Need Simple Sketching/Drawing Software Recommendation

M

munruh

Hot Rolled

Joined

Jan 3, 2011

Location

Kansas

• Apr 30, 2015

• #1

We have a customer that operates on a low level. They have minimal employees and subcontract out their machining and fabrication. They manufacture a product that the owners invented and have it pretty well refined. In this all there is one part of the product that is custom. So often they come to us and want a part machined one time. They have a hand sketch scribbled up and this is what we have. They now have asked me what I could recommend for a simple sketching program or something to make quick drawings. They are not real technical so it needs to be easy to use and learn. Is Draftsight something I should tell them about or is the learning curve to hard on that? I don't think either of the owners have any experience at all with cad programs so it needs to be super easy. Thanks

 

D

DDoug

Diamond

Joined

Oct 18, 2005

Location

NW Pa

• Apr 30, 2015

• #2

Have them farm it out, just like they farmed out the machining to you.

They will get a much better product (the drawing) made by someone
who knows what their doing best.

 

C

chineshop_guy

Cast Iron

Joined

Jun 16, 2009

Location

central kentucky, usa

• Apr 30, 2015

• #3

this one is free "google sketch". thats the actual name, i don't mean go to google and search the word sketch

 

T

Tiny Troll

Aluminum

Joined

Jun 29, 2013

Location

USA, MA, Falmouth

• Apr 30, 2015

• #4

Fusion 360 or Onshape.

Andy

 

T

timemmons

Plastic

Joined

Jan 27, 2012

Location

Tuscaloosa, AL USA

• Apr 30, 2015

• #5

Draftsight is a good choice to at least try. It's a great free product with a lot of features. If they are sharp guys they should be able to pick it up with a little help.

 

S

specfab

Titanium

Joined

May 28, 2005

Location

AZ

• Apr 30, 2015

• #6

SketchUp can be found through Google. It used to be their product, but they have sold it off to Trimble-something. It is easy to learn and use, and it's free, however, it won't give you a lot of ability in making 2D drawings. It can certainly be used to make dimensioned sketches. I have used it for house mods and additions, and planning a shop add-on. There is also a Pro version that costs some money. I have seen this in use by architects for concept drawings of projects.

 

M

munruh

Hot Rolled

Joined

Jan 3, 2011

Location

Kansas

• Apr 30, 2015

• #7

specfab said:

SketchUp can be found through Google. It used to be their product, but they have sold it off to Trimble-something. It is easy to learn and use, and it's free, however, it won't give you a lot of ability in making 2D drawings. It can certainly be used to make dimensioned sketches. I have used it for house mods and additions, and planning a shop add-on. There is also a Pro version that costs some money. I have seen this in use by architects for concept drawings of projects.

Click to expand...

Thanks everyone

 

rcoope

Stainless

Joined

Sep 25, 2010

Location

Vancouver Canada

• Apr 30, 2015

• #8

This might be a case were going straight to 3D solid modelling is more useful than 2D. Draftsight, felt to me like old AutoCAD, which is great as I knew AutoCAD and I'm not as young as I used to be. But this is 2015 and machining, not building construction. Sketchup is certainly popular but I've not seen a lot of very successful part modelling in it. I would try AutoDesk123 first. I'm going to try it on my 11 year old's computer so if I discover anything useful in the next few days I'll report back.

(A Solidworks user)

 

A

avongil

Aluminum

Joined

Dec 31, 2014

Location

Easton, PA

• May 9, 2015

• #9

https://www.onshape.com/

It is incredible! If you have not tried it, check it out. Similar to Solidworks but on the web. IMO it blows all other free options away. Suits all your needs (and some) including the sharing. It is quite easy, and there are many video tutorials. 5 files (they contain many parts inside them) for free without sharing with the world.

 

Atomkinder

Titanium

Joined

May 8, 2012

Location

Mid-Iowa, USA

• May 9, 2015

• #10

avongil said:

https://www.onshape.com/

It is incredible! If you have not tried it, check it out. Similar to Solidworks but on the web. IMO it blows all other free options away. Suits all your needs (and some) including the sharing. It is quite easy, and there are many video tutorials. 5 files (they contain many parts inside them) for free without sharing with the world.

Click to expand...

Really? They have 2D drawings yet?

 

A

avongil

Aluminum

Joined

Dec 31, 2014

Location

Easton, PA

• May 9, 2015

• #11

I suppose you can just make a sketch and leave it there, but I would suggest he move into the 3D domain. I cannot think of a better way to do it than with this free product.
https://www.onshape.com/videos/drawings

My bad! I never made a drawing.... That function is not there yet...

AG

 

K

Keyepitts

Aluminum

Joined

Jul 23, 2010

Location

Joliet Il

• May 11, 2015

• #12

Why go to all the trouble of learning a complicated CAD program to make a single drawing? Tell them to break out a pencil, eraser, and tri-scale and go to it. They can be done in an hour or two. If they need a "computer" drawing , they can scan it into a PDF file.

 

M

Mark Rand

Diamond

Joined

Jul 9, 2007

Location

UK Rugby Warwickshire

• May 11, 2015

• #13

I have used Visio (now M$ Visio) for many years as a simple 2D drawing package. It can do dimensions and callouts, has various simple predefined components available (bearings etc). multiple layers are helpful for some drawings. It takes very little time to learn compared with a 'proper' CAD package and does all I need from sketches of parts to the architectural drawings that I used to build my workshop.