Good Free 3D CAD

[twinturbo]

Can anyone recomend a good, free , 3D cad package..

Since using Autocad 18 years ago I have struggled to find a package that's useable and free that does not require a degree in astro physics to understand!!!

Anyone got any Gems ?

TT

[gingea1pom]

TT

I have wasted a whole weekend on Google sketch up, worked for me.

Cheers Ginge

[Chris Gibbs]

What's it for mate?

If it's just general drawing I'd recommed Google Sketchup http://sketchup.google.com/ It's free and very easy to learn - It's what I used for the colour drawings in the book.

If it's more technical stuff there's DoublecadXT http://www.doublecad.com/Products/Do...0/Default.aspx again it's free and very like Autocad, which might be a drawback - it's quite difficult to learn.

Cheers

Chris

[twinturbo]

I was wanting to do my own chassis drawings, could not get Google Ketchup to download last time I tried but may give it another go, last time I used it I got a bit frustrated with some isseus with it.. but that was 3 years ago

I think I have tried DoubleCad.. May revisit that one

Usualy I find that entering absolute dimensions is not possible and you have to guess the lenght when drawing the object.

Cheers

TT

[eSteve]

twin turbo,

Do you mean you cannot enter precise dimensions with Sketchup or DoubleCAD?

It's certainly possible with SketchUp, just type the dimension in as you are drawing (and the units if the dimensions are not the base units of your template) and the line, surface etc, will be made the size you type.

I have had a few goes with Sketchup over the last few years and never really gained enough knowledge to do anything reasonable with it, but over the last weeks, I have been drawing a few Roadster parts with it and after a few hours practice can now do some useful work with it. So I'd recommend Sketchup. Have a look at the video tutorials, (on YouTube or Google Sketchup site) each only lasts a few minutes and are very useful as you can just watch particular ones as you need them and as your skills improve.

eSteve

[tkpm]

You could try this http://www.emachineshop.com/machine-shop/index.php

i just print off the drawing when i finish

Terry

[twinturbo]

guess i will give it a go, may have a play if I have some time at work tomorrow.

Could do with something running on linux realy as I have a Dell Precision workstation that I hardly use

TT

[Land Locked]

Originally Posted by twinturbo

guess i will give it a go, may have a play if I have some time at work tomorrow.

Could do with something running on linux realy as I have a Dell Precision workstation that I hardly use

TT

Qcad seems to be the best on linux at the moment, but it's a sod to use.