*
I’m a self-employed carpenter-remodeler. When I bid a job I first draw the project on graph paper for permit submission, etc. I just bought a computer and wonder if anyone is really impressed with their cad software.
I’m looking for something under $100 with trig functions, material listing capability, and whatever else I need to create straight-forward drawings with ease.
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Fine Homebuilding's editorial director has some fun news to share.
Featured Video
How to Install Exterior Window TrimHighlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
*
go to the (((business)) thread and search the archives...
use the search function (((cad)))
*
John,
You will find that the answer to your question is that every cad package is better than every other cad package. I found that the best one is the one you can use as well as a pencil and paper; and you can only use one that well if you become intimately familiar with how it works and what all its quirks are.
I have found that with software, you generally get what you pay for. (The more expensive programs have features that work more as advertised, and support is better).
Try several different packages that you think will do what you want and pick what seems best for you. Close your eyes and ears to all the sales pitches for everything else that is "better" and become an expert on the one you chose for yourself. If, after many hours of use (I mean hundreds of hours), you are not satisfied, get a different program.
I toggled back and forth with several cad packages about 5 or 6 years ago, trying to decide what was better. There were too many choices. I settled on one and have become an expert user because I concentrated on learning only that program so that I could use it as well as my pencil. (Due to it being a complicated and capable program, I did not feel really comfortable until putting in more than 1000 hours!) Sure, there are likely "better" and "more capable" programs I could use, but I would spend all my time learning to use them and would not accomplish my goal of using them to help me.
*Thanks for the feedback, you guys.
*John,I couldn't agree more with JoeM. As a former laborer turned architect (I know what your thinking, but if you can't beat 'em, join 'em) I have experimented with many types of cad software. In my experience, the best is still the first, AutoCad, specifically AutoCad Lite (around $500).While it is true that you will only use a thimble full of it's full capabilities, it is very straightforward to use, and it isn't gimmicky like most other residential construction cad programs. However, you will need to heed JoeM's advice and practice, practice, practice. The first time you try to use it for building drawings, it will take you three times as long as by hand; the fifth time twice as long; the tenth time you'll break even.But here's the best part, by the time you have gotten to the tenth project, you will have drawn 50% of the details you will ever need. You don't ever have to draw them again! This aspect alone is worth the $500 price tag. No $100 program that I know has this capability or is worth a crap. Think of it as a tool that has to earn its place in your toolbox. It's like a Sawzall, once you've got it, you'll wonder how you got along without it.Todd
*
.. i follow a few discussion groups on cad, and the consensus that i have determined is as follows:
Autocad..great for engineering drawigs.. forget it for Architectural
Vectorworks for architectura especiallyt if u have multi-stations or have to coordinate different disciplines
Chief Architect for the average user .. has great architectural abilities and a reasonable cad function.. that is really going to blow away the compettion with the next release in Auust/ Sept.
some of the users do their architectural drawing in Chief and then export to Vectorworks or Acad lite to ((clean up )) their drawings , but i have never seen the need for exporting .. i do all my finished drawings in Chief..
Acad lite for cad...
except .. that those who have used it really swear by Turbo-cad 6.5 for ability , price and ease of use...
those are the ones i follow and have an opinion about.. the rest seem to be marginal in their market penetration. including Softplan
... i own Acad-lite 98 and Chief 6.0
b but hey, whadda i no ?
*
I'm an architect who decided on CAD after 20 years of hand drafting. After looking hard at all that was available I chose DataCAD. After doing the tutorial ( a couple of hours) I started my first house. After four or five houses I did a 40 unit CoHousing development. The CAD was the only way I could pull that one off.
*I agree with the guy who said whatever program you can use the quickest and easiest. I teach with two programs. Generic CADD and (from Autodesk) and Microstation (from Bentley Systems). I like Generic Cadd for 2-D Drafting and it only costs $50-100. Microstation has all the bells and wistles, does 3-D and animation.... IT sells comercially for $5000. I think I would go with a program like Generic Cadd - Simple 2-D and learning curve is fairly simple. The program comes with it's own Tutorial booklet and runs in DOS. Sounds antiquated, but you can still run it on a Win 9x machine just by going into DOS mode and using it there. Some of the programs sold at Costco and bookstores are overly simplifed and they are frustrating to use. Good luck.
*
I'm a self-employed carpenter-remodeler. When I bid a job I first draw the project on graph paper for permit submission, etc. I just bought a computer and wonder if anyone is really impressed with their cad software.
I'm looking for something under $100 with trig functions, material listing capability, and whatever else I need to create straight-forward drawings with ease.