Very Computer

I'm looking for recommendations for 3D CAD under Linux. To start with,
please bear in mind I'm not at ALL a mech eng; I've dabbled briefly
with Pro/E but basically I'm an electronics guy and the only CAD I do
regularly is PCB CAD.

The reason I need this CAD software is so that I can develop
nice-looking diagrams of the housing for a robotic project I'm working
on. I will then give these diagrams to an outside metal fab and
they'll make them for me. I'm not planning to get into this kind of
business as a fulltime thing, I just need these parts made with
reasonably precise tolerances and I have no skill with metalworking
(or tools for it).

The reason for CAD rather than pencil and paper is because I have to
juggle a *lot* of stuff - batteries, motors, valves, etc etc, and this
would be very irksome by hand.

LinuxCAD 2000 charges a non-creditable $35 for a demo (of a $99
product), so I'm not very keen to go down this route unless someone
credibly tells me it's the most wonderful CAD package ever seen. And
the screenshots all look like a 1980s wireframe game; I've tried to
work with wireframe-only packages in the past and found it very easy
to get lost :(

The other two contenders seem to be VariCAD (the screenshots look
beautiful, with raytraced drawings; the full package is $399 and
there's a 15-day trial for download), and CYCAS (also looks beautiful,
seems to be more architecturally-oriented).

Can anyone comment on which of these packages will do what I want
(apparently all of them?) and which will be easiest to learn? Or any
other package you can recommend? Since this is a one-off kind of thing
(and also because I love to upgrade my OS :/), I would *love* an
open-source product but I'll pay for binary-only commercial software
if it's the right thing for my application.

I've used Cycas for a couple of years now and can say it works well
and they will answer emails if you have a problem.

Brian

Quote:> and CYCAS (also looks beautiful,
> seems to be more architecturally-oriented).

> Can anyone comment on which of these packages will do what I want
> (apparently all of them?) and which will be easiest to learn? Or any
> other package you can recommend? Since this is a one-off kind of thing
> (and also because I love to upgrade my OS :/), I would *love* an
> open-source product but I'll pay for binary-only commercial software
> if it's the right thing for my application.

Hi Brian,

Quote:> I've used Cycas for a couple of years now and can say it works well
> and they will answer emails if you have a problem.

Can I ask what kind of things you've used it for? It seems to be
heavily centered at architectural type applications.

if you have used pro/e then you might consider their non-commcial version.
i have an add infront of me that says 149.98 USD.

i've used the demos from varicad on and off for a while.  always liked them.

a new one that i'm starting to learn is graphiteone-cad(was tomcad).
it looks promising.

Cycas does 3D (very nice), but not CSG/Boolean operations.  it's primatives only.

hope that helps.

Quote:> I'm looking for recommendations for 3D CAD under Linux. To start with,
> please bear in mind I'm not at ALL a mech eng; I've dabbled briefly
> with Pro/E but basically I'm an electronics guy and the only CAD I do
> regularly is PCB CAD.

> The reason I need this CAD software is so that I can develop
> nice-looking diagrams of the housing for a robotic project I'm working
> on. I will then give these diagrams to an outside metal fab and
> they'll make them for me. I'm not planning to get into this kind of
> business as a fulltime thing, I just need these parts made with
> reasonably precise tolerances and I have no skill with metalworking
> (or tools for it).

> The reason for CAD rather than pencil and paper is because I have to
> juggle a *lot* of stuff - batteries, motors, valves, etc etc, and this
> would be very irksome by hand.

> LinuxCAD 2000 charges a non-creditable $35 for a demo (of a $99
> product), so I'm not very keen to go down this route unless someone
> credibly tells me it's the most wonderful CAD package ever seen. And
> the screenshots all look like a 1980s wireframe game; I've tried to
> work with wireframe-only packages in the past and found it very easy
> to get lost :(

> The other two contenders seem to be VariCAD (the screenshots look
> beautiful, with raytraced drawings; the full package is $399 and
> there's a 15-day trial for download), and CYCAS (also looks beautiful,
> seems to be more architecturally-oriented).

> Can anyone comment on which of these packages will do what I want
> (apparently all of them?) and which will be easiest to learn? Or any
> other package you can recommend? Since this is a one-off kind of thing
> (and also because I love to upgrade my OS :/), I would *love* an
> open-source product but I'll pay for binary-only commercial software
> if it's the right thing for my application.

--
Oh i've slipped the surly bonds of DOS
and danced the skies on Linux silvered wings.
http://pfrostie.freeservers.com/cad-tastrafy/
http://www.freelists.org/webpage/cad-linux

Quote:> Hi Brian,

> > I've used Cycas for a couple of years now and can say it works well
> > and they will answer emails if you have a problem.

> Can I ask what kind of things you've used it for? It seems to be
> heavily centered at architectural type applications.

I use it for drawings of custom furniture and the like.  It is slanted
towards architectural things but I don't believe it is limited to
that.  The easiest way to determine what it can do is have a look at
the sample drawings included.

Brian

Quote:> if you have used pro/e then you might consider their non-commcial version.
> i have an add infront of me that says 149.98 USD.

? Last I checked they only offered WinNT and Solaris support. Do they
have a Linux version? I hate their web site, it is impossible to work
out what comes with what product.

Quote:> a new one that i'm starting to learn is graphiteone-cad(was tomcad).
> it looks promising.

I saw that one, haven't downloaded it yet for some reason.

Thanks for the pointers.

Pro/E is now available for Linux.  I have just started using Linux
because of this.  Now I'm trying to work out how to use Linux ;S.

News release is here:
http://www.ptc.com/appserver/it/icm/cda/template_lib/icm01_cda_text_w...

Hope this helps,

Rui

Quote:> > if you have used pro/e then you might consider their non-commcial version.
> > i have an add infront of me that says 149.98 USD.

> ? Last I checked they only offered WinNT and Solaris support. Do they
> have a Linux version? I hate their web site, it is impossible to work
> out what comes with what product.

> > a new one that i'm starting to learn is graphiteone-cad(was tomcad).
> > it looks promising.

> I saw that one, haven't downloaded it yet for some reason.

> Thanks for the pointers.

Hi Rui,

Quote:> Pro/E is now available for Linux.  I have just started using Linux

EXCELLENT! That's really good news. Now I just hope I can afford it :/
Thanks for the press release.

Anytime.

If you need a good quote....

Quote:> Hi Rui,

> > Pro/E is now available for Linux.  I have just started using Linux

> EXCELLENT! That's really good news. Now I just hope I can afford it :/
> Thanks for the press release.