Cadalyst - April 2008 - (Page 39)

mcadmodeling as Maplesoft’s Maple (figure 2) or Wolfram Research’s Mathematica. I know many engineers who struggle to do higherlevel math in Excel, but what they end up with is hardly ever as good as it should be. Most often it suffices, but making changes or troubleshooting their arithmetic can get involved. Real math software can show not only the problem and the answer but every single step in between. (My math teacher tried so hard to get me to do that.) Troubleshooting your math is far easier that way. Math software is a great tool. Worth a Thousand Words As great as your 3D modeling software is at capturing photorealistic — even ray-traced — images, you almost always need to tweak them. To do that, you’re going to need graphics software, and all kinds are available. Programs such as MAXON’s CINEMA 4D and NewTek’s Lightwave not only allow you to model but also render and animate your designs. If you have the Sci Fi channel, you’ve probably seen the new Battlestar Galactica series. You know those great space battle scenes with all the cool ships and stuff? They build all that with Lightwave. Of course, you may not need to go to that level. You may be concerned with getting graphic output for, say, a user manual. Programs such as Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW (figure 3) are just the ticket. They are vector-based programs, which means that they work with lines and arcs. This system is very handy for making changes and enlarging images. But sometimes you just want to output a raster image — that’s a bitmap. Adobe Photoshop is the industry big boy, but Corel PHOTO-PAINT (included with the CorelDRAW suite) is good, too. Both programs will let you add just the right glint of light to an otherwise dull model. It may surprise some how much difference that can make in selling a design. And if you’re artistic, a program like Autodesk’s SketchBook Pro is really good. Getting cool artwork isn’t the end of the story. You’re going to need page-layout software to pull it all together with the text. InDesign, again from Adobe (they sure do get in there and get the job done) lets users arrange images in as interesting, informative, or intuitive a manner as possible. I use it for manuals, brochures, and just about anything that I need to create to show off my designs. And speaking of showing off designs, Adobe (yet again!) Acrobat Pro is a must have — especially the new 3D product (figure 4). With it you can output files that others can read, mark up, and even rotate, cut sections, and turn off assembly components. Figure 2. When you need to perform math, Maple is up to the challenge. Here, a digital mockup of a suspension system is mapped out. Figure 3. With solid raster as well as vector capabilities, CorelDRAW is an extremely useful tool for designers. The Truth Is Out There I have only touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to software that you probably need but might not have known that you needed. I only have so much space. Suffice it to say, there is a lot of software that people wouldn’t necessarily think of as useful for engineering. But it is — and it’s waiting for you to discover. For more information about the software titles mentioned in this “MCAD Modeling” column, visit the company Web sites. Mike Hudspeth, IDSA, is an industrial designer, artist, and author based in St. Louis, Missouri. 39 Figure 4. If you need to send information to anyone else — for any reason — you can hardly do it better than with Adobe Acrobat 3D. any source. Pictures come in just as easily. You can even include animations and Web links to wow your audience. But what if you need more than simple math? Then you hook yourself up with some engineering math software such April 2008 cadalyst www.cadalyst.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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