For years, I have been on the lookout for a (legally) free replacement for AutoCAD. I am by no means at creating technical drawings; but when you need it, you need it. So far I have found nothing comparable to AutoCAD.
Similarly, I occasionally want to hack up a 3D model of something (see Bumper Buddy (http://randomland.net/forums/index.php/topic,8.0.html), Suriboka (http://randomland.net/forums/index.php/topic,11.0.html), and Bike Tree (http://randomland.net/forums/index.php/topic,75.0.html) projects). A casual search this morning brought me across blender.org (http://blender.org). It seems to be on par with Lightwave (which I only used once or twice). It seems it will be impossible to do anything productive without reading up, though. Maybe I'll try that out in my free time.
I have used Rhino 3D before. It is a good program, but I am still looking around.
What programs have you used? 2D or 3D; free, cheap, or expensive.
Might give this a try: http://www.cad-schroer.com/index.php?&ziel=Products-MEDUSA-M4Personal&land=com&scr=1.9
It says it has basic 3D. I put in for a free license (they wanted my mac address so I guess its tired to that) and will test it a little.
I always liked Rhino I bet you could pick up a copy that's a year or two old fairly cheap.
Never mind. Its much harder then it used to be to get old software. I once got a year old (at the time) version or corel photopaint for $12. The new verion of that is priced like photoshop. Anyway. You can always get the student/non-business version for $200 :)
Cool, let me know how you like it when you get the chance to try it out.
I fell back into using Rhino for the time being (see the Bike Tree (http://randomland.net/forums/index.php/topic,75.0.html) thread). I don't know how to use it very well (e.g why doesn't object snapping work?!?), but it's better than learning something brand new.
I am no 3D artist. I'm no artist at all.
I just stumbled across a forum post (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=758471) referencing Google's SketchUp (http://sketchup.google.com/). I remember hearing about it a while ago. There doesn't seem to be a Linux version, but whatever. I can't get Rhino to run in Linux either. Maybe I'll give this a shot.
A few videos here: http://sketchup.google.com/training/videos/new_to_gsu.html#
@Nick: did you ever try out that MEDUSA program?
Sorry, I am slow. I have it downloaded and a license now but still haven't used it. I should have tried it when I was making the log house.
Google has done it again. Thrusting its all data-hungry tentacle into yet another seeming unrelated field of software. Up for offer is Google sketchup. A 3d modeling program from the contextual advertising giant. It looks at little cartoony, but I am sure you can add your own textures. I will report back when I have played with it enough to form an opinion.
Edit:
Oh yeah, a link! http://sketchup.google.com/
I know...the sprawling reach of Google's software offerings is getting ridiculous. They create more and more products that think they have no business being in. Somehow though, they're pretty decent programs...and free is hard to argue with. But it's hard to see Google as anything more than just another monolithic software company, akin to Microsoft and Apple and destined to the bashings that come along with international corporatism.
Ok, I'm done (and still haven't tried the program).
They keep buying companies with a working product, googlizing the UI and making it free. Plus there is a pro version for monies. But that's probably just the free one but for commercial use.
Yep, it's the thing to do (Microsoft does it unabashedly). It has its good points and bad points, I suppose.
AAAAAA!!!!! After having used autocad it will drive you mad. There is no similarity between key commands (something that I think companies should do, there is no shame in making things easy to move to and from) and the controls are overly simple. Meaning you can do things easy, but going complex things gets frustrating because there is no readily evident way to do anything else (like trying to make a cylinder rather then just a circle, or a box rather then just a square. )
Update.
Ok I am slightly too hasty in saying that. There is the push/pull tool which I am used to being called extrude, that will make cylinders from circles and so on.
Terminology is another ok thing to duplicate from another companies software, its more associated with the profession then the program. Then engineers can talk to each other even if they use different software. Get standardized people.
Are we talking about Google's "SketchIt"?
Yes, googly sketchers. I just now got the Medusa place to email me the license file, you have to reply to an email that you get to get the license. Seems silly needing to do that considering that I gave them my mac address to tie into the license file.
On a related note, I just downloaded a free copy of autocad. Legally. From the autodesks student site: students5.autodesk.com . Being life long learners that we are, is there ever a time when you're not a student? Used my PSU email and they gave me a 13 month license. Now I can keep learning how to use autocad for incorporating models into web design. I am sure there is a better way to do that (like having actual artistic talent) But its hard to beat autocad when you want to draw a building.
PSU just closed down my e-mail account and server access last month. I haven't taken a class there for about 2 years.
Ok, sorry. I doubt they have a database of school emails just try using your randomland email or something similar. They might care about gmail addresses but maybe not. You have to agree that you will not use it commercially so its probably all the same, and they are definitely not losing a sale. Plus I will give then good press for being cool. Not that it will help them.
I'm playing with the SketchUp program (I just realized how phonetically similar that is to "ketchup"...) It takes some learning and is really nothing like AutoCAD and is only sort of like Rhino3D. They have a maddening definition of "move" -- if you hit Ctrl it makes a copy. And copying that way is the only way I have found to specify a "move-by" offset dimension.
But every program takes some learning. And it does an exploded view real nice-like.
(http://randomland.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/600px_wide/zourtney/images/Rough%20Plan.jpg) (http://randomland.net/node/1077)
Nice. You got farther then I did with it, but I kinda gave up too soon. I immediately started to try making logs and such but could find no way to create something to a given size (or even see how long something was) and then was momentarily impressed by its texturing setup. Only to be later unimpressed with its lack of a hot key to switch back and forth from dragging/rotating the view and the current tool you are using.
I noticed that, if you're using the rectangle tool, it'll try remove lines at intersections. For example, make an L or a T shape out of 3D boxes. Where the two lines meet, the is no dividing line. This is probably very nice for most things, but not good when you're trying to model how pieces of something are put together, like my box example above. I had to use the line tool to manually make all sides of the box. Only then did it cooperate.
Just takes some learning, I suppose. The only reason I know anything about AutoCAD is because I spend 6 months writing and debugging that automated drafting thing at work. This program is certainly easier to use, but seems to lack the power of all those trim, extend, and fence tools which turn mere mortals into AutoCAD gods...or something like that. For the uninitiated, it's impressive to watch.
Yup, I know what youes talking about. It was crazy to watch the drafters just smack the keyboard and have things just kinda happen.
Like in movies and TV shows!...except they're always dealing with highly graphical, fictional user interfaces with no obvious buttons. Screens come a'poppin and other screens disappear with no rhyme or reason. Ok, it's not actually much like that at all.
:)
Much to my chagrin, I declare SketchUp the clear winner of any free-and-legal 3D modeling program. It's actually fun to use, though I am an exceedingly boring human being, finding interest in some of life's dullest moments (we should make a thread about "Amazed by the Commonplace")
Go for it. I bet we will find great differences between us all. (I rather enjoy watching that water boil when I make noodles)
Wait! Are you saying a watched pot does boil? :)
I can indeed verify that that old idiom is false. :)
Back on topic! Yay!
I ran across a program called 'Kerkythea' when I was looking to see how to make sketchup actually render something instead of its isometric view.
Well, it cant but Kerkythea can. And nicely. There is a plugin for scetchup called kt2su that will export your drawing and allow you to add KTs materials into sketchup. Its materials are different as they have reflection, diffusion and such.
One thing to know is that the metalic materials just look black until you render them. One option to help that is to import the metalic materials onto an existing material. Though the underlying color shows up when you do that. But you can always just use that as a placeholder and change things in the renderer. I am probably just not yet doing it right. And the default rendering size and settings are for a finished render (so they take forever)
Cool. So, is it an actual modeling program or is it just an advanced renderer?
Its just an advanced rendering and ray-tracing program. You do all the work in sletchup (or any other supported format) and then export it to KT. It will do really, really nice renders if you know how to use it. Clearly I don't know how :) But I have managed to get it to make a few ok pics of yard art ideas.
I played a little more with things, just looking to see what was easily accomplished. (well, non of it is really easily done, as there is a steep learning curve. But what could be learned quickly) Here is a couple hours worth of toying around and 20 min worth of rendering :):
Looking at that rendering more, it seems the clipping mask for the grass is off. You will notice how the blades don't line up with the actual picture of the grass, this seems a common problem for beginners. I guess I have more learning to do.
Nice. I like it. I have some SketchUp work to do, as I'd like to build a more complex cage for our gecko.