Which CAD program is best for funiture design?

[robert king]

I am getting ready to buy a new computer and want to include software for funiture design. I have never used CAD but am well versed in DTP and photo enhancement programs. There should be some crossover to help me learn CAD. What program should I purchase?
Is Best Buy the best place to buy? Internet? Are there student versions that are much cheaper and still adequate?

[Mark Singer]

I use a simple / inexpensive program called Turbo Cad...it works well and is easy to learn....you can get a firly current version on Ebay for about $35...Being architect, I have tried many and this one is excellent

Here is a link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=3771

[Dan Bundy]

I use a simple / inexpensive program called Turbo Cad...it works well and is easy to learn....you can get a firly current version on Ebay for about $35...Being architect, I have tried many and this one is excellent

Here is a link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=3771

I was looking for an inexpensive CAD program a couple of months ago and stumbled across TurboCad LE. It's actually version 4, (they are around 8 or 9 now). However, LE is fully-functional and it's FREE! I don't recall where I found it, but a search should turn it up. There's also a downloadable PDF of the manual. It hasn't been been too difficult to learn to use, either.

Hope this helps. DB

[Jim Becker]

I'm a long time DesignCAD user. It's a good program, reasonably priced and full featured. That being said, I recently bought a program called SketchUp that Todd Burch often posts illustrations from here at SMC. (There was a sale...what can I say? ) What I like about it is that it's really great for furniture design and once you get the hang of it, you can do fabulous 3D illustrations for your designs. I find that this application really lets you stretch into places that CAD programs, even 3D versions, are very difficult to go, if they can at all. Unfortuantely, it's expensive at almost $500 list...

[Ted Shrader]

Robert -

TurboCAD v10 is the most recent. I have TurboCAD 8 that was found on the closeout rack for $10 at the local big box office store. Had used TurboCAD LE (version 4) that <a href="http://www.imsisoft.com/faminfo.asp?fam=1">IMSI</a> gives away as a promotion.

Also have ShetchUp that Todd Burch uses and Jim Becker was talking about. For basic filled in drawings, raised panels and other typical furniture construction details, I prefer SketchUp.

Ted

For JIM BECKER - How do you get SketchUp to post JPG files? Mine (v3.1.31) will only export to other CAD file types. Do you use another program for conversion.?

Ted

[Jim Becker]

For JIM BECKER - How do you get SketchUp to post JPG files? Mine (v3.1.31) will only export to other CAD file types. Do you use another program for conversion.?

Export-->Raster

Note, that SketchUp leaves a lot of white space around the object you're exporting. I bring the resulting JPG into Adobe Photoshop Elements to crop, size and compress for web display.

[Lee Schierer]

I use AutoCad Lite for my drawings. It is a more costly program, but is full featured. There are copies of Intellicad, which originally were free that was more functional than AutoCad. You can still find copies through the internet. Having a program I can draw to scale and have it determine the dimensions is very useful.

My first Cad program was a $30 version of KeyCad. Unfortunately, it wasn't all that friendly and its files could not be exported or imported to other programs even though it offered dxf format capability. All my drawings I made using that program are not compatible with todays programs. I guess I got what I paid for.

By using the "select all" feature, I can export the drawing to a bitmap file, which can be converted to jpeg or other formats.

Lee

[Ted Shrader]

Export-->Raster

Note, that SketchUp leaves a lot of white space around the object you're exporting. I bring the resulting JPG into Adobe Photoshop Elements to crop, size and compress for web display.

Thanks, Jim -
Was having trouble with the lines being too thick. That works.

Current project attached (hopefuly in a viewable format).

Ted

[Ted Shrader]

Yes!!! It worked!!

Ted

[Jim Becker]

Current project attached (hopefuly in a viewable format).

WOW, Ted! That's an awesome drawing, not to mention a great project design!! You're light-years ahead of me with SketchUp...

One thing I have found over time is that the "export" features of many programs don't always give you what you ultimately want; hence, the need to use a second program, like Elements to futher refine things. Visio has always been the worst in this respect as the export filters often leave out lines or screw other things up in the translation. I had the same issues with DesignCAD. SketchUp is significantly better in this in that it creates a good file in the aspect you have on your screen, albeit with a little extra white space around it.

[Ted Shrader]

One thing I have found over time is that the "export" features of many programs don't always give you what you ultimately want; . . . . .

I have had good luck exporting SketchUp file in AutoCAD format and reading in TurboCAD or AutoCAD. It's just that their "drawing" features aren't as easily visualized as in SketchUp. Have had good luck doing the basic drawing in SketchUp and then detail work in TurboCAD. (Just never figured out how to get to JPG format - raster didn't even generate a second look - until today.)

Although, it is a lot faster to draw something on the back of a napkin for general dimensions and start cutting.

Ted

[Chris Padilla]

Grrrrr!!!! You folks are NOT going to get me to drop a half-grand on some (awesome, bitchin' cool-looking, easy to use) more software to design stuff with!! If it was only in the quarter-grand range, I could stomach it better.



BTW, nice drawing, Ted...I like the design a lot.