SpudFiles

what is the best free program to create models of potato guns?

2D or 3D models.
something like this
http://gbcannon.com/pics/GBSemi/gbsemi.gif

thanks a lot

The mentioned picture can be made in MSPaint, a program coming standard on any Windows computer. Each picture is made individually, then set in motion by playing a series of .gif images. This can be accomplished by using a .gif animator, found easily in a Google search.

For that .gif you linked to I used MS Paint to create the parts and a free trial of <a href="http://www.download.com/Ulead-GIF-Anima ... tml">Ulead GIF animator</a> to animate it.

For 3D models Alibre has a free version of it's program that works pretty well. It may take a little bit to get used to if you have never used a program like it, but I think it is easier than most other 3D drawing tools. http://www.alibre.com/products/

I've never been a huge fan of it, but a lot of people like Google SketchUp http://www.sketchup.com/

You should check out blender 3D, very good program. There are many tutorials in wiki form for it and it is completely free. You can make your own movies and games out if it too. Worth a look: http://www.blender.org/

AutoCAD(2D,3D) or Inventor(3D) are two actual drafting programs. They are both good programs but are extremely expensive. I am sure you could "buy" these from an unsavory website.

)DEMON( wrote:You should check out blender 3D, very good program. There are many tutorials in wiki form for it and it is completely free. You can make your own movies and games out if it too. Worth a look: http://www.blender.org/

blender is cool
i made this in blender, but i hate that texture and i cant get it to go away

I like Rhino 3D, only down side is the limit on the number of times you can save but take a screen shot then crop out everything else.

I have to third Blender, I've been using it for about a year now, and a spud cannon should be a pretty simple thing to make. (In fact, Blender pulled me away from the old Spudtech forums for a long time...) Perhaps I'll throw together a basic combustion gun later and post a nice render from Yafray.

[Edit] Sandman, to get rid of that texture, just hit the little 'X' next to the texture's name in the texturing buttons.

[Edit 2] I should point out, it can be kind of hard to make precise technical models in Blender, since its primary function is not as a CAD program. It can be done though. So if you really need the precision, a CAD program like Alibre or Rhino might be a better bet.

Bump to follow through on my promise of a spud gun model. I haven't bothered to model the threads in the clean-out adapter and cap yet, and there's no igniter, but you get the picture.

The Eclipse launcher was recently reversed engineered into Solidworks which is a volumetric modeler. Soon we will have some simulations rendered out that will show it's operation and teardown. I have used Lightwave for years and have made some models of launchers with it as well. I will dig up what I can find.

From_Hamsterdam wrote:AutoCAD(2D,3D) or Inventor(3D) are two actual drafting programs. They are both good programs but are extremely expensive. I am sure you could "buy" these from an unsavory website.

i can vouch for that, if you're an engineering student or design student these programs are must haves and theyre very technical but very basic and quite simple to some extent to use. ill make a quick mock up of one sometime and post it up for u guys. it really is a good program. my 2c.