Parametric Functionality

[Crazy J]

I had been trained about 1.5 years ago in SolidEdge (really just a short 40 hour FYI course), and the instructor talked about the use of constraints and showed us how they work and help in the solid modelling process. I'm now using AutoCAD 2002 at another employer, and have just learned 3D in AutoCAD in the past six months.

In the design work I do, it really seems that constraints would be very useful here. Unfortunately, I am in 2002 version. And from my reading, it seems that 'Parametric Functionality' was not introduced until 2010. Is that correct? And is that the same terminology as 'constraints'? I've also seen the term "parametrically driven solid modelling" in a job description for a company using SolidWorks. I've dabbled with the SW student version and it also had the constraints method available. Using constraints seems like it would make my design much more reliable and easier to complete. For example, if I increase the thickness of a block, I need to then manually move the fastener that is to be sitting on that face of the block. Otherwise, it is crashed into the surface that was just extruded.

Visualizing and creating a part or assembly of parts with constaints vs w/o constraints really ends up being two different things. Is there anything available in AutoCAD earlier versions to do any type of constraints

[edwinprakoso]

If you want to use constraint then you need to use other software. AutoCAD 2010 does introduce constraints, but not as powerful as in SolidEdge or Inventor.
Constraints in Acad doesn't work for nested objects (blocks) and 3D modeling. It might be useful in 2D drafting, but no way of using it in 3D.

[Crazy J]

Thanks for the input. I was afraid of that. And as a designer/engineer of a product where I don't have control of a lot of the driving features of the design (the electrical engineer says the whole thing has to be 1/4" thicker for example), constraints would be great for on-the-fly changes like that.