Help with CAD!!??

[Matthew Dworman]

I have never used a cad program before, but I regularly use other design programs (Adobe) all the time. I have not used them for woodworking efore, and thought I'd try to download some cad demos - So far they all seem very counter-intuitive and frustrating to use! What advice do you have for simple to use cad programs - I don't need or want anything fancy as I am not building machinery here - just cabinets, etc...
Please help put me on the right track - so far I have downloaded demos of:
DeltaCad
AlibreDesign
Deco Tech
and CadStd

Thanks,
Matt

[Ted Calver]

Matt,
I just bought a woodworking mag (can't remember which one) at Barnes and Noble that featured a review of inexpensive cad programs for woodworking. The editors choice was a product from autodesk, the makers of autocad, for around 50$. Don't recall the name of the product ( I have the full blown autocad so wasn't paying attention...also possible case of CRS). Review said it was a good 2D program. Check the autodesk web site for info.
Not much help but better than none!!
Ted

[Spence DePauw]

The program was QuickCAD from Autodesk. I use it for what CAD I do. Takes a little learning, but no worse than any other CAD package.

Spence

[John Gregory]

I agree that to non-cad users, all cad programs are confusing. I am working with a free one, JustCad 6.0. Probably does every I need if I ever figure it out. I guess what I need to do, is to learn some about drafting. THEN about the cad programs so that the menu options make sense. The last drafting class I took was high school, 1968. I would imagine you and I need to learn the jargon first.

[Jamie Buxton]

Matt ---
I tried out several low-cost CAD programs for the PC, and eventually settled on DeltaCad. In my opinion, it was far easier to learn than the big Adobe programs like Illustrator.

Jamie

[Ted Calver]

Matt,
I checked out the mag when I got home--American Woodworker (Sept), pg 74. Actually, their Editor's Choice was TurboCAD Deluxe v10 by IMSI at $150. QuickCAD was the Best Buy.
Ted

[Matt Meiser]

I got QuickCad several months ago, based on another magazine review. I previously had a lot of work experience with Autocad and found it hard to switch to QuickCad because when I used Autocad I was used to typing in commands, which you can't do in QuickCad. A few weeks ago, I finally forced myself to create one drawing with Quickcad, and by the end of the one drawing I had a pretty good grasp.

For CAD beginners, QuickCad has different modes that simplify the menus. I haven't tried that option. I think there were some tutorials in the manual, but I haven't looked at it since I bought it.

One way to learn CAD techniques and terminology would be to take a CAD class at a local community college.

[Todd Burch]

Matthew - take 30 minutes and go to www.sketchup.com and look at their video tutorials. It's soley what I use. It's not CAD, but that's the good news!! It's VERY intuitive. It allows as much precision as you need.

[Chris Padilla]

Speaking of Sketch-Up, when they gonna have another sale???

[Wes Bischel]

Matt Meiser,

Try IntelliCAD - it's the cheap version of AutoCAD. I grew up on AutoCAD but can't afford it for home use. IntelliCAD is about $120, and I understand there are a few "free" versions online - older releases I think. I found a few differences, but it allows you to type commands and has the same single stroke short-cuts as AutoCAD.

Matt Dworman,
Unfortunately, IntelliCAD has the same steep learning curve as some of the other CAD programs. Sorry.

Wes

[Bart Sharp]

If cost is an issue (and isn't it always?), most CAD programs have discounts available for people who will use the software for non-commercial purposes. For example, I'm a huge fan of Pro/Engineer. It's a full-service CAD package that is used a lot in industry. The thing I love about it is that is completely associative. With non-associative programs, if you draw a chest of drawers and then decide that the whole thing should be six inches taller, you have to go back and redraw all of the drawers to fit the new case dimensions. In Pro/E (and a few others), when you change the case height all of the other detail parts are automatically regenerated based on the parameters you defined when you created them. Want to change a tenon from 1/2" thick to 5/8"? Change the tenon and watch the mortise automatically change to match it. It makes it much faster to create and evaluate the impact of different design alternatives.

The best part is that if you are a hobbiest who is going to use the program for non-commercial purposes, you can get a package that normally sells for as much as a midsize car for $150. It does have a learning curve, but for someone who is familiar with CAD basics it might be worth a look.

No affiliation, just a fan.

[Wes Bischel]

Bart,

Do tell - where could I get that deal on Pro/E? I should learn it sooner or later.

Wes

[Don Selke]

No CAD program is going to be easy for a person that has never used a CAD program before. Before you purchase or download any CAD program, make sure that you have enough memory and hard drive space in your program to support the system.
I have been using DesignCAD 3D Max version 14 (They now have a new version 15) for about six months. The program came with a CD tutorial which is excillent. Prior to that program I was using Delta CAD professional. I still have that software on my computer but wanted to try something more challenging. The hands on tutorial that came with Design CAD taught me more in one hour then what I tried to teach myself by reading the book in weeks.
What ever CAD program you choose, I would purchase the hands on tutorial for the program.
Hope I did not confuse you further, They say you can not teach a old dog new tricks but this Old Dog is doing OK with the Design CAD and tutorial.

[Bart Sharp]

Bart,

Do tell - where could I get that deal on Pro/E? I should learn it sooner or later.

Wes

Sorry for the slow response, I've been on the middle of a move and haven't had net access for a while. I forget the URL right off the top of my head, let me take a look and get back to you.

Bart

[Bart Sharp]

Okay, the URL for the site you want to look at is a mile long. You can get there by going to http://www.proestudent.com/default.a...selectLocation and selecting your country. The product I was talking about is in the middle of the nine options, called PTC Wildfire 2.0 SE for Personal Use.

The deal has changed since I looked last (a little less than a year ago). The price has gone up, and what is included has gone down, but you still get a $5,000 CAD package for $300.