CAD Program

Any recommendations for a CAD program that works well, doesn't take 2 years to learn and doesn't cost a fortune.

Thanks

 

AutoCAD doesn't take 2 years to learn . But it costs quite a bit.

 

Anyone want to fill me in on what a CAD program is? I Googled, but I came up with a variety of different results... even Ctrl+ Alt+ Del.

Matt

 

CAD refers to Computer Aided Design or Drafting. It refers to software that is used to basically design and model mechanical parts, buildings, etc. Leading examples of CAD software are AutoCAD, TurboCAD, SolidWorks, Catia, Pro-E, etc.

 

Ahh... cool. Thanks, jetstar.

Matt

 

MicroStation for Windows. ArchiCAD for Macs.

And there's always autoCAD. None of them take 2 years to learn.

 

Yea, no CAD programs takes a long time to use, it is more of a continual learning process. Getting the basics down is cake though. I actually know 3 different CAD programs, and none were difficult to learn. What do you need a CAD program for? Work and school both supplied me with CAD programs, so I never bought one. You can also look into Google sketch up. I haven't played with it, but it is free. Nowhere near the complexity of a typically CAD program though.

 

I use Rhin-3D and it's pretty ease to learn - though I'm not sure if that's what you are looking for

 

CAD is actually Computer Aided Design. It can apply to a number of differently-purposed software, but all of them use exact measurements of things in their files, and are numerically intensive, as opposed to the "close enough" of much 3D software.

Anyway, there are things like BRL-CAD, which are free and open source, but aren't quite as "easy" as some traditional software. But if you're gonna invest time in AutoCAD, it's not a bad thing necessarily. You'll still learn the concepts with any of the software, which is what will serve you the most.

 

if you want a trial version of AutoCAD 2007 you can go to www.autodesk.com and sign up for a 30-day trial version....after that...well..your stuck to having to buy it if you still want to keep it. AutoCAD is probably the best CAD program I have used because of its Integrated 3D capabilities. As far as strictly 3D CAD programs I would recommend either Solidworks or Inventor.

If you want tips and such on learning autocad you can:
a.) search the internet for tips
b.) AutoCAD has an integrated tutorial setup that works great!
c.) Feel free to ask me, or anyone else here about something that you are having difficulty with or would just like to know about.

 

Thanks for the helpful replies.

I need CAD mainly for architectural building plans. I have tried the various 'Home Architect' types and have been uniformly dissapointed. I love Sketchup but its really not a CAD program. I'll give the other recommended progams a look but I guess in the long run, AutoCAD is the way to go. It just hurts me to have to pay that much.

Thanks again

 

well since you are doing architectural work, then Architectural Desktop is the way to go...Its just like Autocad but it is more geared to architectural drafting.

 

I don't know if it's really used anymore, but AutoDesk Revit was a program we got to use in high school. It's made by the makers of AutoCAD, and very feature rich. If you draw your floorplan, all you do is hit a 3D button and it will model it for you. Then you can adjust heights, cutouts, roofs and the like.

 

Well, it may be expensive but it is the best option that will surely pay off.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16832168004