The question I would ask myself is, do I want to waste a bunch of time learning a program that isn't that great. I don't have much experience with the other programs, (Art Cam, 3design, firestorm I'm sure more I'm missing). Unfortunately it's quite pricey, I'm not sure if they may have a less expensive version for a hobbyist or not. It's the most comprehensive (IMHO) and most widely used in the industry by professionals. I am a cad jewelry designer with 10 years of cad experience using Matrix.The big dog in 3D Jewellery CAD design is Gemvision Matrix. I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 7000 models under my belt.īefore I got into cad, I worked at the bench for 32 years. I am currently learning Jewelry Cad Dream. History is what is driving my decision to learn the software.
The funny part about all of this is that Gemvision actually has a version that uses a very dynamic and powerful history tree already developed. I helped Gemvision populate the original version of CounterSketch with models.
I think I did 50 or so, I can’t remember the exact number but I got to use the design software created to build the models that are then loaded into CounterSketch. It was that history tree that got me excited about history in the first place. I have been asking Gemvision to include the CounterSketch approach to history in Matrix for years. The response I have gotten is that it was developed under Stuller’s watch, Stuller owns it so it’s not going to happen. Matrix has some history related functions but the biggest problem is that as soon as you modify a piece of geometry it looses it’s history. So once a seat is cut or a sweep is capped you can’t go back and modify the original curve you used to create it and have it update. In terms of history it is incredibly powerful.
#MATRIX 3D JEWELRY DESIGN SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD UPDATE#
The learning curve is pretty steep but being able to go back in the history tree and change something and have everything update based on the change you made is fantastic. It also makes you be a more precise modeler. That makes some things take longer but in the long run if you are ever going to need to modify a model in the future, it is ultimately worth the extra time.Īt this point I still use Matrix as my primary modeling software. This is mostly because I have been using it every day for the last 10 years. As a result I’m much faster in Matrix than Jewelry Cad Dream. I’m sure within the next year the ratio of time spent between the two will be reversed.īut I can see myself moving over to JCD more and more. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. When it comes to direct editing Matrix/Rhino is hard to beat. When it comes to making changes JCD is the clear winner. As far as designing goes, probably how you approach the design process will determine which you prefer. Matrix is more hands on direct editing, JDC is more process oriented. JDC is becoming more direct editing friendly so that difference may disappear over time. I have been blow away at the speed of development at Jewelry Cad Dream. If the next two years brings the kind of improvement that last two have brought, there will be nothing on the market to compete. They are working incredibly hard to make it the best tool available.
Knowing what I know about both software packages, if I were having to choose only one, I think I would go with JCD. Gemvision has dropped the ball in terms of development. JCD seems very devoted to continuing development. Hi Our policy: Save time and effort, Don’t do the same job more than once.