Can anyone recommend a good CAD package?

[mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.ne]

Actually, I'm not even sure if CAD software is the correct terminology for woodwork planning. Back on my last job, the mechanical engineers used CAD packages to draw all sorts of 3D pictures. These packages could get amazingly powerful ... with amazingly high prices too!

I'm just looking for something that would allow me to draw generic pictures showing relative thickness of boards, placement of screws or dowels or joint types, etc.

Now, I happen to have (purchased via Internet) Pat's plans for a really nice fence. The pictures in his download file are far more elaborate than I would need (albeit really nice!).

Anyway, I'd appreciate any suggestions for looking at various software packages. I'm profient at CorelDraw, PowerPoint and others like that. But they don't make construction drawings any easier.

Thanks!

Jack

[Leon]

"mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" wrote in message news: [e-mail]...

Welllllll No CAD program is easy if you have no drafting experience or CAD experience. You have to know how to draw first, read that as drafting training, and then the CAD programs will seem easier. I had formal drafting training in the early 70's and just in the last 8 years have found a CAD program that I like. AutoCAD.

[Tom Watson]

This question comes up about once a week around here.

Unless you're a professional, who needs to present drawings to a client, you're better off drawing on paper.

Sketch to get general shapes and proportions and then draw it up full size if you feel the need.

There's no such thing as an intuitive CAD program. I've been through DesignCad, TurboCad, AutoCad, and currently work in AutoDesk Inventor

1. These programs all have a steep learning curve. This takes away time from your goal, which I would presume is to actually build something.

The rudiments of isometric drawing are relatively easy to learn but even that is not required for furniture design.

You'd be even better off by working on a 2d paper drawing, using only elevations, plans and sections, and then moving on to a mockup of the piece, using Foamcore or even MDF, buttered together with a cheap glue gun.

Even the best 3D program can't give you the intuitve impact that a mockup does. Why? Because 3D programs are really only 2D programs tarted up, and woodworking is sculptural, or truly 3D.

At work we draw things up in our 3D program (at $5000.00 a seat) but still have to build a prototype for the customer. When you mock up, and if the customer is you, you've accomplished what is needed in fewer steps.

Tom Watson - WoodDorker tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (email)

(website)

[Fred]

Funny things CAD operators do when they don't have drafting experience, its like someone with power tools without knowledge of hand tools. AutoCAD is what, $4,000 now plus you are forced to paid for the upgrades or you investment will be worthless. Not for the average woodworker unless you're already using it. AutoCAD LT, much cheaper at $725 but still pricey, still much more than what the OP needed. For what he needed there should be some free downloads or cheap CAD packages. TurboCAD for $50 comes to mind and still more drafting power than what the OP needed.

[mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.ne]

Okay, forget that I used the acronym CAD.

Do you know of any easy "drawing package" that I could use for designing projects in my woodshop?

Jack

Le> "mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" wrote

[D Steck]

While I've never used it for woodworking because I pull out my old high school T-square for that, I have used Visio to design data centers before. You can do quite a bit with Visio with walls, flooring and plumbing and then define your own elements. It also has layering capabilities so you can peel off layers to make other things visible. I did some things with it to put in fiber cabling and cable trays which were all not native to the product.

I think it would work with woodworking but it has no 3-D capability that I know about. Generally, when I got to that point, it was something for the engineers to do and put it in a CAD system - which was nice as Visio allowed me to export to a CAD format.

FWIW....

"mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" wrote in message news: [e-mail]...

[WillR]

TurboCAD at the least if you can afford it -- professional version is=20 much better....

professional as the benchmark when looking at other programs...

It looks to me like one of the few good ones at a low price.

See this synopsis.

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

[C & S]

I'm goning to climb on that pile. Not only does CAD have a horific learning curve, but it's also not like riding a bicucle.

Over the last decade or so I have taken a couple of stabs at CAD. When I put the addition on my house I felt I *had* to do tak the plunge because I wanted to be able to hand the zoning guy and prospective contractors something which would be as unambiguous as possible.

The package that I ended up using was specifically taylored to house design. I was happy with the wire frame elevations and the fairly detailed top-down "blueprint" the I got, but it took me 40 hours to get there. I' happy that I did it in that context, but it's back to graph paper for me in the woodshoop.

IMHO there are 2 type of woodworkers that use CAD: CAD pros that are wooddorkers on the side, and wooddorkers who just enjoy playing with complicated programs.

Do you want to print plans, or help you visualize a project?

-Steve

[Swingman]

Unlike other responders, and after many fits and starts getting over the startup hump with different products, I find that working with a simple CAD program lets me get my head around a project before I ever cut a stick, and that lets me eventually proceed with a confident purpose.

Use of one has cut back drastically on me having to 'design' my way out of a corner.

Mostly I just render simple, 2D shop drawings, with few or no perspectives. These help in generating project cutlist's, and make it much easier with dimension changes, which ends up $aving time and materials.

Of course, and as others have noted, you can do the same thing with paper, pencil, and a few drafting tools.

I use a $50 program called QuickCAD ... unfortunately, it may no longer be available, but certainly worth, IMO, trying to find a copy, or its replacement if it's in the same price range. A plus is that it will open my architect's AutoCAD drawings if the need arises.

[Leon]

"mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" wrote in message news: [e-mail]...

Define easy. AutoCAD LT for me is easy. Easy for you may equate to simply using a drawing board, T-square, a 45 degree and 30-60-90 degree triangle. No drawing software does the drawing for you. You are still in charge of the drawing. If you know the fundamentals of drafting, drawing/CAD programs will make the drawings go more quickly and more accurately.

[Leon]

My reference was from my experience of using CAD programs. The first I used was in 1985 and have graduated up through several brands since. I am probably on my 8th program that I have purchased my self. I realize the AutoCAD is quite expensive and I actually neglected to reference the possible use of AutoCAD LT. AutoCAD LT is actually what I use and have been for the last several years. I was fortunate enough to be able to up grade from way back where newer versions only cost me in the $200 range. That said, Auto CAD LT does not supply what the OP was actually looking for. He mentioned 3D and LT simply helps you draw Isometric drawings. Not really a perspective type 3D drawing. As for TurboCAD, I used it in the late 80's and personally was not impressed nor IMHO opinion did it operate like a draftsman thinks. Today's version may very well be better.

[Robatoy]

SketchUp or Vectorworks. Both available for PC or Mac.

[CW]

Leon's right. Without a drafting background, you're jumping in at the middle, trying to get everything at once. Be prepared to put in quite a lot of time to learn. Considerable time. If doing 2D, Deltacad is about the easiest to learn cad program I have seen. If you would like the interface and compatibility of AutoCAD without the high price, try Intellicad. Intellicad is an AutoCAD clone. The programs are so similar that if you can run one, you can run the other. For 3D, Turbocad Pro will model about anything you want and has about the most performance for the price available. Honestly though, with the amount of time and effort it takes to get good with one of these programs(good as in faster with it than on paper), most find paper and pencil their best option.

[CW]

As for TurboCAD, I used it in the late 80's

[BillyBob]

None of those programs act like a cad program, so the experience won't be relevant, but the aptitude may apply. I suggest you get a 15 day trial of DesignCad 3D Max

and then go to a user supported web site and start looking through the samples and tutorials and doing some things. This will give you an idea of whether a low end cad program will work for you. I've found the 3D modeling to be handy for "visualizing" how things fit together. It has the ability to take a 3D picture and allow you to scroll around from different angles to look at whatever you are working on. I bought my copy from a supplier on Amazon (search for designcad, then check "new and used") for $45.

I did manual drafting for extra work in high school and to help pay for my college. I still think about going back to triangles and T square for initial sketching of some projects. its still much faster for me.

Bob

[Puckdropper]

"mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I really like a program called CadStd (Cad Standard). The light version is FREE, and contains enough functionality to draw most objects. I used it for years before I upgraded to the pro version. The pro version includes features such as trim and intercept, as well as the ability to project the 2-d drawing to 3-d. (It's not automatic, but it's a lot easier than drawing everything over again.)

The program does have a learning curve, but once you get used to one feature it takes very little to get used to another.

It's also compatible with Autocad files, both in creating and editing them.

You can download it from

Puckdropper

[mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.ne]

Ah ... I see how I mis-spoke. The only "3D" effect I'm looking for is that of looking at an object that "looks" 3D .. you know, like a box.

I don't want to use true-3D routines where you can rotate the object and stuff like that. I just want to be able to draw pictures of boards without having to play the games required in Corel or in PowerPoint.

Jack

CW wrote:

[mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.ne]

As I just wrote in another response, I'm just looking for an easy way to draw "3D looking objects" like boards. I'm NOT looking for the ability to rotate the objects in three dimensions and stuff like that.

In Coreldraw and Powerpoint, I can draw a board, but to make it look like a board, I have to draw a rectangle, then draw another rectangle and stretch it and tilt it, and then a third ... and after getting everything tilted in various dimensions, group it so I can move it around.

To make another board of other dimensions, it's starting from stratch again.

Jack

C & S wrote:

[Leon]

CW, I think mine was v1.0. LOL.

[Joseph Crowe]

There's a multiplatform program called Canvas that might work for you. I use it for some of my woodworking layout. It's not CAD but it's pretty sweet....