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Good _2D_ Cad

I've been following the threads about CAD by Bronxilogically Violated, and have been too apathetic to mention:

If you want to make 2D _drawings_, the kind of stuff that you actually give to machinists to make parts*, then QCad is pretty good. It's a marketing vehicle for some "full version" 2D cad system that you have to pay $$ for, but QCad itself is open source and pretty darn good**.

I use it for drawing model airplane plans, mostly, and it works just fine.

  • Well, all but the most complicated parts, in which case everyone gives up on the whole 2D drawing thing and the shop just asks for your 3D model.

** Except splines suck -- one of their sales points for the commercial product, when translated from Sales to Pithy, reads "and splines don't suck".

Reply to
Tim Wescott
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Rhino3D has a one click command called 'Make2d' that creates a 2D (3 or 4 view) drawing inside your 3D drawing.

It is a refreshing change from continuously having to translate features between views.

I like it.

--Winston

Reply to
Winston

I have been using IntelliCAD

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for many years and find that it works really well for the simple, 2D stuff that I do.

Unfortunately they only seem to make it for Windows XP and I much prefer using Ubuntu linux.

Lewis.

*****
Reply to
limeylew

QCad is available for Ubuntu. At least I loaded it when I had 8.xx, and it's on the menu for 10.xx -- but this machine, which I need to upgrade from 9.xx, doesn't have it available.

Go figure.

Reply to
Tim Wescott

CAM BAM which has an older free beta version available (The new version is time limited) can either explode splines or convert them to poly lines easily. Just select and then convert. I do a lot of simple stuff in Corel Draw and export to DXF, then use CAM BAM to convert the polylines. Then I use Desk CNC to do my actual cam operations. Eventually I may take the time to play with Cam Bam and use it as my CAM processor, but right now I just use it to change the splines to polylines.

Note: I do have to "convert to curves" in Corel Draw before exporting a lot of entities. Text, rotated ovals, etc.

If you are interested let me know and I'll find the Beta with no time limit and give you a link.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

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