CAD software

[Designerman]

I am interested in what kind of CAD programs woodworkers are using, what their experiences have been with them and what their opinion is about what programs are best. Also if anyone has tried 3D modeling if they could talk about that.

[MadMark]

Been using AutoCAD for 15 years. Even with the LT versions I can give an object an elevation and a thickness and get a good feel for what it's going to look like as I flip the viewpoint around.

Mostly I do regular 2D stuff with it. Faster to draw, faster to render and usually well understood.

When I want 3D I still draw everything in plan view and then I come back and "raise" the parts by selecting a bunch and giving them a common elevation and thickness. This allows me to 3D upgrade a drawing in minutes.

I've got a library of about 1600 drawings on file with every kind of little odd 'n end you can think of.

Draw *EVERYTHING* at 1:1 and use the snap to insure closure of lines. This will allow you to reuse parts over and over on different drawings and have the pieces fit. For example I drew a #2 phillips screw head back in '84 and have used the *SAME* one ever since.

Closure is critical on drawings when you hatch or apply surface textures. Even if the pieces look like they connect on the screen, if you're not on the grid, they won't match perfectly and hatching/patterning will "escape" forcing you to go back and redraw.

AutoCAD has too steep of a learning curve for the average home shop user that just needs to throw out a drawing or two. I learned MIL-STD-100C drafting years ago and am rated "Master" in AutoCAD (I used to teach it) so it's not a problem for me. But more casual users should start with DesignCAD or GenericCAD or one of the simpler (and less costly) packages.

M

[rrich]

Ah MadMark,
I too was a user of GenericCadd. However the company that produces AutoCad purchased the company that produced GenericCadd. It appears that the sole purpose and intent of the purchase was to eliminate the competition from GenericCadd.

The GenericCadd software has survived in a new incarnation at IMSI. ( http://www.turbocad.com ) The software was called Visual CADD and aparently has renamed itself again into TurboCad. This software is very similar to GenericCadd but operates in a windows environment. My version has all the functionality of GenericCadd 6 but is a little akward in some of the windows aspects.

Rich

[MadMark]

http://www.digitalriver.com/dr/v2/ec_MAIN.Entry17c?SP=10007&PN=5&CID=0&SID=24366&PID=280300

[woodspinner]

Although I am no beginner in computers, I am a real new comer to the world of CAD.

And being on a fixed income, I looked for "freeware" although I would purchase something I found easy to work....

I tried several, which will go unamed because I just could not find the ease in use for me[!!!!!!]

I have finally found one that works for me: IntelliCAD 2000 from:::> http://www.cadopia.com/

With it I finally was able to [intuitively] design!

For me the learning curve was fast, for instance I am in hte process of making a mitre guage for my band saw which will be divided by degree marks... and be able to divide those down using a venier rule.... The process of making this was in fact very simple though I am sure that others WOULD have been able to do it with more speed.. the outcome was "mine" and I was so pleased with myself!

I did a search on http://www.google.com for freeware CAD programs
there were lots to choose form BEFORE you buy!

Hope that helps,

Phil

[Lou_williams]

>Been using AutoCAD for 15 years.
>AutoCAD has too steep of a
>learning curve for the average
>home shop user that just
>needs to throw out a
>drawing or two. I learned
>MIL-STD-100C drafting years ago and
>am rated "Master" in AutoCAD
>(I used to teach it)

Mark I am impressed That is one tough program. I have been using a Cad program for a few years that has the right amount of power and ease of use for me. The problem I have is that I am Mac based. For a lot of reasons that have to do with my real job, I don't have a windows machine.

The Cad program I have is no longer available and I know that someday it won't work with the new OS I will have to move to.

I have been looking for a CAD tool for Mac that has the power without the need to learn the professional cad tools. It is not the learning curve that bothers me I use lots of professional software tools and even can get by in Unix. Its the task of keeping the skills on a highend program you don't use every day.

I have a copy of Design Cad 3D and didn't like it. I also don't want to pay $1000 for a tool. Anyone out there using MAC and have a tool they like let me know

[Designerman]

Thanks for the suggestion. Funny you should send me this link. I went ahead and took the plunge and ordered turbocad pro v7 on cd. Part of what sold me was operating system compatibility since I recently converted my machine to windows 2000. IMSI appears to be a solid company with a view to be around for a while. I'm excited and can't wait to get my software.

[MadMark]

You know, looking back, I never did think AutoCAD was that tough. The first time I sat down on it I started drawing like a *fiend*. It seemed very natural to me. For all of the 500 or so commands in it you can do very well if you master about a dozen and can reasonbly use another dozen.

I started with 2.18 and have been drawing with it ever since. The key to using AutoCAD (or any other CAD program for that matter) is the ability to *draw* to begin with. I'd taken a couple of years of drafting in high school and college and had been a working engineer with a drafting table for a few years after that. Sitting down at AutoCAD was *liberating* and I was drawing like I'd written it almost at once.

I also have very good visulization skills (I'm good at spatial problems like packing loads into trucks, etc.) and I can *see* the drawing in my head before I ever lay down line #1.

I've found over the years that if you already know how to draw, constructive geometery, casting perpendiculars, etc., that I can show you how to be effective at AutoCAD in a couple of days. If you have no *clue* how to draw - no matter how good you are with 'puters - it'll take *forever*.

AutoCAD is not a mystery. L - Line, C - Circle, A - Arc, Text - Text, Move/Copy/Trim/Pan/Zoom/Erase/Insert/Dim will get you 90% of the way there, *IF* you already know HOW to draw.

AutoCad commands are mostly single letters and use the left hand extensively. You put your right hand on the mouse and the left on the keyboard and you turn off all the pretty windows menus and stand back and watch the drawing appear like magic! I call it "pianoing" and anyone with a "Master" rating can do it.

I used to CAD with classical music playing in the background. Rachmaninov's Piano Concertos was great. You could actually draw in time with the music (I know it sounds crazy, but it's like learning to type with a metrinome {sp?}). There is one point in the movement where there is the big rest and whenever I was working to that particular song and the rest hit my hands would come up off the keys!

M

[Warren]

I have been using TurboCAD by IMSI now for about 6 years and have found it be very good.
I started using it on IBM compatibles and when I switched over to Mac IMSI gave me a free crossgrade to this platform. I am using version 3 and have not checked for a while if there is a new version for the Macintosh.

Hope this helps

[Lou_williams]

Thanks for the input, I know their latest version is PC only right now. I will check to see if they still sell the older version.

[Scott C., in OH]

I too have been an AutoCad user for 10+ yrs. Currenty using 2000, and got into it when I wet through Architecture program. At that time it was almost a necessity if you wanted to insure a job in the future.

I agree with Mark . . big learning curve with AutoCad. You don't realize it as your going along, because you just want to keep learning more. I'm not sure the learning curve ever ends.

I've heard good things about Turbo Cad and think it was a wise choice. There are many cheapies on the market that are either hard to use or won't do much. You need to spend just enough money to get into something that's a little more flexible my opinion. That way you can use the software to do with what you want, and not be limited by what the software will allow you to do.

Good luck and be careful . . . you'll start working on drawings and look up to see that hours have passed. Addictive stuff.

[Scott C., in OH]

Did I really say, "I wet through Architecture program" in my previous post?

I did drink my share in those years so maybe it's more accurate than I thought.

Spell check anyone?