Best cad for beginner

[whensparksfly]

It's for a plasma cad will only be 2d

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[cropwell]

If you look here https://www.3ds.com/products-service...-cad-software/ you will find a free version. It is almost an AutoCAD clone.

[C_Bubba]

If you look here https://www.3ds.com/products-service...-cad-software/ you will find a free version. It is almost an AutoCAD clone.

I totally agree with this one. I have been using Draftsight for several years now and I came from an autocad background. The price is right and it is easy to use. There are several tutorials available and it only requires the internet to register it. Once in a rare while, I get an email from them, but not a lot.

[brumster]

For 2D stuff I get on quite well with the freebie QCAD; I've no previous background so I'm quite happy to learn what others would probably call it's "idiosyncrasy".

For 3D stuff I really love OnShape as mentioned above. Again, completely free, very easy to use for me (having come from DelCam Powershape) and when you consider what you can do with it without spending any money, it's a pretty cool tool. I use it mainly for 3D printed parts. Don't poo-poo it straight away because it's browser based, but obviously it does necessitate an always-on internet connection. If you want private designs in it, unshared with the world, then you'll hit the free limits quickly though - and then, at $100 per month, it's not cheap. Their pricing could really do with an intermediate level IMHO.

[komatias]

.... If you want private designs in it, unshared with the world, then you'll hit the free limits quickly though - and then, at $100 per month, it's not cheap. Their pricing could really do with an intermediate level IMHO.

That!

[Neale]

Fusion 360 is the same price as OnShape for home/hobby users - that is, free - and doesn't seem to have the same storage limits. That's one reason I use it; the others are that it seems to be a bit more powerful than OnShape and with more fancy features (although that comes at the price of a bit more complexity) and that it has a pretty good built-in CAM package. Although it is 3D, you can in effect use it as a 2D drawing package (and export DXF files if you want). I used to use TurboCAD but now do even simple drawings in F360.

[brumster]

Fusion 360 is the same price as OnShape for home/hobby users - that is, free - and doesn't seem to have the same storage limits. That's one reason I use it; the others are that it seems to be a bit more powerful than OnShape and with more fancy features (although that comes at the price of a bit more complexity) and that it has a pretty good built-in CAM package. Although it is 3D, you can in effect use it as a 2D drawing package (and export DXF files if you want). I used to use TurboCAD but now do even simple drawings in F360.

Can you elaborate a bit more on the licensing model? It says "full use for 90 days", what happens after 90 days? Might be tempted to try it if it doesn't have to limitations of OnShape... mind you, I do like OnShape :(....

[Chaz]

Fusion 360 is the same price as OnShape for home/hobby users - that is, free - and doesn't seem to have the same storage limits. That's one reason I use it; the others are that it seems to be a bit more powerful than OnShape and with more fancy features (although that comes at the price of a bit more complexity) and that it has a pretty good built-in CAM package. Although it is 3D, you can in effect use it as a 2D drawing package (and export DXF files if you want). I used to use TurboCAD but now do even simple drawings in F360.

Fusion 360. Most users wont need more. Its free and you can import almost any existing format into it.