Dimensioning and Modeling to Scale

[Inspireology]

Is there any good modelling software that supports dimension and has built in scale capabilities? I currently model in Wings 3D and Hexagon, whilst using a 2D program to make dimensioned drawings and export them to the applications, but it is becoming very tedious and difficult to model by eye balling the model to these drawings.

My ideal would have been Amapi 8 as it has both Nurbs and Subds, but is dead . Amapi 7 lacks the edge loop coolness that I like, but I might go for it at this price http://store.e-frontier.com/us/user/..._product_31256
From the demo it seems like I cannot extrude objects by x mm and keep dimensions visible which I do not like.

Does anyone have any recommendations (nurbs or sub-d or both)? I looked at the Modo site and it did not say anything about dimensioning.

Thanks.

[-ash-]

Have you looked at Rhino?

From their site.

Rhino can create, edit, analyze, document, render, animate, and translate NURBS curves, surfaces, and solids with no limits on complexity, degree, or size. Rhino also supports polygon meshes and point clouds. Rhino offers:

Uninhibited free-form 3-D modeling. Tools like those found only in products costing 20 to 50 times more. Accurately model any shape you can imagine.

Extreme precision. Design, prototype, engineer, analyze, document, and manufacture anything of any size no matter how small or how large.

Unrestricted editing. Revise freely without concern about how you got there or where you want to go next.

2-D drafting, annotation, and illustration. In addition, flatten 3-D surfaces into 2-D patterns and drive laser, plasma, and water jet cutters.

Large project organization. Work with both large models and large teams.

www.rhino3d.com

[bwtr]

If you are seriously requiring apps to produce to very accurate dimensions you really should be looking at Cad programmes.
Even then, you will get what you pay for.

[jbshorty]

Are you looking for something just to annotate your model? Or you want a parametric subd modeling system? The only program I can think of which has subd modeling tools and is driven parametrically is Solid Thinking. It’s currently about 15 times the price of Amapi. Another one is Concepts Unlimited (now called Shark?) but I can’t confirm that for sure. My experience with ST left me feeling is had MUCH better history abilities than Amapi (it even allowed surface point editing, nested within the history tree). But history updates were slow as all hell. I recall the subd tools were also very weak compared to a dedicated subd modeler as Modo, Hex, Silo, etc… If you just need a cheap program to make drawings, try ViaCad (little brother of Shark). It has associative dimensioning for it’s natively created Nurbs models. Not sure if you can work with imported meshes… There is also the pair of Rhino and Tsplines. That is probably the most accurate solution right now for subd modeling and modification. But it doesn’t model in the same way as you do with Subd’s. You can import your subd models and then resize/rebuild them. And they are now building a subd modeling toolset for version 2. Cost of Rhino plus Tsplines is about $1300 online… Beyond those options, I think you could use hack methods in most subd modelers to get reasonably accurate sizing by eye. But nothing will be as accurate as working with Nurbs… Have you tried Lightwave with LWCAD?

jonah

[Inspireology]

Hi thanks for the help. I have just checked the Rhino site and the price it is 995 Euros and 995 dollars (EU users always get ripped off ) I am not looking do model to absolute pricision, maybe to withing a mm or two. I would just like to be able to model to real world dimensions.

Amapi is near ideal (both in price in feature), but the dimension tools disappear once I start editing the object. I also cannot move something say 15 mm, it is the arbitrary internal unit that I cannot scaled 1:1 to a real world unit (using the preference pane).

I am happy with regular modellers for artistic modelling, but when I am doing piece of techinical work, I really need to be able to measure out what I am creating.

How do you guys find ViaCad? Does MOI have dimensions now? When I looked it did not.

[-ash-]

Originally Posted by Inspireology

Hi thanks for the help. I have just checked the Rhino site and the price it is 995 Euros and 995 dollars (EU users always get ripped off )

Ouch!! That's a big price hike - 995 euros = 1572 dollars . I vote with my wallet on this kind of thing and buy elsewhere (wherever possible).

MoI doesn't have dimensions yet. Possibly in Version 2, which, according to the dev, will be about a year away. MoI does have different internal units (mm, cm, etc) and you can make things exact sizes.

It just so happens that I'm trying out modo and found the advanced handles setting which shows dimensions as you create and move objects, faces, etc..

Creating a cube:



Moving a cube:


The dims are also shown in the tools properties on the side bar too, but they disappear when you drop the tool. Is this the kind of thing you are looking for, or do you want the dimensions to stay there after you've finished the edit?

[Inspireology]

That looks really good. Having that along with the ability to measure from particular points would be perfect. It is a shame that the dimensions disappear once the tool is dropped, but that is about what I am looking for.

[jbshorty]

There is also a Ruler tool in Modo, so you can check dimensions as you work...

jonah

[-ash-]

Originally Posted by -ash-

The dims are also shown in the tools properties on the side bar too, but they disappear when you drop the tool. Is this the kind of thing you are looking for, or do you want the dimensions to stay there after you've finished the edit?

Just wanted to be clear that ALL the dims disappear when you drop the tool. The way I wrote this before sounds like only those in side bar went away.

Best thing is to get the demo and see for yourself.