Sketching software question

[mc02076]

Greetings,
I am looking for a program that I can use for quick 2D sketching much like the sketching mode of all commercial 3D CAD software (constraints,parametric design,mirror etc etc) and export them to JPGs or BMPs.
Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

 

[MiketheEngineer]

You might try Sketchup - free trial copy at Google. I think it is more of a 3D program but surely could be used in 2D.

Or buy an older version of TurboCad - practically free on e-bay. VERY easy to learn and use. Version 11.1 is great and can export any drawing to almost any known format.

 

[MikeHalloran]

There was a program like that, maybe ten years ago. I forget the name. It had parametrics and constraints... and most users found it a pita to use as a result. It was pretty high priced for what it did. I think it either vanished or morphed into something else.




Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[mc02076]

Thank you both.Actually I came across a program called SolidEdge from UGS today that is 100% what I was looking for plus its freeware

 

[TheTick]

SolidEdge is freeware? News to me.

 

[mc02076]

sorry,I should have mentioned this.The program is called "SolidEdge 2D drafting" and THAT is freeware.The actual program is not free.

 

[IRstuff]

I think that Mike is referring to SmartSketch, which was bundled for a time with Mathcad. It had parametric entry that could be connected with Mathcad, which could either read values or set values in the drawing.

Unfortunately, it's pretty pricy:

http://www.intergraph.com/products/ppm/smartsketch/

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[MikeHalloran]

No, I don't think it was SmartSketch; I think it had a Compu-zoomy name. It _sounded_ like a great idea. One of my friends bought it, used it for a while, and came to not like it particularly.

I tried it a little, and the thing that was annoying about it was that the constraints were instantly active, and couldn't be ignored even temporarily.

That may not clearly describe what was so aggravating about it; perhaps an analogy will do. There was at roughly the same time a 'syntax- directed editor' for some computer language... which also sounded like a good idea. I.e., it wouildn't let you produce a line of code that wasn't conformant with the language's syntax.

The problem was that, once you entered a line of code, and before you pressed 'enter', you'd get a warning that it was wrong. Fine and dandy. So you would then attempt to edit the line in place in order to correct the syntax. Okay, _but_ the editor wouldn't let you produce a line with bad syntax, even while you were attempting to correct the syntax of the line you just entered.

Back to sketching... I can contrast that with the sketch feature in Solidworks, which allows you to sketch something pretty much freehand, with approximate dimensions... and then go ahead and build a 3D feature from the sketch without bothering to tie down the actual dimensions of the sketch, say by dimensioning it, or by saying 'fix' or 'accept' or whatever. I.e. the SW sketcher doesn't get in the way of the flow of ideas.. whereas with that ancient aggravating product, whose name I will recall when it no longer matters, you spent all your time dancing with the constraint engine instead of thinking about what you were actually trying to represent.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[sdz]

You could try Voloview. You will need a base blank drawing in .dwg or .dwf format but it works well as a sketch tool and it's free. You can also export to .dxf.

Autodesk have retired Voloview but I find its successor, Design Review, not worth what it costs; and its free too.

 

[mcgyvr]

How about a free parametric 3d program

http://labs.autodesk.com/technologies/inventor_lt/

Autodesk Inventor Lt (free for 1 year), then they typically release a new version which is probably going to be free again.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Take your pick

http://www.freebyte.com/cad/cad.htm#2D3DCADSystems

 

[Metalfixer]

Browser CAD.

http://draw.labs.autodesk.com/

 

[KENAT]

The Tick - 2D version of Solid Edge is free, they're trying to woo autocad users.

KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of faq731-376 recently, or taken a look at posting policies:

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?