Display full version of the post: New to CAD software and could use some advise.

oRIDDLERo
31.12.2013, 16:32
Hello everyone: Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.I just have a few general questions.  I have a background in electrical engineering and computer science.  I currently work in medical software so I have been away from the engineering side of things for some time.I have many ideas that I would like to prototype and with the costs of 3-D printers and 3-D scanners dropping within reach to people like me I would like to tinker and design... I am ready to take the plunge.While I'm familiar with many fairly technical graphics and video software applications such as Photoshop, Premier, and Light Room, I have always been intimidated by 3-D modeling from scratch.  I have a friend that works in Maya and 3-D studio max and it just does not look like soft where one can simply dive into.With the introduction of 3-D scanners for less than one thousand dollars (like the Maker Bot Digitizer) I feel manipulation of existing object models will become much easier for me.  Many of my ideas I would like to prototype already exist in their basic form and just need to be 3-D scanned then manipulated into my vision.  I am a lot less intimidated by 3-D scanning an existing object then learning how to manipulate the model in a CAD application then I am by trying to design a model from scratch.  Now for some basic questions:There are MANY CAD software options to choose from.  Price is not an issue.  What CAD application would recommend for someone like me.  I learn very quickly and I would like an application that would be fairly easy to jump into for manipulating 3-D scanned models to print on a 3-D printer.  obviously one that has many training videos available would be a great plus.if you have any experience with 3-D scanners I would love some recommendations!  I am looking to scan small objects in high detail.Thanks again!

golfguyjosh
13.01.2014, 04:31
I am new to this forum, but not to cad. For what you are looking to do I would look into inventor. It is a autodesk product.

rs_higgins
17.01.2014, 21:03
Well you can't say it any better than that. "golfguyjosh" I have been working with AutoDesk products now for over 20 years and we just went through some big upgrades here. Tried some great products for just this type of work.We did after some long hours designing, doing layouts, plotting, printing and constructing (and learning) we chose the InventorĀ® 3D CAD from AutoDesk.YES like you new on this site but not Cad.
rs_higgins2014-01-17 21:06:52