What is a good, FREE, easy to use 2D drawing programme?

[silverfox]

Need to draw up some spectacle and side window surrounds and an external expansion link bracket

What is the easiest one to do these on?

Ron

[miketaylor]

Personally I use Draftsight.

It's free and from a reputable source.

How easy it is to use depends on where you are coming from.

It is not dissimilar to basic Autocad and I find it covers everything I need for 2D.

Why not give it a try.

Google up Draftsight, go to their site and download the free version. I think the download is about 65 Mb.

Mike

[Deleted]

I use solid edge 2D, works for me but it's all down to personal preference

[jma1009]

i use the inside of cereal packets and a pencil

cheers,
julian

[miketaylor]

Hi Ben,

On the basis of your preference and out of curiosity I went to the Solid Edge site and downloaded the free version of SE 2D last night.

Last night it was. I gave up waiting since the expected time for download was 4 hours, set the computer not to turn off and went to bed.

This morning I find it has downloaded a 2 Gig application file!! Is this normal??

The Draftsight application installed is only 400 Meg and as I said my recollection is that the download was around 65 Meg.

The Cubefy download only comes out around 200 Meg.

I started to run the set up for SE but aborted after the first 5 minutes as it didn't seem to be going anywhere.

Mike

[nigel21]

HI all,

I use Nano cad looks and works like AutoCAD free to use.

Regards

Nigel

[Donald G]

I, like Mike Taylor us Draftsight and have been using it for more than 2 years. I had to change from Autocad as I could not get Windows 7 to run it. Have found it very good and use the tutorials and online help as required.

Donald

[Deleted]

Hi Mike

That's odd, I don't recall it being that big or take that long either, there were different options though, 64 bit etc, my download speed here is appalling and there was no overnight wait for sure. I'll have a look at the laptop when I get home and see what I can find out for you.

Cheers
Ben

[Deleted]

Hi MikeT ,

SE 2D and Draftsight come in different versions for different operating systems . In particular for different variants of Windows .

If you try to download the wrong version you normally get a notification and the installation aborts safely .

If you have a large unexplained file from your down load I strongly suggest that you erase the whole download and then run antivirus software just in case .

Download time for SE 2D on broadband would normally be a few minutes so unless you are still on dialup I can't explain that 4 hours .

Be aware in downloading any CAD like software that the data files that come with them are often very big .

If you want a nice safe easy to use CAD facility for home use try LibreCad .

MichaelW

[ejparrott]

Feb 25, 2015 20:50:31 GMT jma1009 said:

i use the inside of cereal packets and a pencil

cheers,
julian

I still sketch sometimes, before reaching for the CAD.

I need to design some oilboxes for the MW for the weighshaft - the prototype doesn't have any, and access on the miniature is somewhat restricted! I'll sketch them on a piece of paper first, then I'll use the CAD to draw it up to size, and I can adjust dimensions to get it to look right. I can't do that on a piece of paper!

[miketaylor]

Ed, Absolutely. I always reach for a paper and pencil first, then go to the machine to sort out the details and dimensions.

MichaelW. I went to the users group and gathered from comment there that 2 Gb was the right sort of size. Haven't got time to get to get to grips with it now but will see how I get on this evening.

Anyway, this is really an exercise in curiosity. I find Draftsight is fine for what I need in 2D and I have now ventured into Cubify for 3D modelling which is fascinating. Gives me a sort of vicarious building experience while I am unable to do anythng practical.

Mike

[sncf141r]

I'm a QCAD guy - it works on all of my computers, no matter what operating system I have.

It is free, but there is some functionality (not much) that times out after something like 15 minutes. If you want the functionality, either purchase it, or save/exit/start again.

I think it's great. You don't have to be connected to the Internet to use it; it does not call back home for keys or marketing purposes, and it is open source.

Personal Opinion: I did pay the license fee, because, with one Open Source program I wrote, if I had a dollar for every download, I'd be retired and living in luxury, if I got some fees for a company who uses some of the algorithms, I'd have my own lear jet! (I helped them with the understanding of the algorithms, and they had the same bugs in their product as was in mine (smile)) (and, some here have used that company, from what I have read... you are welcome. (another smile))

John.

[uuu]

My last Solid Edge 2D download was 382 MB

I like it, but since it's the only CAD I've ever used I can't compare.

Wilf

[Dave H]

I downloaded the 32 BIT version last night, it took about fifteen minutes max, I use Windows 7 Professional.
I now just have to learn how to use it!

[silverfox]

Well the Gods are really against me using modern technology

The downloads for the recommedations have gone as follows

Nano stops halfway though, telling me its an old program that wont work on my laptop , then tries to repair it and just gives up

Solid Edge just tells me although it will work on windows vista, it doesnt like my version and stomps off in a huff.


Draftsight actually loads and runs, but wont tell me how to let it know how long the line i have drawn is, it could be 0.0001 inch or several miles, i havent a clue.

so i have 5 pencil drawings with all the measurements ready to input, but none of them want to play.

It would seem that the various firms who do laser cutting

Will only do it with supplied programs ( that bit i can understand) in a reasonable time
OR
will do it , if i send them suitable dimensioned drawings that, they will, eventually, convert into a program, but as it is time consuming will take them some time ,or for a fee ,unspecified, will knock a couple of months of the previous timescale quoted!!!!

The only chap i knew who could do one, and it seemed in milleseconds. has gone completely off the radar, so could someone if they really take pity on me, email me to explain how i can get draftsight kick started, and how i can get the 'guidelines' off the finished item. Malcolm High says he needs it in .dxf wth no joined/overlapping/extended lines on it. if that helps


Ron

[Deleted]

Hi Ron

don't know if you've seen this but it's a tutorial for draftsight... www.3ds.com/fileadmin/PRODUCTS/DRAFT_SIGHT/PDF/GETTING-STARTED-GUIDE.pdf may help...also there are a number of video's on youtube about this program too.....I downloaded draftsight some time ago but just haven't had the time to learn how to use it. I may get to it or something similar one day but think I'll get 4472 finished first or I'll never get there.

regards

Pete

[andyhigham]

I use the pro version of this at work, I have the free version on a laptop at home. It looks and behaves like Autocad LT.
www.progesoft.com/en/products/progecad-smart/

[miketaylor]

Ron,

I have just tried to send this a a PM but not at all clear whether it went or now.

""I did say it depends where you are coming from didn't I?

I find the simplest way to start a simple drawing is to set up two lnes at right angles using the ortho function and then set things off from there using the offset function.

Ortho shouldbe on the bottom line along with esnap and a few other things and offset you get from the toolbar as one of the commands under Modify.

Other useful commands are the trim and extend functions.

You will find various draw commands under the DRAW tag on the top line - circle is probably the most use dof these.

With those few items you should be able to sort out a simple drawing for flat laser cutting which I gather is what you are after.

Offset is much more useful than trying to draw lines of set length.

Esnap on the bottom line is handy for making your start points, circle centres etc plonk down on existing points/intersections. You will find you have to turn it on and off a bit as it can muck up efforts to go to places it doesn't recognise.

Ortho will make all your lines vertical or horizontal so that also needs turning on and off regularly too.""

Will try to answer any queries you send.

Reagrds

Mike

[jma1009]

this is a bit off topic for which i apologise in advance,

but when i was at school my year was the last year not to be taught computers so they passed me by.

although i didnt do 'TD' (technical drawing) as an exam subject giving it up after 12 yrs old, i was apparently very quick and proficient, being given 'O' level exam questions to do whilst the rest of the class were drawing 'doughnuts' and pyramids etc

ive always apparently had an aptitude for visualising things in 3D.

so my question is, how much of CAD is familiarity with computers, and how to use them, and how much is good old fashioned TD? i'd never properly seen 'TD' in CAD till Roger sent me files of his boiler for his Speedy we were working on. if you are rubbish with computers (me) how easy would CAD be for someone like me?

cheers,
julian

[andyhigham]

When I was at school there was no such thing as a computer, even electronic calculators were rare and expensive. The company I started working at didn't have a computer (the wages were calculated by renting time on the NCB national computer) 10 years later I was made redundant and started work at a smaller company, still no computers. Home PCs were just making an appearance so I went to night school to do a GCSE in computer studies. In my work PLCs were becoming more common so I did a city and guilds in PLC programming, I then started using CAD to do work electrical drawings. 25 years on and I was made redundant again and started my own business (only my 3rd job). Everything I do revolves around my PC. Drawings, costings, quotations etc Even paying bills and receiving payment is via computer.
So Yes anyone can learn to use a computer