Autocad "Lite"

I remember a couple years back seeing an inexpensive version of Autocad that was for hobbyists and stuff. I think it was like $100 or maybe 79.99 Does anyone know the name of this edition or if it's still available?

Reply to
RobbieB
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AutoCAD LT

Just guess> I remember a couple years back seeing an inexpensive version of Autocad that

Reply to
Weird

Cost is $899 for a CD or $879 for download

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Reply to
Bob Morrison

Full Disclosure: I'm VP of the Visualcadd Users Group.

IMHO, the best damn 2D drafting program on the market for the money. It's easy to learn, doesn't require huge amounts of system resources (I have a copy running on a Pentium II - 166 with 256K ram), and doesn't cost very much for the program. List price is $395 for download and $450 for CD

If you have a copy of Generic Cadd or Autocad LT you can buy an "upgrade" to VCadd for as little as $109.95

Go here for more info:

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Reply to
Bob Morrison

I remember part of the box design which had a rear bicycle wheel and gears and stuff. I know about autocad LT, I could have sworn it was by autodesk and it was a cheap edition for under $100 oh well.

Reply to
RobbieB

This program?

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Reply to
Al

VCadd is now in capable hands -- Tritools Partners. All the partners are also users. DWG compatibility is much better, but Autodesk makes the DWG format a moving target so VCadd isn't the only cadd program with file compatibility issues. VCadd is now at version 5 and version 6 is being worked on. The program is now way better than the IMSI version (version

3).

The dimensions still don't rotate with the drawing, but we now have Reference Frames (X-refs) which make assembling a drawing easier. They can be used as a form of paperspace.

Probable the the thing I like the most about VCadd is that I can produce an usable drawing in half the time as most people who use Autocad. The program is that easy to use. And one other thing is I'm not giving huge amounts of money to a company (Autodesk) that doesn't care about its customers (but that is a topic for another day).

Reply to
Bob Morrison

VCadd typically saves the multiple drawings as separate files with Reference Frames (X-Refs) to the "Model" drawing. This is one of the items that will get some work in Version 6 as it still does not function as well as it should. Again, the DWG format is a moving target. VCadd uses the OPENDWG paradigm as the basis for file conversion, but as long as Autodesk keeps changing the format then no other cadd software will be fully compatible.

Architectural Desktop is a problem for all non-Autodesk cadd products and as far as I've been able to tell even older versions of Autocad won't properly open these files either. The format is not backward compatible, which in my mind is poor software design. Not to mention As far as I know the current version of Autocad won't even open some older versions of their own DWG format. Autodesk forces you to keep buying new versions at inflated prices. Not very consumer friendly. Sheesh! now you got me started (and I promised not to!).

Reply to
Bob Morrison

I think we're stuck with autocad for the time being. My hope was for something that I read about a while ago, that the European union was going to legislate a universal cad file format that all cad software companies would have to comply with. I think that if that ever came about, we would have the best of everything in that files would be universal and cad companies could compete on the basis of who could write the most economical, efficient and easy to use software.

Reply to
Mike Harrison

Autosketch is $129, you can buy it online from Autodesk. But it is a very cut down version of CAD.

Reply to
sakoguy

I fully understand. My problem stays, unfortunately, with the fact that I am stuck with dealing with architects (and engineers) who use Autocad. If I can't read their files I am stuck. If they can't incorporate my drawings in theirs, they get p.o.'d. They pay for the high end program blindly because 1) they already know it (taught in college) and 2) they can hire tech school grads who already know how to use it.

I have played with > >> Will the new release have 2007 compatibility? Also what happens with

Reply to
JG

I don't remember the bike wheel, but could it have been an Acad-clone like IntelliCAD? Versions of it have been free, and some went for as little as a hundred bucks.

Reply to
Michael Bulatovich

I found it!

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Discontinued though :/

Reply to
RobbieB

The hatch and block translation problems of earlier versions of VCadd have been worked. It still won't do complex linetypes (and may never do so). The program is not for everyone, but for those who have pretty simple drafting needs it works very well.

BTW, I've not had any recent complaints (since V5 was introduced) from architects who get the DWG files I export from VCadd.

Reply to
Bob Morrison

That's when you need to learn how to use the layer manager. No I am not an architect, I'm a structural engineer.

Chuck

Reply to
CHARLES FLEMING

Chuck:

I agree. If the layers are properly named in the first place then it is not too difficult to get the proper layers displayed.

About 75% of the time I get DWG files that are a mess when it comes to layer names and objects on those layers.

There is no excuse for a 3 story building to only have 7 or 8 layers with furniture and walls on the same layer. That's just sloppy workmanship.

Reply to
Bob Morrison

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