AutoCAD alternatives?

[Richard MacIntyre]

That may possibly be why I neglected to include it in previous recommendations I'd made... But I might take another look just to waste time.

By all means, and thanks the added info.

To be honest, I've been irritated by the whole CAD scene in general... ACAD's too expensive, maybe too bloated, and it's proprietary; Q-CAD is half-proprietary/half-open and they aren't intending to work 3D into it anytime soon, if ever; and some projects are mere gleams in (a) programmer(s) eye(s), dead, bogged or abandoned... I might take a second search for the previously-elusive Varkon... (any info on that, btw, Matt?)

Hey open source CAD programmers! Is there something out there that I've missed, or can you get your show on the road?!

[3D Peruna]

He're the problem... Architects, in general, are idiots. Most have barely gotten over the idea that they can't draw by hand any more. And, because of its inertia, they've gone the AutoCAD way. Most architects aren't programmers and those who might be both are good at one or the other, not both. There have been several "alternatives" over the course of the years...list whatever you like, but none have had the ability to overcome the AutoCAD. F=ma. AutoCAD has lots of m, even it it doesn't have lots of a. The only way to overcome it is with some combination that beats what AutoCAD has...and, by the way, doesn't require any retraining on the part of the architect.

So... to paraphrase... it ain't gonna happen.

[Richard MacIntyre]

"3D Peruna"

I'm inclined to agree with some of your contentions... As for your paraphrase, I hope it's wrong. And there may be some glimmer of hope, as architects aren't the only CAD users. ;)

Incidentally, I have been working with Art of Illusion (in part as a "me and open source" test case scenerio, and also as a professional tool) for roughly 2 1/2 years now, and in its current beta release, its developer has finally integrated an important spacial quality that some, including myself, have been pining for for some time-- namely; where new objects created from old ones remain where they intuitively should be in the 3D model space. To me, this is a significant step toward being able to use the program more effectively for more spacially-relative work, such as with architecture, as an important example. For now, I can work around its current lack of definable units (with a calculator by my side), and might be able to import some pre-dimensioned flat plans (as flat lines & curves) (as DXF and/or SVG files) into it for some 3D modelling, like extruding, surfing(skinning), lathing and boolean, as well of course as the usual texturing, lighting and animating. Its SVG/Vector import/export and vector and/or wireframe rendering/animating/effects may also be handy.

[Gary Matczak]

thanks for being so polite,...................and you are a professional?

there,...............get

[Richard MacIntyre]

"Gary Matczak"

lol... anytime.

lol..."you're not your job", says the best graffiti I've yet seen scrawled...

But, ok, you want professional? Here's a context: You and I are warm & fuzzy partners-- very warm, very fuzzy-- out for a well-deserved lunch... Over lunch, I start bitching about the new ACAD seats we've had to install, how much it costs, etc., and you respond like you have here, and so do I, after a small sip of my cranberry vodka. As I'm just beginning a tangent on the virtues of open source, your cell goes off to the consternation of fellow diners closeby. That shuts me up of course, so while you're haggling on the phone with a client, who's going to absorb the costs of our new ACAD licenses, I flag down another pink lady for you, and it's back to work in

[Richard MacIntyre]

"Don"

In an alternate reality, Richard reminded Gary that the subject of this thread is AutoCAD alternatives, to which alternate-reality-Gary responded, "The alternative to AutoCAD is AutoCAD.".