I used AutoCad at work for quite a few years, and also did a lot of learning
about how to customize it.
It's a great program for drawings and dimensions, but of course it's a bit
expensive for personal use.
There are free alternatives, like A9CAD, and a 2D program from Siemens whose
name I forget at the moment.
One of the woodworking magazines online forum had an article comparing a few
inexpensive (under $50) cad programs. You might search the web for reviews
like that, too.

I've downloaded and tried Sketchup too, when wanting to digitize the house
plan drawings for my mother's house. It seems like it's intended for making
3D models rather than construction drawings, though, and I didn't get far
with it.

TigerCad is available for download, and I did, but haven't really tried it
yet.

Doug

"Marty" wrote in message
...
I have used Quick CAD (no longer available) for a years but
have started to use Sketchup. I struggled with it for a time, set it
aside, viewed the tutorials, tried it again, set it aside, and
tried it again with the idea I would learn it some how.... Then while
browsing in a book store found Skechup 7 for Dummies ($25). What an eye
opener!!! Much better then what can be found online and really has
helped understanding its use. Very clear and concise with many
illustrations.

Recommended, this time I won't set it aside.

Marty

On 4/10/2010 7:07 AM, Dick Snyder wrote:
I have always designed my projects using graph paper, ruler, pencil, and
(lots of) eraser. I have a somewhat more complicated job I want to do
now.
There is a design for an entertainment center in FWW that I want to
adapt. I
would like to take the measurements from the article, enter them on a
computer somehow, and then change the things I want. I have a friend who
uses Google Sketchup. He found it awkward to use and not that
sophisticated.
I don't want to invest the money and a lot of learning time on a CAD
program
unless I can get a recommendation on this group for a product that one of
you likes to use. Should I stick to my paper, pencil, and eraser?

TIA.

Dick Snyder

On Sat, 01 May 2010 15:58:12 -0400, the infamous Marty
scrawled the following:

I have used Quick CAD (no longer available) for a years but
have started to use Sketchup. I struggled with it for a time, set it
aside, viewed the tutorials, tried it again, set it aside, and
tried it again with the idea I would learn it some how.... Then while
browsing in a book store found Skechup 7 for Dummies ($25). What an eye
opener!!! Much better then what can be found online and really has
helped understanding its use. Very clear and concise with many
illustrations.

Recommended, this time I won't set it aside.

Marty

I'm glad you posted that, Marty. As I scanned the Amazon page for the
Dummies book, I found a copy of _Google Sketchup: The Missing Manual_
for $1.25 and ordered it.

$5.24 total delivered price. 608 minty-fresh pages, 2009 vintage!

--
Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.
-- Raymond Lindquist

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 01 May 2010 15:58:12 -0400, the infamous Marty
scrawled the following:

I have used Quick CAD (no longer available) for a years but
have started to use Sketchup. I struggled with it for a time, set it
aside, viewed the tutorials, tried it again, set it aside, and
tried it again with the idea I would learn it some how.... Then while
browsing in a book store found Skechup 7 for Dummies ($25). What an eye
opener!!! Much better then what can be found online and really has
helped understanding its use. Very clear and concise with many
illustrations.

Recommended, this time I won't set it aside.

Marty

I'm glad you posted that, Marty. As I scanned the Amazon page for the
Dummies book, I found a copy of _Google Sketchup: The Missing Manual_
for $1.25 and ordered it.

$5.24 total delivered price. 608 minty-fresh pages, 2009 vintage!

The online reviews of this are on the fluffy side. Perhaps you could post a
review after using it?

DeltaCad is free. I downloaded it and tried it once last winter, but it's
on a different, currently inaccessible computer just now or I'd try it again
for a minute to see how it looks.

Maybe there are some online reviews or comments about it.

Doug


"Marty" wrote in message
...
I have used Quick CAD (no longer available) for a years but
have started to use Sketchup. I struggled with it for a time, set it
aside, viewed the tutorials, tried it again, set it aside, and
tried it again with the idea I would learn it some how.... Then while
browsing in a book store found Skechup 7 for Dummies ($25). What an eye
opener!!! Much better then what can be found online and really has
helped understanding its use. Very clear and concise with many
illustrations.

Recommended, this time I won't set it aside.

Marty

On 4/10/2010 7:07 AM, Dick Snyder wrote:
I have always designed my projects using graph paper, ruler, pencil, and
(lots of) eraser. I have a somewhat more complicated job I want to do
now.
There is a design for an entertainment center in FWW that I want to
adapt. I
would like to take the measurements from the article, enter them on a
computer somehow, and then change the things I want. I have a friend who
uses Google Sketchup. He found it awkward to use and not that
sophisticated.
I don't want to invest the money and a lot of learning time on a CAD
program
unless I can get a recommendation on this group for a product that one of
you likes to use. Should I stick to my paper, pencil, and eraser?

TIA.

Dick Snyder

On 5/1/2010 5:43 PM, gray asphalt wrote:

of the library. There seems to be some new area
mentioned somewhere I din't expect that has hundreds
of models ... and everyone seems to be sharing.

Not new ... it's called 3DWarehouse and has been around since Google
took over the program.

Here's some stuff I've added to it ... knock yourself out as far as
sharing them:

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...&pre vstart=0

If you have any questions, just ask.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlC@ (the obvious)

On Sat, 1 May 2010 22:15:02 -0700, the infamous " Rumple Stiltskin"
scrawled the following:

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 01 May 2010 15:58:12 -0400, the infamous Marty
scrawled the following:

I have used Quick CAD (no longer available) for a years but
have started to use Sketchup. I struggled with it for a time, set it
aside, viewed the tutorials, tried it again, set it aside, and
tried it again with the idea I would learn it some how.... Then while
browsing in a book store found Skechup 7 for Dummies ($25). What an eye
opener!!! Much better then what can be found online and really has
helped understanding its use. Very clear and concise with many
illustrations.

Recommended, this time I won't set it aside.

Marty

I'm glad you posted that, Marty. As I scanned the Amazon page for the
Dummies book, I found a copy of _Google Sketchup: The Missing Manual_
for $1.25 and ordered it.

$5.24 total delivered price. 608 minty-fresh pages, 2009 vintage!

The online reviews of this are on the fluffy side. Perhaps you could post a
review after using it?

Can do, but it may be a while.

--
Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.
-- Raymond Lindquist

On 5/1/2010 8:20 PM, DougVL wrote:

I've downloaded and tried Sketchup too, when wanting to digitize the house
plan drawings for my mother's house. It seems like it's intended for making
3D models rather than construction drawings, though, and I didn't get far
with it.

I build houses, and for the past few years I've used SU to good purpose
when doing so. When taking on a new project, I now routinely transfer
both traditional architectural and structural drawings to SU for use in
the field on my laptop, often starting out with the site plan, oriented
correctly with GPS information, adding the foundation and using "layers"
to effectively build the entire house adding _all_ plan details and
schedules ... there is nothing like 3D to get folks, including
subcontractors, focused on how things go together.

The program runs extremely well on a laptop, even a small one, and the
file can be freely given to others quickly and easily, with emphasis on
"free". An interested user will find that there are many architectural
and engineering models and resources available on the web, and many
architects have found the benefits of presenting their ideas using the
program, some even migrating to doing complicated construction concepts
entirely with the program using the actual fabrication process using layers.

Here's just one example of a engineering resource that is handy"

http://sketchup.engineeringtoolbox.com/

Last year I built a $350k house using nothing but construction plans
generated _entirely_ in SU, including a full set of architectural and
structural drawings for bidding and building.

As with just about any type of software, the limitations are generally
with the user ... this is especially true with SU.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlC@ (the obvious)

On 5/2/2010 12:15 AM, Rumple Stiltskin wrote:
"Larry Jaques" wrote in message

I'm glad you posted that, Marty. As I scanned the Amazon page for the
Dummies book, I found a copy of _Google Sketchup: The Missing Manual_
for $1.25 and ordered it.

$5.24 total delivered price. 608 minty-fresh pages, 2009 vintage!

The online reviews of this are on the fluffy side. Perhaps you could
post a review after using it?

"Google SketchUp Cookbook"

Not a basic "how to" book, but an excellent compendium of techniques and
methods for learning to use some of the basic tools and concepts of the
program:

http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596155100

Again, not something you would read from cover to cover, but as a
reference when hitting the wall on how to do many things with the
drawing tools.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlC@ (the obvious)

"Swingman" wrote in message
...

If you have any questions, just ask.

As you know, I am already a very satisfied user of SU; my needs are not
grand. I ran into a question recently while designing a jig for my bandsaw.
At this point it may just be academic, but I would still be interested to
see whatever evidence folks have. Obviously SU will allow one to design a
jig (for cutting on a BS, say). Does it have a mechanism to allow one to
test such a jig (consider, for example, something simple such as a fence)?
I suspect the answer is "not really" (and this may be an unfair expectation
since it is a "design" tool), but I'll put it out there anyway and and
intensionally keep my question vague. BTW, either way, you have already
thoroughly convinced me as to SU's usefulness! : )

Bill




--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlC@ (the obvious)

"Swingman" wrote in message
...

Last year I built a $350k house using nothing but construction plans
generated _entirely_ in SU, including a full set of architectural and
structural drawings for bidding and building.

I've used Sketchup drawings to pull City of Houston permits a couple of
times in years past and, more recently, permitted the breezeway addition for
my own house here in the bedroom municipality in NW Houston where I live.

Dave in Houston

On 2010-05-01, Marty wrote:
tried it again with the idea I would learn it some how.... Then while
browsing in a book store found Skechup 7 for Dummies ($25). What an eye
opener!!! Much better then what can be found online and really has
helped understanding its use. Very clear and concise with many
illustrations.

I'd add my recomemendations for the 'sketchup for dummys' book. Despite
the patronising name, it's full of useful techniques for modelling
with sketchup and getting around its oddities.

Oops! Not quite correct.
It's free for a trial period, then needs to be registered and paid for.

Doug


"DougVL" wrote in message
...
DeltaCad is free. I downloaded it and tried it once last winter, but it's
on a different, currently inaccessible computer just now or I'd try it
again for a minute to see how it looks.

Maybe there are some online reviews or comments about it.

Doug


"Marty" wrote in message
...
I have used Quick CAD (no longer available) for a years but
have started to use Sketchup. I struggled with it for a time, set it
aside, viewed the tutorials, tried it again, set it aside, and
tried it again with the idea I would learn it some how.... Then while
browsing in a book store found Skechup 7 for Dummies ($25). What an eye
opener!!! Much better then what can be found online and really has
helped understanding its use. Very clear and concise with many
illustrations.

Recommended, this time I won't set it aside.

Marty

On 4/10/2010 7:07 AM, Dick Snyder wrote:
I have always designed my projects using graph paper, ruler, pencil, and
(lots of) eraser. I have a somewhat more complicated job I want to do
now.
There is a design for an entertainment center in FWW that I want to
adapt. I
would like to take the measurements from the article, enter them on a
computer somehow, and then change the things I want. I have a friend who
uses Google Sketchup. He found it awkward to use and not that
sophisticated.
I don't want to invest the money and a lot of learning time on a CAD
program
unless I can get a recommendation on this group for a product that one
of
you likes to use. Should I stick to my paper, pencil, and eraser?

TIA.

Dick Snyder