Beginner CAD progarm

hvontres said:
I have plugged Qcad here before. http://www.qcad.org/en/qcad-documentation/qcad-features has a list of features for both the free and the professional version. I uses the free one for a couple of years, but then I finally broke down and bought the pro version. It is a fairly simple 2D program that feels mostly like pen and paper. The Pro version runs about $45 for just the software or $72.50 with an e-book. I can't say much about the book since I never seemed to need it. One nice thing about qcad is that it runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, so whatever way you like to run your computer, it should work ok. It even has a feature that lets you contruct an iso view from your regular views.

Here is a sample of something I am woking on right now:
View attachment 70349
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I going to try it on this laptop. I still sketch out my ideas on paper. Cad for me is more of a curiosity. I admire those who can take the time to use it correctly. To those designers THANK YOU for sharing your ideas and designs with us.
 
Bill you can get a free look at parts of the book as well.
But if you get the whole book it opens up a whole new world, alowing the system to do the work for you.
Brian.
 
Well, if anyone is interested, I have some older versions of TurboCAD Pro that I am no longer using that I would be willing to pass along.

TurboCAD Pro 15 for Windows XP (and maybe Vista)

TurboCAD Pro 16 for Windows XP and Vista

TurboCAD Pro 17 for Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7

All three of these will come with the serial number as well as the "activation code" so I believe you will be able to load and use them on your machine.

I'm currently on version 20 so these are just taking up space. Just post which version you want (first come, first serve) and PM me with your address and I'll get them out to you.

-Ron
 
ScrapMetal said:
Well, if anyone is interested, I have some older versions of TurboCAD Pro that I am no longer using that I would be willing to pass along.

TurboCAD Pro 15 for Windows XP (and maybe Vista)

TurboCAD Pro 16 for Windows XP and Vista

TurboCAD Pro 17 for Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7

All three of these will come with the serial number as well as the "activation code" so I believe you will be able to load and use them on your machine.

I'm currently on version 20 so these are just taking up space. Just post which version you want (first come, first serve) and PM me with your address and I'll get them out to you.

-Ron
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Thanks, Ron. I'd like to get TurboCAD Pro 17.
Thanks, Kris Krol.
 
Has anybody used goole sketchup I haven't tryed it yet But I herd it is easy to learn and it is free. I don't know what it will do but am intrested.
 
Since other cheap/free cad programs are being mentioned, I should probably add DraftSight to the list. It doesn't do 3D so it's limited in that respect, but it's free and it's an efficient little AutoCAD clone. It's free with registration because the makers of Solidworks needed a 2D companion to their software to help lure folks away from AC.


(Insert catchy saying here)
 
kd4gij said:
Has anybody used goole sketchup I haven't tryed it yet But I herd it is easy to learn and it is free. I don't know what it will do but am intrested.
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I use SketchUp exclusively. It's actually no longer Google; they sold it to Trimble about a year ago, but the new owners still distribute a free version (called SketchUp Maker, if I remember correctly).

SketchUp was very intuitive to me from the start, the way AutoCAD never was. It is fundamentally 3D, so you always think about your part as a whole, rather than a series of disconnected drawings. That may cause some additional work when you start designing a part, but it always pays off later, when you want to make a change and everything stays in sync automatically.

They have a series of easily digestible tutorial videos, which I watched and then tried to reproduce on my own to learn and remember. I also found set-up templates so that all dimension displays come out to decimal inches (thousands). And the ability to control shading and the display of hidden geometries is very good.

I have encountered only one real pain in SketchUp. Making 2D prints to take to the machine or the surface plate is neither intuitive, foolproof, nor easily automated. There is a workaround that gives me acceptable results, but it takes time and fiddling. If you spring for the professional version (some $495 last time I looked), you can use a companion program, called LayOut, that automates this. But I haven't sprung for that kind of money and likely won't.

Happy to post tips & tricks if people are interested.

Tom
 
Re: Beginner CCAD progarm

Ray C said:
Ray... By the way, for your hobbiest community they may want to check outhttp://cubify.com/products/3d_design_software/index.aspx
Depending on the nature of their designs, all of these products will create .STL files that just about ANY 3D CAM software will take.
http://cubify.com/products/cubify_design/index.aspx this one will also create .DXF and .DWG for Export 2D CAM (plasma tables etc)
They Cubify Invent and the Cubify Design and based off the same core product is yours and was actually Alibre Personal Edition.
Cubify Sculpt is based off of http://geomagic.com/en/products/claytools/overview/ ($6000)
So all of these will be Superior to any of the other programs that are talked about in that thread. Well maybe accept Autocad inventor and most of your guys cannot afford that ($5000)
Ray
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I just took a look at the trial version of Cubify Design, and it's just like the version of Solidworks I used to use without the $6000 price tag. This is perfect! Even the file name are the same, so my old drawings work with it. I can't tell if it's a true parametric CAD but at $199 this looks like a steal to me. Thanks Ray!
 
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