3D Modeling Techniques IRONCAD vs Solidworks
Lesson Fifteen Drag and Drop Design 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.
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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.
Please watch
a Solidworks user model this part!
It is tortuous, you would think he would have at least practice
once. With all the
tedious constrained
sketching for this simple part for the Absolute Beginner, you can imagine a
complex part?
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.
IronCAD vs Solidworks
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 other major CAD systems, 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 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 Solidworks user
tortuously 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.
I put the cursor in the scene and right
click and select show and pick show the size box dimensions it makes
it much easier to work with setting the dimensions. You can save your custom
configurations if you want.
I am
going to drag and drop "Part of a Cylinder" from the catalog into
the scene, rotate it into the correct orientation with the Triball and size it.
It automatically drops to X0Y0Z0.
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 drag and drop a hole block on the
front face and locate and size it. Using the Triball we mirror link
the feature.
Using the
Extrude Wizard we create a sketch. We will not set the depth, we
will define the width and location later.
We project the
outside arc and create an offset arc. We create a horizontal line
through the center of the arc and create two offset lines. We then
project the left vertical edge and we have our basic sketch done.
We trim/extend
and delete the reference entities.
We
now edit the width of the cut.
Done with
sizing the cute we drag and drop a hole cylinder on the side face
locate and size it .
We now drag and drop a hole block on
the front face and locate and size it.
We
drag and drop a block to any square face and size the block.
We drag and drop a block to this
face. I will tell you why next.
I We now size
the block, by pulling or pushing the handles. There is a small arrow
in the upper left corner of the block. We drag and dropped the block
no the side assuring that the block was oriented this way.
All of the Intellishapes we drag and
drop from the catalog are based on sketches. We will edit the sketch
that makes up this block to create the diagonal face.
I will
leave it in the Iso View.
We will add the line and set the
angle.
We
just trim the two lines and delete the vertical line.
We
say okay and our web is complete. Except it sticks in to the cavity.
I did this on purpose to show how easy it is to revise the location
of a feature. Notice the highlited block is not moved before the
cuts.
We drag and
drop a cylinder on the mid point of right face of the lower block
size it and using the Triball we lock it into the plane and move it
to the center of the arc and pull it to the 94mm.
We just drag the other end of the
cylinder into the arc. Drag and drop a hole cylinder to the center
of the boss size it. We now add the fillets on the outside edge of
the arcs. I would probably just put them in on both sides but I want
to show you again how you can just move them to a prior step. You
can see I moved the blend before the center the rib block.
We go
to the custom hole function in the tools catalog and drag a hole to
the mid-point on the upper left face. We define the hole.
We revise the location of the hole with the Triball, move the
Triball only to the center of the arc and mirror link it.
Now
we drag and drop a hole cylinder on the top face of the bottom block
size it and locate it, then move the Triball only to the mid-point
of the bottom block and mirror link it.
We
now put in all of the blends. The Solidworks presenter seem to
struggle with the blends.
And
we are done with the part. No constraints and just two sketches.
Here is the drawing if you would like to
create the 3D model. the small cut at the left side the side
view.
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.
