Replies

1. 
   BillHartmann | Feb 10, 2009 05:27pm | #1

   What are you trying to accomplish. There are at least 3 different classes of programs that can be called CAD.

   And what is the need and what is the price range. Are you looking for $39 program or a $5000 PLUS program.

   .
   William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
1. 
   MonkeyElkHunter | Feb 10, 2009 05:40pm | #3

   I'm drawing additions and decks. I need a decent program I don't need all the bells and whistles.

1. 
   Piffin | Feb 10, 2009 10:23pm | #6

   You will get info all over the scale from worthless to confusing, to impressive without defining your budget.And what has sometimes been said before in threads like this, but not always, a large part of the investment cost is the time you spend on the learning curve. Spend two weeks on a program that is not right for you and you then need to spend time unlearning and relearning new methods and commands to be an effective draftsman/designer.I use Softplan and love it
   http://www.softplan.com/
   but I understand that while Chief architect is somewhat less powerful, it is far more intuitive and easier to learn and should suffice for what you describe. Both of these object based programs have lite versions for less than a grand, and trial programs. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   jeffwoodwork | Feb 11, 2009 12:19am | #7

   Why do you say CA is "less powerful"  in what area?

    

1. 
   Piffin | Feb 11, 2009 12:36am | #8

   According to the guys at Softplan's forum who have switched from CA to SP, there is more ability to create customized items and manipulate them for size and other atributes.This is not always the case at all times tho. Sometimes CA will release an upgrade ahead of SP, so until SP gets their newest version out, CA may have a tool or two ahead of SP.I recall back when I bought V9 SP back about 97 or 98, I went to the JLC Live specifically so I could get previewed on both. I had already decided to buy CA based on seeing another guy use it and being impressed, but I knew I could get better pricing at the trade show.but after going back and forth between the booths, and sitting in on their respective demos, and asking lots of Qs, I could see that some of what I wanted to do with a CAD program could not be done in CA back then, but could in SP. So I went with SP.Both are immeasurably more powerful now, by leaps and bounds. Just upgrading from 12 to 14 is saving me more time than I am putting in on the learning curve for the new tools and tricks.Back to my point, from demos and what I hear, a lot of the things that both packages do well, CA can often do or be learned, more easily/intuitively than SP. But I think much has to do with learning styles of individuals too. So the more known about an individual - how he thinks, learns, what he plans to do with CAD, and what his budget is, makes it possible to give better advice.Just like buying a car - it is not a one size fits all deal. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

2. 
   JMadson | Feb 10, 2009 05:28pm | #2

   Obligatory questions...

   What type of work do you do?
   What kind of output are you looking for? ie. small drawings, large plots, archi drawings, PC pix...
   What's your current CAD experience?

    

1. 
   MonkeyElkHunter | Feb 10, 2009 05:43pm | #4

   My work is additions, decks, basements, relatively strait forward and basic. 

1. 
   JMadson | Feb 10, 2009 06:18pm | #5

   Are these drawings for construction purpose (how it works) or for sales purposes (how it looks)?

   If it's just a sales tool and an idea creator, Sketchup is worth looking at.

   It's free to try and relatively easy to learn.

   sketchup.google.com

    

   Check this out too

   http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=108980.3

    

   (gene davis is the Man when it comes to Sketchup)

    

    

   Edited 2/10/2009 10:21 am by JMadson

   Edited 2/10/2009 10:22 am by JMadson