Google Sketchup 1

[tienti]

Hi

I have an idea to start drawing/animation to present to others, and I only have experience with solidworks/ Pro E. Do you think sketchup would work in the short and long term for designing mechanical products?

Its free and has a whole lot of plugins which is the good part, but not engineer friendly or not friendly to me at least.

Thanks

 

[macatc123]

If you just want to present the files to others, why don't you use eDrawings? It's free, and they can rotate the design, take measurements, and explode the assemblies.

Mac

http://www.edrawingsviewer.com/

 

[tienti]

I was hoping to create a drawing in google sketchup instead since software for other CAD is so expensive.

 

[imagitec]

Also look into Autodesk's free 123D.

However, as Roopinder Tara wrote in this post, one of SketchUp's strengths is the vast, user created library of models.

One time, I had to make a factory layout. Let’s see, should I make each machine in 123D, even if was free and easy to use (supposedly)? Or should I download models from the SketchUp library? I found Bridgeports, lathes, drill presses, tables, even a water jet cutter in the SketchUp library. In less than one hour, I had a reasonable attempt at a factory layout. In fact, every tool and machine I needed was there.

As an engineer who designs complex machinery, its hard for me to imagine a tool without the design control of SolidWorks. But that doesn't mean SolidWorks or another expensive package would be the only or even the best money-is-no-object option for many kinds of design.

 

[Cockroach]

You can cut your cost even more by going back to paper and pencil. Sounds like cost is your overriding concern in comparison to accurate results, professional presentation and quality of shop prints. But that cost will quickly add up with stamps, mailing your work to clients.

Regards,
Cockroach

 

[tienti]

Yes! maybe paper and pencil can make a comeback haha

 

[dhengr]

The sad thing is that there is little evidence that engineering knowledge, experience and judgement are making a come back.

Whatever, the software system, just give em a free (or expensive) CAD system, and everyone will be able to pretend they are doing real engineering and design, without the vaguest idea of what they are really doing. Ain’t that a perty pitcher and a fully democratic system? Exceptin, that pitcher of that there item can’t be manufactured or constructed, and they don’t even understand that, and they can’t even describe what their problem really is or what they are trying to accomplish.

One can only assume that there is only one size, model No. and manufacturer of a lathe or drill press, and that the model picked from the SketchUp library is error free; input by someone much more knowledgeable about that machine than you are. And, that this library model contains all the space and volume info. you need to perform the jobs you intend to do with that lathe. And, that you can properly locate the foundation and anchor bolts, mat’l. handling equip., plumbing and power outlets for that machine. Or, has Industrial Engineering been reduced to showing a rectangle with the word lathe printed inside the box, all this someplace inside a larger rectangle, never mind work flow, with the word factory in bold print below it?

Before I got this here CAD progame, I couldn’t even spell inginear, and now I are one.