QCad

[fjleal]

My system:
Asus L5C laptop, PIV 2.8GHz/512 MB ram/80 GB hdd, Mobility Radeon 9000, running FC1.

Program description:

QCad is an application for computer aided drafting in two dimensions. With QCad you can create technical drawings such as plans for buildings, interiors or mechanical parts. QCad works under Linux, Unix Systems, Mac OS X and Windows. The source code of QCad is released under the GPL (Open Source).

I needed a 2D CAD application for Linux, preferably for free (of course). After several unsuccessful attempts to use different applications available on the web, I found QCad. Its very easy to learn and it has a basic working philosophy very similar to Autodesk AutoCad's one. For anyone who doesn't need 3D, QCad is a very nice application. The Windows version is not free, for as its author writes, " It doesn't make sense currently to release the Windows version under GPL. Windows is not a platform where contributing code is a common thing and the manufacturer of Windows is even fighting an active war against the Open Source movement."
Manuals are available in HTML and PDF formats from the website (http://www.ribbonsoft.com/qcad.html).

It's easy to compile the sources under FC1. I have a binary built for FC1 from my website at http://www.ingeniumatica.com/downloads/qcad-2.0.3.1-1-linux.x86.tar.bz2 (it's a 21 MB download).

My screenshots:

http://www.ingeniumatica.com/misc/qcad_1.jpg

http://www.ingeniumatica.com/misc/qcad_2.jpg

Assessments:
- installation: 4 (out of 5)
- ease of use: 5 (out of 5)
- features: 4 (out of 5)
- quality: 4 (out of 5)
- overall: 8.5 (out of 10)

;)

[Ug]

That looks very interesting! Finally a nice tool in which to plan my Unreal Tournament maps. :D

[jeremie]

I see your message was posted in April.

Have you had the chance to test other GPL CAD applications since then?

I'm looking for a possibility to generate script to read GIS files into a CAD application.

I made the switch to FC3 2 months ago, but i'm still using AutoCAD on Windows for my scripts.

[fjleal]

Greetings!

I did try others, but none as good as QCad. Also found some intersting ones, like Cycas (http://www.cycas.de), that work on both on GNU/Linux and Windws, but are not free. A demo is available, that only allows to draw on a single layer.

[crackers]

I just started messing around with QCad (beginning home remodelling effort and I want plans, dagnabbit!) and it just like totally rocks! Heck, I've sent the developer some money (not enough for the pro edition) but because it's so good that he deserved it!

[fjleal]

Yes, QCad is very nice. I'm teaching CAD for beginners using it, and the students find its interface very intuitive. If it only could do 3D, it'd be amazing!

BTW, QCad was part of FC 1 (one of the first versions), and maybe FC2 also, but it's not present in FC3 anymore - at least, I wasn't able to find it, so I had to compile from sources. May anyone know why? It's GPL, there's no licensing problems... And it fits on the CDs. :)

beginning home remodelling effort
Don't mention it! I did a little home remodelling last summer - never again! Never again!! ;)

[crackers]

Ah, but the wife's the one pushing the projects - and she's stated flatly that she'll be doing a lot of the real "grunt" type work (painting). That means my big parts are construction - and I get to buy power tools!

Oook, oook! :D

[Dog-One]

Ah, but the wife's the one pushing the projects - and she's stated flatly that she'll be doing a lot of the real "grunt" type work (painting). That means my big parts are construction - and I get to buy power tools!

Oook, oook! :D
Hehe!

I have a really super Hitachi slide compound saw, because my wife had to have new moldings in the bathroom she finished painting. Boy will that thing cut, perfect edges and at any imaginable angle.

If only had I known about QCad first--had to go and buy 18 more feet of molding when I only needed about 18 inches. Cut one piece behind the toilet 1/8" too short, Arrg! Maybe in a few years, they'll make growers to go along with the cutters. :D

[rapaneli]

i have download qcad rpm from this link http://apt.kde-redhat.org/kde-redhat/kde-redhat/3/RPMS.stable/qcad-2.0.4.0-0.1.3.kde.i386.rpm
it's work fine for me so far (2 weeks)
i hope it's helpful

[engwnbie]

Hehe!

I have a really super Hitachi slide compound saw, because my wife had to have new moldings in the bathroom she finished painting. Boy will that thing cut, perfect edges and at any imaginable angle.

If only had I known about QCad first--had to go and buy 18 more feet of molding when I only needed about 18 inches. Cut one piece behind the toilet 1/8" too short, Arrg! Maybe in a few years, they'll make growers to go along with the cutters. :D
Hey that's what the putty and caulking is for. Just wet finger and smooth it out after application and you'll only know the difference.