DraftSight Drafting Software
 

Hi everyone,

There have been a lot of threads asking for recommendations for drafting software. I recently came across a great AutoCAD clone called DraftSight and it is FREE! It is a fully featured 2D CADD program that functions almost exactly like AutoCAD, with all of the same command aliases. It might be a little daunting to someone with no CADD experience, but it works great and it avaliable for Windows, Mac and Linux.

http://www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/overview/

lowsound

yep, a free fully featured 2D CAD package. The only thing it doesn't do is 3D. I've been looking at CorelCAD to get solids modelling capability - it isn't a parametric modeler (IIRC) but does all the ACAD style solids modeling and editing.

What kind of 3D are you looking for? SketchUp is very good and free. It lacks a lot of features that SolidWorks or Inventer have, but it is very easy to use and what it does, it does better than SolidWorks or Inventer.

I should also note, I use AutoCAD Civil 3D (basically 3D design combined with 2D drafting, leading some people to call it 2.5D) all day, everyday at work and I would have zero problems using DraftSight for the professional 2D work that I do.

lowsound

Haven't tried Sketchup, but will do now. In the past I've done a lot of 3D in ACAD - extrusions, unions, slices etc. and I've also done a lot of parametric modelling in Pro/E and Solidworks. I was looking at Corel because I think it will work with my old ACAD projects, some of which I'd like to dust off at some point.

Just ran across a package called Blender - opensource and free. Has anyone here used it?

I haven't, but I am always a little apprehensive about open source CAD programs. They just usually not that fully featured and buggy. Rhino is used by several people around here for 3D modeling.

lowsound

Couldn't get into Rhino, but that was years ago so perhaps I should give it another look. After using Pro/E and Solidworks, everything else seems feature scarce and buggy to me.

That is why I really like DraftSight, does almost everything that AutoCAD does.

lowsound

yes, even the shortcut commands all seem to work

DriftSight is great for what it is. I've been using it for a bit and I like it...mostly. There are some things to watch out for with it though. Mostly the drawing format. It doesn't take newer than 2007 dwg files (maybe they have an update that I don't have that does take newer dwg files?). So if you share files with others or send them around to work on in other places, watch that.

Otherwise, the polar tracking and object snaps are a bit different and sometimes really frustrating as they don't work just like AutoCAD all the time. That's not nearly annoying enough to make me drop $5k on AutoCAD though.

The newest update has 2010 compatibility. One thing that I have noticed is better than AutoCAD is the tan-tan-radius and tan-tan-tan circle commands. AutoCAD is really picky about where you select for your tangents, I haven't had this problem with DraftSight yet.

lowsound

Cool, I'll have to get the update. I used to use AutoCAD all day long at work, but for the last several years, it's been another program. So I really only use the Draftsight at home for odd side jobs and bass and guitar design drawings. It works great for that and it's a good resource for those looking to get into drawing their own designs.

Can DWG files be imported into Sketchup?

For some reason, my AutoCAD always crashes when working on 3d models. I can't go 15 minutes without the program mysteriously crashing straight to the desktop. No warning, no error. I can draw 2d objects and lines to my hearts content, but once I start incorporating the Z axis, the fuse is lit and I have no idea when it'll blow.

I had a really hard time wrapping my head around Bender, but Sketchup seems very straight forward. All I need is a basic modeling program to visualize ideas before I hack into a block of wood.

The pro version can, I think the free version can import DXF files, or there should be another file type that you can export to and bring it into SketchUp. AutoCAD is too clunky while working in 3D for it to be of much use at all.

lowsound

AutoCAD has the capability to do complex 3D models - I've used it to model the entire steel structure of ships. Using it straight out of the box took some significant effort to keep coordinate systems and part names/numbers straight (I used a database), but one place I worked had some ship specific software that used LISP routines to link AutoCAD's modelling engine and soilds properties to a database. I was surprised how much solids info was available to manipulate. They are slightly more than dumb objects. That said, I would choose a parametric system like Solidworks over ACAD any day.

IMO AutoCAD can't be beat for 2D drafting, but for 3D modeling it is much more clumsy than programs that are designed for doing the 3D work, I have no doubt that you CAN do it with AutoCAD, but why would you when there are other programs that can do it better and faster. For example, for my job, I could draw and design a complex sewer system in vanilla AutoCAD, or I could use Civil 3D and have it draw my design for me, saving me hours of tedious drafting work.

lowsound

Wow, that sounds like the old days, which to me is R12 for DOS. We called it AutoCrash. And AutoCrap.

I have a fatal error at least once a day, but you get used to hitting the save button after every major thing you do and then some.

lowsound

Those tangent capabilities are very well behaved in Rhino.

I have never used Rhino, I use SketchUp Pro for all of my 3D needs. Anyone else think that we should make a thread with all the drafting software that is used by various people around here? People could give reviews of what they use and post links for buying/downloading.

lowsound