The Ship Model Forum

Hi,

I am thinking about buying a Roland MDX-40 A milling machine (3 axis plus optional 4th rotary axis).

http://www.rolanddga.com/products/milling/mdx40/

I am not sure which CAD software to get. Any recommendations, please?

Bye,

Bernd.

I'm not a user but we use Autodesk Inventor for all our CAM work at the office. It's more CAM than a graphical program such as Rhino (that we also use for smoother shapes).

That's a nice milling machine; aren't you worried you'll spend more time behind the monitor that actually modeling? That's my experience with etching..

Hi Evert-Jan,

thanks for your input.

Time is a factor, but regardless if I will buy a CNC or non-CNC mill and lathe I will have to spend time on it. I try to save time with CNC when it comes to multiple parts.

Out for lunch ..

Hi,

I can - probably - get a home license of Solidworks via my employer.

That would be a great incentive to use it

Solidworks is easily the best software for CAD. I don't know how well it will integrate with a CNC, but it is the most versatile, especially where ships are concerned.

Thanks for your Input

Hi everyone,

Last week I started Maya 2013 in order to draw some models for my dioramas (buildings-small vessels or perhaps even my ship models) so that I could print them in future with 3d printer. But I do not know if Maya is the program for that (according to my first impression, I know that I'm at very beg. of the way, it is like a program for animation).

I would like to hear your opinions, too, about Autodesk Maya

Maya is a graphical modeler, CNC's need a CAD modeler like SolidWorks, Inventor, AutoCAD, etc.

Hi!

Ive been modelling with a lot of trial an horror for a modela mdx 15 with the A axle installed for the last year.

Im using Rhino, not the best for solid modelling I know, but the software u get with the mill is REALLY forgiving!

you can send solids and surfaces and still get a workable model...

The really hard part is when u want to make double sided stuff....

Its easy to get lost, but fun

/L

rtwpsom2 wrote:Maya is a graphical modeler, CNC's need a CAD modeler like SolidWorks, Inventor, AutoCAD, etc.

Thank you for your response. Then I would like to know for a newbee (here myself) which one easier to learn (I mean by myself by reaading and watching tutorials online);
Autocad or Rhino?

My purpose is as I told before, drawing simple buildings and if possible parts for ships in order to print them later with 3d printer.

My advice, after working w both Rhino and AutoCAD.

for simpler work go w AutoCAD but if you have to do more complex 3D work Id use Rhino...

Rhino can be a bit of a beach when it comes to getting solids right for printing.

/L

Again thank you for your information.

Unfortunately, Rhino is not available for Mac (at least I couldn't find any version)
And the Mac version of Autocad seems very awfull according to the feedbacks and comments

I think u can download a beta of Rhino 5 for Mac... legally for free... a friend of mine did that (very frustrating as I cant get anything better than 4!!!!) Ill ask him... (its to late just now for phonecalls here)

I have some really bad memories of AutoCAD r 10 on Mac.. or was it just the mac...

good luck and keep going.... there is some really awesome things we�re starting to be able to do nowadays and the more who model the better/funner models will get out there!

/L