Thread: CAD freeware?

Not really. There are some cheaper products out there than AutoCAD ($8000+!!!). But free? One of the problems is that a CAD package is reasonably complex to produce and anyone going to the effort of making one will probably want to get some money for it.

If you find one that's any good, post back here.

I have used one for many years - not quite free but very inexpensive - called Draft Choice. Still available as far as I know.

Go to www.triusinc.com/dcwin.htm - it is still there!

It is a bit 'clunky' and old fashioned - not much changed since the original version I used under DOS - but it is really quite powerful.

It it is NOT 3 dimensional.

Cheers

Geoff try Deltacad you can download their demo and use it as long as you like... seems okay from my non cad understanding stance...

deltacad.com

Ive downloaded a couple of cad things and it shows them clear as a bell although what its capable of beyond that is beyond me.

mmm okay just shot back and read a bit of their blurbs... duhh moment when I downloaded it... 45 days before you have to purchase $39.95USD from Seattle Wa USA... anyway maybe 45 days will be enough?

Thanks Shane, I'll have a look.


Craig

Hi,

Go to a site called www.download.com

its got everything you need - search for "CAD" and off you go, If they dont have at least 100 CAD type progs I'll be very much surprised. from their selection there are various grades of software from beta to share to trial to free etc...

Buckets of stuff for all sorts of apps or games etc...

Zed

Had a quick look at DeltaCad.

Seems to have a few advantages over my favourite DraftChoice the principal one being that it can import/export BMP and DXF files. BMP files very handy because these can then be converted to JPG, TIF etc for publishing on the WEB etc.

The price is the same $US40 - which is pretty cheap for what they both do.

Had a look in the various shareware/freeware sources - can't see anything else that is comparable.

Hope these comments are useful

Cheers.

I don't use the product myself, but I've read that TurboCad is pretty popular amongst a lot of woodworkers in the rec.woodworking newsgroup.

Deltacad

I have used, its not straight forward but seems to have lots of features.

The demo version does not have print facilities by memory.

I have tried using some other cheap cad programs cannot remember names but it always takes time to ascertain exactly what is does and does not do.

Autocad was the best I came across but never actually bought it.

If you do get some experience with it could you give us some feed back.

Cheers

Pulpo

Have a look at turbo cad.

certainly not free but very reasonably priced and very well done.

opens & shuts lots of formats and drives like the real thing.

Ill second the turbocad proggy Soundman
had it from Vers 1 to the last upgrade I did 2 years ago does it all pretty much and fairly user friendly

I would tend to go towards turbo cad also. I have never seen it working but our office receives a cad magazine and it is often advestised in that. I tend to use Archicad or Autocad but they are both worth big $$$$'s and tend to do more than what is needed.

Once again ... worth a look around Ebay

Ebay

Are you after 2d or 3d?

I have had a bit more play-time with DeltaCAD and I am quite impressed.
Very intuitive - i.e. don't need to use the help file very often.
Does many things a lot easier than Draft Choice.

I have not tried Turbo Cad but just looking at the blurbs it is definitely a draftman's tool. Many of the features go right over my head - in the stratosphere somewhere.

For doing drawings for wood work etc. and not being a draftsman, DeltaCad would be my choice. The price is better too. No point in paying for features that you will never use and which only make things more complicated and clutter your disk space.

Of course, if you want 3D, TurboCAD is the only one.

You might pick up AutoCAD on EBay - but then the same comments apply as for TurboCAD and you would probably pay more.

Geoff,
I downloaded DeltaCad and have had a bit of a play. Did the tutorial and it seems to be pretty straightforward. I may be being thick, but I couldn't figure out how to change the units to metric. Inches is not much good to me.

So am I being thick or does DeltaCad only do inches / feet?

Cheers
Craig