3D Design & CAD Software

zm-i
Member • Jul 5, 2016

3D Design & CAD Software

Hello crazyengineers members,

I hope I'm posting this question on the correct thread.
I want to start my own custom motorcycle project, and I want to use software to draw and design the motorcycle itself and some other parts. I know for personal project this is probably not necessary, but I also want to get familiar with these software.

I think most 2D motorcycle renderings are done on the Photoshop, and the parts and 3D models are done using either CATIA, SolidWorks or PTC Creo. But I could be wrong.

What do you guys think? Which software should I use to get the job done?

Thanks!

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Ramani Aswath

Member • Jul 5, 2016

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Aashish Joshi

Member • Jul 12, 2016

There are many other factors that go in to this. What software do you have access to and are familiar with?

If you have Catia or Solidworks then you can use that. Even 3Ds Max would be able to make a beautiful 3D rendering (with animation as well) if you're not looking for a technically accurate 3D model.

If I remember correctly surface modelling in Catia is pretty powerful - used by many to model cars. You could try exploring this. If you're not familiar with this it can be challenging to learn.

For 2D I personally recommend AutoCAD.

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zm-i

Member • Jul 20, 2016

Thank you for the responses everyone.

Realistically, I will have access to SolidWorks, AutoCAD, and perhaps Photoshop. I have no experience in using these programs, so I want to consider the availability and accessibility of tech support and tutorials.

Also, I plan on doing all this on a personal computer. I just want to run the aforementioned programs smoothly and stably. Would I actually need a workstation? I understand that a workstation is quite an investment. Based on your experience, what system or specification is suitable for this application?

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Aashish Joshi

Member • Jul 21, 2016

zm-i
Also, I plan on doing all this on a personal computer. I just want to run the aforementioned programs smoothly and stably. Would I actually need a workstation? I understand that a workstation is quite an investment. Based on your experience, what system or specification is suitable for this application?
Typical CAD workstations - although awesome 😁 - can become very expensive very quickly. HP's "entry level" workstation #-Link-Snipped-# retails at above #-Link-Snipped-#.

I've seen graphics cards for CAD start 10,000 INR (#-Link-Snipped-#). A decent mid-range one can cost as much as a regular desktop. 😀

You may not need a workstation right now - not unless you plan on working on assemblies with thousands of parts or doing super realistic rendering.

I'd say a decent i5/i7 system, 4-8 GB RAM and a graphics card (a regular one meant for gaming would also help) should be more than enough to handle most assemblies & renders

An SSD would also help. SSDs can be expensive, so a 120 GB drive for the OS (where you should install the CAD software and keep your project's files) and a regular HDD for the rest of the stuff (movies, songs, etc) would be economical.

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