I'm looking for a simple CAD tool for basic DIY projects.
The project I have in mind at the moment is a wall-to-wall bookshelf comprised of 40x35cm "boxes", made from 18mm MDF, laid out like bricks (ie each row offset 50% against the ones below/above it).
I want to get a feel for what it will look like, and want to be able to change things like the MDF sheet widths (eg what would it look like if the higher rows were made from 12mm MDF instead), box colours, etc.
3D would be great but non-essential.
I got some way mocking something up in Inkscape but it's not really the right tool for the job.
On 12/02/13 16:49, Mark Rogers wrote:
I'm looking for a simple CAD tool for basic DIY projects.
The project I have in mind at the moment is a wall-to-wall bookshelf comprised of 40x35cm "boxes", made from 18mm MDF, laid out like bricks (ie each row offset 50% against the ones below/above it).
It might be worth looking at FreeCAD, it's open source but a little early in it's development cycle for serious use though.
QCAD is probably more mature but the GPL edition has some limitations.
On Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 7:25 PM, Wayne Stallwood ALUGlist@digimatic.co.uk wrote:
On 12/02/13 16:49, Mark Rogers wrote:
I'm looking for a simple CAD tool for basic DIY projects.
The project I have in mind at the moment is a wall-to-wall bookshelf comprised of 40x35cm "boxes", made from 18mm MDF, laid out like bricks (ie each row offset 50% against the ones below/above it).
It might be worth looking at FreeCAD, it's open source but a little early in it's development cycle for serious use though.
QCAD is probably more mature but the GPL edition has some limitations.
saqcad and qcad i think is now called LibreCAD. I used to use QCAD a bit. Windows rule on cad though, TurboCAD, IntelliCAD were the best free ones.
New kid on the block! with a .deb file http://www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/download-draftsight/ Just installed it to have a quick 30 sec look - doesn't look bad. Couldn't say whether it was better than qcad/librecad - worth a look i'd say.
james
On 12/02/13 19:45, James Freer wrote:
saqcad and qcad i think is now called LibreCAD. I used to use QCAD a bit. Windows rule on cad though, TurboCAD, IntelliCAD were the best free ones.
Yeh LibreCAD is a open source fork of QCAD GPL with some community developed extras bolted on I think...could be worth looking at.
I quite like OpenSCAD, http://www.openscad.org However it is a programming system, not a drawing system, i.e. if you want a cube you don't draw it, you type:
cube([1,1,1]);
Bill
On 13/02/13 17:15, Bill Hill wrote:
I quite like OpenSCAD, http://www.openscad.org However it is a programming system, not a drawing system, i.e. if you want a cube you don't draw it, you type:
cube([1,1,1]);
Ah, shades of DR Logo...
On 13 February 2013 17:15, Bill Hill mail@wbh.org wrote:
I quite like OpenSCAD, http://www.openscad.org However it is a programming system, not a drawing system, i.e. if you want a cube you don't draw it, you type:
Thanks everyone for your suggestions, some of which I'd tried before I asked here (I didn't say which I'd tried because I was more than happy to try a bit harder with any that got recommended). However, I've pretty much given this up because all the options seem to have too steep a learning curve for me to draw a simple box and experiment with it.
I suspect that OpenSCAD may be closest (what I want is simple enough to describe in command form) although even so it's not as quick as just drawing things in Inkscape or Gimp.
One of the most promising was not mentioned: SweetHome3D, however it only lets me work with existing 3D objects (I can import new ones but not create them). Ideally I need to find a way to create simple boxes as objects I can pull into SweetHome3D but I think maybe I'm spending too long trying technology when pen+paper will do the job.
In fact, I just knocked up a pretty good layout using LibreOffice Calc and cell borders...
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Anthony Anson -
Bill Hill -
James Freer -
Mark Rogers -
Wayne Stallwood