Free Autocad License
Dierdre Roussin
Is there any way to enable a warning that another user has an autocad file open when you go to open that same file throught dropbox? I am looking for something similar to the dropbox badge that appears when you open files in mircrosoft products.
I guess it will be easy to implement this option in dropbox because when you open a .dwg file, Autocad creates a temporarly .dwl and .dwl2 files in the same folder that could indicate the file is open by other user. Could you add this option in Dropbox?
It is so absolutely amazing that Dropbox and Autodesk are partners but can create an environment when drawings are open they show up as read-only across the Dropbox network! I know it can be done because that environment exists with the Microsoft Office environment.
+1 for this feature. Our Architecture firm is planning to move to Dropbox as a "server" and while we are normally very good about communication and not working in the same file at the same time, it would be great to replicate what currently exists for the Microsoft suite and display some sort of notification that the file is currently in use by another Dropbox team member.
Suggesting to use the file lock setting shows a complete lack of knowledge for and understanding of using Dropbox as a central server for CAD files. Especially disappointed given the existing partnership and relationship between Dropbox and Autodesk.
Hey @Yoav_Weiss, thanks so much for taking the time to comment on this idea.
While we really appreciate every suggestion here, unfortunately not every idea gets enough support.
We do regularly re-review ideas that continue to get support and we will update you if anything changes.
+1 he ledo todos los comentarios y me sorprende que a da de hoy esto no haya cambiado, espero que en un futuro no muy lejano cambien ste problema ya como han dicho anteriormente dificulta el trabajo cuando no se hace aviso del archivo que abre un compaero y ste lo puedas abrir en modo s lectura sin crear archivos de conflicto con X nombre y fecha, es muy molesto.
Among the best-known CAD programs is AutoDesk's AutoCAD, but there are many others, proprietary and open source, out there. So how do the open source alternatives to AutoCAD stack up? The answer depends on how you plan to use them.
The trick for deciding whether a replacement piece of software, whether open or closed, is a good choice for you is to tease out exactly what your needs are. The situation is no different than discovering that the person who insists that they "need" Photoshop is just using it to draw a few geometric shapes and remove red-eye from photos; what they really need is a graphics editing tool that can replace those specific functions. Whether it has all of the bells and whistles of the original is irrelevant if those features sit paid for but unused.
My personal journey through open source CAD programs was no different. I worked with AutoCAD briefly in grad school, so when I wanted to play with drawing three-dimensional plans for something, it was pretty much all I knew. But that alone didn't make AutoCAD the best choice.
As I've strived to replace more and more software in my life with open source options, Blender turned out to be just as good for my 3D modeling needs, whether I was playing with models created for a 3D printer or looking at landscapes exported from other programs. And for the relatively simple task of planning out my home landscaping projects, Sweet Home 3D has been an excellent open source alternative.
The SALOME platform is an application and framework suitable for industrial design and simulation. It's a side-project of the 3D powerhouse, OpenCascade, and has some serious industrial users. SALOME integrates a CAD and CAE modeling tool with industrial meshing algorithms and advanced 3D visualization. Its geometry editor can import STEP, BREP, IGES, STL, and XAO files, and its mesh editor can import UNIV, MED, GGNS, SAUV, and more. It has integrated Python support.
As with all other CAD applications on this list, it's open source, so if you have in-house developers creating plugins for it, there's no need to deal with a clunky API. You have direct access to the code base.
BRL-CAD is a cross-platform CAD tool that dates back to 1979, although it would take 25 years for the source code to be released under an open source license. In fact, BRL-CAD is so old that it has been credited with being the oldest source code repository of an application currently in active development.
Originally developed by Mike Muuss at the Army Research Laboratory, BRL-CAD is been used for decades by the United States military for modeling weapon systems, but it also has been used for much more everyday design tasks, from academic to industrial design to health applications.
So what does more than 35 years of development bring you? BRL-CAD is made up of more than 400 different constituent tools and applications spread across more than a million lines of source code. Not all parts are under the same license, with licenses ranging from BSD to LGPL to simple public domain; the COPYING file within the project's source code on SourceForge has more details.
FreeCAD is a parametric open source CAD program that was created to be able to design "real-life objects of any size," and although it's clear that many of the showcased examples created by users are smaller objects, there's no specific reason it couldn't be used for architectural applications as well. FreeCAD is written primarily in C++, and if you're a Python coder you'll want to take advantage of the ability to extend and automate FreeCAD using its Python interface.
FreeCAD can import and export from a variety of common formats for 3D objects, and its modular architecture makes it easy to extend the basic functionality with various plugins. The program has many built-in interface options, from a sketcher to renderer to even a robot simulation ability. Currently in beta, FreeCAD is being actively developed with regular releases, but the developers warn that it may not yet be suitable for production use.
LibreCAD is another CAD program that is designed to work across Windows, Mac, and Linux alike. A fork of QCAD (mentioned below), LibreCAD has an interface that will look familiar to AutoCAD users, and by default it uses the AutoCAD DXF format for importing and saving, though it can use other formats as well. LibreCAD is 2D only, though, so it makes more sense if your intended use is a site plan or something similarly, err, flat.
I use a 20 year old copy of TurboCAD running under Wine. It's better than any of the GPD'd CAD software available. QCAD/LibreCAD are so user-hostile, that using them is something only a masochist would consider.
I think you nailed it. The beauty of Linux is Linux itself, and the apparent obsession many users have to also use only OSS on it, is limiting their use of their computer, and is a loyalty of open source, that seems far beyond the philosophy the Linus and the Linux kernel.
While not open souce BricsCAD IS a drop in replacement for Autocad. It even uses most of Autocad's same commands. It is also about 1/2 to 1/3 the price. BricsCAd also has a large community using the product. As a 20 autocad user, it only took minutes for me to get up and running with BricsCAD.
I would hazard a guess that most readers of opensource.com come from the programming world and thus would be far more at home with OpenSCAD. You simply code objects -- after a little bit of a learning curve to remember the basic commands it becomes an incredibly powerful parametric design tool. In general, I have found that students who are not already familiar with some form of visual CAD program pick it up more quickly. That said, you can have your cake and eat it too - as FreeCAD has an OpenSCAD module.
I've enjoyed using OpenJsCAD, which is similar to OpenSCAD, but instead of using a domain-specific language, it uses Javascript. Runs in the browser, rendering models with WebGL. I used this to design many models for 3d printing, including my wedding bands.
Basic version of Draftsight is free for anyone, and there is a Linux version. You have to register but they don't hassle. The CAD engine is from Graebert who produce ARES Commander, and the same is in CorelCAD.
I need to produce industry standard 2D CAD drawings and Draftsight is the only product I have found that will allow this on Linux. (Yep, 2D is certainly not obsolete - millions of us still have to produce 2D stuff.)
Otherwise, FreeCAD looks interesting, but is only at about version 0.16 so it has a way to go. There are already autocad dwg import functions, Hopefully someone will do some AutoCAD command aliases for FreeCAD. Who knows - maybe I'll end up doing them :-)
Fact is none of these tools solve even close to the same thing as the commercial CAD tools do. BRL is the closest, but its modeling last time i use was just appalling. The others (why even include 2d?) just don't come close to tools like solid works, iron cad Autodesk and a bunch of other lesser known programs.
I'd agree that there really isn't a direct replacement to AutoCAD. The other issue is that for quick and 'dirty' creation, things like TinkerCAD can help you put a concept model together quite fast without installing a program. But since both of them aren't open source, they don't need comment time.
I've used QCad community edition (forked to LibreCAD) to make a 1:1 pattern of something I was cutting out. I've also used Blender to make a model of parts of a standing desk. I then used LibreOffice to sort out all the pieces and place them so I could make the desk out of a single 1/2" sheet of 4'x8' plywood.
Unfortunately I see too many situations where users try to use these OpenSource Apps as an alternative to AutoCAD but rarely does it work out for them. Being in the education business, I've trained many individuals that tried using them but found themselves either limited with what they needed done or restricted with their clients that needed to view the CAD drawing.