I am finally getting serious about properly correcting my geometry on my race car and possibly building a from - scratch wishbone setup for the rear. I have written a few routines in python and c++ to calculate it in numeric form - they are fine for computing raw values and generating graphs but I am not much of a 3D graphics API programmer and there are some things I'd like to visualize, experiment with and then "play" thru the motion before building a cardboard/string "computer".
I don't have access to solidworks nor do I have the patience or skills to draw all the parts up in a 3D solid modelling framework.
Is there an affordable package that can do McPherson Strut, wishbone and handle things like camber/toe curves, draw dynamic roll centers, front rear balance, scrub, etc... for road racing applications? Basically - I fill in the values for the limits and such and then can "play" it thru the motion.
I see WinGeo on google hits - but it is $500, has no limited demo to try it and, frankly, $500 is quite a lot for me to cough up on something that looks like a win 3.1 interface in screen shots without trying it first.
Are there any other options? Experiences?