So I recently bought new 3D CAD software. I was using an *OLD* version of Solidworks for years, and was considering buying into the newest version - but the price had me quivering in my shorts. It's not cheap, let's just say - since I use sheetmetal and FEA analysis it's even more expensive than just the base version. SO I started looking around at other options.
When I was in school, I had used Autodesk Inventor (actually the 1st 3D solid-modelling software I ever used) - but then when I used Solidworks I was sold on that - much more intuitive interface for me personally. So that's what I've been using ever since.
Autodesk is apparently really giving it a go at trying to take back some of the market, and the pricing on their software (with HSM - high speed machining, FEA built-in, and sheetmetal too) basically came in at a little less than 1/4 of Solidworks with the same options. So I downloaded a 30 day trial, and started fooling around with it. From what I can see, it can do just about anything my old version of Solidworks can do and more. The interface is going to take some getting used to for sure - there are little things that are infuriating to do compared to SW, but then there are some things that are sooooo much quicker that I think it's a wash as far as time to create a drawing goes.
I ended up making the purchase a few days ago. Today was the first day I had to start a design from scratch in it - not going off of a converted SW model. And in sheetmetal no less. I was worried at the start...
So I ended up getting this design down in a couple hours - really not too bad all things considered:
I tried to render it in Inventor Studio, and came out with this... I should have selected a proper material for it to be more realistic, but the detail looks great other than that:
Then I sent the pieces to the plasma table, and cut them out. Interestingly, the way Inventor exports the dxf files, I actually save a step in the plasma software on every single part I bring in. That's pretty awesome all on it's own!
After cutting the pieces out, and cleaning them up, I put the pieces that needed to be bent into my home-made press brake and bent them up according to the dimensions that Inventor gave me. Then I placed the rear bolt plate onto the bent part and slid a bolt through, crossing my fingers... In a model designed in SW, even after knowing it's "quirks", proper fitment might take 2 or 3 tries here. Holy Sh!t, it fit perfect on the first try, with all the basic "stock" program settings in Inventor!!!! Take a look at how nicely parallel and aligned the bolt is here:
So here is the final product after all is said and done. Very happy with the results. It's F'ing amazing to be able to start a design in the morning, and then end up with something like this in the afternoon!!!!!!
In case any of you are wondering, this is a set of (custom) rear spring hangers for a K30, matching the 1-ton frame, but with the leaf springs set away from the frame the same distance as the lighter trucks - so the customer can use a zero-lift shackle flip of mine at the rear, and these at the front under a 1-ton, and be able to bolt up a 14-bolt from a lighter-duty truck. This is a rare case when I custom fab something for someone over email without having the truck on site. I really hope everything fits!!
-Darren
