Hello! For a designer, a good software is important to design. According to you, what's your desired software?
Whatever you can afford. Are you looking at 2D or 3D?
There are quite a few free apps. BRLCAD, Draftsight, FreeCAD to name a few off the top of my head. Some 2D, some 3D also available for reasonably low cost, RhinoCAD
Deeper pockets SolidWorks, Inventor, ProEng, Catia.
Can't think of any more at the moment.
2D plus 3D. Just 2D or 3D maybe not enough for design, I usually combine the two. Pro/E is good 3D software. Draftsight is free but not good enough. I wonder what software are you using at moment. According to me, a good software is that can meet our demands and has powerful function. It's should be cheap of course.
I agree with you but I think your list is backwards.
1: It has to be cheap.
I have a range that I use depending on what I need.
My basic 2D is FastCAD v6, didn't like what they did with v7 - forgot to mention it before, I am old, I forget stuff.
I use BobCAD about v12 or something for converting DXF to GCode for the CNC machines. Yes it is clunky and an old buggy version, but it allows manual defining of cutter paths as well as automated. I like being able to adjust a cutter path so I end up closer to something else I need to start with in the next operation.
I have ProEng and an old Inventor (v5 I think) but frankly, I see no real use for them and usually (always?) drop back to 2D. I invent (design) all my own stuff and the Assembly is in my head. I do not need to waste time doing petty wire-frames to see how stuff goes together, I just need to draw the parts for machining. I can do that about ten-times faster in 2D.
I then use comEDITcnc for feeding stuff to the CNC machines. While not a drawing package, I like it because I can have separate machine-configurations for the same GCode.
On the last day I rested!
Well, I like 3D of course, easy to learn and use. The detailing package should be simple, intuitive, and easy to manipulate views and dimensional data.
Early cad software had none of these features. I used Intergraph EMS and FEM back in the 90’s. The software was Boolean based modeling, which was prone to corrupt and un-changeable 3D models. The detailing/drafting package on the Intergraph Software was one of the best.
I think most intermediate CAD software available today is really good. Feature based modeling is the way to go, though some drafting/detailing packages could use some help (I won’t mention which software).
I have been working in the Mechical Engineering field for 17 years and if you are looking for a good 3d software and easy to use and learn, buy SolidWorks. I started out in Acad in 1995 and will never go back to do 3d. it takes toooooo many steps to make just a simple 3d object and then to make a dwg out of a part can be ugly too. Plus, just to set up the print, you have to go thru toooooooo many steps and then you have to know how to save and use again. It is a whole different animal.
Solidworks is much easier. If you get it, go thru the FREE tutorials and you will learn it much faster. There are online areas that are easy to acess and information can be a phone call away if you get the technical support or a web site away. good luck
CADWorx Plant for vessels and steel structures
Solidworks. I have yet to see something that can't be designed in Solidworks.
I've been brought up on a combination of Solidworks and Pro/Engineer (or Creo, as it's now called). I mainly use Solidworks, and when I go back to Creo, there are so many parts of the UI that are dated compared to Solidworks, so many things that make you smack your head on the desk wondering why it was designed like that!
However, when you learn you use Creo properly, I find it more powerful than Solidworks, and it wont fail on features that Solidworks tends to. I find thats especially the case with surface modelling.
But I'm going to learn AutoCad, as most companies seem to ask for experience in that. Hardly anyone seems to use Creo anymore.
I use Solidworks and I am yet to figure out how to make a solid tank tread flexible to follow the belt rotation. Not sure if its even possible with any CAD program tho.
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