What's the Best Simulation Software for Mechanical Designs?

Assuming you want to simulate motion, ProE has an add-on mechanism module which can do the job. SolidWorks has an excellent motion simulation package also.

However, my favourite is Visual Nastran 4D, not available anymore from MSC, sadly. An outstanding software which can analyse motion and also do dynamic FEA. A 'poor man's ADAMS' !

You could try FreeCad.

For free, try Caligari's TrueSpace. It has excellent kinematics and physics and superior animation controls. Beware though, it has a very high learning curve and very unusual UI.

Get it quick though as Microsoft bought the company, lost interest and is soon to shut it down.

Get it here!

Hooker

Samples on website look super ! Will download and try tomorrow... thanks for the heads up.

The Visual Nastran i use also has a tough learning curve. Its main use is that you can import models from CAD packages and do kinematic simulations on them. By itself it doesn't have much modelling capability.

Have fun with it. It's a very powerful package.

TrueSpace is primarily a nurbs based organic modeler but does have some limited import capability. I don't know if it's still available but there was an IGES import/export add on.

That said, I once modeled a complete 3 bedroom mobile home (sans wiring and hidden plumbing) with it. The Coast Guard actually used the model (I donated it) to set up a temporary remote helicopter camp.

Hooker

wow .. i wish i had something like that to talk about. My compliments

Hello,

Check this Software free and have lots of tutorials on the Web.

Info From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Blender is a 3D graphics application released as free software under the GNU General Public License.

It can be used for modeling, UV unwrapping, texturing, rigging, water simulations, skinning, animating, rendering, particle, and other simulations, non-linear editing, compositing, and creating interactive 3D applications, including games.