On 11/21/2013 2:22 PM, Richard wrote:
On 11/21/2013 12:39 PM, Gordon Shumway wrote:
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 00:09:04 +0000 (UTC), John Doe
wrote:

Things I want to draw...
...wood boards
...aluminum flat bar, square tube, round tube, rod
...holes through materials
...bolts, washers, and nuts
...wheels
In other words, I want to draw things you might make at home.

Is 2-D CAD appropriate for drawing three-dimensional objects, like
boxes? Do they typically allow you to enter a third dimension when
placing an object? I don't mind having limited views, like a front
view and a side view, but most of us work with three-dimensional
objects...

Thanks.

2-D Cad is exactly what 2-D says -- it is two dimensional, period. But
if all you want to do is draw, not design, you will have more
functionality than you need with pretty much any 2-D package.

On the other hand, if you want to DESIGN in 3 dimensions, a 2-D
package is about as useless as a screen door on a submarine. Others
have mentioned AutoCAD and SketchUp and I have heard they work well.

Personally, I use Pro-Engineer for the simple reason that I didn't
have to take the time to learn it. It was what I used as a design
engineer before I retired. The power of Pro-E for designing
woodworking projects is like hitting a thumb tack with a sledge
hammer. But it sure is easy for me!


I did a lot of 3D work on a drafting table, so I disagree with what you
said here. A LOT of drafting was done before computers evolved to help
out.


Well, he did specifically say 2-D CAD. I too was formally trained long
before computers and drew isometric. But none of my drawings and or the
2D CAD programs let you spin the 3D object or view inside out. ;~)

IIRC AutoCAD LT was able to do isometric drawings but you could not
change the angle of view of that object. That was several years ago so
maybe things have changed with the software.