Low cost CAD program?
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TECH Resident
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 993
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From: Mechanicsburg, PA
Low cost CAD program? I know it's not forced induction directly, but he makes brackets for my FI stuff. So it sorta counts, lol. Local young man is trying to find a low cost CAD program for the plasma CNC table he invested in. Any ideas?
TECH Regular
Joined: Dec 2020
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From: Ohio
For a CNC plasma table all you need is dxf files and then a program for dxf to G Code. Then just input your safety G Code and start and stop G Code. I've messed around with "DXF to G Code Converter" for some hobbyist stuff but never on a professional level. Or you can also "acquire" NX and SW, but don't use it with internet at a business. Besides that Fusion I believe is still free for hobbyist but I heard they changed to not allowing you to share/save native files without their subscription. It's been a few months since I've used Fusion. Fusion CAM is good so I've heard, and most professional CNC programmers I know use NX. SW came out with their CAM program in a 2018 release so if you need the CAM add on make sure to get one newer than that.
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 993
Likes: 119
From: Mechanicsburg, PA
Great info guys. I'll pass it along and go from there.
I think he'll start off hobbyist until he gets a handle on it. Then go pro. So a free program to start may be a good idea.
Thanks!
I think he'll start off hobbyist until he gets a handle on it. Then go pro. So a free program to start may be a good idea.
Thanks!
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Cheap CAD software..LOL
What we use is more for land surveying and engineering but it can be used to draw just about anything in 2D or 3D. We can bring in and create dxf files but they are rarely used as most CAD operators work with dwg files which can be exported to a dxf file if needed. Autodesk DWG TrueView 2020 is a free download which allows you to open and convert files and it may be able to help you IDK.
What we use is more for land surveying and engineering but it can be used to draw just about anything in 2D or 3D. We can bring in and create dxf files but they are rarely used as most CAD operators work with dwg files which can be exported to a dxf file if needed. Autodesk DWG TrueView 2020 is a free download which allows you to open and convert files and it may be able to help you IDK.
On The Tree
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 120
Likes: 20
From: Tucson, AZ
For legit professional CAD programs.
Fusion 360 is free for small startups, or at least it was a year ago when I looked. Very powerful program. Same peeps that make Autodesk Inventor.
Solid Edge has a student version that is free as well. Great opportunity to use and learn it, and it is fully functional. They simply watermark draft files and lock the files to a student version so the retail version cant open them.
It can do sheet metal parts and when you create a flat part from the box or whatever you designed it will automatically calculate and factor in the stretch that happens during the bending process.
It can also do solid parts.
It can to DXF and most all the older formats, the ability to create technical drawings and all that great stuff.
Overall it is a very powerful program and one of the cheaper programs out there. Way more user friendly than Solid Works or Inventor or Fusion 360 could ever be!
I have 15 years experience working with Autodesk Inventor, Solid Works, and Solid Edge, as in it was my job 8 hours a day to create stuff in CAD. Of the 3 I find Solid Edge to be the most intuitive and user friendly, especially for someone who is just now diving into the CAD world.
Fusion 360 is free for small startups, or at least it was a year ago when I looked. Very powerful program. Same peeps that make Autodesk Inventor.
Solid Edge has a student version that is free as well. Great opportunity to use and learn it, and it is fully functional. They simply watermark draft files and lock the files to a student version so the retail version cant open them.
It can do sheet metal parts and when you create a flat part from the box or whatever you designed it will automatically calculate and factor in the stretch that happens during the bending process.
It can also do solid parts.
It can to DXF and most all the older formats, the ability to create technical drawings and all that great stuff.
Overall it is a very powerful program and one of the cheaper programs out there. Way more user friendly than Solid Works or Inventor or Fusion 360 could ever be!
I have 15 years experience working with Autodesk Inventor, Solid Works, and Solid Edge, as in it was my job 8 hours a day to create stuff in CAD. Of the 3 I find Solid Edge to be the most intuitive and user friendly, especially for someone who is just now diving into the CAD world.
Last edited by Max78; Apr 21, 2021 at 12:00 AM.
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 48
Likes: 25
From: BC Canada, Eh!?
I've used AutoCAD all the way back to R10 (1988), and continue to use it today.
I've also used CADopia, Alibre, and AutoSketch, and probably some others too. If you can use one CAD program, you can pretty much use them all.
For 3D I've used Rhino3D, Inventor, Pro/Engineer, and Fusion360, and I'm quite taken by Fusion 360 - I found it much more intuitive than Inventor. Inventor might be more powerful, but Fusion is every bit as good as I need.
I teach Fusion and AutoCAD at the highschool level - if you want to teach yourself either, the course material I work off of is here: https://www.gwellwood.com/subjects/drafting/ It's free. Help yourself.
Certainly with any AutoDesk product (and I'm sure SolidWorks etc), there are a plethora of tutorials online - an advantage in learning "mainstream" software.
I've also used CADopia, Alibre, and AutoSketch, and probably some others too. If you can use one CAD program, you can pretty much use them all.
For 3D I've used Rhino3D, Inventor, Pro/Engineer, and Fusion360, and I'm quite taken by Fusion 360 - I found it much more intuitive than Inventor. Inventor might be more powerful, but Fusion is every bit as good as I need.
I teach Fusion and AutoCAD at the highschool level - if you want to teach yourself either, the course material I work off of is here: https://www.gwellwood.com/subjects/drafting/ It's free. Help yourself.
Certainly with any AutoDesk product (and I'm sure SolidWorks etc), there are a plethora of tutorials online - an advantage in learning "mainstream" software.
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 48
Likes: 25
From: BC Canada, Eh!?
I like the current release of AutoCAD. It's come a long way and is a lot more intuitive. (I am not STILL using R10, my comment is a bit ambiguous in that respect). I am probably 50% AutoCAD and 50% Fusion, depending on what I'm doing. They are tools, and each one has its purpose.
Launching!
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 245
Likes: 21
I started out on AutoCAD R13 but before that it was R12 which was was MS-DOS based. The software has came a long way and AutoCAD Land Development Desktop by Autodesk was by far my favorite to use but as always CHANGE came into play and you had to adapt to something newer and supposedly better. But for who?