CAD!

Darkrob_DIY · 19 May 2006

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone could tell me how to go about learning how to use CAD, is it just a case of going on a course or is there some way of doing it from home???

Any advice appreciated

oilman · 19 May 2006

Depends what you mean by CAD, and how clever you are.

Darkrob_DIY · 19 May 2006

well im a student studying building surveying so i need to be able to do drawings on CAD of buildings etc and i dont get taught CAD during my degree, any ideas?

gcol · 19 May 2006

Industry standard is AutoCAD. Apart from those BAE chaps that use Catia.
Buy yourself a copy of AutoCAD from Ebay. But be warned it's very expensive software - it can cost around £900 for a "genuine" copy.

JohnD · 19 May 2006

see if you can get onto a training course via your Uni. Most powerful s/w packages are beyond self-teach.

If you're working with other users (in a co-operative environment) you'll pick up a lot more on how to use it.

There is a chance the manufacturers will do you an "Educational Use" licence at a special price - write to them. This is very common and savings can be 60-80%

kendor · 20 May 2006

TurboCad is a cheaper option and an excellent piece of CAD software, I find it much easier to use than AutoCad but arguably just as many functions if not more in the latest version.

The proof is in the pudding as they say and personally i've had far more success and professional looking output from TurboCad as it is so easy to get to grips with (I've self taught myself by using the excellent tutorials and help files) and after all it's the result that counts.

there are freebie versions on t'net to evaluate

http://www.imsisoft.com/

oilman · 20 May 2006

FastCAD is another good package, and they do a low end version called EasyCAD. Here.

They have a good discussion forum that doesn't get overlaoded, and when I used it a lot, replies would be often within 30 mins.

Darkrob_DIY · 20 May 2006

Thanks all, gonna give easycad and fastcad a go see how i get on!!

Thanks again

empip · 20 May 2006

Autocad
Do enquire about version compatability, you will most likely 'get away' with ( second hand?) older version ... this would get you up and running, you'll pretty soon begin to ascertain the sort of extras needed and available.
A quick Google found this :-

http://www.cadtutor.net/

Some things to find out ...
Is Data Exchange with other systems using DXF, IGES, STL, ASC, XYZ ( file types ) etc supported? This is quite important, otherwise you may find all your hard work is only visible to YOU and the odd an-other with a compatible system.. Could present a problem when printing, think A3 and BIGGER ! Think access to at least a medium sized plotter for greater than A3 size hard copy... Then the data exchange stuff will be useful !! A reasonable bet that Acad will not be 'on' the machine linked to the plotter / printer.. But if we have portability, then it will not matter.. too much (says I

).

Darkrob_DIY · 20 May 2006

cheers, i basically need it for floorplans etc so ill see how these free trials go

JohnD · 20 May 2006

And it's true about educational Discounts. Miscr$oft do it for students and for teachers, and when as a relatively young man I worked for IBM, I got a terrific bargain for my old school.

s/w houses do it because they hope that after graduation you will later join a commercial concern, keep using the same package, and specify it for your huge department at full price.

They also know that students are a bunch of crooks and bootleg copyists

oilman · 20 May 2006

Trouble with CAD it's like mobile phones, loads of gadgets, but fails the fundamentals. Mike Riddle who wrote FastCAD, worked for Autodesk, but like the drips that wouldn't do something about qwerty keyboards when they had the chance (so we are now stuck with a piece of junk designed specifically to stop people going fast), Autodesk wouldn't do anything about their stuff either, so he left and started on his own. Plenty of support, it works, it does it any way you like and it does it quickly.

kendor · 23 May 2006

if you want floorplans try this:
http://www.smartdraw.com/specials/floorplans.asp?type=31324&id=31324

empip · 24 May 2006

I guess, part and parcel of moving into higher education is learning to properly research requirements .. I would say one could waste a fair lump of valuable time learning a package which subsequently, although basically better than ok, doesn't really 'cut the mustard'.

An idea of what may be contained within a modern construction industry cad package :-

http://www.excitech.co.uk/news/2007/civil_3d_2007.asp

There is far more than pure drawing involved ...

Knowing about that would be a major step toward picking the right package - now.
Ok, very / maybe too expensive ... But probably this latest stuff has a lineage back to affordable older packages, thus time spent learning Acad R14 for basic simple cad, could well be of great value if/when moving to the more up to date packages... easier to get into the 'toys' with the basics well learned.

CAD!

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