"Puckdropper" puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote in message
...


If you're familiar with drafting, a program called CadStd will get you
going right away. It's basically computer drafting. A little quirky at
first, but once you get used to the interface it's easy to use.

Sketchup takes a bit to get used to, also. I had to take the time to get
used to the 3D aspect, but didn't find anything too difficult. The
interface is a little quirky as well, but not terrible. (Zooming, for
example, is done by selecting the Zoom tool and moving the mouse up or
down.)

Actually if you learn the short cuts with the Sketchup program it becomes
much easier to use. I seldom use any icons at all as all can be assiciated
with a keyboard command or mouse jesture. For example, I have always used
a track ball mouse because IMHO it is much quicker to draw with. To zoom I
simply rotate my middle click wheel and hold down the wheel to orbit.
Placing the curser over the spot I want to zoom concentrates the zoom at
that point and rotating the ball with my thumb enables me to orbit at that
spot.