Re: SolidWorks is cool, sort of (but FreeCAD might be better)

On Thu, 19 Jun 2025 22:22:43 +0200, Lasse Langwadt <llc@fonz.dk>
wrote:

On 6/19/25 02:21, john larkin wrote:

On Wed, 18 Jun 2025 23:58:45 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D'Oliveiro
<ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
 

On Wed, 18 Jun 2025 07:45:27 -0700, john larkin wrote:
>

People are expensive compared to the cost of SolidWorks. By about
100:1 or so.

>
So why are you bothering with that extra “EDrawing” tool? (Or whatever it
was called.) With all the trouble it takes to set it up, why not just use
another copy of SolidWorks for viewing those CAD files?

 
Edrawings is the free SolidWorks viewer. It displays .dwg and .dxf and
.step files too.
 
SolidWorks is expensive and has a big learning curve. I do mechanical
stuff with pencil and paper and give it to my guys to make real in
SolidWorks. I can view it with Edrawings.

>
I quite like Fusion360 especially the CAM part. There is a free version
with some limitations for private use and small startups. The full
version is ~$700/year which for professional use is peanuts
>

 
One coold thing we do is design an enclosure and a PC board together.
We can export a .dxf file that shows all the mechanical details of the
PCB, which PADS can import when we do the real pcb layout.

>
ye, even Kicad can do that, import dxf and make it a board outline or
even artwork. And as long as your components have step files assigned
you can instantly bring up a 3D model of the board with components. You
could even make a dummy component with your enclosure so the 3D view is
with enclosure
>

No more writing down dimensions from the mechanical design and placing
parts on the board from that.
 
Lots of machine shops now accept the SolidWorks files to bend metal
and make enclosures too.
 

>
quite a few of the cheap Chinese PCB/assembly houses now also offers 3D
printing/CNC/sheetmetal. Upload a step file, choose process and
materials and you get an instant price
>

It's so much easier to design stuff than it used to be.

I barely remember when draftspersons would draw schematics on vellum
and tape PCBs on Mylar. I am too young to remember inked drawings on
starched linen, and inked PCB layouts too.

It  was adventurous to run a trace between two pins of a DIP ic.

I still have one tape-on-mylar 4-layer PCB layout to show the kids. It
used to take two people two days to check a layout against a
schematic; I fell in love once doing that. Now it takes seconds.