Hey all. Was just wondering if anyone knows of a free CAD program for beginners that is easy to use. I have NO experience using CAD programs at all. I have looked at a few different one that one can use to create buildings and floorplans but that isn't exactly what I am looking for. I would like to be able to do 2D and 3D drawings of a couple of machines I am planning on building. I know Auto CAD would be the best but I can't afford to buy it.
Help please...
Might find something of interest here.
http://www.freecad.com
http://freeware.intrastar.net/cadsoftware.htm
http://sourceforge.net/projects/free-cad
Im not to sure what level your looking for, but google sketch up does well, especially for a free program,,,,,,,bedway
I am totally a beginner with CAD. I have looked at a couple in the past but that was a far as I got. I would prefer to have something with a tutorial of such to help me learn.
Thanks for the links Donk. Gonna go check them out. ;)
Sketch Up will be the one to use. I draw trusses and floor plans with it. Very good with 3D stuff and easy to learn and use. It has a small tutorial with it.
22 years ago I used CADKEY on a DOS-PC in university, we used it for basic mechanical engineering drawings. I liked using a keyboard and typing commands. Geesh has it been that long? ::) It's still being developed as KeyCreator and costs several thousand $$ now. Probably been around longer than AutoCad.
SD, I have an off shoot from it called Key Home Gardener. It is just for landscape design and layout.
I am a mechaical designer for a local idustrial/ mechaical contractor. I have used a lot of diffrent packages over the years mostly Autocad and currently Solidworks ( 3d package ). Your best bet is find someone that is in school and buy a student copy to start. Still several hundred dollars but a lot chaper then several thousand, and you get the full package 2d / 3d. The only thing about the 3d autocad is very combersome and hard to learn. You may want to look at some of the 3d modeling packages Solidworks/Inventor. They are much easier to learn. Also if you start doing the 3d you want a good computer. If you are just going to use 2d just get the student lite version of Autocad. You will need a student with a valid school id and a book store. You used to be able just to purchase it online I am not sure anymore.
I used CADKEY way back when I had a real job. Ran it on my Compac 33. Used start to render a sphere, go to lunch and it might be done when I got back. It was a very nice program though, I think we paid around 4K for it back then.
I do not want to purchase a program at this time. I really don't know if CAD is my thing yet. I downloaded Alibre from one of the links Swamp Donkey gave. This program has a tutorial with it. I have watched it a few times over trying to get the grasp of it. The tutorial dives right into the 3D from the start.
Think I can make due with 2 D program if I can't get the grasp of the 3D I got. I will give it one more try though.
well after 6 or 7 hours of plying around, Get goggle sketchup. Granted what I did wasn't pretty but a friend from another forum touched up the areas I had screwed up. Makes it a lot easier to show some one what you want to build
I have google sketchup on the computer but haven't gotten the grasp of it. I have come to the conclusion that I will just draw stuff out on paper or find a 2D program that is very easy to use. From what I understand I could always save the drawings in a certain format then I could get someone who knows 3D to expand the drawings to what I want.
Gonna give sketchup a try a bit later tonight. Maybe it's a little easier than Alibre. ???
I do all my drawings by hand for wood working. I once took a drawing for my trailer to a local shop to get a quote on it. With the price they quoted they must have thought they needed to draw/design it first in AutoCad of something. I said #### that and took it to a guy that does metal works on the side and got the trailer built based on my hand sketch for 1/3 the price. I like dealing with down to earth people. :)
I hear ye loud and clear. The welding shops around here don't even wanna look at you unless you got money on the spot before they do anything. Actually most of the decent shops around here don't have the time to do small projects. The manufacturing sector is booming in Saskatchewan just like the oil. I can do the welding I want to do. It'll take me alot longer but it'll get done. Just wanna have plans in front of me to go off of. Really don't matter if they are 2D or 3D a whole lot. A drawing to some sort of scale is all I need. Chances are they'll be changed more than once before the project is finished anyways. ;D
Here in USA we have a online bulletin board called Craigs list. You may be able to find and old release that someone has sitting around that they are no longer using. By the way what are you trying to design?
I have done a bit of work with a free program called Deltacad. It is 2D with good scale/measurement features and fairly easy to learn - it must be - I learned it ;D
Sprucegum, I'll check that out. I really just want something simple to use since I am not all that computer savvy. ;) Sounds like it's may be the one I need.
little Bark, I am in the process of designing a low ground pressure tracked skidder unit. I need something small for select logging with minimal ground disturbance. Some of the terrain is pretty swampy and other parts are plain and simply rough. I need to be able to get in between stands of trees without damage to the trees. The unit I want to build is close to the size of the forcat made by Berfor.
Quote from: Coon on January 29, 2008, 07:28:37 PM
I have google sketchup on the computer but haven't gotten the grasp of it.
Gonna give sketchup a try a bit later tonight. Maybe it's a little easier than Alibre. ???
yes it has little quirks, try drawing a rectangle and then pulling it to 3/16 thick >:( turns out after you click on it with the push pull tool, you just type 3/16 hit enter and poof it's 3/16
Spend a bunch of time with the tutorials that come with it, then download some more tutorials. practice practice practice
I'm getting better but I'm still not good. I probably have 8 hours in this and I had help
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11618/boiler1.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11618/boiler2.jpg)
;)I think I'll stick with drawing it out by hand on graph paper. I have a scanner so, I can scan them to put on the computer. Besides I have some of the drawings started on paper.
Still gonna try the Deltacad program that sprucegum had mentioned though. May try to find myself a copy of it tonight.