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Some interesting free "CAD" programs

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Dan Dubeau

Ultra Member
Not sure if I've posted this here before, but I've toyed with this program for a few years now.
https://blog.rectorsquid.com/download-linkage/

Here's the designers youtube page with lots of tutorials and examples of use.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj3siyJnn6sfuz9gyUI0irQ

Also Just found this one this morning too. Have not played around with it too much yet, but it looks interesting.
https://www.algodoo.com/


Both programs free, and pretty useful for physics/assembly simulations.


Anybody have any other programs they find useful, or fun to play with?
 
Someone in our club introduced me to Solid Edge. They have a Community Edition which is free and basically a stripped down version of what they sell to the professional world. (You don't get things like the FEM package.) It does seem to be a fairly powerful 3D program but not too easy to learn (at least for me.) It is one of these things where you constantly scratch your head and ask yourself why the heck they did it the way they did. However I am starting to get up to speed.
During my working life I used AutoCad 2D and a while ago I paid money to acquire Alibre Atom that I later upgraded to Designer. These are true 3D and it took a while to get up to speed with the program (you just get a few more features with the upscale version.) Even after my previous exposure, learning Solid Edge was like starting over again.
 
I plan on using OpenSCAD as it's a truly parametric design package.
It's an algorithmic system that takes some 'getting used to' but it is free and can generate files for CNC or 3D printing.
The downside is that it is an algorithmic system and you need to think in terms of sequences of transformations.
 
I use Onshape free for personal and not striped down. I'm now and getting somewhat good at it. Some times I dabble with Freecad now V1.0 (find it confusing though) Used Rhino for quite some time. The good thing about Freecad is doesn't require internet and works crossed platform. Onshape has been great for my cad-ding and 3d printing requirements.
 
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