CAD

[the kid]

I am looking in to getting a form of CAD, I have looked at a few types and

a) Was wondering if any one knew of any particularly good CAD programs.

b) If these will be free or will I have to pay a large sum of money I don't posses.

 

I was thinking of the type of thing that has an animation package as well as the 3D software.

 

Cheers

 

The Kid

[gareth]

If you're on a budget, you might struggle to get any sort of animation facilities ...

 

For a high-quality, low budget 2D/3D CAD package, you could do a lot worse than TurboCAD - website here. I've been using it for years, and it does everything I've ever asked it to do in a nice, easy, pain-free manner.

 

Moderation - thread moved to General Tech Chat.

[merlin24]

""I am looking in to getting a form of CAD, I have looked at a few types and

a) Was wondering if any one knew of any particularly good CAD programs.""

 

There are many many different packages out there on the market, it depends on what you want it for as to what to recomend.

 

""b) If these will be free or will I have to pay a large sum of money I don't posses.""

 

Any package that allows you to do everything you want to do you will have to pay for at some point, ie you may get a free demo but it may have the ability to print and save turned off until you purchase a licence.

Also bear in mind that if you do get one of these packages off of the front of a magazine in my experience you generate more work for yourself.

 

""I was thinking of the type of thing that has an animation package as well as the 3D software.""

 

CAD packages that render to animation using such devices as DMX cameras are without question going to be expensive, The reason for this (Certainly in the Lighting Industry anyway) is that if people have the ability to actually show a client exactly what somthing will look like they can charge alot more money and replenish the money spent on the software very quickly.

 

Even Wysiwyg doesn't have the ability to animate drawings and the above purpose is exactly what it is designed for.

Wysiwyg CSP's (Certified Service Providers) can create basic walk throughs and moving camera shots using DMX Cameras but thats where the animation stops.

 

I hope this helps

Regards

 

Andy

[IanG]

TurboCAD used to do a "learning edition" but I can't find it on their website any more.

[Stu]

IMSI have pulled TurboCAD LE due to upcoming problems with future releases of XP software, or next generation MS OS'.

 

I e-mailed them about this a couple of weeks to ask if it's freeware, and I've had it confirmed it is. Therefore if anyone is after it I'd be more than happy to burn it off onto a CD and mail it to you.

 

I'll even chuck in the Modelbox CAD symbols for nowt!

 

Stu

[Andrew C]

TurboCad v7.0 is available on the Computer Shopper DVD this month. HOWEVER, I can't get it to install, it claims that one of the .dlls is corrupt.

[paulears]

I've just had a mailshot from serif ofering imst turbocad v8 at 9.95

 

personally I use serif draw for all my plans - any form of wysiwyg is simply far too expensive for me (and nowhere near as easy to use)

 

draw can't do any form of rendering 3d, but for drawing plans - it's great and quick.

 

paul

[merlin24]

personally I use serif draw for all my plans - any form of wysiwyg is simply far too expensive for me (and nowhere near as easy to use)

 

As is the case with most things you only get what you pay for..

 

I have to disagree with Wyg being too complicated. Lighting design is what it was created for which in itself makes it easier than using programs hashed together.

I can almost guarantee that an hours training with me would find you more than comfortable with how the program thinks and the basics of its working. From there you CAN teach yourself.

 

Paul in response to your comment about expense, although I do appreciate that the program is fairly expensive (although cheaper than a copy of Auto CAD) You should have a look at the educational Versions and the LEARN systems especially as you are in a teaching environment you will be eligible for the educational discount structure.

 

Without going on a sales pitch for it Wyg is industry standard now and pretty much every major Drama school in the country has a copy, and students will only be benefitted if they can use the software prior attending such a course or gaining a job in the field.

 

Just my 2p.

 

Andy

[andy_s]

TurboCad v7.0 is available on the Computer Shopper DVD this month. HOWEVER, I can't get it to install, it claims that one of the .dlls is corrupt.

I got this last month- it installed fine on our computer at home running on XP pro. We use AutoCAD at work, and I find Turbocad a bit awkward after that, as I've got used to the command line input, but it does everything I can think of asking it to do at the moment, so very good value for money at the cover price of the magazine.

[Stu]

I too installed V7 from the cover DVD disc last month with no problems... Try e-mailing Computer Shopper to see if they can send you a new disc? Long shot I suppose.

 

Stu

[gareth]

I've just had a mailshot from serif ofering imst turbocad v8 at 9.95

That's a great bargain. For anyone who just wants a really good 2D CAD package to draw some groundplans and sections, and isn't interested in the ability to produce renderings, reports, etc. you can't go wrong with TurboCAD. (Although I believe there are ways to make it spit information out to Excel to produce reports if you employ blocks in the right way ...)

 

I've been using TurboCAD since 1997, beginning with v4. I'm currently on v8, and it does everything I need it to do so I haven't felt the need to upgrade further. It currently sits on my computer alongside a copy of WYG Design - due to WYG's 'inadequacies' in terms of 2D drafting, I tend to use Turbo for producing basic 2D frameworks which I then import into WYG to turn them into 3D models.

 

If anyone ends up buying this, let me know - I've got a whole raft of lantern symbols in *.tcw format that I can send you to get you going.

[Andrew C]

I've had another go, and this time it worked. Now I just need to forget all I leaned as a "pen & ink" draughtsman...

[gareth]

Now I just need to forget all I leaned as a "pen & ink" draughtsman...

No, don't do that! Many of the basic principles still apply - it's just that CAD allows you to apply them in a much more efficient way.

 

The first thing to remember when you switch from drawing board to CAD is that never again will you need to draw the same thing twice. Copy and paste is a fabulous thing. And if you've got a set or something that's (more or less) symmetrical, mirror-copying is your friend. :)

[Gareth A]

Well if if the lampie side of things that you design personally I just use a programme called LX Designs, basic form of lighting design programme, only costs £100 - ok its only in 2d but hey and it prints to scale and they even put your ground plans into a model plan for you so it arrives all ready to go.! So why pay 100`s!

[David Ripley]

Kid

 

Why do you feel the need to get into CAD?

 

Do you need the savings in time etc once you've spent ages learning any of the programs?

 

Are you constantly required to email plans to suppliers for rig quotes etc?

 

Are your plans so large or so reused that they need constant updating?

 

If not I'd stick to pen and paper until such time that you need to move on and make the investment as it is quite a lot of dosh!

 

Use the time to hone your drawing skills as well as the lighting design side in the venue

 

Having a CAD system won't make you a better (or worse) designer

 

David