# CAD program



## Gpaw (Jan 16, 2011)

can you help with a wood working cad program


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## bigpops0259 (Jan 15, 2007)

Sketckup7 seems to be poplar with most of the guys here free downloads on line on google


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## auggy53 (Jan 23, 2011)

i use homeplan pro , ive had it for years . its free for 30 days and 39.00 after that if you keep it. buy it online


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## steliart (Jan 15, 2011)

I'm using SketchUp 7pro with few extra plugins


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## RandyMorter (Jan 13, 2011)

I'm using Sketchup (somewhat successfully) which is free from Google. I got Via CAD 2D from Staples a couple of months ago and found it more convoluted than Sketchup so I don't use it at all now. I don't find any of them very intuitive or easy to use (I'm a software devloper by day and I tried a number of different apps demo versions, although I don't claim to be an expert on them).

Since Sketchup is so popular with other wood workers I'm trying to use it the best I can.


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## LucasPeters (Mar 17, 2010)

Another vote for Sketchup. 
I used a high-end model/animation software package in a previous life and Sketchup is far less technical and more intuitive. The main hangup I've had with Sketchup is that I've not been able to find a very satisfactory way to print out quick parts/cutlists.


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## rogerw (Jan 14, 2011)

i use the real thing - autocad. don't know what i would do without it.


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## mrtoasty (Jan 13, 2011)

I agree, autocad is the way to go!!!


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## cabs4less (Nov 2, 2010)

sketchup is a good one but if you want to go 2-d A+ Cad also called cad academy is just like autocad but half the price. I'm a draftsman and I have used a lot of programs and depending on wat I'm drawing will decide wat program I use If I want to draw furniture I would use sketch-ups If cabinets then A+cad If mechanical solid works ect. but I get all these programs free so I can do that but if i just had to have one then A+cad would be it because you can draw anything with it wit enough practice. 
P.S. Versa cad is pretty reaswonable to and its a little like autocad and A+ but its more keyboard than mouse oriented


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## Unionwood (Feb 18, 2011)

Sketchup has great videos as well to help you Along. It's easy and quick to get the basics down!


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## stevenhsieh (Jan 8, 2010)

Go take a class


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## AuroraWoodworks (Nov 6, 2009)

If you want "traditional" cad, check out TurboCAD. It's got 90% of the functionality of AutoCAD but sells for less than $200. Allegedly, it is compatible with AutoCAD. I've had limited success going back and forth. It is sorta like a combination of AutoCAD and MicroStation.


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## Sawkerf (Dec 31, 2009)

Sketchup seems to be the CAD program du jour for most. I've fooled with it a bit, but prefer TurboCad. You probably want to stay away from the full-on 3D CAD programs unless you're willing to spend time on the learning curve. Once you get fairly proficient, however, it's a great tool. I just spent about three hours making a drawing for a bathroom vanity for a customer, and I have every cut figured out for every board. The actual construction will be almost anticlimactic. - lol

CAD drawing is MUCH different than using paper, pencils, triangles and T-Squares. When I've taught folks to use CAD it was usually a long, difficult, road from "Here's how you draw a straight line.?


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## brtech (May 26, 2010)

Designers who learned on 2D CAD systems tend to like the Autocad model, and have trouble dealing with Sketchup. Sketchup has a totally different model for how you get where you want to go, and if you know any other 2D, or even 3D CAD program, making the leap to Sketchup is pretty tough.

On the other hand, most 2D CAD programs work the same, so when you learn one, it's fairly easy to move over to another one.

If you don't know any CAD program, then you need to decide if you want to model a complete 3D shape, or draw a 2D plan. Even 3D autocad is really not a whole lot more than pushing together 2D drawings. More traditional 3D modeling programs like Solidworks are different yet, although it's not so hard to go from a 2D autocad to Solidworks. It's a lot easier than going to Sketchup.

Sketchup is really an amazing program, and the basic version is free. Hard to beat free. There are a lot of woodworking specific tutorials around, and some plug ins for making cut lists, and typical joinery models (M &T, dovetails, ...). It has a learning curve, and that curve is bigger than a basic 2D drawing program.

I personally think SU is great, and unless you are a mechanical engineer with a company who will pay for a full solidworks seat, SU is the way to go.


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## ToddPeakWoodwork (Jan 16, 2012)

Our good friend Matthias hooked us up proper here:
http://woodgears.ca/sketchup/index.html


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

I can't afford Autocad although I would love to have it. I use Turbocad Deluxe and it costs only $130.00. We use it in our in plant machine shop, we use it to design our molding profiles, and we use it to make the dxf files needed for the computerized router that makes our templates that we use to make our molder knives. It may not be as good as Autocad but at $130 it's hard to beat. It does everything that I need it too and proces very good drawings.

http://www.turbocad.com/TurboCAD/TurboCADWindows/TurboCADDeluxe18/tabid/1869/Default.aspx


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## RandyM68 (Jan 20, 2012)

I bought a copy of turbocad for $99 at office depot, and have sketchup too. I'm not that good at either one yet but it seems like Turbo Cad is better for detailed drawings and Sketch Up is quicker for modeling and getting an idea what it will look like in real life. If you're rich, buy Solidworks, it's by far the best I've ever used, and the most expensive.


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## rogerw (Jan 14, 2011)

i got introduced to autocad back in 1976. i think it was ver 1.0 lol. having gone from a full-fledge drawing board with the t-square, triangles, and a drawer full of different pencils to a computer that draws it as you move a mouse was awesome, crude as it was.

i had a version of turbocad back when i had my pentium and windows 98. as i recall it was fairly close to acad with some minor quirks of it's own but i dealt with them. overall i liked it.

then i built my windows xp. i had autocad lite on it. it could only do 2d so i would do a 3d sketch on paper, draw the individual 2d pieces on acad lt, take those drawings to work and create a 3d model. unfortunately once it went to work it could not come home again except in paper or picture form. when my xp went to that great heap of electronic trash in the sky i was left with having to do my drafting at work on acad and when you lose that job the access to acad goes with it. now what… back to basics… paper i guess

back a few years ago i was watching this old house on hgtv and they showed sketchup. the designer and the red-headed kid on toh talked about it. didn't take me long to get it downloaded and installed on my laptop. i honestly tried, diligently, for months to get the hang of it. i guess 30 years of experience is the last thing a person needs before they try sketchup. could not get the hang of it. so for the time being i went back to paper…

until a few months later when my wife and i were at a garage sale. guy was selling his late sons stuff. he didn't know what he had. this guy was in his 70's and his son was my age. (did i mention dead) i was going through the computer games and stuff and came across a cd in a clear case with stickers all over the outside. this case had been well used over the years. opened it up and it was a full-blown version of autocad 2005 *with license!* i didn't take advantage of him. gave him what he was asking for it. the box said "computer games-$5" each. *sold!*

been a happy camper ever since!


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## JohnnyM (Jan 6, 2012)

Taking a class is a good suggestion. I did many years ago at the local community college and purchased AutoCad LT, less expensive student version, from the school book store. I like everything about the program except for it's lack of 3D. Newer versions of the LT may now have 3D.


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## Wolf621 (Dec 9, 2011)

I have been using Autosketch 9 by Autodesk. It has worked well for me for quite a few years. There is a newer version on the market for around $100.00, but you can still pick this one up for about $20.00 on e-bay. It isn't designed for woodworking projects, but I like to design homes and it works good for that. 
I haven't used Sketchup yet but I plan on downloading it to see if it will work out better for woodworking.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

I use Autocad, version 2003. It is expensive, but find that it will do anything I want it to do. I'm just getting started with 3D and for that, I'm trying to use Sketchup. Autocad is a bit too complex for me to do 3D with. Autocad is the industry standard and once you have mastered it, it becomes second nature to use.


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## darinS (Jul 20, 2010)

I use both AutoCAD and SketchUp. It just depends upon what information I need. Being a designer, drafter, engineer, I am more familiar with AutoCAD, and if I needed to use just one or the other, it would probably be that. I taught myself SketchUp by playing with it and the use of a book. I quickly came to realize that it is a VERY handy tool.

I would think it is easier and quicker to learn SketchUp. The cost is minimal (free is ALWAYS good) and there is a TON of information out there to help you learn it. It's us weirdos (or maybe I'm the only weirdo) that find CAD easier at times because we have spent so much time using it for other things.

All in all, my vote for you would be…....................(drum roll please…....................................................)

Go with SketchUp.


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## Danpaddles (Jan 26, 2012)

PTC Pro-E for me, thanks. Wait- I'll have to pay HOW MUCH?? okay- Dassault systems has a freebie 2D package I have enjoyed using- DraftSight. Seems intuitive to me, but I was a full-time CAD jockey for a long time. And - yes- it is free.


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## addvalue (Jun 26, 2013)

Hello all. I just joined lumberjocks tonight and need some software help. In particular I'm looking for a copy of AutoCad release 14. I just purchased a CalComp Model 1023 pen plotter and finding it nearly impossible to find the software to run it. If anyone can help me, I would really appreciate it!

Also, does anyone know of an alternate software that would work?

Ron / 48(zero) - 695 - 447(zero)
[email protected] . com


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## Woodmaster1 (Apr 26, 2011)

I teach engineering design at the high school level and use Autodesk products. I use Inventor and AutoCAD for for my drawings. I still like drawing projects on graph paper, quick and easy. Sketching on paper will always be my first step, the old drafting teacher in me makes it hard to change that step.


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## dschlic1 (Jan 3, 2013)

I use Sketchup with the following plugins:
Cutlist, drawangledim, jftools, K2WSTools

These are free and can be found on the web. In particular K2WS has some plugins that make "scenes" that are ready for dimensioning.


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