MAE 455: Computer-Aided Drafting and Design

Fall 2025

Course Syllabus

 

Interesting Related Web Pages

CAD in 1 Hour

 

Lectures

08/21 Introduction to CAD (video - The Future of Design)

08/26 Introduction to SolidWorks 2024

08/28 Geometric Modeling

09/2 Curves (download amphitheater part, airplane curve part)

09/4 Constraints (multiple_solutions, dangling_relations)

09/9 Sweep Operations and Engineering Features (canoe, soap dish, soap dish finished)

09/11 Design Intent, Reference geometry, and Boolean operations (desktop grommet 1, desktop grommet 2, oil pan 1, oil pan 2, shaft, combine solids)

09/16 Local modification, direct modeling, and copy operations (lecture_8_blends, lecture_8_fillet cut, lecture_8_bend_operation, lecture_8_pattern_part)

09/18 Work on Assignment 1

09/23 User Equations (lecture_9_shaft)

09/25 Drafting (lecture_10_end_stop)

09/30 Solid Model Representations (lecture_11_nonmanifold)

10/2 Overview for Midterm

10/7 Midterm Exam

10/14 Assembly modeling (lecture_12_end part, lecture_12_middle_part)

10/16a Internet Catalogs (downloaded bearing, downloaded_actuator)

10/16b CAD Data formats

10/21 Product Data Management

10/23 Work on Assignment 3

10/28 Freeform Surface Modeling (phone finished, phone sections, different phone finished, different phone sections, phone sections rounded top, circle-triangle-square, intake manifold)

10/30 Freeform Surface Modeling - Wing Demo (Final wing, Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Step 4, Step 5, Step 6, Step 7, Profile coordinates)

11/6 Parametric Representation of Curves and Surfaces (loft_closed.prt)

11/11 Top-down Assembly Modeling (lecture_18_over_center_clamp.zip)

11/13 Top-down Assembly Modeling (Top_down_remote_control.zip)

11/18 Work on Assignment 5

12/2 Motion Analysis (clamp parts)

12/4 Optimization using CAD (fuel tank, shelf bracket, shelf bracket volume)

12/9 CNC Path Generation (machined parts)

12/11 Review for Lab Exam

12/16 Lab Exam

 

Tutorials

Tutorial 1

Tutorial 2

Tutorial 3

Tutorial 4

Tutorial 5

Tutorial 6

Tutorial 7

 

Lab Assignments

Lab Assignment 1 (gallery, grading scheme)

Lab Assignment 2 (gallery, grading scheme)

Lab Assignment 3 (gallery, grading scheme)

Lab Assignment 4 (gallery, grading scheme)

Lab Assignment 5 (gallery, grading scheme)

 

Exams

Midterm Exam Practice Questions - Answers

Lab Exam Practice Questions (parts) - Answers