Engineering Stack Exchange
Engineering Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [computer-aided-design]

51 questions
13
votes
5 answers

How is a mechanical system designed and tested without building a physical model?

I am new to mechanical engineering, although I have a scientific background (postgrad in Mathematics), and I (mostly) code for a living. I have an idea about creating a mechanical device; I envisage it will entail gears, linkages and actuators. I…
Homunculus Reticulli
  • 367
  • 3
  • 10
7
votes
1 answer

Sending out a 12d Civil Design Model

My project team and I delivered the design of a 14ha urban infrastructure development in Sydney for a Client. The project was to hand over the development at a Tender level of design, which would be tendered upon by a number contractors. The…
Louis Russell
  • 121
  • 4
5
votes
1 answer

How do you create a chamfer in 3D CAD that joins the edges of two different shapes?

I am trying to make a 3D model. It consists of a cylinder resting on an extruded ellipse as you can see in the picture below. I now want to join the top edge of the ellipse with the top edge of the circle. In a sense, I want there to be a chamfer…
PJazz
  • 209
  • 1
  • 3
5
votes
7 answers

Can I use AutoCAD to learn mechanical engineering by DOING (like programming)?

I would like to learn mechanical engineering as a side project. But, I would like to learn in a way similar to programming. Learn by doing. Of course I understand I can't build things automatically just yet as I have no 3D-printer and they aren't…
MechLearner99
  • 59
  • 2
5
votes
1 answer

What is the script function to select Solid Body in ANSYS Design Modeler?

I need to select a solid body in ANSYS Design Modeler, with script, in a design with multiples bodies. With the following command I select all the solid bodies, but this is not what I need. ag.bodyPick; ag.gui.SelectAll(); I'm creating a script to…
efirvida
  • 205
  • 1
  • 8
4
votes
1 answer

Accounting for blank registration within CAD design

How do CAD designers account for the fact that a blank may have to be flipped to a different side in order to allow the piece to be completely milled through a CNC system? For an example, let's use this car made from a rectangular block of pine: It…
user16
4
votes
1 answer

Are boxy edges normal in SolidWorks when working with a drawing?

I'm giving SolidWorks a try and am following one of their tutorials on creating a part. When I create circles they are looking a bit "boxy" to me. My graphics card has 512MB of ram and I have checked the rendering settings that I found and…
cwd
  • 143
  • 3
3
votes
2 answers

Intuition vs software results

I've recently designed what is essentially an aluminium box. I've done the entire design process of CAD software SolidWorks and then done some simulations of loading of the box. Through iterations I've figured out the minimum thickness of the…
ThePlanMan
  • 133
  • 3
3
votes
3 answers

What is "reversal" in mechanical engineering drawing?

I've come across these terms "reversals allowed" and "reversals not allowed" in a sample drawing while reading a GD&T course. What exactly are these terms? What do they mean?
Somanna
  • 169
  • 2
  • 6
3
votes
1 answer

Per the ME Pavement Design Guide MOP, Section 5.3.6, Eq 5-18b, how is p02 assumed if not entered in Pavement ME?

The MOP, equation 5-18b calls for p02, which the MOP describes as the "Percent passing the 0.02 mm sieve". I assume that this is the percent passing for the subgrade. We only input down to the p200 for our subgrades. For example, our clay entry…
Justin Schenkel
  • 31
  • 1
3
votes
1 answer

What makes a good piping and instrumentation diagram tool?

A while back, I asked this question for a free Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) software on softwarerecs.SE. I described the core features of a P&ID software thusly: Where a proper P&ID software differs from a drawing tool like Visio or…
mart
  • 4,711
  • 1
  • 15
  • 28
3
votes
1 answer

Simple and easy Open Source CAD tools for basic 2D and 3D designs

We are planning to start a basic course on Computer Aided Designs (2D and 2D) for high school kids. The idea is to help them shape their innovative ideas into something tangible. We shall finally help them develop prototype using 3D printers or…
gpuguy
  • 141
  • 2
2
votes
2 answers

Can Sketchup produce drawings that are adequate to manufacture components?

I'd like to design some things with bolts, fan belts, levers, motors, etc. So I'd add a bolt here, drill a hole there and maybe take it apart and rearrange. I'd like to do it in 3D and found SketchUp. Can it be used to design, create and print…
Paul Uszak
  • 896
  • 8
  • 17
2
votes
1 answer

Is conversion from EMC (*.ngc) to heidenhain (*.h) CNC code possible?

I have some gcode created with dmap2gcode. This and Meshcam are the only software I could find that could would take a large image and create the necessary gcode. Now I would like to try cutting this on a different machine. This machine however is…
Jesse RJ
  • 21
  • 1
2
votes
0 answers

Are there tools to design and test experimental hardware and firmware through emulation?

I'm a programmer and I'm interested in testing an idea I have for a SATA intercept hardware device. I'd like to design a custom piece of hardware involving SATA connections, splitting of signals etc. My first planned step is understanding the…
J.Todd
  • 123
  • 4
1
2 3 4