Industrial Design: Is all industrial design software the same?

Mike Hudspeth

Today there are many. Besides Alias ($25,000), good packages include Rhino ($895), ICEM ($2,300 and up), NX (a lot, depending on what bundle you pick), and even SolidWorks ($3,995). So besides price, how do you decide? The only significant differences between programs are capability and interface. When selecting ID software, look for these capabilities:

Free-form surfaces is the absolute most important thing to look for. Any kind of modeler builds 3D models, but a free-form modeler lets you create flowing lines and biomorphic shapes for visual excitement that in some cases make the product work.

Good sketching. I don’t mean parametric sketching, but drawing as if with pencil on paper — that is, a way to roughly and quickly capture your ideas. In other words, the legendary paper napkin. Make sure the software includes bitmap-creation tools.

High-quality rendering. When you’ve spent a lot of time designing a great product you want to show it off. Good renderings are often a great way to do this. But, believe it or not, they can be a problem too. When a rendering is too good, the customer sometimes thinks it’s a real photo of a physical product and asks for accelerated delivery. Also, it’s preferable to see models portrayed in the materials they will be made of. This helps you wrap your mind around the model for better understanding.

File export. Most times customers ask for models they can use in their software of choice. Make sure what you buy can export in as many different formats as possible. Especially look for stereolithography (STL) export. These days, it’s an absolute must.

Lastly, when it comes to the interface, once you’ve selected the program that will do what you need, see how it accomplishes tasks. A difficult-to-use interface might provide more power but limit users to whomever can figure it out. Look for simple and obvious. Look for what you can live with.

PREVIOUS COMMENTS :

Assuming that the article is targeted towards an industrial designer, the software shouldn''t be required to inlcude 2d sketching capabilities. The industrial designer already does this. Bitmap creation tools are very nice, often times it requires additional tools to actually perform this task in the computer. Wacom tablets and pens etc. Plus, you need to learn how to use these alternative input devices. Surfacing is a key to a good modeling program for designers. Representing design intent or maintaining brand identity is huge. If companies relied on 3d softwares to provide their shapes and lines, everything would look the same. It''s not necessarily biomorphics that designers need, it''s simply surfacing capabilities and the controls to enable freedom of design and maturity for manufacturability. Export is critical: STL may be high on the list, but IGES and STEP should be at the top. Many RP companies can accept your IGES and STEP files and create STL files for you. IGES and STEP export functionality also enable the designer to pass on data to engineering and manufacturing. Also, be aware that you can add softwares to your library vs. just picking one. If a company is already using Pro E, they could pick up Alias Studio tools or Bunkspeed as a rendering engin for less than $1,500 dollars. Lastly, what is your mental modeling methodology? Solid Works is a healthy CAD tool. We use it on some of our programs. But it is a parametric modeling program. For Design modeling we often use non parametric modeling or non-history based modeling applications for design. There are far less constraints on the designer enabling them to achieve their vision. This is perhaps the most important attribute in picking a software for the design team.

BY: TNugent - 1/2/2008 1:19:29 PM