FreeCAD finally appeared in the PackMan repository:
PackMan :: Informationen zum Paket FreeCAD
The install on my openSUSE 10.3 worked like a charm 
Those who added the PackMan repository already will find FreeCAD with the ‘YaST Software Management Module’.
Be warned: FreeCAD together with all dependencies (OpenCASCADE etc.) is a huge 169mb download…
Thomas,
What’s the status of your freecad, can you give us a heads up 
Well, I was so exited to finally find a GPL’d CAD/CAM program based on OpenCASCADE, that it sounds it’s ‘my’ FreeCAD. In fact it’s not, I’m neither a developer, not the packager of FreeCAD… 
A short review after playing a bit with it:
After installation, FreeCAD fires up surprisingly fast, even on my outdated Athlon 1.2GHz with only 768mb RAM. It actually starts ‘a lot’ faster than i.e. OpenOffice. There’s a nice Qt GUI, but then my feet back on the ground: FreeCAD currently lacks a GUI for modeling tasks. You can produce and modify geometry, import and manipulate meshes, but therefore you have to use the python console… 
Because FreeCAD follows the ‘workbench concept’, it’s easy to write and use your own GUI module for that without recompilation (knowledge of Python/PyQt4 assumed) . Modules can be installed global or in ‘/home/username’. A nice example for a module with a GUI is the FreeCAD 2D Draft Module
Conclusion: In the current state not recommendable for ‘End Users’, but very interesting for people who want to write their own CAD/CAM/FEM utility or application. Possibly it will become the ‘Amarok’ of 3D CAD in the future, who knows ?
Thanks for the heads-up
hi all
i have enough to say that linux still have no cad…
but many people suggest CAD that is CAM
I’ll put the question in another way…
if somebody can suggest any CAD in what i can make documentation for simple 4 wall building, where I can:
this is simplest things that i need from CAD… it no need for 3d modelling, construction simulation this things can be calculate manually and could be used blender for 3D, but preparing documentation is a weak place…
open source has QCAD, PythonCAD, inkscape, scribus
(i add some latert why i could not use nor of this good apps)
If you are willing to pay for a license, there is one for you.
The price for a license is a bit expensive though.
Translated version of http://www.arcad.de/
Translated version of http://www.arcad.de/
There is an eval version available in the suse repository if you want to try it.
i tried that one today too…a real mechanical CAD that could be a good competitor with windows’ CAD doesn’t exist yet for me…
i know about arcad about 2 or 3 years… in opensuse 10.2 i first time run it. non-os repo still have it. The main problem with this sw is that it interface is only in German… i did not understand it.
as far as i see it has no command line interface… I don’t see any way how to start working with it… I could not understand how to make pages(layouts). This program is looking really great. But to start working it need to have special classes… that cost money. It seems their have English version but demo is cost 32 euro. GUI that i see in German version I did not like… Probability that i like English one is minimal. if it will be free i could try it… and from time to time i cold run it and read forums and after some months probably i can understand such GUI concept… as it was with blender. And after all of this maybe I’ll buy it… I did not say that 2K is not a problem for me… maybe has a reason to buy it. i never knows this cause i did not pay for demo…
it is a really complicated program it is a really complicated license
Also exist is commercial good looking CAD OCTREE some days ago i finally download it… and install… it seems to me that i made all instructions, i put the right demo key… but when i try to run it did not work…
On 2008-10-19, m1192ds <m1192ds@no-mx.forums.opensuse.org> wrote:
> i tried that one today too…a R E A L M E C H A N I C A L C A D
> that could be a good competitor with windows’ CAD doesn’t exist yet for
> me…
Bentley’s Microstation was once released in a Linux version. Unfortunately,
they went Windows-only, a while ago.
I still have a CD with the demo (limited in time only, saves before
quitting) of that release. But since it was complied back in the SuSE 6.x
(or 7.x at best) days, I can’t get it to run on a current release.
You could allways send them a mail, asking them about going multi-platform
again. We do, from time to time.
–
Elevators smell different to midgets
hi, i am surprised that you have no alternative in mechanical CAD
so as far as i know it is
PTC Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 3.0 it is it seems one of most powerfull existing cad’s… i do not about costs of this solution
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 3.0
Medusa 4 is also looking great
Products - MEDUSA4 - MEDUSA4 Free
VariCAD Homepage | VariCAD - 3D/2D CAD system this one with resonable price…
i work with pro-e too, i agree that it’s a complete software(born under windows too),it’s not the best but it’s a good interface programme and you can do almost all that you want if you don’t need specifical things.
i run other windows cads with wine,i know medusa and varicad ,i tried them,but i don’t know anyone that works with them,so you understands that it’s quite complicate when you have a software that nobody uses…for formats,file modification,hystory file,assembly…
Does anyone have experience with Siemens Solid Edge 2D drafting under Wine, or ProgeCAD/IntelliCad under Wine?
i write them to have a try their linux(it seems this is wine+windows) version… but has no answer…
as for wine vs progecad i think they should work but not for production.
for now it looks that most possible solution for me that can be run on linux
1.run it in guest windows system… zwcad looks most good for me price+functionality
2.moving to medusa4
3.investing in open source cad(i thinking about starting a new cad project because off most going wrong way and others almost die)
does anyone know off-hand if i can run Autocad 2008 through wine?
i have it on another computer running Windows XP Pro.
but, the system is continually crashing, which i expect for any Microsoft product.>:(
(the main reason i have come to linux)
HI alving
according to this acad could run…
AFAIK(upon on my own experience) it could not be used for doing real work.
the system is continually crashing
what you mean? afaik xp is stable. the only problem with Trojan horses and viruses. vista is much more defended.
if you need only autocad you should use only windows xp++ this is the price of autodesk products… imho this not changed until autodesk partner of ms…
well,now i’m working with pro-e wf3 ( there’s not a wf4 version for linux… linux users are growing…and PTC decided to work only for windows…)
i tried:
-medusa (not bad but better pro-e)
-varicad (not bad but better pro-e)
-nx6 (i’m testing it tomorrow)
Siemens PLM Software Launches NX 6 Software: Siemens PLM Software
the best CAD software for linux at the moment is…WINE :-)
I’ll drink to that.lol!
@m1192ds
so i have some questions… is it possible to simple 2D drawing in wf3?
How it work with text(did it normally support you national characters?)…
did it can connect to database?
can wf3 use text variables inside multitext(rich text)…
how much it costs?
you can draw in 2d or you can draw in 3d and create from the 3d file a 2d file (but you can do it with all CAD i know)…i hope i got the meaning of “to simple”.
my pro-e version is in english,do you need russian characters?(i read you write from ucraine).
i can connect to the database both now with the company licence and before when i had a student licence.
for the price i don’t know because my company paid it but i think the price is about 10000 € for a normal user for the complete version CAD_CAM_CAE etc…(student licence is cheaper but i don’t know the price)