Easy CAD – is it possible? Yes! Check out our ultimate list of the easiest CAD programs to use! As a beginner, entering into the Computer Aided Design (CAD) world may seem daunting and confusing, especially if you have little to no experience. This often results in people giving up on their hobbies or projects …
Easy CAD? The Easiest CAD Programs for Beginners Read More »
Here at EngineeringClicks, we have covered the topic of Computer Aided Design (CAD) solutions many times, from a multitude of different angles. As a mechanical design engineering site, we feel it is our responsibility to leave no stone unturned in the minefield that is choosing a CAD program. There are so many options on the …
Top 10 Free CAD Options for Mechanical Engineers Read More »
So, best mouse for CAD? Let’s look at the best CAD mouse list from an engineer perspective: Best mouse for AutoCAD Best mouse for SOLIDWORKS Best mouse for CAD when working from home Best mouse for CAD when travelling Best Mouse for AutoCAD 3DConnexion SpaceMouse Pro 3D Mouse 3DX-700040 This unique looking mouse is meant …
Be in expert in 5 minutes! CATIA vs SOLIDWORKS based on 4 main features. Which one is better? What is the difference between SOLIDWORKS and CATIA. All this is covered in this article. It can be hard to differentiate between the multitude of Computer Aided Design (CAD) software programs that are on the market today. …
CATIA vs SOLIDWORKS: 4 Major reasons to choose one over the other Read More »
Fusion 360 vs SOLIDWORKS The main differences between Fusion 360 and SOLIDWORKS are as follows: Fusion 360 is cloud-based and works on both Windows and Mac while SOLIDWORKS is purely Windows-based with cloud storage options Fusion 360 has basic analysis and simulation tools, while SOLIDWORKS’ analysis and simulation features are much more comprehensive Fusion 360 …
CAD software is an absolute necessity for many professionals, including engineers, architects, graphic designers, animators and pretty much anyone who designs, and needs to convert their designs from ideas in their head to real models/schematics on the computer. With the growing number of open-source projects, free CAD programs have become more common, and in some …
On March 25, 2020, Autodesk announced that they were launching AutoCAD 2021. This is the 35th iteration of their flagship software. There was no big event or press release for the new version, Autodesk announced on their blog and they made it available to download, along with the seven new tool sets that accompanied AutoCAD …
AutoCAD stands for Automatic Computer Aided Design, and that is representative of what this program is all about. It creates 2D and 3D drawings and models, providing a modern alternative to drawing with pencil and paper. It was developed by the company Autodesk in order to speed up the design process and develop a more …
Holes are an extremely common feature in engineering and product design. From simple circular openings for cables or ports, to complex threaded types for screws and fasteners, holes are an almost unavoidable feature of many parts. Thankfully Solidworks has a great feature – the Hole Wizard – that makes adding and modifying the holes simple. …
AutoCAD vs SolidWorks – which is better? AutoCAD and SolidWorks both enable its users to design in both 2D and 3D, and perform as an extension of a designer’s mind. They are both tools that have enabled design process digitalisation for engineers and architects. For drafting, consider AutoCAD, for an extruded model choose SolidWorks. If …
AutoCAD vs. SolidWorks. What is the difference? Which is easier to learn? Read More »
SolidWorks is an incredibly powerful CAD program that allows to create very detailed parts and assemblies but no matter how complex your model is it’s highly likely that it will use some kind of units system. American users are generally more likely to work in Imperial units (technically known as ‘United States customary units’) such …
How to Change Units in SolidWorks. Using Units and Dimensions in SolidWorks Read More »
What are the minimum computer requirements for SolidWorks? A processor of 3.3Ghz or higher A 500Gb or larger Hard Drive Disk (HDD) At least 16Gb of RAM A quality Graphics Card by NVIDIA or AMD The latest operating system to future-proof your SolidWorks purchase Now, let’s look at each of these components in detail. Get …
SolidWorks System Requirements and Computer Recommendations Read More »
Solidworks is an extremely powerful and popular CAD program that is used to create all sorts of 3D designs for manufacture. But sometimes you’d like to create a rendered image – or rendering – to show off your design. You might need renderings for marketing presentations, portfolios, or just to test your skills and luckily …
How to create Renderings in Solidworks if your ‘Render Tools Tab’ is missing Read More »
We’ve all been there – you’re modelling away happily but when you try to create a Revolved Base/Base feature SolidWorks throws up that dreaded error: “The Sketch is open, self-intersecting or intersects the centreline”: This a very common problem and one that can be extremely frustrating but luckily it is usually fairly easy to troubleshoot …
What is PTC Creo? PTC Creo, which is shorthand for Creo Parametric, latest version 7.0, is a powerful group of applications that are integrated into one another. This popular family of design software is used by thousands across the globe, including students, professionals and industry leaders. PTC is known as the originator of parametric CAD …
AutoCAD The CAD in AutoCAD stands for Computer Aided Design, and this program is exactly that, a computer aided design and drafting application. AutoCAD was created by Autodesk, a company that “builds software that helps people imagine, design, and make a better world.” AutoCAD is known as the one of the most widely used tools …
Top AutoDesk Software in 2020: AutoCAD, Fusion 360, Inventor and Revit Read More »
What differences can be ascertained between SolidWorks Standard vs Professional? The results to this commonly asked question depend on a variety of factors that affect how each package will work and which version will be right for the user. Also read about SolidWorks prices in the UK and the US. Many users will make the …
What is SolidWorks PDM? What does it do? SolidWorks is a solid modeling computer-aided design and computer-aided engineering program that is used for prototyping, planning, visual ideation, feasibility design and project management. It is then used for the design and building of electrical, mechanical and software elements, and the creation of assemblies, drawings and parts. …
SolidWorks PDM – What it does, How to Use it, and How much it costs Read More »
One of the best parts about SolidWorks is that you can design just about any product you can imagine. However, it isn’t always clear whether the product will retain its integrity once it’s exposed to the real world. Computer-based design validation, like SolidWorks SimulationXpress, has made it much easier to see how your product handles …
How to Get Started with SolidWorks SimulationXpress Read More »
Most students don’t have a lot of money to splash around, and unfortunately, students are not eligible for a SolidWorks free trial, as that’s only available to businesses. That’s why it’s important to take advantage of as many special offers, discounts, and free trials as possible. If the offer happens to be something that fits …
SolidWorks Student Edition: free and licensed versions overview Read More »
When you finally made your choice between different CAD softwares, and settled on Solidworks, you need to consider which reseller you are going to choose. This is not an easy decision as depending on your requirements, some resellers may be more suitable or completely unsuitable due to variations in their offerings. There are several certified …
Selecting your certified Solidworks reseller in the UK Read More »
Solidworks releases a new version of their software every year without fail. And every year there is an impressive lineup of new and exciting features that improve productivity and add new possibilities to this powerhouse of the computer-aided design industry. Below is a list of 5 of the more impressive features in Solidworks 2020. Also, …
5 of the Most Interesting Updates in Solidworks 2020 Read More »
The amount of CAD packages available is overwhelming and it is often a painful exercise to decide which is best. This article will compare two of the most popular CAD packages; Solid Edge software by Siemens, and SolidWorks software by Dassualt Systemes. Both are very capable at 3d modelling and simulation. However, they have unique …
Machine learning has become a pioneering field of research in recent years. Since 2014, many big companies have invested in large data/machine learning departments complemented by serious investment in research. According to Arthur Samuel, machine learning gives computers the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed – Artificial Intelligence (AI) by any other name. How …
Machine Learning in Mechanical Design Engineering Read More »
Computer Aided Design is an integral part of the engineering industry, improving efficiency and reducing project timescales. The ability to create and test products in theory before moving on to production is invaluable. There are now a growing number of online CAD libraries which are collections of parts and assemblies which are ready for you to …
Fed up with modeling parts from scratch? Use a CAD library Read More »
CAD, or Computer-Aided Design systems have come a long way since they first became popular sometime in the 1970s. Initially, they were used to obtain electronic copies of manual drafts. Gradually, they evolved into a tool for generating bills of materials and performing interference checking. Today, they incorporate highly sophisticated features involving engineering calculations and …
In many situations mechanical designers will rely on their library of parts and case studies to work on a new mechanical part – this saves time, money and brain power. But what about the drastically new ones? What about the entry-level designers? Most importantly, what if one is working in a different industry that doesn’t …
Ask any engineer to list a few of the most popular software tools for 3D design creation and modeling, and the answers will most likely contain SolidWorks as one of the preferred tools. SolidWorks is a CAD/CAE software that helps users create 3D models and assemblies, based on specific parameters. It is easy-to-use and runs …
When deciding whether or not to invest the time and money into learning a new CAD package, the sea of choice is often overwhelming. Making the task that much more daunting is that fact that not all packages are equal. Some are better suited for machine design whereas others are better suited for product design …
First, I’ll admit Mac users have engineering software such as Matlab, Labview and AutoCAD. For 3D design and analysis in OSX there are few software platforms that are considered powerful CAD programs. Available CAD platforms are Sketchup, Maya, TinkerCAD but why not Solidworks, Autodesk Inventor, Parametric Creo, NX, ANSYS or even NASTRAN? Apple BootCamp provides …
For most design engineers, the following scenario should look familiar: Bob, the lead designer for company X, needs to send a CAD model to Susan, the design engineer for company Y. Bob designed the part using Solidworks and Susan only works in Pro Engineer. Bob’s Solidworks file can’t be opened in Susan’s software, so the …
When creating a part in SolidWorks, that creation is often done empirically and this can lead to a feature manager tree that is littered with suppressed features. You have the option of re-drawing the part from scratch, but this can be time consuming for complex parts and it also holds the risk of a dimension …
One of the tricky things about mechanical design is that requirements might change over the design stage of the project (more about that here). Therefore, it is important that a team of designers should be able to cope with sudden changes and deal with them quickly and efficiently. Getting your CAD data into a coherent …
The workflow of a CAD user typically falls into 2 areas: simulation and modelling. Therefore, selecting the correct CAD workstation for your requirements is vital. If you buy hardware that’s better than what you actually need you might see the benefit of pushing the need to upgrade further into the future. However, buying something that …
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