3D CAD Archives | �ۿ۴�ý

CAD – Popularly Beneficial

�ۿ۴�ý — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 05:39:59 +0000

Computer Aided Design, popularly known as CAD Design, refers to the use of computer technology for the purpose of designing and drafting in various fields. It is also known as Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CADD). CAD is extensively used in many fields, as a substitute for manual technical and engineering drawings. It is widely applicable in industries such as architecture, aerospace, multimedia, automotive, prosthetics, etc. The major benefit of Computer Aided Designs over the manual drawings is that the designers can complete the designs much faster. As a result, their productivity increases and more works can be completed in less time. The firms benefit much from this as they can finish more work with less labour.

The designs done using are of high quality and fewer errors are likely to occur when compared to manual drawing. If errors occur, they can easily be corrected and the design can be modified using the computer technology. Moreover, the design can be zoomed in and out for obtaining distinct views of the parts or components of the drawn object. With the CAD software, the designer can scale the image as per the needs and guidelines. In case the designer wants to add additional properties to an object, the Computer Aided Design software provides the option to create such custom properties.

The computer hard drive saves the data drafted with CAD. Hence, the backup is automatically created, which reduces the risk of losing the data. Furthermore, an easy conversion of 2D drawings into 3D is also possible with the use of CAD technology.

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Photorealistic Rendering – Taking 3D Modeling to the Next Level

�ۿ۴�ý — Fri, 06 May 2011 08:34:32 +0000

CAD drafting has been in use for many years now. However, today’s mechanical CAD tools are far more sophisticated than those which were available ten years ago. For example photorealistic rendering, once the preserve of movies, TV and the gaming industry, is now widely used in mechanical design.

Photo realistic rendering uses 3D modeling to build a photorealistic representation of the final prototype. It may be static or animated, incorporating special effects such as shadowing and motion blurring. In this way, 3D rendered engineering animation can be of cinematic quality.

Software such as Autodesk 3D max render can be used in a number of ways. It gives the engineer a detailed realistic model to work with, which can be modified and resized in any number of ways. 3D rendered simulations can also be used to pitch ideas to marketing executives, showing them how the concept will look and perform before the has been created. If a design is a single component of a larger system, or a standalone product designated for a particular environment, photorealistic rendering can be used to show how it will appear when installed.

Today, companies offering CAD, CAM and CAE services can integrate 3D max rendering applications into existing system software. 2D TO 3D conversion allows engineers to create photorealistic graphics and animated images of existing models, without having to export them from one CAD environment to another.

We at �ۿ۴�ý Technologies offer a wide range of CAD, CAM and CAE services, utilizing the latest 3D Max Render software. We can radically reduce costs and time-to-market even with large, complex hardware designs.

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What’s the difference between an engineering and a manufacturing BOM?

�ۿ۴�ý — Mon, 02 May 2011 08:21:32 +0000

An engineering BOM, or bill of materials, is essential for all mechanical design projects, whether you are a small engineering company producing one-off designs for medical research, or a commercial enterprise developing hardware designs for bulk production. The latter would generally need to produce separate manufacturing BOMs as well. An engineering BOM lists each item or component and details its relationship to the product under construction. The use and purpose of each component should be made clear, as well as its cost. Mechanical CAD software, including 3D modeling programs, often incorporates BOM management tools to make the job easier. However, most CAD drafting programs are insufficient for MRP (Manufacturing Requirements Planning) purposes, since they represent a one-off prototype rather than bulk production. Parts may need to be grouped differently and the product structure reorganized to support manufacturing. Mechanical CAD design does not always fit in very well with the OEM’s views on manufacturability. There are a large number of manufacturing BOM management products on the market today. But process manufacturing can be highly detailed and complex, requiring extra documents such as batch entry and formula BOMs. Some service providers have attempted to streamline BOM management with a single ‘master’ bill of materials tying manufacturing and engineering BOMs together, but as each department has different needs this can be difficult. We at �ۿ۴�ý Technologies have extensive experience in the field of BOM management. We can prepare and manage your manufacturing and engineering BOMs, or BOM scrub existing files to remove unwanted data.

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Scots use 3D CAD to Save Mount Rushmore

�ۿ۴�ý — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:28:52 +0000

A Scottish heritage group has used an advanced new laser scanning technique combining high-speed data capture and advanced 3D CAD visualization technology to digitally document ten endangered heritage sites, including Mount Rushmore. The highly detailed CAD design data obtained from the Scottish Ten project has made Scotland the world leader in historical visualization and documentation. Eventually, 500 sites will be covered over 10 years, with, no doubt, a few system software and hardware upgrades along the way. The Mount Rushmore Monument shoot was conducted with the help of the National Park Service, who were only too happy to supply the ropes and climbing gear. The results mean erosion can be monitored, conservation efforts planned, the park promoted to a wider audience, and pesky tourists discouraged from paying personal visits to Abraham Lincoln. The images achieved by cutting-edge laser technology and 3D CAD visualization software allowed a level of detail never before achieved, though it was not without its hairy moments. Performing close-up scans of the face of a mountain in a tangle of ropes, being buffeted by high winds, is a bit different to your average PCB layout gig. But the results were worth it: point cloud data capture more than 50,000 points per second, data resolution of up to 4 mm, and scanning distances of 0.5 to 300m supplied enough data to keep National Geographic busy for years. We at �ۿ۴�ý Technologies offer CAD animation and 3D visualization services for the most complex of 3D objects, though we’ve yet to meet any Presidents while doing it.

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Advances in Laser Scanning and 3D CAD Visualization

�ۿ۴�ý — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:01:17 +0000

We at �ۿ۴�ý Technologies offer a range of CAD CAM CAE services, using the latest cutting-edge technology. An ambitious heritage project in Scotland is undertaking a 10 year project to digitally scan 500 UNESCO world heritage sites. Using the latest 3D CAD visualization techniques and system hardware has created the most detailed historical data files ever recorded. Laser scanning is the fastest and most precise method there is for capturing complex 3D images. Urban landscapes, geological features and heritage sites are just some of the applications. Scanning from 0.5 to 300 metres, with a data capture speed of 50,000 points per second is possible, at extremely high levels of resolution. The system software allows point clouds to be integrated into other data sets such as photographs, thermal images etc, and even 2D to 3D conversion of archive images. The hardware design for a portable laser scanner needs to be robust, light and compact, and able to survive field exercises without damaging the embedded firmware. In the field, the beam is ‘tuned in’ to the object being scanned, usually from a static position on the ground, or an aircraft (when it’s called LiDAR, short for Light Detection And Ranging). As the surface is scanned, the laser light being returned is analyzed by the system software, which calculates the distance of the beam to the surface of each point. The millions of points are then computed into a point cloud. Complex 3D objects must be scanned from several angles to ensure as much detail as possible is included. CAD visualization by laser has many applications, from reverse engineering to making National Geographic documentaries.

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Interactive technical documentation as an Enterprise Data Management tool

�ۿ۴�ý — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:24:20 +0000

Enterprise Data Management is defined as: ‘The ability of an organization to precisely define … integrate and … retrieve data for both internal applications and external communication.’ Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the field of technical documentation. Instruction manual design is at the hub of the electronic or mechanical engineering workshop, from both a usage and production point-of-view. Usage, because every tool and system software package needs accompanying instructions, and technical documentation, and production because every hardware design produced for your customers requires the same. In today’s high-tech world of 3D CAD visualization and interactive system software, there’s no need for manuals and work instructions to be kept in paper form – or even as static PDF files. Today there is a wide range of software products that utilize CAD visualization and other tools specific to technical documentation. They offer far more than just static on-screen versions of traditional manuals, and are as far removed from the world of desk-top publishing as it’s possible to get. Via tools of this type, a system engineer can generate 2D to 3D graphics, CAD animations, etc directly from CAD data files, but without the need for CAD design software. The programs can be integrated with other software used as part of your data management plan, so when engineering systems are modified, the virtual instruction manual designs can be updated accordingly. Additionally, it makes one set of work instructions accessible to all. We at �ۿ۴�ý Technologies offer a range of enterprise data management and technical documentation services for electronic and mechanical engineering firms.

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Making your Mechanical Design Ideas a Reality

�ۿ۴�ý — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:09:08 +0000

CAD drafting other people’s ideas is all very well, but in mechanical engineering, the real profits come from patenting your successful designs. Today, numerous mechanical CAD design packages take your product ideas from initial concepts to fully manufactured reality – but the hard work begins before you ever upload your CAD drafting software. Having thoroughly researched your design to see if it is practically and economically viable, you then need to do a patent search. The best option is to get a professional patent attorney to do this for you – that way, you can be certain your patent isn’t violating any already in existence. Provided the design is patentable, you can apply for a provisional patent. The date of invention and other details will be recorded at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); this protects your invention for one year from the date it is filed. After that, it becomes available to the public. A provisional patent doesn’t have to be too in-depth; it just needs to explain what your product is, how it works and how it is constructed, with a few technical sketches for clarity. Next comes the Alpha prototype, or Proof of Concept Design. This is the model you build to show the design is feasible and will function as conceptualized. Depending on the complexity, this can range from a simple cardboard mock-up to 3D modelling using advanced mechanical CAD design tools and digitally machined parts but does not require aesthetic elements. The Beta prototype is the final stage, realizing the design in full. We at �ۿ۴�ý Technologies offer a full range of mechanical engineering services, from CAD drafting to building prototypes.

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How 3D modeling has revolutionized reverse engineering services

�ۿ۴�ý — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:58:36 +0000

Reverse engineering is the way in which a technological design or system is dismantled – either physically or virtually – in order to analyze its function, structure and mode of operation, when the operator has little or no knowledge of the original design principles underlying its construction. Reverse engineering has its roots in military hardware, although today it goes far beyond re-engineering mechanical designs. System software can be re-engineered too, for example to correct, update or replace missing information. In mechanical engineering, RE is often used for the purposes of repair and maintenance, as well as upgrades and re-launches – though strictly speaking, any modification of the existing design is re-engineering. Reverse engineering has come a long way. The World War II Allied Forces copied a clever German design for carrying gasoline and called it the Jerry Can. Computer aided design, modeling and engineering has revolutionized the industry, and with the advent of 3D CAD visualization and reverse engineering software any existing physical design can be recreated, dismantled, modified and tested in a virtual environment. Reverse engineering is normally on the work log of any company offering CAD CAM CAE services. Companies use reverse engineering on both their own and competitors’ products – though naturally patent laws must not be contravened. Professional 3D scanning hardware such as laser scanners and CT scanning machines are available to measure and reconstruct a physical object on screen. These create a point cloud which is then given definition and detail via 3D modeling software. Reverse engineering can also be utilized by cost reduction consultants, to deconstruct and analyze products for budgetary purposes. Called Value Engineering, it is just one of many services we at �ۿ۴�ý Technologies offer.

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2D to 3D conversion – bringing it all alive

�ۿ۴�ý — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:42:18 +0000

Anyone who watched the recent Reebok Zigtech advert will have seen firsthand how effective 3D CAD animation can be. Using a mixture of 2D to 3D conversion and 360o CAD animation, the makers were able to showcase a new product as if it were an engineering drawing project come to life. Motion capture was used to make the athlete’s movements appear natural, while the shoe itself began as a doodle on a drawing board.

3D animation often begins with a 2D concept. Once, these images alone had the “wow” factor, but that has become passé. Now engineers are increasingly relying on 3D engineering animation, both to sell their proposals to clients and to aid manufacture and construction. 3D CAD animation is used by engineering companies to prepare impressive corporate presentations, create interactive websites, aid computational fluid dynamics and reverse engineering protocols.

Architects still prefer to use conventional drawing boards. But now they can scan their drawings onto the PC and use 2D to 3D conversion to create room plans. This is still animation, since although the rooms don’t move the viewer does, and while home buyers once had to leaf through pages of still images, imagining how the room layouts would look in reality, now they have interactive CAD visualization. Like in gaming, the viewer can relate to the graphic images and interact with the virtual world around them.

At we provide CAD animation and 2D to 3D conversion for projects of every kind.

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Movie Animation for the Mechanical Engineering Industry

�ۿ۴�ý — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 15:28:05 +0000

You may not think motion capture and crowd simulation have much to do with engineering animation, but in fact these are just two techniques that use to visualise their products. Creative 3D modelling and 3D CAD animation have become mainstays of the engineering industry, used in everything from planning initial concepts, to computational fluid dynamics, to advertising the final product to potential buyers.

Motion capture, in which human or animal movement is digitally recorded, is familiar to games designers and animated movie makers. However, it can be used to replicate any movement (i.e. that of fluids) and thus is a useful tool in engineering CAD. Crowd simulation reproduces the movement of one object to symbolise many. The possibilities go far beyond creating impressive Coliseum scenes in gladiator movies.

3D CAD animation software has been developed for many industrial uses, including interior and architectural design; medical CAD visualisation; naval architecture and company presentations.

Architectural and interior design: Interactive 3D animation system software has been developed to allow designers to create, furnish and redesign room interiors. It is also used by estate agents to offer clients virtual tours of prospective homes, including virtual show homes of prospective builds.

The medical/veterinary/scientific field: CAD animation is used to explain biological concepts, show interactive surgical techniques and demonstrate/design medical equipment.

Naval architecture: Ships designed using 3D animation range from warships to cruise liners. The new Queen Elizabeth and Oasis of the Seas were designed exclusively using CAD visualisation and engineering animation tools.

We at Technologies offer a wide range of CAD services, from healthcare to mechanical engineering applications.

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