Drawing design tool

Wizard

I want to draw designs to precise measurements; print them out where paper version is precise; glue them to wood and then cut them out.

Want to use this to make various wooden parts.

This sounds like a CAD tool or something similar.
Excel and Powerpoint just don't work very well
?

I'm wanting a freeware or cheapware tool that's easy to learn and use.

What does the collective wisdom say?

guitarboy2828

Inkscape is freeware, pretty powerful vector program. Doesn't do 3D like CAD does though. But doesn't sound like you need 3D?

Gimp is another freeware program, pretty much a free version of Photoshop.

I've used neither of those, but heard great things about both. I use photoshop and illustrator for work. They are both pretty precise to the mm if you take time to line things up to the rulers.

shaundtsl

Hey,

try paint.net. Its a great free program similar to photoshop. I have used it over the years on and off for simple stuff, it was simple stuff due to my limitations, not the programs ?

http://www.getpaint.net/

AlanRatcliffe

While I'm not clued up on the specifics of what is available on the freeware front, I can say get a vector based program (better for drawing) rather than a raster based one (better for image editing). Illustrator v. Photoshop kind of thing...

peterleroux

Inkscape is pretty good for 2D vector stuff. For what you're doing, CorelDraw or Illustrator won't offer you more than Inkscape already will.
I use SketchUp for quick 3D modelling at work, the free version is pretty capable and can print to scale. Also easier to learn than most of the others. Drawback is it prefers straight lines, curves are possible but not as easy as other packages

lapdawg

peterleroux wrote: Inkscape is pretty good for 2D vector stuff. For what you're doing, CorelDraw or Illustrator won't offer you more than Inkscape already will.
I use SketchUp for quick 3D modelling at work, the free version is pretty capable and can print to scale. Also easier to learn than most of the others. Drawback is it prefers straight lines, curves are possible but not as easy as other packages

+1

This is something I'm about to start out doing. The 2D drawings are primarily what you need to do your plans in. Print, glue to board, cutout & use as templates are what's working for me.

I work with developers & designers - they've recommended Inkscape.
Sketchup is a free tool with loads of resources to get you up to speed.

Gearhead

Don't listen to them bud ?. You want to get a grown-up AutoCad clone since it will give you full access to all those .DWG drawings out there on the net. The other advantage is that there are millions of tutorials around. There are clones around from all the AutoDesk competitors, freely downloadable. I use DraftSight.

peterleroux

Gearhead wrote: Don't listen to them bud ?. You want to get a grown-up AutoCad clone since it will give you full access to all those .DWG drawings out there on the net. The other advantage is that there are millions of tutorials around. There are clones around from all the AutoDesk competitors, freely downloadable. I use DraftSight.

SketchUp imports DWG just fine, but that is a good point.

Wizard

Thanks for all of the great advice!
I've downloaded DraftSight ... and have started the learning curve.
Optimistic.
?