RMweb Premium John Besley Posted January 6 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 6 I am on the hunt for a simple CAD package to use and learn while I have the time as I am signed off sick What is available that is easy to learn for a 64 year old... and is hopefully free Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium spamcan61 Posted January 6 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 6 (edited) 2D or 3D? Some ideas for 3D Edited January 6 by spamcan61 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold SHMD Posted January 6 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 6 Besides simple 2D and the more complex 3D drawings, there are more specialised programs for producing PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) or even CAM (Computer Aided Machining - for driving routers, millers, Laser Cutters, etc) ? What do you want to draw ? What's the end use ? Kev. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted January 6 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 6 (edited) Sketchup is a very intuitive 3D package and there's a free web version: https://www.sketchup.com/products/sketchup-for-web If you go up to the paid versions it's way more powerful than people think and there are innumerable plugins to extend its capabilities. You can export STL files for 3D printing and there are tools to find and fix problems in the STL meshes. Edited January 6 by Harlequin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted January 6 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 6 For 3d cad I’d recomend fusion360, both for being free and there is a good YouTube channel explaining how to use it for railway modelling purposes. 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHC Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 Another one to consider is Designspark Mechanical. The free version is a stand alone so does not need an internet connection to use once downloaded. Like you I did not start learning 3D until a couple of years ago(I am now 66). Start with a very simple project. For me it was just a standard trolley coin. Very simple to draw a circle then using a pull tool create the depth and away you go. For me the key was in a post on here that said it’s all down to squares and circles. As with any of the various programs there are numerous videos on line that will give you a good start. When I need to learn a new procedure I have DSM open on my laptop and watch the videos on my tablet at the same time. Best of luck but be aware sometimes this 3D can be come addictive. Keith 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John Besley Posted January 6 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 6 Ok what I am pondering is parts that can be cut out of plasticard on maybe a cutter of some sort, just trying to think through this.... I'll have look at what I have in mind for a cutter and see what I need, just being limited on use of my left hand following an accident got me thinking what I could adapt to Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buhar Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 For a cutter you only need 2D and Inkscape would be my suggestion see and a linked tutorial by Mike Trice. Alan 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crosland Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 (edited) 2D or 3D? Do you want to draw things (like Sketchup) or "program" or "parameterise" them (like OpenSCAD)? There are zillions of YouTube videos for all the popular packages. Edited January 8 by Crosland Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold SHMD Posted January 8 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 8 For "cutting" you need CAM software. (I use "VCarve, but you have to pay for that.) This will produce the "paths" that the cutter needs. However, I have found CAM software not to be the greatest package for drawing (CAD). For purely drawing, I use LibreCAD. It's free and there are lots of tutorials - plenty of help on here too. I think some "cutters" come with some form of CAM software - which should be able to import "industry standard" CAD files that most CAD software produces. Kev. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John Besley Posted January 8 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 8 Lots of choices.... need to look into a few of them.... all a new ball game having learnt technical drawing at school in the early 70's and still use my draught board, can't beat a nice hand drawn technical drawing ... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted January 8 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 8 On 06/01/2024 at 18:16, The Fatadder said: For 3d cad I’d recomend fusion360, both for being free and there is a good YouTube channel explaining how to use it for railway modelling purposes. Can you please post a link or two, to the YouTube videos, I'm struggling to get my head around it, more so than I did with Templot. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F2Andy Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 For 3d, I would recommend Blender, though it is not strictly CAD. http://www.prestonanddistrictmrs.org.uk/articles/using-blender-for-3d-printing/ For 2d, I agree with Buhar that InkScape is a great choice, being both free and easy to use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold martin_wynne Posted January 8 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 8 4 hours ago, Siberian Snooper said: Can you please post a link or two, to the YouTube videos, I'm struggling to get my head around it, more so than I did with Templot. Thanks. You might prefer DesignSpark Mechanical (DSM), which is a version of SpaceClaim re-badged by RS. It has a different way of working from Fusion360. The free DSM Explorer version 6 will export only in STL format, but that is all you need for 3D printing. (There are paid-for versions with extra features, but you don't need them for 3D printing models.) It's entirely free, and a proper Windows executable program which runs on your computer, not online. You own your files and know where they are. You can use it for commercial work, unlike Fusion360. For an example of models designed in DSM, see: This DSM video is several years old, but it is all still the same: Lots of DSM tutorials available: https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/learn-designspark-mechanical Download from (if you don't have an RS account you need to register for one first -- easy): https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/mechanical-download-and-installation cheers, Martin. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium rab Posted January 8 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 8 (edited) On 06/01/2024 at 18:16, The Fatadder said: For 3d cad I’d recomend fusion360, both for being free and there is a good YouTube channel explaining how to use it for railway modelling purposes. Fusion 360 is a good system but I'm not sure I would recommend it for a beginner/newbie. I have used other 2D & 3D CAD previously, including AutoCAD but didn't find Fusion 360 that easy to pick up Edited January 8 by rab Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted January 8 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 8 9 hours ago, Siberian Snooper said: Can you please post a link or two, to the YouTube videos, I'm struggling to get my head around it, more so than I did with Templot. Thanks. https://youtube.com/@3ddrawingformodelrailways?si=wXqWpWhTmVlNemkw 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbedford Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 This page may or may not help with finding the best 3d drawing software. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyeti Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 I found FreeCAD fairly easy to pick up, and as the name implies it's free. It's also pretty good for specifying a drawing by geometric constraints. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
froobyone Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 FreeCAD gets my vote too. Although I mainly did my modelling in Foundry's Modo. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium spamcan61 Posted January 18 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 18 Unless I'm missing something the OP's request is for 2D software not 3D so 3D CAD is going to be over complicated/ inappropriate for their needs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blefuscu Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 I've used libreCAD for 2D work. I was generating .dxf files to send off for laser cutting. 3D is a lot more complicated. I use Blender for modelling/3D printing but it can't (or I can't make it) generate file formats for CNC so I'm looking at freeCAD for that. Reading above, I might look at the RS one too... I've used their PCB software in the past and it was pretty good. (Although I think I finally went with KiCad for PCB's. Crumbs, that might have been a decade ago now.) 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 5BarVT Posted February 2 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2 On 08/01/2024 at 10:43, SHMD said: For purely drawing, I use LibreCAD. It's free and there are lots of tutorials - plenty of help on here too. On 23/01/2024 at 18:48, Blefuscu said: I've used libreCAD for 2D work. I was generating .dxf files to send off for laser cutting. Thanks to both. I’ve had a look as the LibreCAD website and it looks like it does what I need and some things more easily that the iPad drawing program I’m using at the moment. I’ll have to become better acquaintedd with my laptop than I have been of late! Paul. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbedford Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 I would look at Shapr3D which was designed for the iPad. https://www.shapr3d.com/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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