3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight In Action
This post is the first installment of the 3DEXPERIENCE In Action blog series. In this series, each installment will be going over the use of a new role in the 3EXPERIENCE portfolio to conceptually remodel a kitchen. This first post will be following my thoughts as I generated a 2D floor plan with the use of 3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight.
What is 3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight?
First things first, have you ever heard of DraftSight itself? It is a CAD software in Dassault Systèmes portfolio that is focused primarily on 2D drafting, hence the name. DraftSight Premium does provide some 3D potential, but we will be focusing on the 2D capabilities for this post.
Maybe you’ve also heard of AutoCAD. DraftSight provides many of the same world-class drafting capabilities at a lower cost. And if you’re a traditional AutoCAD user, fret not! The commands from AutoCAD are mapped over to DraftSight, so you can get up and running with a minimal learning curve.
So where does 3DEXPERIENCE come into the picture? If you haven’t even heard the term, you can head over to our page to learn more about 3DEXPERIENCE.
Alright, now that you’re up to speed with what 3DEXPERIENCE is, how does it connect with DraftSight? 3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight is a role in 3DEXPERIENCE. All the data that you work on is connected to the cloud, making for easy and seamless collaboration and lifecycle management of that data. Plus, you don’t have to worry about losing your data if your computer were to crash. But we would never keep our files on our local hard drive… right?
So, it’s just DraftSight running on the cloud?
No… well, kind of. The software itself is not running on the cloud, rather it is connected to the cloud. So, the data you are working with is streamed from Dassault Systèmes’ servers. DraftSight Connected itself will still be utilizing your computer’s hardware. If you’re considering this solution, it is still recommended that you have approved hardware. You can confirm this with Dassault Systèmes’ minimum and suggested system requirements (as of 2020).
What is DraftSight Connected?
You may have heard of DraftSight Connected as well. First, DraftSight, then 3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight, and now DraftSight Connected? Two’s company but three’s a crowd. Worry not, we’re still actually only dealing with two products here. There is DraftSight and 3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight.
DraftSight is strictly on your hardware and as mentioned above, 3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight is connected to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight is the role and DraftSight Connected is an app within that role. Roles on 3DEXPERIENCE are packaged with multiple apps to give you all the tools you need to get the job done. You can think of it as a screwdriver with different bits. The role is the screwdriver, and the apps are the different bits (i.e. flathead, Philips, etc). Sure, you might say “hand me the screwdriver”, but when it comes down to it, depending on what you’ll want to do with the screwdriver, you’ll need to specify which bit.
My Experience with 3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight
Sure, I’m a CAD guy, but traditionally I’m all about 3D modeling, specifically in SOLIDWORKS, and as of late, 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS. I have done some minor modifications in DraftSight in the past, but I had traditionally used it to double-check my DWG exports. So, this perspective is coming from a relatively fresh user.
The first step for remodeling this kitchen was to draw out the floor plan. Yes, yes, I know, I didn’t have to do the whole floor plan and I easily could have just sketched the room’s dimensions in SOLIDWORKS; but I wanted to show the variety of the 3DEXPERIENCE offerings through the series and where each thrives. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to see the ease and collaboration when data is used from app to app.
As a reference, I had a picture of a floorplan to start with. To make it a bit more challenging, it was a bit on the older side, drawn by hand, creased, and torn in places. As I started to dive in, I was able to pick it up relatively quickly.
I found the coordinate-based interface very handy when drafting up the floorplans. Before I knew it, I had a finished floor plan. A very simple one at that, but for someone with little to no experience drafting anything up in 2D CAD, I’d say not too bad for less than a day’s work.
Drafting it up in 3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight was actually very quick and much of the time was spent modifying things that weren’t matching the floorplan and going through and physically measuring all of the dimensions to confirm they were matching the floorplan. Nobody would have known if something wasn’t matching but me, but what can I say? I’m a selective perfectionist.
Again, keep in mind that this is a very basic model but don’t be fooled, the capabilities of 3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight can extend much further. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at the following pictures? Just a tad bit of a step up, but don’t worry, I’ll be up to that level in a couple of weeks.
Image Credit: draftsight.com
Image Credit: draftsight.com
Who is 3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight For?
3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight would be a good fit for the following personas.
1. AutoCAD users looking to save money.
2. People looking to save time and money on projects where 3D CAD can be substituted with 2D CAD.
3. Anyone looking to get started drafting, whether it be floorplans, other architectural plans, or even tool design!
As I was working, I got curious, and I looked up some AutoCAD tutorials. Yes, I was using DraftSight, but if I was able to follow along with a tutorial for a different software, I felt that was a good indicator that at least the basic functionality matches. It turns out it is very much similar as I was able to follow along with an AutoCAD tutorial without issues.
Plus, since you are generally working with DWG’s, it makes switching over an absolute breeze without worrying about losing your legacy data.
So, if you’re traditionally an AutoCAD user, but can’t keep up with their prices, I would recommend giving 3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight a try!
3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight is really a good option for anyone looking to work in 2D CAD. It offers high function at low prices. Plus, being part of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides excellent growth potential. All of your software used throughout your team will be able to communicate with ease, putting the file conversion headaches to rest.
Conclusion
That’s it for this blog. Next up in the series, I will be modeling some of the kitchen components in 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS! I’d love to hear your thoughts and if you have any questions on the capabilities of 3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight! And be sure to let me know if there’s anything that you would like to see included in this series!
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