I'd rather not get into the realms of dodgy software, and anyway, Autocad looks WAY to complex for what I need, which is simple a nice, simple free CAD package that allows plumbing to be shown.
I've got 26 days of Autocad left, but I reckon it's going to take me that long to get the hang of it, and then what? I've learnt something I can't use!
Found something on an old PC mag disk, but that doesn't seem to render anything on XP.
Ta
Mate of mine at work has been using qcad, which costs all of 28 dollars
- and the linux/unix source is downloadable for free. There is a demo version which is fully functional but quits after 10 minutes.
Visio...only 2-D
I use QuickCAD from Autodesk One of the best pieces of software I own. Comes with a 300+ page manual. Have mapped out the whole house and gardens during various projects. Cost me about =A330 five years ago. BAD NEWS...it appears that they have stopped producing it GOOD NEWS...I spotted a copy on eBay (item 5822786643) Good luck!
MBQ
Does it have templates of say plumbing valves, or do you have to draw all those yourself? Is it 2-D or 3-D?
You lack comprehension. There is no good FREE CAD software. He should have said the cheapest. and easiest, etc.
No, obviously *you* lack comprehension. He asked for "nice", "simple" and "free". He never asked for it to be "good". Which bit of that can you not comprehend?
Once again the incomprehensible has emerge. Visio is simple but not free. There is no simple and free. Get it? Nah you don't.
Ladies! Ladies!
You can have the lot if you go here (nice, simple and free) ..
....from a CAD user
Is it simple? Does it have HVAC symbols?
He is ditching AutoCAD because it is complicated. My God.
When something is free it's not so important if you don't use most of the software's abilities though...
...
Well he's warm, at least (bless!).
The 'draw' component of OpenOffice.org is a visio clone. As with the whole OOo suite it's free-as-in-beer as well as free-as-in-speech.
It's a 2-d vector drawing package. It doesn't come with any symbol libraries. I don't know if you can use visio symbol libraries with it.
With all due respect to Open Office Draw, it is a Visio clone in the same way that Notepad is a Word clone.
There is (or at least was - not looked lateley) a version of TurboCAD available for free download. 2D only IIRC and a couple of versions behind the current commercial realease, but very full featured all the same.
Don't be tempted by a simple 'drawing' package - it will only lead to frustration and disappointment. Go for the free progeCAD or TurboCAD. You don't 'have' to use the full capabilities. There are many basic tutorials on the web. Once you've got that you can download HVAC symbol libraries from lots of sources. Leave Drivel to play with his 'Etch -a -Sketch'
I recommend KitchenDraw
The first 30 hours are free -plenty of time I expect - then you can buy topup time at 3 euros per hour. Only actual designing time counts (not viewing your plans).
David Green
You mean better? ;^)
I admit I haven't used Visio since before it got bought up my M$, and have only used Draw to do simple circuit diagrams. If you've used both in anger and can say with authority that Draw lacks the functionality (as opposed to just component libraries) of Visio I'll take your word for it. It's still probably OK for the OP's plumbing diagrams, except that he'll have to make his own component symbols himself. Well that's DIY innit? :-)
I like OO Draw for what I used to do in powerpoint and before that freelance - diagrams, not to scale. I would still prefer freelance but there's nothing in it over draw. Both beat powerpoint by a lot. I have used all 3 for electronic circuit diagrams, but without being impressed
- mostly because they don't really do libraries of symbols.
There was a magazine disk copy of turbocad about a year ago. I tried it and thought it OK (for floor plans), but stopped bothering when I found just how off-square the rooms in my house are!
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