Daniel Benjamin

how i setup my computer (for mechanical engineering)

5 min read

overview

I will divide this article into roughly 2 sections, software/programs I consider essential, and tweaks/workflows I find make me more efficient.

I would highly recommend a windows laptop for engineering students due to the limited availability of certain industry standard software on mac, namely SolidWorks. While it is possible to run Parallels/UTM/similar software on a mac in order to gain a windows environment, if you are in the market for a new laptop near university it is much easier to simply avoid the hassle. I won’t go into detail here, but if you want more detail you can see my other post on laptop selection.

software/apps

There are a lot of different programs I use daily as a mech eng student, some of them mainstream and some of them more obscure, but these are what I consider essential to download on a new machine, and they are further grouped into rough categories. I tend to prefer FLOSS software (Free/Libre and Open Source Software), though efficiency is most important to me and I will use closed and/or paid software if I consider it the best option. I’ve italicized programs I consider to be “hidden gems” which may not be commonly recommended. I’ve avoided listing very common/subjective programs like browsers, streaming services, etc. For reference, I use Google Chrome as my regular browser of choice, and use a variety of chrome extensions to improve my experience. A lot of these programs work in tandem with the apps I use on Android.

security

Backblaze

  • Purpose:
    • as part of the 3-2-1 backup method, I use Backblaze for full cloud computer backup.
    • it provides unlimited storage for anything connected to your laptop/PC, including hard drives. Syncs in the background, and provides peace of mind against theft/damage.
  • Cost: Paid ($99 USD per year)
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac

Ente Auth

  • Purpose:
    • cross-platform passwordless authentication,, including full desktop support,
    • i.e. you can get 2FA codes on your PC.
  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile

Proton Pass

  • Purpose:
    • simple and secure password manager
  • Cost: Freemium
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile, Web

Proton VPN

  • Purpose:
    • VPN for privacy and security
  • Cost: Freemium
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile

engineering

SolidWorks

  • Purpose:
    • industry-standard CAD for mechanical design
  • Cost: Free for students, Paid
  • Platforms: Windows

AutoCAD

  • Purpose:
    • 2D and 3D drafting, widely used in engineering.
    • see my post on AutoCAD setup
  • Cost: Free for students, Paid
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac

Autodesk Fusion

  • Purpose:
    • CNC toolpath generation and modeling
    • I find it to be better/more intuitive for toolpathing than SolidWorks
  • Cost: Free for students, Paid
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac

F3D

  • Purpose:
    • lightweight 3D viewer which allows the preview of STEP files in File Explorer
  • Cost: Free, Open Source
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

OMAX Layout and Make

Deepnest-Next

  • Purpose: automatic part nesting for sheet cutting
  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

Bambu Studio

  • Purpose:
  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

Orca Slicer

  • Purpose:
    • slicer for all other 3D printers
    • can also work with Bambu Labs, but I find using Bambu Studio gives better results
  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

Inkscape

  • Purpose: vector graphics editor for laser cutting, general CAD prep
  • Cost: Free, Open Source
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

STAR-CCM+

  • Purpose: CFD and multiphysics simulation
  • Cost: Paid
  • Platforms: Windows, Linux

ULS UCP

documents

Bluebeam Revu

  • Purpose:
    • best PDF software in my opinion, far better than free/paid Adobe Acrobat
    • is an industry standard in engineering consulting for markups
  • Cost: Free for students
  • Platforms: Windows

messaging

Beeper

  • Purpose:
    • unified messaging platform
  • Cost: Free / Paid
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile

Spark

  • Purpose:
    • unified client with public link generation
    • seamless sync across devices with a single log in
  • Cost: Free / Paid
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Mobile

utilities

Pandoc

  • Purpose:
    • CLI for document format conversion (Markdown, PDF, Word, etc.)
    • Very useful for converting markdown to word docs.
  • Cost: Free, Open Source
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

Git (+ TortoiseGit)

  • Purpose:
    • Version control
    • Tortoise provides File Explorer integration, which makes seeing git status super easy
  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

SVN (+ TortoiseSVN)

  • Purpose:
    • Version control for CAD/binary files which do not allow diffs/merging.
    • See my post on using version control with CAD assemblies.
  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

LaTeX (using VS Code + LaTeX Workshop + TeX Live)

  • Purpose:
    • High-quality document typesetting
    • Alternative is using Overleaf, I got fed up with slow render times and lack of easy collaboration with many people on the free plan. I am looking into self-hosting Overleaf.
  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

PowerToys

  • Purpose:
    • Productivity tools like PowerToys Run (a launcher similar to macos Spotlight), PowerRename, Color Picker, ZoomIt, etc.
  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: Windows

Quick Share (Google)

  • Purpose:
    • Fast file sharing between nearby Android/Windows devices
  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: Windows, Android

Tailscale

  • Purpose:
    • VPN mesh network for remote access
    • I use it to access some of my self-hosted services across different networks
  • Cost: Free for personal use
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile

Parsec

  • Purpose:
    • Remote desktop and low-latency screen sharing
  • Cost: Free / Paid
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

productivity

Toggl Track

  • Purpose:
    • Automatic time tracking on windows, helpful for seeing where your time is spent
  • Cost: Freemium
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile, Web

Freedom

  • Purpose:
    • Website/app blocker for focus sessions
  • Cost: Paid
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Mobile

notetaking

OneNote

  • Purpose:
    • General notetaking, synced across devices
    • Best solution for syncing hand-written notes across iPad, Windows, and Android.
  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Mobile, Web

Obsidian

  • Purpose: Local Markdown-based knowledge management
  • Cost: Freemium
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile

Zotero

  • Purpose:
    • Reference manager for academic papers
  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile, Web

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