Free 3D CAD

[stovebolt]

 Saw this on Hack a day, thought I'd pass it  along, not an area I know much about. 


http://www.designspark.com/page/mechanical 

Cheers,

Jim   

[75Plus]

In order to use the software you must set up an account which requires more personal info than I care to supply since I would only use it as a hobbyist. You don't discover that requirement until AFTER you have downloaded and installed the program.

Joe

[philf]

Saw this on Hack a day, thought I'd pass it  along, not an area I know much about. 

http://www.designspark.com/page/mechanical

Cheers,

Jim

I downloaded and registered the package.

I've just spent a few hours playing with it and, although it has some nice features, there are too many features missing to make it any use for me.

I tried to model a loco wheel (see photo) but gave up trying to radius the corners of the spokes as some refused point blank to accept a rad and getting the rads the same was troublesome!



There is no function for doing either linear or polar arrays (that I could find) so doing the cutouts to make the spokes was much more difficult than it should have been.

I'll uninstall and wait for a more sophisticated version.

I notice there's also free PCB design software.

Phil.

[DaveH]

Phil,
Have you tried or looked at FreeCAD 
http://www.freecadweb.org/
 
DaveH

[philf]

Phil,
Have you tried or looked at FreeCAD 
http://www.freecadweb.org/
 
DaveH

Dave,

I'm just looking at it - First impressions are that it's not very intuitive. I always try to draw without reading any tutorials or help files and with this package it's not easy.

I do already have a paid for 3d CAD package which is OK but not perfect.

 

Phil.

[DaveH]

Phil,
I have to say I didn't seem to find any 3d package very intuitive - but that of course is just me. 

I did settle on Alibre  - mainly because of the training videos (they made it look easy  ) and at the end of the day the cost.

What 3d do you use ?
 
DaveH

[philf]

Phil,
I have to say I didn't seem to find any 3d package very intuitive - but that of course is just me. 

I did settle on Alibre  - mainly because of the training videos (they made it look easy  ) and at the end of the day the cost.

What 3d do you use ?
 
DaveH

Hi Dave,

I use ViaCad 2d/3d which I bought last year. Before I retired I had Inventor and years before that I used Medusa.

All of the drawings I do now are for me to make things for myself and the vast majority I do in 2d. I use Autocad 2005 for 2d because I've used it for donkeys years and can rattle drawings off very quickly. 3d is really only a novelty for me nowadays.

 

Phil.