which design/drawing programmes?

[pquinn]

what do people use?are there any decent/free ones worth trying? something really simple.i am not designing a rocket just want to put a few measurements and plans to paper.now dont get me wrong folks,i am no stranger to the old pencil,ruler, set square or compass.i was just thinking of getting all fancy to try to impress some chicks.and no,i am not designing a birdcage or chicken coop. thanks for any ideas. paul

[alan_fincher]

Haven't tried it for a while, but I very successfully used Google SketchUp when redesigning sections of the internal layout of "chalice"

 

Random examples of what it will easily do.....

 

 

 

[Trento]

I use AutoCad, any of their derivatives are good. But looking at Google SketchUp, I suggest thats the way to go.. Dunno about the learning curve though..

Perhaps Alan will inform..

[alan_fincher]

Dunno about the learning curve though..

Perhaps Alan will inform..

I found it a lot more intuitive than several free versions of CAD software I had tried before.

 

But it is a few years since - I have no idea how Google SketchUp has been changed since.

 

Sometimes things that are nice and simple get spoilt by trying to make them more complex than the average punter needs.

 

You do need to be careful in SketchUp that you are working on the layer you think you are, but that would be true whatever you used, I guess!

 

Whilst learning, save differently named copies regularly, in case you screw up somewhere, and want to go back a few versions to before the screw up - but please don't ask me how I know this!......

[Batavia]

If you want a free 2D CAD package, I reckon that the best ones are Solidedge 2D and DraftSight. Both are pretty/very compatible with AutoCAD and are provided free by large CAD companies who want you to buy their 3D offerings. I tend to use DraftSight.

 

LibreCAD is good, but unfortunately does not support .dwg files.

 

However, as Alan suggests, Sketchup might be more appropriate, depending on your requirements.

 

Chris G

[MikeV]

There's lots of good Sketchup tutorials on YouTube. Some of them refer to older versions of the software but I don't think the basic techniques have changed in the newer software. For starters, try Aidan Chopra's tutorials.

[adrianh]

Draftsight and Nanocad are free alternatives to AutoCAD, but they take a time to learn if you are a novice.

 

Turbocad is a cheap/simple program but does not use the dwg format.

 

If you draw anything that you want to send to another person, set the save parameter as AutocadLT2000 (if possible) or use DXF. Most programs will then open the file.