New "FREE" CAD program

[Loosenut]

There once was a guy (Artcraft) that got tired of being screwed over by Adobe (rentals etc.) so he wrote his own versions of all of it. By writing his own I mean he had an A.I. program do it, in one week since Oct. 9-ish. He also created a 2D version of Autocad and the best of all, a version of Fusion 3D called Solidcraft. All of these were created in a "clean room" isolated from everything so Adobe, Autodesk etc. should not be able to sue as long as their trademarks and logos are not used.
The link is below. I just downloaded it but haven't installed yet, I have watched a vid or two and apparently, it is very close to Fusion. They have been releasing new versions daily so far. These are basically beta tests and will not be fully complete for some time IE: month/s.

This video shows some of what it can do.

Link to get files.
https://solidcraftcad.com/

P.S. this is a download and runs on your computer not on the web. It will run in a browser if you want.

 

[PeterT]

Yes, AI (app) reverse engineering is hot in the tech news right now. Some of it is mindblowing in its early accomplishemnets & implications, others not so much. But if you consider where the puck is going.... interesting times ahead. Some of the big companies who mastered the fine art of financial strangleholds, content kidnapping & years of bloatware updates are in the crosshairs. But I feel like this frustration momentum has already started without AI. I'm just a novice on the photo front but I'm divorcing Adobe Photoshop/Premierre Elements which was a relatively inexpensive ($150) package by comparison. But they decided to go subscription model & I'm not playing that game. ON1 (low cost) is an alternative too Lightroom. Affinity by Canva (free) has 3 modules (Vector, Pixel, Layout) that competes with Illustrator, Photoshop etc. I'm just onboarding now so ask me in a couple months, but what Ive seen so far is impressive for my purposes. I tried opensource GIMP + GMIC & Darktable... kinds of reminds me of my FreeCad dabblings - powerful but quirky, sometimes buggy, & learning curve. On the video editing front, DaVinci Resolve is free. I'm told it compares/exceeds full Premiere. For sure kicks the stuffing out of Premiere Elements, so why would I pay? I'm suggesting the market rebellion started without AI but my hunch is its going to act as a catalyst.

In 3D CAD I really wonder if AI can crack the underlying graphics kernels. Thats the golden nugget. The app itself is more like a wrapper. Also not trivial, but the kernal is the secret sauce & probably where some of the cost is directed via royalties or whatever. We are just in the early innings. AI is doing some amazing things, but sometimes.....

 

[Mega arc 5040dd]

It has been probably at least a couple years since I have used fusion360 but isn't it already free for non commercial use? I am more of an autocad person myself. I have found it hard to change the way I draw things in order to use fusion very well. I am more of a draw every line type person as apposed to start with a shape and change and manipulate it. That said I would be interested in a free version of inventor mostly because I have just always wanted to play with it.

 

[Sqought]

I've heard mixed things about this guys software projects. The impression I get is he gets distracted with making a new software before he meaningfully fixes the issues with ones he's already released. I could be wrong though, he hasn't been at this very long so maybe it'll improve.

 

[PeterT]

as apposed to start with a shape and change and manipulate it.

This has come up in many of our posts. Its not really a good representation, or at least one needs to be more specific. For 3D apps like Fusion, Solidworks, Inventor, SolidEdge, Onshape, Alibre, FreeCad, Rhino.... what are sometimes called Nurbs, B-Rep, or mechanical type modelers - they all start with a sketch very similar to anything you would be familiar with in ACAD. And then that sketch is extruded into a solid body component by whatever means. Or the sketch removes some of an xisting body within the model. So you can build a very complex part by bulding on this process, adding & subtracting & mirroring & replicating.... on & on.

There is another facet of 3D modellers like Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, ZBrush... which are polygon mesh based, aka Sub-D, Digital Sculpting... I'm much less familiar with these but might be more like what you are mentioning 'start with a shape' & digitally manipulate the shape. These are very powerful in their own right & there is crossover functionality depending on the app. But mesh modellers are kind of in a different different camp. Not better or worse, more suited to different end results.

 

[Loosenut]

In 3D CAD I really wonder if AI can crack the underlying graphics kernels.

The program is in its early stages but looks good, has potential. Give it a few months.

a free version of inventor mostly because I have just always wanted to play with it.

That would be fantastic. I used Inventor for over 20 years until I lost access. I would love to get it back, it is a great program and not getting the recognition it should have. Better than Fusion and at least equal to Solidworks.

The impression I get is he gets distracted with making a new software before he meaningfully fixes the issues with ones he's already released

Apparently he is not working alone now.

 

[Doggggboy]

. We are just in the early innings. AI is doing some amazing things, but sometimes.....

Having spent my fair share of time walking down beaches on the way to places infinitely more interesting, there are a surprising number of people with either missing toes or extra toes. And this was before the joke sandals that had 6 or 7 toes on the sole.