Cadalyst - April 2008 - (Page 38)

mcadmodeling By Mike Hudspeth, IDSA Technical Uses for Nontechnical Software You may know many of these applications — you just didn’t know you needed them. Y ou’re used to reading about the latest in high tech 3D modeling in my “MCAD Modeling” column. But believe it or not, there are more things in heaven and on Earth than those dreamt of in that rather specialized philosophy. Other kinds of software are valuable to designers who have little to do with 3D modeling. They can — and do — make your job easier and more productive. When I started in the design field, everything was drawn on a drafting board, typed with a typewriter (electric — I’m not that old), and copied with either a diazo blueprint machine or a photocopier. I literally spent hours making drawings, copying them, cutting out what I wanted, taping everything down, and running another copy. It was very labor intensive. Oh, if I only had the tools I have now, back then. What wonders could I have wrought! Nowadays, we have the most important tool we are likely ever to get to make our jobs easier, faster, and more accurate — the computer. You must have the right software, of course. In the Beginning . . . It may sound obvious, but a lot of people wouldn’t think of Microsoft Office as engineering software. Sure, they know they’re going to need it if they set up an office, but it has some techniAdobe Systems cal applications as well. www.adobe.com I worked at one company Autodesk where my boss wanted www.autodesk.com me to create technical Corel drawings in Microsoft www.corel.com Word. I could bring in Maplesoft images and set up tables, www.maplesoft.com but Microsoft Word just MAXON isn’t a drafting package. www.maxon.net It can be used to do a lot Microsoft of things, but you have www.microsoft.com to ask why anyone would NewTek use it that way, especially www.newtek.com when a real computerWolfram Research aided drafting (CAD) www.wolfram.com package was available. 38 And I did ask. I was asked if Microsoft Word could do it; I answered that it could. He told me, “then do so.” After that I smiled a lot but kept my mouth shut. Microsoft Word is an indispensable tool for the modern office, but it’s not a drafting package. Microsoft Word is meant to process words. Yes, you can add pictures and arrange tables. Figure 1. Microsoft Excel will But did you know that import tables directly into most most of the time you 3D modelers. can import all that work into your 3D modeling software and use it? SolidWorks has what it calls design folders that allow users to store all kinds of relevant data right into models — even MS Office files. For typing and editing text, Microsoft Word is hard to beat. What would you use it for? You could create a running diary of the changes you make to a model and document why you made them. Come audit time, that information could be priceless. And what about the times when you have opened someone else’s file and wondered why they did what they did? A diary file can explain those things. Along with word processing comes spreadsheet preparation. Products such as Microsoft Excel truly are engineering tools. These programs are invaluable for arranging information and doing simple math. This information can be imported into most modern 3D modeling software as well (figure 1). Why would you need to do that? Hole tables come to mind. If your company allows for tabulated drawings, you can create all kinds of bills of materials (BOMs). The tables can be imported or merely linked back to the Microsoft Excel files to save file size and increase flexibility. After all, editing values in Microsoft Excel will be easier than doing in your drawing. Should I even mention Microsoft PowerPoint? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked to create a PowerPoint presentation to show off a product design. This software is wonderful. You can copy and paste text from just about www.cadalyst.com cadalyst April 2008 http://www.adobe.com http://www.autodesk.com http://www.corel.com http://www.maplesoft.com http://www.maxon.net http://www.microsoft.com http://www.newtek.com http://www.wolfram.com http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - April 2008

Cadalyst - April 2008 Contents Editor's Window Cad Central The Summer of BIM Thin Is In — Large LCD Monitors Caligari trueSpace 7.5 — 3D Modeling Software HP Compaq 8710w — Mobile Workstation Autodesk Design Review 2009 — Design Viewing and Collaboration Software Getting Better — What Should You Learn? Technical Uses for Nontechnical Software AEC on Macs Cad Cartoon Issue Indexes Tips Rain Down on Harry

Cadalyst - April 2008

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