3D - 2

what's the best 3d mechanical design tool with lots of templates for tooth gears and levers to use in design

I need to build a virtual 3d model of something I'm trying to invent but I'm not experienced with complex programs like auto cad ... I need something simple with just pre designed gears and levers and tooth gears that I can just use in my design to imagine how it should look like to help me implement my idea

Public Comments

1. You're best bet is download premade 3d files from reselling companies. Here is one website but there are many others. This is in fact a good way as you can order the parts you need other than the high cost of custom machining,. Next best thing is to take a class on solidworks at your local community college.
2. To find what you are requesting w/out the complexities is difficult. However, The following Web sites: 1. Dictionary by Farlex - I encourage you to use this Dictionary, it has information about everything you are inquiring. This site not only gives the description/meaning, but in a simple layman's terms it breaks down into view points and examples from facts but it includes History, Full Browsers, Principle and Theory ETC... Or - 2. www.SolidWorks Products.com - 1-800-693-9000 * On line - You could have a rep. contact you by phone.
3. You could use POV-Ray, which is an open source 3D program. It's unlike every other 3D application I've seen because it uses a programming language rather than a graphical user interface. So you can take your sketches and implement them in code in POV-Ray's language, and rander, and poof! there you have a beautiful 3D (even animated) image of your mechanism. Since the software is open source it will cost you $0. POV-Ray runs on all major platforms. There is also an unofficial extended version called MegaPOV which includes mechanical simulation capabilities. The software is amazingly well crafted; I have used it since 1999 and have experienced a grand total of zero crashes.
4. Solidworks and most of the other 3D packages are pretty friendly to learn. You can get a student version of Solidworks for less than the full version. You can download models from other sites to help build your invention (you can also model the gears yourself - use Machinery's Handbook as a reference for the dimensions of the gears themselves). There's tricks to simplify life too - try making the gears cylinders and mate the surfaces as tangent to each other, they should still roll. Good luck.
5. Pro/E