Windows freeware DWG/DXF editor & JPG or PDF-2-DWG/DWX conversion

Q1: What's a good freeware PDF (or JPG) to DWG or DXF conversion program? Q2: What's a good freeware DWG (or DXF) CAD editing program?

I'm in need of a simple Windows DWG editor and a PDF-2-DWG conversion because I have a simple CAD drawing in DWG & another in PDF I wish to slightly modify.

Googling found this newsgroup had these discussions but they're all old:

06/12/2008 Simple CAD-type prog to edit DXF files, by Snapafun 04/08/2006 PDF to DWG or DXF Converter, by Thomas Friebe 10/24/2003 Freeware converting DWG/DXF into PDF, by Bernd Schmitt 10/02/2003 DXF Files, by H-Man 02/16/2003 DXF or DWG Viewer for Pocket PC, by NoSpam 08/17/2000 Autocad dwg and/or dxf viewer, by Dwayne

I have one DWG file and one PDF CAD drawing file I would like to edit.

Nowadays (2012), what freeware CAD drawing editor is recommended?

Googling, I found the following, but I know nothing about these. Do you?

  1. DiggFreeware "Free Open Source 2D CAD Software (DXF Viewer & Editor)"
  2. CNET DXF Editor from "CAD-KAS"
  3. TuCows "2D Viewer Editor: DWG DXF PLT TIFF CGM 8.0"
  4. AnyCAD Free Version 1.4
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  5. SolidWorks eDrawings Viewer (solidworks.com - might be just a viewer)

For the PDF to DWG converter, googling found the following.

  1. CAD Monkey (blog.cad-monkey.net) using Inkscape
  2. Ehow.com How to convert PDF to DXF With Freeware, using Aide PDF to DXF Converter
  3. Online free PDF2DXF converter
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  4. FreeSharewareCenter.com PDF to DXF Converter (20 free trialware)
  5. anydwg.com/pdf-to-dxf.html Any PDF ot DXF Converter (30 free trialware)

But, before I go any route above, may I ask for updated information?

Q1: What's a good freeware PDF (or JPG) to DWG or DXF conversion program? Q2: What's a good freeware DWG (or DXF) CAD editing program?

A screenshot of the CAD drawing that needs editing is here:

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I basically need to change the number of the squares on each side. What Windows freeware would you recommend for that purpose?

Reply to
Jim
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Here's another screenshot showing what I'm trying to do in Windows.

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My first task is to edit the number of squares. My second task is to convert the results to 3D rotation. My starting point is DWG and PDF.

My goal is:

  1. Convert PDF to DWG (or to DXF or to JPG, as needed for step 2).
  2. Edit DWG (or DXF, depending on the output from step 1).
  3. Convert the 2D DWG to 3D (so rotated CAD drawings result).
Reply to
Jim

DraftSight by the Solidworks people.

Reply to
H-Man

Thanks for that wonderful suggestion!

DraftSight seems to be by Dassault:

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I downloaded it onto 32-bit WinXP and 64-bit Windows 7 and even without registering it (yet), it loaded my DWG file easily. The download page suggests it works on Mac & Linux too - so it looks like it fits the bill of being a general purpose freeware DWG editor for the individual user.

The user interface is daunting, and it looks very powerful. I was able to select a diagram and rotate it and save it so now I'll look for a tutorial because this freeware CAD program is POWERFUL!

As you mentioned in the other post, it doesn't have depth, so I'm not sure HOW I get things to 3D - but for the purpose of freeware editing of a DWG file, this DraftSight program almost certainly will work for me!

Reply to
Jim

The DraftSight interface is about as basic as any CAD interface is going to get. I know what you mean though, if you don't have a lot of CAD experience, just knowing what the different terms mean is a leap. I am by no means a CAD user, but occasionally need a markup/viewing/printing tool.

Reply to
H-Man

You explained it perfectly.

The fact you say that the DraftSight interface is as basic as it gets is great to know - because the main COST in freeware is the learning curve of the various programs.

The entire PROCESS is to find the best one to start with. That's the key!

If we choose the best freeware to start with, the learning curve is worth it.

The worst situation is when we choose a lousy freeware program that doesn't do the job. Then the cost is the sheer EFFORT involved in determining the best freeware for the application (learning each one in turn).

So, just knowing that it doesn't get simpler than Draft Sight tells me that it's the way to go. At the moment, I've installed it on Windows XP, Windows 7, and I've failed on two different Linux versions due to a need for a shared object module that does not come with the RPM.

Reply to
Jim

Just an FYI, Google has a sketching program that does 3D and is really simple. I'm not sure what file formats is supported, but it would be worth a look. For the most part, anything you learn in CAD you can leverage to another product. Most CAD packages are designed by developers who at one time all used AutoCAD. Most, therefore, use the same knowledge gained from that.

Reply to
H-Man

Google sold it to Trimble so it's called Trimble Sketchup. Apparently they removed the DWF reader in the later versions (the classic removing value from the freeware), so that's why we didn't use it here.

If starting from scratch, it seems like the best two to start with are Trimble SketchUp or Draft Sight.

Either seems to do the trick though - but Draft Sight seems (on paper) slightly better - but Google/Trimble SketchUP seems like its 3D results may be better.

But I don't know ANY of this for a fact - which is why I'm asking here! :)

Reply to
Jim

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