To chill you all out for the weekend, we found one stunning short movie of a Japanese custom motorcycle engineer Shinya Kimura. Just take a look at the artwork and attention to detail that Kimura-san has put into his creations.
Even for those of us who barely understand the difference between cafe racers and cruisers, this little video surely inspires to spend a pouring weekend in a garage, building something unbelievably cool.
We want to hear more of your crazy hobbies.
Indrek and Siim are the bike (cycling kind, not moto) know-all freaks over here and can share tons of tips and advice on their construction and material, but what else gets your blood circulating? What are you secretly inventing and building that your gf/so does not necessarily need to know about? Come on, become the next star and tell us, send the photos or videos of the masterpieces info@grabcad.com and share the drawings. It’ll definitely be worth a few more blog posts to introduce some ingenious examples of small helicopter models, kite prototypes, custom made car roof racks or even storm-proof umbrella frames.
Oh, and if you want to remain underground with your own inventions, however, know someone designing something cool, leave a tip in the comments and we’ll do the investigative journalism.
GrabCAD is constantly working together with universities – the place where future engineers are shaped. And with the new semesters starting, we are combining GrabCAD with actual course work. As a result, Tallinn’s University of Technology and University of Applied Science will both be using GrabCAD as the platform for their computer aided design courses this spring. Continue reading →
Today there has been a huge buzz about AutoDesk releasing its popular AutoCAD for Mac, after being away from the platform for almost two decades (the last release available for Apple Macintosh dates back to 1992). You can pick up your copy of AutoCAD for Mac from October for $3,995 (same as for the Windows version). Continue reading →
Last week we wrote about using CAD software on a Mac. As we already knew beforehand and the feedback we got confirmed it, it is not a very popular idea to use CAD on a Mac. As we found out, the main reasons holding CAD engineers back are:
Hardware costs:
“I will not buy a Mac when I can build 2-3 workstations with the same cash outlay.”
Hardware suitability and customizability:
“PC’s have a big advantage hardwarewise concerning freedom of choice. You can configure a system exactly according to your need, with components from multiple suppliers.”
Software compatibility
“Mainstream 3D CAD programs such as Catia, SolidWorks and Inventor are simply not available on the mac.”
While on the topic of gadgets (check out this groovy curved screen I wrote about) I stumbled upon some awesome hmm… let’s call them input devices. Designed specifically for CAD engineers. And if you’re spending 8 hours a day staring at CAD models you want a really good monitor and really good and mouse, trackball or one of these over-the-top devices. Here’s a run down of those that should be the best for CAD work in my opinion.
Let’s kick the list off with a humble trackball. TrackMan (pictured above) from Logitech are perfect, humble, well designed, built to last and buying one doesn’t break the bank. As @ml13ml commented on Twitter there’s no arm movement required, minimal movement of thumb which in the long run means less stress to arm and shoulder muscles. He shot a pic of his own setup of TrackMan and Space Navigator. Price: $29.99 Continue reading →
CAD on a Mac? “No, no, no,” I hear many of you thinking. But hang on a second, lets take it from the start.
I personally love both the Mac hardware and software, but I also acknowledge the fact it might not be for everybody. So, what are the chances of running your favorite CAD software on a Mac and getting your work done? Continue reading →
There are some big screens on the market but there’s one that stands out. With 43” diagonal viewing area and 2880×900 pixels the manufacturer claims that the curved design of Ostendo’s CRVD screen engages 75% of human peripheral vision. Perfect for that next pet CAD project.
Ok, so it’s probably better for gaming (or really big Excel sheets), it costs $6500 and is only available in the US and Canada but I couldn’t resist a little gadget lust
How great it is to finally have our product up and running. Feels like we’ve completed a huge milestone – and sure, that we do. Looking at it now, however, we again see clearly how that first part was just one stage of a huge and surely exciting journey. Our tasklists are long and if you could see through the nice (hopefully you like it too) exterior of www.grabcad.com you’d see a bunch of enthusiastic caffeine-addicts who don’t sleep enough polishing their ideas until they’re happy. And they are happy when you are happy. Continue reading →
As you have been signing up to our library, we have also been looking for engineers to tackle our incoming CAD services, as our existing and new clients are bringing us more and more projects. Our community is growing rapidly and we feel that with your help we can get more done – with quality and speed in mind. Today is not different – we are seeking a civil / construction engineer to make drawing of a partly under water museum. Here’s a quick snapshot:
Museum, with an underwater aquarium
We have good AutoCAD assembly drawings of the museum, what we need is views and sections with proper measurements. So where’s the catch? We need it by Monday (16.08.2010). If you are interested, or know someone who is, get back to me at indrek@grabcad.com.
PS! We are regulary checking out recently joined engineers to find people for outsourcing CAD services, so create an account in our library, upload examples of your work, fill out your profile and we might have a job for you already tomorrow.
GrabCAD
Today there has been a huge buzz about AutoDesk releasing its popular AutoCAD for Mac, after being away from the platform for almost two decades (the last release available for Apple Macintosh dates back to 1992). You can pick up your copy of AutoCAD for Mac from October for $3,995 (same as for the Windows version). 
Last week we wrote about 
While on the topic of gadgets (check out this 
