3D Modeling Info
 

Not really WB-design related, but this is where all the CAD people hang out the most. Move it if ya think it needs it.

Anyways - right now I'm slowly re-teaching myself CAD (took drafting in high-school many years ago) and I'm creating scale models of various PC components (being very accurate where I can find specs, taking bad measurements from spare parts around here to fill in the unimportant details) in order to start planning my next project - from scratch acrylic case.

I've seen posted here a couple times rendered drawings of various PC parts. I'm wondering if those people that have models of some parts completed would like to share them. And of course, any parts that I need to build (working on a standard ATX mobo right now) I'm happy to post the models up here as well.

I think it'd be great if we can get a decent library of various parts built up and made availble to anyone that wants them, perhaps in a sticky-thread somewhere, or a CAD sub-forum somewhere.

Hum... that's a good idea!

It could be hosted here: it shouldn't affect bandwidth too much.

It'd have to include parts for various softwares. SolidWorks comes to mind :D

Solid works is a great program IMO. My final for my thrid drafting class was to make a pencil sharpener and the pencil to go in it. It took me close to 5 hours(Extremly detailed mesurments). Anywhere i can dl Maya 4.5 Demo?

Yeah. You can download the Maya Personal learning edition from the website, but it leaves a nasty watermark across ALL renderings.

I would just get on Winmx or Kazaa, myself..........But, then again, I have no shame in getting stuff for free! :D

As far as the CAD file idea......they would most certainly have to include(if not exclusively) Solidworks data to be of any use to most of us in here.

Man - it took me more than 5 hours to make the PCB of a MB and put the 10 standard ATX mounting holes in it (granted, most of the time was spent reading the 3dstudio docs and fighting with it wanting to round off my units - I could do it again now in about 10 mins I think).

Anyways, is there not a standard format for exchanging 3D files between most of these programs? Back when I took CAD in school it was DXF.

I could be wrong, but I believe that SolidWorks can import from a DXF.

IGES - International Graphics Exchange Standard.

This will get you most of the way there.

Bob