AutoCAD drawings.

have a search for "intellicad"

There are hacked versions of ACAD around which cannot possibly be recommended. Or you could try autosketch?

One of the PC magazines currently has turboCAD (old version of course) on the coverdisc.

In Visio you could insert the dwg (as a CAD drawing) then right click the drawing and choose "convert", this allows you to convert it to Visio shapes (or to delete layers) - now you can edit using Visio.

Dave S

One drifted my way. Copies anyone?

I'll certainly try this, but the only way I could get into my copy of VISIO

Rick

get yourself over to suprnova.org and download a copy of autocad

Turbocad learning edition is a free dwonload from somewhere.

Corel draw also works.

snipped-for-privacy@alcatel.co.uk (Rick) wrote in news:c3924c67.0311070805.399605e7 @posting.google.com:

I've used turbocad learning edition, it's excellent, better than Sketch 3 (was it, the last DOS version, the windows ones were ruggish)

I now find it too finicky, but I would like to find a good sketching prog, but I generally end up using vectors in Paintshop Pro

mike r

Somebody I know got into serious trouble at work having got a no dongle version of ACAD 2000 off the net, along with a dogy serial number. Not recommended. Full AutoCAD is around £3000 but the LT version can be got for around £500. If you have a serious interest and are not short of a few bob the LT version might be a possibility. It is not that difficult to learn the basics.

Eric

I prefer this client personally (i`ve had less problems overall)

• if at first suprnova.org doesn`t load, reload the page - it uses several cloned sites to stay online and will redirect you each time you reload it.

What if you select the object and select "ungroup"?

Have you seen David Snell's wProCAD+. It is an excellent dwg programme by a UK author, so you get immediate support. It reads .DWG filetypes (but doesn't write them). Price is £150.

Goto for more information and a free download of a demo to try out. It is not the complete prog (obviously) but enough to see how you would get on with it.

As .dwg is the main CAD file standard, then most if not all CAD software can import dwg files for editing.

However, Autodesk have changed the dwg standard a few times and so there may be some compatability issues - a 2004 dwg will not open in Autocad 3.3 or earlier for instance.

Also layers may not import correctly.

There are shareware, and 30 day trials available of many CAD programs.

dg

This doesn't really assist you, but I'm responding to comments made on this thread about TurboCad etc.

I was recently looking for a drawing package, and was very put off by the cost of most of them.

I then found DeltaCad -

I have very little experience with drawing packages so I'm in no position to compare one with t'other. The slight negatives I feel for DeltaCad relate to what appears to be a slightly clunky user interface. I may be doing it a dis-service here, maybe other drawing packages are no different. But the price tag was very attractive for me.

PoP

It would be a bit difficult for anyone to reply to that offer, since it would by necessity have to be offlist

Dave - tried this, dwg imported OK - but there is no option to 'convert' under right click ? can you shed any light on this.

Under right click there is 'CAD drawing object > properties' but nothing that relates to converting to VISIO shapes.

Rick

Corel draw is on ebay for under a hundred in pertfectly acceptable cversions.

Unless you are really DEEP into CAD graphics, it does everything you need, and covers bitmaps, and color graphics as well.

...snipped

What version have you got? In the 2002 version there are 2 options: properties and convert. Unfortunately I don't have 2000 installed any more so can't check that.

Dave S