Will AutoCAD 3D change engineering? 5

[daylight211]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I'm researching the idea of upgrading from a 2d version of AutoCAD (2004 with LDD) to a 3d version for use in the site design/ land develoment field. Is 3d the way of the future? Will companies that do not upgrade to 3d be left in the dust? Will the companies that use 3d effectively create a superior product? Thanks!

 

[MadMango]

There's still plenty of companies out there that have adopted 3D, but try to use it with their old 2D wrok flow and habits. It's like using a shotgun for a club.

[green]"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."[/green]

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[KENAT]

There are also companies who've done the opposite.

Adopted 3D and abandoned any concept of disciplined drawing or 'design communication' standards, work flow etc.

Seems like 3D hasn't taken hold in civil the same way it has in mechanical & aerospace. I'd primarily listen to the people from your own industry for advice as to whether you should make the jump at this point.

 

[GregLocock]

One aspect of 3D that we use continuously is that the models are stored on a server and can be viewed on any computer in the organisation, in a 3D viewing program. Using these models is our primary way of reviewing designs.

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[BillPSU]

3D is here to stay and give people great visualization tools to see what the design should be and hopefully will be. The problem with a 3D model it still has to be converted to physical parts with tolerances and be manufacturable.

Plate and sheet materials have material thickness tolerance and out of flatness conditions. The model shows absolute flatness and thickness.

MadMango commented on the 2D work flow. Quoting a part to a supplier with a model would be rather difficult, especially if the supplier cannot intrepret the data. 2D prints are still required currently.

Even within the engineering community agreement on which 3D model to use has not been established. Pro-E, Catia, Unigraphics or AutoCAD which do you use? I like to use Rhino for 3D modeling but not for drafting. There are many others.

 

[ewh]

While the differing CAD packages used today do present a problem with interoperability, the is a standard (ASME Y14.41-2003) that is addressing the concerns raised by BillPSU as to interpretation of tolerances and geometric conditions. IF the same files can be read in the same manner across platforms, then MBD may be all that is needed to manufacture a part.

 

[11echo]

You know there is an "off-shoot" problem with these 3D drafting systems, not just the AutoCAD version …and that is the quantity of these 3D programs. They are fractionating the already small design staff that’s available. Looking at job listings …one company wants PDMS, another wants Rebis, and another wants PDS ...the list goes on! That is, as I see it, a part of the real problem. Is it logical for an employer to expect a designer to know all these programs? ...Don't think so! Back in the "good old days" ...all you needed to be was a good designer! ...Doesn't seem to be the case these days! Does anybody remember the promise from AutoCAD to make your life simpler? …My $0.02!

 

[65Roses]

Go with Microstation for 3d in your field. It is a much better program than Autocad.

Why is my handle 65Roses?
Please visit

http://www.cff.org/aboutCFFoundation/About65Roses/

to learn why!

 

[Twoballcane]

Pro E baby with Pro M....

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."

 

[dozer]

I didn't read through all the replies so I hope I'm not repeating. I did read the one that said Acad has been 3D for quite awhile and that is correct.

If you really want to hop on the 3D band wagon (which I think is fine) I would look into packages other than Acad. Don't get me wrong, I like Acad, but it has more or less evolved into 3D, whereas something like Solidworks (I know, your doing site work so that's not the software for you but I've got to stick with what I know) was developed specifically for solid modeling. Maybe there's something more specific to your field.

3D versus 2D? If you're a crappy engineer/designer in 2D you're going to be a crappy engineer/designer in 3D. It's just that now there will be a whole new dimension to your crappiness.