>> paul
>> I have a copy of A-Cad 2000 I could send you. I don't know
>> if that is going to help you though. What is wrong with Rhino
>> or Solid Works? they are far more intuitive than A-Cad. I have
>> all three on my computer. I really like Solid works, but I draw
>> much faster in A-Cad, Only because I haven't had alot of time to
>> play with Solid Works.
>> Tony
>> Tony please wrap your lines at 80 characters.
>> Jerry has a Mac. Do you have A-Cad 2000 for a Mac?
>> As I recall ACAD 2000 is not 3D.
>> -- >> Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.
>
> Actually it is Paul, but its kinda like trying to eat
> by shoving food in your ear.. doesn't really do to well...
>
> Jarrett
>
> A-Cad 2000 does 3D just fine.
>
> It is set at 80!!. I have been e-mailing you for over 2 years now >
and it's
> never been a problem, it must be on your end. I think the A-cad I have
> gives you the option of uploading as a Mac or a PC. (I think). I'll >
have
> to look, I could be wrong. I may be thinking about Rhino.
>
> Tony
>
> Yes and for over two years I have been fixing your messages.
> I fixed this one. What email program are you using?
> Please hit Enter after typing 80 characters. We will try that.
>
> And please put your name at the end of the message. I also had to >
do that
> with this message. BTW Those of you with common names like John, Jim
> and Steve please use both your first name and last name. We have
> dozens of people each, with those first names. Luckily most are
> lurkers :)
>
> I used to use A-Cad starting with ver 5 or 6. When ACAD came out
> with the dog slow and klunky Windows version I refused to "upgrade".
> I kept a DOS computer around so I could still use version 9.
> Along came Rhino 3D and it was a revelation. I had no idea
> 3D could be so easy and fast to learn. I tried Solid Works before
> Rhino and the user interface was hostile to the user. It still is
> IMHO :) Years ago people came out with several "modal" word
> processing programs. You had to switch modes to use certain commands.
> They were immediately vilified has being too hard to learn and use.
> Most people that had been using WordStar recognized that immediately.
> As I recall Word Perfect (now history) was one of them. I still use
> WordStar in the form of Linux clone "joe" from time to time. The >
spelling
> checker and formating beats the heck out of the horrible "spelling >
checker" in ThunderBird. I digress.
>
> IMHO Solid Works is a "modal" 3D program :)
>
> Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.

Auto Cad is not ported to the Mac, neither is Solid Works. However,
when I visited the Turbo Cad web page, there was, low and behold,
Turbo Cad Pro for Mac. Only a couple of months ago I had done a
search for Mac CAD programs and did not find it. I downloaded the
free trial. Quite like Graphite for 2D. I will check out the 3D side
tomorrow. 3D is not so important to me as I want measured drawings
to take to my non cnc machines. Jerry

I think you are under a misunderstanding Jerry. 3D programs
ARE measured. They are drawn to scale so there is no need to
print the dimensions but the dimensions are still in there.
It is optional to print the dimensions when a 3D rendering is made.
Most people don't bother. In your case I can give you dimensions
if requested. All weldments are 3D. Rhino will also print old style 2D
3 view drawings with dimension at the press of a button.

Solid Works is the defacto low end standard for programs that interface
to machine tools. Actual what it does is interface with the
programs such as Surf Cam and others that actually generates the G code
programs
that the machine tool control computers understand. Formerly a human G code
programmer would look at a 2D paper drawing with dimensions and write
the G code
program. That is way too labor intensive and not done anymore. Too costly.
I know as I went to school to learn how to program machine tools in G code.

It is possible to draw a part in a CAD program like Solid Works,
feed it into SurfCam, have SurfCam generate the G code, feed that into
the NC Machine tool controller computer and have the machine tool make
the part
without ever seeing any dimensions at all.

Fortunately certain 3D CAD programs like Rhino export IGES and DXF files
that will load into Solid Works. That is exactly what I did when I designed
and had built the turbo compound gear box. I am sure there are some machine
tool programs similar to SurfCAM that will interface with Rhino
directly. No
need to go through Solid Works.

The next industry step obviously is have a 3D drawing program like Rhino or
Solid Works generate the G codes directly. Another possibility is have the
machine tool control computer accept IGES or DXF files directly.

That reminds me I should be going to Westec March 26th in LA to see the
latest
stuff.

http://www.sme.org/cgi-bin/get-event.pl?--001658-000007-020163--SME-

My suggestion is get an Intel based computer for a few hundred
dollars and keep it around for CAD. That way people can send you
IGES files and you can print the dimensions.

Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.


Paul, Solidworks now lists a Mac version. This may only work on the
newest intel based Macs but it is available .

Bill Jepson



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