New here confused on what CAD package to use.

So well I have just ordered myself a huxley kit, couldn't resist. This is deffinatley the biggest project I have attempted but dosent look too bad with the very good in depth documentation

So im new to CAD, I can barley remember using it a bit at school years ago (and that it was a pretty crappy software package).

So I guess my question is, what is a good CAD package free or paid that has available to it a high amount of learning resources online. Another thing I could not get my head around was the difference between inventor and autocad. From what I read it seems inventor would be what I need if I went down that route?

I could not find this exact question asked so I thought id ask

Inventor and AutoCAD are far too expensive for hobby purposes. AutoCAD isn't even really appropriate, though it can do 3D. I use SolidWorks at work, so I get to use it for my hobby purposes too.

Learn to use OpenSCAD, since it's the closest thing we have to a common CAD format. There will be downloaded parts you will want to modify, and that's the most likely format. I personally don't like it, because it is more of a scripting front-end to a faceted modeler than a CAD system. Still, it's only a few hours to get pretty well versed in the basics. If you want to spend a little money, look into Alibre. I seem to remember it's only a few hundred for the lowest version, and you still get parametric CAD. Since their acquisition, I see they've stopped publishing their prices. Get them on the phone, and I'm sure they can up-sell you something.

All that advice was for mechanical components. If you want to do sculpted or organic shapes, there are a variety of open source choices. I'm not at all well versed on those. I think Blender is the most common. If you want to spend money on that, Rhino has the reputation for maximal bang for the buck, at about 1000USD.

ACAD123, Sketchup, OpenScad, Blender, etc... see for yourself what is suggested via http://reprap.org/wiki/Useful_Software_Packages

Of the FREE ones I have used the two that pop out are Blender and Autocad123.

Blender is really great for 3D form modelling and animation but is not really a CAD package as it has no history tree and you cannot dimension the sketches etc. to make fully parametric models. You can model functional parts but it is not easy and they are not easy to modify accurately. Its great for sculpture and free flowing forms such as faces and car bodies, but not for square boxes with holes in such as what a RepRap is made up of.

My choice would be Autocad123 as it is a true CAD package and after you have learned how to use it you will have a good grounding on the more higher end packages such as Solidworks, Catia V5 as they use basically the same method of construction. They produce fully parametric models so it is easy to modify and reuse your designs. The integrated model repository is also quite nice.

OpenSCAD is also popular here, but it is more text / program based. It works in a similar way to the above, but without the user / tree interface so is less usable unless you are a programmer. The sketching system is also more limited.

Of the paid ones, I use Catia V5 at work and is the best one I have used over the years. But it is expensive.....very expensive. Its pricey because it includes lost of stuff like surfacing, freeform surfacing, press tool analysis, FEA, sheetmetal etc. Most of this you won't use.

If I had to pay for one though with my own money I would go for Solidworks as it really easy to use and very powerful. It is use widely in industry, particularly with the smaller companies as the licences are cheaper and it does everything you most likely need. Its also easier to get support on the net.

"If I had to pay for one though with my own money I would go for Solidworks as it really easy to use and very powerful. It is use widely in industry, particularly with the smaller companies as the licences are cheaper and it does everything you most likely need. Its also easier to get support on the net."

I tend to agree.

In Australia a SolidWork license cost $8200.00. For someone spending ~$1000 in a RepRap is quite difficult to digest the idea of paying 8x the price of the hardware itself for hobbist purposes.

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Cheers,
Franklin Dattein

I agree. However, if I had the cash I'd be inclined to purchase solidworks over other similar packages.

For freeware, I would choose the defacto standards already in use. Namely Autocad 123, Open scad, and Sketchup.

... there's freeCAD too: [sourceforge.net]

Some time back (2008?), when Microsoft aquired Calligari, they gave away for free Caligari Truespace 7.6 with tutorials - this wa a proffessional software for CAD, animation and with physics simulation.

Have the downloads in my archives, but use other CAD/CAM's, so only tested it and didn't go indepth ...

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Dale Dunn Wrote:
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> Inventor and AutoCAD are far too expensive for
> hobby purposes. AutoCAD isn't even really
> appropriate, though it can do 3D. I use SolidWorks
> at work, so I get to use it for my hobby purposes
> too.
>
> If you want to spend a
> little money, look into Alibre. I seem to remember
> it's only a few hundred for the lowest version,
> and you still get parametric CAD. Since their
> acquisition, I see they've stopped publishing
> their prices. Get them on the phone, and I'm sure
> they can up-sell you something.

Cubify Invent is basically a slightly simplified and rebadged version of Alibre and is good value at just $49.
There's a free 14 day trial version too so you can see if you like it.
[cubify.com]

richgain

$49 bucks seems very attractive, unfortunatelly it doesn't run on Macos.

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Cheers,
Franklin Dattein

fsamir Wrote:
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> $49 bucks seems very attractive, unfortunatelly it
> doesn't run on Macos.

Seriously, what good CAD does?

Yes, seriously. Probably none does, because they were targeting a different audience. Anyone planning to make money out of ~$100 software, should be looking at supporting both platforms. Specially because Desktop 3D printers are likely to bring a new group of clients into play, an audience of geeks, which also happen to be mac users.

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Cheers,
Franklin Dattein

Whoops...I guess I missed the part where the OP said he or she needed a MAC CAD program. Hmm...wait, the OP didn't say that.

How about SolveSpace? It's free, less than 1mb in size and parametric. Ideal for mechanical parts and it doesn't even need installing! Here's a screenshot:



[solvespace.com]

Dale Dunn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> fsamir Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > $49 bucks seems very attractive, unfortunatelly
> it
> > doesn't run on Macos.
>
> Seriously, what good CAD does?


Lets see, Rhino 3d, 123D Design, Inventor, Cinema 4d, Lightwave, AutoCAD, Maya, Blender, and there are several more that run great on Mac OS.

FreeCAD runs on Mac OS and is Free - open source