School me on CAD, CAM, etc..

Yep. Many options, there's even SketchUp that I believe still supports exporting to something you can throw into a slicer.
 
3strucking said:
Is the learning curve about the same between the two?
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FreeCAD is a bit leftfield in the interface department, but the fundamentals are the same in just about everything. There's quite a learning curve with all if you're starting from square one, but there are good online tutorials for everything.
 
3strucking said:
Is the learning curve about the same between the two?
Click to expand...
There's a lot more than two options.

However, the curve is pretty much the same between all of them. Most choices, have lots of videos to learn from. That's how I learned, a video at a time. Save your money on the SW so you can get a 3d printer!
 
Lo-Fi said:
FreeCAD is a bit leftfield in the interface department, but the fundamentals are the same in just about everything. There's quite a learning curve with all if you're starting from square one, but there are good online tutorials for everything.
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It's not as spiffy as the paid for options... It's a darned good option if you don't even know if you will "take to this".
 
3strucking said:
I downloaded FreeCAD. Now I have to figure out how to use it.
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well I can't help you then..

I'm a fusion guy.

Tonight I designed a 5C collet adapter to be able to use 5C collets in my British lathe spindle with a unusual 4.5MT spindle bore. A drawbar will keep the adapter and collet fixed in position. It took far more time finding the dimensions than it did to draw this up from 2 base sketches... but then I inserted a 5C collet I'd previously modeled my 5C collet spindexer. Not counting getting the dimensions this took about 15 minutes while I watched the Raptor's game.

spindle 5C adapter and collet.PNG
 
I went the route to FreeCAD, with a whole lot of help and discussion from this forum.
The whole debate, and comparisons to Fusion360 was explored.
Here --> FreeCAD - Gorgeous! I am a little intimidated!
Now, I run FreeCAD 2.0.

The absolute key to getting into it is to use the excellent videos on YouTube. Do not try to get every tool on the desktop explored on day 1. FreeCAD is incredibly flexible in style and feel, so if you want to use mouse gestures or colours, whatever from other platforms, they are there, but start with the defaults.

I switched the display line thickness for edges to 1 pixel, and I went for a flat plain colour instead of gradient shaded, but that was about it.
In fairness, the learning curve happens easier when one is in lockdown isolation :)

AVOID the videos that do not offer audio narration and explanation. Watching a sequence of mouse moves to music massively blunts the learning experience! You can, of course, pause, or run at slower speed if you are following an example on your own open window. I use two screens, one for the browser on YouTube, and the other for the FreeCAD software. I suppose one could use a phone, or a spare laptop, but my second screen was donated to me, and I find it very useful.

Here is starter example from JOKO (one of the best content creators) -->

.. and a look at producing drawings that you can get grubby in the shop -->

Exporting G-code and suchlike for 3D printers is there too, but we leave that for now. There are all sorts of tools (called workbenches), which I also leave for now. Some are for architecture, or finite element stress analysis. Just have a little explore. :)
 
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+1 FreeCAD.

All CAD programs have a steep learning curve, but there are lots of YT videos and the forums for FreeCAD. It will be free forever which is why I chose it over F360 which I started with.
 
devils4ever said:
+1 FreeCAD.

All CAD programs have a steep learning curve, but there are lots of YT videos and the forums for FreeCAD. It will be free forever which is why I chose it over F360 which I started with.
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I had slightly more complicated reasons for going for FreeCAD over Fusion360. I had a previous experience where I paid for a "lifetime access" to a PCB design CAD which changed their policy after about a year. I had to use old PDF drawings, and re-create my saved copies.

Even if "free" Fusion360 had zero limitations on features used, I cannot have software that will only run if it can phone home, and insists on "updates". Any communication at all means some other entity can be interested in what I produce, and how often, and whether or not I am still alive, and what is my location. Also, my every experience in attempting to install, and use, any version of Windows was horrible! Perhaps I was spoiled by the normal experience of a Linux install, and choosing some powerful software to run.

Since F360 does not run in Linux, my choice was obvious. However fascinating, I do not need to be doing advanced thermal flow, or fancy drive-thru architecture, nor lofted curves on an engine block, but I know it's all there to be had if I want, and it's free!

Free Fusion360 is OK if you have Windows. Quinn Dunki (Blondihacks) makes machining oriented YouTube content using it, and lots of machinist learners in this forum might get into F360 because of it. FreeCAD also runs on Windows, and that combination will also do it all.
My combination is FreeCAD-Daily on LinuxMint. :)
 
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