Free 3d CAD

[tenaja]

For those who would like an affordable 3d drafting program, I'm an Alibre Design fan. It is capable of drawing anything that SolidWorks or Inventor can, and it's easy to use.

Click here for a free 30 day Alibre trial, if you'd like.
http://www.alibre.com/register/referral ... ode=EDNGIA
I'm just a happy customer...no affiliation...if you buy, I just get a month of license extention. I'm just posting this for those who are curious...not for the insignificant benefit.

Alibre Xpress, free, no time limit:
https://www.alibre.com/Xpress/Register/ ... InfoX.aspx

This page shows what the free Xpress version is capable of:
https://www.alibre.com/xpress/events/co ... inners.asp

[KWiKSand]

I agree Albre is a great deal,... I had suggested to Gene to get it back when he was playing with all his suspension stuff.

I have only played with it a little myself, but I don't think I agree that it has all the same abilitys that Inventor and SolidWorks do, but for the price it does a good job.

[tenaja]

The more expensive programs have a few features that simplify a few actions...but Alibre has a "bet" going that you can't make any part in SolidWorks that cannot be made with Alibre Design. Nobody has been able to come up with one.

[KWiKSand]

The last think I want to do is get into a my cad is better than your cad argument. :P :lol:

For the price-point I don't think you can beat Alibre.

I know of their "bet"...... I have my opinions, but I will keep that quiet. What I will say though, is that making a part or shape is usually only a small part of the battle. How easy it is to get there and how easy it is to change something, and how easy it is to document it mean a lot more IMO.

Do you want to use a CNC or a manual Knee mill to make 10,000 parts

Again, I am not saying it isn't a good product. I think it is great, and no doubt some of the stuff they have done have affected Inventor and SW. That is good for the consumer of all the products.

[tenaja]

I don't have much time with sw or inventor. I have used Pro/E quite a bit--but it has been a few years--and I can tell you...Alibre is faster...

One nice thing about Alibre is that it is designed to work with gaming video cards, rather than the high end cards that "the big guys" use. That means it will better relative performance with a cheaper system. It was, afterall, designed to have lower cost of ownership.

Sure, if it'd been somebody elses $5g to burn, I probably wouldn't have gotten Alibre--I would have gotten something more popular. But it is a bargain. What got me searching for an alternative was the SolidWorks salesman in my area. When I called him to ask what the price was, I told him I had a free version of SolidWorks that I'd never used. I told him I was thinking it was time to start using it, so I was gearing up to buy. Apparently, he turned the lawyers on me, because I got a nasty letter two weeks later. I was mistaken with my statement, though--the free software on my PC was SolidEdge, and yes, it was a legal license, but that threatening letter made me ensure I never have SolidWorks on any of my PC's, ever. I'm not into pirating software, but even moreso, I'm not into companies who treat potential customers like this.

[GaffSD]

I just got Alibre, and upgraded... I'm already hooked!

Here is a quick (and rough) assembly I did. It is the housing for my "spool" type center section I wrote about in the drivetrain section...

[url=http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2817398350086613863UflavC:3k8dfjae][/url:3k8dfjae]

This is the 2.5" DOM tubing, machined out to accept the 2.25x1.25" bearings and splined shaft.

[url=http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2913470520086613863EmdhAw:3k8dfjae][/url:3k8dfjae]

This is the "cradle" or stand piece that will hold it... note the notches at the bottom.

[url=http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2211090730086613863mdsiGO:3k8dfjae][/url:3k8dfjae]

This is the baseplate... Note the notches that corespond with the cradle parts...

[url=http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2483746430086613863lbSvax:3k8dfjae][/url:3k8dfjae]

This is the whole assembly.

Took me an hour to figure all this out... I can probably do it again in 15 minutes now that I've done it once.

There are a few *big advantage of this design tool. One is seeing the design in finished form on the screen. The other is being able to send the files out for water jetting/laser cutting when your design is done.

I'm going through the training CDs you can buy. Nice simple AVI files. Easy to follow and thorough.

I want to export a Bend-Tech buggy frame, and add platework, drivetrain components and other items to it so I can complete a buggy design in this system...

I'll update you with my progress, but so far, I love the product!

Cheers,

Ron

[OzDamian]

Just do a search in google for any program you like and add torrent in the search phrase. [smilie=icon_bolt.gif]

But you didn't hear that from me.

A good idea is to get a copy of "VM Ware" (its a program that gives you a virtual PC on your computer) and test all your new software in that for virus's (virii??) before putting it on your PC.