How much usage you have with AutoCAD Mechanical Desktop V3.0 ?

[ltn]

Hello,<br>
<br>
I have been an AutoCAD user for over 8 years. I am now using AutoCAD R14 for <br>
mechanical engineering design and drafting. I am a design consultant with <br>
primary interest in CAD design of products and machines..<br>
<br>
My earlier experiences with Mechanical Desktop V1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 were unsuccessful.<br>
The program caused the Window platform to lockup. I could not make use of it for 2 days<br>
without it freezing up. I had to uninstall it.<br>
<br>
If you have been using Mechanical Desktop V3.0 successfully, please drop me a note.<br>
If you have bad result with V3.0, please drop me a note. <br>
<br>
I am comtemplating upgrading to V3.0 with the VIP program to get their V4.0 But I<br>
will upgrade only if the response to my question is at least favorable 75% with more than <br>
a few dozen postive ones.<br>
<br>
Thanks.<br>
<br>

 

[RIVetron]

I am an mechanical technologist/designer, and I've been using AutoCAD for 12 years, and Mechanical Desktop since release 12 AME (advanced modeling extensions..the birth of mdt)<br>
<br>
I do everything in 3D and have been very pleased with the progress of the Mechanical desktop product since it's debut.<br>
<br>
You can see some samples of solid modeling at my web site at

http://www.magma.ca/~riv

check out the gallery section. there are some samples from different projects I've used MDT on (naturally the glamourous ones make it to the web, there's plenty of hardcore mechanical oriented ones that do not)<br>
<br>
At any rate, best of luck to you<br>
<br>
Paul Rivet<br>
Mechanical Technologist/Designer<br>
RIVetron MCAD Designs<br>

http://www.magma.ca/~riv<br>

riv@magma.ca

 

[ltn]

Hello Paul,<br>
<br>
Thank you for your message regarding mechanical desktop. <br>
<br>
I have upgraded to mechanical desktop 3.0 and am learning<br>
to work with it. <br>
<br>
My problems had been with the earlier versions of AutoCAD<br>
where extrusions, surface modelling, etc. are very<br>
poor ways to do 3D solids.<br>
<br>
True 3D solids, and mechanical desktop solids are not<br>
like the extrusion parts.<br>
<br>
<br>
I also want to know more about translating the 3D solid<br>
models back to 2D piece part drawings. I found extrusions<br>
do not project. So, I can't generate the 2d drawings<br>
from them.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Luther <br>
<br>
<br>

 

[RIVetron]

With Mechanical desktop being a parametric package, you can fully edit your 3D models, and create 2D piece part and/or assemlby drawings based on these models. The Process is mostly menu driven in that aspect. The real benefeit is that your 2D piece parts are more fluidly controlled through the use of the 3D model you've created "hiding" in model space. Mechanical desktop displays your 2d drawing in paper space, while your fully editable 3D model is ever-ready in model space, meaning that although you go to a 3D platform, you never lose sight of the 2D deliverable on the manufacturing side, because it's always there based on your original profile sketches.<br>
<br>
I'd have to say that the biggest advantage of MDT is it's assembly modeling capabilities. The hours it saves of positioning 2D entities alone is worth the sticker price. Naturally, like anything else, the more complex the assembly the longer it can take in processing time when creating a 2D drawing from it, or creating various scenes, but it's still an extremely powerful tool.<br>
<br>
<br>
Paul<br>
riv@magma.ca<br>

http://www.magma.ca/~riv

 

[cowski]

I have used MDT ver 1.2 on a win '95 system with no problems, but you did need the most current version of AutoCAD to run smoothly (version R13c4 at the time).&nbsp;&nbsp;We have since upgraded to windows NT and MDT 4.0 (sorry skipped ver 3.0).&nbsp;&nbsp;I am really impressed with the updates and new features.&nbsp;&nbsp;One thing that I can say in general about MDT is that it will take some time to learn to make it really useful (even if you know AutoCAD really well).&nbsp;&nbsp;The time spent learning it has been well worth the effort in my experience - I can design a machine in 3D and almost automatically get 2D manufacturing prints for the machinists.<br><br>I agree with RIVetron that the assembly modeling is where MDT really comes in handy - design the assembly in 3D and get multiple views, section views, isometric views etc. Very powerful!<br><br>ps - I'm not sure what you mean about &quot;extrusions<br>do not project&quot;; unless you are not using paper space to do the 2D drawing views.