John Sayers - What CAD software do you use?

  • Thread starter Thread starter DigitalDon
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DigitalDon

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Hey John,
Talked with you several months ago about building a small studio behind my house (I live in a rural area). My finances are finally lined up to do it (limited but available). FYI it will be 30 feet wide x 40 feet long. Concrete slab, 3 rooms (live, control and vocal booth). I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do. I'm using Total 3D Home CAD. It's OK but not as flexible as I would like and only saves in it's own format. My question is what CAD software are you using or what would you recommend? I want to be able to load it to this forum for feedback. Thanks in advance. Anyone else jump in if you like. I've already searched the forum but just didn't see what I was looking for.

DD
 
Hey DigitalDon,

I posted a message a week ago about a professional 3D cad program that is available for free from the developers. It's a previous version, completely functional without nagscreens, addware, spyware or other nasty stuff.

You can get it here: http://www.softcad.com

It can save to autocad DXF format. But best of all, we can all use it for free and swap files for it here on the forum. That way you can put your design up and others can add stuff to it for you.

Peter.
 
Cad/format exchange

Hello peter, say, I downloaded the program you linked, but haven't had time to even open it yet. I'm a cad draftsman, and have been trying to post autocad here in other formats(I changed them in Visio) but they look like crap when you change them. Can you open autocad in the other program? I have a lot of files I could post here, just don't want to do it after changing them to .jpg or other formats.(they are no longer vector oriented, just bitmaps) and I can't stand the way they look. But you have a good idea, if other people would download the program. That way they can open the attachments here, and then even ALTER them to fit thier own uses.(correct?)Thanks.
fitz:)
 
Yes I use Smartdraw from Smartdraw.com. Why?? because it allows defined scaling to shapes and allows set angles for objects - plus it allows for layering so I can draw different sections on differing layers. It also saves in most formats, like pfd, ai (adobe illustrator), dwg, plus smartdraw make a viewer that can be downloaded for free, (like the acrobat reader.).

cheers
JOhn
 
Re: Cad/format exchange

RICK FITZPATRICK said:
Hello peter, say, I downloaded the program you linked, but haven't had time to even open it yet. I'm a cad draftsman, and have been trying to post autocad here in other formats(I changed them in Visio) but they look like crap when you change them. Can you open autocad in the other program?
Click to expand...
We can view AutoCAD drawings in both DXF and DWG format with the free viewer from Autodesk. It's called Voloview Express and available from their website.

Peter.
 
in autoCAD you can export as an eps document. you can then open this in photoshop or equivelent and save as a jpg. this is what i do, considering that if you are reading this, you already have a browser, which is all it takes to veiw a jpg.
 
foreverain4 said:
in autoCAD you can export as an eps document. you can then open this in photoshop or equivelent and save as a jpg. this is what i do, considering that if you are reading this, you already have a browser, which is all it takes to veiw a jpg.
Click to expand...


Wow. Almost too easy.

Me, I just hit "print screen" then chop off the windows part using MS Paint :)

Frederic <---- super lazy guy
 
20/20 Info hindsight

He everyone, just want to say, without info some things are not easy. Try autocad with no training. Things here seem easy to some, but for me,I need a little input before I can do them. So thanks for the info, and maybe I can contribute to the forum a little more now. :)
fitz
 
Autocad is definately not good for throwing together quick sketches and diagrams if you don't know how to use it. No two CAD programs are very good at exchanging data since none of the companies will agree to work with eachother. DXF or DWG is the closest thing to a standard but that is using the term loosely.
 
quik sketches?

Howdy, texroadkill, I agree, if you don't know how to use autocad it is definitly not good for quick sketches. But if you do,(I am a pro detailer/draftsman)there is no other program like it. I have to do layouts daily for Federated, and change them for submittal within 1 hr. with everything to scale, overlaid on thier plans(given to us on disc) with maybe 200 layers with all, electrical,plumbing, fixturing, color areas, flooring, reflected cieling plan, etc. etc., Try and do that with any other program. Quickly! And globally. I can change a finish # on 500 drawings in a push of a mouse button.THATS why I use it. But your correct about being ABLE to use it. Not to mention it is the design professional standard of the industry. AND, its the only program BID will accept discs for approval, instead of paper. At least where I live. So why use anything else if your design work is going to be modified by other people, and submitted for approval, AND then the files exported to CNC machining centers for manufacturing. Maybe in another state or country. Within the autodesk librarys, all the other trade standards are able to be imported into your drawings, like structural steel, hardware, finishes, and dozens of other librarys, that are all drawn to trade tolerances etc. So maybe now you can understand why I don't waste my time on other programs. They just don't cut it for pro work. Kind of like a 2" tape machine or protools. Don't take me wrong, cause this isn't saying you can't draw to pro standards with other programs. You just can't modify work with others in the field, among other things, like file management. Try and manage a million ar more drawings with Smartdraw. Figure it this way. The Department of the Interior, has over one hundred thousand drawings for the water system in the state of california alone. When a draftsman makes a global change to a dam, say 50 valves of the same kind, he doesn't have time to insert his file into everyother drawing, he modifies one type of drawing that globaly changes all the drawings from here to Washington. Try and do that with Visio. Ha!
fitz:)
 
Actually my job for the last 3 years has been competing with Autodesk for a few different companies.

ACAD was great for being the first CAD program to run on a PC but they have fallen way behind the times. It is still a good all purpose drafting tool but for most specific applications there are 3D CAD systems that are much more intuitive and powerfull. Even their mechanical programs like Inventor have much more powerfull competitors.

Different industries accept different standards now and most of them are pretty platform specific on something other than ACAD.

Although they are much more expensive.

When a draftsman makes a global change to a dam, say 50 valves of the same kind, he doesn't have time to insert his file into everyother drawing, he modifies one type of drawing that globaly changes all the drawings from here to Washington. Try and do that with Visio. Ha!
Click to expand...

I would like to see you pull that off with ACAD ;)
 
Get the point?

They do it all the time with x-ref. You know, seems like no matter what I try to bring to this forum, theres always some kind of "one upsmanship"going on here..... The only thing I was trying to point out was it would be nice to post cad drawings here that others could change and adapt for thier own use. But I can see thats too much for this forum. Your to busy trying to prove you know more than the next guy. Too Bad. Well since I have an open mind, what would you suggest as a better program. I mean you said yourself they are more expensive then ACAD, and as far as I'm concerned, that is no cheap program in itself. Maybe there are other more intuitve and robust programs out there. How much money you got? ACAD sucks for 3d, but for my field, everyone uses it. Period. So does the government offices that I know of. I never said that I was an expert at anything here so far. And I never will. I was just trying to open the possibility posting cad drawings here, and since I use ACAD, thats what I know, but now, I think I don't give a damn.
:(
 
Hey Rick,

I think you can post an autocad drawing and just give reference to the Voloview viewer. The great thing with Voloview is that you can not edit the drawing, but you can add annotations to it.

As Voloview Express is free, I think anyone that's interested in your drawing(s) will pick it up if they want to.
And as Voloview reads native Acad DWG format, there are no conversions involved, you get top quality drawings (even in print).

Peter.
 
Sorry dude. Just shooting the shit. It wasn't a personal attack just a CAD discussion.

I deal with CAD software and CAD developers every day so if somebody mentions AutoCad it triggers the same reaction I get when somebody says Behringer. I've been meaning to get out of the CAD business and back into audio engineering so I can better focus my technical bigotry ;)
 
Thats cool, me too!

Hey, thats funny. Sorry too, guess the chip on my shoulder was showing. Ok, I must just be tired. I hate that kind of stuff anyway. Thanks for the apology. You've got mine too. I've read your posts here, and you sound sincere, and knowledgeable, and don't take me too serious. I get my feelings hurt just like anybody, especially when all I 'm trying to do is be part of this community. I'm not on a mission of any kind. I'm just a recording junkie, but hell, I would just as soon play my guitar. And damn, recording can actually be a pain in the you know what sometimes. I went out on a financial limb this weekend just to buy a Rode 2 mic on ebay(cheap) cause the guy selling it lived 10 miles from me.(My wife probably won't speak to me all week!)Anyway, again my apologies.I guess I havn't learned to learn to keep my mouth shut sometimes. So have a good week, and I'll look for your posts.
fitz:D
 
I kind of like Visio Technical. I used it to design and build my basement studio/bedroom.

I've also used it for mechanical design. It suits me fine. We have it on our server at work and after playing around with it and learning to use it, I bought a copy.

One of the neatest programs I have, and it's a lot more accurate than pencil and ruler.
 
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