Simpler the Better -what do you use?

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Simpler the Better -what do you use?

This topic has 93 replies, 51 voices, and was last updated 2 January 2014 at 21:11 by Sub Mandrel.

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27 May 2009 at 11:15 #41637
wahiba
Participant
@wahiba
No doubt like others here my introduction to CAD was mainly through AutoCAD, although I used one called SuperDraft before AutoCAD swept the field. While AutoCAD is a good industrial package I reckon it to be OTT for amateur use, facilites and cost wise.

I also tried EasyCAD on DOS, very good and fast, but the price kept creeping up, a bit like TurboCAD currently does. I have tried TurboCAD but never really got on with it.

Others tried include gfaCAD and various off magazines and download sites.

Personally I have settled on a basic 2D package called DeltaCAD from a small set up in the USA. I reckon I have been using it for about 10 years. First copy was off Disc but then I bought the latest edition on CD. Subsequently I have paid for upgrade downloads.

It does everthing I need. Available from http://www.deltacad.com

Just wondering if there are any other basic packages users have found useful?
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27 May 2009 at 11:15 #21109
wahiba
Participant
@wahiba
Which CAD package
27 May 2009 at 14:58 #41640
Colin Reed
Participant
@colinreed51485
Solid Edge 2D free

link is

Edited By David Clark 1 on 11/06/2009 09:39:56
30 May 2009 at 16:51 #41669
Jim McP
Participant
@jimmcp
Qcad (http://www.qcad.org/) 2D & quite intuitive to use. Full featured Linux version is free.

Alibre (MSwindows only) is full feature parametric modeller. Free version has limited component hierarchy. Impressive stuff, but overkill for anything i do.
8 June 2009 at 20:57 #41757
Michael Freeman
Participant
@michaelfreeman10443
I am a big fan (although still learning) of Alibre and its FREE! It is a nice 3D package and I designed an inline boring tool setting device with it. Producing the drawings was a very simple process.

I have no link to the company.
9 June 2009 at 14:25 #41767
Peter G. Shaw
Participant
@peterg-shaw75338
Originally I used Draft Choice for Windows until an upgrade of my computer and operating system made it unreliable. (It was, after all, originally designed for Windows 3x)

Tried TurboCad but couldn’t get on with it. Looked at various others but found them too expensive or the trial time too limited.

Then found DesignCad Pro 2000 going cheap enough to risk. Eventually updated to DesignCad 3D Max V.17 which cost about £25 via Ebay. Similar sort of usage to Draft Choice which made the conversion easy. Both programs are 2D/3D and very easy to learn. Fully recommended especially if a late, but updated version, eg V.17 or 18, can be found reasonably cheap. Possible only down side is that the help system for V.17 is poor. That for ‘2000’ was superb. I understand that V.18 help system has been improved.

Incidently, DesignCad is now marketed by the same company as TurboCad, ie IMSI, however, their marketing seems pointed at TurboCad so finding DesignCad can be a bit difficult.
12 January 2010 at 06:14 #47291
Mark Smith 3
Participant
@marksmith3
Thanks Colin I have down loaded Solid edge. It does everything I need in the 2D Environment. Very intuitive and a clear tutorial. There is so much to learn about this program, it is a “learn as you go” after the tutorials which give you the basics. There is also a comprehensive help section and a hint bar at the bottom as you access each feature. I had tried A9CAD but nothing seemed to work as expected and there is no real help section.

Mark
12 January 2010 at 10:18 #47295
Peter Gain
Participant
@petergain89847
I agree with previous contributers, DeltaCAD is a good,simple to learn, & effective CAD system. A free trial period is available. Also, they actually reply to e-mail questions!

Peter Gain.
12 January 2010 at 10:46 #47296
Martin W
Participant
@martinw
Hi

I use QuickCAD that I bought some time ago and find it very good not only for mechanical drawings but for electronic circuitry as well. My version is the ‘Millennium Edition’ which gives an indication as to its age but it is still up to my requirements. There are newer versions about but I don’t have info on these. It is fairly easy to use and can be set up in either metric or imperial, can be scaled, there is a whole range of snap options which makes accurate drawing very much easier, angle measurement and linear measurement functions etc. the list goes on! It will import and export files in various formats including WMF which can then be imported in documents like microsoft Word etc. which can be useful.

Cheers

Martin W

Edited By Martin W on 12/01/2010 11:06:45
13 January 2010 at 00:43 #47316
Martin W
Participant
@martinw
Hi

With regard to my previous post I am not sure whether QuickCAD is still available. Had a rummage on the web and can’t find it.

Cheers

Martin W
19 February 2010 at 08:34 #48817
Stackerjack
Participant
@stackerjack
Hi

Has anyone any experience of using Solidworks? Is it worth the money?

Jack
19 February 2010 at 09:08 #48822
Jim Nolan
Participant
@jimnolan76764
I have dabbled in Solidworks for some time having migrated from AutoCAD LT. Unfortunately as I have so many drawings in 2D I have never been able to go fully to a 2D package.

I have used it extensively for producing drawings for rapid prototyping and the resultant castings have always turned out well.

Is it worth it? Well for modelling I doubt it the lack of compatibility between versions and the upgrade licence you need to purchase on an annual basis make it cost prohibitive. It’s nice to use, relatively easy to pick up as long as you don’t get stuck, when things can become fraught.

These days even AutoCAD LT which is my 2D package is expensive and given the choice assuming I had no 2D legacy drawings I think I would go for Solidworks if I was starting again.

Jim
19 February 2010 at 10:41 #48828
KWIL
Participant
@kwil
Is there any way in any of the packages which would let me “lock” the line to say only horizontal just like the parallel motion of a real drawing machine? Please do not suggest using the grid, that is still too much of a pain.
19 February 2010 at 12:11 #48832
Roger Vane
Participant
@rogervane67137
Hi Kwil,

When drawing a line with TurboCAD you can ‘lock’ it to either the vertical or horizontal direction using the ‘ortho’ snap mode, which limits the drawing of lines to 90 degree angles (0, 90, 180, 270). Other software may well have similar functions.

However, I’m not really certain why you would want to do this on a regular basis as using ortho turns off the other snaps (such as vertex and intersection) which are more useful as aids to precise drawing.

Hope that this helps.

Regards.
19 February 2010 at 15:39 #48848
Stackerjack
Participant
@stackerjack
Hi Kwil,

In Autocad you can use the POLAR tab to create lines at exactly 0 degrees,90 degrees, 270 degrees or 180 degrees. If you use the SETUP tab, you can enter values to create lines at any angle you wish. If you then click the start point of the line, as you rotate the cursor around this point, small yellow boxes appear with numbers in. These numbers are the angle at which the line will be drawn. You just click again while the correct box is showing.

Hope this helps

Jack
19 February 2010 at 18:55 #48863
KWIL
Participant
@kwil
Why would I want this? Simple really, I am far quicker on paper than on screen.
19 February 2010 at 19:55 #48867
Peter G. Shaw
Participant
@peterg-shaw75338
In DesignCad, one has to choose either a “normal” straight line which can then be at any angle or an “ortho” mode which forces the line to be either vertical or horizontal depending on which way it is drawn. I don’t recall it disabling any of the snap commands.

Why would one do it? Because, certainly in my drawings, there are a lot of lines drawn either vertical or horizontal and it is far easier than attempting to do the same using the other line drawing command. One can, of course, use absolute, relative or indeed polar co-ordinates as necessary to do the same. Often I find that I need to draw a temporary line from say the elevation to a side view to ensure that the two drawings are lined up correctly. To do this I first draw line B at roughly 90° to the proposed line A and somewhere past where it is expected to go, then draw line A from the originating point to line B using snaps for the start and finish. This then tells me where the side view should be and I can then draw as necessary. Once the side view is started, I can delete both the temporary lines, both of which were drawn and used without any need for accurate measurement.

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw
20 February 2010 at 06:40 #48893
Paul Boscott
Participant
@paulboscott25817
I use auto cad 2000 the main advantage is that there is lots of documentatation It has done all the things that I have been able to think of in 2 and 3D

Paul
20 February 2010 at 09:18 #48895
Goran Hosinsky
Participant
@goranhosinsky61367
trueSpace and Alibre express, both free. Anyone with experience of both programs who can recommend which one to spend time on learning? Also does both produce drawings to use in the workshop?

Regards

Goran

Canary Islands
20 February 2010 at 12:16 #48904
Circlip
Participant
@circlip
And don’t forget DoubleCAD XT, a freebie (Well it WOULD be), if you can drive AutoCad you can drive D/C

Regards Ian.
20 February 2010 at 14:56 #48916
nodaker
Participant
@nodaker
a couple of other free cad programs include AlleyCAD Home and ProgeCAD.

Both have the feel of AutoCAD. KOMPAS 3D Lite is also available, I haven’t installed it yet as it is a recent download.

USA

Regards John
20 February 2010 at 17:12 #48931
Michael Freeman
Participant
@michaelfreeman10443
I used the free version of Alibre after trying several programs including Turbo Cad etc. Alibre is excellent in my view and has the benefit of the easiest transfer of item to drawings. I managed to get useful output after just a couple of hours. They then reduced the price from several hundred pounds to under £100 so I moved from the free version to the full bought one.

You can design to professional levels then put the parts into assembles i.e. a complete engine. The only limitation on the free version is the number of parts that can be put into an assembly. I believe they have now permanently reduced the price of the software. I wouldn’t use anything else now and the drawings element is really easy and impressive.

Why not just download the free copy and spend a couple of hours using it. You get the drawings capacity with the free version as well. Its only my opinion but if you put turbo cad on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best then I would rate all the CAd packages I tried (including Solidworks full copy) in the 4 to 6 range and Alibre as an 11! I have NO connection to them.

If you are a professional engineer doing this for a living and have been trained on the pro packages my comments may not hold up, but if you are a home model engineer with no previous experience then go Alibre!
5 March 2010 at 22:23 #49436
Bowber
Participant
@bowber
To draw a line horizontal or vertical in Autocad or it’s clones just hold shift while you draw the line.

I use CMS Intellicad for 2D and Alibre for 3D

Steve
21 April 2010 at 19:41 #50987
Dave Harris
Participant
@daveharris36943
Having no knowledge of CAD systems I have tried ‘TurboCad’ and being blunt, cannot make head or tail of the handbook that came with it! I have looked at the comments posted here and am still confused! Can anyone recommend a CAD programme which is basic and does not assume that the user has a fair level of knowledge of the subject, oh , and provideds a hard copy manual as i find it very difficult to try to read any type of book ‘on screen’, finding it much easier to read the ‘old fashioned’ way… a book in ones hand!
21 April 2010 at 21:28 #50992
Engine Builder
Participant
@enginebuilder
I use cadstd. Does all I need. Free download for basic version , you can upgrade to pro version cheaply. I think it was about £15. On line back up is first class.

http://www.cadstd.com

EDIT Cllicking on the link above doesn't seem to work but works if typed into your browser.

Edited By Engine Builder on 21/04/2010 21:36:43

Edited By Katy Purvis on 01/06/2015 12:13:20
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