Technical drawing software
Discussion
If you have no budget, then this will do
https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/plmapp/educ...
As you know, there are loads of CAD systems and they come with a wide variety of price tags.
A lot depends upon what you want to do with it, and where you are starting from, and how much you want to spend.
Many start off with AutoCAD, as it can expand out into other AutoDesk areas, LT, Inventor, Fusion 360, 3D studio etc.… personally I’ve always found it clunky.
https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/plmapp/educ...
As you know, there are loads of CAD systems and they come with a wide variety of price tags.
A lot depends upon what you want to do with it, and where you are starting from, and how much you want to spend.
Many start off with AutoCAD, as it can expand out into other AutoDesk areas, LT, Inventor, Fusion 360, 3D studio etc.… personally I’ve always found it clunky.
Takemeaway said:
Need recommendations on technical drawing software - i'm aware of CAD (and the costs of it!) but i'm looking for something that is very simple to use and a whole lot cheaper
Drawings would need to be to scale
What do you mean 'to scale' . are you after making templates for something? Drawings would need to be to scale
On screen it shrinks to fit as you do it.
Like has been said, what are you drawing. ?
Takemeaway said:
Need recommendations on technical drawing software - i'm aware of CAD (and the costs of it!) but i'm looking for something that is very simple to use and a whole lot cheaper
Drawings would need to be to scale
What are you trying to draw?Drawings would need to be to scale
I use LibreCad extensively. Free, open source, a bit lumpy, but not notably worse than “high end” stuff I used years ago
I’ve used it for “proper work” BTW rather than hobby. But be aware it doesn’t hold your hand - think of it as digital paper.I also use Fusion 360 for modelling work. I’m not really a fan of the drawing module, but some get on with it ok.
There are plenty of free / cheap options out there. Do tell us more about your use case.
Thread has brought back many memories for me,
I used to be an authorised Autocad dealer technical support technician for the 1st company I worked for after leaving school, from April 1984 - March 1995.
Company called Albany Data Systems Limited in Glasgow.
We sold complete systems (NEC Hardware) to architects etc, as well as having a highly successful business selling accounting software to loads of SME's on the west coast of Scotland.
I loved it when they brought out 3D Studio, could spend my whole day just converting images in to 3D with all the texturing features.
Hopefully I can track down on my old hard drive a 3D model I made of Ibrox Stadium (Glasgow Rangers) - Union Jack fluttering, during this time.
Developed it into a screen saver (I play keyboards, bagpipes), accompanied with all the Rangers party tunes.
Setup a website, sold all over the world at $10 a time for years.
Beer money and the bank always f ucked me over on currency conversions, good fun all the same.
I got an old mate a job in this company, told me he could write software, Talking bulls
t. Mad Tim.
Made it impossible for him to change his screensaver for mine for at least a month - Payback indeed when you could't turn the Sash off until you paid me $10 !
God, what a fkin laugh I've had during the years,
Dougie.
I used to be an authorised Autocad dealer technical support technician for the 1st company I worked for after leaving school, from April 1984 - March 1995.
Company called Albany Data Systems Limited in Glasgow.
We sold complete systems (NEC Hardware) to architects etc, as well as having a highly successful business selling accounting software to loads of SME's on the west coast of Scotland.
I loved it when they brought out 3D Studio, could spend my whole day just converting images in to 3D with all the texturing features.
Hopefully I can track down on my old hard drive a 3D model I made of Ibrox Stadium (Glasgow Rangers) - Union Jack fluttering, during this time.
Developed it into a screen saver (I play keyboards, bagpipes), accompanied with all the Rangers party tunes.
Setup a website, sold all over the world at $10 a time for years.
Beer money and the bank always f ucked me over on currency conversions, good fun all the same.
I got an old mate a job in this company, told me he could write software, Talking bulls
t. Mad Tim.Made it impossible for him to change his screensaver for mine for at least a month - Payback indeed when you could't turn the Sash off until you paid me $10 !
God, what a f
kin laugh I've had during the years,Dougie.
Edited by driver67 on Monday 20th April 07:06
Edited by driver67 on Monday 20th April 07:11
Just to jump on this thread, I'm also looking for a 2D drafting package, for free, but it needs to be able to print drawings out 1:1. If the drawing is bigger than A4, it needs to be able to print it out in "poster" mode so I can tape it together. Corel Draw 9 used to do that kind of printing, do any of the free CAD packages do it? I downloaded one (called FreeCAD, I think) but I couldn't make it print at all, never mind how I wanted.
I want to knock up templates either for me to cut around in steel, or to send to people to be laser cut. But before I commit to paying for laser cutting, I'd like to be able to print out and place against the original template piece to make sure I have things in the right place.
I want to knock up templates either for me to cut around in steel, or to send to people to be laser cut. But before I commit to paying for laser cutting, I'd like to be able to print out and place against the original template piece to make sure I have things in the right place.
You can download a free trial of both AutoCAD and LT for a month i.e two month's free software. You can't use different email addresses on the same PC if you wanted to get more than a month of each.
ETA. LT is now like the standard AutoCAD of old rather than the stripped back package it used to be. The full AutoCAD has loads more 3D functionality. You can still view and play around with 3D in LT but to nowhere near the extent of the full one.
ETA. LT is now like the standard AutoCAD of old rather than the stripped back package it used to be. The full AutoCAD has loads more 3D functionality. You can still view and play around with 3D in LT but to nowhere near the extent of the full one.
Edited by Crook on Monday 20th April 11:14
I use Solid Edge at work and the 2D version appears to be free although never used it.
https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/plmapp/educ...
https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/plmapp/educ...
droopsnoot said:
Just to jump on this thread, I'm also looking for a 2D drafting package, for free, but it needs to be able to print drawings out 1:1. If the drawing is bigger than A4, it needs to be able to print it out in "poster" mode so I can tape it together. Corel Draw 9 used to do that kind of printing, do any of the free CAD packages do it? I downloaded one (called FreeCAD, I think) but I couldn't make it print at all, never mind how I wanted.
I want to knock up templates either for me to cut around in steel, or to send to people to be laser cut. But before I commit to paying for laser cutting, I'd like to be able to print out and place against the original template piece to make sure I have things in the right place.
Rather than chase that functionality, this is what I’d do:I want to knock up templates either for me to cut around in steel, or to send to people to be laser cut. But before I commit to paying for laser cutting, I'd like to be able to print out and place against the original template piece to make sure I have things in the right place.
(1) use your CAD software of choice
(2) print the file at 1:1 to a PDF
(3) use your PDF reader of choice to print out the “tiles” (ideally with crop marks so you can line everything up)
Adobe Reader (free) will print tiled PDFs, as will many other alternatives.
skwdenyer said:
Rather than chase that functionality, this is what I’d do:
(1) use your CAD software of choice
(2) print the file at 1:1 to a PDF
(3) use your PDF reader of choice to print out the “tiles” (ideally with crop marks so you can line everything up)
Adobe Reader (free) will print tiled PDFs, as will many other alternatives.
You should also be able to print straight from your CAD software in the same way. A long time ago we would do this for setting out drawings for bespoke joinery items: you'd draw the page plot size rectangles over the drawing (obviously all drawn 1:1) then print and stick. Tedious but it worked!(1) use your CAD software of choice
(2) print the file at 1:1 to a PDF
(3) use your PDF reader of choice to print out the “tiles” (ideally with crop marks so you can line everything up)
Adobe Reader (free) will print tiled PDFs, as will many other alternatives.
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