CAD Program

Post by **Raveen** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:29 am

Blender is easy but not all that helpful for 2d work so far as I'm aware.

dusanc · Post by **dusanc** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:35 am

Don't try to use blender for it it's not a CAD program.

If you want free AutoCAD clone you can try QCAD

MrChaos · Post by **MrChaos** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:47 am

what are you trying to do? A one time schematic of the piping in your house don't bother with anything more complicated then say Visio. Heck even a MS Paint-like app would be ok. Heck Lexaal suggestion to use Excel works too, it just depends on the intent. A sustained use of it to learn a new trade is a different answer. Each industry has a different response. Right tool, right job.

AutoDesk or AutoCAD for a one time use is way to much work to learn imho. After relgion, politics, sports, and PC operating systems the fervor of support amongst the CAD fanboys is pretty intense. I hate all CAD equally

Free Visio
Autodesk ( more approrpiate for the construction field )
AutoCAD ( more approrpiate for small business doing light 3D models )

I'd steer clear of the full featured paramatric modeling tools like NX, Catia, ProE etc

I don't know enough about the other suggestions to yea or nay them but blender is probably not the best choice given its intended purpose

Post by **Papsmear** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:43 pm

I need a program that will allow me to do 2D & 3D Vessels/Pumps/Piping/Valves/Fittings, etc on an industrial level. My boss wants me to expand my current abilities from doing hand drawn isometrics to producing work on an AutoCad type program in 3D.
I have to pay for it so I am looking for something functional, fairly easy to learn and not too expensive. AutoCad Light (which Sucks) is about $600 and only does 2D, the full blown AutoCad program is $1500 + and addition costs for add ons.

Terran · Post by **Terran** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 9:20 pm

MrChaos wrote:QUOTE (MrChaos @ Feb 16 2012, 06:47 AM) what are you trying to do? A one time schematic of the piping in your house don't bother with anything more complicated then say Visio. Heck even a MS Paint-like app would be ok. Heck Lexaal suggestion to use Excel works too, it just depends on the intent. A sustained use of it to learn a new trade is a different answer. Each industry has a different response. Right tool, right job.

AutoDesk or AutoCAD for a one time use is way to much work to learn imho. After relgion, politics, sports, and PC operating systems the fervor of support amongst the CAD fanboys is pretty intense. I hate all CAD equally

Free Visio
Autodesk ( more approrpiate for the construction field )
AutoCAD ( more approrpiate for small business doing light 3D models )

I'd steer clear of the full featured paramatric modeling tools like NX, Catia, ProE etc

I don't know enough about the other suggestions to yea or nay them but blender is probably not the best choice given its intended purpose

erm, Autodesk is the company that does AutoCAD and a bunch of other CAD products

Paps, in all honesty it's extremely unfair for your boss to make you pay for a program that is needed for the job... I don't think this is very common........ but I think there is a good reason why AutoCAD is used 99% of the time in the industry. You're better off learning to do AutoCAD if only just so you can collaborate with other drafters if you need to (they will most likely be using AutoCAD too for the same reason). In this industry I have only heard AutoCAD used and sometimes MicroStation. Then again I am a student with only a year's experience in the field soooooo

btw, there's lots of free AutoCAD tutorials online that are really good and will easily get you started.

MrChaos · Post by **MrChaos** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:25 am

Yes I am well aware AutoDesk is a prouct of AutoCAD mother company. It is specifically designed for what his boss is asking him to do and you know the link is to the company's website.

AutoCAD is NOT used 99% of the time in the business world, and almost any larger company usually doesn't even have a single seat of it. As a soon to be engineer your resume passes across my desk with the word AutoCAD on it I would wonder why your Uni wasn't teaching you how to use one of the industry standards Terran. Sincerely. All of the recent college grad hires were because they had either NX or Catia experience. AutoCAD is a nice tool meant for specific functions but to do a real 3D modeling, CAD, CAE etc it can't hold the jockstrap of the Catia, NX, ProE etc

Paps

All the links were for a free trial. You can get a student version of just about any of the blizzard of CAD programs mentioned. Sign up for class(es) at the local community college, buy the software at the 90% reduced student rate, and the drop the course if you wish. If its for your current job learn AutoCAD, which would be the right fit for you, given the really limited info I have to go on. If you want to design things on a tube for a living, bite the bullet and learn Catia, NX, or ProE. Also learn TeamCenter or one of its VPM like ilk which is nothing more then a super duper database management tool.

I think the best thing to ask your boss is the intent. Is it going to stay within the company or will it be shared with your customers and suppliers? Honestly this is a bit more of an indepth question then a quick fanboy recommendation. No matter what software package you pick they all require a serious commitment of time, don't let anyone bull@#(! you otherwise. If you'd like to talk about it further I'll be online this weekend. Also if you live in the US, which iirc you do, there just might be Obama money for you. They'll help pay for the software and classes. Several of my former collegues went back to school and learned CAD after a layoff and got the classes paid.

Your Pal
MrChaos

fwiffo · Post by **fwiffo** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:33 am

theres qcad and librecad for ubuntu linux (free) but these are both for 2d

Terran · Post by **Terran** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:43 pm

MrChaos wrote:QUOTE (MrChaos @ Feb 16 2012, 08:25 PM) Yes I am well aware AutoDesk is a prouct of AutoCAD mother company. It is specifically designed for what his boss is asking him to do and you know the link is to the company's website.

AutoCAD is NOT used 99% of the time in the business world, and almost any larger company usually doesn't even have a single seat of it. As a soon to be engineer your resume passes across my desk with the word AutoCAD on it I would wonder why your Uni wasn't teaching you how to use one of the industry standards Terran. Sincerely. All of the recent college grad hires were because they had either NX or Catia experience. AutoCAD is a nice tool meant for specific functions but to do a real 3D modeling, CAD, CAE etc it can't hold the jockstrap of the Catia, NX, ProE etc

Paps

All the links were for a free trial. You can get a student version of just about any of the blizzard of CAD programs mentioned. Sign up for class(es) at the local community college, buy the software at the 90% reduced student rate, and the drop the course if you wish. If its for your current job learn AutoCAD, which would be the right fit for you, given the really limited info I have to go on. If you want to design things on a tube for a living, bite the bullet and learn Catia, NX, or ProE. Also learn TeamCenter or one of its VPM like ilk which is nothing more then a super duper database management tool.

I think the best thing to ask your boss is the intent. Is it going to stay within the company or will it be shared with your customers and suppliers? Honestly this is a bit more of an indepth question then a quick fanboy recommendation. No matter what software package you pick they all require a serious commitment of time, don't let anyone bull@#(! you otherwise. If you'd like to talk about it further I'll be online this weekend. Also if you live in the US, which iirc you do, there just might be Obama money for you. They'll help pay for the software and classes. Several of my former collegues went back to school and learned CAD after a layoff and got the classes paid.

Your Pal
MrChaos

mrc that's cause you're a mechanical engineer, ofc AutoCAD isn't used or taught for mech applications, it's mostly a civil tool which i think is also the type of project our dead Paps is involved in (he did say "piping system layout" which as i understand it involves a plan and elevation view, which is actually usually drawn in 2D). i interned in an architectural firm with about 3200 employees world-wide, so not a small company by any means, and all the drafters and architects use either AutoCAD or MicroStation. also during this internship i worked on a project as a sub-consultant to Parsons Brinckerhoff, which is probably one of the biggest engineering firms in the world, and they all used AutoCAD too. oh and there was this other project i worked on way over in the UK where the prime was Arup... also one of the largest engineering firms worldwide... we exchanged AutoCAD files all the time too. *shrug*

oh and AutoCAD is the product of Autodesk... Autodesk IS the mother company.

MonAG · Post by **MonAG** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:10 pm

Ok, I asked someone who knows a bit more than me about CAD programs, and apparently there is a program called IntelliCAD, which is a close substitute to AutoCAD. It has full compatibility with AutoCAD files, at a lower price (not free, but cheaper).

sr71 · Post by **sr71** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:28 am

I would try blender. It's very powerful and somewhat easy to learn, and there's even a pipe joint plug-in.

blender.org