This software is pretty good on YouTube so it is probably good in reality. Your users list is impressive.

I look forward to seeing the conveyor models when they are available. Some plants use as many screw conveyors as they do belts so these would also be very handy.

The bulk solids market is awash with Autodesk rubbish and interfacing other suits can be a problem. Rubbish: why? When you have to refer to a bottom line to see what command you are using then you are in the realm of antiquity.

I was struggling with AutoCad to extrude structural elements along planes which I had to create manually. This was not much fun but rather a sense of acheivement when working with ship unpoaders. When SolidWorks98 appeared I gave it a whirl and have never looked at an Autodesk screen since.

There was a comprehensive conveyor parts library hidden away in Catia once upon a time but I never used it.

Way back on these forums there was a Saath Efrikan video of conveyors in action. It was all singing all dancing, animated and lavishly rendered into the bargain. Looked too good to be true and probably was because nothing more has been heard of it. I recall it was proferred by zkit or something similar. It was in the days of DEM infancy and I wondered how the presenters got ahead of their time. Try digging it up and let me/us know your thoughts.

Libraries are the key to effective software and unfortunately there aren't many bulk handling suppliers willing to prepare libraries. I can only think of Sandvik and they are preoccupied with garland idlers which are generally non-preferred by most users.

Good luck.

PS If somebody can prepare a plant model then surely the flow chart is rather superfluous i.e. somebody (Client) gives me a flowchart and I prepare the model or else I sketch the chart then I prepare the model before kicking the redundant flowchart over the touchline! ■

Originally Posted by johngateley

This software is pretty good on YouTube so it is probably good in reality. Your users list is impressive.

I look forward to seeing the conveyor models when they are available. Some plants use as many screw conveyors as they do belts so these would also be very handy.

The bulk solids market is awash with Autodesk rubbish and interfacing other suits can be a problem. Rubbish: why? When you have to refer to a bottom line to see what command you are using then you are in the realm of antiquity.

I was struggling with AutoCad to extrude structural elements along planes which I had to create manually. This was not much fun but rather a sense of acheivement when working with ship unpoaders. When SolidWorks98 appeared I gave it a whirl and have never looked at an Autodesk screen since.

There was a comprehensive conveyor parts library hidden away in Catia once upon a time but I never used it.

Way back on these forums there was a Saath Efrikan video of conveyors in action. It was all singing all dancing, animated and lavishly rendered into the bargain. Looked too good to be true and probably was because nothing more has been heard of it. I recall it was proferred by zkit or something similar. It was in the days of DEM infancy and I wondered how the presenters got ahead of their time. Try digging it up and let me/us know your thoughts.

Libraries are the key to effective software and unfortunately there aren't many bulk handling suppliers willing to prepare libraries. I can only think of Sandvik and they are preoccupied with garland idlers which are generally non-preferred by most users.

Good luck.

PS If somebody can prepare a plant model then surely the flow chart is rather superfluous i.e. somebody (Client) gives me a flowchart and I prepare the model or else I sketch the chart then I prepare the model before kicking the redundant flowchart over the touchline!

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The company that render plant images with excellent 3-D illustration quality was or maybe still is CKIT (Conveyor Knowledge & Information Technology) my best guess. Not so much DEM but know a lot about conveyors and have excellent illustrators. I believe on is Phil Staples son. ■

Thanks Larry. Those illustrators are truly magnificent. Are they still around doing similar work?

Is the thread starter still working on his libraries, I wonder? ■