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Does anyone have any experience with cheap/free CAD software for designing draft (but accurate and useful) designs for a house?
I'm not starting a new business, this is a one-time use, but probably will be over a year or so, so I don't mind paying, but not too much.
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You can get DraftSight download for free. It appears they are now trying to upsell you, but when I used it, it was a pretty straight-forward copy of the old AutoCad 2d program. They will require an email address, and will send you 'offers', but for free, it was good for basic use.
You can also use SketchUp. It was a full 3-d package. I believe there is a personal edition for free, that doesn't have the professional features. I never got very used to the way it worked, after having used SolidWorks, but I remember finally figuring out that it could do what I wanted.
Hope these help. There are also probably a ton more freebies out there, but others would have to chime in for reviews on them.
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I've spent the last couple of weeks on FreeCad, available for linux, windows and mac. Don't be scared by the version number (0.17), there's already a few years work in it. -- not by me.
linux version: very stable running on my machine (modern CPU but no graphics card - only the intel chipset graphics) and it's very fast, very responsive ... flicking between drawings, even smoothly does the continuous auto spinning of finished drawings
however I can also report on an older low powered win 7 box it kept throwing up... I think it was that PC though, cobbled up with from memory a not quite right video driver.
there's quite a few utube vids, a forum and even step-by-step tutorials so it's well supported.
previously I never used any CAD software and already 2 weeks in (only doing it in spare time) I can get by.
Apparently (from comments) if you know AutoCAD it's really easy to use and has very has alike capabilities.
Me: been playing around designing a new PC case, that involved drawing a mobo with precisely located mounting holes, plug locations, CPU cooler, back-plate...) as well as separate PSU, SSD's, fans and even the hex standoffs
- now putting it all together (will build the case around the bits - next lesson)
- not sure on how to draw cabling between items, that'll be my next next lesson.
Link: FreeCAD: Your Own 3D Parametric Modeler[^]
or if you don't like clickable links: www.freecadweb.org
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I have used Sketchup free version for a while. It is excellent for 2d and 3d house design and I have used it for that. When I started getting involved with cnc I found many limitations in the free version such as exporting and importing files in different formats which could only be done with the paid version. I looked at Freecad but for me the learning curve was very steep. I was told about Autocad Fusion 360 Cloud Powered 3D CAD/CAM Software for Product Design | Fusion 360[^] and found the licencing for non-commercial use very generous. I am now working with Fusion 360 for furniture design and have found the support and tutorials excellent (particularly Lars Christensen). Google[^]
Fusion 360 can certainly be used for house design and that would be my recommendation.
Peter Wasser
"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell
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Dammit! I lost an electron – you really gotta keep an ion them.
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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I know the feeling. It is always the quarky ones that get away!
"If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going"
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At least you have the chance to be positive about it! 
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
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The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
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Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.
Mark Twain
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look up... just like kids when they get too exited they move to another level
Message Signature
(Click to edit ->)
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Shocking
I may not be that good looking, or athletic, or funny, or talented, or smart
I forgot where I was going with this but I do know I love bacon!
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Damnit! I lost an elector - Theresa said.
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I don't get it - what's the attraction?
/ravi
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Probably the uncertainty of it all.
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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I ν you'd say that.
/ravi
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There there. No need to get all charged up over it.
Socialism is the Axe Body Spray of political ideologies: It never does what it claims to do, but people too young to know better keep buying it anyway. (Glenn Reynolds)
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Don't be jumpy about those electrons or you'll end up losing a photon too 
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Yup, you've got to lock up those radicals, and never set them free.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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You're going have to keep them under survalence.
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment
"Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst
"I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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What, I am first to wish this upon you all?
A few things to be thankful for:
Code Project
wife (don't tell her she's second on this list  )
friends
cats
employment (new job starts in a week and half! ![Jig | [Dance]](https://codeproject.freetls.fastly.net/script/Forums/Images/jig.gif) )
life
health
Latest Article - A Concise Overview of Threads
Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny
Artificial intelligence is the only remedy for natural stupidity. - CDP1802
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Marc Clifton wrote: life
I'll bet there are prisons where people don't give thanks for that.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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I think he meant the magazine 
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Happy thanksgiving as well.
I am blessed this year with many things also; love, life, health and of course CP!
I may not be that good looking, or athletic, or funny, or talented, or smart
I forgot where I was going with this but I do know I love bacon!
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Seems you may have reversed that list.
Happy food coma to you as well.
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I need to talk to a UK Government department, so I have to create an account - despite my having an account with several other departments already (connected government, don't you just love it?)
so I give my email address, I move to the password box ... and Chrome automatically creates a random string password and suggest I can use that if I want, it will remember it for me so I don't have to.
Now, that's clever. Encouraging the use of string passwords and "not writing them down on a post it". And since this is Chrome, it'll almost certainly work automatically on the WookieTab as well ... 
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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