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Thread: Free CAD program

  1. #1

    Free CAD program

    Yeah Yeah I know what you're thinking but I'm testing this program out to see if it will work for my purposes. My desire is to have access to a 3d CAD where I can export in .DXF for personal laser/waterjet cutting of my designs for.....well anything I come up with. I have been using Sketchup and while I think it is an awesome program 600 bucks isn't an attractive price. Sketchup is the cheapest of them as well. I have a small advantage with my military status where I could get SolidWorks for $150 but I have no experience with that program and I don't know how much use I really will get out of it. Sure I could design a few parts for the 4runner but after that....who knows.

    Here's a link to the review and ultimately to the site. For $0 how can I go wrong? I will post up my experience and whether or not it works but I figured it might be worth checking out for a few other people as well.

    http://cad.about.com/od/Personal_CAD/fr/Freecad.htm

    If you decide to play around with it please let me know what you think.
    98 3rz 4x4 5spd- Monstalined, 99 Talls, 4.30 E-locker, Extra Lights
    In Progress:
    Tundra/Rear Disc Brakes w/parking brake
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  2. #2
    Please let us know your experiences with it. I use Sketchup Pro daily but would love to have something a little more usable for actual 3D applications.

  3. #3
    From my experience at work, it is actually pretty easy to create 2d DXFs for a laser or the like if you have a good understanding of how the part bends (if it is a bent part). If it is a flat part with no bends, then that DXF is no big deal.

    If you have software that will calculate a flat pattern of a bent part, you need to know a couple of things. What die the job shop is going to use, and whether they are using air bending, coining, bottom bending, etc. This will determine the Inside Radius (IR) of the bend. This is used in calculating the neutral axis, which for this purpose, will be the length of the unbent part. There are a few ways to calculate flat part length, but if your CAD system is doing it for you, the easiest is to use the K factor. 0.45 is what we use at work after much calculation (.446 would be closer, but is inside our tolerances anyway) and seems to be pretty typical.

    If you are using something like sketchup, creating a 2d dxf from a flat part shouldn't be too hard, but I am also not at all familiar with sketchup.
    2005 Lexus LX470 - Stock for now...

    1998 Toyota 4Runner SR5 V6 4x4 + a bunch of goodies. Lifted, Locked, Illuminated and Armored. Winner,"Best Offroad Truck" - 2010 Pismo Jamboree. It's been upside down and still drives me to work.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Seanz0rz View Post
    From my experience at work, it is actually pretty easy to create 2d DXFs for a laser or the like if you have a good understanding of how the part bends (if it is a bent part). If it is a flat part with no bends, then that DXF is no big deal.

    If you have software that will calculate a flat pattern of a bent part, you need to know a couple of things. What die the job shop is going to use, and whether they are using air bending, coining, bottom bending, etc. This will determine the Inside Radius (IR) of the bend. This is used in calculating the neutral axis, which for this purpose, will be the length of the unbent part. There are a few ways to calculate flat part length, but if your CAD system is doing it for you, the easiest is to use the K factor. 0.45 is what we use at work after much calculation (.446 would be closer, but is inside our tolerances anyway) and seems to be pretty typical.

    If you are using something like sketchup, creating a 2d dxf from a flat part shouldn't be too hard, but I am also not at all familiar with sketchup.
    As far as creating the pieces go sketchup is great and easy to use for throwing 3d objects around but the free version will not let you export any kind of file that a shop could use for cutting your pieces. Hence the shopping around for another solution.

    Most of my ideas use a welded seam rather than a bend but for things like belly pans I might end up using bends in that design since welds don't slide very well. Thanks for the tip though. I will have to do some more reading into this subject before sending something off.

    So far I like the program. The way it works is every part is a separate 2d that you extrude into 3d and then place forcing you to design by component. This will really help when I go for say a plate bumper.

    What's going to be a pita is getting all of the measurements right with cardboard mockups and then translating it. My computer is upstairs!! Oh well lots of pt for me I suppose.
    98 3rz 4x4 5spd- Monstalined, 99 Talls, 4.30 E-locker, Extra Lights
    In Progress:
    Tundra/Rear Disc Brakes w/parking brake
    Roof Rack/Rear Ladder
    Sliders
    1st Gen Rollbar Shelf

  5. #5
    This program is definitely not as user friendly as sketchup....I am still setting it up to the units that I desire. Other than that drawing seems to be similar to what everyone is used to but it has to be drawn 2d in every plane before 3d occurs......might be tough to create a plate bumper unless I use some very simple angles.
    98 3rz 4x4 5spd- Monstalined, 99 Talls, 4.30 E-locker, Extra Lights
    In Progress:
    Tundra/Rear Disc Brakes w/parking brake
    Roof Rack/Rear Ladder
    Sliders
    1st Gen Rollbar Shelf

  6. #6
    Yup messed with the program for a long time.....and felt my IQ dropping by the second. Impossible to reliably build 3d solids with an accurate measurement. My brain hurts from trying to figure it out and I know I might not be the smartest guy in the world but I haven't been stumped like that in a long while. I'm springing for the SolidWorks....
    98 3rz 4x4 5spd- Monstalined, 99 Talls, 4.30 E-locker, Extra Lights
    In Progress:
    Tundra/Rear Disc Brakes w/parking brake
    Roof Rack/Rear Ladder
    Sliders
    1st Gen Rollbar Shelf

  7. #7
    Solidworks usually retails for around 5k. Not worth it unless you are going into production. You can get a student version but it has several major limitations.

    As much as I complained when I started, the one we have at work is pretty decent. Its called key creator. Worth a look, but I'm not sure how much a single license is. FWIW, Solidworks is a pain to do some easy things.
    2005 Lexus LX470 - Stock for now...

    1998 Toyota 4Runner SR5 V6 4x4 + a bunch of goodies. Lifted, Locked, Illuminated and Armored. Winner,"Best Offroad Truck" - 2010 Pismo Jamboree. It's been upside down and still drives me to work.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Seanz0rz View Post
    Solidworks usually retails for around 5k. Not worth it unless you are going into production. You can get a student version but it has several major limitations.

    As much as I complained when I started, the one we have at work is pretty decent. Its called key creator. Worth a look, but I'm not sure how much a single license is. FWIW, Solidworks is a pain to do some easy things.
    20 bucks for vets or so their site says. I will find out in a couple days since you have to apply for it. I'm not using it professionally and if nothing else it will give me some experience with the program whenever I end up finishing school.

    Hopefully my computer won't spontaneously explode if I get to install this thing. I built it in 07 or 08 lol.
    98 3rz 4x4 5spd- Monstalined, 99 Talls, 4.30 E-locker, Extra Lights
    In Progress:
    Tundra/Rear Disc Brakes w/parking brake
    Roof Rack/Rear Ladder
    Sliders
    1st Gen Rollbar Shelf

  9. #9
    Are you taking any kind of classes? If so, you can get a student version of AutoDesk Design suite (AutoCAD, Inventor, 3DS Max, etc) for $150 or so on amazon. It's the full package, but you aren't supposed to use it for profit (it has a window that pops up that says it is a student version when you open a file).

    AutoCAD can be a bit tricky for some 3D stuff, but I haven't tried Inventor yet.
    -Daniel2000 4Runner Sport | V6 | 5spd | 4x4 | Leather | 265/75-16 BFG AT/KO | OBA | BudBuilt front skid

    1990 4Runner SR5 | V6 | Auto | 2wd | 3.90 rear | Cobra CB | 265/65r17 Bridgestone Duelers H/Ts | '08 Tacoma 5 spoke rims | Has an 11:1 crawl ratio! SOLD

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by DHC6twinotter View Post
    Are you taking any kind of classes? If so, you can get a student version of AutoDesk Design suite (AutoCAD, Inventor, 3DS Max, etc) for $150 or so on amazon. It's the full package, but you aren't supposed to use it for profit (it has a window that pops up that says it is a student version when you open a file).

    AutoCAD can be a bit tricky for some 3D stuff, but I haven't tried Inventor yet.
    I hadn't thought about that. I probably should start up again though since math I do has consisted of counting for the past 12 years or so lol.

    That's not a bad price for autocad either. That's a top notch program.
    98 3rz 4x4 5spd- Monstalined, 99 Talls, 4.30 E-locker, Extra Lights
    In Progress:
    Tundra/Rear Disc Brakes w/parking brake
    Roof Rack/Rear Ladder
    Sliders
    1st Gen Rollbar Shelf

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