affordable CAD software

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

I'm looking for something affordable in the line of CAD software. I do not expect to be doing a lot of CAD work, but I want to control my own stuff. I'm working on a project that will require some fairly serious work (I'm designing some new transmission parts). I may do some other stuff later. I need to be able to pass my drawings along to a CNC machining company, and possibly a couple of other places. Any suggestions?

[MiloMorai]

What do you mean by affordable.

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

I just can't spend a thousand bucks now. What price ranges would you suggest I consider?

[2bighorn]

In world of CAD affordable start at $4-5k unless you're looking for 2d drafting apps...

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

In world of CAD affordable start at $4-5k unless you're looking for 2d drafting apps...

It's really that high huh? I will have to do some serious looking, and may just do it the old fashioned way, by hand with paper and pencil. Those old drafting classes might just pay off.

[trax1]

You can try this site, it seems to have some free CAD software.

http://www.freebyte.com/cad/cad.htm

[Chalenge]

You dont want to go the cheap path. I have been doing CAD work for a long long time and cheap is never cheap in the long run. I lean toward Autodesk (Inventor) but these days Solidworks is catching on also. Ask your CNC people what they suggest.

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

You dont want to go the cheap path. I have been doing CAD work for a long long time and cheap is never cheap in the long run. I lean toward Autodesk (Inventor) but these days Solidworks is catching on also. Ask your CNC people what they suggest.

Oh, I'm not interested in CHEAP, just affordable. I do not need the ultimate software, with every bell and whistle, for someone who does tons of work with it. I need to do a 1/2 dozen or so pieces that are not horribly complex, at least thats the first project, and there may not be another. A shaft, two drums, a planetary carrier, and two hubs. None are complete "from scratch" pieces, but rather adaptations.

[Chalenge]

I see things from a ROI perspective and I believe your best solution would be to paper draft first and then pay a draftsman to CAD the work. Most good draftsmen will charge between three and four-hundred an hour when moonlighting so having everything calculated ahead of time is in your best interest. Otherwise the cost is going to climb way above your typical transmission (unless you are talking about racing or heavy transport requirements).

I would charge you the price of the software just to get involved and that would only cover up to six hours drafting time (so that leaves me out). Also you should be advised ahead of time it takes a minimum of three months of full-day drafting just to get a rudimentary understanding of CAD and at the level of mechanical proficiency to develop transmission parts a year as an intern would barely get you prepared (I dont care if you HAVE drafted on paper previously).

Do yourself a favor and talk to the CNC guys. They usually know a good draftsman in the area.

[Stringer]

What about SolidWorks?  I'm not sure about the cost....

[eagl]

This is free and it supposedly supports the major formats.

http://brlcad.org/d/about

The site says it was developed over 20 years for military use and is released under various open source licenses.

[Scherf]

What to the guys who will be doing the machining say?

(Sorry if I'm putting my foot in my mouth here. Just an ongoing allergic reaction to a bad experience I once had.)

[eagl]

What to the guys who will be doing the machining say?

(Sorry if I'm putting my foot in my mouth here. Just an ongoing allergic reaction to a bad experience I once had.)

Good point...  If it won't export in a usable (reliable and accurate) format, then it is a waste of time no matter what it costs.

[Chalenge]

This is free and it supposedly supports the major formats.

http://brlcad.org/d/about

The site says it was developed over 20 years for military use and is released under various open source licenses.

The problem is in converting to CNC formats the layering system expected will require the CAD operator is expert in both versions. I have done this for a living for a very very long time and he is better off talking to the CNC guys just like I and scherf suggested.

[SIK1]

Cap unfortunately there is no affordable (under $1,000)CAD program that is going to do what you want.

I have been looking into this for more than a year now for my company. There are many programs that don't cost a lot that you can do drawings on but they will not work for the CNC machines, and if they don't import to the NC machines they're pretty much useless. I still do the drawings on velum by hand. At some point it is going to get very difficult to manufacture without CAD. More and more of our vendors are now asking for CAD drawings.
 
Solidworks has been after me to purchase their program and even recently offered a low interest loan for the purchase. I'm still hesitant to invest that kind of money onto a program that I will just barely use. You also have to take into account the capability of the computers you're going to be running the program on.

As has been stated in this thread, do talk to your vendors to see what program they prefer. In the long run it will make it easier. Or they might now someone willing to do the drawings for you at a reasonable cost.