template design sw

aleks

Member
HI everyone
Just a little and almost stupid question.
I'm going to put on paper my very first design, and I think I will use ruler, paper and pencil, but...
Is there an easy sw to "translate" my paper design in a digital one (you know... make many copies, do some adjustment without redraw everything and so on...).

I know (and nearly I will not knowing) nothing about 3d... only want to draw with mouse instead of a pencil...

Bot Win and Linux suggestions are welcome
 

Wojtee

Member
First of all try playing a little with Google Sketchup. The interface is pretty intuitive, it is very easy to start with (and difficult to master, of course). There are even some unfold plugins. But I think it is as close to "drawing with mouse" as it gets.
There are more professional products, e.g. Blender (for free) or Rhino (which has reasonable prices on student licences).
There are some free CAD-like programs, if you want to stay in 2D, but these are not exactly my cup of coffee :)
 
Z

Zathros

Wojtee, you have a really n ice album, I like the Bus, I wish I cold find one with an interior, you have an excellent collection.

@Aleks, you could draw your model and scan in and bring it into "Paint" and clean it up there. That is a very easy way to clean up a hand drawn model and I have seen some incredible stuff made that way. I just witnessed a guy put together a DC-5 using paper and pencil and the model is beautiful.
 

aleks

Member
ok, let's do some beta-drawing and beta-building...
I'll try to play a little with inkscape on linux...
 

retunga

Designer
Go CAD !!

ok, let's do some beta-drawing and beta-building...
I'll try to play a little with inkscape on linux...


Aleks, the best way to do a design unfortunately is CAD.
If you are going to do a design I would say it the correct way form the start, yes use pencil, paper and ruler, but whe comes to testing the building of piece CAD is in this case your friend in that you do not have to re-invent the wheel every time.

You can get TurboCAD at a good price and will do what you need, I use AutoCAD Mech 2011 and AutoCAD 2008 for doing my designs, along with 3DS MAX 2011 Design but that is very limited in use but will still do what you need, and also Pepakura Designer 3.

If you do a search of my posts (2 years of R&D and the full models completed) will come across a design of a Excavator, truck with a mobile crane arm and trailer and all of the design work was done in CAD, these models are very intense mechcanical paper models with moving parts.....

Yes AutoCAD costs lots of money, but TurboCAD is the more cost savings version.

R
 
Z

Zathros

To be honest, in the past few months, I have witnessed some of the most incredible models builds, and they were done all by hand. Generations of societies have lived and designed without any computer help at all. Hands on has a lot to be said for. :)
 
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