Design and drafting software| Grassroots Motorsports forum |

4cylndrfury Dork
7/13/09 10:04 a.m.

So Im begining to get the itch to tinker with doing some DIY aluminum castings for some simple stuff - battery tie downs, lightweight stock sized accessory pulleys etc, maybe even a crude metal lathe if I get real crazy - and I was cruising around a metal fab forum and found some tools for computer aided design/drafting that were free. Dunno if anyone wants to get into CAD stuff (I know I want to...I self taught myself crude MS Access usage, so maybe CAD too? why not), but here ya go anyway

http://www.progecad.com
http://www.alibre.com
http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/

Have fun!

PaulY Reader
7/13/09 10:16 a.m.

the alibre looks cool, i'll mess around with it before I go looking for a newer torrent for solidworks.

Autolex Reader
7/13/09 10:17 a.m.

I have been using alibre, sketchup and inventor (studio) for years... awesome programs, but I find myself using inventor for most things, because it is so damn easy to use!

walterj Dork
7/13/09 11:20 a.m.

PaulY wrote: the alibre looks cool, i'll mess around with it before I go looking for a newer torrent for solidworks.

Where would one look for such a torrent if one were to want to play with solidworks?

Raze Reader
7/13/09 11:29 a.m.

walterj wrote:
PaulY wrote: the alibre looks cool, i'll mess around with it before I go looking for a newer torrent for solidworks.
Where would one look for such a torrent if one were to want to play with solidworks?

tread carefully...

PaulY Reader
7/13/09 11:35 a.m.

legally of course....

4cylndrfury Dork
7/13/09 12:22 p.m.

lol yes...the 3 I posted are VERY legal to DL. I dont want the gubment telling me who my next roomate is for the next 3-5

walterj Dork
7/13/09 1:01 p.m.

While we are on the subject...

I am interested in 3D modeling packages with automation/visualization capability for hobby use and would pay something to have a defacto-standard industry tool to learn on that does not require I re-download a 30 day trial and lie to the sales guys for an extention - but since I'm not making any money with it I'm not really interested in spending $5295 to play.

Can these tools be purchased with a student discount for ANY student or does a particular discipline or age need to be met, etc? Can my middle-school student children get a head start on designing a Lotus Seven IRS or inboard horizontal pushrod suspension :)