cad or design program

[RT Lover]

what is the program you all use to make designs on the computer? free would be the best next to ease of use lol ty

[OneSelfLost]

Solidworks.. NX.. There are quite a few. Free?? Not that I know of. "Found".... maybe.

[luke]

OneCNC XR5 Mill Expert cad/cam, not free though.

[luke]

Any program you get will require MANY hours at the key board to become a little proficient at it, many, many more without help from someone that knows the program.

[athomas]

Try FreeCAD or OpenSCAD.

[cougar20th]

I use Solidworks & Inventor. But both are far from free.

I have found that the "free" programs just dont have enough function for what I am designing.

[jolt00]

Any one tried Google sketch up?
A guy I work with says it's great but I tried it and didn't like it because it was dissimilar to other cad programs I use.

It's a free download. And easy to learn.

[Levi]

Any one tried Google sketch up?
A guy I work with says it's great but I tried it and didn't like it because it was dissimilar to other cad programs I use.

I tried it about a year ago. I wasn't a fan of it for that exact reason. I use Solidworks almost daily, and quickly realized that I didn't want to put the effort into learning sketch up when I already had Solidworks.

It may be different for someone who is starting fresh without extensive cad experience in some other program though.

[knownothingmags]

Any program you get will require MANY hours at the key board to become a little proficient at it, many, many more without help from someone that knows the program.

good luck getting help ffrom anyone here.

[ElPanda]

even going to school will only get you so far with learning design software

you only become proficient through experience with stuff like that IMO

I have been using NX for about 2 years now and I am just now starting to feel "proficient" at it from a design and cam perspective

there is just so much capability in decent software nowadays that you constantly find yourself going "I didnt know it could do that!"

[luke]

I agree with ElPanda, jumping in head first is the best way to learn, even better if you have someone with knowledge to ask questions when you get stuck. I purchased my cad/cam in November of 2008 and I'm probably only using probably 75% (or less) of it's capabilities. I just upgraded to their top end software and now it's like starting over or close to it.

there is just so much capability in decent software nowadays that you constantly find yourself going "I didnt know it could do that!"

That happened to me a few hours ago, I was searching for a group of tools that was in my old program and when I finally found them I saw something 'new' that got my attention. For shetsandgiggles I went back to my old program to see if it was there and sure enough it was there, turns out it wasn't new. lol I also noticed two other tools that were right on the main dash board that my mind has some how blocked out for years, I haven't the first clue what they are for!

[renie]

good luck getting help ffrom anyone here.

Not all of us
anything I can help you with drop me a pm

[luke]

Not all of us
anything I can help you with drop me a pm

He was kidding, he hits me up on occasion, we have different programs but some stuff is similar, I do what I can .

[knownothingmags]

I use creo and auto cad, and a little inventor. but I hate them because im told there is better.
but I love them because its all I have.

[Fred]

Jump into sketch up to learn basics of manipulation and 3d orbiting and navigation.

then go to school.

I've been running AutoCAD in various forms for... yeesh going on 20 years...