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Awesome GPL 3D Modeling
  • Vote Up0Vote Down
    WP9
     
    June 2011
    I've been 3D modeling with SolidWorks for over 6 years now on multiple student licenses. Now that I'm not in school and can't afford to use the software I was trained on I'm looking for a free GPL 3D modeling with a similar layout and comparable features to SolidWorks. Does anyone have any experience with an awesome GPL mechanical design software that they would recommend?
     
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    PatrickGibbs
     
    June 2011
    there are eight softwares listed here, http://alternativeto.net/software/solidworks/?license=opensource

    plus Q-CAD, and more listed at https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Comparison_of_CAD_editors_for_AEC
     
  • Vote Up0Vote Down
    mjnmjn
     
    June 2011
    I've been using FreeCAD for the Steam Engine.  While limited, I haven't encountered anything that prevented me from modeling what I need.

     
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    jershonda
     
    June 2011
    mjn: are there any resources for learning freecCAD, I have the program and have puttered around with it, but I can't find all the tools that I'm used to (sketching gets really annoying after the third redraw).  thanks

    Jershonda
     
  • Vote Up0Vote Down
    mjnmjn
     
    June 2011
    @jershonda
    Have a look at http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/FreeCAD - I just posted a short introductory manual.  I've been working on it as time allows.  Hopefully it will help.  If you have questions, shoot me email.  As I said, it's been working just fine for the Steam Engine CAD files.

    - Mark

     
  • Vote Up0Vote Down
    mjnmjn
     
    June 2011
    I took a bit of time and added a description of how to join parts and rotate them.  The PDF document on http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/FreeCAD now has enough basic information to create most of the kind of parts you'll likely need.  The one things that's missing here is an explanation of how extrude parts, which is very useful to generate parts that are complex in two dimensions, but uniform along the third.

    FreeCAD can also be used to create 2D technical drawings.  I haven't tried using that capability yet.  Someone more familiar with FreeCAD can take a shot at some basic user documentation if they like.  Personally, I'll stick with Photoshop.

    -Mark
     
  • Vote Up0Vote Down
    WP9
     
    June 2011
    Thanks for all the info everyone, I'll have to give FreeCAD a try.

    @mjn I'll check out your tutorials on the wiki and if I run into any issues and there isn't anything on the wiki about it I'll do some research and contribute the work.
     
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