Design CAD/CAM freeware

50Twuncle

Is there any CAD/CAM freeware available to allow me to produce simple house plans ?
We are planning an extension and I want to try myself before employing an architect.

macman

Google SketchUp?

Gimp0r

The best free cad software i have found is Draughtsight, It is free to use, I dont think its open source, It runs on Windows, Mac and Linux , Best of all its nearly identical to Autocad, It will even use .DWG files (Industry standard cad file).

http://www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/free-cad-software/

paddyrg

blender has very powerful 3D modelling capabilities, takes a bit of learning, but you will need to get used to complicated software if you're going to be using CAD systems.

Or tey Autocad free for 30 days http://download.cnet.com/AutoCAD/3000-6677_4-10573933.html (then a mere $4k). Or as a compromise http://download.cnet.com/Sweet-Home-3D/3000-6677_4-10747645.html

WLM21

21Twinkle wrote: »

We are planning an extension and I want to try myself before employing an architect.

You may already have Microsoft Visio, previously supplied with Office packages .. it's quite easy to use.

As another poster mentions, Autocad has quite a steep learning curve, so if you just want to draw 2D plans, or at least mess about with ideas / layouts it would probably not be worth trying to learn it.

I am not an architect, but actually a civil engineer .. but when plans are drawn professionally, they use standard widths / spacing etc which will always make getting plans passed much easier ... but for layout ideas etc it's ideal if you do it yourself first.
And maybe try TuboCAD

50Twuncle

I have downloaded and am trying DRAFTSIGHT - Are there any (free) downloadable templates for kitchen sinks, cabinets, doors, windows etc etc ?

everett_psycho

21Twinkle wrote: »

I have downloaded and am trying DRAFTSIGHT - Are there any (free) downloadable templates for kitchen sinks, cabinets, doors, windows etc etc ?

give google sketch up a try if your new, not overly complicated to use but has a huge library of pre made models to import just as you're asking for, it makes doing mock ups of things pretty simple

rdr

for the interior try the IKEA kitchen planner - it has a library of other furniture as well.

big_mortgage

Try Osalt.com there are lots of alternatives there

http://www.osalt.com/graphic-applications