2D CAD

[Sean Sedwards]

I'm looking for a 2D CAD program for my father to use for mechanical projects and house plans etc. He doesn't have much computer drawing experience so I'm looking for something intuitive and not bloated with features he'll never use - the CAD equivalent of Xara!

So far I've tried AutoCAD LT, TurboCAD and Autosketch, with my preference being the latter. I found AutoCAD LT too sophisticated (i.e. bloated) and difficult to use. TurboCAD was better but I found Autosketch better still, with claimed MS Office compatibility and some rudimentary 3D effects (extrusion). The Autodesk name is also a factor.

It may be my lack of experience, but none of them seem a patch on Xara for usability. Also, the lack of screen redrawing and anti-aliasing in Autosketch are particularly amateurish in comparison to X.

Will I get over it? Is there a better alternative? I'd be interested to hear your comments.

Regards - Sean

[rheaton]

This is a pretty easy to use vector package. It comes with "stencils", that are drag and drop elements. I remember that one of the stencils was for floor plans. I used to use it for some things before I found Xara. I haven't used it in a three or four years and since then it has been assimilated by MS. ("resistance is futile") [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img]

[Bob C.]

Sean:

I cut my teeth on AutoCAD and it can do many things but has (had) a very step learning curve. I have not used it for several years and have never used the lite version.

Later I worked part time for a small company and made TurboCAD the in-house standard with good results and certainly the “biggest bang for the buck�. Much easier to use than AutoCAD - but then most of us had CAD experience.

I just checked their Web site and it seems they have dropped the lest expensive version ($29 US)and only have the “Standard� ($99 US) and “Professional� version ($499.99 US) !!

Have you considered CorelDraw? I was pleasantly surprised to see my version (7) has rudimentary “Cad� capabilities such as dimensioning, scale, arrows etc. I have used it a few times in that capacity when I didn’t need to fire up TurboCAD.

Just my $.02

Bob C.

[carygee]

I use a very powerful but very easy-to-use app that was designed for Windows 95 but works fluidly on Windows XP: Ashlar's "DrawingBoard". Sadly, the program has been unavailable for some time, Ashlar concentrating on the upper end. But you may be able to track down a copy of DB by using Google (www.mcesoft.com comes to mind). The fact that I still use this terrific program (and I'm anything but an engineer), is a testament to its simple but powerful design. Good Luck! (www.ashlar.com for the higher end programs)

Another (more expensive) avenue: www.smartsketch.com. Smartsketch is very powerful but designed for the casual user as well. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif[/img]

[jens g.r. benthien]

I'd like to recommend what Carygeen said: Ashlar DrawingBoard from MCE software. Or the new version: Graphite. Check it out at http://www.ashlar.com. It's simple, screamingly fast, has an unparalleled wizard and drawing assistants and is VERY intuitive!

Doesn't need tons of RAM, installs with a tiny footrpint on the hard drive...what else do you want or need?

If you fall in love with Xara, you will fall in love with Graphite as well (I fell in love with DrawingBoard and then discovered XARA...)

jens

jens g.r. benthien
designer
http://jens.highspeedweb.net

----------//--
If you don't know how to dream you'll never be a designer.
----------//--

[pinkbat]

Hi,

I have never used a CAD programme in my life ... but I have come across several references to JustCAD and bookmarked it, because it's supposed to be extremely simple and user-friendly:

JustCAD

It's also listed at Tucows:
JustCAD at Tucows

On a slightly different note - have any of you come across EVE before?

Embedded Vector Editor
MyEve

Regards,
Britta

[carygee]

I just visited the JustCad link and, sorry to say, I gagged at the screenshot.

DrawingBoard is a true Windows program (no embedded DOS window), is extremely intuitive - especially with a Graphire board - with its (then) pioneering smartcursor (perpendiculars, midpoints, endpoints etc.)It's also rather unique in that you draw in 1:1 scale. So for example, if I want a rectangle 40 feet x 60 feet I input 40' and 60' and bingo, there it is. Want to scale it down to fit the printers page size, merely press a button "scale to fit" and voila! (Standard scales can also be entered). Great dimensioning toold too and a full library of CAD symbols upon request.

Prior to Xara emerging on the scene, this was the true "fun" (and sophisticated) and very productive app I had in my toolbox. (I used to be in real estate development and was known to blow away some of our construction people with my quick and dirty "sketches"!)

Too bad Ashlar dropped it in favor of it's more expensive progenitor. Cheers! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[houseofman]

http://www.givemepower.com/

I know it better as Felix CAD (www.fcad.com)
In the US its now called PowerCAD. I keep up-to-date with AutoCAD as part of my business but this product has its avantages too. 1) Price (even a Free 2D version that might be right up your alley - I didn't know that until now) and 2) It is one of the more aggressive competitors to be AutoCAD compatible.

FelixCAD is used as the graphics engine in other software packages such www.microsurvey.com

Give it a gander.
--
Phillip

[georgetroy]

Hello Sean,
I have Autosketch 8. I started with their first version and have keep up with the upgrades. I use it for sketching my bowl shapes. I like the easy to use dimension tool. They have expanded color with this version. I vote for Autosketch 8. I used this program as far back as 10 years ago. I maded floor plans for our new offices. This was back when I was a corporate rat. I use to be a Vinyl Building Products Application Engineer.

[Sean Sedwards]

Thank you for your suggestions so far. I'll see what I can download and give each suggestion a reasonable trial period - it's important not to reject anything on the first day just because it doesn't work as you expect. BTW, I think the lower priced version of TurboCAD has now become a freeware download.

While I continue investigating I've started my father off with Autosketch because I have a tutorial booklet. With just one session he discovered that it doesn't display the relative distance / angle of a line segment until you release the mouse, meaning you have to re-size everything you draw (it says as much in the booklet). This seems a ridiculous limitation for the market leader, especially when the likes of TurboCAD do it right. Sadly, TurboCAD falls at the next hurdle because it requires two clicks or ALT-R to terminate a line, rather than a simple right click.

If it wasn't for X's silly arrow heads (they're not visible when you're positioning so you have to edit dimension lines several times to get the alignment right) I'd probably recommend my father use it instead of a dedicated CAD package. I also wish the Shape Editor tool would draw a line as soon as you click the mouse, rather than wait till you release it or move the pointer. I can't see any advantage in doing it the way they have.

Regards - Sean