Computer aided design (CAD) software, or CAD drawing or drafting software, can help a user easily design a product with a computer. CAD output is often in the form of electronic files for print or manufacturing operations, which is the base of computer aided manufacturing (CAM) systems.
CAD programs can be used to design products in a two dimensional (2D) space, or in a three dimensional (3D) environment. They have been widely used in the fields of architectural design, home design, woodworking, interior design, garden design, mechanical engineering, fashion design, printed circuit board (PCB) production, landscape design, jewelry manufacture, furniture design, bathroom design, textile design, and automotive production.
A professional and proprietary CAD application could cost thousands of US dollars or more. Sometimes it may be too expensive to a small business owner or an independent designer who is looking for a low-cost and inexpensive alternative. Under this circumstance, open source 2D or 3D CAD software could be a good choice. There are several kinds of open source CAD programs available for free download on the Internet. A user can download the open source applications and use them for free, while focusing his or her budget on software services such as customization and support.
Download and Install Open Source CAD Freeware
BRL-CAD is a free open source CAD program for 3D modeling. It supports many types of geometric representations, including implicit solids such as boxes, cones, ellipsoids and tori as well as explicit solids made from closed collections of Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) surfaces, n-Manifold Geometry (NMG), and purely faceted mesh geometry.
To download BRL-CAD, just go to the download page and click the version for an operating system (BSD, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Solaris, or others). Click the “Download Now!” button in the new page, and the download process will start automatically.
To install BRL-CAD, go to the installation guide page and follow the instructions step by step. The installation process is a little complicated to computer users who have got used to the easy-to-install Windows software.
Try and Compare Free Open Source CAD Software
Other popular free open source CAD tools include Archimedes, QCad and CADEMIA. They are usuful for various types of users:
- Archimedes is a free and open source CAD system for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems. An architect may find it the best choice for architectural design.
- QCad provides a free and open source community edition. It is a simple and easy to use 2D CAD drawing program for Linux and UNIX operating systems.
- CADEMIA is a free and open source CAD solution for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems. It is an inexpensive alternative to proprietary CAD software.
Clicking the links above and comparing them, a user can find a good free solution for his or her CAD practice.
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Chen Nanyang - Chen Nanyang's journalist career began in 2002 when he started writing for China's Nanfang City News, Singapore's United Morning Post and ...
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