Notifications
Clear all

Free CAD software

21 Posts
15 Users
0 Reactions
543 Views
Wendell
(@wendell)
Posts: 5833
Admin
Topic starter
 

I've seen the topics here a couple of times over the years about free CAD software. The latest results I could find were from at least 6 years ago, so I figured it was time to bring it up again. 🙂

I'm going to be creating a site plan for my backyard, partially due to a mother-in-law house my Mom is building in our backyard. Having a surveyor background means that I need to create an elaborate site plan. 😉

I would preferably like to find something that addresses my overall familiarity with AutoCAD/IntelliCAD and allows me to use surveying units. I'm a little rusty with CAD but I'm sure it would come back quickly, especially if I can find something that is somewhat familiar. Part of me wants to buy a Carlson Survey license, but that would definitely be overkill. LOL 😀

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thanks!

 
Posted : August 15, 2022 9:43 pm
(@skeeter1996)
Posts: 1333
Member
 

I started out with AutoSketch. It was easy to learn and free. I think it's still available. It's not a rival of Carlson or AutoCad 3D but I drew alot of site maps and Survey Plat's using it.

 
Posted : August 15, 2022 9:55 pm
(@ashton)
Posts: 564
Member
 

ESRI ArcMap pro (the more recent version) or desktop (the older version) are almost free for personal use. They can be licensed for personal use for $100 per year. They have the full capabilities of the high-price licenses used by those doing work for hire. There are no watermarks indicating a low-price version or anything like that.

The big difference between these products and the free GIS products like QGIS is that these products are pretty good at drawing new shapes, using concepts familiar to surveyors. The free GIS, in my very limited experience, is OK for producing maps that present existing shapes and data in various ways, but not so good at creating new shapes.

I've only used AutoDesk products during brief demonstrations; I don't think the experience of working with ESRI will be similar to AutoDesk.

My professional CAD background is designing integrated circuits. I could spend months working within a 1 mm by 1 mm area.

 
Posted : August 16, 2022 3:55 am
GaryG
(@gary_g)
Posts: 620
Supporter
 

TraversePC will do all that you need and offers a wide variety of licensing.?ÿ

https://traverse-pc.com/traverse-pc-land-surveying-software-products/tpc-desktop-personal-edition/

 
Posted : August 16, 2022 4:18 am
 jph
(@jph)
Posts: 2332
Member
 

Download a demo version of Carlson.?ÿ It's a full working version for something like 30 days

 
Posted : August 16, 2022 4:39 am

squirl
(@squirl)
Posts: 1194
Member
 
Posted by: @jph

Download a demo version of Carlson.?ÿ It's a full working version for something like 30 days

30 days...that's not nearly enough time for an elaborate site plan like is needed here. Lol ?????ÿ

T. Nelson - SAM

 
Posted : August 16, 2022 5:01 am
dave-karoly
(@dave-karoly)
Posts: 12001
Member
 

@squirl get a free demo of Carlson then a free demo of Microsurvey for a total of 60 days.

I want to build an ADU (official name for granny flat). I did exactly what Wendell wants to doƒ??made a site plan. Mine includes all underground utilities because I surveyed them when they went in the ground.

 
Posted : August 16, 2022 7:12 am
FL/GA PLS
(@flga-pls)
Posts: 7403
Member
 

https://beebom.com/free-cad-software/

 
Posted : August 16, 2022 7:14 am
dave-karoly
(@dave-karoly)
Posts: 12001
Member
 
Posted by: @wendell

I've seen the topics here a couple of times over the years about free CAD software. The latest results I could find were from at least 6 years ago, so I figured it was time to bring it up again. 🙂

I'm going to be creating a site plan for my backyard, partially due to a mother-in-law house my Mom is building in our backyard. Having a surveyor background means that I need to create an elaborate site plan. 😉

I would preferably like to find something that addresses my overall familiarity with AutoCAD/IntelliCAD and allows me to use surveying units. I'm a little rusty with CAD but I'm sure it would come back quickly, especially if I can find something that is somewhat familiar. Part of me wants to buy a Carlson Survey license, but that would definitely be overkill. LOL 😀

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thanks!

YouTuber ƒ??How to ADUƒ? interviews an Oregon ADU contractor in this video:

 
Posted : August 16, 2022 7:14 am
party-chef
(@party-chef)
Posts: 978
Member
 

What about that sitecomp soft? Cogo up the points and put some lines on it seems simple enough.

I think cogo for the maths and hand drawn for the final would be more fun than CAD.

 
Posted : August 16, 2022 7:42 am

RADAR
(@dougie)
Posts: 7889
Member
 

All you need is a piece of paper, straight edge, ruler; maybe even a protractor. KISS...

?ÿ


GIF

?ÿ


GIF
 
Posted : August 16, 2022 7:46 am
leegreen
(@leegreen)
Posts: 2196
Supporter
 

@Wendell?ÿ

Actually, that is true. If you want to make a few sketches on paper I will help with the drafting.

Or you can contact Carlson. I believe they introduced a lease version during COVID to help with those working from home.

 
Posted : August 16, 2022 8:17 am
(@ashton)
Posts: 564
Member
 

@dougie Maybe the zoning board has gotten used to being able to work virtually, and would prefer a PDF.

 
Posted : August 16, 2022 9:21 am
(@bobwesterman)
Posts: 250
Member
 
Posted by: @wendell

I've seen the topics here a couple of times over the years about free CAD software. The latest results I could find were from at least 6 years ago, so I figured it was time to bring it up again. 🙂

I'm going to be creating a site plan for my backyard, partially due to a mother-in-law house my Mom is building in our backyard. Having a surveyor background means that I need to create an elaborate site plan. 😉

I would preferably like to find something that addresses my overall familiarity with AutoCAD/IntelliCAD and allows me to use surveying units. I'm a little rusty with CAD but I'm sure it would come back quickly, especially if I can find something that is somewhat familiar. Part of me wants to buy a Carlson Survey license, but that would definitely be overkill. LOL 😀

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thanks!

There's always this

https://librecad.org
LibreCAD

It's 2D.?ÿ I haven't looked at it, but from reading about it a few years ago it seemed decent.?ÿ

?ÿ

 
Posted : August 16, 2022 9:50 am
RADAR
(@dougie)
Posts: 7889
Member
 

@ashton?ÿ

Maybe...

Kinko's or virtually any other copy store; can scan anything to a PDF.

The Architect I mentioned a few weeks ago, that did all his drafting by hand, was a wiz with Adobe (I'm guessing), his plans were full of color photos and detailed detail sheets. I got a PDF file from him...

 
Posted : August 16, 2022 10:16 am

leegreen
(@leegreen)
Posts: 2196
Supporter
 

Here is an Engineers design done in pencil, that I just received last week. It is like stepping back in time 30 years, but we can build it from the few measurements provided in the PDF. Along with a few assumptions, plus scaling & digitizing.

?ÿ

 
Posted : August 16, 2022 10:58 am
(@richard-germiller)
Posts: 754
Member
 

@dougie?ÿ

Didi that for a friend up in AK, his engineer was the senior engineer that I worked with at the DOT and he was expecting that I would have done a CAD drawing using the States computer and software, the State frowns on using they're stuff for personal things, didn't know if this would have been OK, since I was doing it for free, but I wasn't about to risk it, I'm pretty sure that engineer was not using his personal computer for the site plan.

 
Posted : August 16, 2022 11:10 am
(@ashton)
Posts: 564
Member
 

@richard-germiller I volunteer for a large national charity, and have faced the personal use vs. volunteer-work use of licensed software dilemma. I own the computer. I pay for the internet. The charity provides Microsoft Office 365. It would be hopelessly confusing, and maybe impossible, to install another copy of Office on the same computer. So is it OK to write personal documents in Word, or call a personal Teams meeting? My "boss" said it's OK.

 
Posted : August 17, 2022 5:41 am
Wendell
(@wendell)
Posts: 5833
Admin
Topic starter
 

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions! I'll be digging in a little more this weekend. 🙂

 
Posted : August 17, 2022 11:21 am
(@toeknee)
Posts: 71
Member
 

LibreCAD isn't bad, but it had a few quirks.?ÿ I had better luck with QCAD.?ÿ It's free and open source...but there are a few features I needed and I so bought the "QCAD Professional" version that cost me about $40, not bad.?ÿ QCAD just worked better than LibreCAD.?ÿ QCAD was more polished and seemed to have a better development and support staff.

Though eventually I ended up buying Carlson Survey on sale from one of the usual Carlson dealers.

 
Posted : August 18, 2022 7:33 pm

Page 1 / 2