Suitability of AutoCAD for mechanical engineering purposes

Hi,

Just wondering if AutoCAD is in any way useful for engineering design?
I've been told it's primarily an architect's tool for house design,
but then others have contradicted that. What I need to know is: how
suitable is AutoCAD for the design and development of small,
electrically-propelled vehicles?
I've been offered an OEM version of AC2002 for GBP45/US$73 and would
buy it if it were suitable for this particular purpose. Anyone have a
view on this?

 

I have been using ACAD since the mid 80's for mech. design/machine design, but it has always been 2d. 3d is becoming
popular now with oem's, but my design work has been mostly one off.
MR

 

Thanks to you and Paul for your replies.
Am I to infer from this that AutoCAD 2002 is still only a 2-D program??

 

Hi

Now when you know AutoCAD your ansver will proberly be, that how can it be
anything else. -------- said with a bit irony.
You se most of the calculations in a CAD program is 2D even often for 3D objects
..
The Dimensioning for one, is based on a projection of the current UCS , if you
try dimension an angle in a 3D drawing, you must place your UCS paralell with
the angle you want to measure , ------- or if you measure the distance between
two points that is not on the same plane , you get the projected distance in XY
not the distance you measure with (Getdist) this is 2D.
It is very important to know these facts and know what is ment with AutoCAD
being still 2D , even AutoCAD offer a lot 3D functions .
Try check an exiting building method that you proberly could profit from with
the things you plan to use CAD for, it is a true 3D method , that on the other
hand generate assemblies that you can se as 2D building blocks ; producing 2D
sheets cut to shape, is somthing that is easyli done even from full-scale
drawings of flat objects forming a 3D assembly, in that sense you can say that
it is acturly with this method a gain, that the end result of an originally
complicated 3D object, is simple 2D objects that assembled can form even round
volumes , ---------------- please check the links in my old site , open your
mind for a brand new building method , that cut a 3D object into 2D parts easy
to cut ;

http://w1.1396.telia.com/~u139600113/a

P.C.
Have a nice day.

 

Well yes and no to 2d. Like Paul Turvill mentioned, you would be better off with one of the verticle products like
Inventor if you wanted true 3d. 3d can be done with out of the box ACAD, but is not as user friendly as the other
products. Up here in New England, the golden 3d program seems to be Solidworks.
MR