ZWcad and Turbocad

[Diac]

While looking for CAD-Software to make, validate and edit 3D models in the STEP model for use in EDA-software. I did a survay of available packages.

It seems that open-source support for the STEP format is rather lacking at the moment. However, there are initiatives (BRL-Cad, Blender CAD...) but they do not seem mature at this point.

In commercial software, 2 'purchasable' candidates remained; being Turbocad and ZWcad.
ZWcad seems a bit more suited for real CAD/mechanical work, as where turbocad seems more suited for architectural work.
ZWcad also costs quite a bit less than turbocad. (you need Turbocad platinum to be able to fully edit 3D step models)
I guess ZWcad it will be.

For evaluation;

ZWcad 3D-2012 R1:
    http://www.netload.in/dateiInHvqXoLPL/r-zw3d12.part1.rar.htm
    http://www.netload.in/dateioBenBaoDN7/r-zw3d12.part2.rar.htm
    http://www.netload.in/dateiQmwm1fF12P/r-zw3d12.part3.rar.htm
or
    http://rapidgator.net/file/33902575/r-zw3d12.part1.rar.html
    http://rapidgator.net/file/33902812/r-zw3d12.part2.rar.html
    http://rapidgator.net/file/33902348/r-zw3d12.part3.rar.html

Turbocad 19 Platinum:
http://rapidgator.net/file/39934851/IMSI.TurboCAD.Pro.Platinum.v19.0.Incl.Keymaker-CORE.rar
http://rapidgator.net/file/4388605/IMSI.TurboCAD.Pro.Platinum.v19.0.Incl.Keymaker-CORE.part1.rar.html
http://rapidgator.net/file/4388516/IMSI.TurboCAD.Pro.Platinum.v19.0.Incl.Keymaker-CORE.part2.rar.html

[Ichan]

What is the most used FREE cad software, both for 2D and 3D?

While searching I found:
- gCAD3D : http://www.gcad3d.org/
- FreeCAD : http://sourceforge.net/projects/free-cad/

Are they good?

-ichan

[solutions]

If you want free, a lot of people use Sketchup http://sketchup.google.com/download/

If you want cheap (I've seen them run specials for $99), the best one out there, IMO, is Alibre:  http://www.alibre.com/products/hobby/

The rest is junk, IMO.  You'll burn more time on junk in a few hours than you would buying a proper tool. If your time is completely worthless, you have absolutely nothing better to do, and you'll live until the Sun supernovas, then go for it.

[optikon]

If you want free, a lot of people use Sketchup http://sketchup.google.com/download/

If you want cheap (I've seen them run specials for $99), the best one out there, IMO, is Alibre:  http://www.alibre.com/products/hobby/

The rest is junk, IMO.  You'll burn more time on junk in a few hours than you would buying a proper tool. If your time is completely worthless, you have absolutely nothing better to do, and you'll live until the Sun supernovas, then go for it.

I am not a fan of big box bloatware (Auto-Cad, Solid Works, PTC Creo / elements/ pro-E)
And Sketchup doesn't have good import/export functions. Seems to be a good CAD tool for NON-CAD kind of people doing NON-CAD kind of jobs.
I've tried TurboCAD and found it kind of cumbersome and feature lacking (years ago, maybe its better now)

I posted TurboCAD v19.1 (x32 & x64) BTW right here:
http://www.sonsivri.to/forum/index.php?topic=11684.msg137983#msg137983


Alibre looks pretty awesome.. it reminds me of SpaceClaim which, I find fairly usable having migrated from Rhino.

Don't know about the plug-in support. Anybody have Alibre links?

[tienngoc]

I have just found these links
http://www.filestube.com/extabit/1673T81OmqRtEHc6KfitJR/ZWCAD-Software-ZW3D-2012-v16-00Lz0.html
or
http://www.filestube.com/65CNTDbHLpGbT4q4lP5bUl/ZWCAD-Software-ZW3D-2012-v16-00Lz0.html
I setup the fisrt, it's OK

[tienngoc]

Hi all
this is new torrent file (ZW3D 2014) that's good.