Hey All Well, recently I've been offered a good summer job, in autoCAD. Now, i've had some good experience with autoCAD in several school courses, though I've never used said program at home. I've tried to obtain a copy of the old AutoCAD2000LT through said classes, no luck. I've tried to obtain a copy from schools computers.......usb ports are disabled, and no 'net,....dammit. I've looked at torrenting a version of the damm thing, and pestered the irc rooms to death. Now, in last desperation, i've come here, i've seen a few freeware CAD programs, though anyone recomend one that would be compatible with .dwg files, and boasted most of the same features of AutoCAD? Sincerley Ryan
I know for Discreet products (i.e. 3dsmax), you are allowed to install a home/laptop version. Since Autodesk owns Discreet, it is possible that they do the same thing for the AutoCAD license. It's been a while since I played with AutoCAD, so I don't remember the licensing terms. Sadly, while a lot of free programs have a lot of the features, they cannot compare with the feature set, interface and compatibility. DXF file output is pretty standardized, but DWG is a monster. I have used three different $10,000+ per seat CAD/CAM software packages which used DWG and none of them opened in AutoCAD properly. Without knowing what you will be doing, it is hard to come up with a "compatible" program for your needs. Just keep looking for a real AutoCAD version.
You never pestered folks in the IRC channel about AutoCAD while I was there! :crying: MSN IM me when you get the chance...
DXF.....hmm...strange, ..last i heard it was for residental, commerical buildings purposes, not 3d BTW, whats it like using a CAD program to do 3d?...any good? Ryan
Well, DXF files are generally regarded as the format of choice for 2D drawing transfer between CAD systems (since most use their own general purpose format). For 3D systems, IGES tends to be a popular format nowadays, though I like ASE for how easy it is to write a simple reader for. I have used older versions of AutoCAD for 3D and I do not like it since the system is really meant for 2D. I have never played around with Inventor, which is supposed to be for 3D and visualization. Having used 3dsmax (non-engineering 3D) and several CAD/CAM 3D programs (I-DEAS, Solidworks, Pro-E), I definitely prefer the engineering based CAD/CAM 3D programs. They give you finite control over exactly how every surface is created and typically let you use equations for dimensional information. Yes, 3dsmax lets you do this as well, but it is a pain in the ass to get working right for complex parts. I would assume that if you are working for an architectural or engineering firm, then you will be working on [pre/post]production elements. In other words, you will be working with 3D for fitting and visualization, but then transfer those parts to 2D so that they can be detailed and physically created. Depending on the package, this is a simple matter (i.e. select a "parts drawing/2D" dropdown). For others, it is a matter of using a whole different program (I-DEAS had completely separate 2D and 3D environments).
well i managed to obtain a copy of CAD 2006, and i'm pleased with it, thanks to everyone for their input Ryan
