CAD for laser Cutting etc..?

[Suffolk Dave]

Picking up from the topic started on SimonD's workshop thread...

Can anyone suggest a CAD system that could be used for producing files for laser cutting and more general model railway use?

But hopefully not one that costs around two-grand per year!

Many thanks...


Dave C

 

[adrian]

There will be lots of suggestions, the differences will be minor and down to personal preferences. Any being a good place to start.

As @JimG suggested nanoCad is a good system

nanoCAD Free - Free 2D/3D CAD Software

Personally I used QCAD, still free and highly capable, nanoCAD is a Windows only based application and I wanted something that worked equally well on Apple Macbook Air and a Linux machine. The macOS version supports Intel chipped and M1/2/3 chipped MacBooks.

QCAD - QCAD: 2D CAD

QCAD is a free, open source 2D CAD system for Windows, Linux and Mac.

www.qcad.org

 

[John_B]

I haven't got very far yet, but have been using Inkscape for 2D drawing. I've got Lightburn for controlling my laser which should be good enough for some drawing too. What do you mean by "more general model railway use"? Are you thinking of 3D printing etc. in the future?

My problem is that I've got all the toys, a diode laser, resin and filament 3D printers, CNC router, and a Silhouette Portrait, so ideally need software that I can use with all of them, when I eventually get them all set up and working properly! I've been dabbling in OpenSCAD and Blender for 3D design, and since buying the CNC router I've been trying FreeCAD that should be OK for multimedia models with a mix of 2D, 2.5D and 3D. As a Windows hating Linux user, some software isn't available that can complicate things a bit (although I do run Windows in a VM when I'm really desperate!).

 

[ChrisBr]

Another vote for QCad from me for 2D work and OnShape for 3D, both free and I find easy to use.

chris

 

[adrian]

although I do run Windows in a VM when I'm really desperate!

Similar - on my Linux machine the windows VM is only installed so I can run Templot. It's not used for anything else.

 

[John_B]

Similar - on my Linux machine the windows VM is only installed so I can run Templot. It's not used for anything else.

I use it for SCARM, and 3D Builder for fixing STL files. Templot is installed for some future use, and there's some accounts software too!

 

[Andrew Taylor]

I use Onshape for 3D modelling, which is free and requires no installation or special hardware ( although all documents are public )
For 2D, I find Solid Edge 2D drafting very capable. It is free for personal use.

Both of these are professional grade software.

 

[adrian]

3D Builder for fixing STL files

I tried to install 3D Builder following Martin Wynne's suggestion for the Templot plug track, however the VM just sat there claiming it was downloading but resolutely stuck on 0% progress. So I resorted to the online repair tool. Did you have any problems installing it?

 

[John_B]

I tried to install 3D Builder following Martin Wynne's suggestion for the Templot plug track, however the VM just sat there claiming it was downloading but resolutely stuck on 0% progress. So I resorted to the online repair tool. Did you have any problems installing it?

Apart from the psychological damage caused by using Windows, I don't remember having a problem installing it! I'm actually wondering if I did install it. Is it installed by default in Windows 10?

I haven't always been a Windows hater. I've been using it since Windows 2, and earned my living using it for years. It's just since XP things that have been going downhill, and Linux Mint is so much better!

 

[simond]

I have Solidworks at work, and can remote-in to use it at home, and that is my #1 go-to for any solid modelling. I’ve had TurboCAD for many years (V12 originally!) and upgraded to V20 when we installed SW at work, and the licences were therefore going begging.

TurboCAD will do 3D but I never worked out how…. I use it exclusively for 2D, and for wiring diagrams. My loco shed and some other bits and pieces on PD are laser cut (by me - the sand house was from Phil, and the Water Tower / Coal hole was another kit - Timber Tracks maybe). As noted, I use Lightburn to control the laser, which has a Smoothieboard controller.

I also have a cheapo Chinese 3-axis milling machine, which runs on GRBL, and I’ve used DWG2DXF to generate toolpaths for this successfully.

 

[Suffolk Dave]

Thanks for the advice here guys, it's much appreciated.

I am a Mac user so will check out the QCAD. That said I also have a rather cheap and under powered laptop I acquired for playing with Templot, so I could give nanoCAD a whirl too.

As for 3D CAD well, I wouldn't rule it out, but let me get my head around the 2D world before I explore the Z axis...

I am not naturally inclined towards IT - if it's still called that. I see it more as a necessary hurdle to get over to achieve something else and tend not to embrace it for its own sake. This means the advice of others and all those Youtube tutorials have been a great help over the years.

 

[BrushType4]

Thanks for the advice here guys, it's much appreciated.

I am a Mac user so will check out the QCAD. That said I also have a rather cheap and under powered laptop I acquired for playing with Templot, so I could give nanoCAD a whirl too.

As for 3D CAD well, I wouldn't rule it out, but let me get my head around the 2D world before I explore the Z axis...

I am not naturally inclined towards IT - if it's still called that. I see it more as a necessary hurdle to get over to achieve something else and tend not to embrace it for its own sake. This means the advice of others and all those Youtube tutorials have been a great help over the years.

I use Qcad and would recommend it. Also I use old MacBooks to run it and it works great.

You can’t be a million miles away, drop in to the workshop and I’ll give you a quick overview.

 

[Suffolk Dave]

I use Qcad and would recommend it. Also I use old MacBooks to run it and it works great.

You can’t be a million miles away, drop in to the workshop and I’ll give you a quick overview.

I'm near Woodbridge and that sounds like an offer I can't refuse!

And it's good to hear Qcad runs on older Mac gear.