I recently started college and I'm majoring in Electromechanical engineering. I have to take a engineering drawing class and a CADD program. I got a CADD program for my computer and am learning how to use it. I started on a frame for a quad, and plan on building around that.
My question to you is, have you ever tried to do anything similar?
The program I am using is 3D, so I can rotate the design and everything.

Once I get started I will give you updates and try to post some pictures of what I come up with.
Also, if you would like, you could tell me what I should put on this as I make it, but as nice chrome V-Twin is gonna be between it's legs.

 

I have started on making a CAAD version of the DS650, Cannibal, & 400EX. Im have the frame for all of them done.

 

Only in highschool but i just finished a course with AutoDesk inventor. I Spent weeks on different frame ideas. The best part about this software is you can pick a material and run simulated stress tests and find weak points throughout the frame in full animation. Great Stuff!!

 

think along the lines of a dirtbike or a sport motorcycle.

aluminum beam frame,box section triangulated aluminum swingarm.

air box where gas tank goes, and fuel carried in the frame.

maybe even a small fairing and windscreen like a sportsbike..

cfc casting techniques, cassete style gearbox,
radiator in the rear..

 

I'm not going to get too technical with it at first, just a basic layout, body panels, suspension, motor, that type of stuff. Then after I take a few classes, and learn some stuff, I might put in a cassette gearbox, and so on.
But I appreciate the feedback so far.
The program I am using does not specify material, but I am not too far in yet, just the scetch of the frame, give it time.

 

My friend who is majoring in mechanical engineering has already made a CAD drawing, and built a frame around a 250r, but has been tweaked a bit to fit his liking. The only thing missing right now are the suspension components and a motor. He has already designed my ext a-arms for my LT250r(which has the same design to eliminate dump steer as the Predator does, and he had this designed before it's release), and will be coming to get my spare Polaris frame to take dimensions of it when we have time, and we will be probably try to build an aluminum frame for my 400 motor this winter, without those crappy struts of course.

He's doing all this on AutoCAD 2001. I took two classes of AutoCAD in school, but that's when it was AutoCAD Release 12. I've got 2002, and boy is it much easier to use, and better, just don't have time to play with it between college and work. But it can be done.

 

I am using SolidWorks and I HATE it. It's not like anything I have ever used before, I'm still somewhat new to it, and learning more every day, but this is tuff, just getting the frame is hard.

 

wow, autocad is around $10,000 here, i use something slightly cheaper for my 3d models, but it doesnt do any test stress lvls and such, but its one of the more powerfull 3d rendering programs. i use 3d studio max 5, i have tried bryce, animation master and universe 4, they dont compare to 3d studio's rendering. i should try to find myself a copy of autocad and fool around with it. if i can find a active link to download i will get it.

 

I work on AutoCAD 2002 at school, and whenever I am ahead of the schedule I start fooling around with frames and stuff, at home I have some old IntelliCAD version, it sucks, but I guess it gets the job done. Scrambled6910: Do you know how much AutoDesk costs? I would like to get that, it sounds awesome.

 

Polarisdudee: Try downloading it on Kazaa. It is about a 266mb download. I got mine because I work at a computer shop, and I can get my hands on lots of software for free. If I find something I like, I just copy it to a CDR[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] If not, to buy it new at my college it is like $6000. A little ridiculous if you ask me!