I'd like to get a CAD program. This will be mostly for drawing up model
airplane plans, but will be used for some other mechanical design. With
models, I want to put scanned-in bitmaps of scale 3-views and design the
model over them. Better yet, a program that would be able to do a good
job of turning a scan into a line drawing would be ever so cool.

I have a copy of "TurboCAD Designer 2D/3D" Version 8, which I picked up
ages ago. It's sitting in my wastebasket because it does nothing but
crash my machine.

Anyone have any CAD program suggestions? Is Turbo CAD now reliable? A
2D program would be sufficient, but I wouldn't say no to a 3D program if
the price were right.

Thanks.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Posting from Google? See http://cfaj.freeshell.org/google/

Tim Wescott wrote:
I'd like to get a CAD program. This will be mostly for drawing up model
airplane plans, but will be used for some other mechanical design. With
models, I want to put scanned-in bitmaps of scale 3-views and design the
model over them. Better yet, a program that would be able to do a good
job of turning a scan into a line drawing would be ever so cool.

I have a copy of "TurboCAD Designer 2D/3D" Version 8, which I picked up
ages ago. It's sitting in my wastebasket because it does nothing but
crash my machine.

Anyone have any CAD program suggestions? Is Turbo CAD now reliable? A
2D program would be sufficient, but I wouldn't say no to a 3D program if
the price were right.

Alibre Design Xpress 3D.

A real 3D solid modeling package. Works great. Free.

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

Discussion forums:

http://www.alibre.com/xpress/forum/i...daf403287b8c3a

In article ,
says...
I'd like to get a CAD program. This will be mostly for drawing up model
airplane plans, but will be used for some other mechanical design. With
models, I want to put scanned-in bitmaps of scale 3-views and design the
model over them. Better yet, a program that would be able to do a good
job of turning a scan into a line drawing would be ever so cool.

I have a copy of "TurboCAD Designer 2D/3D" Version 8, which I picked up
ages ago. It's sitting in my wastebasket because it does nothing but
crash my machine.

Anyone have any CAD program suggestions? Is Turbo CAD now reliable? A
2D program would be sufficient, but I wouldn't say no to a 3D program if
the price were right.


Alibre, a 3d parametric modeler, gets good reviews considering its
price. As I understand it, the main limitation on the free version is
that there's a limit to the number of parts in an assembly. One
workaround to this limitation would be to lump several parts into one.
You wouldn't want to do this if you had to produce part drawings of your
model for release, but it'd probably be workable for drawings for your
own use.

Ned Simmons

Tim check out model cad and one that I have called instant architect.
There are other easy uploads with plans bult in. check into the various
RC groups on unsenet.
Get a plotter like a Roland that will cut graphics and pen plot on
butcher paper

Steve Smith wrote:
I've used AutoSketch since our first computer. I've been pretty happy
with it for 2d of stuff I'm making.
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet...112&id=2753027

Steve
AutoSketch has been an incredibly capable 2D program. I would advise
nothing older than version 7 though. You can pick up new copies of the
older program pretty cheap online with a little searching.

If you want something really inexpensive and easy, use A9Cad for free,
or upgrade for like $29. I do not use it personally, but have reviewed
it a while back. They seem to have a good thing going there, and they
offer some very nice DXF to DWG conversion tools as well. You can find
that he http://www.a9tech.com/

Grummy

I suspect you don't have enough disk space for a cache or enough memory to run it.
Maybe you have to much already loaded.

I"ve been using turbocad for years - since DOS - and it works. Something isn't
set up right. C out of space ? - make a area on another drive/partition.

Martin
Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH & Endowment Member
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder



Tim Wescott wrote:
I'd like to get a CAD program. This will be mostly for drawing up model
airplane plans, but will be used for some other mechanical design. With
models, I want to put scanned-in bitmaps of scale 3-views and design the
model over them. Better yet, a program that would be able to do a good
job of turning a scan into a line drawing would be ever so cool.

I have a copy of "TurboCAD Designer 2D/3D" Version 8, which I picked up
ages ago. It's sitting in my wastebasket because it does nothing but
crash my machine.

Anyone have any CAD program suggestions? Is Turbo CAD now reliable? A
2D program would be sufficient, but I wouldn't say no to a 3D program if
the price were right.

Thanks.


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Tim:
If you want to be able to scan a sketch, then have the CAD program
convert it into a drawing- you need something with "raster-to-vector"
conversion, which later versions of Turbocad do have. (My brother
bought a fairly recent version of Turbocad for $18 at the local computer
swapmeet!) I use Autocad and Vector, but they're not cheap, and they
don't do R to V conversion. One of the places I work bought a program
called Streamline specifically to perform R to V conversions, $1500, but
if Turbocad does a decent job, it's gotta be the obvious choice. -Paul

P.S. do you empty your wastebasket very often?

Tim Wescott wrote:
I'd like to get a CAD program. This will be mostly for drawing up model
airplane plans, but will be used for some other mechanical design. With
models, I want to put scanned-in bitmaps of scale 3-views and design the
model over them. Better yet, a program that would be able to do a good
job of turning a scan into a line drawing would be ever so cool.

I have a copy of "TurboCAD Designer 2D/3D" Version 8, which I picked up
ages ago. It's sitting in my wastebasket because it does nothing but
crash my machine.

Anyone have any CAD program suggestions? Is Turbo CAD now reliable? A
2D program would be sufficient, but I wouldn't say no to a 3D program if
the price were right.

Thanks.

Tim Wescott wrote:
I'd like to get a CAD program. This will be mostly for drawing up model
airplane plans, but will be used for some other mechanical design. With
models, I want to put scanned-in bitmaps of scale 3-views and design the
model over them. Better yet, a program that would be able to do a good
job of turning a scan into a line drawing would be ever so cool.

I have a copy of "TurboCAD Designer 2D/3D" Version 8, which I picked up
ages ago. It's sitting in my wastebasket because it does nothing but
crash my machine.

Anyone have any CAD program suggestions? Is Turbo CAD now reliable? A
2D program would be sufficient, but I wouldn't say no to a 3D program if
the price were right.

Thanks.

Turbocad is reliable - dunno why it pasted your machine., But I use
Corel draw - get a bitmap editor and enough to do decals thrown in.

Jim Stewart wrote:
Tim Wescott wrote:

I'd like to get a CAD program. This will be mostly for drawing up
model airplane plans, but will be used for some other mechanical
design. With models, I want to put scanned-in bitmaps of scale
3-views and design the model over them. Better yet, a program that
would be able to do a good job of turning a scan into a line drawing
would be ever so cool.

I have a copy of "TurboCAD Designer 2D/3D" Version 8, which I picked
up ages ago. It's sitting in my wastebasket because it does nothing
but crash my machine.

Anyone have any CAD program suggestions? Is Turbo CAD now reliable?
A 2D program would be sufficient, but I wouldn't say no to a 3D
program if the price were right.

Alibre Design Xpress 3D.

A real 3D solid modeling package. Works great. Free.

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

Discussion forums:

http://www.alibre.com/xpress/forum/i...8b13bf8db4daf4
03287b8c3a

Thx for the tip, I'm dowloading it now (67 MB).

--
HPT

"Bugs" wrote in message
oups.com...
Turbocad is CRAP. I use DesignCAD $70 for 3-D
version. It was bought up
by TurboCad and has been perverted somewhat from
the original version,
but still has the basic architecture of the
original.
Bugs

I to, use DesignCad,and have since the DOS
version. I find it's about as easy to learn as any
and will import bitmaps for drawing over,or will
convert bitmaps to vector. It also has a DXF
conversion built in. Comes as either 2d only or
2d/3d.

$90 for one of the easiest to use, and most complete packages available
Design CAD version 16.

http://www.imsisoft.com/prodinfo.asp...326&cid=196425

To the OP, there is a version of this program called Model CAD.
(if you can find it?)
It is specifically set up to design model airplanes (and is pretty
handy for real ones too).


Richard
some of my daydream sketches:
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~tp-1/

Tom Miller wrote:

"Bugs" wrote in message
oups.com...

Turbocad is CRAP. I use DesignCAD $70 for 3-D
version. It was bought up
by TurboCad and has been perverted somewhat from
the original version,
but still has the basic architecture of the
original.
Bugs


I to, use DesignCad,and have since the DOS
version. I find it's about as easy to learn as any
and will import bitmaps for drawing over,or will
convert bitmaps to vector. It also has a DXF
conversion built in. Comes as either 2d only or
2d/3d.




Someone once told me that one way to judge the
intelligence of another was by how closely his
ideas match your own.

Obviously some mighty smart folks here...

Richard

"Bugs" wrote in message
oups.com...
Turbocad is CRAP.

Why do you say that?

Peter

Peter Grey wrote:
"Bugs" wrote in message
oups.com...
Turbocad is CRAP.

Why do you say that?

Can't speak for Peter, but...
After buying two versions of TurboCAD(admittedly from the bargain bin)
and confronting the daunting learning curve, I have given up on both.
I'm looking at Alibre & A9CAD from the suggestions here.

Tim,

I'd like to get a CAD program. This will be mostly for drawing up model
airplane plans, but will be used for some other mechanical design. With
models, I want to put scanned-in bitmaps of scale 3-views and design the
model over them. Better yet, a program that would be able to do a good
job of turning a scan into a line drawing would be ever so cool.

I have a copy of "TurboCAD Designer 2D/3D" Version 8, which I picked up
ages ago. It's sitting in my wastebasket because it does nothing but
crash my machine.

Anyone have any CAD program suggestions? Is Turbo CAD now reliable? A
2D program would be sufficient, but I wouldn't say no to a 3D program if
the price were right.

If 2D is good enough, look at QCad. It's not perfect, but it is
reasonably priced on Win32 (free on Linux IIRC), has a common sense
license, etc.

Bill

Bill Schwab wrote:

Tim,

I'd like to get a CAD program. This will be mostly for drawing up
model airplane plans, but will be used for some other mechanical
design. With models, I want to put scanned-in bitmaps of scale
3-views and design the model over them. Better yet, a program that
would be able to do a good job of turning a scan into a line drawing
would be ever so cool.

I have a copy of "TurboCAD Designer 2D/3D" Version 8, which I picked
up ages ago. It's sitting in my wastebasket because it does nothing
but crash my machine.

Anyone have any CAD program suggestions? Is Turbo CAD now reliable?
A 2D program would be sufficient, but I wouldn't say no to a 3D
program if the price were right.


If 2D is good enough, look at QCad. It's not perfect, but it is
reasonably priced on Win32 (free on Linux IIRC), has a common sense
license, etc.

Bill



Well, for under a hundred bucks (seen Lite closer to $50),
Design Cad does 2D drating great,
but also provides a migration path to 3D.

I use DC2000.
The current version is 16?
Have DC-DOS zipped up somewhere.

Simple interface, powerful stuff.
It's a cool tool.

Richard

http://home.earthlink.net/~tp-1/tour-07.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~tp-1/262.top.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~tp-1/hangar02.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~tp-1/pan019b.jpg

"CAD and Spread Sheet - tools of creation"

Rex B wrote:

Peter Grey wrote:
"Bugs" wrote in message
oups.com...
Turbocad is CRAP.

Why do you say that?

Can't speak for Peter, but...
After buying two versions of TurboCAD(admittedly from the bargain bin)
and confronting the daunting learning curve, I have given up on both.
I'm looking at Alibre & A9CAD from the suggestions here.

There is a bit of a learning curve to TurboCAD, however that seems to be
the case with any CAD package that is not optimized for a specific use.

In the case of TurboCAD the comparison is to Floorplan3D (bundled with
TurboCAD BTW). For doing 3D house layouts Floorplan3D is very fast and
easy vs. doing the same in TurboCAD. TurboCAD provides far more
capabilities at the cost of more complexity.

I've been using TurboCAD intermittently since ~1997 or so when I started
out needing a 2D CAD package to view and tweak some architectural
prints. I found the 2D version of TurboCAD as a free download from IMSI
(just register) and found it fairly easy to get a handle on and use for
my needs.

A few months after getting the 2D version I got the email offer for
TurboCAD Pro 3D (v6 I think) for $99 which was rather a no-brainer. A
few upgrades later and I'm currently using v9 pro at far less than the
"regular" price.

I'm certainly still no CAD wiz, but I'm getting more comfortable with
each project I work on. I have not really spent any time just trying to
learn TurboCAD either. I'm also not running it on a particularly high
end machine, just a P3/500 with 128MB and W2K and it runs just fine, in
fact much better than Photoshop Elements 2 does.

Just my thoughts and experiences...

Pete C.

"Rex B" wrote in message
...

Peter Grey wrote:
"Bugs" wrote in message
oups.com...
Turbocad is CRAP.

Why do you say that?

Can't speak for Peter, but...
After buying two versions of TurboCAD(admittedly from the bargain bin) and
confronting the daunting learning curve, I have given up on both.


I've got it and have yet to learn to use it. I did spend an hour or so with
it and was unable to figure out how to draw a line... I suspect it IS a
daunting task to learn this thing. I don't know that I'd call it crap...
yet.

Peter

"Richard Lamb" wrote in
message
ink.net...
Tom Miller wrote:

"Bugs" wrote in message
oups.com...

Turbocad is CRAP. I use DesignCAD $70 for 3-D
version. It was bought up
by TurboCad and has been perverted somewhat
from the original version,
but still has the basic architecture of the
original.
Bugs


I to, use DesignCad,and have since the DOS
version. I find it's about as easy to learn as
any and will import bitmaps for drawing over,or
will convert bitmaps to vector. It also has a
DXF conversion built in. Comes as either 2d
only or 2d/3d.


Someone once told me that one way to judge the
intelligence of another was by how closely his
ideas match your own.

Obviously some mighty smart folks here...

Richard



No doubt about it Richard, you are a very clever
fellow!

Odd - mine comes up wanting to draw a line off the bat.

There are training CD's that walk you through the simple draw a box, circle. .....

I have version 10 pro - with training disk and the monster symbol disk.
Which reminds me - I have to install it in the shop computer now.

I admit - I have a dozen or so types of CAD from CADENCE PCB and IC, ..... to
Smith Chart cad program... RF filters cad and - ..... on and on. Everyone
has their special version for something. I just kept adding..

The Cadence one is a full blown professional version - monster to learn!!!!!
But I have the training manual in pdf for it and others.

Martin

Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH & Endowment Member
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder



Peter Grey wrote:
"Rex B" wrote in message
...

Peter Grey wrote:

"Bugs" wrote in message
egroups.com...

Turbocad is CRAP.

Why do you say that?

Can't speak for Peter, but...
After buying two versions of TurboCAD(admittedly from the bargain bin) and
confronting the daunting learning curve, I have given up on both.



I've got it and have yet to learn to use it. I did spend an hour or so with
it and was unable to figure out how to draw a line... I suspect it IS a
daunting task to learn this thing. I don't know that I'd call it crap...
yet.

Peter



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Martin H. Eastburn wrote:
Odd - mine comes up wanting to draw a line off the bat.

There are training CD's that walk you through the simple draw a box,
circle. .....

I have version 10 pro - with training disk and the monster symbol disk.
Which reminds me - I have to install it in the shop computer now.

I admit - I have a dozen or so types of CAD from CADENCE PCB and IC,
..... to
Smith Chart cad program... RF filters cad and - ..... on and on.
Everyone
has their special version for something. I just kept adding..

The Cadence one is a full blown professional version - monster to
learn!!!!!
But I have the training manual in pdf for it and others.

Martin

Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH & Endowment Member
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder


Have any Design Cad manuals, Martin?

On Thu, 09 Mar 2006 16:05:11 -0800, Tim Wescott
wrote:

I'd like to get a CAD program. This will be mostly for drawing up model
airplane plans, but will be used for some other mechanical design. With
models, I want to put scanned-in bitmaps of scale 3-views and design the
model over them. Better yet, a program that would be able to do a good
job of turning a scan into a line drawing would be ever so cool.

I have a copy of "TurboCAD Designer 2D/3D" Version 8, which I picked up
ages ago. It's sitting in my wastebasket because it does nothing but
crash my machine.

Anyone have any CAD program suggestions? Is Turbo CAD now reliable? A
2D program would be sufficient, but I wouldn't say no to a 3D program if
the price were right.


These are free and simple, maybe a bit quirky programs:

http://www.justcad.com/

http://www.le-boite.com/minos.htm

These aren't really true cad, but good 3D modeling programs:

http://www.wings3d.com/

http://www.blender.org/

Wings and JustCad are a bit easier to learn than the
others...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

As in what kind of design Richard - EE or electronics pcb yes... in pdf.
Several types. Hard copy in landscaping, houses, pcb, general mechanical and PCBs.
Being a Sr. Scientist, Engineering Manager, and Sr. Staff System Eng. to name a few
there has been lots of designs I did or helped with. Naturally, real design is software
now. Some is writing code for the design. Naturally that was in Verilog.

Martin
Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH & Endowment Member
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder



Richard Lamb wrote:
Martin H. Eastburn wrote:

Odd - mine comes up wanting to draw a line off the bat.

There are training CD's that walk you through the simple draw a box,
circle. .....

I have version 10 pro - with training disk and the monster symbol disk.
Which reminds me - I have to install it in the shop computer now.

I admit - I have a dozen or so types of CAD from CADENCE PCB and IC,
..... to
Smith Chart cad program... RF filters cad and - ..... on and on.
Everyone
has their special version for something. I just kept adding..

The Cadence one is a full blown professional version - monster to
learn!!!!!
But I have the training manual in pdf for it and others.

Martin

Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH & Endowment Member
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder


Have any Design Cad manuals, Martin?

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I use TurboCad Pro V7. I have bought upgrades from time to time, but
don't need most of what what comes with them. It IS reliable.
I force myself to use it even for simple things just to keep myself
familiar with it. If you are having problems, why not go to the IMSI
website and start asking questions?
V6 had a "trace" component that was used for "turning a scan into a
line drawing". After trying it a few times, I gave up. Reason: The
program had a hard time trying to figure out what "should" (in MY mind)
be a line of a particular length. So, it would make dozens of tiny line
segments that tried to follow it's best-guess edge. This was of little
value to me, so I was better off scaling the original and re-drawing.
You certianly can put your bitmaps on a lower layer and draw over them.

As one other poster said, (more or less) don't buy a CAD program and
wait till you need it to open it for the first time.


Tim Wescott wrote:

I'd like to get a CAD program. This will be mostly for drawing up model
airplane plans, but will be used for some other mechanical design. With
models, I want to put scanned-in bitmaps of scale 3-views and design the
model over them. Better yet, a program that would be able to do a good
job of turning a scan into a line drawing would be ever so cool.

I have a copy of "TurboCAD Designer 2D/3D" Version 8, which I picked up
ages ago. It's sitting in my wastebasket because it does nothing but
crash my machine.

Anyone have any CAD program suggestions? Is Turbo CAD now reliable? A
2D program would be sufficient, but I wouldn't say no to a 3D program if
the price were right.

Thanks.

"Tim Wescott" wrote in message
...
I'd like to get a CAD program. This will be mostly for drawing up model
airplane plans, but will be used for some other mechanical design. With
models, I want to put scanned-in bitmaps of scale 3-views and design the
model over them. Better yet, a program that would be able to do a good
job of turning a scan into a line drawing would be ever so cool.

I have a copy of "TurboCAD Designer 2D/3D" Version 8, which I picked up
ages ago. It's sitting in my wastebasket because it does nothing but
crash my machine.

Anyone have any CAD program suggestions? Is Turbo CAD now reliable? A 2D
program would be sufficient, but I wouldn't say no to a 3D program if the
price were right.

Thanks.



nobody has mentioned "autodesk quick cad 8", wondering how that rates on
you-all's scale of usefulness/value. i think i paid like around $50 (and at
the time that seemed like a lot of money). it doesn't seem to be able to do
ANY 3D stuff. i wanted to get (and got) a very simple basic mechanical
drawing program. i've also been wondering how many of you guys who have cad
programs took classes to learn how to use it. i'm self taught and wow it
was a brain teaser. whew. am still WAY far from where i'd like to be with
it, i still have VERY basic abilities.

b.w.

William Wixon wrote:

"Tim Wescott" wrote in message
...

I'd like to get a CAD program. This will be mostly for drawing up model
airplane plans, but will be used for some other mechanical design. With
models, I want to put scanned-in bitmaps of scale 3-views and design the
model over them. Better yet, a program that would be able to do a good
job of turning a scan into a line drawing would be ever so cool.

I have a copy of "TurboCAD Designer 2D/3D" Version 8, which I picked up
ages ago. It's sitting in my wastebasket because it does nothing but
crash my machine.

Anyone have any CAD program suggestions? Is Turbo CAD now reliable? A 2D
program would be sufficient, but I wouldn't say no to a 3D program if the
price were right.

Thanks.




nobody has mentioned "

one wouldn't, in polite company...


b.w.

Richard Lamb wrote:

William Wixon wrote:

"Tim Wescott" wrote in message
...

I'd like to get a CAD program. This will be mostly for drawing up
model airplane plans, but will be used for some other mechanical
design. With models, I want to put scanned-in bitmaps of scale
3-views and design the model over them. Better yet, a program that
would be able to do a good job of turning a scan into a line drawing
would be ever so cool.

I have a copy of "TurboCAD Designer 2D/3D" Version 8, which I picked
up ages ago. It's sitting in my wastebasket because it does nothing
but crash my machine.

Anyone have any CAD program suggestions? Is Turbo CAD now reliable?
A 2D program would be sufficient, but I wouldn't say no to a 3D
program if the price were right.

Thanks.




nobody has mentioned "


one wouldn't, in polite company...


b.w.

Design CAD 16 Express -
$49.00
http://www.imsisoft.com/prodinfo.asp?t=1&mcid=327

And a training CD from basic drafting to Full modeling
$44.95
http://www.imsisoft.com/prodinfo.asp?t=1&mcid=328