andrew Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 Can people recommend which CAD to use for designing as there are many different software programs such as autocad and turbocad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Jones Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 Hi Andrew, I am no CAD expert but i like to use TurboCAD and you can Buy it for £10 at Maplin. It is in my opinion easy to pick up with lots of how to videos on YouTube. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Olson - Model Technics Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 123D Design is free so you can try it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Armstrong 2 Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 Fusion 360 is free to non-commercial users. Its very comprehensive and capable. The only drawback is there appears to be no reference manual; you have to learn from online tutorials and a somewhat less than comprehensive online set of help pages. Still highly recommended as far as I am concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Jones Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 Why do so many people think Cos its free its worth a try , You get what you pay for after all, and if you don`t pay for it. What you get most likely is a buggy program, virus or spam mail, Yes it`s got to be worth a try. Why do you think so many business are going under. Is it just me or do we seem to be in a culture of Free downloads . Don`t buy a plan download it. Don`t buy software download it. Don`t buy a Video download it. Why should i pay for someone hard work. Get a Job, How much you paying I would not even get out of bed for that . Ho why are their so many problems in life. Rant over. Edited By Stephen Jones on 21/06/2017 22:33:56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Armstrong 2 Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 So far I have encountered no bugs in Fusion 360. It does not attract spam either. I think Autodesk's business model is to attract student engineers so that they buy the commercial version when working. Autodesk have a history of products which are free for non-commercial use. Presumably the model works for them. I initially downloaded Autodesk 123Design because I had never used any CAD software and wanted to see if I could use it at all. 123D was then replaced by F360 (at least Autodesk started encouraging me to change). All my games software is bought (though now mostly downloaded rather than on a nice shiny CD) and I would pay a similar price for CAD. The commercial licence for F360 would be too expensive for my limited use though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 Andrew there are also a number of other threads asking the same or similar questions. These might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Bennett Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 i use Total Cad £ 8.00 from maplins or Amazon. and i agree with every thing Stephen has said, being a struggling designer and writer. Tony B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Z Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 I am a fan of McNeel's Rhinoceros. It is certainly not for free, but you can download a full version on trial for 90 days. After that you have to pay for a license since it stops saving your designs. The Mac version is slightly less developed than the PC version (and therefore cheaper), but is still way more capable than the average modeler needs. We are talking hundreds of euros/pounds though (unlimited license duration). Max. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 Andrew, If you know what you are drawing already (as in you have a plan with shapes and dimensions) then Try Solid Edge - the 2D is free but the 3D isn't - you can scan the images into the background and trace on top to produce very accurate drawings. I have been using it for CNC machining my own kits and other projects for about 7 yrs. Works perfectly. I did try Turbo CAD but it didn't really work for me - but I now of many that use it. If you are designing a model from scratch then there are a couple of pieces of software that may be of use: DevCAD - I have been threatening to buy myself this for years as it looks great, but I still like to draw my designs on paper then transfer to CAD. Wing Designer - Have used in the past but moved to Compufoil. Compufoil - Have been using for years and outputs dxf files which I then nest before CNC cutting. All have subtle advantages and disadvantages over the other - but the best program to use is the one you know, so I have stuck with Solid Edge. Whichever you use you will need to spend some time learning how to CAD effectively. Best of luck Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Stainforth Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 My advice, based on months of trials with many different packages, is to thoroughly test the contenders to make sure they really have the functionality you need. All the cheaper programs I tried fell short in some respect - such as inability to import 3D xyz coordinates, or commands that are inadequate (e.g a Rotate command that only works in one degree increments, which is not sufficient for aircraft design). I finally plumbed for Rhino - fairly expensive, but the license is for life, including all upgrades. If I had been prepared to spend even more money (e.g. several thousand pounds) I would have gone for one of the top of the range products such as Solid Edge or Solid Works. As others have said, it takes a long time to become really proficient with any of the better tools. I was told it would take me about a year, and it took me about a year! CAD is not difficult, just complicated: there are a thousand and one ways to do almost everything and finding what is best in a given context takes a lot of practice and trial and error. But I think it is worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Blackburn Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 I've been using TurboCAD for years and years, and I find that it works for me - all my plans for the last 10 years or so have been drawn using it. My advice would be to get hold of an evaluation copy of whatever you fancy and spend several days reading the manual and trying things - that's how I found out that I appear to be <ahem> "unsuited" to AutoCAD... Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Z Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 Posted by John Stainforth on 22/06/2017 15:28:32: Rhino - fairly expensive, but the license is for life, including all upgrades. True, but you will have to pay extra for new versions, i.e. the upcoming 6.xx for Mac. I plan on staying with 5.xx (still being upgraded regularly at present), since it fulfills all my needs. To further make the case for Rhino: there is an excellent forum where you will find plenty of help and guidance by both experienced users and the people behind McNeel. A bunch of friendly guys who will help you out when you get stuck. And you will learn from the answers to other's questions, I know I still do. But as others have said, you will have to be prepared to put some effort and time in learning to use any package, and I would even say you will have to treat it as a separate hobby altogether, and not only as a means to facilitate your modeling. Max. Edited By Max Z on 22/06/2017 19:05:17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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