Pete
Brief...I don't want to spend more than £30 / $50....Ideas?
Download some pirate software?
Pete
rhino 3d has a trial version - i think it allows 30 saves, but like pete says, save yourself some $$ and download it
Yeah I've got a 'trial version' (ahem!) of Rhino, haven't used it yet but I've heard it's quite good, and they use it in
my university department for designing space frames etc. You can even export the models into a program called Ansys to do finite element analysis and
aerodynamic simulation if you're into that kind of thing
Pete
thats exactly what i use it for, i find its the best free form surface modeller that ive tried, and you can export it easily enough to ansys, then cfx
for all sorts of fluid dynamic/stress analysis software.
AutoCad is the simplest i reckon for 2d drafting, and solidworks the best for 3d modelling.
im just trying to get to grips with photorealistic rendering now, but its a long slow road!
Tom
I'm using Turbocad designer 2D/3D essential. Cost me £9:99 PC World.
Mick
quote:
Originally posted by tom_loughlin
thats exactly what i use it for, i find its the best free form surface modeller that ive tried, and you can export it easily enough to ansys, then cfx for all sorts of fluid dynamic/stress analysis software.
AutoCad is the simplest i reckon for 2d drafting, and solidworks the best for 3d modelling.
im just trying to get to grips with photorealistic rendering now, but its a long slow road!
Tom
ProD was freeware a while back. I dont know if you can still get an old copy from a download site? 2000i2 was the last free one i think...or maybe
ProD 8 had a cut down version for free. I cant really remember now!
Cheers,
David
I have a magazine coverdisk full version of Turbocad 7 2&3D, is it any good for learning on? I need to find a CD key for it, but I am sure that google will find me one.
Firstly turbo cad is a cut down version of auto cad, but you still have all the features you would need for basic CAD modelling.
I personally always found the AutoCAD system and its offspring (TurboCAD etc) a little over complex to use, especially with the 3d function! I cant
remember when autocad changed from simple 3d representation to proper 3d solid modelling like 'all' of the cad systems now.
Find yourself a good solid modeller that you are comfortable using and thats it. Each to their own with CAD software.
David 
Guys,
I was looking for Legit software (strange concept, I know).
Thanks for the Pointer to TurboCAD. May well give it a go
Stephen
Mark
Turbocad is the only system I've used so I can't really compare. However I found it fairly easy to grasp the basics and now find it
essential as an aid to designing bits for the car. There is a manual on my copy which I could mail to you if yours does not have one.
Mick
Mix, that would be great, the email is below - thanks
Mark
I can send you a copy of ProDesktop. Email me your address and I'll put it in the post !
You could also try using Autodesk Inventor which is fantastically simple package to use, you could also try ProEngineer which allows FEA and various
other functions - the student version was quite handy while I was doing my degree.
What do people think of Autosketch?
quote:
Originally posted by stevebubs
What do people think of Autosketch?
quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
Firstly turbo cad is a cut down version of auto cad, .........
Yeah ok ok...jeez gimme a break 
David
Move extends company's "You Deserve Better" program for users facing AutoCAD retirements
Jan 7, 2005
Bentley Systems announced that as an extension of its recently launched "You Deserve Better" upgrade program -- aimed at helping AutoCAD
users facing Autodesk's product retirements -- students, and educators can now download MicroStation PowerDraft 2D/3D CAD software at no cost.
The offering will help community colleges, middle, and high schools, and vocational schools overcome the problem of keeping technical curriculums
current, even when budgets are tight.
"The MicroStation PowerDraft academic offer is a bold step forward to help prepare future engineers in computer-aided design," said Jay
Sunyogh, professor and chairman of architecture and computer-aided design at Rio Hondo Community College in California. "We use many of the
Bentley products in our CAD program, and expect that the new MicroStation PowerDraft offer will make incoming high school students better
prepared."
MicroStation PowerDraft, which has a list price of US$1,295, is a professional-level application used for production 2D/3D drafting and detailing. It
features an easy-to-use graphical user interface, intuitive viewing techniques, and an innovative set of industry-recognized tools for production
work. MicroStation PowerDraft can also serve as an ideal training vehicle for MicroStation, a comprehensive platform for 3D modeling, data
versatility, workgroup productivity, and application development, Bentley reports. MicroStation is Bentley's flagship product underlying the
design, construction, and operation of the world's infrastructure. More than 2,000 secondary schools, colleges, and universities have subscribed
to MicroStation-based software as members of the Bentley Education Network , the company reports.
Included with the free software is a comprehensive training guide that provides step-by-step exercises to familiarize students with MicroStation
PowerDraft and general CAD concepts. In addition, there is an instructor guide with lesson plans for introductory CAD, basic drafting, and comparative
CAD.
To download your free copy of MicroStation PowerDraft or for more details, go to:
http://www.bentley.com/academic
quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
Yeah ok ok...jeez gimme a break
David
Hiya, new here!
While we're on the whole CAD thing; I have Rhino and TurboCAD and while I prefer TurboCAD I am having issues trying to "bend" a
chassis tube in 3 dimensions.
I know I need to extrude a circle along a bezier, but I can't get the bezier nodes to move in three dimensions.
It works really well in Rhino, does that mean I'll have to keep shifting between the two? I'd rather just use TC, Rhino seems to be too
much of a learning curve, or am I just lazy?
Anyone managed to bend a tube in three dimensions on TurboCAD?
Tim
[Edited on 22/1/05 by timsta]
Um, ignore me, I found 3D Splines.
Doh!
A9cad is a good free download CAD programme http://www.tucows.com/preview/367351.html .DeltaCad is shareware from http://www.deltacad.com and
although I have got Autocad Mechanical, I use DeltaCad 90% of the time because its quick and VERY intuative to use, gets my vote