Drafting software?

[Carroll Grigsby]

On Sunday 20 May 2007 4:17:23 pm Michael Wiktowy wrote:
> On 5/20/07, Alan Cox <alan at lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk> wrote:
> > On Sun, 20 May 2007 10:47:39 -0400
> >
> > Carroll Grigsby <cgrigs at earthlink.net> wrote:
> > > On Sunday 20 May 2007 10:03:53 am Brian wrote:
> > > > I'm looking for CAD/drafting software to help me create blue prints
> > > > for some home construction projects (building a shed, bathroom
> > > > remodel, basement finishing). The easier to use, the better.
> > > >
> > > > Any recommendations?
> > >
> > > Brian:
> > > Take a look at qcad. It's a standard Fedora package that does 2D
> > > drafting.
> >
> > You
> >
> > > can learn more about qcad at their website:
> > > http://www.ribbonsoft.com/qcad.html
> >
> > I had real problems with qcad and trying to exchange files with people
> > using tools it claims to write files for. It's an ok tool (little bugy in
> > my experience) and ok providing you don't need to interwork with anyone
> > else using tools like autocad.
>
> Having used Autocad products for many years, I can understand that as
> Autodesk products have issue interworking among themselves.
>
> For 3D part files, usually STEP format is the way to go.
> For 2D drawings, usually just exporting a PDF is good since you are
> usually looking for comments rather than direct changes.
>
> /Mike

Mike:
I know whereof you speak. I spent the last 9 years of my career doing 
mechanical design work using mostly Autocad and a bit of ProE. Whenever it 
came time to send files to vendors for quotations or prototyping, I'd find 
that each new vendor used Yet Another CAD Product, making it necessary to 
negotiate on some common format that both of us could read and write. Even 
then, it was not uncommon to find that something got lost in the translation. 
When I retired in 2001, there were a number of projects working towards 
achieving some sort of file interchangeability but Nirvana was yet to be 
achieved.

-- cmg