AutoCAD Systems Requirements and Modeling - Research Paper Example

AutoCAD Systems Requirements and Modeling Name of Student: Institution: TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 3 Task 1 4 Features of a Computer Aided Design system 4 Software and Hardware Requirements and functions 4 Task 2 7 Drawings of Pulley Fork with Details Ready for Production 7 Drawings of Pulley Wheel With Details Ready For production 8 Materials that can be used During the production of the Components 9 Evaluation of the Significance of the Details During The design and Manufacture of the Components 10 Task 3 12 The Processes in the design of the Pulley Fork 12 The processes followed in the Design of the Pulley Wheel 19 Evaluation of the Software on how it was used to Create the Drawings 22 Summary 22 Discussion 23 Alternative Commands that can be used to create drawings 23 Challenges encountered during using AutoCAD 23 Advantages and disadvantages of AutoCAD compared with manual hand drawing 24 References 26 Introduction AutoCAD is one of the most commonly used software in the design of engineering components such as parts of a machine and the impressions of the final products before they are constructed. The use of AutoCAD as a design software has resulted into its use as a means of modeling during the development of models for machines, buildings and structures. During Computer Aided Design (CAD), there are many systems requirements such as hardware and software requirements before an actual design can be done. This is due to the fact that if these systems requirements are not available, it is not possible to use AutoCAD in the design of components of buildings effectively. Due to the current improvements in AutoCAD, it has been possible to perform a number of design tasks such as the development of machine components in both 2D and 3D and dimensioning them. Most production companies that use AutoCAD as a design software have experienced a number of advantages such as efficiency in operations and the ability to reduce waste of defects due to the production of components that do not meet the required characteristics. Furthermore, the design using AutoCAD requires that particular procedures and processes must be followed before the final product can be obtained. This involves the use of specific commands which enable the design of both 3D and 2D objects. This paper examines the use of AutoCAD during the design of the Pulley Fork and Pulley Wheel as a means of developing the components of engineering structures for use in the performance of different tasks to meet production and constriction objectives. It also explains the systems requirements such as software components and hardware that must be acquired in order to effectively operate AutoCAD during the design of components. Task 1 Features of a Computer Aided Design system During the process of preparation for the installation the first task is ensuring the computer has the minimum systems requirements. If these systems requirements are not met, it may not be possible to run the AutoCAD. Irrespective of having a 32-bit operating system of 64-bit operating system, the version will be detected in the process of installation. It is not possible to install a 64-bit version of AutoCAD on a 32-bit system and vice versa. Most computers that use AutoCAD have UNIX operating systems such as QCad and NX which supports a number of window programs such as UNIX and OS X. A special memory is required in order to run AutoCAD effectively. Other Software and Hardware requirements for the operation of AutoCAD are illustrated below. Software and Hardware Requirements and functions Operating System AutoCAD can use computers with bot Microsoft ® Windows 7 SPI 32-bit and 64-bit. It can also use Microsoft Windows 8.1 with Updated KB2919355 and Microsoft Windows 10 with a 64-bit operating system only. CPU Type The recommended CPU type for AutoCAD is 32-bit 1 gigahertz (GHz) or a faster 32-bit (x86) processor. It can also use a 64-bit 1 gigahertz (GHz) (x64) processor. Memory The required memory for the operation of AutoCAD in case of a 32-bit operating system is 2 GB but 4 GB is recommended. In the case of a 64-bit operating system, 4 GB memory is required but it is recommended that 8GB memory should be installed. Display Resolution The conventional display requirement for AutoCAD is 1360 x 768 but the recommended display is 1920 x 1080 with True Color. I case of a High Resolution and 4K Displays; it is possible to get a resolution of up to 3840 x 2160 in Windows 10, 64-bit operating systems. This can be achieved when a capable display card is used. Display Card The required display card is Windows Display adapter with a capability of 1360 x 768 with True Color capabilities and Direct X ® 9. Direct X 11 compliant card can also be used. Direct X 9 is recommended when supported by the OS being used. Disk Space The recommended disk space during installation of AutoCAD is 4.0 GB Browser There are different browsers that can be used to download and install AutoCAD such as Windows Internet Explorer ® 11 or a later version, Google Chrome Browser, or Mozilla Firefox Browser. During installation, it is possible to download these browsers from the internet. Network During the process of browser Deployment, a Deployment Wizard can be used. The license servers and other workstations that operate applications dependent on network licensing must run TCP/IP protocol. It is recommended to use either Microsoft® or Novell TCP/IP protocols. The primary logins that may be used include Netware or Windows. A part from the operating system supported for the application, the license server is able to run on different editions of windows such as: Windows Server® 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows 2008 R2 Servers. Other recommended networks include: Citrix® XenApp™ 7.6, Citrix® XenDesktop™ 7.6. Pointing Device/Mouse The use of a mouse enables an improvement of the process of interaction between the designer and the 3D application. The mouse is designed for use by non-dominant hand in tandem with conventional mouse for a balanced working style. The mouse enables performance of tasks such as drawing shapes, rotating, zooming, and panning. Digitizer The recommended digitizer during installation of AutoCAD is Wintab-compatible digitizers. While software drivers are usually supported with digitizers, manufacturers usually produce updates for drivers for the purpose of improving performance and fixing problems. A digitizer can be obtained online by downloading. Depending on the hardware used, digitizer parameters can be modified by changing the speed of motion, and settings. Media Tool Clips Media Player The recommended media for AutoCAD is Adobe Flash Player version 10 or 11. This enables performance of tasks such as rendering during viewing of the object to be developed. .NET Framework The recommended network is .NET Framework Version 4.6 Disk Space During AutoCAD 3D modeling, the recommended hard disk space is 6GB excluding the installation requirements. Display Card The recommended display card for AutoCAD is 1920 x 1080 or greater True Color video display adapter; 128 MB VRAM or one with greater capacity, a Pixel Shader of a value of 3.0 or greater, a Direct 3DR-enabled workstation class graphics card. Task 2 Drawings of Pulley Fork with Details Ready for Production Figure 1. 3D Drawing of a Pulley Fork Figure 2. 2D Drawing of Pulley Fork Elevations Drawings of Pulley Wheel With Details Ready For production Figure 3. 3D and 2D drawings of the pulley wheel Materials that can be used During the production of the Components Figures 1,2, and 3 represent the 3D drawing of the Pulley Fork, a 2D Drawing of the Pulley Fork, and a 3D and 2D drawings of the pulley fork and wheel respectively. Most of the pulleys are used in engineering activities such as the conveyance of materials from one location to another, usually from one level with respect to the ground to another. It can also be used in moving parts of machines such as those connecting gears and moving shafts. Depending on the areas in which pulleys are used, pulleys are made of different materials. A commonly used material during the design and production of pulleys is stainless steel. This is mainly used for marine applications and construction of pulleys used in winches and rigs where high resistance to corrosion and strength is required. It is also recommended for construction of pulleys in sailboats for the hoisting of the fabrics used in the masts. Steel pulleys are also used at the bottom of boats where they enable the motion of ropes attached to the boat. Steel pulleys are also used during the hoisting of cars in which counterweight is used to create a balance of the weight of the car. A cable is attached to the car on one end and a counterweight on another end and it passes through a pulley which is attached to an electric motor. Due to the action of gravity on the car and the counterweight that balance them, there is a reduction of the amount of force required by the electric motor to move the elevator. Steel is another common material used in the design and production of pulleys because they are strong and enable holding shape well, which is important because most of the engine power flows via the transmission. For instance, a gear may have a transfer capacity of 100 horsepower to the corresponding gear. When two shafts are connected, there is a reduction of speed of the faster shaft which results into a loss of power. When the shafts are connected by the use of pulleys, these losses of power are minimized. Another common material used in the construction of pulleys is brass. It is mainly used during making of pulley gears. Despite its low strength compared with steel, it has enough strength to be used in areas where little strength is required. A number of clocks use brass gears due to its low stress capacity. Wood is also used during making of pulleys such as in the case of the traditional Roman ships in which wood was used during hoisting of sails using ropes. Evaluation of the Significance of the Details During The design and Manufacture of the Components The diagrams in Figures 1, 2 and 3 represents the 2D and 3D drawings of the pulley fork and pulley wheel respectively. These diagrams represent the different ways of understanding what the characteristics of the final products. From Figures 1 and 2, it is possible to understand the impression of the pulley fork so that the fabricator can easily produce a similar product. It also acts as a visual reminder to the fabricator in case of the inability to understand the product to be produced. Figure 2 represents the 2D views of the pulley fork. These 2D drawings represent the front and side views of the pulley fork. The 2D drawings represent the dimensions of the drawings that need to be used during the production of the component such as ensuring the cutting of the metal pieces is done in accordance with specific dimensional requirements. It enables the machinist to comply with particular design characteristics such as tolerances diameter requirements, and chamfer requirements when producing the component. For example, it this case, the produced component must have a chamfer at an angle of 45o. Figures 1 and 2 also provide an understanding of the internal characteristics of the pulley fork such as the hollow sections and the dimensions of the sections between the forks. This provides the machinist with the ability to produce a component with actual characteristics. In figure 3, the diagram represents the 3D and 2D views of the pulley wheel which is to be produced. The 3D diagram enables understanding of the actual impression of the pulley wheel so that the machinist produces the actual product during machining. The 2D represents the cross-sectional view of the pulley wheel, the top view, and the side view. The cross sectional view of the pulley enables understanding of the internal characteristics such as the diameter of the hollow section and the chamfer requirements. In this case, the chamfer requirement is 0.5 x 45o on either end. The side view enables the machinist to understand the characteristics of the pulley to be produced such as the dimensions of the pulley and the amount of taper of its sides. The significance of use of AutoCAD during the design of the above components is that the designer is able to provide more details within a drawing without the need to provide more details to the machinist. For instance, it enables the provision of parts list in addition to drawings which can be used by the machinist to understand the parts of the machine to be produced or the components of the product to be machines and the material to use during machining. AutoCAD has a feature which enables the conversion of the drawings into hard copies such as in printed format so that they can be delivered to the machinist for fabrication or in soft copies that can be shared between users during the production of a machine component. Task 3 The Processes in the design of the Pulley Fork During the process of modeling a 3D model of a Pulley Fork, the first step is to switch to 3D modeling from the 2D modeling by selecting the 3D Modeling command. This is followed by selecting an isometric view such as South East Isometric view. Most 3D models are easily developed when they are in isometric views. The object to be created is studied by understanding its dimensions and using them during the design (Bilalis 2000). The first step is the creation of a rectangle by selecting the rectangle command on the drawing tool bar. The rectangle is created with the features of the design as illustrated in the figure below. The rectangle is converted into a cuboid by either using a press pull command or extrude command up to the height in the sketch. In order to develop the cuboid that meets the rectangle at 90 degrees, a cross section of the cuboid is created at one edge of the first cuboid followed by extruding or press-pulling up to the desired height. In order to view the resulting drawing, the view can be changed to a South-East isometric view as shown in the diagram below. In order to obtain a conceptual view of the diagram, the recommended sequence of commands should be View> Visual Styles> Conceptual. This results into a conceptual drawing as indicated below. The circular part of the Pulley Fork can be created by first selcting the location of the center of the circle followed by obtaining a dynamic Universal Coordinate System (UCS) to enable construction of the circle. Construct the circle with the corresponding dimensions as the sketch. This results into a circle with the face with aa circular section as shown in the figure below. In order to remove the sections that are outside the circle, the press-pull command is used in which the edges are selected and pulled. They are automatically removed and the resulting circular part of the circle is as shown in the figure below. To construct the central circular part, create a circle with the dimensions indicated in the center of the bigger circle which in this case is ᴓ15. In order to create a hollow section, select the circle and use press/pull command by pulling the circle towards the center of the object. This results into a figure with the features indicated in the diagram below. In order to create another section of the similar characteristic as the hollow side of the figure above, the mirror command is selected after which the user selects the mirror line at the center of the rectangular section. Press enter and the circular section is created in the other end of the diagram as indicated in the figure below. The top part of the Pulley Fork is created by selecting a circle at the top section of the drawing after which the press/pull command is used to elevate it above the surface until the right height is reached. This results into the creation of the part illustrated in the figure below. Another circle is created in top of the first extruded component by selecting the Circle command. This is followed by press/pulling or extruding the circular part until a height of 30 centimeters is reached. The base of the circle in contact with the rectangular part is filleted by selecting the Fillet command in the edit menu. The fillet radius is entered and the keyboard command ‘Enter’ is selected, resulting into the creation of a filleted base. The two cylindrical parts of the pulley fork are chamfered by selecting the Chamfer command. Chamfer radius and angle are selected and the edges to be chamfered are selected. In this case, the chamfer radius was M25, and the chamfer angle was 45o.The keyboard command ‘Enter’ is selected and the edges are chamfered. This results into the final pulley fork shown in the figure below. The processes followed in the Design of the Pulley Wheel The design of a pulley using AutoCAD involves the selection of a line command followed by the construction of lines in accordance with the required dimensions as indicated in the sketch. In order to create a similar object as the one shown above a Mirror Command is selected followed by the selection of the mirror line. The mirror line is usually the line that produces symmetry in the resulting object. The final drawing is as illustrated in the figure below. In order to create the pulley wheel, the Revolve command is used. This is achieved by selecting the Axis of revolution and the Angle through which the revolution should take place. In this case, the axis of revolution is a line that is at a distance of 7.5 centimeters from the bottom edeg of the figure above. The Angle of revolution is selected to be 360o. Evaluation of the Software on how it was used to Create the Drawings The use of AutoCAD during the design of the Pulley Wheel and the Pulley Fork involved the use of a number of commands ranging from the changing from the 2D design to 3D with depending on the nature of the object used. However, it was found that the most common commands used included: line, dimensionsing, extrude, and press/pull. Summary This paper explains the hardware and the software components necessary to enable the operation of AutoCAD software. The hardware components that are examined are the internal memory requirements of the computer, the characteristics of the storage space, the type of widows, and the display which is in most cases a monitor that has the capability to provide a more elaborate image of the drawing. It is established that the Random Access Memory (RAM) of the computer can affect the ability of the designer to use a particular computer during design. This paper explains the relevance of AutoCAD in the design and the drawing of 2D and 3D objects by explaining the procedures followed in the development of the designs such as the creation of lines and the commands that are followed until the final product is produced. This is illustrated in the procedures that were followed in the design and the development of the 2D and 3D drawings of the pulley wheel and the pulley fork. It is established that the drawings in 3 D can be observed in different dimensions and have more detailed features such as internal components. Discussion Alternative Commands that can be used to create drawings The alternative commands that can be used during AutoCAD design are the changes in the design space by switching from 2D interface to a 3D interface. This enables drawing of both 2D objects and 3D objects. Another alternative command that can be used during AutoCAD design is the implementation of the ‘Trim’ command to enable reduction of the length of a line that has been drawn. There are other alternative commands that are applicable in AutoCAD such as Copy and Paste command which enable copying of a single object and pasting to produce a number of similar objects. The ‘Move’ command is also extensively used during AutoCAD design because it enables movement of an object from one location to another. Challenges encountered during using AutoCAD During the process of modeling the pulley wheel and the pulley fork using AutoCAD, a number of challenges were encountered which range from the inability of the challenge of conversion of measurements from the sketch into the drawing and also the difficulty to determine the scale to be used. It was also difficult to make changes to the default tolerances that have been input into the software during its design. It was also challenging to study the sketches before determining the strategy to be used during their design to produce the final object. Advantages and disadvantages of AutoCAD compared with manual hand drawing The use of AutoCAD is associated with a number of advantages compared with the manual technique of drawing. These advantages include: Data storage and accessibility because the drawings do not require be filed and storing in folders compared with manual drawing. Drafting by means of AutoCAD can be saved in servers in computers and accessed from different locations provided there is internet connection. This is not possible for manual drawings which have to be filed and carried to users in other locations. AutoCAD drawings are accessible in 3D views which makes them easy to understand compared with 2D drawings. While it is possible to create a 3D model, it cannot achieve a realistic feature in a similar manner as AutoCAD. Despite the challenges encountered in creation of 3D drawings, the use of AutoCAD simplifies the process of drawing. Making revisions to drawings in AutoCAD is simpler compared with those drawn using manual methods. In manual drafting, the drawing must be erased and redrawn to make modifications (Luan et al 2008). The use of AutoCAD simplifies the process of revising drawings to a significant extent with the existence of variations in editing tools. The use of AutoCAD as a design tool enables savings of time compared with the manual drafting technique because it is faster and enables preparation of bills of materials, reports, and creation of a scale for a drawing. The task of drawing a number of lines using manual methods can be achieved by the use of a few clicks. The disadvantages associated with AutoCAD compared with manual drafting include the following: Difficulty in editing lines in AutoCAD compared with manual drafts. It is not possible to edit overlapping lines and line weights in AutoCAD due to limited options. Furthermore, AutoCAD creates drawings from only lines and does not enable the creation of volumetric models such as with the use of BIM. AutoCAD has limited file formats which limits the ability to import or export it is expected that most programs are exported by other programs into AutoCAD and not vice versa. The color, fill, and Texture of AutoCAD drawings are limited to 256 and the hatching provides only a few choices of textures with the absence of some user-preferred textures. Thus it is difficult to create images that are photo-realistic such as programs. AutoCAD provides tools that enable creation of three-dimensional models, which must undergo a number of steps compared with the manual drafting method. Information in AutoCAD drawings cannot be attached to models in the same manner as manual models that provide the designers with the information about the materials and volumetric characteristics of a project. References Bilalis, N., 2000. Computer Aided Design CAD. INNOREGIO: dissemination of innovation and knowledge management techniques, pp.1-27. Luan, X.D., Xie, Y.X., Ying, L. and Wu, L.D., 2008. Research and development of 3D modeling. IJCSNS, 8(1), p.49. Read More

Memory The required memory for the operation of AutoCAD in case of a 32-bit operating system is 2 GB but 4 GB is recommended. In the case of a 64-bit operating system, 4 GB memory is required but it is recommended that 8GB memory should be installed. Display Resolution The conventional display requirement for AutoCAD is 1360 x 768 but the recommended display is 1920 x 1080 with True Color. I case of a High Resolution and 4K Displays; it is possible to get a resolution of up to 3840 x 2160 in Windows 10, 64-bit operating systems.

This can be achieved when a capable display card is used. Display Card The required display card is Windows Display adapter with a capability of 1360 x 768 with True Color capabilities and Direct X ® 9. Direct X 11 compliant card can also be used. Direct X 9 is recommended when supported by the OS being used. Disk Space The recommended disk space during installation of AutoCAD is 4.0 GB Browser There are different browsers that can be used to download and install AutoCAD such as Windows Internet Explorer ® 11 or a later version, Google Chrome Browser, or Mozilla Firefox Browser.

During installation, it is possible to download these browsers from the internet. Network During the process of browser Deployment, a Deployment Wizard can be used. The license servers and other workstations that operate applications dependent on network licensing must run TCP/IP protocol. It is recommended to use either Microsoft® or Novell TCP/IP protocols. The primary logins that may be used include Netware or Windows. A part from the operating system supported for the application, the license server is able to run on different editions of windows such as: Windows Server® 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows 2008 R2 Servers.

Other recommended networks include: Citrix® XenApp™ 7.6, Citrix® XenDesktop™ 7.6. Pointing Device/Mouse The use of a mouse enables an improvement of the process of interaction between the designer and the 3D application. The mouse is designed for use by non-dominant hand in tandem with conventional mouse for a balanced working style. The mouse enables performance of tasks such as drawing shapes, rotating, zooming, and panning. Digitizer The recommended digitizer during installation of AutoCAD is Wintab-compatible digitizers.

While software drivers are usually supported with digitizers, manufacturers usually produce updates for drivers for the purpose of improving performance and fixing problems. A digitizer can be obtained online by downloading. Depending on the hardware used, digitizer parameters can be modified by changing the speed of motion, and settings. Media Tool Clips Media Player The recommended media for AutoCAD is Adobe Flash Player version 10 or 11. This enables performance of tasks such as rendering during viewing of the object to be developed. .NET Framework The recommended network is .

NET Framework Version 4.6 Disk Space During AutoCAD 3D modeling, the recommended hard disk space is 6GB excluding the installation requirements. Display Card The recommended display card for AutoCAD is 1920 x 1080 or greater True Color video display adapter; 128 MB VRAM or one with greater capacity, a Pixel Shader of a value of 3.0 or greater, a Direct 3DR-enabled workstation class graphics card. Task 2 Drawings of Pulley Fork with Details Ready for Production Figure 1. 3D Drawing of a Pulley Fork Figure 2.

2D Drawing of Pulley Fork Elevations Drawings of Pulley Wheel With Details Ready For production Figure 3. 3D and 2D drawings of the pulley wheel Materials that can be used During the production of the Components Figures 1,2, and 3 represent the 3D drawing of the Pulley Fork, a 2D Drawing of the Pulley Fork, and a 3D and 2D drawings of the pulley fork and wheel respectively. Most of the pulleys are used in engineering activities such as the conveyance of materials from one location to another, usually from one level with respect to the ground to another.

It can also be used in moving parts of machines such as those connecting gears and moving shafts.

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