Ok - I'm working with printapart from FineLine (see this thread ) and one thing that keeps coming up is the sofware necessary.

So, I would like to start a discussion about how you use software with respect to scratchbuilding or designing or planning your projects. This can be from using MSPaint to do quick sketches, to using Photoshop to make banners, to using a 2D program to make templates, to a 3D to design a full prototype.

Personally, I have used MSPaint for quick scaling and composition. I use Photoshop a ton for photo editing and to create boxes, and print material for dioramas.

I can now say I have started using Alibre Design Xpress to design scratch built parts.

Up till now I have mostly used autocad since I learned that while studying, but recently started trying out various 3D programs to produce something with a more finished appearance to try and get an idea of the finished product.

Still haven't found one that I am entirely satisfied with.

Alibre is decent - I'm too new to it to really have a full opinion.
My son has used Solid Works and he says it's very good. He likes it better than Alibre (probably because he is simply more familiar with it). He could do everything he needed to do in it.

So - do you use CAD software to develop a part or a full build?

Depends on what it is I am building.

For the sci-fi stuff I am scratchbuilding, I do the full design (when I don't just make it up as I go), that way I can design it full size and then I can select the bits I want to use as templates for cutting plastic and print them out in whatever scale I want to work in. If I'm feeling adventurous I can even fully design the interior.

For other things I may just design parts to try and get them looking right before building.

The only problem I have with CAD is because I don't know 3D CAD I have trouble visualising the complete 2D design, which is why I am now trying out various 3D modellers.

3D wise I have currently tried:
Blender
POV-Ray
Rhino3D
Bryce Metacreations(name?)
plus a couple of others whose name I don't recall.

I also have 3D Studio Max waiting to be tried.

So far I have used SketchUp and 2D AutoCAD for design purposes and 3D StudioMax for some visualisation work (with poor results though) .
None of these were for modelling purposes, but for Industrial Design classes.
The 3D Max unfortunately needs many hours of practice and learning, and even if you know it well it takes considerable amount of time to model something.

Now SketchUp is totally diferent story. It is a 3D design program for sketching-up designs in full 3d environment. You can learn how to use it in an hour and master most of it's functions in a noon. Really useful stuff, allows to create and evaluate designs very quickly (I've just though about designing a diorama in real scale in 15 minutes )

Cheers
Greg

I use Unigraphics / NX4 on a daily bbasis (work related) and to sometimes make small projects during lunch...............

Okay, i'm fluent in 3Ds and I work on 'toshop on a daily basis.
I've got to reckon I would spend more time designing the stuff on 3ds than to actually build it. When you have a good 3D perception for dioramas, or scratchbuilding, using 3DS is a fantastic waste of time.

I'm using photoshop mainly to scale plans when it comes to scratchbuilding, but all my plans for dioramas are done with a simple sheet of paper and a pencil.
the real thing with Toshop i think is when you take some pictures of your stuff, and there, on your computer, by zooming, you can see all the defects while being conformatble seated and while not destroying your eyes. It's good for afterthoughts.



i'm also using a lot Illustrator for this website when explaining to people why i think i'm right when it comes to plans and stuff

For my next diorama/scratch project, i have up to 800mbs on my hard drive with digital stuff :-)

That's th advantage i have w/ the 3D software at work... it does "Sheetmetal" so i could layout a Say V-150 if i have accurate drawings to make a model from. and turn it into Flatpatterns

I suspect it's the program Roger. I also have TurboCAD and it just doesn't do somethings the way I want them, and it fails to other things at all. I've gone back to AutoCAD.

i also build detailed 3d models and use adobe illustrator, photoshop, and 3ds max 9. i will get plans and generally decide on a scale, which is usually the plans i have. for example i have 1/96 and 1/192 plans for arizona and decided to built in 1/192. i will scan in the deck plan, say searchlight platform, into photoshop and save it out into illustrator where i will redraw it. i save the new drawing and take it in 3ds max and add thickness for the deck plus use the shape to create the railing. the scale is important because i scanned in the gmm 1/350 pe of the catapults, rescaled them in illustrator to 1/192, redrew all the parts, took them into 3ds and built my catapult. does this work? when i attached the catapult to the top of the no. 3 turret i had to adjust 1 brace by 1 mm and remove one brace and it fit.

as for non-digital model building, i don't see using 3d all that much but i will scan and use my computer to eyedropper colors, be able to zoom in for details and for printing out templates for any scratchbuilding.

I have AuroCAD 2006 for 2D and Autodesk Inventor for 3D stuff, of course theese are very expensive software packages that I use at work, but occasionaly use at lunch for modeling stuff...

I use AutoCAD on a daily basis (and Microststion once in awhile) at work.
I used it once to layout a side panel on an M577 but otherwise, not too much. I have used it to layout floorplans for our model shows though. Impresses the heck out of the club members :-)
And I do use Microsoft Works to layout and print nameplates for my figures.
Craig
PS: Like everyone else, I only use it like this at lunchtime