AutoCAD alternative

astrooptics · 07-24-2005, 12:32 AM

I want to make simple 2D industrial drawings. I have used AutoCAD but find it too expensive to buy for myself. Any open source or free alternatice is available?
Thanks
Hemang

**40sondacurb** · 07-24-2005, 09:57 AM

The Gimp!
The Gimp is a image editing program that has been called the free photoshop. It is very powerful and has about 75% of the functions of other expensive image editors. Originally written for Linux, it is now for windows, unix, linux and mac OS.

http://www.gimp.org/ original site
http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/ win32 site

Inkscape
Inkscape is a vector drawing program similar to Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw. It uses SVG (scalable vector graphics) as it's native format. Still in development phase but very usable it seems.

http://www.inkscape.org/

Sodipodi
Here is another vector drawing program like Illustrator and such. It also uses SVG as it's native file format.

http://www.sodipodi.com/

Wings3D
Wings3D is a very nice open-source sub-division 3D program. It is based on OpenGL and is very fast. It is still in development but again, very usable. It uses it's own file format but it can import .3ds, .ai (rel 8 ) and .obj files and can export .3ds, .mdl, .eps, .obj and .wrl. It can even link to a few free rendering engines such as Yafray (http://www.coala.uniovi.es/~jandro/noname/).

http://www.wings3d.com/

OpenOffice
Here is a free MS Office type suite of applications. They claim compatibility with MS Office. I tried an earlier version and it was pretty good. I guess that I am spoiled with having the real Office but this one was not bad. It has a Writer (Word), Calc (Excel), Impress (PowerPoint), Draw (Visio like I guess) and Database (Access) all inside. I would say that when I tried it, it did not have all of the functions of say MS Office 2000 but for a small business user or home user it should do most of what you want.

http://www.openoffice.org/

**shuuhen** · 07-25-2005, 10:16 PM

You could look into QCad. I know there are others available, but this is the one I thought of first.

BMX · 07-28-2005, 12:07 AM

www.freecad.com

check that site out for free cad software.

BelchFire · 07-30-2005, 11:13 AM

I don't know how much you're willing to spend, but I bought AutoCAD LT. In the $3000 range, AutoCAD is too expensive, but when I bought LT, it was regularly $650, and I caught it on sale for $599. Legal, and full function 2D capabilities. All it lacks from the full version is 3D.

baci2004 · 08-05-2005, 01:08 AM

I use QuickCad by Autodesk. It's very powerful and it only ran me $100 CND.

ChaosMachine · 11-02-2005, 07:29 PM

I'm using AutoCAD for over 10 years now, and until recently i didn't think i could find something that it's simillar to it. But lately if found CADopia's IntelliCAD . It's like using AutoCAD down to the script usage and Lisp commands. I can use my pgp file also. So have a look at it, it might be the one you want. The price was about 200$ if i remember correctly.

heytram · 02-13-2008, 03:10 AM

I am an experienced Cad user and I love Progecad 2008 (smart). I worked with Autocad , UG Nx, Solid works, an inventor. All those programms are 5 to 20 times more expensive when you buy them for professional use.This program is a very priceworthy alternative to autocad 2008. And the best part: it's free for private use! No limitations. The program runs under windows vista as well. Progecad 2008 has all the features of autocad 2008... and more. Almost the same procedures and commands makes it very easy to get used to the program if you have used autocad before.

The only thing I don't really like is the autosnap function.

07-24-2005, 12:32 AM	#1 (permalink)
astrooptics Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 23 OS: Win XP Home, SP2	AutoCAD alternative I want to make simple 2D industrial drawings. I have used AutoCAD but find it too expensive to buy for myself. Any open source or free alternatice is available? Thanks Hemang

07-24-2005, 09:57 AM	#2 (permalink)
40sondacurb #64 & #36 BACKBONE Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 5,770 OS: xp	The Gimp! The Gimp is a image editing program that has been called the free photoshop. It is very powerful and has about 75% of the functions of other expensive image editors. Originally written for Linux, it is now for windows, unix, linux and mac OS. http://www.gimp.org/ original site http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/ win32 site Inkscape Inkscape is a vector drawing program similar to Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw. It uses SVG (scalable vector graphics) as it's native format. Still in development phase but very usable it seems. http://www.inkscape.org/ Sodipodi Here is another vector drawing program like Illustrator and such. It also uses SVG as it's native file format. http://www.sodipodi.com/ Wings3D Wings3D is a very nice open-source sub-division 3D program. It is based on OpenGL and is very fast. It is still in development but again, very usable. It uses it's own file format but it can import .3ds, .ai (rel 8 ) and .obj files and can export .3ds, .mdl, .eps, .obj and .wrl. It can even link to a few free rendering engines such as Yafray (http://www.coala.uniovi.es/~jandro/noname/). http://www.wings3d.com/ OpenOffice Here is a free MS Office type suite of applications. They claim compatibility with MS Office. I tried an earlier version and it was pretty good. I guess that I am spoiled with having the real Office but this one was not bad. It has a Writer (Word), Calc (Excel), Impress (PowerPoint), Draw (Visio like I guess) and Database (Access) all inside. I would say that when I tried it, it did not have all of the functions of say MS Office 2000 but for a small business user or home user it should do most of what you want. http://www.openoffice.org/ __________________ Donate to keep the forum running "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully" -George W. Bush

07-30-2005, 11:13 AM	#5 (permalink)
BelchFire Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 55 OS: Win98se	I don't know how much you're willing to spend, but I bought AutoCAD LT. In the $3000 range, AutoCAD is too expensive, but when I bought LT, it was regularly $650, and I caught it on sale for $599. Legal, and full function 2D capabilities. All it lacks from the full version is 3D. __________________ Mr. Key got it wrong.....It's the land of the free, BECAUSE of the brave.

11-02-2005, 07:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
ChaosMachine Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 9 OS: XP	I'm using AutoCAD for over 10 years now, and until recently i didn't think i could find something that it's simillar to it. But lately if found CADopia's IntelliCAD . It's like using AutoCAD down to the script usage and Lisp commands. I can use my pgp file also. So have a look at it, it might be the one you want. The price was about 200$ if i remember correctly. __________________ Still trying to find the Way..

02-13-2008, 03:10 AM	#8 (permalink)
heytram Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1 OS: Windows Vista	Re: AutoCAD alternative I am an experienced Cad user and I love Progecad 2008 (smart). I worked with Autocad , UG Nx, Solid works, an inventor. All those programms are 5 to 20 times more expensive when you buy them for professional use.This program is a very priceworthy alternative to autocad 2008. And the best part: it's free for private use! No limitations. The program runs under windows vista as well. Progecad 2008 has all the features of autocad 2008... and more. Almost the same procedures and commands makes it very easy to get used to the program if you have used autocad before. The only thing I don't really like is the autosnap function.

07-25-2005, 10:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
shuuhen Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Colorado Posts: 731 OS: Mac OS 9.1, Mac OS X 10.5.5, WinXP Pro, FreeBSD 6.0, Gentoo Linux	You could look into QCad. I know there are others available, but this is the one I thought of first.

07-28-2005, 12:07 AM	#4 (permalink)
BMX Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 41 OS: XP	www.freecad.com check that site out for free cad software.

08-05-2005, 01:08 AM	#6 (permalink)
baci2004 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 8 OS: WinXP Pro	I use QuickCad by Autodesk. It's very powerful and it only ran me $100 CND.