23-11-2012, 08:01 PM
Hi,
Thanks everyone for replying.
I tried downloading the package you kindly suggested Nick and it took 20 minutes but when I tried to install my operating system did not support it as it needed Vista SP1.
I've just managed to download your suggested package Alan; DraftSight downloaded in a minute and installed quickly although I have not had chance to play around with it.
When I bought my first computer about 15 years ago Gary it came with Coral Draw on CD which I still have somewhere but I never used it.
Oh dear David I can relate to your comments only too well having tried a number of CAD programs over the years. when I bought TurboCad I was determined to learn how to use it but like you it drove me to despair; with over 65 tutorials I found it took forever just to try to set the page size and when I tried to follow each tutorial I felt totally isolated as the tutorial was hidden whilst I tried to draw; I gave up after spending many hours in frustration.
This afternoon I was determined to produce the drawing I needed and with fierce concentration I got stuck into "emachineshop" and after four hours I succeeded so at last I've got my foot on the CAD ladder. What I achieved in four hours producing the drawing I can now achieve in minutes and feel I now at last have a grasp of the very basics which will make everyone familiar with CAD laugh at my slow progress; winter is here if ever it left us so I'll spend some time with emachineshop as I find it more user friendly than the other CAD programs I've tried.
I too tried "Paint" and can draw with this David but can heck as draw anything to dimension so I've only ever used paint as I would a sketch pad.
The emachineshop drawing format is not recognized by "Gimp" or even "My documents" so I couldn't even send my successful drawing but then it occurred to me to take a digital picture and download this so below is the drawing. It is very basic having two concentric circles and three equally spaced diagonal lines breaking the circles into six very accurate segments of 60 degrees each. The outer circle is the reference to align the newly turned metal mount and the inner circle gives the six hole centers where each line intersects. Tomorrow if it is not pouring with rain; blowing a gale or snowing I hope to attach the drawing using double sided adhesive tape; center punch then drill pilot holes followed by the tapping and clearance holes and finally tapping at 5mm.
I visited Screwfix today and bought 100 5mm x 16mm stainless steel socket countersink screws; these were cheap and the size will be handy to have in stock.
After years of CAD frustration I've finally produced an accurate drawing that I can use; I'll add the actual project later as a thread; I'm pleased with my progress today.
Many thanks to Gary for kindly offering to help out with a drawing if I became hopelessly stuck; I appreciate your offer Gary; thank you.
Kind regards, Col.
Thanks everyone for replying.
I tried downloading the package you kindly suggested Nick and it took 20 minutes but when I tried to install my operating system did not support it as it needed Vista SP1.
I've just managed to download your suggested package Alan; DraftSight downloaded in a minute and installed quickly although I have not had chance to play around with it.
When I bought my first computer about 15 years ago Gary it came with Coral Draw on CD which I still have somewhere but I never used it.
Oh dear David I can relate to your comments only too well having tried a number of CAD programs over the years. when I bought TurboCad I was determined to learn how to use it but like you it drove me to despair; with over 65 tutorials I found it took forever just to try to set the page size and when I tried to follow each tutorial I felt totally isolated as the tutorial was hidden whilst I tried to draw; I gave up after spending many hours in frustration.
This afternoon I was determined to produce the drawing I needed and with fierce concentration I got stuck into "emachineshop" and after four hours I succeeded so at last I've got my foot on the CAD ladder. What I achieved in four hours producing the drawing I can now achieve in minutes and feel I now at last have a grasp of the very basics which will make everyone familiar with CAD laugh at my slow progress; winter is here if ever it left us so I'll spend some time with emachineshop as I find it more user friendly than the other CAD programs I've tried.
I too tried "Paint" and can draw with this David but can heck as draw anything to dimension so I've only ever used paint as I would a sketch pad.
The emachineshop drawing format is not recognized by "Gimp" or even "My documents" so I couldn't even send my successful drawing but then it occurred to me to take a digital picture and download this so below is the drawing. It is very basic having two concentric circles and three equally spaced diagonal lines breaking the circles into six very accurate segments of 60 degrees each. The outer circle is the reference to align the newly turned metal mount and the inner circle gives the six hole centers where each line intersects. Tomorrow if it is not pouring with rain; blowing a gale or snowing I hope to attach the drawing using double sided adhesive tape; center punch then drill pilot holes followed by the tapping and clearance holes and finally tapping at 5mm.
I visited Screwfix today and bought 100 5mm x 16mm stainless steel socket countersink screws; these were cheap and the size will be handy to have in stock.
After years of CAD frustration I've finally produced an accurate drawing that I can use; I'll add the actual project later as a thread; I'm pleased with my progress today.
Many thanks to Gary for kindly offering to help out with a drawing if I became hopelessly stuck; I appreciate your offer Gary; thank you.
Kind regards, Col.
Happiness is a wreck of a cabinet to restore.
