Free CAD software?

Question

I am after free CAD software for two things - designing vehicles and designing buildings with curves.
Can anyone recommend anything please?

I am after free CAD software for two things - designing vehicles and designing buildings with curves.
Can anyone recommend anything please?

EDIT

Although I used the word free twice, someone has recommended a $4000 software package. Why?

Answer 1

hiya.

I am a 3d student at Bournemouth uni and am currently learning about what you you want to go into. in industry, the lead running software for 3d characters and design is a company called discreet - their website is www.discreet.com. They produce 2 of the front running 3d applications, 3ds max and Maya, the lastest versions are on their websites but unfortunately cost a bomb, 3d3 max is the more expensive of the 2 and costs upwards of a couple of thousand pounds! however - the companies do offer trial versions of thir software for students and people like yourself developing a keen interest in the area. this means you can navigate their website and download youself an industry leading piece of software, although it will probably only work for about 30 days. Maya however does have a learning edition, and I think, that you can download maya and use it for as long as you want, its just that when you render an image or animation it will have a watermark on it saying TRIAL version so you can't sell your work. if thats true, and i'm sure it is from what i remember, then you can learn maya to a master level without ever paying a penny - you will just have lots of watermarked work, and this will be enough to get you on a 3d course if ever you decided you wanted to do this.

for tutorial videos a good website to visit is www.3dbuzz.com where you can register free and download their videos to see how exactly you use their software. and also they have some links to other good websites you can also go to for free that have good user posted tutorials.

and finally their is lots of really cracking software which will slowly bring you in on the principles of the software, these are normally avaivlbe from magazines like computer shopper and such, where ever now and then, the cd or dvd on the front of the mag will have a full version of an old piece of software. a good example is I once brought computer shopper and got a free version of truespace 2 by caligra -which is acually a pretty nice little program, I never understood it, but it did have ots of tutorials with it, but i never really did any of them.

my opinion, for what its worth, is that you visit the site below and read this, its an FAQ designed for students about autodesk maya. It will advise on things like how difficult is it learn and might answer a few questions for you and where you can get tutorials from.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=7679058

then i recommend you navigate back in the site or go to

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=7639525

to download the unlimited trial version of maya for free, then happy modelling! :-)

by the way, its a generic view that 3ds max is better for design and technical work, and maya is better for character modelling.

enjoy


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i mentioned the 4000 pound piece of software becuse you can learn it for free and its what they use to make almost all film effects and games? didn't you read the rest. what a waste of time. go and get truespace 2 or bryce 5, I got the full versions for free legally with magasines, which is the other alternative i gave you above - if you bothered to read it. so go and get some FREE software, if thats what your really after, but you won't be able to do much with it. read the answer before you ask the question.

oh, and autocad mentioned above isn't free either, but its another top industry tool thats well worth learning - but not if you want something free.

Answer 2

Use AutoCad it's the best for architaecture & disign & it's equiped with a graphics engine witch means you can render your project in 3D
But your Pc must be strong i mean 1Gb of Ram & a Strong Graphic Card like the Nvidia Quadro Fx or better without forgeting a pc of more than 2500Mhz.

Answer 3

U can try to find some from the download.com and perhaps some may at least give free tiral.