CadStd Lite: This is a very basic 2D CAD program, with only rudimentary functions. The help file is almost nonexistent, so it wouldn't even be easy for a beginner to use. So whaddaya want for free, your money back? Not the most convenient to plot (print) from, but being relatively small, it might make a practical plot utility.

Cadvance 6.5: Seems like a useful basic CAD program. Its setup program doesn't completely install it: you need to manually copy the files from folder "Disk 5" into the working folder to get some functions to work. It has Undo (essential) but no Redo. The Snap function that puts the cursor accurately on an object must be set properly for each action, which I found time-consuming. The help file is OK but not very complete. Some tutorials and a forum on their website, where users were saying it's great in 2D and lousy in 3D. I think the lack of documentation might make it hard for a beginner to use. But I was able to accurately, if not conveniently, draw and export a fair guitar shape.

[IMSI has stopped offering a freeware copy of TurboCAD LE at their own website due to installation problems with Windows XP. It is still available at FreeCAD.com using the link below, but we don't know for how long. You must register to download.]
TurboCAD LE (scroll down): More sophisticated than Cadvance, TurboCad's appearance and operation are familiar to the Windows user, which makes it very easy to get started. It has good multiple Undo and Redo, a huge plus. The only curve it draws is a Bezier curve, which is too floppy to fair through points well; I could draw a guitar outline but it wasn't very smooth. A fair curve stayed fair when imported, though: draw your outline in Cadvance, then continue in TurboCad? The help file wasn't much help; I had to answer many of my own questions by trial & error, although this was much easier than it would have been in many programs. It handles Autocad dxf and dwg files well, the Windows-style printing controls are familiar, and it will automatically tile up a large drawing into 8 1/2" x 11" pages for the printer, though I found it hard to fine-tune the alignment. The MIMForum Sysop's choice for plotting drawings for its ease of use and compatibility with the dxf format.

DeltaCad v4X: Not free, but almost. An excellent beginner's program, but I think one might outgrow it quickly. Good help file, easy to get started. But: only one Undo and no Redo, few Snap options, and its only spline (variable curve) option is lumpy and difficult to use - all serious drawbacks, IMHO.

SoftCad 3D Lite 1.16: I try to avoid 3D CAD drawing, so I really can't judge this one. One Cadvance dealer was recommending SoftCad over Cadvance for 3D work, on the Cadvance forum. There are some very useful-looking tutorial files on the website.

IntelliCAD 2000: Astonishing for a free program. At least for 2D, it seems to have most of the functions of the expensive full-blown CAD systems. It has a presentation that's easy to use and to customize, to show just the buttons you use, where you want them. It has unlimited Undo and Redo. The spline is easy and smooth -- it will draw an accurate and fair guitar outline. The help file seems quite complete. It has a Beginner switch that simplifies the choices, and there's a 450-page user manual, now incorporated in the help files, with each action described step by step from drawing your first line on up, so a beginner should be able to get it going. Unfortunately the free version has some serious bugs that can make Icad difficult or impossible to use (experiences vary widely from no problems yet to occasional loss of data to constant crashes), and the current developers seem to lack the will or the resources to correct them. You get what you pay for -- if you're lucky.

FastCad View7: Not a CAD drawing program but a viewer/printer for existing CAD drawings. It's free, it's very easy to use, and it accepts DXF's and DWG's. The best part is it's set up to print large drawings in tiled 8 1/2" x 11" pages on an ordinary printer. Gives you a print preview of the drawing all tiled up, you hit OK, and it spits 'em out. So simple, it should make DXF files usable by all. Now requires registration before download.

Volo View Express 2.1 by AutoDesk (the AutoCAD people) is another CAD viewer. It's no longer being updated and so does not support newer AutoCAD file formats. AutoDesk is no longer offering it for download, at this time you can still find it at some freeware download sites if you google for it.

PLEASE NOTE: A number of people have e-mailed us to request that we review their freeware or shareware CAD programs. Your product must meet the following requirements before we consider it for review: it must run under Windows; must output true, AutoCAD-compatible DXF files; and must be capable of producing a smooth curve, such as a guitar outline. If it can't do all of those things, please don't ask us to review your product.

This is an archived file from the Musical Instrument Makers Forum
Index of Archived Files
MIMF Home