Need simple 2D CAD

[phild01]

Totally frustrated.
Anyone know of a simple CAD program for drafting a house plan?
I have tried Sketchup, DraftIT, TigerCAD, DoubleCAD, CadStd, SolidEdge and maybe one or two more.
I keep finding myself unsuccessful with a set of fundamental requirements....like really simple things:

different scales 1:20 1:50 on A4 paper;
measurements that adhere to the set scales 1000mm draws as 10mm but shows a dimension as 1000mm (1:100);
measurements that don't show with virtually zero point size argh!;
measurements that can be applied to selected lines without selecting 1st and second points;
draw lines with inputed dimension without always having to set 1st and 2nd points;
metric mm, not metres;
don't want co-ordinates;
don't want modelling;
don't want 3D (seems to me this has really stuffed up doing simple 2D).
If any willing takers, please don't recommend AutoCAD or any other highend type applications. Maybe theses and the ones I have tried do what I want but am really buggered as to how they do it. I know a lot of people like sketchup but I hate it for what I am trying to do. I don't want to think about layout and model pages. I just want a simple drawing package that faithfully scales my plan on paper. I am wondering about 'TurdoCAD designer v16' but unable to find a trial for it!
Sorry to be a pain. Just hoping someone with good CAD experience can steer me because this has been too much of a frustration for far too long.
:~

[malb]

I have Turbocad 12 which is 2D/3D, and would otherwise meet your requirements. I only use it as 2D and simply ignore the 3D features. Mine is the commercial all singing all dancing version with architectual and mechanical libraries and a manual. I also have a magazine cover disk version of V7.1.This won't have much in the way of libraries or instruction manuals, but a lot of that stuff is available on the net.

I got a mailout today offering the basic (deluxe V17) as an upgrade for $99, normal retail $199 apparently.

Any which way, there is going to be a decent learning curve for you.

[Sam]

IntelliCAD. A few years back they were giving the program away for free in an effort to make it the drafting industry standard (instead of AutoCAD) and trying to sell you add on packages specific to your flavour of drafting ie mech/elec, building design etc.

Over the years I've found each new release to be virtually the same as the previous AutoCAD version. If you cant download it for free, I imagine it would be quite cheap considering how close to Acad it is. In both of these programs most of your list would fall under the basic settings.

Good luck, Malb has a point about the learning curve !

[joe greiner]

For one-time use, you may find less frustration by engaging the services of of a real draftsman, if you're unwilling to climb the learning curve. If permitting agencies demand electronic media, you may have no other choice. If not, manual drafting, by you, could be considered.

Proficiency in CAD is best attained from training in manual drafting. All CAD does is to facilitate design changes and interference investigation, as well as use of standard details.

Cheers,
Joe

[phild01]

For one-time use, you may find less frustration by engaging the services of of a real draftsman, if you're unwilling to climb the learning curve. If permitting agencies demand electronic media, you may have no other choice. If not, manual drafting, by you, could be considered.

Proficiency in CAD is best attained from training in manual drafting. All CAD does is to facilitate design changes and interference investigation, as well as use of standard details.

Cheers,
Joe

I have an ability to draw plans to standard and previously done this. I am very keen to master a good 2D software package but I just don't understand why all these packages present the user with difficult to find and learn features. For house plans there is not a lot that needs to be learnt. I am so over these combined 2D/3D packages. I can visualise what I want to draw! I just want the package to present the single layer that I can draw boxes and lines on with ease with quick dimensioning and dimensioned to scale. Shame Paint isn't a level higher. Just tried ProgeCAD and quickly dismissed it. If I learn't all these packages I would end up as a CAD professional..hardly what I need or want. Thanks all for advice so far.

[phild01]

Just tried TurboCAD Learning and it seems quite ok to use except the limitation of only either horizontal or vertical dimension tool icon rather than both appearing?!
Just also tried TurdoCAD deluxe v12 and I can't get my head around it. Drew a rectangle and go to dimension it and I just get one bigger rectangle. Is this something to do with me using the model page?

So if I end up liking TurboCAD learning edition what would be the logical version to purchase as it seems I don't like the deluxe version??:C

[phild01]

Just tried TurboCAD Learning and it seems quite ok to use except the limitation of only either horizontal or vertical dimension tool icon rather than both appearing?!
Just also tried TurdoCAD deluxe v12 and I can't get my head around it. Drew a rectangle and go to dimension it and I just get one bigger rectangle. Is this something to do with me using the model page?

So if I end up liking TurboCAD learning edition what would be the logical version to purchase as it seems I don't like the deluxe version??:C

Damn...horizontal in Learning edition looks identical to zoom in deluxe version..grrr!

[joe greiner]

I wasn't aware you were already so far along the learning curve.

In spite of your disdain for AutoCAD (full version - $$$$), you might consider the "Lite" version, which I've been using for about 15 years. It has pretty much all the features you seek, including aligned dimensions. It's peddled as 2D, but can do rudimentary 3D, with auxiliary viewpoints if desired. It can save files as both dwg and dxf format. DXF is essentially text commands, and is readable by other packages, as well as by you. It also accepts input from script files, more or less dxf in reverse.

When I was in professional practice, I used it for design studies of ship handling, movable bridges, and segmented bridge construction. I gave the files to drafters for actual drawing preparation. I tried to use as many layers as possible; the drafters converted them to client-specific layers. Now I use it for my own projects, especially printing full-size patterns for cutting.

The original edition of AutoCAD should be sufficient, if you can find a copy. I've upgraded a couple times, but never got around to using the added features.

At one time, Alibre was a sponsor here, but apparently no longer. I haven't followed the CAD market for a long time, so I can't be more specific. Perhaps someone else can fill in the blanks.

Cheers,
Joe

[malb]

With TC 12 you get a set of drawing tools type selectors down the left side of the screen normally. These are represented by a square with an icon for the selected tool for the type inside. The lower right corner of each rectangle has a yellow triangle. Click on the triangle and a tool selector box for the type opens with a range of tools. Hover over the tools in the box and a tool tip will appear showing the tool purpose. Select a given tool and it will be displayed in the tool type selector.

This gives options such as lines parallel to others with definable offsets, other types of dimensions etc.

[phild01]

I wasn't aware you were already so far along the learning curve.

In spite of your disdain for AutoCAD (full version - $$$$), you might consider the "Lite" version, which I've been using for about 15 years. It has pretty much all the features you seek, including aligned dimensions. It's peddled as 2D, but can do rudimentary 3D, with auxiliary viewpoints if desired. It can save files as both dwg and dxf format. DXF is essentially text commands, and is readable by other packages, as well as by you. It also accepts input from script files, more or less dxf in reverse.

When I was in professional practice, I used it for design studies of ship handling, movable bridges, and segmented bridge construction. I gave the files to drafters for actual drawing preparation. I tried to use as many layers as possible; the drafters converted them to client-specific layers. Now I use it for my own projects, especially printing full-size patterns for cutting.

The original edition of AutoCAD should be sufficient, if you can find a copy. I've upgraded a couple times, but never got around to using the added features.

At one time, Alibre was a sponsor here, but apparently no longer. I haven't followed the CAD market for a long time, so I can't be more specific. Perhaps someone else can fill in the blanks.

Cheers,
Joe
Thanks Joe...not that advanced though, just learning stuff I don't want to know and not finding what I want to know though getting better at it. Got AutoCAD lite 2011 only to find after the lengthy installer that I need lots of memory which probably means a PC upgrade. I run XP with 1GB RAM and I think this product needs much more than the 2GB min requirement.
I have seen house plan software but without a trial period...just not worth the risk. Off to the computer market tomorrow to see if any older software is for sale and maybe pick up a bigger monitor for my old eyes.

[phild01]

With TC 12 you get a set of drawing tools type selectors down the left side of the screen normally. These are represented by a square with an icon for the selected tool for the type inside. The lower right corner of each rectangle has a yellow triangle. Click on the triangle and a tool selector box for the type opens with a range of tools. Hover over the tools in the box and a tool tip will appear showing the tool purpose. Select a given tool and it will be displayed in the tool type selector.

This gives options such as lines parallel to others with definable offsets, other types of dimensions etc.

Thanks Mal
Actually I did notice the little yellow corner triangle and clicked it expecting it to toggle between horizontal and vertical. Not so and I didn't end up figuring it out. Clicking it in the learning version I have doesn't seem to do what you indicate so I will see later what happens in the deluxe version.
I think I should be looking for 'ortho' measurements as well, whatever ortho means.
The deluxe version seems ok but I need to discover if I can maintain a relationship between line length and measurement (learning curve of course).

[joe greiner]

It seems Alibre is still a sponsor, but popups appear at random - not there today, for some reason. The "Ads by Google" menu may be ISP-dependent, so YMMV.

Cheers,
Joe

[BRADFORD]

I as in the same situation as you, Sketch up didn't do it and had trouble coming to grips with some of the other software available.
Got Turbo Cad Deluxe 16 about 6 months ago, took me a while, but I can now produce 2D plans etc fairly quickly and easily. 3D however is another story (learning curve)

[JTonks]

If anyone is still looking for a good free 2D CAD program, this one is worth checking out.

Overview - Dassault Systèmes (http://www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/)

It looks to me to be a re-branded Intellicad which is an Autocad clone. Download is only 40mb. I use Autocad in my day job so I have tested most of the common commands and they work in a very similar manner.

Regards
John