3D drawing 3D drawing, mathematical modelling, three-dimensional modelling – whatever term you prefer to use – is without doubt the culmination of the art of CAD on the PC. To get the most benefit from the 3D CAD package, the user has to be able to draw not on a plain 2 dimensional surface ( known as XY space), but directly into 3-dimensional space (or XYZ space), and here is where we start to get into hot water! 3D drawing isn’t quite as easy as it seems. Anyone who has played with a 3D drawing package on his PC, has probably managed to create a parallelepiped, a sphere or a cone, maybe using different colours, and has then closed the software, unable to go on. There’s nothing wrong at all with this – it happens to everybody! The challenge begins when we try to create something more complex. Take a look at the mouse you’re using right now, for example – although it is made of complex curves, its shape can be re-created within a few minutes by an experienced 3D CAD designer. What software should we use? As usual, it depends on what you need to achieve. AutoCAD 3D - for the sort of work I do, it really isn’t suitable, and it’s far too expensive. SolidWorks – as the name suggests, it’s good for solid modelling, but not to replicate a racing car. For free form and complex 3D surface modelling with good flexibility, the best software I have worked with – and also the best value for money – is McNeel Rhinoceros. It is such a good package that you can use it also as a decent tool for 2D drawing, instead of AutoCAD. For now I will not introduce tutorials on this site, but you should be able to find many on the Net – take a look also at Links section.
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