Good cheap/free CAD program...

[nerd of nerds]

Hey guys!

I was just wondering if anyone knew of a decent free/opensource/cheap CAD program that would work well for designing speaker boxes and such.

Thanks!

[ThomasW]

http://www.sketchup.com/

[Black300zx]

sketchup is a good program for drawing up enclosures and visualising simple stuff, although I prefer Alibre Design Xpress when it come to freeware modeling programs.

http://www.alibre.com/xpress/

If you're a complete beginner to CAD, sketchup might be a bit easier, but if you have any CAD experience at all, Alibre is much much more powerful, and is very simple to use. I actually find Alibre easier to use than sketchup. For whatever reason, I'd have trouble getting it to sketch on the plane I wanted. Alibre is a fairly full featured modeling program with the ability to assemble parts, align them how you want with constraints, ect. Each part you create also has a history tree so you can go back and easily edit any feature you've created on a part. Alibre can also create roundovers and chamfers with a few clicks, and can check for interference between parts, and move parts around within an assembly. I'm not sure if sketchup has those abilities. Alibre also has a very good tutorial that loads when you first open it, and I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend it for a begginer. Either way, both programs will be great for laying out a visualizing boxes. Alibre just will make the boxes look prettier (better shading), and will probably be alot better if you plan on using it for more complex enlcosures with intricate bracing or complex chamfers on the baffle.

Here's a SS of the the enclosures I'm making for my CSS/Dayton bookshelfs:

[nerd of nerds]

sketchup is a good program for drawing up enclosures and visualising simple stuff, although I prefer Alibre Design Xpress when it come to freeware modeling programs.

http://www.alibre.com/xpress/

If you're a complete beginner to CAD, sketchup might be a bit easier, but if you have any CAD experience at all, Alibre is much much more powerful, and is very simple to use. I actually find Alibre easier to use than sketchup. For whatever reason, I'd have trouble getting it to sketch on the plane I wanted. Alibre is a fairly full featured modeling program with the ability to assemble parts, align them how you want with constraints, ect. Each part you create also has a history tree so you can go back and easily edit any feature you've created on a part. Alibre can also create roundovers and chamfers with a few clicks, and can check for interference between parts, and move parts around within an assembly. I'm not sure if sketchup has those abilities. Alibre also has a very good tutorial that loads when you first open it, and I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend it for a begginer. Either way, both programs will be great for laying out a visualizing boxes. Alibre just will make the boxes look prettier (better shading), and will probably be alot better if you plan on using it for more complex enlcosures with intricate bracing or complex chamfers on the baffle.

Here's a SS of the the enclosures I'm making for my CSS/Dayton bookshelfs:

Yeah, i've got plenty of cad experience. I was the best in my class freshmen year in highschool and could make just about anything ^_^

I didn't really like sketchup, its more of a tool for my mom to use and then get pissed off when her dimensions are all messed up.

Alibre, however, is amazing...

I think this needs to be in a sticky because its such a great app

[Black300zx]

Yeah, i've got plenty of cad experience. I was the best in my class freshmen year in highschool and could make just about anything ^_^

I didn't really like sketchup, its more of a tool for my mom to use and then get pissed off when her dimensions are all messed up.

Alibre, however, is amazing...

I think this needs to be in a sticky because its such a great app

Did you just try it out, or have you used it before?

[joecarrow]

I just signed up to download it, and I got a phone call from their sales department within minutes. They seem to really be on the ball with their customer relations, although they're still a fairly small company.

I'm checking it out now and comparing it to Solidworks, which I've used professionally. For most folks here $1200 is probably too steep, but if I start doing independent consulting, it could be just the ticket at 1/3 the cost of Solidworks. I'll report back if I'm impressed.

[nerd of nerds]

I just signed up to download it, and I got a phone call from their sales department within minutes. They seem to really be on the ball with their customer relations, although they're still a fairly small company.

I'm checking it out now and comparing it to Solidworks, which I've used professionally. For most folks here $1200 is probably too steep, but if I start doing independent consulting, it could be just the ticket at 1/3 the cost of Solidworks. I'll report back if I'm impressed.

Haha, i got the same call XD

And no, i've never used it before, but from the tutorials and what i've done with it it seems completely amazing.

[tyler]

I have also downloaded the Alibre software to try it out. I have used AutoCAD so it will be interesting to use this and see how it performs.

[Black300zx]

I have also downloaded the Alibre software to try it out. I have used AutoCAD so it will be interesting to use this and see how it performs.

autoCAD was my first CAD program, and also my first venture into 3d modelling/rendering. What would take me an hour to model in autoCAD (only to wind up with a crappy looking rendering) takes ~5 minutes in Alibre, and looks alot better.

[joecarrow]

At first glance, I was able to figure out extrusions, revolves, some sketching, and creating 2D drawings from 3D parts. It's not quite the same as Solidworks, but it seems that it will serve well enough for things like detailed cabinet modeling.

Some issues I had with it include the unfamiliar view rotation. I'm used to holding down the mouse wheel to rotate the view, whereas this program requires you to hold down both mouse buttons to rotate the view. Another issue I ran into was display quality. After a 3D section view was applied, one of the faces would pop back into view occasionally when I wasn't expecting it. There's no functional problem from that, but display issues always make me feel slightly uneasy. You never know when whatever you're designing is going to get complicated enough that the display needs to be rock solid to let you know you've got it right.

Incidentally, I didn't run into any trouble printing to PDF via CutePDF. This software looks highly viable for modeling, documenting, and visualizing DIY and independent consulting work. If I decide to start doing independent design gigs, I would be dumb not to consider buying a copy of this instead of Solidworks.

It's not as pretty as Solidworks, and I'm not sure if the workflow is as good- but so much of the design process happens outside of the CAD world that I'm less and less sure that super-efficient CAD modeling is worth a price premium. This seems to get the job done, and really does bear comparison to Solidworks and Wildfire.

I'm glad you mentioned it, Black300zx (how do you pronounce that?)- I hadn't thought of these guys for quite some time.

[Black300zx]

I'm glad you mentioned it, Black300zx (how do you pronounce that?)- I hadn't thought of these guys for quite some time.

No problem Someone reccomended it to me last summer, I downloaded it, but never got around to playing with it. I re-loaded it the other day, and I'm loving it.

As for my username, it's Black 300zx (my car - '90 nissan 300zx). I use it on just about every forum I visit.

[cameronthorne]

Sorry to bring this back from the dead. I've used Sketchup a bit, and will continue to, but I do get a bit frustrated with alignment and such. I'll give Alibre Design Xpress a whirl for 3D.

In the mean time, what about 2D CAD? What is a good free program for doing 2D drawings, such as MDF cut sheets and whatnot else?

-- Cameron

[tyler]

Sorry to bring this back from the dead. I've used Sketchup a bit, and will continue to, but I do get a bit frustrated with alignment and such. I'll give Alibre Design Xpress a whirl for 3D.

In the mean time, what about 2D CAD? What is a good free program for doing 2D drawings, such as MDF cut sheets and whatnot else?

-- Cameron

You can also create 2D designs in Alibre design. :T