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thefastvinny

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2009
Messages
54
Location
Nashville TN
So I am in the beginning stages of getting a CAD program for design. I have a MacBook Pro and don't really want to have to get a PC for this, which seems like most programs were made for. I have been looking at getting AutoCAD for Mac, don't really know anyone around to ask locally that has experience with this. Any thoughts and suggestions are more than welcome. Thanks in advance.


V
 
What are you going to design?  If for electronic circuits and boards, I would not suggest AutoCAD.  For those tasks you might take a look at EAGLE.
My $0.02.
Best,
Bruno2000
 
+1
I have used Autocad for PCB's for about 20 years, when a companion program named Autoboard made it usable.
Now I use Eagle and love it.
Still use Autocad for metalwork (and studio recall sheets!)
 
Rhino for mac is under development, I think you could download a test version on this site
http://mac.rhino3d.com/
I think it is a exelent program and not too expensive.
Not for PCB work, but everything else.
 
What kind of CAD?  2D, 3D, pcb?

Most design software is PC based, but I have a friend who has done PCB and even metal design on a MAC for years.

What are you looking for?

JR
 
We hated AutoCad because of the incompatibility issues over the years but the new version is apparently more user friendly.

I second Joechris on Rhino for mechanical designs. Recently I was getting some parts cut and the company I used was using Rhino. The guy gave me a quick demo and it was very easy to use but sophisticated.

 
All good questions that I haven't taken into consideration. Mainly PCB design and 2D metalwork. I am looking to spend as little money as possible to get started on some projects on my own. When I go for rack mounting pieces, I have a good source for generic rack enclosures and fabricate face plates at the shop. Until I start bringing money in on projects and it becomes more of a hobby that brings in some dough rather than just a hobby, I can get more serious about it and upgrade.

Basically, all I want to do is take a circuit that works, draw it in an application, send it to someone to print the PCB, and finish the build. Light metalwork design would be a plus but not necessary right now.
 
Eagle is fine for PCB, and you can get some free 2D cad from http://www.emachineshop.com/  and metal too.

For PCB CAD you want to be able to generate the proper Gerber formats to make PCB and place parts.  The free 2d cad from emachineshop exports to .DXF files which is adequate for basic 2D stuff. 

3D CAD is longer and uglier story... but you can do a lot of simple 3D design in 2D.

Bottom line is you want to generate output files in formats that your vendors can read to make stuff you want.

JR
 
JohnRoberts said:
Bottom line is you want to generate output files in formats that your vendors can read to make stuff you want.

Exactly what I was looking for, thanks for that. I have plenty of research to start doing. I have been reading up on Eagle and I have to assume that it will do the job. Who prints these PCB's for everyone? I know of a couple people using Advanced Circuits in Co. Any other input?
 
Whay do you mean "printing"?
Almost any PCB fab uses Gerber file for production.
Or do you want to do your own films/UV exposure/etching...?
BTW, a very useful addition is a Gerber viewer, used to check the actual Gerber file has properly rendered your design. Free versions exist; I use GerbMagic.
 
I have used Autocad for mechanical since the '80s.
Sometimes I use Solidworks these days.

I have a seat of Protel for PCBs, but it's too fiddly unless you want to be a full time PCB designer.
So I use Eagle. I find it excellent and use it for many commercial designs.

Les
 
thefastvinny said:
Basically, all I want to do is take a circuit that works, draw it in an application, send it to someone to print the PCB, and finish the build.

I suggest a free program called pcbArtist to get you started.
http://www.4pcb.com/free-pcb-layout-software/

You can export to .dxf (autocad) or order your boards directly from their company within the program. The pcbs are good and the prices are fair. I've used them for multiple projects now.

For your metal work, I suggest another free program.... Front Panel Designer.
http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/download/front-panel-designer/index.html
Again, you can export to .dxf or order your metal work directly from their company.

It's all free and can get the job done easily.
 
I was thinking that was the best option. I also found TurboCAD. Anybody used it at all. Really cheap and has a Library of 1200 electronic symbols, seems like it would do the job on paper at least. Low system requirements though, could be good or bad. Any thoughts.
 
thefastvinny said:
I was thinking that was the best option. I also found TurboCAD. Anybody used it at all. Really cheap and has a Library of 1200 electronic symbols, seems like it would do the job on paper at least. Low system requirements though, could be good or bad. Any thoughts.

I don't know about turboCAD for PCB design (I use eagle for that), but I am in the latter stages of a 3D plastic case design I did using TurboCAD and it was not without a few problems along the way. As I said in my earlier post be sure the CAD system you use can output the file format you vendor accepts. TurboCAD for 3D design has both MAC and PC versions, that are about the same price, but they are not even the same software program. Two different animals, that accept and export to completely different CAD file standards. You can't even open up a PC turboCAD file with MAC , or vice versa, you need to first export from turboCAD to some 3rd file format, then import that into the other TurboCAD software. 

Like I said before it depends on what you're doing...

Eagle is good for PCB, sundry 2D cad freeware will work for most things, and good 3D tools are a little more complex, but I already said that. 

JR
 
thefastvinny said:
I was thinking that was the best option. I also found TurboCAD. Anybody used it at all. Really cheap and has a Library of 1200 electronic symbols, seems like it would do the job on paper at least. Low system requirements though, could be good or bad. Any thoughts.

Honestly, there is no sense in even considering a cad program for schematic drawing...eagle light is free, you will never have the need for any other program for drawing schematics. As for pcb layout, you REALLY should not consider cad at this point. Sure you can do it, but why would you?
 
dustbro said:
thefastvinny said:
Basically, all I want to do is take a circuit that works, draw it in an application, send it to someone to print the PCB, and finish the build.

I suggest a free program called pcbArtist to get you started.
http://www.4pcb.com/free-pcb-layout-software/

You can export to .dxf (autocad) or order your boards directly from their company within the program. The pcbs are good and the prices are fair. I've used them for multiple projects now.

For your metal work, I suggest another free program.... Front Panel Designer.
http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/download/front-panel-designer/index.html
Again, you can export to .dxf or order your metal work directly from their company.

It's all free and can get the job done easily.

So a question about PCB Artist. A while ago I found out that this program is only for a Windows OS. Has anyone tried running this on a Mac System, running a Windows OS? Are there any size restrictions or limitations since it is a free software? I have tried using Eagle, and love it. But being short on some cash flow right now is not allowing me to purchase the full version. Also in anything lower than the Full Featured version has PCB size limitations and I am unable to design my layout to the spec. sizes needed.
 
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