Coventry University has deployed three-dimensional
computer-aided design (Cad) software at its Centre of Excellence in
Product and Automotive Design (Cepad), which opened in June
2007.
Students in the university's department of industrial design
will also use the program,
Autodesk's AliasStudio, to gain experience in the automotive
sector's industry-standard product.
Cepad is using AliasStudio
in collaboration with major manufacturers, such as Land
Rover.
The university originally selected AliasStudio to translate
skills such as clay modelling into the computer world and because
the program has high-level tools for using different surfaces in
designs to improve performance.
John Owen, head of industrial design at the university, said
that teaching students the whole package would take too much time.
"Instead, we take the essence of the Cad tool and explain why it is
the best tool for the job, then allow the students to develop their
own skills around that."
Owen said other benefits of the software included the ability to
do things in two or three different ways so strategies could be
compared to work out which is the best, the ability to use
animation to show design functionality such as how seats fold down,
and the ability to model the interior of a vehicle to scale.
Coventry University creates games learning environment
>>
Autodesk sponsors MX 2008 Awards >>
Autodesk buys Alias >>