4MCAD from Mintronics

[Steve Skelton 1Participant @steveskelton1]

John, no worries. I had a look at QCAD and that also looks interesting – it now seems I am spoilt for choice – I just need to find out what I best get on with, based on my limited AutoCad experience.

[TomkParticipant @tomk39956]

Posted by Steve Skelton 1 on 30/06/2021 09:16:12:

Hi All,

I have used Autocad 2006 in the past and felt very comfortable with it, Whilst I am not a power user it did what I wanted and allowed me to modify the timber-frame design drawings of the house I built.

I can no longer use the 2006 software I had as it does not run on 64 bit PC's.

I am looking to invest the time (and money) in a standalone, non-subscription CAD package that will allow me to modify my library of existing Autocad drawings and produce some new layouts that I need.

Does anyone have any experience with the 4MCAD software that Mintronics sell and do you have any views? I have tried LibreCAD but for some reason I am unable to load any of the files as it claims that I do not have the permissions. I have tried changing the permissions but with no success.

Steve

I have the clasic version 19 of the 4MCAD software. I can open Autocad files i did in 2002 that were drawn in Autocad 2000.

The software is very similar to Autocad with the same style of command line. There is some things that are different

from the autocad 2000 I used but none that have caused me any problems. It also works well with Alibre atom 3D

TomK

[Anonymous]

Posted by Steve Skelton 1 on 01/07/2021 16:32:14:

What I am looking for is a replacement for AutoCad that works in a similar manner with regards to drawing tools and layout. I really would like to avoid the time it would take to learn a radically different piece of software. As I mentioned I am prepared to pay for the software, just not too much!!!

Have you actually tried installing your 32-bit version of Autocad on a 64-bit computer? There's no fundamental reason why it wouldn't install and from your above comments, staying with Autocad would seem to be the ideal solution for you.

If you run into any problem it's more likely to be an incompatibility with the Windows version than the bit-width. But don't give up on that score without trying it: Eudora (email program) is still happily working away on Win-10 despite not being supported since 2006).

If all else fails you could run an earlier Windows version, either a dual boot or as an added OS running under the main Windows installation (sorry – I'm having a senior moment and can't remember the term for this )

[Steve Skelton 1Participant @steveskelton1]

Tom, hurray, at last someone who has used it. I also am looking at the classic version – have you any gripes when using it? When you say it works well with Atom3D what are you doing with it?

Steve

[Steve Skelton 1Participant @steveskelton1]

Peter, yes it comes up with a statement box which says words to the effect of "This software is designed to run on a 32 bit PC and will not work on this PC". Others have got around it but to be honest I cannot be bothered with all the faff of what is involved. I did reload it on an older 32-bit laptop but I want it on my main PC where I do everything else.

Whilst £110+VAT is a reasonable amount to pay for software life is too short to be wasting hours trying to work around the installation of an old version of AutoCad.

[TomkParticipant @tomk39956]

Posted by Steve Skelton 1 on 01/07/2021 17:37:16:

Tom, hurray, at last someone who has used it. I also am looking at the classic version – have you any gripes when using it? When you say it works well with Atom3D what are you doing with it?

Steve

Steve

No gripes just use it like autocad took me while to set up the tools the way I wanted them. It also similar to draftsight which works the same way as AutoCad. One good thing is you do not have to search for a tile if you know the command just type it in e.g circle. by the time you have type "cir" the box apears you then select the command and another box pops up with all the autocad options like 2point, 3point and tangent options.

You can open DXF manufacturing drawing created in ATOM3D then modify and dimension easier than ATOM3D. It is also possibe to do the oposite by creating a 2d view then convert to 3d model in ATOM3D.

It is not as easy as just importing a file you have to open the file in ATOM3D then copy and paste into the 3d model page.

Screen shot of file exported from Atom3D to 4Mcad no dimesions

TomK

[Steve Skelton 1Participant @steveskelton1]

Tom, brilliant, many thanks

Steve

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 01/07/2021 15:25:11:

Thanks, Martin … I will have a look

My own ‘familiarity’ with Autocad goes way back to the early DOS versions; and I still struggle with most of the modern GUIs

I like the ability to do 2D CAD with just the drawing on-screen and all the ‘buttons’ on the edge of a digitising tablet,.

… it’s probably just nostalgia

MichaelG.

.

Ref. **LINK** : http://moi3d.com/

Michael.

If you do take a look at MoI and you're not sure how to use a particular tool, simply select that tool and then click the '? Help' key on the lower/right area of the screen and MoI will display specific information about it along with examples of use.

Here's the second part of me constructing a bevel gear.

Martin.

[Steve Skelton 1Participant @steveskelton1]

Duncan, I have tried to install NanoCad but without success – it tries to load .NET Framework 3.5 but my PC point blank refuses to accept it. It throws up an error code 0x800F0922 . I have followed Microsoft instructions on how to deal with it but my PC keeps saying NO.

So unfortunately I am going to have to give in trying to load it – I spent about two hours trying , rebooting and am now giving up.

Steve

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Steve, I'd save yourself £110 (+VAT) and try Solid Edge. I'm completely smitten with it now.

It's not what I did but you can get into SE very simply by just using it in 2D mode (e.g. 2D sketching in 'Draft' documents) and leave the more powerful 3D aspects until you need them. I know you already have some AutoCAD knowledge etc but SE is well worth considering in my view.

Regards,

IanT

[Steve Skelton 1Participant @steveskelton1]

Ian, looking at Solid Edge it only gives a free limited-time trial use of the software, the basic entry level is $75 a month.

How did you get yours?

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Steve,

No idea why NanoCad is being problematical, I've now downloaded it 3 times successfully on both W7 and W10

I think you must be looking in the wrong place for SE, I downloaded a free version but I found it difficult to get on with. Very different to the AutoCad I'm used to, and it's inability to tie linetype and colour to layers was a fatal flaw for me, so I've not downloaded it to the latest PC. However others swear by it (I swore at it!), and as a gateway to their free 3D CAD it should not be dismissed.

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Posted by Steve Skelton 1 on 02/07/2021 11:07:31:

Ian, looking at Solid Edge it only gives a free limited-time trial use of the software, the basic entry level is $75 a month.

How did you get yours?

It does seem a little confusing when you first Google it Steve – but you have to look for the "Community" edition.

Solid Edge 2020 Community Edition

It's a free lifetime license, everything runs (& stores) locally on your PC (it's Windows only), so there are no 'cloud' issues to concern you and it's the full SE2020 product.

The only product 'limitations' per-se, are that files created with SE 'Community' cannot be opened by commercially licensed SE users (and vice versa I suspect) and drawings have a SE 'watermark' – neither of which will be a problem for most of us here I suspect. Other than that it has exactly the same power and feature set as the basic commercial 3D product from Siemens.

I'm not a 3D CAD expert but SE2020 seems to compare very well with other commercial 3D offerings. It's taken me a little while to get into "3D" CAD (which would probably have been true of other similar 3D CAD products too) but I didn't know a year ago that you could also use SE just in '2D mode'.

To do this you simply open a new 'Draft' document and then click on the 'Sketching' tab. You can then use the same drawing tools that you would normally use in 3D mode to create your 2D drawings. This should be a very useful half-way house if you want to try 3D eventually.

Before SE2020 – I was using what was essentially a 2D product (TurboCAD DL) and trying to migrate up to 3D using it. I finally gave up and jumped into the deep end with Solid Edge 2020 (3D) – but I think using SE in 2D mode and gradually learning how to migrate up to 3D might be a much easier route in – and everything is already there ready when you want to try.

Regards,

IanT

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by blowlamp on 02/07/2021 09:36:15:

.

Here's the second part of me constructing a bevel gear. […]

.

Impressive stuff

Thanks

MichaelG.

[brian jones 11Participant @brianjones11]

OMG MG

I like the ability to do 2D CAD with just the drawing on-screen and all the ‘buttons’ on the edge of a digitising tablet,.

I remember ACAD dos days too Quam tempus fugit

I also remeber ACAD slow to take Windows environment on board (given the abominable W95 there were good reasons)

We also trained up a host of grunt TCN CAD operators so I had no further need to keep up skills

These skills you dont so much lose (like cycling) as become incredibly slow when reusing, like picking up a bike after 20 years and comparing yourself to a racing athlete. These Cad ops can be mustard.

[Author]

Posts