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.

    Note: you will need a three-button mouse with scroll wheel to use SolidWorks properly.

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

  1. Download any version of Python from python.org and run the installer.
  2. 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

  1. Download and unzip the dxfwrite package from here.
  2. You don't have to 'install' dxfwrite if you put the source file in the same directory as your application; Python will find it.
  3. 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.
Back to 15-294 course home page

Last modified: Sun Aug 28 22:13:16 EDT 2016