If there is one thing that I love about modern computers, it is the ability they have to help you explore those ideas in your head. With today's modern software you can create almost anything in the cyber realm, and virtually touch it, explore it, and in some cases even try it out under stress. The software that makes this possible is CAD/CAM packages, and if you are the curious sort I would suggest exploring the possibilities.
One name that stands out in CAD/CAM is Autodesk. For years that name has been a standard for 3D and flat drawings. But there is an autocad alternative that deserves a closer look, and that is a package from ZWSoft. ZW3D supports 2-axis through 5-axis CNC control (perfect, I happen to have a four axis CNC machine), and the software is designed to help with die making, machine design, and more of those wonderful abilities that bring an idea to life.
I am usually a large fan of Rhino3D, and in the past have used it along with the MadCam plugin to drive my small CNC mill (did I mention it did 4-Axis control?). For solid model working I found that the combination was very handy for my designing and machining needs. But I think I will give ZW3D a test run, which is possible thanks to a free trial from the ZWSOFT site. Perhaps the ZWSOFT tagline explains it all: "Design More. Pay Less". That works for me.
Numerical Control
Numerical control (NC) refers to the automation of machine tools that are operated by abstractly programmed commands encoded on a storage medium, as opposed to controlled manually via handwheels or levers, or mechanically automated via cams alone. The first NC machines were built in the 1940s and 1950s, based on existing tools that were modified with motors that moved the controls to follow points fed into the system on punched tape. These early servomechanisms were rapidly augmented with analog and digital computers, creating the modern computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools that have revolutionized the machining processes.
source:wikipedia
