sticktickler

I’ve read about and understand all the confusion with the software Auto Cad. Its many features can be very complex and time consuming to learn. Some would like to try some model designing but come to find this software much too difficult to master. I have enjoyed the simplicity of Corel Draw being in the sign business for several years a simple but limited design software. There are numerous Cad programs available for our needs as arm chair model aircraft designers. I found this one called Delta Cad to be the best one for the following reasons. Firstly it has a very user friendly interface much like Corel Draw but way more useful. Secondly it supports the direct loading and saving of DXF files which are most often used by Auto Cad designers on the web. Thirdly it has a measuring tool that simply lets you click between two points and drops a line with arrows and the exact measurement of that distance on the line. This is a very handy tool I use a lot in my drawings. It provides much needed info to the builder but only takes a few seconds to incorporate into a drawing with Delta Cad. I also like to find drawings online and edit things out of them like engines, servos, control horns, fuel tanks, wheels and hinges. I put them into separate files to incorporate into my own drawings to save time. And thirdly it allows you to scale any drawing to any size you wish. You can also print on your own 81/2 x 11 sheet paper printers complete with registration marks so you can tape them all together for a build plan. I’ve done this many time and it works fine. However you can also save on a disc as DXF file and take it to any local engineering firm or Kinko’s. For a nominal fee most will be happy to print it out on a plotter as one large sheet. Making laser cutting files is not difficult to do with this software but you will need to learn how to plan it out to minimize waste in cutting. For my own one-off models I simply print the parts on my printer and use a spray glue product to glue that paper pattern to the wood and scroll saw cut them out. You can spray glue a stack of wood together for identical parts like ribs or fuselage sides. A heat gun helps to release the parts after cutting just don’t use to much glue. I have provided you the Delta Cad link you may down load a free fully functional time terminated demo however the price to buy a key is reasonable.
http://deltacad.com/
Here is a good source for DXF drawings of many planes enjoy. http://plans.rcmodell.hu/planscal.html
Here is a great source for parts for your RC plane drawings. http://www.tjlewis1.rchomepage.com/h...lans__cad.html

SoCal GliderGuider

If you do a "Print Screen" you can paste the screen capture into a graphics program and save it as a jpg for posting. Should be able to get a free PDF printer such as CutePDF for doing output. I've found it much easier to take a PDF to Kinko's and have it printed out to scale.

sticktickler

My print screen feature does not work as I'm use a triple 19" monitor set up through a triple head system. That is why I took photos of the screens instead thanks for your input however.

Redwulf__34

I've got Delta CAD but can't figure it out! Are their any good tutorials around? The help tuturial is not great. It assumes you know something about CAD software. I am starting from a knowledge of 0. I'm having the biggest problem of moving and combining parts pieces etc. I just can't figure it out.

dreadnaut

My Feedback: (5)

In AutoCAD type ''di'' (or dist-either one works) enter, and pick two points. It gives you the absolute distance, plus the delta x, delta y, and delta z values.

For a line with arrows, use dimension, This is more involved in that it requires careful setup to work properly.

sticktickler

Hey Redwulf,
Do you have Yahoo Mesenger? If so add me to your list rcflyboy01 then we can walk through it together and you can learn something.

Redwulf__34

Sticktickler,
I don't have Yahoo Messenger. But I sure would like to learn something! Is there anything out there that is more simple? I have used KeyCad for years. The downside to KeyCad is it won't read DXF or DWG. I could use something for my work that would read and edit these. Can also find model uses.

Redwulf

sticktickler

Corel Draw is very good but with a little time Delta Cad is better I'll help you with it if you like. Tell me what you are trying to do with it and the troubles you are having give me details.

dreadnaut

My Feedback: (5)

I just downloaded the demo and gave it a five minute test drive. It isn't AutoCAD, but it isn't $4k either. It seems to be well worth the price.

I have some questions for sticktickler. I did not find the ''ortho-mode'', is this a feature? You can enter points by mouse, or absolute x.y coordinates. Is there a way to enter relative coords?

I was unable to ''grip edit''. This is a very useful, and easy to use, ACAD function. It was agrivating to get it to work in DesignCAD. I was unable to get it to work in DelCAD, but again. I was on for all of five minutes.

sticktickler

I have some questions for sticktickler. I did not find the ''ortho-mode'', is this a feature? You can enter points by mouse, or absolute x.y coordinates. Is there a way to enter relative coords?


No ortho mode by name but you can enter points by x.y or simple mouse clicks. Simply click the above line tool and lick to the location you want the line. If you want a circle or rectangle it’s done the same way. I like to use the keyboard commands to get around zoom in-out is ctrl page up-down left-right is ctrl left-right arrow pad. Its really easy to use just look at the menu tools they all do as they say point and click just too easy! To scale a drawing select it by drawing a marquee around it with the select button. Then push the Sc button and enter 0.9 to make smaller just keep hitting enter and watch it get smaller entering 1.1 will make it get bigger. Use the measure tool and measure a known item in the drawing and see if it’s true to the scale you want.

Redwulf__34

Stickler
Here is what would get me going for the moment. I am in the window business and I can get DWG files of sections from a disc. I need to take a window section and a trim section and put the trim on the window. I can't figure out how to place them. I know to select and move but I have no control over where it goes.......

Redwulf

dreadnaut

My Feedback: (5)

O.K. I have spent some more time on it. I use, and have AutoCAD. This is no replacement. The one thing I did find that was better that ACAD was its basic BASIC macro editor.

One thing that would make this, and other, economical CAD programs better is to get away from the notion that the user interface HAS to be totaly different from ACAD. Example: in ACAD the wheel on the mouse is used to zoom. Place the cursor over the part you want to zoom in on, and roll the wheel back. Roll forward to zoom out. Push down on the wheel and pan with the mouse. In DelCAD the wheel only scrolls the screen up and down like word etc.

Autodesk, to the best of my knowlege, may copyright the source code behind this, but probably cannot copyright the basic idea behind it. Another one is the grip edit function, and what I call vector entry (drawing a line by picking a point, then pointing in the direction you want it to go, and entering a length)

Imagine making a movie. You can copyright the script, but cannot copyright the fact that it has a car chase. DelCAD cannot afford Robert DeNiro, so they get Dirk Hudson. Fine. You can still cut to the chase.

Overall I highly recommend it for amatures.

lawsonaero

this has always bugged me because it is backwards! every other cad program that I can recall, even autodesk's own 3d modeler, uses scroll back to zoom out, scroll in to zoom in. there's an arx file floating around that'll reverse it.

I liked that you pointed this out. for the most part, interface concepts can't be patented (but sometimes they are, I think some cell phone companies have patented things like push-to-talk and other stuff). but some things fall under obvious and standard - it would be like one elevator company holding a copyright on using numbered buttons to choose a floor.

-b

dreadnaut

My Feedback: (5)

I got Inventor after I got ACAD 2000 and learned the wheel mouse thing. To me, Inventor and Solidworks are backwards. I guess its a matter of how you first learned to do it.

RookiePilot

Pro Engineer also uses the wheel to pan and zoom. Same with Solidworks. I do Pro Engineer and Autocad at work. They were kind enough to let me install it at home as well.

BMatthews

That zooming off the wheel is something that I missed right away too. TurboCAD has the zoom wheel and it's a wonder tool. On the whole a lot of the program should be able to be run from natural or minimal commands as practical. TurboCAD does this far better than DeltaCAD from what I saw of the demo. The other kiss of death for DC is the very limited repetoire of snaps. Snaps are pretty much the life's blood of any CAD program. If they aren't easy to use or are not there then you're hamstrung before you even get started.

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

I downloaded the trial software. Attempted to open up some drawing files which were done in Autocad. The very simple ones it would open up. It also converted my of the multi-font text into one basic style. When it came time to open up more complicated drawings, all that I saw was blank. It apparently does not understand XREF, blocks, nor paper space. Items which are used most every day here.

My complaints:

1. It don't understand fonts other than some singular basic SHX type.
2. It does not seem to understand inserted blocks.
3. It does not seem to understand XREF'd drawings.
4. It does not seem to understand Paper Space drawings.
5. It appears that pen plotters are not supported, unless they are of specific brand with certain driver that works within Windows. Many-many professional grade high speed plotters are thus excluded.

I did not play with the other features too much. In other non-compatible CAD systems, 'least they give a warning that some feature will not work, because the software does not understand. If it is truly 1980's softare, there ought to also be within the HELP function an explaination of Non-supported features.

I use these functions everyday in creating model A/C plans and parts. They were inherent to Acad since 1988. Thus I must assume that this version will be equavalent in features to the Acad version of 1986. In about 1990 I purchased some five disk software at swapmeet which had about same exact features for $12.




Wm.

sticktickler

Guys definitely there is better cad software available for our drawing needs. However my endorsement of Delta Cad with regard to cost and ease of use still makes it second to none. My goal was to try and find a user friendly interface low cost alternative to the more expensive and rather complex cad software like AUTO CAD. I come from the days of drawing tables t-squares and French curves so drawing with any of these cad tools for me is a real treat. If you want to make great looking airplane plans or simply change some older DXF files you find on the web then Delta Cad is a great choice. Any other comparison beyond that (cost and ease of use) is beyond the point of this thread. Now in an effort to help our fledgling designers lets continue with that mission. Please post any reviews and links to any low cost easy to use cad software so they can all give it a try thanks.

Redwulf__34

I'm still trying to figure out how to move objects and determine where they end up.

sticktickler

The real beauty of the program is its mouse use rather then entering data to move on a grid. To move any item simply select it now drag the item anyplace on the screen and click to drop could not be easier. You can drop and redrop as many times as you please so as to put right where you want it. Now if you want a copy of the item push copy along with move then it leaves a copy of the item. Now you can zoom in very close to put the item right where you want it in the drawing. Use ctrl page up or down to zoom in or out and ctrl left-right arrows to move left and right easy.

Redwulf__34

They dont seem to drag for me. I get this huge square with an x. They don't move when I drag them. I know how to select the object............I think...........but I cant drag them and place them.

sticktickler

The item is contained within that boxed X now drag it to where you want it and click notice its still stays red. As long as it remains red you can keep clicking to get the item right where you want it. But zoom so you can place it in the spot you need it.

sticktickler

Did that help you Redwulf?

Redwulf__34

I'll give it a try. The software is loaded at my office. I'll try it Monday. My problem was I never knew where it was going to go when I clicked it. It didnt seem consistent. I would have thought it would go where the X was. BUt that isn't the case. It seems to go wherever. ??

dreadnaut

My Feedback: (5)

Realistacly, this feature is not really necissary in a $50 program. We often have to bind the xrefs on drawings we send to sub-contractors because their drafting people do not understand them either.

Neither do a lot of people who use ACAD. I find it hard to live without, but a large number of ACAD users plot only from model space.

I had a problem with the Angled Dimension function. You are prompted to pick two points, then enter an angle. ACAD's Aligned Dimension feature automaticaly determines the angle from the two points picked. This does create a problem if you are trying to dimension across a span of two ore more parallel lines that are offset. My work around for this is to set a new UCS with x' in the direction I want the dim to align. This is not an option with DCAD. Sisnce it is a 2d program it does not have, or even need, the ability to set user defined coordinate systems. Since this is seems to be someting of a beta, it is something that may get a simple fix.