Ages ago I was on here asking about CAD programs.

I just finished CAD-ifying a set of drawings for a 1/10th scale Laird
Solution.

I used QCAD, because it's the only CAD program that Ubuntu lists as
being 'native'. I couldn't get my head wrapped around using it (I
suspect it was a problem with CAD in general, not QCAD). I found a
tutorial on the web on how to do one specific thing which opened the
window, now I'm charging along with it.

It's only 2-D, but it's free, it makes DXF files, and it's available for
both Windows and Linux.

--

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

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

Tim Wescott writes:

Ages ago I was on here asking about CAD programs.

I just finished CAD-ifying a set of drawings for a 1/10th scale Laird
Solution.

I used QCAD, because it's the only CAD program that Ubuntu lists as
being 'native'. I couldn't get my head wrapped around using it (I
suspect it was a problem with CAD in general, not QCAD). I found a
tutorial on the web on how to do one specific thing which opened the
window, now I'm charging along with it.

It's only 2-D, but it's free, it makes DXF files, and it's available
for both Windows and Linux.

I just finished using it to draw up a patio for my house (waiting on an
estimate from the contractor now....). My experience was the same as
yours; I found its interface to be extremely counterintuitive, but I
don't know whether other CAD packages are the same. I also found a
tutorial (darn! It isn't bookmarked -- I wonder if it's the same one?),
and also was able to make very quick progress once I'd done that.

I need to spend some more time looking for an equivalent 3D program,
though....

On Apr 29, 7:34*pm, Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
Tim Wescott writes:

Ages ago I was on here asking about CAD programs.

- snip-

I need to spend some more time looking for an equivalent 3D program,
though....

Hi,

Might be worth looking at ViaCAD 2D-3D:

http://www.punchcad.com/products/viacad2d3d.htm

I've been using their version 6 to good effect lately.

Not free, but at only $99 it is a good value for what you get ... IMHO
of course, YMMV.
Mac and Windows cross-platform support.
The video tutorials that come with it are a nice way to shorten the
learning curve associated with any CAD program.

Good luck.
--
PaulS

PaulS writes:

Might be worth looking at ViaCAD 2D-3D:

http://www.punchcad.com/products/viacad2d3d.htm

I've been using their version 6 to good effect lately.

Not free, but at only $99 it is a good value for what you get ... IMHO
of course, YMMV.
Mac and Windows cross-platform support.
The video tutorials that come with it are a nice way to shorten the
learning curve associated with any CAD program.

Unfortunately, for me "no Linux" is a deal-breaker.

Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
PaulS writes:
Might be worth looking at ViaCAD 2D-3D:

http://www.punchcad.com/products/viacad2d3d.htm

I've been using their version 6 to good effect lately.

Not free, but at only $99 it is a good value for what you get ... IMHO
of course, YMMV.
Mac and Windows cross-platform support.
The video tutorials that come with it are a nice way to shorten the
learning curve associated with any CAD program.

Unfortunately, for me "no Linux" is a deal-breaker.


Which is why I'm still running Windoze...


Design CAD -
With the most comfortable and intuitive user interface

http://www.imsidesign.com/Products/O...1/Default.aspx

On Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:15:00 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

Ages ago I was on here asking about CAD programs.

I just finished CAD-ifying a set of drawings for a 1/10th scale Laird
Solution.

I used QCAD, because it's the only CAD program that Ubuntu lists as
being 'native'. I couldn't get my head wrapped around using it (I
suspect it was a problem with CAD in general, not QCAD). I found a
tutorial on the web on how to do one specific thing which opened the
window, now I'm charging along with it.

It's only 2-D, but it's free, it makes DXF files, and it's available for
both Windows and Linux.


Can you give me a URL for the free version as the only free versions I
have located is the demo version that only works for 10 minutes at a
time.


Cheers,

Bruce in Bangkok
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

Bruce in Bangkok wrote:
On Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:15:00 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

Ages ago I was on here asking about CAD programs.

I just finished CAD-ifying a set of drawings for a 1/10th scale Laird
Solution.

I used QCAD, because it's the only CAD program that Ubuntu lists as
being 'native'. I couldn't get my head wrapped around using it (I
suspect it was a problem with CAD in general, not QCAD). I found a
tutorial on the web on how to do one specific thing which opened the
window, now I'm charging along with it.

It's only 2-D, but it's free, it makes DXF files, and it's available for
both Windows and Linux.


Can you give me a URL for the free version as the only free versions I
have located is the demo version that only works for 10 minutes at a
time.


I thought I was wrong about QCAD being available for windows, but I
wasn't as wrong as I thought.

Ribbonsoft doesn't support the free QCAD versions, so all you get from
their web site is for-pay, demo, or a big steaming pile-o-source. But
there's a QCAD binary for Windows (can I call it Windoze if I'm on a
Linux machine?) on Sourceforge:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/qcadbin-win/.

If you try it, please let me know how it works on Windows -- it's
reasonable OK on Linux, although it does occasionally mysteriously crash
or otherwise start misbehavin', so I have to make sure to save often.

--

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

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

On Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:03:48 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

Bruce in Bangkok wrote:
On Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:15:00 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

Ages ago I was on here asking about CAD programs.

I just finished CAD-ifying a set of drawings for a 1/10th scale Laird
Solution.

I used QCAD, because it's the only CAD program that Ubuntu lists as
being 'native'. I couldn't get my head wrapped around using it (I
suspect it was a problem with CAD in general, not QCAD). I found a
tutorial on the web on how to do one specific thing which opened the
window, now I'm charging along with it.

It's only 2-D, but it's free, it makes DXF files, and it's available for
both Windows and Linux.


Can you give me a URL for the free version as the only free versions I
have located is the demo version that only works for 10 minutes at a
time.


I thought I was wrong about QCAD being available for windows, but I
wasn't as wrong as I thought.

Ribbonsoft doesn't support the free QCAD versions, so all you get from
their web site is for-pay, demo, or a big steaming pile-o-source. But
there's a QCAD binary for Windows (can I call it Windoze if I'm on a
Linux machine?) on Sourceforge:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/qcadbin-win/.

If you try it, please let me know how it works on Windows -- it's
reasonable OK on Linux, although it does occasionally mysteriously crash
or otherwise start misbehavin', so I have to make sure to save often.


Nope, won't work. I was asking because I'm running Fedora, using Agent
with wine to read Usenet but the rest is Linux and so far I haven't
found a usable CAD program.


Cheers,

Bruce in Bangkok
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

Bruce in Bangkok wrote:
On Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:03:48 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

Bruce in Bangkok wrote:
On Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:15:00 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

Ages ago I was on here asking about CAD programs.

I just finished CAD-ifying a set of drawings for a 1/10th scale Laird
Solution.

I used QCAD, because it's the only CAD program that Ubuntu lists as
being 'native'. I couldn't get my head wrapped around using it (I
suspect it was a problem with CAD in general, not QCAD). I found a
tutorial on the web on how to do one specific thing which opened the
window, now I'm charging along with it.

It's only 2-D, but it's free, it makes DXF files, and it's available for
both Windows and Linux.

Can you give me a URL for the free version as the only free versions I
have located is the demo version that only works for 10 minutes at a
time.

I thought I was wrong about QCAD being available for windows, but I
wasn't as wrong as I thought.

Ribbonsoft doesn't support the free QCAD versions, so all you get from
their web site is for-pay, demo, or a big steaming pile-o-source. But
there's a QCAD binary for Windows (can I call it Windoze if I'm on a
Linux machine?) on Sourceforge:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/qcadbin-win/.

If you try it, please let me know how it works on Windows -- it's
reasonable OK on Linux, although it does occasionally mysteriously crash
or otherwise start misbehavin', so I have to make sure to save often.


Nope, won't work. I was asking because I'm running Fedora, using Agent
with wine to read Usenet but the rest is Linux and so far I haven't
found a usable CAD program.

_Someone_ is building it for Linux or it wouldn't be available on
Ubuntu; some spelunking may reveal who.

Did you google on QCAD, Linux and Binary, by any chance?

You could always see if the source on their web site builds! It'd be
interesting to see how far you got.

--

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

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

On Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:04:20 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

Bruce in Bangkok wrote:
On Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:03:48 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

Bruce in Bangkok wrote:
On Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:15:00 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

Ages ago I was on here asking about CAD programs.

I just finished CAD-ifying a set of drawings for a 1/10th scale Laird
Solution.

I used QCAD, because it's the only CAD program that Ubuntu lists as
being 'native'. I couldn't get my head wrapped around using it (I
suspect it was a problem with CAD in general, not QCAD). I found a
tutorial on the web on how to do one specific thing which opened the
window, now I'm charging along with it.

It's only 2-D, but it's free, it makes DXF files, and it's available for
both Windows and Linux.

Can you give me a URL for the free version as the only free versions I
have located is the demo version that only works for 10 minutes at a
time.

I thought I was wrong about QCAD being available for windows, but I
wasn't as wrong as I thought.

Ribbonsoft doesn't support the free QCAD versions, so all you get from
their web site is for-pay, demo, or a big steaming pile-o-source. But
there's a QCAD binary for Windows (can I call it Windoze if I'm on a
Linux machine?) on Sourceforge:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/qcadbin-win/.

If you try it, please let me know how it works on Windows -- it's
reasonable OK on Linux, although it does occasionally mysteriously crash
or otherwise start misbehavin', so I have to make sure to save often.


Nope, won't work. I was asking because I'm running Fedora, using Agent
with wine to read Usenet but the rest is Linux and so far I haven't
found a usable CAD program.

_Someone_ is building it for Linux or it wouldn't be available on
Ubuntu; some spelunking may reveal who.

Did you google on QCAD, Linux and Binary, by any chance?

You could always see if the source on their web site builds! It'd be
interesting to see how far you got.

I downloaded a source copy of qcad - community version. First try at
compiling it popped an error message ( need strlen()). Now I'll have
to locate the header files and see what they contain - probably
something like "gnustrlen()" :-)

Cheers,

Bruce in Bangkok
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)