What do I need?

vladimir911 · 发表于 2022-7-7 14:58:40

Let me start by saying that I am a steel fabricator/designer, I work at a small company (less than half a dozen employees). But we do higher end custom work...mostly out of steel, sometimes aluminum, wood, plastic, or glass.
I have access to Autocad v. 2014 but is it actually the software I should be using? And if so, what addon(s) might I need to efficiently draw out plans for my job?
I'm hoping for something that will either already have steel types saved in it, or that I can create and save a model of what the steel is. By this I mean: round or square, tube or rod, 1/16th or 1/8th wall thickness 1"x1" or 1"x2". I'd actually like to be able to create a rendering and actively take measurements from the drawing (measurements of everything, not just the values I've directly entered).
I'm computer savvy so I'm capable of figuring out more advanced settings or addons (given time and if necessary).
Please and Thank you.

tzframpton · 发表于 2022-7-7 15:14:27

I would also go with Inventor or Solidworks for what you have described so far.

If you feel better staying with AutoCAD, there are add-ons and LISP to expand its abilities. I currently use Al's Steel Mill for steel shapes, previously where I did work more along your lines the company purchased an add-on called SteelPlus from Soft Draft http://www.softdraft.com/.

ReMark · 发表于 2022-7-7 15:22:50

I've used steel plus and it works well but it really depends on how much you need. It sounds like you may need very little and I would suggest simply drawing them. You would need to learn a little more about AutoCAD but it is not difficult. Something like Inventor seems to be overkill for what sounds like a small shop. Learn how to draw with plines and extrude for 3d models that you can easily render with the materials provided. Spend a little time learning to use 3d and I think you will be very pleased and satisfied. Using 3rd party software for small bars and wood and such there is no real package for that. Good luck.

JD Mather · 发表于 2022-7-7 15:30:52

Thank you everyone for your responses and input, sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you on my own question, things have been hectic lately. Remark is correct, I should have been more specific in describing what I do. We don't erect structures or really do any large scale work like that. We do custom orders for furniture pieces, artwork, and miscellaneous specific-purpose pieces. It's really hard to explain accurately due to the diversity. I can take some pictures and post them later if it helps.

tzframpton · 发表于 2022-7-7 15:36:14

Better late than never.

Yes, I didn't get the feeling you were erecting 100 story office buildings in downtown Vladivostok. Revit, in my opinion, would be overkill.