CAD Design and Animation
This page contains information to help FRC teams with the implementation of CAD (What is CAD?) and 3D animation software for use in the FIRST Robotics Competition.
Disclaimer: Some of the links below lead to external web sites that are not endorsed or controlled by FIRST, and may contain outdated or inaccurate information about FIRST programs. For official information about FIRST, please consult www.usfirst.org.
Autodesk 2012 Software
For the 2011 season Autodesk is once again providing software products and resources. Teams have free access to over 30 design, modeling, visualization, and project management products. Here are just a few products that every team member can download:
- Autodesk® Inventor®
- Autodesk® Inventor® Publisher
- Autodesk® Simulation Software
- Autodesk® 3ds Max®
- Autodesk® Maya®
- Autodesk® Sketchbook® Pro
Follow these instructions to register:
How to download your free Autodesk software:
- Join the Education Community
- Visit the Download Center
- Select your product and go!
More information about Autodesk and FRC 2012 can be found here.
The 2012 FRC Kit of Parts and Competition Court are available for download in Autodesk 2011.
PTC 2012 Software
PTC, The Product Development Company® and a Strategic Partner of FIRST®, is pleased to announce that once again it will sponsor teams with software. The following software products are available for free to each and every FRC team.
- Creo (formerly called Pro/ENGINEER), PTC’s integrated 3D CAD software
- Mathcad Prime, Engineering Calculation and Documentation software
- Windchill, Product Lifecycle Management software
PTC is offering these product development solutions to help students design their robots, enable collaboration, increase efficiency and enhance accuracy during your team's Robot Design Process. By doing so, PTC is supporting the mission of FIRST® and encouraging the Engineer of the Future to gain access to technology education and innovative skills. Visit the www.ptc.com/go/firstgettingstarted to learn more about the software and how to access it.
The 2012 FRC Kit of Parts and Competition Court are available for download in Creo.
An extensive library of parts used in past competitions is available here: FIRST CAD Library
