3D package for industrial design

1

I need to start learning a 3d package for my final year of my industrial design course. I am wanting to learn a package that will be recognised by employers and i can use for both industrial models and a bit of simple animation (rotation, zooming). I use flash mx if that helps for scripting etc. and I will be buying a student licence

I’m not wanting to start a program vs program but which would users reccomend for these purposes???

2

isn’t CAD2004 able to produce 3d for industrial designs?

3

also look into sketchup 4 www.sketchup.com … The absolutely easiest, yet precise and powerful industrial/architectual 3d package out there. I am using it for my next project and architectual walk through. And I am no artchitect, but it makes me look like one…:p:

4

I ned something that I can do 3d models in. HAve been using Rhino up until now but its not the easiest to use.

5

sketchup does 3d models. It exports to all formats. I took my sketchup model in 3ds and textured it. Did the same for LW.

6

I’ve looked at sketch up before and I like the beige shaders but my lecturers want thingks that are more realistic. Therefore If I have to use LW, 3ds MAx for shading I may as well learn to use them?

3ds MAx 6 student licence is is only £85 for 2 years which seems a bargain. Cinema 4d is alittle more and I dont know about MAya or lightwave???

7

then you had your own question answered yourself from the get go.

8

if you are talking industrial design (mechanical engineering, proto dev, construction, demo plan, etc.) CADCAM or CAD2004 is THE program you should learn. If you want to have something to show future employers, experience in that program is BEST. Of course all of that is on the premise that you are doing industrial design.

Peace

9

You mean AutoCad by Autodesk? If so, yes, that program can render 3D, but I don’t believe it can make movies, and the render engine is worthless.

10

unless he/she uses max or LW to develop in the person will need an external render. If that route is desired I would go sketchup…

11

im an industrial design engineer so im gonna add my ten pence…

industry require that you are proficient in one CAD package. here are the pros and cons of each. choose dependant on your area of design.

Maya – great for vehicle designers but expensive. More for visuals and anime than engineering context.

Rhino – based on the maya engine and very good. if you have started with this then keep going, a lot of industry use it

SolidWorks – simple to learn. very intuitive and maybe what you need. we use it a lot for rapid prototyping because its quick and dirty, okay rendering too. downside is that all work in it has a ‘solidworks’ feel to it. industry like it

AutoCad – terrible rendering and more of the 80s era. AVOID!

3DS Max – best rendering but modeliing is hard to do exactly. more for visuals than engineering parts.

Light wave and all others dont figure so forget them

my advice would be to carry on with rhino or learn solidworks.

i personally use solidworks/rhino + 3dsmax for rendering

If you want a career as a designer then DRAW. by all means leran a cad package but drawing is key to success. good luck

Billy

12

thanks. THink I am going to go with 3ds max based on billy star’s advice. I need the package more for presentation that accuracy and rhino exports pretty well into max.

I also do a lot of interactive work and that the field I want to get into so think max and flash work well together.

Thank you for your replies.