In the past week or so, somebody mentioned a drawing program he was using, and I cannot find it again, and, believe me, I have sifted through a mountain of dreck, as well as a lot of serious and genuine posts.
Anybody care to metion their favorite cheap drawing program?
On Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:27:48 -0700, the infamous Winston scrawled the following:
I'm not Flash, but I represent all the tightwads out here in recessionist America when I say "Winnie, Winnie, Winnie, *$1,174 IS NEITHER CHEAP NOR INEXPENSIVE!" Hayseuss Crisco, my wallet is still whining after that one.
I think Flash meant TurboCAD, SmartCad, Envisioneer, and SketchUP (free versions) etc.
Rhino 5, Training CDs 0, Visual Tips = ,174
- If the gods had meant us to vote, they'd have given us candidates. --------------
=========== Another good alternative, is the IntelliCAD clone of AutoCAD with some of the free lisp or vb add-ins.
I like the CMS version and find that it will run most all of the Autocad add-ins [everything I've tried]
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version is about 150$ if you include raster imaging and 3-d rendering about 210$
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There are several lisp add-ins that will allow you to pick points using osnap such as the end points and centers of arcs and will print these coordinates on the print. If you have drawn the part to scale this makes manual g-code programming a snap. I even have one that I will send you that doubles the Y values for diameter lathe programming. Simply move/rotate the cartoon so
0,0 is at a good point of origin and start picking points. Use seperate/additional layers if the part is complex.
(If you are doing turbine blades you can ignore this suggestion.)
Unka' George [George McDuffee]
------------------------------------------- He that will not apply new remedies, must expect new evils: for Time is the greatest innovator: and if Time, of course, alter things to the worse, and wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the better, what shall be the end?
Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English philosopher, essayist, statesman. Essays, "Of Innovations" (1597-1625).
Not my personal favorite, but Alibre is well regarded and the Express version is free. It's a 3D parametric modeler like Solidworks, Inventor, Solid Edge, etc.
On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:46:32 -0400, the infamous "Ed Huntress" scrawled the following:
IF you're married AND have one or both of those options available, go for it. I used to be able to get Adobe products for $100 as a reseller. They divorced us.
It's proper to buy a new tool to do a job. It's improper to buy the horse when all you need is a quick ride on occasion. that horse costs you a house, a car, an entire wardrobe, etc...and that's all _before_ the divorce.
--Cur, the Mudgeon.
- If the gods had meant us to vote, they'd have given us candidates. --------------
So just want did it cost in current configuration?
Wes
-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller
I think the pro version is about a thousand and change. Does both solid and sheet metal and comes with a CAM package. I haven't used the CAM package so I can't speak for it. There is also a free version called design xpress that is pretty powerful, but can't do sheet metal, which was a deal-killer for me.
Be advised that discounts and freebees are available and the salespeople are highly motivated to close a deal. I've gotten a couple of years of free support and some training DVD's that way.
The following is gonna sound like SPAM so go on to the next subject if you are of delicate sensibilities.
/* Begin SPAM
I wish I could sit you down in front of my computer running Rhino so that you could experience it for yourself. There ain't *nothing* like putting together your first few 3D objects using a tool that gradually 'disappears' and becomes part of you.
This is from the perspective of someone who is much happier learning alone rather than in a classroom, generally speaking. There are exceptions to that of course. I have taken a couple of Rhino's self-paced tutorials but no 'official' training at all.
I coached a contractor buddy of mine as he assembled a 3D frame building. At the end of his *first two hours* he had all four walls up and was working on window openings. This is absolutely from cold. At the beginning of the session he barely knew CAD existed. Contrast that with the weeks of frustration it took me to make U$99.95 Generic CADD 2D do something useful. (And the day from hell trying to get Autocad to do anything except reject commands.)
At the end of your first Rhino session you'll say "Only about a grand for that functionality? What's the catch?" There ain't no catch. It works real well.
I used Rhino to design this bracket to convert my hydraulic cart to 'lift it itself' functionality a while ago.
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If an untrainable retarded geriatric can do that, (and I did!) then it means Rhino is just a great tool.
By now, Rhino has lots of competent low - cost competitors. I am long since flat out of time to evaluate them and for me, Rhino comes the closest to the perfect CAD software.
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