Mastering Mechanical Desktop Release 3: Surface, Parametric and Assembly Modeling (Paperback)

by Ron K.C. Cheng (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Cheng's MECHANICAL DESKTOP® R3, SURFACE, PARAMETRIC, AND ASSEMBLY MODELING, covers the four design tools of Mechanical Desktop® using a step-by-step approach to give readers proficiency in using Mechanical Desktop® R3. The author uses examples from a variety of applications, which show how Mechanical Desktop® is used to design actual products. Careful attention to pedagogical devices such as chapter objectives, aims and overviews at the beginning of each chapter, as well as chapter summaries and exercises makes Cheng's step-by-step method simple to use in introductory Engineering/Design courses in universities, community colleges and technical institutes. Cheng's book also complements introductory AutoCAD® texts such as Cheng's Mastering AutoCAD® R14 (Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning 2000) and is a comprehensive reference for people using Mechanical Desktop on a daily basis.

About the Author
Ron K.C. Cheng leads the Product Design Unit of the Industrial Center of Hong Kong Polytechnic University where he is involved in computer-aided design and the development of computer-based learning materials.Ron is the author of eight Autodesk® Press training guides including books on AutoCAD®, Mechanical Desktop®, and Autodesk Inventor®.

Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: CL-Engineering; 1 edition (July 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534957609
• ISBN-13: 978-0534957605
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,580,844 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Another Basic Handbook, October 13, 2000

By	James P French (Gainesville, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

I was very disappointed with this textbook. The basic tutorial included with AutoCAD is much more informative and helpful. I expected more tips and tricks for the price I paid, but I was sadly disappointed. Not one tip or trick.

As another reviewer previously mentioned....the written text on one page usually refers to figures located one or two pages from the actual text. A lot of flipping pages, very annoying. Also, the author asks you several questions at the end of each chapter, as if this were a student manual or something. Wasted pages on this since he already outlines at the beginning of the chapter what you are supposed to learn. Also, the author doesn't take advantage of the toolbar menu structure of AutoCAD, so you are left with no support on how to locate icons at all within AutoCAD. This is really bad because 1/4 of the AutoCAD graphics area contains these icons and one is left with no definition of how they are laid out or what they mean. One of the things I was really looking for was how to incorporatate a systematic or standard approach in creating parts, assemblies, and on to drawing documentation. There was a huge amount of information left out in regards to this and I felt sort of "suckered" from the summary. I had really expected more depth in this, but rather half of the text covers surface modeling only. About 1/5 actually text content covers any type of documentation process.

Overall....I expected more and you would be better off with a lower cost student manual. Steer clear of this one unless you get a deal on a used one.