Joseph Gwinn wrote:

(...)

I stared out using Draftsight, but found the learning curve far too
difficult. There isn't enough Draftsight documentation for a new user
to figure it out, so I started reading the AutoCAD documentation, as
Draftsight speaks perfect AutoCAD.

Ouch. I found Autocad to have a vertical learning curve.

(...)

What the MEs used and recommended for home use was Alibre, which is 3D
from the start, and is a fairly clean new design. So I bought a
personal-use copy for $200 or so, and made more progress in two weeks
than I had made with DraftSight in many months. So, I abandoned
Draftsight, and stopped reading the thick AutoCAD books.

I feel your pain.

After attempting Autocad and n+1 no-cost 'cad' programs,
I stumbled across Generic CADD (Later Visual CADD).
Suddenly, I could draw and print!

That experience flattened the learning curve with Rhino3D.
I've heard good things about Alibre, but never tried it.


--Winston