DesignSpark Mechanical

Hi All,

My First post, I have been lurking for some time but have come across something that may be of interest so thought I would register to tell you about it in case it is useful. It is Free Software called DesignSpark Mechanical. It is apparently based on or a version of something called SpaceClaim. Whether this is good or bad I don't know and will leave it to the experts to figure out but it exports to STL format and is purportedly easy to use.

Keith

I'm no expert, but I use Designspark Mechanical a lot and like it. My training on it is strictly as needed- when I want to do something I haven't done before and I go to the web to find out how to do it.
I used to use sketchup but kept running into the limitations- curves/circles are never actually curves/circles which causes numerous mysterious problems with STL files.

A lot of things that are nearly impossible to do in sketchup are ridiculously easy in DSM. DSM will fillet/chamfer even complex edges easily and quickly, will draw tangent lines between curves, will sweep a surface around a cylinder (to make threads, for example), etc.

The biggest limitation I've run into with DSM is there is no direct way to enter text into a drawing/object. That said, DSM will import almost any format 3D model file, so you can generate your text in sketchup and import it into DSM easily. The STL files DSM exports are nearly always watertight.

DSM works with my spacepilot pro 3D mouse, as does sketchup.

My main gripe with DesignSpark Mechanical (apart from the fact it only runs on Windows) is that export to solid exchange formats such as STEP is disabled. You can only save in its native format (which is not recognized by any other app), or in a mesh format.

For experienced CAD users, mesh formats like STL are a "garbage out" format only suitable for rapid prototyping (3D printing) and nothing else. Think MP3 versus uncompressed audio file, or raw image file VS. highly compressed JPEG. It might be fine if you'll always limit yourself to 3D print your designs. But if at any point, you want to go further with a design, like go to CNC machining or even mass production, you'll be screwed, because any shop will require a solid file format that DesignSpark Mechanical won't provide, even if your native DSM model is indeed solid (technically, a B-Rep model).

As a rule I try to stay away from software that has been patently crippled like DSM is, even if only on principle. But to each his own.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2014 10:32PM by NormandC.