'Cheap' CAD package

[zefarelly]

you could do a lot worse than buy Acad LT, cheap, and good, in my experiance 95% of people who use Autocad only need the lite version.

yoiu can draw 3d wire frames in Acad Lite, but not create solids. that seems to be the major difference between CHEAP software and very expensive packages

[Al Weyman]

Thats also a very good suggestion Zef but still about £250 plus vat. Bit a good one anyhow.

[Carlos]

If you want a good CAD package to use for mechanical design of car components you will need to be looking for a solidworks / Catia type 3D package. These will give far more benefits than you could imagine once you start using it. DO NOT GET DISTRACTED BY CHEAP 2D PACKAGES LIKE ROBO/IRON/AUTOCAD!!!!!!!
p.s America and russia dont use dongles ! HINT !
pm me if you want more details if you want, I use these systems every day.

[Carlos]

Oh by the way Acad LT 3D is not a 3D package and the 3D it produces is near us. (not in any way meant as a dig!!!!!!) If you need cheeeeeeeeap and this is for non industrial/commercial use you can get pretty much anything un-licenced and un-dongled for less than £50 now a days.

[Al Weyman]

Well we all know that Carlos but thanks for enlighting us, I thought we were talking about ligitimate copies not rip offs.

[Carlos]

Sorry mate, was not saying do anything illegal just highlighting the cheeeeeap element of the question and positioning the answer to a self confessed novice. Didnt mean to state the obvious to you Al ;-)

[greenamex2]

Out of interest I plumped for TurboCad Version 11 WITHOUT any CAM facilities.

The reason for this was -

My local engineering shop said they would rather create the CNC files because I'll only get it wrong.

I liked the 3D functionality of TurboCAD.

AvanQuest were doing the latest version 'cheap'. Presumably it's about to be outdated.


Just need to learn how to use it now!

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by Denis Bassom

My local engineering shop said they would rather create the CNC files because I'll only get it wrong.

We had a similar comment from a potential engineering/machining supplier, if you draw a solid model, and can export the data in the correct format ( .step or .IGS file for example) all they need to do is check the cut paths.

If they say any different theyre probably using 70's technology or re writing your data and charging you for it because they have different sotware compatibility but want the business.

when we found the right supplier I email the file, they check the paths and cut the models, in a matter of hours if necessary, not weeks.

[greenamex2]

I think their CNC machine is programmed by abacus!

But they are cheap and do good work.

If they start quoting large amounts for CNC coding, I guess I'll have to get into CAM!

[Inside_Info]

Take a look at

http://www.alibre.com/xpress/

This appears to be pretty good value for money as its a free download. Even the full version is relatively ceap compared to some systems..

[Finchy]

I am trained in Ideas and Solidedge from UNI

Solidworks is ever so easy to pick up, you can make the parts in that and then import those parts into ideas for CNC work, set the machines up, cutting paths etc.
There arent many easy ideas tutorials but trial and error and i worked it out.

I would love to learn Catia v4/5, but Uni is getting the liscense for that now, and il be on placement when that comes into place!