My youngest brother once told me that I should buy a wig at the same time I buy a CAD program. He said it is better to pull hair from that than from one's head.
But I have had a copy of Punch Software's ViaCAD 2D/3D for some time now and have found it to be most fascinating and useful when developing things like crossbow parts. A "rotate" facility in this program allows me to prove the movement of any part in 2D and check for travel limits and or interference. Another advantage is being able to print parts at one to one ratio and then glue this drawing onto metal for precise marking of holes etc. I even plot my milling machine movements before I start to machine a part and this has proven to be a great time saver. But oh how I wish I had grown up with this new technology instead of with tools that have wooden handles. A small CNC milling machine is on my dream list. And one with enough travel to mill precise bolt slots in my crossbows.
Pavise
But I have had a copy of Punch Software's ViaCAD 2D/3D for some time now and have found it to be most fascinating and useful when developing things like crossbow parts. A "rotate" facility in this program allows me to prove the movement of any part in 2D and check for travel limits and or interference. Another advantage is being able to print parts at one to one ratio and then glue this drawing onto metal for precise marking of holes etc. I even plot my milling machine movements before I start to machine a part and this has proven to be a great time saver. But oh how I wish I had grown up with this new technology instead of with tools that have wooden handles. A small CNC milling machine is on my dream list. And one with enough travel to mill precise bolt slots in my crossbows.
Pavise