Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: riccofl on July 26, 2008, 11:59:27 PM
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Hi,
Is there a good and somewhat easy CAD program out there, where you can design your own home and print blueprints ready for county approval?
Cheers
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There are (was?) some CAD programs for Amiga. Mostly intended for electronic designs.
Never knew one for architectural projects.
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There was a program way back called Homebuilder's CAD. I don't know if it was any good. You may want to look for that.
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Search for Cycas CAD. It was aimed at Architectural and Engineering fields as well as Electronics and was not too bad about 12 to 15 years ago. It was being supported and improved upon for a while, but don't know when/if support and further development stopped. I believe it was based in Germany or another EU country, but had English support as well. I have a registered copy downloaded and saved on a floppy and some old hard drive around here somewhere.
I use TurboCAD for the PC now for the last 10+ years as it was very low priced and full of features. Once you learn one CAD program you are reluctant to start over on another and I am not rich enough (or stupid enough) to spend the thousands of dollars on any AutoCAD products. TurboCAD can read and write most AutoCAD file formats.
There are also several other Amiga CAD programs, InteliCAD 3D CAD, HomeBuilders CAD (shareware, I looked at it briefly, but never really tried it) and a few others I can't remember at the moment. I only tried and liked Cycas CAD and at the time I was looking, I think it was the only Amiga CAD program I could find that was still being developed, but others here will probably point out some others.
I have been ridiculed for even thinking of using something like Lightwave, or another Amiga 3D program for CAD, but still think it could be done if someone would write some CAD specific tools as an add-on for Lightwave, Imagine, or Aladdin 4D. It sure would be nice to only have to learn one program and be able to use it for both 3D animation, 2D & 3D CAD drawings and modeling with "walk-throughs/fly-throughs" that most clients want these days.
If only the Open Toaster/Flyer group could get the source for Amiga Lightwave as well as the rest of the old Amiga Toaster/Flyer software. Then some bright developers with more time than common sense on their hands could continue development of the Amiga Lightwave code, port it to Classic PPC Amigas, AOS4.x, MorphOS2.x and AROS, as well as perhaps write the tools to make it more usable as an Architectural CAD program too.
[Dream Mode Off]
Edit: Found some links to Cycas CAD here (http://sarugu.com/2007/07/01/cycas-cad-2d-3d/) and here (http://www.cycas.de/) . It is still in development for Windows and Linux and I think for NetBSD too. Enjoy! :-D
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http://www.haage-partner.de/amiga/products/ds_sup_e.htm#demo
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There was also a program called X-CAD
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There was also MaxonCAD. The last version was 2.5.
I remember the software came with a library of architectural symbols for plans. I used to use it to design simple plans. For a more complex design work it was too simple.
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Great answers, thanks everybody. I will check out those programs.
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amigadave wrote:
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I have been ridiculed for even thinking of using something like Lightwave, or another Amiga 3D program for CAD, but still think it could be done if someone would write some CAD specific tools as an add-on for Lightwave, Imagine, or Aladdin 4D. It sure would be nice to only have to learn one program and be able to use it for both 3D animation, 2D & 3D CAD drawings and modeling with "walk-throughs/fly-throughs" that most clients want these days.
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Well, I have the only "true" 3d CAD package that was available for the Amiga:
DynaCadd from CRP Koruk.
I always wanted an Amiga raytracing software capable of importing .dxf and/or .cgm format(s).
Then I could export a dimensioning-wise precise 3d-model from DynaCadd to e.g. Reflections (MoonZoom), Imagine, TurboSilver, Real 3d or Maxxon Cinema 4d and render/animate it there...
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The best Amiga Cad program for me is Dynacadd 2.04
http://www.designpreference.com/Vault/DynaCADD.pdf
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Like Amigadave said, CycasCAD is worth looking at. IIRC, it's geared toward architectural CAD. Their website doesn't list Amiga any more, but you might be able to get the Amiga version from somewhere.
Hans
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Hans_ wrote:
...but you might be able to get the Amiga version from somewhere.
Yes - from here (http://main.aminet.net/gfx/3d/Cycas178_EN.lha)...
EDIT:
Hmmmmmm - interesting.
From Amiga-news.de the link works - once linked here, it doesn't work any longer.
In case it doesn't work for you either, here's the link to the news item at amiga-news.de:
Cycas (Amiga-News) (http://www.amiga-news.de/de/news/AN-2005-04-00085-DE.html)
The news item is in German - but I think you'll understand the Buzz-words "Download" and "Englische Version:"...
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AlicePPC wrote:
The best Amiga Cad program for me is Dynacadd 2.04
http://www.designpreference.com/Vault/DynaCADD.pdf
Thanx for this great link!
And even in German...
Do you know if a similar software review exists somewhere for DynaCadd v3?
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At least in Finland the drawings have to be exactly like the department wants, a decade old cad-program wouldnt do. I myself modidied/drew prints with Autocad for a co-worker no longer than a few weeks ago. Probably other countries are not so strict, but its worth checking before drawing the first line.