Talk:Vote to Buy a Rhino License

Benefits

The membership could design our own models for 3d printing

Education Discounts.

This topic is preemptive.

• PS:One does not have 501(c)3 status.
• PS:One is not an accredited educational institution.

If you are going to reference educationally discounted software, you have to contact the vendor first and ensure that they will consider PS:One an educational institution and that we qualify for educational discounts.

--Hef (talk) 13:05, 21 October 2014 (CDT)

Possible Software Alternatives

• I'm changing directions from the original level of software from rhino to either solidworks for autodesk inventor. I still need to know pricing information for both software packages. --Hef (talk) 20:30, 30 October 2014 (CDT)

Autodesk Inventor

• I use inventor at work. I have a contact with Autodesk. I sent an email to see if they have any discounts we could use.
  • Please do. --Hef (talk) 20:29, 30 October 2014 (CDT)
• I use Autodesk Architecture, Engineering and Construction products extensively at work. I have a good contact who moved over to their Manufacturing side a couple years ago. Autodesk is pushing their "maker" software hard, and thus I thought they would want to get us their products to see what sort of excellent things we can do with it. He introduced me to someone specializing in the Hacker movement. I will keep you all posted on what develops. --Mrfooz (talk) 13:16, 6 November 2014 (CST)
  • Edit: Here is the response from the Maker from Autodesk

Response from Autodesk

Hi Weston,
Great to meet you as well.
The best thing that we have going right now on the high-end and affordable range is two thing. 1) all of our software is free for Maker Spaces that have communal computers and the ability to teach courses on them. 2) Even better than that we have a newish program called Fusion360. This thing is pretty bad ass, its as powerful as inventor and comes with some CAM software pre-installed. Its also free currently for users such as yourself. You would just register as a start up/hobbyist.
Here is the link, I have used Rhino for years and I much prefer this. The seller for me is that is was also available on a mac.
Let me know what you think, PDX in portland is using it and they seem to love it.
Jesse

--Mrfooz (talk) 16:11, 6 November 2014 (CST)

Game Over!

It sounds like we qualify, and this sounds like a game over. We have communal comuters and we certainly can and want to teach classes on autocad. Can you forward the email to me, I like to keep records of the reason we are using commercial software in the space. --Hef (talk) 09:00, 7 November 2014 (CST)

Autodesk Fusion360

• Link to the Fusion360 page http://fusion360.autodesk.com/about --Mrfooz (talk) 16:15, 6 November 2014 (CST)

SolidWorks

• Solid works would probably be ideal. Most of the mechanical engineers and industrial designers I have talked to say this is the tool they use most. --Hef (talk) 10:41, 22 October 2014 (CDT)
• Outside the price range I am comfortable with for getting PS:One started on CAD --Hef (talk) 16:50, 21 October 2014 (CDT)
  • This is no longer accurate. I believe there is enough interest to warrant a purchase of this software --Hef (talk) 20:28, 30 October 2014 (CDT)

Rhino

• A full-featured 90-day trial version is available. After 90 days saving and plug-ins stop working, unless a license is purchased.

Idea: If the Rhino trial version has not been installed yet, do so. See how often it gets used. In 2.5 months, vote on whether to purchase that or go for another option. --Ananda (talk) 03:30, 23 October 2014 (CDT)

• A Mac version is in development and is currently free. --Ananda (talk) 03:30, 23 October 2014 (CDT)

DesignSpark

• Free
  • Does anyone use it at the space? --Hef (talk) 10:41, 22 October 2014 (CDT)
  • Does anyone use it professionally? --Hef (talk) 10:41, 22 October 2014 (CDT)

Computer System

Creating 3D models is extraordinarily time-consuming and computing resource-intensive. The learning curve is steep. While much of the time spent creating 3D models may be user-active time on the system, time the system spends in rendering the model may also be significant.

Question: Do we have a computer that exceeds these recommendations?

• At least 8GB RAM
• OpenGL 2 capable video card
• Windows 7 or 8, 64-bit

Note: Rhino requires fewer than 64 cores on the computer.

Questions: Given the time usage needs, would the this would be installed on have a priority for Rhino use, or would some other use be a priority?

Questions: If the intent is to install Rhino on one of the machines in the 3D printing area, does the system allow 3D printing to happen in the background while someone is using Rhino? Or can Rhino render in the background while someone is actively setting up a 3D print job?

• Suggestion: If there is a real desire to have a 3D workstation available at PS1, please consider purchasing a machine that is prioritized for 3D modeling. This will reduce member frustration, as it will both avoid resource conflict with existing systems, and be easier to use in that it is more responsive and renders faster.

Our Lenovo ThinkCentre boxes are not on SolidWork's list of tested and supported machines.

--Ananda (talk) 03:30, 23 October 2014 (CDT)

• They have had solid works running on them in the past. --Hef (talk) 07:28, 31 October 2014 (CDT)
• Do you have a link to the list? --Hef (talk) 07:28, 31 October 2014 (CDT)

• http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/videocardtesting.html

Space computers

Our current machines are this: Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M93p_Hardware_Assembly

• The machines have 8 GB of ram.
• OpenGL 2 is an old standard, we are fine,
• The machines are windows 8.1 64bit
• I believe the machines are 4 core.

Learning Curve

Rhino was chosen because it seems to have the least steep learning curve of most of the available options.

Priority

I suspect the software would be either installed on the electronics lab PC, or we will take advantage of the Zoo software and allow the software to be used on any PC.

Delaying the vote for In Person Discussion

I'd like to meet with the CAD interested members of PS:One tomorrow after the general meeting. --Hef (talk) 23:49, 27 October 2014 (CDT)

• Most of the industry people I talk to reference or use solid works as a point of comparison