Ok guys, i’ve been building off of these things long enough, and now i am wanting to draw up my own for some (personal) projects.
Anybody have a good, decent priced computor program I can get ahold of to help me? I’ve been drawing them out by hand…….but…….you get the idea.
But I need to come into the twenty-first century
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Are you a mac person or a pc person?
If you are a pc person new to CAD, you may want to try Autosketch by Autodesk. It is bare bones version of AutoCad for a minute fraction of the price. I have seen Autosketch listed for $40 to $90 on various websites.
If you ar Mac person you may want to try TurboCad 2d from IMSI inc. The price is comparable to autosketch.
I cannot say which is better. Since putting down the drafting pencil I have been using AutoCAD (pc only) and now Vectorworks 12(pc and Mac). Both of these programs are expensive, powerful and can do 3d modeling.
If you want to get into 3d modeling download sketchup from the web for a free trial. It's good.
Which ever platform or program you use the initial learning curve maybe steep. The only way to learn the program is to a do project on the computer. In the end, you may find doing a project on the computer can take as long as doing it by hand.
If you get proficent with CAD, invest in printer that can handle 17"x 22" paper.
yeah i'm a pc user and i'll have to look into that autosketch....
I'm a college student that remodels and lays tile (and just about anything else) to pay the bills so i'm all about cheap.....but i may just save up and try and get something lite the turbocad...
hmm..
I use something like AutoCad, called Cadkey. Mine is Cadkey 97, and attached are a couple renderings.
I just checked on eBay, where someone is always selling Cadkey packages. Looks like you can pick up a copy for about $125, including all documentation.
Like any CAD package, prepare yourself for a 40 to 80 hour learning cycle.
As a college student, you also have another option. Select the top 2-3 CAD packages you would be willing to learn/use, then contact the company for the "educational price". Many of them sell for half and less to schools, professors, students, etc. Some have bigger discounts than others. That's why I said pick 2 or 3 packages and check discounts. You may have to make the purchase through your school for some.
This is also a good tip for those of you who know a professor, etc.
DG/Builder
I took a couple of courses at the local community college and was able to buy a student copy or AutoCad for, I think< $249, but it was the previous year's release. Unfortunately, the info provided says that the student version expires in two years. I haven't printed with it yet, but the info says that the printouts have something to the effect of "student copy" emblazened on them. As was probably discussed at length in the reference Piffin gave, AutoCad is felt by many not to be the best program for architectural drafting. It is widely used, however, and if you learn it you also have drafting skills that can be used for a variety of types of drafting.
There are probably differing versions of the educational one. I have a full student ACAD that came with a college level book on it. Never tried to print from it, but it expired in thirty days. I could re-install on a new machine, but the old one had a cookie or something that prevented re-installation My memory is vaugue, but i think thata registration with some sort of school ID# would have extended it indefinitely.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
College Student! You will qualify for a very steep discount on many programs. http://WWW.studica.com - you can get a full working copy of Chief architect for a few hundred bucks. Not sure what other programs they have. Check the websites of the major programs for discount options.
The thing with any CAD program worth using is the learning curve. You'll spend loads more time on it than you can ever imagine. It seems like you sit down to play around with a couple ideas, and bingo -- it's 4 AM.
So don't make the mistake of starting with a cheap toy program. You'll only have to un-learn it and re-learn a good one. I had to do that going from TurboCad to AutoCad LT.
The next question you have to consider is whether you want something customized for building, like Chief Architect, or a generic draw-anything program like AutoCad.
-- J.S.
I'm still using my trusty version of AutoCad R14. It took me a year to get the hang of it on my own after using a program called mini-cad.
I'm considering updating to the new version of Auto Cad. Anyone know how different it is from R14?
Anyone know how different it is from R14
Yeah, a lot.
Think, say, going from Win 3.x to XP in one jump--the things that look the same are actually the biggest bugaboos. If you are still using the side menu, you will ne very surprised. If you are used to the command line, you will be more than some startled, too.
For your most of $4000, you will get a clutter of toolbars and tool tips with teeny-tiny icons all hiding the commands you used to know. The command line now "floats." Why all the changes? Will it seems everybody else uses some form of "let's all dare carpal tunnel" by strewing pushbuttons all over your screen--so Autodsek di not want to feel left out.
There's a whole brand-new menu interface, which can be a bear if you have customized menus or toolbars. You will likely have to rebuild any collection of aftermarket code you are using, to get it to 2006-compatible.
Is it all bad? No. You can still be productive, and you can still use the command line to enter commands while "driving" with the mouse. The bones are there, jsut some of the joints are different.
For instance, most of the edit commands default to "multiple." If you only want to copy one ting the one time, you can, you just have to remember to "stop" the command.
And that's just 'straight' ACAD. From R14, resist all attempts by your dealer/reseller to talk you into Architectural Desktop. That will be a 2-3 month learning curve to climb, and that before figuring out how to use a program aimed at light multi-story commercial shell buildings int light commercial or residential work.
You can much better spend you time (in residential or stick-work at least) by just buying Chief Architect, which at least "does" lumber construction.
But, I'm biased, too. I've only been working with ACAD for maybe 25 years. I'm rather of an opinion that ACAD "peaked" somewhere between R14 & 2000 as a general-purpose drafting tool. Ever since then, the use of "named" procedures (like "Layout" instead of "Paper Space" has change the focus. Instead of presuming that a drafter had skills, and could be trusted to apply them; the focus seems to be processes one applies trying to get the desired result. I also feel Autodesk is making a fundamentally flawed business decision, aiming the software products at the top 10% of the drafting industry (as those are the fe companies that have things like budgets & the like); and ignoring the other 90% of the 'biz,' that portion that actuall produces more than 75% of the work done in the US.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
The latest version of AutoCAD is very different from R14. I think AutoCad is better now then it was then. The ploting function is easier. Go to Autodesk for a trial download. The one I don't like about AutoCAD is the cost $7000! But if you can live with out the 3d modeling go with AutoCAD LT, only $700-$900.
Autocad is great for people that love to have more than they need and it does provide loads of powerful tools to assist you but another CAD package that is intentionally designed to be more intuitive to use is called Ashlar-Vellum Graphite. It's mostly a 2D drafting package but it does also do 3D pretty well. I was introduced to it by a friend that uses it to compose drawing files for his company's laser cutter. I switch back and forth between Autocad and Graphite but for ease of use, Graphite is multiples better.
http://www.ashlar.com/index.html
Retail $$$ is about $1000.
Hope that helps,
Bart
DAP Construction, LLC
How complicated are the drawing projects?
blue
Learning CAD is not something to be taken lightly, at least not if the plans you are creating are for substantial projects (like houses). I took on the prospect of learning Vectorworks to draw house plans that my wife and I designed. They're here if you're interested: http://www.dirtpatch.ca. Click on the Plans are here link.
Honestly, it was the biggest, hardest thing I've ever done. It was rewarding too, but a damn lot of work. It helped that I had no kids and no life at the time. If you've got either, I'd think twice.
Best wishes with it.
Scott.
Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”
well i'm currently drawing up some plans for a pretty simply 25-35 addition, and i'm planning on building a house (off some sketches they have) for my parents here in about 6 months...
thought it would be an oportune time....but i dunno, maybe it'll be easier to hire an architect--though probably not cheaper....
But I would like to pick up the skill of using a program