DEVELOP3D - Technology for the product lifecycle

The team at CADooku (an online marketplace for SolidWorks models) is launching it’s CAD competition for Students using SolidWorks (of which I believe there are quite a number). To quote from the web-site,

We’re looking for the best student SolidWorks modellers in the UK! The grand prize winners will be offered a 2 month, paid, summer placement at Innovate Product Design, a vibrant design consultancy and the UK’s leading invention development company.All you need to do is submit your best CAD models, created in SolidWorks.

There are four categories (Automotive and Transportation, Consumer Products, Electronics and General) and it’ll be split between four year groups (first, second, third and four - accounting for sandwich courses). There will be a series of rounds and the grand prize winners will be offered a 2 month, paid, summer placement at Innovate Product Design, a vibrant design consultancy and the UK’s leading invention development company.

One thing I’m not entirely sure about is the criteria for judging the finalists - it’ll be split between Complexity of the model (30%), Modelling techniques chosen (15%), Robustness of the modelling techniques used (20%), Accuracy and realism of the model (20%) and organisation of the feature tree (15%). Not entirely sure how these will pan out in reality. Yes, robust techniques I can understand, but the rest seem more than a wee bit woolly. If a model is complex, does that make it better than a model that’s simple, but which is fit for its purpose? If the design is from someones creative output, how can you judge based on accuracy? Anyway, closing data for the competition is 31st March 2010 (so get your skates on) - get all the details on how to enter at www.cadcompetition.com