Vehicle design

388cube_edxr8 · 13-10-2009, 12:29 AM

Being the nutty professor that I am, I'm beginning to start designing cars. I'm getting pretty sick of using paint to join bits of cars together, and would like to start designing complete cars, not just pictures.

Does anyone know of any vehicle design software, where I can design complete chassis, body, suspension and drivetrain ideas? Preferably with a Autocad style of interface.

Any help would be much appreciated. Even just a demo version of sorts would be a step in the right direction. I have done some internet searches to no avail.

rodderz · 13-10-2009, 12:37 AM

There are various version of autocad on their website that are suited to various applications, such as engineering, building, civil, landscape etc. There may be one there that suits very well.

FordFella · 13-10-2009, 02:13 AM

Ahem well if memory serves me correct CATIA is used by a bunch of car companies, as is Pro-Engineer, Solidworks, Autodesk Inventor. But yeah I'm most familiar with CATIA (using it through education). Have to say, for all the modules, will set you back a hefty amount (think tens/hundreds of thousands). And for the others, well, lets just say that they don't actually have a msrrp - have to call an assistant or consultant. Unless your a student - then I think you can get Pro-Engineer on the cheap.

Kowalski · 13-10-2009, 09:43 AM

Used to do a lot of contract work for Ford a few years ago & the CAD package was IDEAS back then. Could bring up any part from the global library & plonk it down straight from car-data, was great. I have heard that they're moving towards CATIA though, in line with what most of the Euro makers are using.

Powdered Toast Man · 13-10-2009, 12:03 PM

Do you want to go 2D or 3D?

2D you can get hold of AutoCAD LT fairly cheaply although I'm not sure if they still make it since they have now branched out into specialised industry modules. I think legitimate versions are around a grand.

3D you have Inventor (made by Autodesk - 3D AutoCAD), SolidWorks or Pro-Engineer like Fordfella mentioned. These are the cheapest options but are still far from cheap. You are looking at the best part of 10 grand per licence or more.

Packages like CATIA are really industry only unless you have the multiple 10s to hundreds of thousands it costs like Fordfella said.

You should be able to get demo versions but I doubt you will be able to download anything over the net (not legitimately anyway). I've had numerous demo versions of Inventor on CD/DVD over the years. We use SolidWorks at work for our 3D package although I only spend my time on AutoCAD LT.

**DJR-351** · 13-10-2009, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FordFella

Ahem well if memory serves me correct CATIA is used by a bunch of car companies, as is Pro-Engineer, Solidworks, Autodesk Inventor. But yeah I'm most familiar with CATIA (using it through education). Have to say, for all the modules, will set you back a hefty amount (think tens/hundreds of thousands). And for the others, well, lets just say that they don't actually have a msrrp - have to call an assistant or consultant. Unless your a student - then I think you can get Pro-Engineer on the cheap.

Agree here, a friend of mine is a Naval Architect and the program (sorry dont know which one) he is using was one of the biggest business investments he made, cost more than his new 200 Series Landcruiser he reckons...

:

**Polyal** · 13-10-2009, 12:46 PM

Yes the license fees are nuts. Ive heard you can download some from torrents but people have a hard time getting the full package to work.

But in saying that if you are profiting off it then you should really be paying.

We use Solidworks at uni and its pretty easy to learn, the programs have tutorials which are very helpful. You should see all the paper you have to go through to get a copy when your a student.

ltd · 13-10-2009, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FordFella

Ahem well if memory serves me correct CATIA is used by a bunch of car companies, as is Pro-Engineer, Solidworks, Autodesk Inventor. But yeah I'm most familiar with CATIA (using it through education). Have to say, for all the modules, will set you back a hefty amount (think tens/hundreds of thousands). And for the others, well, lets just say that they don't actually have a msrrp - have to call an assistant or consultant. Unless your a student - then I think you can get Pro-Engineer on the cheap.

Boeing also use CATIA to design and build airplanes. In fact, the whole 777 was designed and built using no mock ups thanks to CATIA.
Would be an incredibly expensive program to design a car much less a plane.

xbgs351 · 13-10-2009, 07:28 PM

Have a look at the Bowin website to see what is involved in designing a car. All the drawings have been done on a drawing board, but it will still give you a good idea. The P8 may be a good starting point.

http://www.bowincars.org/index.php/Car_Drawings

9triton · 13-10-2009, 11:39 PM

hey now thats a good site of Bowin cars

liked the photos of them doing the Geoghegan super falcon (GTHO?)front strengthening

http://www.bowincars.org/index.php/Image:Workshop_9.gif

http://www.bowincars.org/index.php/Image:Workshop_6.gif

http://www.bowincars.org/index.php/I...orkshop_10.gif

http://www.bowincars.org/index.php/I...uperFalcon.jpg

brett

madmelon · 14-10-2009, 03:34 PM

Avoid ProEngineer. It makes simple tasks such a pain in de butt. Inventor and Solidworks are both great, Haven't used CATIA yet.

swapper · 14-10-2009, 03:44 PM

As it has been said Catia is used by most OEMS, ford did use I-deas but are migrating to catia at the moment. And all GM companies use Unigraphics.
However these programs are used for all engineering design, all A class surfacing is done with alias and icemsurf.

All a far cry from MS paint haha

HLC · 14-10-2009, 11:04 PM

they love using Alias modeller for body's. but for complex stuff i wouldnt walk past autodesk inventor.

swapper · 15-10-2009, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HLC

they love using Alias modeller for body's. but for complex stuff i wouldnt walk past autodesk inventor.

Yes they use alias for the visible parts of the body aswell as all styling surfaces. However for everything else it's only either catia or unigraphics. No oems or large suppliers use inventor.

Jayden · 15-10-2009, 10:15 AM

for car bodies and 3d visualisation give Autodesk AliasStudio a look.

Your looking at a few years of head scratching though if your just starting out... Unless your a genius.

swapper · 15-10-2009, 10:53 AM

Yeah none of the high end programs are the type of thing you can just pick up and have a crack at. Pretty specialised and complicated stuff

phillyc · 15-10-2009, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 9triton

hey now thats a good site of Bowin cars

liked the photos of them doing the Geoghegan super falcon (GTHO?)front strengthening

http://www.bowincars.org/index.php/Image:Workshop_9.gif

http://www.bowincars.org/index.php/Image:Workshop_6.gif

http://www.bowincars.org/index.php/I...orkshop_10.gif

http://www.bowincars.org/index.php/I...uperFalcon.jpg

brett

Wow, unbelievable references there!

phillyc · 15-10-2009, 07:31 PM

At work I use Bentley Microstation V8. Although my electrical designing is of a 2D nature which is what i'm familiar with. There is definitely 3D modelling available (as i've starting to have a play with that during lunch) as we use it to design multimillion dollar substations.

FordFella · 15-10-2009, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swapper

Yeah none of the high end programs are the type of thing you can just pick up and have a crack at. Pretty specialised and complicated stuff

Yeah mate, defininately. Of the 30 or so workbenches in CATIA that I have access to, I only really no my way round in 5 to 6 of them - and I've been regularly using it for well over a year. But CATIA's really a PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) program - in the educational package (pretty well all Dassault designed modules), there's plant design, Finite Element Analysis (very useful for the stuff I'm doing), all types of lathe and prismatic machining, mockups of all types, conceptual modelling, even circuit board design. Bloody crazy, and hence the hefty pricetag.

Autodesk Inventor however is something that I've always wanted to try, as the kinematics simulations look far more intuitive than CATIA's. If your serious (and intending to pay for software), I'd go for that.

HLC · 15-10-2009, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swapper

Yes they use alias for the visible parts of the body aswell as all styling surfaces. However for everything else it's only either catia or unigraphics. No oems or large suppliers use inventor.

yeah ive never had experience with catia or unigraphics. Only Inventor when i was working as a drafty and at uni.

xr8-200 · 20-10-2009, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phillyc

At work I use Bentley Microstation V8. Although my electrical designing is of a 2D nature which is what i'm familiar with. There is definitely 3D modelling available (as i've starting to have a play with that during lunch) as we use it to design multimillion dollar substations.

That's the type of work that I used to do.
The 3D modeling on Microstation v8 is quite good. If you can find a copy some where or even a demo it would be a good place to start.

SICKXW · 28-10-2009, 02:26 PM

Hey 388cube_edxr8
Dassult systems are the guys responsible for Catia. It is a very complex and difficult program to get your head around unless you have used some of the others.
I use Solidworks, it is made by the Dassult systems and is the pretty much the same as Autodesk's Inventor.
Not sure exactly what you need to do, but if you are trying to create a complete engineered vehicle your best bet will be Inventor or Soliworks.
If you are just trying to create just some 3D models, programs like Autodesk Studio tools or 3D Max are great 3D modelling packages the animation industry uses. There is also a million online tutorials on these.