Choosing a 3D Package

If you are interested in designing for fabrication, then the only systems you need to know would be Solidworks/MasterCAM unless you find the interface to Solidworks a bit French, then you may as well switch to Rhino and that about covers anyone's needs in design.

I have used 3D modelling systems since '86 (no ageist cracks please) and I can tell you that today's systems are a walk in the park when it comes to user interface. I doubt that any of you remember a system named Movie BYU (so named because it was created at Brigham Young Uni and ran on a FACOM 180) - that was my first animation system and my second was PolyCad from a crowd called Cubicomp. I was an animator 6 years before moving into Systems Engineering and like all users of the early modelling systems, I was made to use AutoCad (never liked it and still don't). Over the years I used Lightwave, Soft Image, Maya, Flame and other less mentionable systems which are only of interest if you want to animate or get into special effects. Over time my duties morphed into full time project management and the only solid modelling I do now is for my CNC machinery.

In closing, if you are really more interested in building things (developing UAVs in my case) and don't want to spend all your waking moments learning to design in 3D. I suggest that you pick one system (Solidworks) and invest a little effort up front in getting to know it by doing all the tutorials. You will find the benefits in workflow speed very worthwhile and it will free you up to do what you like most.

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Juan Soler March 30, 2011 at 2:43pm

If you are interested in designing for fabrication, then the only systems you need to know would be Solidworks/MasterCAM unless you find the interface to Solidworks a bit French, then you may as well switch to Rhino and that about covers anyone's needs in design.

I have used 3D modelling systems since '86 (no ageist cracks please) and I can tell you that today's systems are a walk in the park when it comes to user interface. I doubt that any of you remember a system named Movie BYU (so named because it was created at Brigham Young Uni and ran on a FACOM 180) - that was my first animation system and my second was PolyCad from a crowd called Cubicomp. I was an animator 6 years before moving into Systems Engineering and like all users of the early modelling systems, I was made to use AutoCad (never liked it and still don't). Over the years I used Lightwave, Soft Image, Maya, Flame and other less mentionable systems which are only of interest if you want to animate or get into special effects. Over time my duties morphed into full time project management and the only solid modelling I do now is for my CNC machinery.
In closing, if you are really more interested in building things (developing UAVs in my case) and don't want to spend all your waking moments learning to design in 3D. I suggest that you pick one system (Solidworks) and invest a little effort up front in getting to know it by doing all the tutorials. You will find the benefits in workflow speed very worthwhile and it will free you up to do what you like most.
Shannon Morrisey March 29, 2011 at 9:17pm

I just started using Rhino Beta for Mac which is very powerful with lots of 3rd party support/plugins yet intuitive and easy to learn (free Mac Beta is available now). But for aircraft design, especially advanced surfacing and contouring, CATIA is the bee's.
Simon Wood March 29, 2011 at 5:11pm

If anyone is interested in working in Blender (OpenSource/Free Tool) there is a good guide aimed at engineering modelling (rather than 3D animation):

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/r.burke2/precision_modelling1.html

Simon
Ritchie March 29, 2011 at 2:43pm

AutoCAD is for CAD. Most common application for its wide variety but there are others that are equally good.

Maya is for modeling and animation. You only have to watch to extras from an Pixar or Disney or Universal movie to see the familiar interface.

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