I am a retired Visual Basic and SQL Server coder/inventor/mechanic/marketing guy/ Jack of all, with a 3D printer and some ideas I want to create and sell. My requirements are real simple, make small plastic parts that I can print on my little Solidoodle 3 printer and later have injection molded. Basic shapes, extrusion, fillets, chamfers, rounded corners and edges with the normal viewing tools to rotate, zoom, etc. No animation, architectural, sheet metal or advanced capabilities needed or wanted.
My first experience in 3D modeling was with Google's SketchUp. I have been using it for about three months. SU is certainly easy to pick up but as a basic parametric modeler it has its shortcomings. Like, its not a solid modeler and you have to employ a suite of plug-ins to try to enhance and diagnose your way past that weakness to get a STL that might actualy print into a solid object. It also likes to crash, although it does a good job with periodic backups and saves.
Short version: I am green. When I look at CREO Direct Modeling Express I can understand that this product probably can do anything I'd ever need it to do and much more. It also looks like it can be customized to look and act simple - not assailing me with stuff I don't understand and don't need. DME has its own language too, so a Pull is a loft or extrusion, etc. I now have to translate from one product's terminologies to another.
PTC and the user community (you guys) seem to have done a great job of publushing tutorials, but, so far, they look focused on specific tip or subjects, which is a good thing. However, I have looked but have yet to find a basic lay-of-the-land orientation, a "this is $#!T and this is Shinola" guide to Creo-speak and especially Concepts. What is a workplane? What's a profile? What's the difference between a part and an assembly? What's machining?
You get the idea. How do you take a total Dummy and get him/her up to speed and producing drawings in Creo DME with minimal hair loss and heartburn?
Thank you for your time and advice.
Respects,
Kent Hartland
Kansas City, Missouri
This thread is inactive and closed by the PTC Community Management Team. If you would like to provide a reply and re-open this thread, please notify the moderator and reference the thread. You may also use "Start a topic" button to ask a new question. Please be sure to include what version of the PTC product you are using so another community member knowledgeable about your version may be able to assist.
