FAQ

The Basics

What is Protocase Designer?

Protocase Designer is free downloadable 3-D CAD enclosure design software, that can be learned in minutes, and allows you to design complete custom metal electronics enclosures in less than 20 minutes. You can obtain instant pricing, and order online from Protocase Inc. who will then manufacture your custom enclosure in 2-3 days. Protocase Designer has built-in intelligence that only allows you to design what can be manufactured, so the traditional cycle of design submission and revision is reduced or eliminated.

Who uses Protocase Designer?

Protocase Designer is used by:

• Electronics engineers and designers who use enclosures, but have limited experience in custom enclosure design. With Protocase Designer , they can learn enclosure design in minutes, avoid expensive investments in complex generalized CAD software, and benefit from real-time quoting and super-fast delivery time.
• Experienced electronics packaging engineers who find they can save valuable design time, eliminate the quoting cycle and the need to correspond regarding details of manufacturing capabilities.

How does it work?

Protocase Designer is based on the concept of enclosure templates, which lack details such as size, cutouts, mounting hardware, and finishes. You can select a template, specify its size, and immediately begin working with an enclosure design that exactly matches your requirements. You can view and rotate the enclosure in 3D, select faces and add cutouts, mounting hardware, and text and/or graphics to be printed, and it will prevent you from creating designs that cannot be manufactured. At any time, you can calculate the pricing or submit an online order.

How do I get started and where do I get support?

To get started, simply click the Download link to download and install the software. You can then immediately start your first design. When you first launch Protocase Designer, you will be prompted to complete an optional registration. This is necessary only if you want to enable price estimation and ordering. Support for the software is provided via our online forum as well as this wiki. Should you choose to order the enclosure that you design, Protocase provides quick-turn (two- to three-day) manufacturing, and provides support related to pricing and ordering.

What if I have design requirements that go beyond the capabilities of Protocase Designer?

Sometimes Protocase Designer users will design a basic custom enclosure, but find that they have special features or requirements that go beyond the capability of the software, such as design of internal mounting hardware or more extensive customization of the enclosure structure itself. Protocase can easily accommodate this situation. Simply take your design as far as you can, save it to your hard drive, and email the file (the extension is .CAS) and your inquiry to sales@protocase.com for North America or sales@protocase.co.uk for customers in the UK. Usually, Protocase's experienced designers can make the required modifications. Minor modifications can often be accommodated free of charge, and larger design enhancements can be done for a reasonable hourly fee. If you can provide sufficient detail before design time, Protocase can provide a full quotation for supplement design costs and manufacturing costs before you engage supplemental design services.