CATIA, NX, Rhino, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, SpaceClaim.... OH MY!???

Greetings fellow TRF,
I have read a couple different threads and can't seem to find what I am looking for. Anyways I am new here and think this is the appropriate place to post this. If not Mods please move

I would like to know if anybody can tell me the pros and cons in these CAD's CATIA, NX, Rhino, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, SpaceClaim (if you know any others please inform)??? I am new to using CADs so this will be my first one. Thats why I need your help! I want to use it only to build rockets and launch towers (maybe launch controllers too )Also what about any CAM's? Thank you fellow TRF members!

Solidworks is very user-friendly. You can basically pick it up and teach yourself how it works. The others may be a little harder to learn. CATIA especially, because nothing is labelled well or in a logical place. Often times, things are literally hidden in CATIA and you won't be able to find them unless you know where to look. That said, CATIA (and IIRC NX) can talk to other programs a little better than Solidworks. For instance, at one of my old employers, our Solidworks wouldn't play nicely with PATRAN, so we had to go through a strange process to get the models from Solidworks to PATRAN and run the FEA. If all you want to do is simulate rockets, a program like Openrocket or Rocksim is all you really need. Launchers and the like would be best modelled by a CAD program, but these CAD programs can get expensive.

I use Rhino and I like it. Takes a little bit of getting used to, but it can model objects pretty easily once you get the hang of it. If I had my choice, I'd take SolidWorks, but I didnt have the money for it.

I use PTC Creo (formerly known as Pro-Engineer). It doesn't seem to be as popular as some of the aforementioned software though.

I use SolidWorks. As said before it is very user friendly in my opinion. It is the only CAD software I have used only becuase it has been the only one available to me in school and I used everyday this past summer at my internship. It is a fun software to use especially for rockets!

I have been in the CAD world for 20+ years, but more on the industrial plant design side. That said, I'm by no means an expert on any of the systems you cited, but I do have a general understanding of how they work.

I went through this process a couple of years ago.

I had two requirements:

1. Within my budget
2. User-friendly to ME

I picked Rhino.




Greg

It kind of depends what you are trying to do. If you are simply designing low to mid power rockets where structual and material strength isn't being factored by the program in question, OpenRocket or Rocksim is fine...with the additional factor of OpenRocket being free and available for Android as well to use 'in the field'.

In addition, if you need a program to build 3d shapes that can then be printed on a 3d printer or service (Shapeways for example), there are several options out there, including Blender which is open source and also free.

However, for more sophisticated calculations, something like Rhino would be a better option.

FC

I use Solidworks, since the learning curve was pretty simple. I'd used AutoCAD products for many years, but 2D only.

On a side note, does anyone have an interest in starting a parts library? I notice that several have already generated some impressive assemblies such as the altimeters and trackers above. Many hands make light work!

-Ken

I use AutoCAD near-exclusively. I've been playing with Autodesk's 123d, but haven't produced anything from it yet. I've got some new parts coming from ShapeWays via ACAD models I created last week.

While it may not be a full-on CAD program, I like to play with Sketchup. It seems to be a pretty powerful program to do 3D modeling, and best off....it's free! I would not use it enough to justify $495 for the 'Pro' version. The 'Basic' version does everything I need it to do, and I still haven't figured out how to do everything it's capable of.

Google Sketchup link

Anybody else try Sketchup?

I hear they are coming out with a new version soon...Smustard :eyeroll:

of course the one following that should be Smayo...
rex

I use solidworks, personally. It's an excellent, powerful, and mostly intuitive program. The price is a problem though, unless you have access to it through a school or job or something like that.

I use solidworks as well and have found it to be a outstanding tool. Mastercam is the CAM program we use though I have found it works best to save the file to be cut to IGES and then into mastercam.

Wow thank you all who answered! So happy to see that the members of this forum are so active!

Anyways I plan on using it for more mid to high powered rockets. I'm new in the software arena (mostly draw it by hand) other than Open rocket Rocsim and SpaceCAD. I think from what most of the users have been saying SW is a good place for me to start seeing as how it is easy to learn & use.

Out of curiosity, can anyone recommend a good CAD package that's available for the Mac that works well for rocketry?

SSenesy said:

Out of curiosity, can anyone recommend a good CAD package that's available for the Mac that works well for rocketry?

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Well I know Open rocket is free and runs fine on Mac... but idk if it is for your needs or not.

Catia and NX are WAY over the top for your application. And, ten years ago when I was using them (NX was simply Unigraphics in those days...), the license cost was astronomical.
Lots of good suggestions above. The most open platform, capable, cost effective package I've fiddled wit in recent years was VariCAD. Download a demo copy and fiddle wit it...just keep in mind that there is usually a pretty steep learning curve for 3D modelling design software.

A5tr0 An0n said:

Well I know Open rocket is free and runs fine on Mac... but idk if it is for your needs or not.

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I'm currently using RockSim, but I'd like something that can do altimeters and other objects like in post #3.

SSenesy said:

I'm currently using RockSim, but I'd like something that can do altimeters and other objects like in post #3.

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Aaa ok. Well you can run any CAD on mac via bootcamp other than that idk what CADs are supported on Mac OS... I also have a mac pro but I run Win in a WM. If you opt to go that route I can help you if need be.

I use solidworks too, but if I wasnt using it commercially there is no way i'd use it - it's just too expensive. Rhino is a good package I hear and is relatively cheap.

If all you want is to create aesthetic models, and not engineering/doing FEA or CFD on it then something like blender would work fine.

If you don't know what FEA or CFD are, then you're just using the CAD package as a 3d modelling tool - which would lead me to suggesting 3dsmax, blender, maya or (as much as I dislike it for other reasons) Sketchup.

For CAM, it really depends on the complexity of what you're doing. If you're doing simple 2.5D cutouts with a home mill, I'm a big fan of Cut2D from Vectric. For 3d sculpting on a home mill, I'd be using Vectric's Aspire or Cut3D. These are excellent products at a lowprice. There is also CamBam and several others. For commercial mills, MasterCam or SolidCam (if using solidworks) are excellent choices - but again come with a price tag to match the CAD software and mill...

Quality commercial packages are 4-6 figures depending features/simulation tools. Hobby tools are usually sub $1500. That said, you get what you pay for. Commercial tools will get you results FAST once you get over their steep learning curves - hobby tools tend to have easier learning curves but are slower to get complex results.

Issus said:

I use solidworks too, but if I wasnt using it commercially there is no way i'd use it - it's just too expensive. Rhino is a good package I hear and is relatively cheap.

If all you want is to create aesthetic models, and not engineering/doing FEA or CFD on it then something like blender would work fine.

If you don't know what FEA or CFD are, then you're just using the CAD package as a 3d modelling tool - which would lead me to suggesting 3dsmax, blender, maya or (as much as I dislike it for other reasons) Sketchup.

For CAM, it really depends on the complexity of what you're doing. If you're doing simple 2.5D cutouts with a home mill, I'm a big fan of Cut2D from Vectric. For 3d sculpting on a home mill, I'd be using Vectric's Aspire or Cut3D. These are excellent products at a lowprice. There is also CamBam and several others. For commercial mills, MasterCam or SolidCam (if using solidworks) are excellent choices - but again come with a price tag to match the CAD software and mill...

Quality commercial packages are 4-6 figures depending features/simulation tools. Hobby tools are usually sub $1500. That said, you get what you pay for. Commercial tools will get you results FAST once you get over their steep learning curves - hobby tools tend to have easier learning curves but are slower to get complex results.

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I greatly appreciate your detailed answer! I went with solidworks. Just got it a couple of days ago actually! I am thinking about MasterCAM as well... How long did it take you to learn how to use SW??? I heard that it isn't too bad, correct?

A5tr0 An0n said:

Aaa ok. Well you can run any CAD on mac via bootcamp other than that idk what CADs are supported on Mac OS... I also have a mac pro but I run Win in a WM. If you opt to go that route I can help you if need be.

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I ended up downloading Autodesk Inventor Fusion from the App Store. Not sure if it's going to do what I need, but the price was right ($0). Thanks for the help.

A5tr0 An0n said:

I greatly appreciate your detailed answer! I went with solidworks. Just got it a couple of days ago actually! I am thinking about MasterCAM as well... How long did it take you to learn how to use SW??? I heard that it isn't too bad, correct?

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Solidworks is very easy to begin with, however doing things efficiently takes a lot more experience. I only really use it as a hobbyist because my company got a deal on an extra license, things I build in it usually have about 20% less features when replicated by one of my mech engineers. If you're not working on something super complex then it doesnt really matter - as long as you get the same result.

There are plenty of tutorials online, as well as tutorials in solidworks itself. I'd highly recommend getting started with a few of them before doing anything else. When it comes to solidworks though, my best advice is to just try stuff. If a feature sounds kinda-sorta-maybe like it might do what you want then give it a shot. If it pretty much does what you want when you try it, but you cant figure out how to do it quite right then go look for a video or tutorial on using it. This is the best way i've found to learn new ways of doing things without bugging someone asking them "so... how do i...". If you screw up, there is always undo (well... not always, but mostly always!)

It's very rewarding to draw something up, or build an assembly and then print it or mill it and put it together. Building rockets has never been so fun for me as being able to do a sim, draw it all up in SolidWorks to finalise all the details, and then click a few buttons hand have parts in my hand 5 minutes later (or 30mins later in the case of printing heh).

I'm sure if you get stuck and post here on the forums many people will be able to help you out. I might not know the best way, but I can usually figure out some way of doing it.


I'm an EE/SE so SolidWorks is not a strong skill for me, but I have fun all the same.

I use Catia V5 every day and it's very good. I don't know how anyone could afford it personally though. I have an older Solidworks at home, and it's reasonably easy to learn and use. A lot of using any of them is preference. And although I have used them for rocketry projects, most rocket design is better done on Rocksim or OR to get the simulation aspects.

Rocket86 said:

I use Catia V5 every day and it's very good. I don't know how anyone could afford it personally though. I have an older Solidworks at home, and it's reasonably easy to learn and use. A lot of using any of them is preference. And although I have used them for rocketry projects, most rocket design is better done on Rocksim or OR to get the simulation aspects.

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Yes I agree with you on the simulation aspect of using solidworks or etc. However I just felt limited with rocksim (I am trying to design all metal rockets that will not be using bought engines as well as the launch towers and controllers) so I thought it time to get a rounded CAD.

@Issus you are an electrical engineer? You well versed in SW, I will first learn how to use it via tutorials. It seems like an awesome program so far . I greatly appreciate all of your help!

Also as soon as I get the tower drawn up in SW then I will make a thread for it and put up so pics of the current progress!