Designing stuff

[Teflon]

Well I always liked designign stuff but i suck at drawing so I got solidworks (cause we used it way back in year 1 of engineering) and started making stuff this is what i got so far. Hopefully will have a whole bike when i'm done.

Has anyone else had a play around out there. Chuck up your designs

Had a demo of solid works, but never got around to trying it.

Nice designs mate.

[erik]

I've done a bit of work with an old program called model cad, and messed around with turbocad and autocad when I was into model airplanes. Last year I was taught how to use solidworks at uni, we had to measure and then draw a simple IC engine.
I ended up using it to design a rear wheel stand for my bike which was a bit of fun. The welding isn't pretty and the pivot/support bits for the swingarm could be better, but it does the job.
It's only been about half a year though and I already feel like I've forgotten how to use it

[aff-man]

tank and the beginning of the headers. Took a little longer than i thought to get it right.

[avgas]

I've done a bit of work with an old program called model cad, and messed around with turbocad and autocad when I was into model airplanes. Last year I was taught how to use solidworks at uni, we had to measure and then draw a simple IC engine.
I ended up using it to design a rear wheel stand for my bike which was a bit of fun. The welding isn't pretty and the pivot/support bits for the swingarm could be better, but it does the job.
It's only been about half a year though and I already feel like I've forgotten how to use it

Nice stand man
I know how you feel too - ive completely forgotten how to use solidworks i think.

[flash]

is solidworks a free download?
are there any free design programs that do the job well?

aff-man youve inspired me to try

[aff-man]

is solidworks a free download?
are there any free design programs that do the job well?

aff-man youve inspired me to try

Well solidworks is "free" if you know where to look

Yeh it's going a bit slower now due to work but i have split the prijects cause one didn't fit with the tail section i designed but will post updates soon

[aff-man]

Updated now

[TLDV8]

That looks like a excellent tool but to complicated for me ..i use the rip into it method...... I actually think Sarge at Coleman's pulled a SV650 out so i could measure the rearsets for these adapters that move them up and back 25mm,next stop Texas..Thanks Sarge

http://imageevent.com/tldv8/rearsetadapter

[TonyB]

I use Vectorworks. I've only got version 9 but v11 can do a heap more solid modelling stuff. Infact the difference is so great that when I was sent some V11 files with 3D models of gearmotors saved as V9 files, V9 couldn't even show what was there...
It's a great program though. Probably the most user freindly on the market- works on the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) principle. So there is no need to send drawings to another program to print them. A lot of powerful modeling programs are hopeless at actually outputting useful working drawings. VW does both very well.

aff-man, looks good mate. Though I reckon you forgot to put the fork springs in, the forks look a little short with not enough travel.

[Marmoot]

Affman:
a bit of 2c....(1) 4-spoke wheels do not offer good rigidity. Try 3, 5 or 6. 90 degree angle only aggravate torque on the joint.
(2) With the back too high and the front too low, the bike would run a high risk of speed wobble/tankslap tendencies.

I love the shape of the tank, though

[DogBreath]

Updated now

Hey there
I have used solidworks full time now for about 4½ years, a truly amazing program.
I was wondering about the spokes you modelled. Did you use a sweep or a loft?
I've atached a quick set which are lofted, bit more awkward to do, but smoother lines.
Waddyarekon?

If anyone is interested, the program is about $13,000 to buy, plus about $2200/yr maintenance fees. Glad the company pays eh.

[hXc]

What type of bike is this supposed to be??? To me, it looks like a design for a bucket. I agree with the front being to low. Raise it a bit but put the handle bars lower. My bucket has the bars underneath the top clampy thing on the forks/steering head. So they are real low.

But good work mate. We have pro-desktop at school and I farken hate it!!! I just say to the teacher, "It would be quicker for me to just make it. Or design by hand." But he says designing by hand isn't used anymore so we shouldn't be doing it. Bullshit!!! I know people who design stuff always by hand. I'm no drawer but I can design by hand pretty well. Except circles Drawing drum kits is really hard btw.

[erik]

(1) 4-spoke wheels do not offer good rigidity. Try 3, 5 or 6. 90 degree angle only aggravate torque on the joint.

Could you explain that in a bit more detail?
I don't understand how 4-spoke wheels would be any worse.

[Brian d marge]

Like most things drawing has its advantages and disadvantages, I agree that educators shouldnt be experimenting with newer programs, the basics first ...as in producing good, well laid out working drawings ,,,,THEN say progressing to Acad or Solid works. I use Acad 2004 , its solid robust and does all I ask off it ( except helixes,,I have to install a wee program for those ...Why isnt it built in??? not like springs are an uncommon thing to draw)

The thing I like about say Acad , for example right now I am drawing a conrod in order to find out its lapprox life span and I need a number ( 2nd moment ) ...There is a method of finding it out but I have fogotten , so I just draw the rod resonably accuratly then once its in the computer I can slide and dice it and find out all its little secrets ...and if I did want to produce a drawing from the 3d model I just hit a button and away it draws

Stephen

[dveus]

But good work mate. We have pro-desktop at school and I farken hate it!!! I just say to the teacher, "It would be quicker for me to just make it..

Pro-desktop is indeed crap but is quite popular in schools due to it being almost free. Once one of the teachers has done a 1 or 2 day course (~$500) the school is given a site license for the software. Licensing fees get expensive really quick when your looking at computer labs of at least 30 pc's. Not really a good excuse but that will be the reasoning behind the schools use of ProDesktop.