15-294 Software Setup
All the software you need for this course is pre-installed on the
IDEATE laptops. To install the software on your own laptop, follow
these instructions:
SolidWorks
- SolidWorks is the CAD (Computer Aided Design) package we will use for all our work.
- SolidWorks runs on Windows. It can be run on Macs under Parallels or BootCamp.
- You can download
a
CMU-licensed version of SolidWorks from
the CMU Software
Catalog.
- The student edition can be purchased on DVD (doesn't require access to the
CMU license server) for around $25 from the CMU bookstore.
- It's also possible to run SolidWorks remotely
via
Virtual Andrew. You can install the app, or access it via
the browser. Note: when
using Virtual Andrew, select the Design/Engineering server rather than
the General Use server if you are going to run SolidWorks.
Inkscape
- Inkscape is used to color DXF files to prepare them for the laser cutter.
- It's available as a free download for
Windows, Mac, or Linux. To install Inkscape on a Windows workstation where you
are not an Administrator, use the "portable" version with these
install instructions.
- Many other tools can also be used to edit DXF files, such as DraftSight
or CorelDraw. Use whatever you prefer.
RDWorks
- RDWorks is the software that drives our Rabbit laser cutters.
It's already installed on the workstations that control the laser
cutters, but if you install a copy on your personal laptop you can
prepare files offline for laser cutting later.
- RDWorks is only available for Windows. You can download the
installer here.
Python
- Download any version of Python from python.org and run the installer.
- Add Python to your search path. From a Command window, if you're running Python 3.8, do:
set PATH=%PATH%;C:\Python38
Python dxfwrite package
- Download and unzip the dxfwrite package from here.
- You don't have to 'install' dxfwrite if you put the source file in the same directory as your application; Python will find it.
- If you do want to install dxfwrite, you can do so from the command line:
cd /d Z:\Downloads
cd dxfwrite-1.2.0
python setup.py install
MeshLab
- MeshLab is an open source tool for displaying and editing mesh files,
including the STL files that 3D scanners and printers use.
- Download MeshLab from the MeshLab web site.
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