CAD (Computer Aided Design)
Introduction
Here are some open source options for CAD. Please add others if you know of any.
- Open CASCADE Technology is software development platform freely available in open source. It includes components for 3D surface and solid modeling, visualization, data exchange and rapid application development.
- Blender is an open-source 3D animation software. It is poorly suited for CAD use.
Collaboration Discussions
from Sam Rose
Blender is OK for sketching. But, not good for CAD/CAM programming, as it draws in vectors, and not in constructive solid geometry, which is what is needed to give you the details of dimensions of what you are drawing.
OpenCascade does have CAD, and so does BRL-CAD. Much of the drawing done in both happens by way of command line input as opposed to computer mouse drawing. There is going to be a steep learning curve with any open source CAD (or even commercial CAD for that matter).
While OpenCascade seems easier to me, the consensus among people working in open design is http://brlcad.org/
What kind of computer are you going to be using (Mac, Linux?)
I would say that it would be more than worth the time invested to learn http://brlcad.org/ this will put tremendous power to design into your hands. documentation is here http://brlcad.org/wiki/Main_Page and http://gpwiki.org/index.php/BRL-CAD:Tutorials tutorials can help.
Also, get an IRC client and check yourself in to irc://irc.freenode.net/#brlcad if you run into questions you can ask the actual people that program it. Let them know who you are and your project and they will probably be interested in helping you. Mailing lists are here http://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=105292 but I do not follow them so do not know if they are currently active.
Also, http://avocado-cad.wiki.sourceforge.net/Tutorial_CoffeeMug avaCADo is a very simple one that is based more on drawing (although with scant documentation). Yet, some evalution (using Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex 8.10) shows that it is capable of doing some pretty complex solid geometry operations (without all of the command line interface). Worth a try, and it runs on Mac too.
Marcin says:
From a cursory view, AcoCADo appears to be best. We are looking for a simple drawing tool that has robust visualization features a la doing prototyping on the computer screen rather than in physical space, like Jeremy did on Sawmill wiki page with Blender. The goal is: if you can draw a design, you can see the details of how things fit together, and you can draw up a BOM and fabrication procedure for that. We're talking about basic modeling before one goes out to buy supplies.
This is what we need badly right now for the OS movement in general.
Nick
Personally if I am going to go to the trouble of doing a model I'd like the program to have the capability of automatically putting out 2D manufacturing drawings and a BOM. This greatly streamlines the development process. I'm not certain if either of those two programs can do that?
From Chad
To respond to your request for open-source CAD, see/explore the following links for an assortment of packages:
http://forums.biorust.com/3d-modelling/666-free-3d-modellers.html http://www.tech-edv.co.at/lunix/CADlinks.html http://www.le-boite.com/minos.htm https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuScience#Engineering%20Sciences http://avocado-cad.sourceforge.net/
If none found through those links suit your fancy, you may have to settle with a closed-source app for now - see the following:
CoCreate PE: http://www.ptc.com/offers/tryout/pe2.htm Alibre Design Xpress: http://www.alibre.com/products/xpress/xpress_for_all.asp
An excellent repository of FREE 3D models in numerous formats, hosted by Solidworks (a closed-source suite) - just register with a valid email and you can download any of the models available in a plethora of different file formats:
http://www.3dcontentcentral.com
Open-source CAE - computational fluid dynamics, finite element analysis, electromagnetics, etc...a little farther down the line in product development, but you can bookmark it for now:
CAELinux: http://www.caelinux.com/CMS/