Need simple, free CAD

I have been tasked to design a network for my church and
right now the only diagrams that exist is hand drawn so
I'd like to computerize the layout. I'd like to do it
not only for presentation of where I'd like to place
network ports but eventually electrical & telephone lines.

So I need something fairly simple to use for a person
who has never used a cad program, but with reasonable
accuracy. Also, free and/or cheap.

I found Archimedes on SourceForge, but I don't know of
its capabilities or how well it works.

Can someone give any suggestions/opinions?

TIA

 

Only one moron I can see .. hasnt got the brains he was born with LOL

 

Last version of qcad I tried was still clunky ...

You could try a9cad free version from

http://www.a9tech.com/

This is AutoCAD compatible but VERY basic in functions. That may be an
advantage at first.
Will there be a need to modify the drawing? If not, it might be better to
draw it on a drawing board that has at least a T-square, and use
disposable drafting pens. CAD drafting involves a steep (or long)
learning curve, and the 'unlearning' of some techniques of pen-and-ink
drafting. Some people pick it up very quickly, but it took me about five
years to be faster with CAD.
If a9cad doesn't drive you up the wall then the next step might be to
track down a free version of IntelliCAD.There's at least one currently
available that's not time-limited, but some earlier versions (eg Cadopia)
were robust enough.

 

Thanks Mick. I'll take a look at qcad. Your suggestion
helps filter out the hundreds of links from a google search.
It's price is reasonable enough for me to consider.

Regards...

 

Hi Troppo... Thanks for your suggestion of a9cad. Also thanks
for your comment on qcad. It'll give me a couple of options to
look at. Now I don't have to look at all the hundreds of links
from the google search.

Regards...

 

That's what I was after, but gave up because I couldn't get the scanner
to work. Also no room left for a dedicated Linux box. At least I've fixed
up XP so it doesn't phone home any more

I'll keep an eye on qcad - every so often someone comes along who wants
to learn CAD but needs to defer the risk of forking out big $$$.

Confession to make here - I don't use Paperspace :-O
Learned on ACAD 2.6 to 10 and - it seems - haven't progressed much.
The V.10 version I acquired in PNG (before they signed the International
Convention on Copyright). Apparently it was the non-dongle version from
the Pentagon via Kuala Lumpur ...
Have ACAD 2K from that software emporium in Kowloon. Licensed and dodgy
versions on the same shelf. Asian logic - buy the dodgy version first, if
you end up with substantial work value hanging on it, then it is wise to
buy the genuine version...

I have the non time-limited 2K version (which still works) and actually
bought the corresponding Pro version. The only free version now seems to
be ProgeCAD, but it would be a pain to use - huge adverts, and importing
blocks doesn't work.

 

I know this thread is old, but I've used IntelliCAD for years, and there is
a free version of that available from ProgeCAD. IntelliCAD is a consortium,
and so it's available from a bunch of different companies that compile more
or less the same source code.

When Activision dropped out of the consortium I switched to the CMS
version, which seemed to be cheapest ($70 I think), and switching vendors
means you pay full price and not an upgrade price, but the free version
from ProgeCAD seems to do most stuff, and isn't time limited.

These versions are for M$ Windows. I don't know if you can get it for any
other OS.

 

Hi All,
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Regards
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