Computer Aided Design (CAD)

[Dave_G]

Hi,

I would like some advice on CAD software. I previously posted a question on suitable CAD software for PCs and received some advice on possible software. However, as my PC died I decided to buy a Mac and now I'd be interested in your views on what CAD software people are using on their Macs.

I know I can run Windows based CAD programmes on my Mac using Virtual PC and have tried this with the free disk supplied with Furniture and Cabinet Making - but it is so slow! So Mac software recommendations?

Also, can you recommend any books or CD ROM tutorials for CAD and furniture design - for a relative novice?

All best,

David

 

[Michael S]

Hi Dave,

SketchUp gets good write ups, is fairly easy to use and is available on both Mac Os X and Windows. You can download a time limited version from from www.sketchup.com. I've no association with the product (in fact I work of another CAD vendor myself )

Dave R seems to be the SU expert here...

-Michael

 

[JFC]

Last time i looked to get that software on my mac it was £1200 that was around 2 years ago and i was told there is nothing cheaper , with a mac its all or nothing .

 

[paul c]

Hi Dave,

Personally I use Autocad which I feel sure is available one way or another for Mac applications. Not officially cheap but it's good.

Try this link, very helpful people

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/index.php?sid=08e8f75eb76ec418a12f544f4e502bbc

 

[RogerS]

Dave

I have a whole raft of low cost CAD packages sitting on one of my Macs but can't remember offhand their names. Won't be able to get to the Mac until next Saturday.

EasyCad and MacDraft spring to mind however.

Typing CAD and MAC into Google produces a whole slew of stuff

Roger

 

[Dave_G]

Hi,

Just trying the trial version of Sketchup - man where do start! After decades of drafting plans using a drafts board and pens etc...

Seems to me I'm going to be on a massive learning curve.

David

 

[beejay]

Like you David, but I'm trying the trial of Deltacad which Im sure is excellent if I can ever figure it out :?
beejay
http://community.webshots.com/user/eunos9

 

[matt]

I use Macromedia Freehand. Not quite a CAD programme but it works various units of measure and is good enough for 2D drawings and for working out the best use of sheet material.

3D drawings are always pencil & paper sketches - quicker and more versatile.

 

[elsa]

Has anyone tried "eCabinet Systems" software?
Apparently it's free software and I remember the old student motto 'if it's free, it's for me'.
However, now I'm older and more cynical I more often believe in the motto "if it's free, it's worth what you pay for it"

Details are at
http://www.ecabinetsystems.com/ecab_new ... ftware.htm

It looks very sophisticated judging by the finished 3-d drawings but like with any 3-D drawing package, I wonder how long it takes learn and how long it takes even an expert to draw the simplest of objects in 3D. I certainly wouldn't like to spend longer drawing the plans than making the item.

 

[Johnboy]

I've been using Alibre Xpress for a while now. Good tutorials, fairly steep learning curve if you are new to CAD but overall excellent. Best of all it's free. :lol:

See http://www.alibre.com/xpress/

John

 

[Dave_G]

Hi Elsa,

I like the look of the ecabinet... however, I can only run Windows based programmes through Virtual PC on my Mac and even with 1Gb of RAM it is very slow - still thanks for the link.

Regards,

David

 

[Steve Maskery]

man where do start!

Go to the online tutorials on the Help menu. They are a good way to get going. Personally I think that SU is one of the easiest - even if not most typical - CAD systems to learn.

If you hunt around, you can find older versions of ACAD, stripped down (eg ACADLT2004) for not very much money - $45 recently IIRC. Can't remember where, but I wasn't looking hard for it, so it can't be too difficult to find, I shouldn't think.

Cheers
Steve

 

[LyNx]

only problem with Acad lite is that is doesn't have any 3d functions, so your limited to 2d only.

Andy

 

[Steve Maskery]

Andy,
Yes, I should have made that clear. But I find that the only thing I need Acad for anyway is for drawing complex curves for chairs and the like. It has very good spline control. SU, on the other hand, even with the Bezier.Rb plugin, has very basic spline control. So I design the curves in Acad and then take them through to SU for the rest.

It's a different way of working, but I rather like it.

Cheers
Steve

 

[ike]

RHINOCEROS. It's a full featured NURBS modeller. It has a range of modelling functions that shame high end CAD packages, and in terms of what you can draw with it, it really is like having a Rolls Royce for the price of a Mini. Being 100% NURBS based geometry, you can work seamlessly (excuse the pun) creating/editing solids and surfaces to allow eventual solid models of totally freeform organic shape if you wish e.g. a Maloof style design fr'instance.

I can also recommend Flamingo (Photorealistic rendering plug-in), although it comes with built-in basic shader and rendering tools).

I thinks it's a real gem of a package (I use it for designing injection moulded parts and electronic instrument assemblies). Apparently, popular with marine and jewellry designers in particular.

www.rhino3d.com

cheers,

Ike