• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

CAD Software

#21
Since you drew that guitar up there with details like fretboard with overhangs and the strings running tangentially to the tuner posts, I guess you have enough skill already to draw out a guitar. Do a couple more with the string thickness in the equation, and you'll get better + faster. In CAD, accurately drawing out the neck with the proper string thickness, spacing, overhang dimension and final nut width is a bit of work to do right, but is the most important part. The body shape, on the other hand, is something that is more design oriented and using a sketch approach on butcher paper to design that will probably work better for you.
 
#22
suraj said:
Since you drew that guitar up there with details like fretboard with overhangs and the strings running tangentially to the tuner posts, I guess you have enough skill already to draw out a guitar. Do a couple more with the string thickness in the equation, and you'll get better + faster. In CAD, accurately drawing out the neck with the proper string thickness, spacing, overhang dimension and final nut width is a bit of work to do right, but is the most important part. The body shape, on the other hand, is something that is more design oriented and using a sketch approach on butcher paper to design that will probably work better for you.
Click to expand...


Yeah I kind of skipped the string width on this one, mainly because it was my first ever design in CAD, and its not as critical on a guitar with the biggest string being a .046 gauge. I wasn't concerned about the strings going off at an angle behind the nut, I just wanted to make sure the Strings would clear the tuning post, which they should easily. Tuning peg to string alignment are the main reasons I wanted to start using CAD, so my first bass design will be a bit more detailed than the guitar.

Drawing the body was pretty easy once I got the upper and lower horns the way I wanted them. I also like the fact that I can go back and tweak the design a little without having to break out an eraser, after doing that a few times you might as well start over.
 
#23
xmaddogx said:
When in doubt... YouTube. I use Draft Sight. My dad taught me a little about CAD. If I can't figure something out, I look on YouTube or call him :D
I have noticed that if I don't use it often, I tend to forget even the most basic stuff.
Click to expand...

DraftSight is an exact port (copy) of AutoCAD 2008 -- down to commandline shortcuts -- so if you are ever stuck on something, look up an AutoCAD video on it and it should be the same. IMO DraftSight is amazing for 2D CAD work. I tried convincing my company to switch to it, but they wouldn't go for it.

lowsound
 
#28
I have been looking into CAD/CAM software lately and ended up testing Designcad and TurboCAD. (Because I though I needed 3D/because i Wanted 3D)

I felt just like you did when I tested Designcad. I went for DC because it came highly recommended on reviews and on forums. I spent several days drawing a very simple piece. (Including looking for tutorials, which doesn't seem to exist...)

I then tested out TurboCAD (Deluxe). The same part I spent days on in DC i drew up in maybe a couple of hours. (Including watching some tutorials) For some reason TC feels much more intuitive to me.

TC isn't perfect, though. There are some bugs here and there, and it's probably not as feature rich as the "big boys", but for simple design I think it works pretty well. But then again, TC is much cheaper than things like Rhino.
 
#30
Reticle said:
I can't say enough good things about Vectric software. You can download trial versions of all of their software and they have tons of great tutorials on their site. It is some of the most beginner friendly CAD/CAM software available.


http://www.vectric.com/
Click to expand...

Do Vectric make normal CAD software? I know their CAM programs have basic CAD functions, but I may have missed something. I have tested only cut2D and cut3D... (I bought cut2D a couple weeks ago. I agree, it's very user friendly albeit a bit basic, but that may be an advantage for a beginner.)
 
#31
ShadowVampyre said:
I am an Application Engineer for SolidWorks, so I work with CAD software everyday, helping designers solve problems. I would recommend the free DraftSight CAD software, check YouTube or SolidProfessor for tutorials.
Click to expand...

I'd be inclined to take the above advice. SolidWorks is an industry standard piece of software. Anyone working on their team knows his stuff really well or he wouldn't be there.
 
#32
I'm with you on this, Hopkins ;)

I have never really tried learning CAD. In kinda figure that, if I don't have a CNC to make virtual things happen in this world, then it boils down to getting your design in 3D. But then I do that in my head and it works pretty well.

Or am I missing something?
 
#33
miziomix said:
I'm with you on this, Hopkins ;)

I have never really tried learning CAD. In kinda figure that, if I don't have a CNC to make virtual things happen in this world, then it boils down to getting your design in 3D. But then I do that in my head and it works pretty well.

Or am I missing something?
Click to expand...

My main reason for wanting to learn 2D cad was to come up with a design and be able to tweak it and finalize it with the customer without having to draw it out full size. Also, I can make sure the head stock design and tuner locations allow for straight string travel.
 
#34
Smilodon said:
Do Vectric make normal CAD software? I know their CAM programs have basic CAD functions, but I may have missed something. I have tested only cut2D and cut3D... (I bought cut2D a couple weeks ago. I agree, it's very user friendly albeit a bit basic, but that may be an advantage for a beginner.)
Click to expand...


Yes, VCarve Pro is the program you're looking for. Like you, I started out with Cut2D, but soon found out that to be able to do everything I wanted to do, I was going to need VCarve Pro and cut 3-D. Also, if you weren't aware, Cut3D is a CAM only program. You will need a 3-D modeling program such as Rhino to create new models. You could also go with Aspire, which is their flagship program, and has most of the CAD/CAM utilities you could need, but at around three times cost. Rhino is a much better option for 3-D work.
 
#35
Hopkins said:
Is there anyone else that just absolutely cannot wrap their head around CAD software. I downloaded eMachineshop because its free and it was recommended from someone on the forum. The longer I messed around with it, the more I felt like a complete idiot. So I guess I will be sticking with my Yard stick and butchers paper for my full scale drawings.

Has anybody else been in the same situation? Or is this just some kind of a weird mental block for me?
Click to expand...

E-Machine is a piece of cake as well as Chief Architect, 3D home. Various others are fairly easy as well, Now Auto Cad,, it gives me a little trouble....
 
#39
I'm a DesignCAD 2D guy. I've worked with it for many, many years both at the job I retired from and also to do musical instrument design work. Any CAD program is going to have a learning curve, so it's not that big of a deal to crack the manual, start with a few basics and add familiarity with commands as you find a need for them.

As my two cents, I've tried a few of the "free" PC CAD programs and found they were generally worth the price. My first home use copy of DesignCAD 2D was something on the order of 30 bucks when I purchased it, and that included a soft cover manual.

I used to have a side business supplying full size printed plans for musical instruments; they were all done in DesignCAD 2D, printed to pdf using the free to download Cutewriter print driver, and I then took them to a blueprint shop and had them professionally printed by someone who knew how to operate their equipment.
I used to sell the pdfs, but the average Kinko's could not do the job. I quit trying to have Kinko's do it, as the staff mostly could not figure out how to use their printer with a pdf file. Really.
If you want an example of what it does, I provided the pdf in post #77 in the Short Scale Semi-acoustic Fretless Bass topic here:

30” Scale Compact Semi-acoustic Fretless Bass Build
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back