| Author | Message | ||
     99savage |
Retired last September after about a qazzilion years in Engineering but being idle not my forte. Decided to start consulting. My strong suite is foundry work, especially designing cast items. Want cheap or better yet free CAD. Will need a lot of flexibility to import & export files created on a variety of systems. Am very familiar w/ Prime Medusa & CadKey. A little familiar w/ AutoCad. Suggestions! Thanks. | ||
| Scottykrein |
Here's a link for a few if you're willing to run Linux. http://www.linuxlinks.com/Software/Graphics/CAD/ | ||
| Benm2 |
http://www.alibre.com It's parametric 3D. Not as good as Solidworks & its friends, but a single seat can be had for about a grand. It will export neutral 3D and AutoCAD 2d, it will import STEP, IGES, SAT. They are supposed to be coming out with a "universal translator" in about a month, if you want to wait. I've been using it for about 4 years. Some of its "issues" can be a pain in the backside, but I always remind myself that annual maintenance on solidwerks costs more than my seat. | ||
| J2blue |
Have you thought about using Sketchup? It may be alright for less than industrial purposes in its free version. It is under constant improvement with lots of 3rd party plugins adding import, rendering, and other capabilities. | ||
| Steve_mackay |
I'll 2nd the Alibre comment. Now, if you're just doing single casting type stuff, and not dealing with big assemblies, you can get by with the SUPER cheap(as in free), Alibre design express https://www.alibre.com/products/xpress/xpress_for_ all.asp | ||
| B00stzx3 |
Bittorrent. | ||
| Steve_mackay |
Yeah, steal the software for consulting, yeah, that's an intelligent suggestion.  | ||
| Nevrenuf |
isn't dell supposed to start installing autocadd on their computers as standard software. i'm working on bentley autoplant 3d right now for piping but also started doing some modeling with the autocadd 3d. a couple of the guys that i work with showed me some of the stuff that solidworks can do and that is some pretty neat stuff for design work. | ||
| Froggy |
Nevrenuf, I doubt that. AutoCAD costs more than most computers, and 99.9% of their customers won't even know what it is. If anything it would come with a 30 day demo on some business models. | ||
| Woody1911a1 |
wow KeyCad still have my copy  personally i liked TurboCad . affordable and always had everything i needed for my architectural drawings . even after i found out autocad and the others were free  i still used turbocad . http://www.turbocad.com/TurboCAD/TurboCAD15/TurboC ADDeluxe15/TurboCADDeluxe15AnniversaryEdition/tabi d/1121/Default.aspx?gclid=CInKlIvp5JgCFQEoGgodXmaj dw | ||
| B00stzx3 |
"Yeah, steal the software for consulting, yeah, that's an intelligent suggestion." That wasn't serious, lighten up. (Message edited by b00stzx3 on February 18, 2009) | ||
| Nevrenuf |
that's just what i was hearing froggy. if they do, it would probably be an autocadd lt version of somekind. | ||
| B00stzx3 |
Found an open-cource (free and usually good quality) CAD program http://www.cademia.org/frontend/index.php?sub=29 | ||
| Terribletim |
If you want a good free one I would recommend looking into DoubleCAD. It was going to be A/CAD, produced by IMSI, makers of TurboCAD. However, Autodesk balked at the name, so they changed it to DoubleCAD. Check this link - http://firstlook.imsidesign.com/ You have to register to get to it, but it is free, and from the same guys as TurboCAD, which is not a bad product if you wanted to spend a little money on a program. The whole theory of DoubleCAD was to produce a FREE drafting and detailing program. Might be worth a look. Tim McDougald CAD Manager KMB Design Groups Olympia, Washington | ||
| Arcticktm |
Maybe consider a student/learner version of Solidworks, Pro\E, etc? I've seen ads for Solidworks student for <$100. Note sure what Pro\E wants, probably more, since there regular licenses are $$$. They have limited add-ons, but at least then you have a mainstream CAD app that should allow you to make pretty robust universal neutral files. That might be important if you will be dealing with lots of different customers with many different big-name systems. I have worked with contractors/consultants before that used cut rate CAD, and it could be frustrating when their neutral files imported like garbage. | ||
| Buellhusker |
I had purchased a 24 month Student subscription for Solid Works when I was taking a CAD class it has some liminations and you have to have the student ID to get it. It cost me $199.95 and it self destructed in 2 years. I was lucky as the company reinbursed me for all my expenses while taking that class | ||
| Xb12mel |
...going out on a limb here, but.... Blender (www.blender.nl) But I just started playing around with it. I do know it's free and I know it's powerful enough to design 3D video games with. | ||
| Ulyscol |
A very cool but not very useful for industry software is Google Skethup. It is basically a parametric 3d modeling program for free! | ||
| Buelleaver |
proe was running a free 30 trial for wildfire 4 a while back. It may still be going on. | ||
| Dummkauf |
There is open source software for windows too. Here are a couple optioins for CAD. I've got no experience with them since I don't do drafting but they're free and open source. http://brlcad.org/ http://archimedes.incubadora.fapesp.br/portal Otherwise there's google sketchup if you just want 3D modeling http://sketchupv.google.com/ | ||
| Oldbiker |
99savage.....do yourself a favor....get into linux.It'll massage yer brain,i'm from the T square,triangle and french curve era....so the task is do able.It also insulates you from the clutches of mr. microsoft. Steve |
