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Hi
AS im currently designing my new feather weight which will incorparate lots of tricky building. I thought it a good point to try my hand at some CAD something simple that i can design armour and mounts in. Alsoo that is either on the net or free download would be great
any ideas?
thanks alex
Rhino 3D
its a free trial, i use it and love it
Yep, I would highly recommend Rhino3D as well. :)
do you have a suitable link?
Google is your friend.
http://www.rhino3d.com/http://www.rhino3d.com/
i now have rhinoceros 3.0 evaluation just trying to work it out
could someone give me a few pointers on how they use it for robots? i have looked for tutorials but they seem to be a bit to specific about certain things
any help welcome
also just saved a bit of work nd i seem to have a limit of 25 saves??????
Renders are the things that show you your robot. To have your robot show up in your renders, you have to make surfaces. These surfaces are usually the exterior of your robot unless you want to try and render the inside as well.
You can make surfaces quite easily. Surface Point will create a surface out of any 4 points you specify. Surface Edge creates a surface out of 4 connecting curves. There are tons of other neat functions. Its really quite fun, try it. :)
And yeah, trial versions have 25 limited saves. When you get the full version, unlimited saves. :proud:
Rhino is a NURBS modeller though, so its a little different to most pacakges. I use 3DS MAX 8 from Autodesk.
For a good wide use I would use http://www.blender.orgwww.blender.org as a package, Blender is free, open source and is easy to box model with.
If you want epic simple, http://www.anim8or.comwww.anim8or.com is your place.
Otherwise
http://www.wings3d.com/http://www.wings3d.com/
http://sketchup.google.com/http://sketchup.google.com/ + http://www.kerkythea.net/joomla/http://www.kerkythea.net/joomla/ (use the two in conjunction)
Im no proffessional and Im 16 so Im no good to instruct you with anything. But feel free to use my robot model as a guide if you feel it helps, I used a box modelling technique.
http://www.ewe-squad.com/plei/Misc/Collage%201.jpghttp://www.ewe-squad.com/plei/Misc/Collage%201.jpg
If you want to go into it further I can show you some wireframes from this model, or give you the model to import to have a gander at.
Each of the packages has different benefits and downfalls, if you want simple, then Anim8or is best + it has an internal rendering system, though its not very advanaced.
Wings 3d is an opensource 3d program that is subdvision based (creating vertexes and then smoothing them all over)
Rhino, what you have is a different type. It uses Non Uniform Rational B splines to model with. Often this is good for organic modelling, but not as good for box modelling, which is better for a robot imo. The difference is youll notice is that most models use a series of verteces to define a point on a surface, NURBS is different in that it uses splines to define the average forsurfaces and lines.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:NURBstatic.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:NURBstatic.svg
Notice how the green points have an average that determins the final curve for the spline line.
http://www.oman3d.com/tutorials/3ds/mosque/001_top_vertices2.gifhttp://www.oman3d.com/tutorials/3ds/..._vertices2.gif
Above are standard vertices for shapes. The little squares are EXACTLY what are in the model, and so they are easy to extrude, bevel and move about unlike NURBS.
Personally I reccommend using a VERTEX based modeller for robotics becuase they are better and easier to box model.
But either way I suggest to test some of the ones I gave you to see what is right for you.
For more information:
Lists a load of modelling programs to use, free and buyable.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_computer_graphics_softwarehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_comp...phics_software
Will give you a bit of information about the two types of modelling and will give you core links.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-D_modelinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-D_modeling
Hope I could help some!
(Sorry if I sound patronising, I dont quite know how to word things properly, I see you have a large post count so I apolagize if I seemed to talk down at all)
David
(Message edited by david b on May 29, 2008)
(if that was partly directed at me...)
Its okay. I realize some people turn their noses up at some programs, so I dont bother to win people over, I just give suggestions. :)
Oh no, Rhino is fine, I use an extension on 3DS MAX called PWR Nurbs, which is exellent and has a NURBS as its base. In my experience I just thought box modelling was much easier than sub d modelling or NURBS.
No intention to insult you, my apolagies.
My post was aimed more at the topic starter :)
Ah, no harm done, good sir. :)
CAD is differnt then Computer Modelling. We make real things with CAD. Im a mechanical draughtsman and I dont like people using the wrong programs.
Find someone wholl lend you a copy of Autodesk Inventor or SolidWorks. Much quicker and easier then Rhino. The version of Inventor Im currently using has dynamic modelling and FEA which have come in rather handy and Im sure SolidWork will have the same as they both copy each other. With these programs you dont ever have to worry about NURBS or that sort of junk. You build the parts and assemble them together, not draw lines and calculate surfaces so they look right.
Thanks Daniel no the info was very helpful ill try those other downloads as they sound a bit easier to start with
thanks alex
Just gone onto the blender site i have got to this page
http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender/http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender/
do i need both downloads or just the left hand one?
(i use windows XP)
Thanks
They are both the same, just one is the executable installer, the other is a zip file.
@ Daniel, I think that depends on what he wants to do and upon the person.
If using other applications that are not CAD oreintated he can always export them to a DWG/DXF formats for importing to Autocad.
I would reccommend using CAD at a later date, but it would be better to grasp the basics of something like blender. Trials can be downloaded of the others so that he can test them out.
@ Starter, you can find CAD programs here:
__________________AUTODESK__________________
http://www.autodesk.co.uk/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=452932&id=9549668http://www.autodesk.co.uk/adsk/servl...932&id=9549668
Useful ones to pay more attention to are
AutoCAD [Trial version available][Handles DWG/DXF]
Autodesk 3ds Max [Handles DWG/DXF]
Autodesk Design Review [Exellent tool for viewing models]
Autodesk DWF Toolkit
Autodesk DWF Viewer
Autodesk DWF Writer
Autodesk Freewheel will let you show ther people on the net what you are designing, its like a hosting service for 3d models. (DWF only)
__________________SOLIDWORKS__________________
http://www.solidworks.com/pages/products/freesoftware.htmlhttp://www.solidworks.com/pages/prod...esoftware.html
DWG Gateway might proove useful for exporting to AutoCAD.
It doesnt seem that there is a trial for Solidworks, and I know nothing about it, nor will I pretend to. I use 3DS Max and have used AutoCAD.
_____________________________________
Try the above, the two programs have exellent intercompatibility.
Its your choice, the CADs are useful for machining your parts with becuase they can read the formats. Media based software such as MAX and Blender allow you to learn to draught ideas easily and simulate physics and you should be able to export/import AutoCAD file types into both packages (May require some additional plugins, they usually float around for free) (long time since I used Blender.
Have a go at both kinds to see what you like best.
:)
NURBS isnt junk either, NURBS is used in CAD today as an actual basis for many products. NURBS frames and usages are more related to Solid working than vertex modelling is, but your the proffessional so whatever. Its anything but junk, but whatever your opinion is....
(Message edited by david b on May 29, 2008)
Ive seen a dxf from one of those programs and it took me an hour and a half to clean it up so that it was usable, then took me 5 minutes to redraw it in Inventor. Doesnt seem quick and easy to me.
One thing Ive noticed is that CAD packages can tend to be expensive. Talking from the point of view that I am so good at CAD the guys at work have taken it off my machine and left me with a viewer, there are some cheaper systems on the market.
One that stood out when we were evaluating these was Turbocad. It does a lot of the more expensive versions do but retails at $130 (about £70). We didnt go for it at work because it meant we had a bit of file conversion to do when we received drawings.
http://www.turbocad.comwww.turbocad.com
Andy