CAD alternative available on Linux

[Dionysus]

Hey all, figured this would be the best place to put this.

I know there has been off-and-on discussion (or more appropriately inquiries) about various software possibilities for Linux users in Tech. Theatre. AutoCAD has been one thing missing for Linux users, neither AutoCAD or Vectorworks is Linux compatible and I know how hard it is to try and emulate it with something like WINE and have it work correctly. I've tried and failed many times.

AutoCAD is also expensive. I try and support the Open Source movement, and there is a lot of cool open source software out there, alot of which is cooler than paid equivalents. I've searched for a half-descent CAD program that is debian-based for a long while with no success. And suddenly I found something!!!

Bricsys' Bricscad is available on Windows and Linux! It is also easily half the price as AutoCAD or Vectorworks. I just downloaded the Demo, and it looks almost identical to about AutoCAD 2004, and uses the DWG file format! So all my old drawings down in AutoCAD 2004 or 2006 carry over (looked at a couple so far and they look fine).

The interface so far is VERY similar. Just trying to figure where a couple of things are yet. This is very exciting to me. I am seriously thinking about dropping the cash to buy this Debian alternative. Certainly saves me from spending the money I was thinking about spending on building a VM server to run CAD remotely on an XP emulated machine over the network. (not an ideal solution).

The program is available Here, with a 30-day trial.

What do you guys think?

(edit) P.S. I have my copy of Lightwright 4, working OK in WINE, just can't do layouts/print b/c it does not seem to like the WINE printer drivers.

 

[Van]

Thanks for this! I tried the Open source thing for a while. I tried real hard to get behind Ubuntu and started using it at home and for my Kids computer, but the lack of useful aplications, the difficulty with installing and configuring was just too much for me. Learned to program on a TRS-80 in Trs-dos and BASIC, then MS-DOS 1 - 6.6 I don't need / Want to learn another language.
Having a resource like this might have helped keep me in it for a while longer.

 

[museav]

It probably depends greatly on what you are trying to do with the CAD software and who you work with. I'm currently running AutoCAD 2007 and will need to update that soon as I am running into situations where it won't directly open the floor plans, elevations, etc. created in AutoCAD 2010 format that I am receiving from some of my clients. So while probably not a problem for many, a program that is only compatible with AutoCAD 2004 format drawings would be problematic for my use.

Van, my first programming classes were in MNF (Minnesota Fortran, a variation of Fortran 77) using punch cards, I also dabbled a tiny bit in COBOL and Pascal. I later moved on to programming in UNIX on terminals tied to DEC PDP and VAX mainframes. Some of the big names at the computing show I went to around that time included Commodore, Compaq, Kaypro and Sinclair along with the brand new Apple Lisa, the first commercially available personal computer with a GUI (and with a price of $9,995 in 1983). However, it's been probably 25 years since I did any programming other than AXCESS and SIMPL-C (for AMX and Crestron control systems respectively) and 12+ years since I did that.

 

[Dionysus]

The website states "Highly compatible with DWG 2010 file format.", however I have not tried it. If you could send me a DWG-2010 file, I shall try it. The only thing it does not seem to support is Vectorworks and such.

lol Fortan is a little before my time, my grandpa however was quite proficient at it. I used to program in BASIC back in the day, and moved into QBASIC along with JAVA, along with the obligatory usage of HTML (not a programming language I know) seeded with javascript, css and other things. I really go OUT of programming when I went to college, and have done next to none since. I have friends who do it for a living now, including one who worked on a project re-writing a banks software (you wouldn't believe how many decimal places everything goes to!). lol my first computer was a 186, and then a friends 286 when he got a 486. Then jumped to a Pentium-i-forget-what because I blocked out those years.

 

[echnaret]

I have used QCad before, though it is fairly basic. I too have looked for good Linux cad programs, but haven't found that much out there.

 

[Dionysus]

I just started using another Linux-available CAD solution, and this one is FREE. It's not as good as the one I mentioned before (but the price point is right).

It's called DraftSight

Free CAD software * for your DWG files: DraftSight - Dassault Systèmes

After my other windows machine died again (with AutoCAD and Vectorworks on it) I needed to do a few things with some DWGs, and having not bought BricsCAD I looked again for a free or open source solution-- one that does not suck balls.

Its not bad and again looks similar to AutoCAD.