cylinder and a
the end of the line an size the cylinder and set it to add.
Using
the pattern feature we create the other boss.
We will now add the top center hole. We
locate a Center/Height block at X0Y0Z0, you can now see the
advantage of how important setting up the model is. It is not just
speed of modeling but creating well modeled parts.
We put in the fillets.
We locate a cylinder primitive at the center of the large cylinder
and size it and set it to remove. We also hid the line. It was a
wireframe entity.
We
create the two M10 holes in the center of the bosses. The CATIA
presenter seemed to have problems with this step.
We
just mirror the M10 holes using the XZ plane
Again staying with Feature Based
modeling we create the base by inserting a Corner Primitive block at
X0Y0Z0 and locating it.
We finish sizing it and set to add.
Now
we have to do a sketch. We set it to the front face of the base.
We
reference the geometry we are going to use in our sketch.
We
unlink our referenced geometry add our circles and trim. No
constraints!
We exit the sketch and extrude setting to add.
We
have another sketch this time we will set it at the XZ plane.
We
create our reference geometry.
We
unlink our reference geometry and create our offset and angled line.
We
trim our geometry to complete our sketch. Again no constraints. We
will not put the fillet in at this time. You should never sketch
fillets if you do not need to.
We
exit the sketch and extrude.
We
create the fillet and create the sketch on the XZ plane for the
slot.
We
create the reference geometry and unlink it.
I
created offset on the diagonal line 12.5mm, extended that line to
the bottom line, I offset the bottom line 38mm and deleted the
bottom line, and created another 57mm line from the end of the new
diagonal line, created a vertical line at the mid-point of that line
and mirrored copy the diagonal line.
We
trim the geometry to get the completed sketch. No constraints.
We
exit the sketch and extrude setting to remove.
We put
in our fillets.
We
add our M20 hole on the bottom face located at X0Y0Z, remembering
how important it is to setting your model up right in the beginning
We are done with the part.
The AID (drawing)
ZW3D is one of the few 3D CAD systems
that has an integrated AID. Imagine how that would simplify the PDM
system.
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, can increase productivity 10X. Now, ZW3D with its unique
history and robust 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 ZW3D for a 30 day evaluation. Legacy
data is no problem, ZW3D can read the native files of all of the
popular programs including the PMI data of NX, Solidworks, Catia and
Creo. ZW3D 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 go to meeting to show this part
or answer any of your questions on the operation of ZW3D. It
truly is the Ultimate CAD/CAM System.
