[phantomcow2]

I would like to produce a few nice drawings of some ideas i have for my router. Does anybody know of a drawing software for a linux based system? Just so i can make theoretical assemblies and share them here.

[ger21]

I found this with Google. It looks pretty good, and it's only $28. I have no experience with it, however.http://www.ribbonsoft.com/qcad.html

[HenryCNC]

I have used it much myself, but the office suite at http://www.openoffice.org/ includes a vector based drawing program. It is more like CorelDraw that AutoCAD, but you can't beat the price (free).

Henry

[klick0]

qcad is free as well if you compile it yourself, it's GPL'd code, they release "demo" binaries, but if you release the binaries you have to release the source. So the source can be compiled as not a demo version. Their CAM software however (basically just the G-Code producer) is only commercially available, it's based off QCad, but they hold the copyright to QCad so they can change the license to whatever they want. Therefore it's not GPL, it's not to pricey though.

I use QCad for all my 2d DXF drawings, then use my own external gcode creator.

I like the idea of openoffice to do vector graphics, might have to re-write my program to accept that as input to generate g-code...

Ross

[anoel]

This is one of the things that the Open Source community has never been able to produce... If you look at SourceForge there are dozens or "proposed" and "In Development" apps but there is really nothing useable other than a couple of rudimentary 2D packages without going to a commercial package that cost as much as a new or used car when you start talking 3D. Of course you can always try running a windows app under Wine.

Vector Drawing apps are a bit different than a true CAD system... Try getting your vector Drawing software to produce an Arc that actually remains as an arc when you import it into a CAM package. I've not yet ran into one that will do that. Starts to become important when you would rather have a G03 move rather than a bunch of G01.

Not to say that you can't get by for some things. Linux just does not "Shine" when it comes to CAD yet...

[klick0]

Yes, I agree that's it tough to get a 3D CAD/CAM package for linux, or any kind of G-Code generator.

For 2D QCad works great, and i'm sure their G-Code generator would work fine as well.

I've been questing after a good 3D package but have never found one that fit me well. Synergy looks to be the most robust, but I can't stand it's interface. (www.webersys.com) gCad3D is new, and looks to beta to be worth playing with.

for 3D i usually use AC3D, it's not free, but it's cheap, easy to use, but really isn't meant for CAD/CAM. I had to write my own dxf to 3d g-code creator, and have never attempted to make one that would do pocketing and all that, that would be very complex.

There is a java cnc code generator on sourceforge (g-code generator) but it has basically no options, doesn't figure out if the cut is inside or outside the piece to use the offset G codes, it just mills the lines it sees in a DXF, which i'm sorry is pretty easy to code...

So if there are any other linux users out there, what are you using as your CAD/CAM package?

Ross

[phantomcow2]

Well ive got a CAD program already, but its for windows. So i think my best bet is to use AUtoCAD at school, and make a dual boot for my system