Just curious: Although I’m using SuSE/openSUSE since 6.1, I’m still waiting for a competitive ‘Open Source’ CAD/CAM program for mechanical design to appear. Most CAD programs that can be found i.e. on LUnIx Linux CAD Links, are either nice but too simple for professional use (like i.e. QCAD) or not maintained any more.
FreeCAD, based on Open CASCADE, Qt4 and Python looks quite promising, but Installation is difficult due to the lack of a RPM. People who are familiary with CAD/CAM software are not necessarily good packagers or admins…
Am I the only one who need such software, or is it a really a niche application in the Linux world ?
Linuxcad had very bad reviews, up to 2004 it seemed to be little more than a ripoff. For about 9 years the only screenshot (in it’s very unbecoming site) was the old space shuttle wireframe drawing that came as a sample in AutoCAD 10/11, in a very poor interface. Google ‘linuxcad review’ and you’ll see for youself.
CYCAS is for architectural work only. In this area there is a number of very professional (and expensive) CAD programs for linux.
I’ve been looking for an AutoCAD replacement for years, without luck. The most promising was Bricscad, but development seems to have stopped at version 6 (current windows version is 9). I was never able to make it run under openSUSE. I didn’t even got an answer to my e-mails concerning it’s use/development in linux.
So currently I think the only practical way is to run your preferred cad program in a windows vm. This is especially unsatisfactory now that 3D acceleration is becoming common even in 2D drafting.
i agree,i work with cad softwares everyday…after linux switch i had a lot of problems and the only way i could fine was WINE.
i tried 3 linux cads found in linuxcad.com but they weren’t good for me,i don’t know what you need exactly,now i run autodesk inventor,solid edge,autocad , pro-e and other two softwares with WINE and i could solve almost all bugs.
i think that if you need something of specifical for job the only way is Wine,i haven’t still known anyone that is working for big projects with a specifical cad for linux.
brunomcl wrote:
> m1192ds;1879850 Wrote:
>> now i run autodesk inventor,solid edge,autocad , pro-e and other two
>> softwares with WINE and i could solve almost all bugs.
>
> What version of AutoCAD do you run with wine? I found that any version
> above 2000 wouldn’t even start, and AutoCAD 2000 would crash frequently.
>
>
On Wed, 2008-10-08 at 02:23 +0000, cjcox wrote:
> brunomcl wrote:
> > m1192ds;1879850 Wrote:
> >> now i run autodesk inventor,solid edge,autocad , pro-e and other two
> >> softwares with WINE and i could solve almost all bugs.
> >
> > What version of AutoCAD do you run with wine? I found that any version
> > above 2000 wouldn’t even start, and AutoCAD 2000 would crash frequently.
> >
> >
>
> Not sure on AutoCAD… but you could use
> http://www.bricscad.com/en_INTL/
>
> I’ve used it in the past when they we’re beta’ing under
> Linux. Handled every autocad file I through at it.
cough… I meant “threw at it”… (brain connected again)
Yes, I tried to use it then (see my first post in this thread). The problem is it’s stopped at version 6 (current windows version is 9) and I couldn’t make it run on suse, it was only certified on redhat with an specific wine version, I think.
Also the ‘vagueness’ about this linux version in their site is very discouraging - try finding any hard info, forum or FAQ, there is none, and I got no answers to my e-mails. It looks as if they abandoned it. Sad really, since these IntelliCAD variants are the most AutoCAD look-alike out there.
Those on the list who can afford to spend the equivalent of a car for a CAD/CAM may have a look at NX, a commercial CAD/CAM/CAE PLM software suite developed by Siemens PLM Software. It’s even certified for SuSE (not openSUSE though)
On Thu, 2008-10-09 at 01:46 +0000, brunomcl wrote:
> cjcox;1881015 Wrote:
> > On Wed, 2008-10-08 at 02:23 +0000, cjcox wrote:
> > >
> > > Not sure on AutoCAD… but you could use
> > > ‘Bricsys > Home’ (http://www.bricscad.com/en_INTL/)
> > >
> > > I’ve used it in the past when they we’re beta’ing under
> > > Linux. Handled every autocad file I through at it.
> >
> > cough… I meant “threw at it”… (brain connected again)
>
> Yes, I tried to use it then (see my first post in this thread). The
> problem is it’s stopped at version 6 (current windows version is 9) and
> I couldn’t make it run on suse, it was only certified on redhat with an
> specific wine version, I think.
I tested it out a LONG time ago (again, prior to release).
>
> Also the ‘vagueness’ about this linux version in their site is very
> discouraging - try finding any hard info, forum or FAQ, there is none,
> and I got no answers to my e-mails. It looks as if they abandoned it.
> Sad really, since these IntelliCAD variants are the most AutoCAD
> look-alike out there.
>
Thomas Fo wrote:
> Btw: Yesterday, ‘anubisg1’ uploaded ‘FreeCAD to the openSUSE Build
> Service’
> (http://software.opensuse.org/search?baseproject=ALL&p=1&q=FreeCAD)
>
> FreeCAD is based on OpenCASCADE, Qt4 & Python. Screenshots can be found
> on the ‘project’s webpage’
> (http://software.opensuse.org/search?baseproject=ALL&p=1&q=FreeCAD).
>
> Not an AutoCAD replacement, but:
>> ‘is aimed directly at mechanical engineering, product design and related
>> features like CatiaV4 and V5,SolidWorks and Solid Edge’.
>
> I think I will give it a try next weekend…
>
>
qcad seemed to read in my autocad dxf’s ok. Looks interesting.
Comes with openSUSE.
Oh yes, one of the first references I found when I started searching. Most are dead, stagnant or unusable in a production environment. Those that are not are only for Architecture/CAE/CAM, not general-purpose like AutoCAD/IntelliCAD.
Unfortunately, there is no productive general-purpose CAD package for linux. QCAD seems to me to be the most usable/stable, but still lacks many basic features. I fear that, with the advent of VMs, an AutoCAD replacement for linux is even farther away.
Note that I don’t want a free CAD. I’d gladly pay for a bunch of linux CAD licenses, but not if it is unsupported (as it will be if used with wine). And using a VM, besides having the MS* stuff in it, has low performance.
Bruno
*P.S.: I don’t hate or even dislike MS OSes, only I feel much better when I don’t have to use them.
autocad 2002 works with wine without mistakes,yes…i must say that i work with inventor and autocad is the intermediate betwen inventor and the cam software,for that i need it works very well and it doesn’t crash
