CAD Program for furnature Design

[Buckwheat]

I am looking for a CAD program, suitable for furniture design. Ideally the program would have the capability to optimize cutting patterns for plywood sheets (i.e., 4ft x 8ft and 5ft x 5ft). Something easy to use, not too expensive, and would rotate and/or display the furniture in isometric projection. Anyone out there know of such a program?

[Lowell Holmes]

No! Autocad cost is $3500+, and it will not do all that without an expensive add on program. Isometric form is exaggerated, perspective is better.

Cutting patterns can be done manually drawing with Acad or a cheap substitute.

[Vito Kuhn]

My best friend Ernie uses a shareware program called DeltaCad. It costs around forty bucks, and there's a trial version. He used it to assist drawing up plans for the deck he build for his summer home last year.

Try

or another you might look into is called Microvellum

[WillR]

I just got TurboCad. It is a very good program -- particularly as I got=20 the training CDs -- 2D and 3D versions. They have a deal on right now -- =

for all three items.

do not believe that there is an optimizer for TurboCad for cut sheets, =

but certainly someone _could_ write one for the professional version. I=20 got the deluxe version and will consider the professional version if I=20 decide to start doing some optimization programming again...

It looks very slick... I used to use AutoCAD -- many different versions=20 including Autocad MAP -- and have used Industrial specialized CAD for=20 over 30 years in various forms. It's quite impressive what you can get=20 for a low price now.

Their professional program and the deluxe version can use a built in=20 pricing program (Macro/Add-on). I will let you know what it does when I=20 get there...

If you have never used CAD remember that there is a heavy start-up=20 investment -- just from switching programs even. It can be worth it=20 though...

--=20 Will R. Jewel Boxes and Wood Art

power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those=20 who have not got it.=94 George Bernard Shaw

[Leon]

There are many capable of designing furniture.

Ideally the program would have the capability to optimize cutting patterns for

You are talking about a second program like Cut List Plus here.

Something easy to use, not too expensive, and would rotate and/or display the furniture in isometric projection.

Unless you have drafting experience you probably are going to have a steep learning curve with any of the drafting programs. Not to disrespect brain surgeons but it might be easier to learn to become a surgeon.

Anyone out there know of such a program?

If there is, expect to pay many thousands of dollars.

[BillyBob]

Cutlist plus for doing cut layouts.

I believe one of the biggest bangs for the bucks is a little CAD programs is DesignCad. Its been around for about 15 years (since DOS) and new versions keep coming out with a very active user group

I bought mine from an internet dealer through Amazon. I think it was about $55 for version 15. At first I thought this program was "ok" but recently I've learned a lot about some of the hidden power in it through the user group and I am now a very enthusiastic user. It has both perspective and isometric views. The ability to "walk around" or turn an object over in 3D is just awesome. you get to see all of your screwups before you make a cut. Just for the heck of it, as a learning experience, I recently completed a 4 sided rectangular hopper drawing, then cut it out on the table saw. I am an engineer and good with math, but trying to calculate the miter and bevel angles on a non-square hopper was a major pain. I just drew it up in Design Cad and let it tell me the angles and dimensions. There was not a single square edge or cut anywhere in the resultant pieces. After I cut the pieces out, they fit together like a glove. I was totally amazed.

Bob

[Swingman]

Friday night I went looking for a map/plan rack to put all those rolled up house plans that keep multiplying around here. Nothing, nada, zero, zip ... no such thing available in the 4th largest metropolitan area of the US.

So yesterday I did what I should have done in the first place ... build to spec.

Thanks to CAD (and a handy shop) I was able to _precisely_ layout, beforehand, 15 circles of the appropriate diameter in the 10" x 20" available scraps heretofore destined for the heap.

gotta love CAD.

"Mama don't take my CAD away (Kodachrome) ... "

... with apologies to Paul Simon.

[Morris Dovey]

| So yesterday I did what I should have done in the first place ... | build to spec. | | Thanks to CAD (and a handy shop) I was able to _precisely_ layout, | beforehand, 15 circles of the appropriate diameter in the 10" x 20" | available scraps heretofore destined for the heap. | |

|| Ya gotta love CAD.

Your picture is worth a million words! I'm about to render the most sincere form of flattery!

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[Greg G]

Nice looking 'pile-o-scraps'.

I use CAD for planning, and the rendering options allow for visualizing a design, fully shaded with materials and a background of your choice at any perspective and lighting condition you desire. But the learning curve is pretty steep... Graph paper and pencil still has one advantage.

Greg G.

[Swingman]

Be my guest ... functional as hell, which was all I cared about, but looking at it in the office, it didn't turn out too bad for something done out of frustration and wasn't in existence the day before.

... might even shellac it the next time I have the spray rig fired up. ;)

[Swingman]

I've got QuickCAD, no longer for sale I'm told, mastered for what I need to do with it ... mainly simple scale shop drawings with dimensions. I also have DesignCAD 3D Max, or somesuch, which I haven't had the time or inclination to get a handle on.

I just like the _process_, which forces you to think through the project before you ever start.

That alone has saved me designing my way out of a corner countless times.