Somewhat OT: mechanical drawing software?

[Don K]

"Ken Smith" <kensmith@violet.rahul.net> wrote in message news:cb4msd$j91$4@blue.rahul.net...

In article <40d5664c$0$79702$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com>,
Frank Bemelman <f.bemelmanx@planet.invalid.nl> wrote:
[.....]
Autosketch. Easy to learn, just install it and start drawing. Cheap too,
hundred bucks or so. Has DXF import/export.

I tried AutoSketch a couple of years ago. It is awful.

Try to find someone selling an old copy of AutoSketch version 2.1.
Version 2.1 was a terrific 2-D drawing program. It is easy-to-use
and has a macro recording language.

Actually, I think it was too good. It was better than their more
expensive product, Auto-CAD Lite, so they dumped it, and bought
some kludgy CAD program from another company and called them AutoSketch
version 5 and 6. These have none of the elegance and ease of use
of the "real" AutoSketch, version 2.1.

Don

 

[Ken Smith]

In article <1i0cvrs54wj7b.hm0yxobzoos4.dlg@40tude.net>,
Mike <mike@nospam.com> wrote:

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 18:57:01 +0000 (UTC), Ken Smith wrote:


QCAD is free so you may want to look at it too. QCADs user interface was
obviously written by a fan of adventure games. ...

When it starts up, does it open a window that says, "YOU ARE STANDING AT
THE END OF A ROAD BEFORE A SMALL BRICK BUILDING. AROUND YOU IS A FOREST. A
SMALL STREAM FLOWS OUT OF THE BUILDING AND DOWN A GULLY" ?

It isn't in all upper case. Things have advanced since then. The "PLUGH"
and "XYZZY" commands operate as per normal.


--
--
kensmith@rahul.net forging knowledge

 

[JeffM]

something halfway decent to make mechanical drawings...preferably
free
Walter Harley

Sodipodi
http://groups.google.com/groups?&selm=MPG.1af3aa71fdc39b9798989a%40NEWS.INDIVIDUAL.NET

 

[Phil Hobbs]

Mike wrote:

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 18:57:01 +0000 (UTC), Ken Smith wrote:


QCAD is free so you may want to look at it too. QCADs user interface was
obviously written by a fan of adventure games. ...


When it starts up, does it open a window that says, "YOU ARE STANDING AT
THE END OF A ROAD BEFORE A SMALL BRICK BUILDING. AROUND YOU IS A FOREST. A
SMALL STREAM FLOWS OUT OF THE BUILDING AND DOWN A GULLY" ?

-- Mike --

Your are in a maze of twisty little corridors, all alike.

Cheers,

Phil Hobbs

 

[Chris Carlen]

RoyalHeart wrote:

QuickCAD from Autodesk. I purchased the latest version, V8, from my
local Staples (office supply store) for US $49.95. Very easy to use
(IMHO) and has an accuracy of something like 0.00000001 inch (or mm),
give or take a right-hand zero or two.

- runs on Windows (or maybe Linux, but Mac is not gonna happen),


The version I have runs on Windows. I think it is also available for
Linux. Not sure.

Not, unfortunately.



--
____________________________________
Christopher R. Carlen
Principal Laser/Optical Technologist
Sandia National Laboratories CA USA
crcarle@sandia.gov

 

[George]

Autocad has QuickCad. About $80. and it's read 2D cad. I think you
can also do otrhagonal views like the exploded assembly diagrams.

Works Great.

George

 

[Rene Tschaggelar]

Walter Harley wrote:

I need to get something halfway decent to make mechanical drawings, of
things like chassis, faceplates, assemblies, PCB's. Been using Visio,
because it's what I have at hand, but it's just awful when it comes to
getting accurate dimensions, trying to make precise radiused corners, and so
forth.

AutoCAD costs a gazillion dollars, and I don't really want software that
needs user groups and two-day seminars to learn how to use anyway.

Can anyone recommend something simple that:
- costs < $200, preferably free,
- runs on Windows (or maybe Linux, but Mac is not gonna happen),
- ideally, can save in a format that others can read, such as .DXF?

I don't need 3-D, although that might be nice; just accurate 2-D without too
much pain.

I came across FelixCAD a while ago.
I couldn't comment on it as it is too long ago.

Rene
--
Ing.Buero R.Tschaggelar - http://www.ibrtses.com
& commercial newsgroups - http://www.talkto.net

 

[Chaos Master]

JeffM (jeffm_@email.com) said those last words:

something halfway decent to make mechanical drawings...preferably
free
Walter Harley

Sodipodi
http://groups.google.com/groups?&selm=MPG.1af3
aa71fdc39b9798989a%40NEWS.INDIVIDUAL.NET

This is not exactly to do mechanical drawings.
Sodipodi is more like Corel Draw and I am using Sodipodi to create a small one-
sheet newspaper.

[]s
--
Š Chaos Master. |"These wounds won't seem to heal
My Evanescence HP is at: | This pain is just too real
http://marreka.no-ip.com | There's just too much that time can't erase"
(most often offline... ) | -- Evanescence, "My Immortal"

 

[L. Fiar]

"Walter Harley" <walterh@cafewalterNOSPAM.com> wrote in message
news:cb36es$6hi$0@216.39.172.65...

I need to get something halfway decent to make mechanical drawings,
of things like chassis, faceplates, assemblies, PCB's.

Can anyone recommend something simple that:
- costs < $200, preferably free,
- runs on Windows (or maybe Linux, but Mac is not gonna happen),
- ideally, can save in a format that others can read, such as .DXF?

I don't need 3-D, although that might be nice; just accurate
2-D without too much pain.

For those in the UK, some Co-op supermarkets have some very cheap software
in at the moment. One package is 10 disks:
CadComplete.
Multimedia Greetings.
3D Atlas.
Infopedia UK.
Multipedia.
Comptons Encyclopedia (1998 ed)
Comptons Cookbook.
Think and talk French.
Bodyworks 6.0
Project Manager Pro.

All in one package, named "Megamedia" for just Ł3.99.
I have not yet tried the CadComplete, so I cannot comment on how good it is,
although it boasts 20 symbol libraries - including electrical, electronic,
computer, technology, home design, and others.

Among other graphics software, I still use an old version of Coreldraw! The
vector graphics do some nice diagrams for printing.