Free Basic AutoCAD download?

Fozzie Bear

Can anyone recommend a free basic/simple AutoCAD compatible programme that i can download? I use AutoCAD 2004 in work. We do Laser cutting work and all the cutting is done off AutoCAD drawings. Sometimes I need to make alterations to drawings while cutting and this means leaving the Laser and going back into my office which is at the other end of the building to use CAD which is loaded onto my PC. I have lost the feckin desk for the 2004 CAD from the time we bought it so I can't load it onto the Laser computer.

So is there anything out there i can download. The Laser works off basic 2D DXF format files so it needs to be able to open and save DXF's. Any help/recommendations appreciated.

topcatcbr

I dont know of any free autocad downloads. Legal ones anyway.

If you only use the 2d element of Acad you could Buy Acad lt much cheaper and fully compatible with acad.

mjsmyth

Take a look at this release of Intellicad from Progecad.

http://www.progecad.com/compra/index.asp?left=prodotti/eng_progecad2008smart&abspage=1&lang=eng

# Reads and writes AutoCAD® DWG files from 2.5 to 2008
# has industry standard AutoCAD Commands
# has AutoCAD® Menu, Script, Font Compatibility
# has AutoLISP® Compatibility!
# has Basic Rendering Options
# has Express Tools
# export to PDF and JPG
# 10,000 standard symbols and blocks available for free
# supports RedLine and Markup made by progeCAD Viewer DWG

Best of all, it is free.

Fozzie Bear

mjsmyth wrote: »

Take a look at this release of Intellicad from Progecad.

http://www.progecad.com/compra/index.asp?left=prodotti/eng_progecad2008smart&abspage=1&lang=eng

# Reads and writes AutoCAD® DWG files from 2.5 to 2008
# has industry standard AutoCAD Commands
# has AutoCAD® Menu, Script, Font Compatibility
# has AutoLISP® Compatibility!
# has Basic Rendering Options
# has Express Tools
# export to PDF and JPG
# 10,000 standard symbols and blocks available for free
# supports RedLine and Markup made by progeCAD Viewer DWG

Best of all, it is free.

Spot on Mjsmyth! Thanks for that.

mjsmyth

I have used it and for 2D cad it is fine. It does the job. If you can use Autocad, then you can use Intellicad will little or no problem.

If you have any questions on it, PM me and I will try to answer them.

mj

justsomebloke

rather then get another CAD programme, you could check to see what rights you have on the computers and do a remote desktop session back to your other computer with CAD from the machine near the cutter, this has teh added advantage that you are using the same CAD with the same layout and so alot less problems

mjsmyth

The problem with that Joe is that it ties up two PC's. That may or may not be an issue.

As it happens, the Intellicad / ProgeCAD interface looks very similar, as are the commands.

mj

f1dan

Students can download AutoCAD for free from the Autodesk website. You just have to register first.