Free CAD programs -- QCAD

I just finished using it to draw up a patio for my house (waiting on an estimate from the contractor now....). My experience was the same as yours; I found its interface to be extremely counterintuitive, but I don't know whether other CAD packages are the same. I also found a tutorial (darn! It isn't bookmarked -- I wonder if it's the same one?), and also was able to make very quick progress once I'd done that.

I need to spend some more time looking for an equivalent 3D program, though....

Can you give me a URL for the free version as the only free versions I have located is the demo version that only works for 10 minutes at a time.

Cheers,

Bruce in Bangkok (bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

I thought I was wrong about QCAD being available for windows, but I wasn't as wrong as I thought.

Ribbonsoft doesn't support the free QCAD versions, so all you get from their web site is for-pay, demo, or a big steaming pile-o-source. But there's a QCAD binary for Windows (can I call it Windoze if I'm on a Linux machine?) on Sourceforge:

If you try it, please let me know how it works on Windows -- it's reasonable OK on Linux, although it does occasionally mysteriously crash or otherwise start misbehavin', so I have to make sure to save often.

- snip-

Hi,

Might be worth looking at ViaCAD 2D-3D:

I've been using their version 6 to good effect lately.

Not free, but at only $99 it is a good value for what you get ... IMHO of course, YMMV. Mac and Windows cross-platform support. The video tutorials that come with it are a nice way to shorten the learning curve associated with any CAD program.

Good luck.

-- PaulS

Unfortunately, for me "no Linux" is a deal-breaker.

Which is why I'm still running Windoze...

Design CAD - With the most comfortable and intuitive user interface

Nope, won't work. I was asking because I'm running Fedora, using Agent with wine to read Usenet but the rest is Linux and so far I haven't found a usable CAD program.

Cheers,

Bruce in Bangkok (bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

_Someone_ is building it for Linux or it wouldn't be available on Ubuntu; some spelunking may reveal who.

Did you google on QCAD, Linux and Binary, by any chance?

You could always see if the source on their web site builds! It'd be interesting to see how far you got.

I downloaded a source copy of qcad - community version. First try at compiling it popped an error message ( need strlen()). Now I'll have to locate the header files and see what they contain - probably something like "gnustrlen()" :-)

Cheers,

Bruce in Bangkok (bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

That's an ANSI-standard function, and it should come 'stock' in the Gnu C compiler. Did it pop the error at compile time or link time?

Link I assume - ./configure worked but Make didn't - error listed at nearly the end of the process.

Cheers,

Bruce in Bangkok (bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

(grumble mumble morble).

It's in a gnu library _somewhere_. I don't know how hard you want to pursue it, or how much of a software engineer you are, but if you really want to and you aren't a pro, feel free to email me off list for suggestions (look to my website for my email).

I'm not an out and out Linux maven, but part of my job for years has involved writing embedded software; I'm not hopeless at figuring this stuff out. I would have tried compiling this myself out of curiosity, but the Ubuntu package list doesn't make it at all clear which of the Qt-related packages actually has the Qt build environment in it.

I used to write 'C' programs and strlen() should be in one of the "include" files. In fact, that it gives this error sounds as though it is not using a standard library.

I'm not sure how much effort it is really worth as all I want is a program to make simple three view drawings so I can give them to the shop when I want something made. I can draw it by hand if I have to.

The source I downloaded was called "community" and is minus some of the features that the commercial version has.

It is obvious that not everybody subscribes to the "open software" concept that the Linux people all talk about :-)

Cheers,

Bruce in Bangkok (bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

It's in . Not having that #included would be really, really weird for anything that thinks of itself as reasonably professional software.

Doesn't your distribution have it? I was able to get a copy for Debian...

This is less an "open software" than a code quality issue.

Damn! I feel stupid.

After running about for a couple of days trying to locate a CAD program that would compile and run on Linux I, finally, went to the applications manager and clicked on "qcad". Two minutes later it is installed..... However, to be frank I am not enamored with Fedora's ability to find and get applications.

But, as you indirectly recalled to mind that the distribution might find it, thank you.

Now I gotta draw something :-)

Cheers,

Bruce in Bangkok (bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

On Sat, 02 May 2009 12:45:26 +0700, the infamous Bruce in Bangkok scrawled the following:

Lucky it warn't a snake, wot?

Have fun!

-- The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage. --Mark Russell

Hmm ... Gnome -- it is present on my Solaris system, but I don't use it as a window manager, so it may compile but not work for me.

Still -- I will try it as I get a chance.

It was amazing how many clicks I had to make before I got to the actual download. :-)

Thanks, DoN.

The Makefile doesn't even come close for FreeBSD 7.0-RELEASE-p11

Once I get the Debian machine set back up, I'll give the *.deb package a try.

Anyone have a link to the older free IntelliCAD?

David