Looking for a decent CAD software, any advice welcome.

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csspecs
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Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2009 6:38 pm

Looking for a decent CAD software, any advice welcome.

Post by csspecs »

I've used a few CAD programs over the years that my Father bought for the construction company he owns. I've drawn parts of house drawings and the like, also a few model airplanes I made using plans I drew on the CAD software when I was a kid.

The problem is that the most recent CAD program he has is from 92' and came on those giant floppy disks. And it is no longer compatible with any new printers, so when our 'dinosaur' E-size plotter dies I won't be able to print plans anymore.

I'd like to get something that will have some sort of basic 3d ability. I looked at solid works because a friend that was going to college let me play around with the student version on his computer.... But its like $3,000 for the program which is to much for how I'm using it. I'd be ok with something in the $300 range, since I don't need to output to CNC.

Thanks
Mike
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ken572
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Re: Looking for a decent CAD software, any advice welcome.

Post by ken572 »

Hi Mike,

progeCAD Smart! 2009 "personal freeware". The ProgECAD people take
there most complete software from the year before and make it FREE
for personal non profit use. They do this every year. Check it out.. :wink:

http://www.caddit.net/progecad/smart.php

Ken. :)
One must remember.
The best learning experiences come
from working with the older Masters.
Ken.
Doug4d3s
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Location: St Louis MO, USA

Re: Looking for a decent CAD software, any advice welcome.

Post by Doug4d3s »

Turbocad Deluxe and Designcad 3d Max are two that can do 3-D and are $100 or less; they used to be from competing companies but both are from the same company now it seems.


I thought that Autodesk had a version called Autocad Inventor a few years back that was around $130 and meant for home users too, it was very highly acclaimed at the time--but I looked and can't find it now. All I found on the website is the multi-thousand-dollar stuff. Even the "Inventor" line is Industrial-level packages.
~
schwabw
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Location: Gainesville FL

Re: Looking for a decent CAD software, any advice welcome.

Post by schwabw »

QCad (http://www.qcad.org/qcad.html) is 2D only but worth a look. It is very stable, inexpensive, and cross-platform. I do almost all of my work on Linux now, so the latter is a big plus.

Bill
PixMan
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Re: Looking for a decent CAD software, any advice welcome.

Post by PixMan »

Google Sketch-Up works pretty good for all kinds of things, it's easy to learn and it's absolutely free.
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mrlucmorin
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Re: Looking for a decent CAD software, any advice welcome.

Post by mrlucmorin »

I've heard good comments about DraftSight, though I've not used it myself (I already own AutoCAD).

http://www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/ ... -overview/
Luc Morin, T.P.
http://www.stlm.ca
EdK
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Re: Looking for a decent CAD software, any advice welcome.

Post by EdK »

Solid Edge 2D is free but only does 2D CAD. They have a 3D CAD package but it costs lots of bucks. :shock:
They give away the 2D package in hopes of getting you to buy the 3D package. It's the best free 2D CAD software that I've tried and I've tried most of the free ones.
I have TurboCAD which does 3D CAD but haven't taken the time to learn it yet. I know Solid Edge so well that it's tough to change but I must admit there are times when I wish I could draw something in 3D.

Ed
Vectrax 14x40 lathe, Enco RF-45 clone mill, MillerMatic 180 MIG.
EdK
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Re: Looking for a decent CAD software, any advice welcome.

Post by EdK »

Doug4d3s wrote:Turbocad Deluxe and Designcad 3d Max are two that can do 3-D and are $100 or less; they used to be from competing companies but both are from the same company now it seems. ~
DesignCAD 3D Max is currently on sale now for $70.

http://www.imsidesign.com/Products/Othe ... 6083466609

Ed
Vectrax 14x40 lathe, Enco RF-45 clone mill, MillerMatic 180 MIG.
Doug4d3s
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Re: Looking for a decent CAD software, any advice welcome.

Post by Doug4d3s »

I have a version of Designcad 3d max I bought a few years ago and never learned how to use. Mine is v12 and I think they're on v20 now.

Previous to me owning machine tools my projects were a lot simpler, and I had a 2-D program to use (DeltaCAD) that was so simple that you almost didn't need instructions at all. You could just play with it and figure out what most everything did. It wasn't quite as simple as a pencil and paper, but it was close.

After I got the mill & lathe, my projects got more complicated I started making mistakes because I had no way to really plan them in true 3-D. So lately I am trying to learn to use Designcad 3d Max again. :P

------

I have played with Google Sketchup before and it is pretty easy to use, but it doesn't seem that great at making actual working-drawing representations (unless maybe you pay for the full version?). It seems to be more of a "visualization" tool than a "drafting" program.

The main advantage of Sketchup is that if you're doing anything with common items, there is a huge amount of user-created models out there you can download and use.
In my instance I was designing a PC case, and models of all the internal parts are already made in the correct dimensions, which was a big help.
~
csspecs
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Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2009 6:38 pm

Re: Looking for a decent CAD software, any advice welcome.

Post by csspecs »

Actually sketchup does about what I needed. The stuff I working on is very basic.
I can do the math on the parts I'm making, but my hand drawings confuse me. I'm really only going for a visualization.

And I did find a few people saying that they are using the pro version with a small CNC mill.... Which seems impossible.
TomB
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Re: Looking for a decent CAD software, any advice welcome.

Post by TomB »

I used Design Cad 3d for 10+years (version 3 to version 18) and I considered myself an expert with it. About 2 years ago I abandoned it and moved to Alibre. I made the move because I wanted/needed the capability provided by 'parametric modeling'. I needed to make parts and then assemblies. But I had found I make as many mistakes in 3d models as I do making parts without prints. Parametric modeling means I can put the assembly together and see the problem with the part, then fix the part and continue. When I get a model assembly that fits and works I can make conventional part drawings from the 3d model. With those I can make parts without doing the stupid ‘how did I miss that in my head’ mistakes. With Design Cad 3d I had to upgrade a stored macro (redraw everything because changing the dimensions did not change the drawing), then delete the old thing from the assembly and finally reinsert. Since there was nothing like assemble constraints in Design Cad 3d inserting became a quite complex problem involving defining handles and then moving and rotating the imported thing with precision mouse clicks. It got too hard.

A giveaway version of Alibre is available, but it is handicapped to only allowing assemblies with 5 or fewer parts. As a giveaway version it seems more functional than Design Cad 3d. Three cautions, the learning curve is very, extremely or doughtingly steep, they have not addressed everything needed in a machine (working vee belts and gears are beyond them) and once you learn it you’ll probably want the one of the purchased versions. Purchased versions come in reasonable, expensive and professional prices.

Tom
Conrad_R_Hoffman
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Re: Looking for a decent CAD software, any advice welcome.

Post by Conrad_R_Hoffman »

I'm a devoted TriTools VisualCADD user ever since it was GenericCADD way back when. IMO, it's an excellent and powerful 2D package for a few hundred bucks. We're committed to SolidWorks at work, and the world is going 3D. I only use the 2D for personal stuff now. 3D can be a real time waster if you don't need it. For complex assemblies it's great, but I think people are losing the ability to see 3D objects in their mind, which is a shame. A lot of stuff has been successfully designed and built over the decades before 3D or even 2D CAD was available. Heck, the SR-71 was built mostly with slide rules and pencils. Sorry to be a bit negative, but I'm not seeing things suddenly coming in on time, under budget and working the first time, because of 3D solid modeling. And it ain't cheap.
Conrad

1947 Logan 211 Lathe, Grizzly G1006 mill/drill, Clausing DP,
Boyar-Schultz 612H surface grinder, Sunnen hone, import
bandsaw, lots of measurement stuff, cutters, clutter & stuff.


"May the root sum of the squares of the Forces be with you."
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