3D CAD software has been around for a long time. 3D CAD software has been used in industry for a number of decades, but only recently has it become widely available to the general public.
3D CAD software is not just the ability to create objects in three dimensions, the ability to create these objects in three dimensions has led to a profound way in which this type of software is used across the board and in many industries.
There was a time when 3D CAD software was only used by industry for the detailed creation of complex machinery and designs; now 3D CAD software is used by everyone from creating simple models for a woodworking project, to creating models for 3D printing, to creating 3D content in online games and movies, to complex engineering models sent to space and beyond.
This article provides a general overview of 3D CAD software and some of its uses.
What is 3D CAD software.
I’ve been using 3D CAD software in my work and studies for about 10 years now. Before that, I was aware that 3D CAD software existed and was very keen to learn it, but I didn’t know where to start. 3D CAD software is the obvious extension of 2D CAD software. But what does it actually mean?
The meaning of CAD has changed over time. What was originally a method of drafting that moved from paper drafting methods to the computer (Computer Aided Drafting) is now much more complicated and has evolved into Computer Aided Design. But what is the difference?
Originally, 3D CAD software was a method of creating a simple 3D model. Instead of drawing in the traditional ‘three view’ method used in 2D drafting, the third dimension was added to create a 3D object. This was a very small change as the model could now be viewed, but the designer still had to do most of the calculations required for the design.
As time went on, more functionality was added to the software and more of these calculations were done by the software itself. An example of this would be the software calculating the volume of the 3D object and then calculating the mass of the object from the density of the material. This used to be done by an engineer. As 3D CAD software improved, more functionality was added and the old drafting became more design.
Modern software can do things like dynamic stress analysis and finite element analysis, which is essential for calculating safety factors in a design.
Modern 3D CAD software
Modelling software is very powerful in what it can do. Take the model steam engine below, for example. From the model I have told the software what materials I have used and the software can calculate the static and dynamic stresses and safety factors. The software uses my model to create all the engineering drawings that I can send to the machinists to actually make the model.
The software can also directly generate the code for computer numerical control (CNC) machines to make the model. The advertising department can create a working photorealistic animation of the model for a commercial, as well as exploded views of the model for assembly instructions. Everything up to final production, including dynamic testing, is done by the 3D CAD software.
If I were to use 2D and traditional drafting, I would first have to design, do all the calculations and produce the initial engineering drawings. The machinists would then make a prototype from these drawings. The prototype would have to be tested and modified one or more times before the pre-production drawings were created.
The machinists would then program the machines to make the parts and assemble the production prototype, which would be tested and modified if necessary, and the final prototype drawings would be made and the production machines programmed.
3D CAD software has advanced to the point where it is saving huge amounts of time and effort at many levels and in many places in the design and manufacturing industry. Ideas can be quickly prototyped and tested, saving time and money and resulting in a superior product. It is now the software that does the hard work and the designer can concentrate on other things.
What is 3D CAD software used for?
| Use Case | Details |
|---|---|
| Software prototypes | Create digital models to test designs without physical prototypes. |
| Cost & time savings | Save time and money by testing digitally before production. |
| Pre-production testing | Test designs in software before making physical prototypes. |
| Engineer collaboration | Multiple engineers work on parts independently and integrate them in real-time. |
| Real-time design integration | Combine design parts instantly, boosting efficiency. |
| Department involvement | Other departments, like R&D, can interact with designs and contribute to the final product. |
| Digital design sharing | Easily share designs across teams, improving understanding and development. |
| R&D collaboration | R&D can develop new designs and integrate improvements into the final product. |
| Client visualization | Clients use 3D models to see and simulate designs, aiding decision-making. |
| Informed decisions | More detailed information helps clients make better product decisions. |
| Rapid prototyping | Quickly create physical prototypes to accelerate the design process. |
| Rapid optimization | Optimize designs quickly based on simulations and data. |
| Rapid manufacturing | Move quickly from finalized designs to full-scale production. |
Modern 3D CAD software has powerful capabilities to not only create a design in three dimensions, but to create a software model that can be used instead of a physical prototype to test and see if it actually works. The ability to test with a software prototype instead of a physical prototype has fundamentally changed the way engineers create new designs.
There have been massive cost and time savings simply by being able to test almost everything in a software environment, where rapid redesign fixes problems before the first pieces of material are cut. In modern engineering, 3D CAD software has created the ability to test everything, and the first physical prototype is a production prototype ready for ramp-up to full mass production.
3D CAD software has also opened up skills within an organisation that were previously desirable but never really existed. It’s not just the engineer using the software to design. 3D CAD software now allows teams of engineers to work independently on different parts of the design and integrate them quickly and easily. This was possible before, but 3D CAD software allows this to happen in real time, giving a real boost to productivity.
3D CAD software also allows other parts of an organisation to be involved. Digital designs can be shared with many different departments. Research and development can copy and create new designs in parallel, sometimes incorporating them back into a production design.
Sharing digital designs allows an organisation to understand its products much more deeply and allows different departments to specialise in certain areas of development.
Clients and customers can use 3D CAD software and the models created to visualise a design, see it work in simulation, and gain the ability to make a more informed decision about the product’s suitability within their own organisation.3D CAD software is also used for rapid prototyping, rapid optimisation and rapid manufacturing.
Different types of 3D CAD software systems.
As a mechanical engineer, I’ve been using 3D CAD software for a number of years. My speciality is design, so I’m most familiar with creating software models. When I first started using AutoCAD, I was familiar with 2D drafting and my first use was the traditional two dimensional prototyping to create engineering drawings.
Over time, I learned to create 3D models in AutoCAD and became quite comfortable, but it wasn’t until I switched to Fusion and started 3D modelling that I understood the fundamental differences between creating a 3D model and modelling in 3D.
In AutoCAD, it is possible to create a 3D model and perform various checks and automated calculations, but AutoCAD was originally designed for drafting, so there are many modelling tools available, but what you can do with the model is limited.
This is one of the areas where Computer Aided Drafting and Computer Aided Design overlap. Fusion 3D CAD software can do everything that AutoCAD software can do, but Fusion Design involves creating a model first and then has many tools to use that model in different ways.
Fusion 3D CAD software is part of the latest family of computer applications that are integrated with a number of other computer applications in one package.
Fusion 3D CAD software not only creates a model, it uses that model to do many things: create engineering drawings; simulate testing, including things like finite element analysis; create realistic rendered objects; create animations; simulate machining and fabrication and create CNC code that can be loaded directly into the machine; it also uses the model to create objects that can be 3D printed directly.
These are just some of the things that Fusion 3D CAD software can do. There are other 3D CAD software applications that are more specialised and tailored to specific industries.
There are also a number of different 3D CAD software systems based on different requirements.
Simple introduction to using Fusion 360! – Explanation of operations and commands
3D CAD software used in industry.
There are many 3D CAD software applications that are broadly used or specific to certain industries. Each of these industries has certain requirements and objectives. In this overview, we will refer to 3D CAD software as software used predominantly to create models that will be used in manufacturing.
3D CAD software is also used in software games and in the creation of video and movie content. 3D CAD software has become so popular in recent years that more and more industries are taking it up to use for their own purposes and in their own ways.
Freeform Modelling
One method of manufacturing prototyping is clay modelling. The 3D CAD software method is also known as free-form modelling. Many engineers now use free-form modelling; while researching this article I was quite surprised to learn that the art of clay modelling in the car industry is still common.
That being said, free-form modelling is alive and well in other industries and two of the major 3D CAD software applications are Zbrush and Mudbox. Free-form modelling basically creates an object out of a software mesh that can be freely manipulated with little or no numerical constraint.
Polygonal Modelling
Another popular form of 3D CAD software uses boxes, mesh and wireframes to create the models and is known as polygonal modelling. Users still begin with a basic mesh but instead of free-form modelling, the user manipulates the model’s elements with various tools to create vertices, edges and faces. Other operations can include morphing, twisting, bending and smoothing.
Often this type of software is used for rendering and advanced animation. The designer still has some numerical control but parts typically remain unrelated to other parts of the same model. Leading 3D CAD software in this area are Blender, Maya and 3D Studio Max.
Solid Modelling
Solid modelling is the simplest way that 3D CAD software is used in manufacturing. The designer starts with some virtual object and removes aspects and features in a similar way to the same processes in manufacturing. These techniques are referred to as using constructive solid geometry.
One way to think about solid modelling would be that a milling machine removes material from a solid block with some physical tool, and the software removes material from the block with a similar software tool.
SolidWorks and SolidEdge are two popular applications that use this method. SolidWorks is used in a very wide area of the design market including, industrial machinery, high-tech, home and lifestyle, construction and other engineering.
Surface Modelling
3D CAD software that treats a virtual object as a series of connected surfaces is known as a surface modeller. A surface modeller uses surfaces that create an object that would be watertight or one single surface.
This kind of modelling is very popular with 3D printing. The 3D printer prints the outside surface and other software deals with the internal structure of the printed object. Printed objects can be solid or hollow as long as the surface itself is watertight. Surface modellers are also excellent at creating objects with smooth curves especially when designing ships or in aerospace applications.
Parametric Modelling
Most 3D CAD software applications use some form of direct modelling, where the user must use a tool to create the model. Parametric modelling, on the other hand, gives the user complete control over the model space. Every single line, surface, curve or feature of a parametric model is placed with extreme accuracy and manipulated by the tools.
Parametric modelling applications keep track of every single operation and allow the user to move backwards and forwards in time to make changes that would otherwise cause major problems in other modelling systems. It is called parametric because the designer often manipulates various parameters that can be set either directly or relative to other features of the model.
It also allows the designer to customise the environment with various scripts and custom tools.
Parametric 3D CAD software gives the user massive control. Each element of the design is strictly defined in the 3D workspace or calculated using mathematical functions internal or external to the software.
This means that the application can perform advanced functions on the data, such as finite element analysis to calculate stresses and possible failure points, dynamic simulations and complex thermal simulations, and with the help of artificial intelligence it’s possible to do generative design.
Another area that uses parametric modelling is computational fluid dynamics in aerospace, racing and water.
A great introduction to parametric modelling and free for limited commercial use is AutoDesk’s Fusion software.
Choosing a 3D CAD software environment.
- Why do I need 3D Cad Software? Drafting, Modelling, Designing?
- What performance level do I need? Basic, Intermediate, Professional?
- What am I willing to pay? Free, Subscription, Purchase?
- What actual software? General, Niche, Industry Standard?
One of the most important things when choosing 3D CAD software is to know why you need a particular application, and to have some idea of what you’re going to use it for. There’s no point in choosing a top-of-the-range AI-powered generative design suite if all you’re going to do is make a few knick-knacks for the kids on the 3D printer. Similarly, there’s not much point in using a simple and primitive point-and-click environment if you’re trying to design a replacement for the space shuttle. Cost is also a factor to consider; some 3D CAD software is free and some applications cost a little or a lot of money. If you are in a particular industry, there may be an industry standard that you need to use. All these factors need to be weighed up.
The good news is that there is a range of 3D CAD software to suit all users. Some 3D CAD software is so simple I could teach my mum to use it, some software is cutting edge and the industry standard, some of these applications are free, some use a subscription and some you pay for – some a little, some a lot. Knowing what you need, what you want to use it for and how much resources you want to commit will help you decide which 3D CAD software to use.
One of the great things that the larger 3D CAD software companies are doing is recognising the market for people at the lower end, such as inventors or students trying to break into certain industries. There are free versions of most of the major 3D CAD software applications, including Fusion, SolidWorks and Rhino 3D. Some of these versions may have some limitations, such as the number of projects you can work on at the same time. Others are fully functional for students.
There are also other options targeted at specific groups. There are many for inventors, backyard engineers, hobbyists and people who just want to learn. Although I was already very familiar with Autocad and Fusion, my first introduction to 3D printing was with TinkerCAD 3D CAD software. I had a 3D printable model in about 10 minutes using the simple interface and tools available with this software.
There is 3D CAD software for people to landscape their homes; 3D CAD software for people to build and test electronic devices; and 3D CAD software for people to design their own homes. It’s amazing how many different areas 3D CAD software has found its way into. Usually it only takes a little research to discover a particular application for a particular task.
There are also a number of open source 3D CAD software packages such as Free CAD, OpenSCAD and QCAD.
If you want to learn how to use CAD software, we recommend this AutoCAD training course. You can acquire professional-level skills in just two days.
Conclusion.
Whatever you’re looking for there are 3D CAD software packages available for all people. Some are very simple and some are complex, some are cheap some expensive, some are targeted at specific areas. Many are easy to learn the basics but it takes time and practice to learn some of them in depth.
Ultimately whichever 3D CAD software package you choose to be involved with, what you get out of the package will depend upon the time and effort you put into it. A little research is the key to the best result.
