Intellicad purchase question.

[itsmoked]

I know this is the AutoDesk forum but I'm not seeing an Intellicad one so here I am.

I've been using AutoCad forever! Started with version 4. Got fed up with their forever rising costs and switched to Autocad Light. Now it won't install on my Win7 laptop and instead of $250 ACAD Lite is now around $1k. So I'm heading for Intellicad.

I've installed the CMS species of Intellicad Premium Plus which has the 3D module. I mucked about with it every night for a couple of weeks before it expired. I had a wee bit of frustration with the 3D aspects but it seemed 'useful'.

Questions:
1) Has anyone else used the 3D functions to actually do things successfully with it? I'm wondering if the extra $60 is worth it.

2) The reason I'm looking at 3D at all is to get into 3D printing. Does anyone have enough experience to tell me if the Intellicad's 3D ability will be adequate for typical 3D printing tasks?

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Sparweb]

Never tried IntelliCAD but here's my thoughts: Talk to people who have 3D printers and ask what they use. By that I don't mean the on-line companies like Shapeways that have enormous industrial machines, I mean the basement lurkers who show off their artwork at Maker Faire and hang out in electronics hobby stores. Some of them have nothing better to do than fiddle with oddball code all day, but I've met many who just get down to business, too, that could give you a cheap simple answer.

The supplier of the 3D printer is also a good source of software - if you buy their machine they want you to have a productive experience!


STF

 

[Metalfixer]

Try the ViaCAD products,

http://www.punchcad.com/

Great 3D at very reasonable prices.

 

[itsmoked]

Good idea Spar. I'll check into that.

Thanks Metal. I'm looking into that too!

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[cfee]

I've used Progecad with good results ($500 licensed) but find BricsCAD superior, because the current version of ProgeCAD doesn't implement the DISPSILH variable correctly, as it did in previous versions. Otherwise, Progecad looks and functions almost identical to ACAD classic, while Bricscad's 3D is better and the DISPSILH variable DOES work ... ($625 licensed), if you don't mind the ribbon interface and a small but worthwhile departure from the strict "ACAD" look & feel. BricsCAD's implementation of 3D is actually quite good, tho, and while both write directly to native dwg, I'd give the edge to Bricscad. I'm told that ZWCAD is a worthy contender, but am not familiar with it or the license price or the workability. I'd say all 3 are worthwhile contenders, so you should be able to find a workalike that will meet your needs.

One quick point - the DISPSILH variable set to "ON" or "1" gives a "Hide" that looks like an ISOMETRIC view of the 3D part/assembly. This is VERY useful in creating a 3D viewport in a part drawing, that allows you to plot it using "legacy" settings for viewplort representation in the plot command. I've also had success with that if I didn't need hidden lines in an ortho viewport ... I set my VIEWRES to 1 or 2 thousand, and my FACETRES to 2, but this is all really a subject for a different post !

Good luck and post back with results ?

-C.

 

[itsmoked]

Thanks a bunch for that info cfee. I still haven't settled on a solution.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com