Hi

I know nothing abut cad but would like to start designing some stuff the only experience i have it with illustrator which is completely different. i don't want to spend 1000$ on a cad program what could you guys recommended? I would like to be able to make wings fuses and other various things both foam wings and built up..

please suggest a simple/cheap cad program that works on vista.

Thank you

Steven

Run a search for "beginner cad" within this forum. It's a common topic and you'll get a lot of useful info.

As for cost I doubt you'll beat the non current versions of TurboCAD selling on Ebay for typically $20 to $25 delivered to you. Look for versions from 9 up to 12. Any of these will easily serve your needs for years to come. However be sure to go for the Deluxe version and not the Designer version. Designer is very limited in a lot of file formats it'll handle and isn't worth your time.

Try an internet search for "Profili2". There are numerous airfoils that you can modify with leading edges, trailing edges, spars, etc. There is also an advertisement for Decv Cad on the Profili home page. You can down load the learning addition for free.

Bruce is right. TurboCAD is great. I got version 12 for 25 bucks brand new sealed in the box and shipped to me from eBay. I registerd on the company site and was able to update to version 12.5 for free. Ive used several different applications and this seems to be the best value by far... For wings, I really like useing CompuFoil. You can download a trial version from their site... www.compufoil.com. You can get a trial version of TurboCAD (version 14) for their site too... Version 12 isnt too much different from 14 and should give you an idea of what its like before you drop some money on anything...

Your only gonna hear Turbocad a hundred times. Anything from 11.2 up works on modern computers but I used a version 10 demo on my current machine. Just make sure it isn't "designer" or any of that home building junk. I have 11.2 deluxe and it does anything I need it to, and it only cost me $11.99 or something on ebay. Theres literal truck loads of left over CAD software on the streets waiting to be sold on ebay, so don't buy the latest thing if you want to save some dough.

I agree that TurboCAD probably has the most bang for the buck. Since you are totally new to CAD you can download the free learning edition to play with before purchasing a newer edition. Not sure if it works on Vista so I would be curious to know if it does and it is free to try. Profili2 is also needed for the airfoils. A limited edition is free and you can export airfoils to use in TurboCAD.

The free TurboCAD LE has been more difficult to find so I put it on my site for download. Try it for free. Upgrade for very little later if CAD is your thing. If you try it let me know if it works on Vista.
http://www.mikesrc.us/tcad_le_setup_files.zip

One of the biggels selling points of T-CAD is that SOOO many people in this forum use it, and will help you with it. I work with $$CAD for a living and can help you with it.(AutoCAD)

Hey Dreadnaught, what are the main difference between AutoCad and Turbo Cad? I'm assuming that AutoCad is more for architectural design with templates etc? I have an older version of AutoCad available to me but know absolutely nothing about CAD. It's free, I would have to pay a whole $12.00 on Ebay for Turbo Cad. Will I be able to learn AutoCad with a little help from a local friend? Or is Turbo Cad that much easier I should splurge for the $12.00 and go to Turbo Cad?

Sean

If your a 'student' or a teacher, you can get Solidworks for a couple of hundred dollars.....just a thought?

http://www.solidworks.com/pages/prod...mpusstore.html

But you need to prove its for academic purposes only

I really can't help with TurboCAD. I have been using AutoCAD since 1990, starting with v10. I have only seen demos of TurboCAD and it seems to have many of the capabilities of AutoCAD. I went to work fo a guy who was using DesignCAD (gag)

I own a copy of ACAD 2000, and the place I currently work uses 2002. You do not need the latest and greatest ACAD to do really cool stuff. ACAD 2000 had some real improvements ofer v14. All new releases since have had ''improvements'' that improved performance about as well as bigger fins improved the performance of cars back in the fifties.

AutoCAD gets dissed bay a lot of people as being difficult to use. It may be that since it is the first one I learned, I find all others hard to learn.

Here are some useful links to threads I have posted some CAD tips in.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_48...tm.htm#5152108

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_58...tm.htm#5882110

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_43...tm.htm#5758973

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_36...tm.htm#6199864

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_62...tm.htm#6274745

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_62...tm.htm#6321993

Another good PM package is Pro-Engineer, and you can get it from Journeyed.com without student ID for $200. You just need to certify that you will not use it commercialy.

EDIT

Redwulf.

About AutoCAD being Template based. Not realy. True, in the buisness world it's market share has shifted away from manufacturing and aerospace toward architecture. What I realy like about it is that it gives you a lot of creative control. I have taught ACAD, and hired CAD people. A lot of people will tell you they are a CAD wiz, and only know about 2% of what ACAD can do. I am really good and use less than half of it.

The point is that as the software has developed, a lot of functionality has been piled on that is not only not very useful, it downright gets in the way. If that old version of ACAD you have access to is v15 (2000) or later, you have all you need. If it is v14, there is still a lot you can do. I would be very surprised if it were an earlier version than that.

I used TurboCAD proffesionally around version 8.2 (professional), and would recommend it for r/c design, even going into 3d, it is fine. It is well setup for doing 2d sketching.

It really boils down to what you want to do, if you want simple 2d sketching , cheaply then , a second hand version of Turbocad is a very good choice if you want to get into 3d solid modelling then , doing this cheaply , is possible, Alibre design have a FREE download at the moment , of an express version of their software , (limited to 10 unique parts in an assembly), but still solid modelling for free. You can upgrade for $125 , I think to take this limit up to 30 parts and get access to further functions.

If you really do have the time to spend and would like some pukka designs , then yes I would go with the Proengineer personal edition (Full capability !!!), for $200 that a complete steal , but hangon a sec with buying it at the moment because I think I'm right in that they are about to bring out a new version (WF4).

Solid works did used to do a personal edition but I think they have stopped that now.

As for the Student and academic versions there is alot available on Jounrney Ed if you can wangle an academic license.

Nick