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Guest · Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2005 4:10 pm Post subject: Easiest CAD Program?

Looking for easiest version for windows 2000xp. I am trying to make new
Pinball Playfields with the help of CNC Router. Autocad 2006 looks
extremely hard for a beginner. Anyone who knows pinball, there are alot
of light lenses to be entered. Any help would be great.

clintonG · Guest

I've been using CAD for 20 years. All of the CAD programs that draw vector
graphics require a fairly steep learning curve. Which is easiest is always a
matter of previous skill or one's ability to adapt to learning new skills.

Since you're a DYI drafter I would suggest you try one of the really
inexpensive programs such as TurboCAD [1] as a learning tool. That way you
spend very little money on a program that can be used successfully for a
goal such as drafting pinball playfields.

No matter which program you use, you'll create one or more 'light lenses' as
needed by their different types and copy and paste everywhere they are
needed. I know TurboCAD can be used to output data used with a CNC Router.

google: turbocad cnc router

My experience is architectural though. Hopefully somebody with CNC specific
experience will show up to agree or suggest a better low cost alternative
but again, all CAD programs have a fairly steep learning curve for those not
familiar with CAD and nobody can tell you what will be easy for you to learn
which is why I suggest going to the lowest cost and working your way back up
if needed.

<%= Clinton Gallagher
METROmilwaukee (sm) "A Regional Information Service"
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://metromilwaukee.com/
URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/

[1] http://www.turbocad.com/

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CW · Guest

Deltacad would be more than adiquate for yuor needs. It is rather easy to
learn and has a price tag of about $40.00. The lowest end version of
Turbocad would be able to do all you need and is priced about the same.
Don't bother looking on thier website for this version, it is only available
in stores.

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Cam J · Guest

Concepts 2D would have to be one of the easiest and best value around at the
moment for 2d stuff.

http://www.csi-concepts.com

I use Autocad, Ashlar-Vellum and Solidworks. Autocad would be at the bottom
of my list for ease of use and function out of the box..

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clintonG · Guest

I don't know the cost of Ashlar's Vellum these days but it pioneered
'tracking' which is an extremely useful drafting productivity feature that I
observed Autodesk 'borrowed' and now uses in their products. I used Vellum
briefly many years ago and would also put a word in for using Vellum as well
as TurboCAD.

If it were a tie between the two I would start thinking about end user and
3rd party support for scripts and drawing libraries and so on to break the
tie.

But as usual we're all talking to ourselves as it looks like the OP took the
weekend off and many times theu never return %-(

<%= Clinton Gallagher

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Guest · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:10 am Post subject: Re: Easiest CAD Program?

Thanks guys for the advice, the pinball guys are saying to use any
version of cad, save drawing to parts wizard. I will look at the low
cost stuff first, most pinballs use same cutouts, light lenses, target
banks, etc. So once I save these, I hope that I can drag & place.

clintonG · Guest

Good to see you back...

Any of these CAD programs can be used to draft a part and save it to a
library of similar parts. Then all you do is paste a copy of the part into
the drawing wherever you need it. You might want to think ahead a little bit
too because clients have a way of making changes after the project is
already started.

I would choose a program that also supports 3D and draw the parts in 3D even
though it seems to you that 2D is all you need. Trust me on this... once you
spent the money to get a CAD program that may only do 2D and after you are
2/3s of the way finsihed drafting 2D parts then the client will get this
brilliant idea and ask you to do the parts in 3D so they can be rendered
into pretty pictures.

So it sounds like you are doing contract drafting. Be sure you don't burn
yourself by forgetting to include a clause in your agreement that pays you
extra for any 2D work that the client wants converted to 3D at some point in
time. Its easy for them to tell you to use any version of CAD. Unless they
really know what they are talking about -- which most don't -- they will
pull this sh!t on you so be prepared if this is how it is going down.

<%= Clinton Gallagher
METROmilwaukee (sm) "A Regional Information Service"
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://metromilwaukee.com/
URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/

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