Anyone know which CAD systems are being used?

[BassinGT]

Hi All,

I know this is a bit of a strange question but I work in the Mechanical CAD (Computer Aided Design) industry (I help develop Autodesk's Inventor Mechanical CAD software) and I was wondering if any of you know which software packages any of the manufacturers use to design their products? Be it lure manufacturers, boat manufacturers, whatever. Just having the background causes me to often wonder what they use.

Thanks!

-Gary

[SethV]

We use UG - NX3 here at GM.  I would expect any large organization to use some sort of solid modeling program.  It is really the only way to go.  I can create solid math, send it to the rapid proto shop, or we can cut tools directly from the math.  If I need to do structual analysis it is also easy to do with the solid math.

Seth V

[BassinGT]

Thanks for the info Seth. I'm pretty sure I understand how they do it, I'm really looking for what they use to do it with. Just wondering if any of my hard work developing Inventor is getting any run in the fishing industry.

Here is a link to our software if anyone is interested.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=4246282

-Gary

[djkimmel]

Ranger Boats has a system that I think they had an engineer develop inhouse that involves running a laser all around their hulls and then creating a 3-D model that they can do quite a bit with. I plan on doing an article on it. I have the person's contact info and have talked to him several times while down at the plant in the past.

I have not seen any actual product names the companies are using. I know the smaller companies kind of did it by hand in the past. I imagine everyone is evolving in the technology to some degree.

It would be interesting to know. I'll add it to my todo list.

[bosshawg]

 don't know if this helps or not, but I being in the engineering buisness also we use AutoCad2006/2007 for most of our work. company i work for also uses 3-D modeling, scanning, solid edge and some catia work. it be interesting to learn what the boat/lure manufactures use and a job i'd be intersted looking into. after 30 plus years in the automotive industry, these days are with much un-certainty.

[BassinGT]

bosshawg,

Tell your company it's time to make the jump AutoCad (which my company also develops) to Autodesk Inventor! It's a great product and I can personally vouch for it!! Sorry my CAD loyalty coming through :-).

-Gary

[bosshawg]

 i'll pass along your web site to the I.T. guys at work.

[REEL_MAN]

Zebco/Quantum use Pro E

REEL MAN

[Bender]

I just use AutoCAD, but the most common software that I see with our customers is Solidworks and then CATIA. I think that CATIA allows you to do true surfaces using NURBS.