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Subject:RE: 3D CAD software for dummies/cheapskates? From:jbfoster <jb -dot- foster -at- shaw -dot- ca> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 31 Mar 2003 13:53:03 -0700
Hi Keith,
What are you trying to draw, and for what medium (i.e. web, print, ...)?
If it's for print, then you should consider working in 2D. The trick is to
make the illustration look 3D by using an isometric view and including
shading, and line techniques, etc. In addition, 3D drawings are real memory
hogs, and look awful in print unless passed through rendering software such
as Rhino. Also, most 3D drawing programs require the user to create a
polygon, or mesh, fill before shading, and detail, can be applied ... that's
unless you're drawing a group of boxes.
If it's not too complicated a drawing, I'd be glad to do it on Designer, for
you. Otherwise Illustrator, Designer, CorelDraw, Freehand, Canvas, and Xara
X, are still the best choices for 2D illustrations. They are all of equal
capability, yet both Canvas, and Xara, are quite inexpensive and can be
downloaded from the net.
If it's a one off ... why not download the 30-day trail version of Corel
Designer 10, it's a full working version downloadable from the net at:
> I need to do a one-off graphics project that would be most effectively
> presented as a 3D rendering. I'm good with graphics, so I figure I can
> suss out a CAD application pretty quickly, as long as it's fairly
> user-friendly. Anybody have any recommendations?
>
> I bought one of those $10 no-name CAD CDs at Office Max yesterday, but
> it's DOS-based and klunky. I notice that old versions of TurboCad are
> floating around eBay for under 20 bucks. And I can't find the "Expert"
> software that used to be all over the shelves of Office Depot - I've
> actually had fairly good luck with some of their software.
>
> I'm looking for low price and shallow learning curve. Anybody have any
> insights? This is not a work for hire (in other words, I did not BS
> somebody into hiring me to do 3D work), but I do need to get this off my
> plate quickly. Is the old TurboCad (v. 7, I think) my best bet?
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