Wich 3d cad program is the easiest to use for a total newbie. I want to use it to make a drawing of my chassis.

in my oppinion, autoCAD is the easiest package to get to grips with - you can start with 2D drafting, then progress to basic 3D modelling, provided there are no complex operations.
once competent with the menus etc. pro engineer is an extremely powerful package, but pretty complicated to master.
tom

no such thing as an easy cad package stick with Autodesk.

I would prefer SolidWorks. It is Windows-like and Windows-based. IMHO it is not very difficult to master.
Packages like ProE and Catia are more powerful, but I doubt you will ever need it...

For 3D I use SolidWorks; nice, quick and easy. For 2D I use AutoCAD.

in my opinion I would stick to Autosketch or AutoCAD, both easy to master and good results..

regards

Malcolm

Autodesk for both 2d and 3d
Autocad for 2d
Inventor for 3d
I use both every day and are great products

I use Mechanical desktop...don't even think of regular AutoCAD for 3D...totally useless...

I'm also learning Solidworks...has a lot going for it, but let them kid you...it's not THAT easy to learn...also there are several things I can do in Mech desktop that can't be done in SW......

From what I've seen of inventor it's a lot like SW....some impresive features, but drawbacks in certain areas...

In fact except for Mech desktop all the solid modelers seem to suffer form the same problem....poor 2D output....very clunky and amateurish.....completely opposite from their excellent modelling capabilities...

All IMO based on 14 years of daily CAD usage.

on the subject of drawing packages, I use the autodesk products at work on and off quite a bit and I would like to know here I can lay my hands on suitable programs for home use, can anyone direct me to the whereabouts of this software..or can anyone sell me it...would like to try solidwork (you alll rave on about it)

Anyone used Microstation?

I use it everyday, i understand it is more popular in the states, any comment Alan?

I use it with a tablet and puck, you know a boardwith all the tools layed out and you just select the tool you want to use. I find it much much quicker than menu hopping and toolbox managing

I tried autocad and solidworks as a newbie. I found solidworks much more intuitive and easy to get results with. Can't speak about anything else.

quote:

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Originally posted by liam.mccaffrey
Anyone used Microstation?

I use it everyday, i understand it is more popular in the states, any comment Alan?
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Have you guys seen the drawings that Dennis Palatov is outputting over on his www.dpcars.net site? He is using SW and outputting the working drawings as PDFs. Lovely, simply lovely.

Graber

Autodesk Inventor release 8 rocks!!!

Pro Desktop/Pro Engineer. For CAD drawings. Draw in 3d then convert to 2d engineering drawings. Simple to use and plenty of features. Can do animations of 3d models, output files to jpeg, dxf, IGES etc.

Solid works its more of an arty program, but good if you want high quality renders. IMHO

Cheers,
David

Nice discussion: just put 10 Catia constructors together with 10 Pro/E ones in a room and ask them about SW, they will probably tell you it is a Photoshop-derivate, and then start to fight whether Pro/E is for real men or Catia...
I can use SW, Pro/E and - if really necessary - Catia5 (please no 4.2.2), but I think SW is the easiest to learn and for a locost you're not likely having 'problems' the program can't cope with...

All IMHO...

[Edited on 25/6/04 by gys]

In a similar vein has anyone got any recommendations for producing decent wiring diagrams?

Have to agree solidworks is pretty easy to learn, i can use autocad/mech desktop but don't really like them much. Not used either for a few years though , so don't know what the latest versions are.

Cheers,
Chris