Core77

hmm, heard the phrase "industrial archeology" a while ago, but the SolidWorks guys have just issued a press release about it. It's the process of using a digital design workflow to recreate products that have long since disappeared in the physical world. According to the blurbery, William L. Gould of Fallbrook, Calif. uses SolidWorks as an 'efficient, mechanically faithful way' to illustrate, in three dimensions and myriad individual components, a piece of lost history.

The image here is his full-color 3D CAD model of the 1879 Mason Bogie, a steam locomotive rendered in SolidWorks and PhotoWorks software, exists as a 3D CAD model with hundreds of discrete parts. It is available as a fine art lithographic print or a set of plans in exacting detail.

Hmm, perhaps those models I did of a dualit toaster are going to be worth something after all..

If you want more details, SolidWorks issue PodCasts for the media and you can get them on your ipod or whatever portable audio equipment you prefer - and have a listen to what he's got to say at http://www.solidworks.com/mediapodcast. Alternatively, if you just want something nice to listen to, I recommend, Corrine Bailey Rae's new album .. much more interesting that people yapping about bloody CAD software..