I am presently a New-be and I'm looking for a nice 3D software package for new projects. I know you seasoned chippers will just say "Just Do IT". I know but I have to learn for myself. Please advise.
Thanks Steve
there is a nice review of various CAD programs as they relate to woodworking project design/planning in the latest Workbench magazine. I don't have it in front of me, but IIRC DeltaCad received kudos for ease of use, but something like 3D Cad Max or something like that was the author's favorite.
Mike
I was wrong about the magazine - it was Fine Woodworking, not Workbench.
Design Cad was their pick. I used the program back in the 80's. It is a very complete software. It's been around for a long time. I have and use AutoCad. I don't model woodworking projects in 3-d (I am trained in 3-d). I do make sketches and plans of nearly every project, including cut lists.
3-d design is time consuming and yields (IMO) very little. Just so you will know, my 3-d training came when I used the Rebis software. That doesn't make me an authority, but an informed source. :-)I use solidworks...Brian
Question--how much do you want to spend? You can get a fairly well-equipped shop for the price of a copy of a good 3D CAD program.
Great info everyone.
I wasn't wanting to spend a lot of money, just enough so I give my wift (finicial advisor) an idea of what I am planning to build. I'm an electrical engineer and I know that doing this 3D work first will be time consuming and I am sure I will agree with you Lowell but like I said earlier, this is just something I'm going to have to learn myself.
I am going to pick up a copy of Workbench Magazine. thanks Mike.
I've used IronCad but (years ago), I thought it was tailored for sheetmetal work. What do I know, I might check it out again since I see a possible use now.
Thanks aga>
well-equipped
So do I, but I seriously doubt he want to pop for $3,995 + $1295 first years maintenance.
I'm anxiously awaiting for further development of LignumCAD at
=========================================================================== Chris
Steve...
I use a 1999 edition of DesignCAD 2000. It's a 3D package but I only use it in 2D mode. I messed around with the 3D features for a while; but haven't really needed that part of the package. It works fairly well for me.
I find 3D much faster than 2D (although, if I had to use AutoCAD to do it, I would agree with you). I build a project complete, including joints ect, and assemble it. 2D prints are easily and quickly generated from the 3D model. BTW, for 2D work, AutoCAD or Intellicad are my pick.
If you want to go free, there's a 2d/3d CAD program, originally designed for Linux, but also, I think, available for Windows:
if you have some cad background you might want to look at intellicad. it's an autocad clone, more or less. the basic license is $150.
$51.95 at CMS. For 2D, highly recommended (in other words, I use it:). Though Autocad or Intellicad are not the easiest programs to learn, there is lots of tech help all over the net.
As a fellow EE, I can assure you that using 3D CAD tools is much more time consuming than generating system models using tools like Matlab or solving problems using Maple. I have been using TurboCad for 3D drawing and have found it useful. The
3D aspect is helpful in making sure that the design is rational. It is time-consuming however.
which is fairly rich if not absolutely complete.
I still prefer DeltaCad for the little I do. More powerful tools are like more powerful cars ...safer in better hands.
Bill.
I always get in trouble in these threads, so I'm going to let others give you the actual recommendations. I use SolidWorks for work (I'm an engineer), but I couldn't afford to buy it on my own, and I don't use it for woodworking projects. I use pencil and paper for woodworking, but then I can draw (I was trained before CAD became standard), and I don't do extensive woodworking. Drawing isn't everyone's strong suit, but then again neither is mousing around, so my advice is to experiment, listen carefully to the recommendations, and use what is comfortable *for you*.
As a programmer who worked on CAD/CAE/CAM systems, I find a lot of mindsets apply and therefore a lot of tools exist that focus on each mindset. There's a way of thinking that gets a couple of key views drawn in 2D and then extends that to 3D. If you're going to design a chest of drawers, or some shelves, you're probably thinking of how it's going to look from the front. So you'd work that view first and then think about depth later, with joinery and other things falling into place as necessary. Conversely another mindset tells you that it's a 3D world and so the longer you put off
3D design, the sadder you're going to be in the long run. (That's the paradigm I work in.) Unfortunately it's not the way a lot of people seem to think naturally, so it requires you to wrap your mind around the problem."What CAD program should I use?" is a lot like, "What kind of car should I buy?"
The first question you have to ask is, "Why CAD?" There are a lot of potential answers: lack of manual drawing skills, need for polished presentation, production efficiency, time savings, skill acquisition, etc. But seriously you need to consider whether pencil and paper will work for you.
Another good question is, "If I *had* to design this on a whiteboard, how would I draw it?" If you draw views in cardinal directions first, consider the AutoCAD-type systems. If you draw a perspective or isometric view first, consider the SolidWorks-type systems.
And the big question, which you've already answered, is, "How much can I spend on this?" CAD programs run the gamut from the basic digital paper and basic straight line, all the way up to systems like CATIA that you can use to design your own stealth bomber. As someone said, a good CAD system may not make up in the long run for a good band saw.
Good luck, and be sure to tell us what you discover.
--Jay
Well 3 out of 3 EE's agree. As an EE I also agree that using a CAD is somewaht useful but very time consuming. I've tried Turbocad but found each time I use it I need to retrain myself. Obviously I don't use it much.
I'm not an EE; my training is mostly ME. CAD, the way it's often meant to be used, is usually about optimizing enterprise design, not necessarily one-time informal designs by individuals. That's why I'm a little leery about people just assuming they need CAD for woodworking projects. I want to know what advantages they think they're going to get from it. That helps me make a meaningful recommendataion.
--Jay
For those who don't use it often, I also suspect most CAD packages are of little use, supporting your thoughts. As a retired EE who used to do some ME, I've seen people who live with CAD programs, and can effectively design on them. For the rest of us, I think a simple CAD program (or good drawing program?) can be useful for small tailoring of existing designs, or if you need to make many small variations of a design.
For the rest of it, I made a drafting table, and bought a cheap machine on eBay. That changed my hand sketches to reasonable drawings and, in many cases, ended up being faster than drawing it with a CAD package. While some CAD's 3D drawings might be nice, they take too long to produce, and my isometric drawings are just as effective.
The last initial design use I had for CAD was in designing the drafting table that replaced it.
As an aside, a previous post here noted FWW's choice of Design CAD, how the price was under 100 and it came with several tutorial CDs. So I got a trial copy and found out the rest of the story. Turns out they released a new version. Don't know if this is a change, but the program itself does NOT come with any tutorial CDs, instead you have to pay more for them. Design CAD did appear to have potential, but their help text was next to useless and I gave up on it and went back to my many-years-old copy of Intellidraw, which is intuitive enough I can quickly relearn it whenever it's needed.
GerryG
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