Newbie to CAD could use a hand

[dialedin]

I'm looking to dip a toe into the cad pool. After years of only having an android tablet for my computing ive recently gotten a win 11 laptop and I'd hoping to start teaching myself a bit. I've used sketchup in the past for architectural design but thats the extent of my experience. Ultimately I'm looking for a program that I would be able to create drawings for 3d printing and 2d plans for cnc plasma cutting. And seeing that ive got neither of those two machines yet, a programs that's either free or very cheap is probably best. Can anyone point me towards something that might fit my needs?

 

[Golem Pens]

I've had good experience with freecad so far, as have some others here https://www.freecad.org/

 

[Tomc938]

I like Fusion 360. I have been able to design some pretty amazing parts with it. It’s free to hobbyists. Not hobbled as far as I can tell, other than you can only have 10 files that are editable at a time. But it’s easy to toggle them back and forth.

If you want to learn it, I would suggest going to YouTube and watching “Learn Fusion360 or Die Trying”. Watch in one window and actually do what he is showing in another window. Very good resource.

 

[Bandit]

There seems to be a number of people on the forum using Free Cad, so there would be some help if needed.

 

[DavidR8]

Another vote for FreeCAD.

 

[KootzDragon]

I've been messing around a little with TinkerCAD. It's cloud based, so you can use it from anywhere.
What I like is the tutorials...there's a pile of them to help a fella get used to all the things it'll do.

 

[lucsimoneau]

I'd give my vote to AutoDesk Fusion ... pretty robust program and incorporates the CAD and CAM side of things. Being web based can be an advantage and also lots of ressources on YouTube. Also includes parametric modeling which is pretty cool (example: have a vise setup which automatically adjusts parallels and vise position to stock size).

 

[dialedin]

thanks for the input. i'll give a few of these a look and see what tickles my fancy

 

[MrWhoopee]

I'm using FreeCAD. It's been a bit of a struggle, but getting easier now that I'm not simply trying to learn by doing. I don't trust Autodesk to keep Fusion free, and I want to own my designs and be able to use them commercially if it works out that way. My very first models were for use on my threading tools.

 

[Not Available]

Yeah, I learned 'Inventor' back in highschool then Autodesk merged a bunch of that kind of stuff into Fusion. . .

I like AutoCAD an awful lot, in Architecture school they taught us 'Rhinoceros,' and I have to say, as a 3D CAD substitute, after the teething pains of learning it, its hard to replace in my lift.

Rhino is compatible with just about everything you throw at it, has grasshopper functionality, and exports to just about anything you could want. Nurbs to Meshes and back again type stuff, lacks some of the material modelling and analysis stuff but I am sure there are grasshopper plugins that do FEA if you need it. . . but like I says, its more that it is outwardly compatible with all manner of things while still being a decent 3D CAD environment.

Now I won't stand here and say I enjoy paying for subscription models of any type of software, infact, I have gone fairly open source and free with just about everything I do these-days, and it could be, could be, if you are clever enough, that there are older versions of rhinoceros without the subscription part that you can install if you found them on websites associated with eye-patches. . . That said if you are not THAT clever or believe somehow that you shouldn't own the software on your computer and therefor have no interest in being that clever, the latest versions of rhino are probably priced the same as Autodesk stuff, but without the enormous bloatware issues. . .

'Pick your superstition, make a wish, and enjoy yourself,' - George Carlin

(Adobe software has no place on my computers, and never will, ever again, I am done installing their spyware platforms to be charged a monthly fee for the privilege, and having a GUI that dates from the 90s inside of software that has been made free and obsolete elsewhere, YES I AM BITTER)

End of the day, just remember that just about everything professionals use software wise is probably built up from something that first got programmed in the late 80s and has numerous free versions and iterations available that are probably better than the rubbish that everybody seems to think is irreplaceable. Just do some homework and its probably out there for free someplace.

 

[LenVW]

After 35 years of AutoCAD, I was not willing to pay for a yearly subscription.

I am running ‘QCAD Professional’ these days for 2D drawings and designs.
It is well featured drawing package for $75, with library block creation and lots of formatting options.

It is easy once you get used to confirming LineWeights with your printer and get familiar with Command Steps & Toolbars. I have been able to ‘draft up’ many prototypes and detail designs for mechanisms.
I usually don’t print the files out, just export the Colour PDFs to my I-Pad. (Saves a lot of Ink Cartridges)

There is also a CNC module for preparing drawings, adding tools and tool paths to G-Code generation and simulation. There is a huge user forum that will provide answers after you buy a package.

 

[Gippeto]

FreeCad and Qcad (not pro) for me. FreeCad for 3d modeling and CAM for the 3018 cnc through the path workbench. Qcad I use for shop drawings.

I also use Lightburn for the laser and Carbide Create for "simple" mill projects (engraving instrument tags etc.)

I do my cad/gcode on the laptop and send the files to a tablet running G-code2grbl. Tablet sends the code to the machine via bluetooth. It's a setup I like.

 

[Loosenut]

then Autodesk merged a bunch of that kind of stuff into Fusion.

Actually Inventor is still around and is still the Autodesk program of choice for large scale design. Fusion, which is very much like Inventor, was originally created for individual parts and smaller assemblies. It has taken on more abilities of late.

After losing my access to Inventor after 20+ years I switched to Solidedge Community edition. It is free and very capable without any degradation of capability over paid versions and is equal to all the other top CAD programs. I can't see why any company doing design of work they wish to keep confidential would use an online program, no matter how secure the program claims it is. It isn't.

 

[PeterT]

After 35 years of AutoCAD, I was not willing to pay for a yearly subscription.
I am running ‘QCAD Professional’ these days for 2D drawings and designs.
It is well featured drawing package for $75, with library block creation and lots of formatting options.

There are so many capable 2D CAD apps out there which range from free to inexpensive. Thats why the very first CAD caveat needs to stated - are we talking 2D or 3D. Big difference. 3D apps by & large utilize 2D interface as a first step to build 3D solid models, most of the 2D commands are recognizable from apps 30-40 years old. Lines, circles, splines... havnt changed. Some estimate 5-8% of code in a modern 3D modeler is related to the 2D chunk, probably including dimensioning & related math solvers. My guess is even that is being generous if the 3D app has other modules & capabilities. Maybe 3D mesh modelers are a bit different % allocation, no experience there. Anyway, generally explains why 3D apps cost more & are more hardware resources hungry. A lot of good work can & as be done with 2D before 3D came around, but I just wanted to point out that distinction.

 

[Maker Mike]

If you want to learn fusion 360 I would also suggest "Learn It!" channel on you tube. It is very good in my opinion.