Re: Anyone using the CAD packages?
[...]
> On Tuesday 20 May 2003 18:25, Wathen, Metherion wrote:
>> Hi all,
>> I am wondering if there is anyone on the list here
>> using QCAD or CYCAS for architectural drafitng
>> purposes.
>> If so could you reply with your preferences, pointers
>> etc. please.
>
> Now that we are here, let me ask this question. All of my friends in the
> faculty of mechanical engineering, only work with Autodesk AutoCAD
> 2000. I have been told that more sophisticated CAD packages also exist,
> which may also run on non Wintel platforms, like Sun workstations. But
> I haven't found any. I would really love to know "Is AutoCAD the
> optimum CAD software, or are there more advanced ones available?"
I am an architect, and a debian user who has diligently tried to find a
CAD application that will run (for a non-programming end-user) on Debian
for the past 5 years. I have found nothing which would not mean a
significant compromise from what you can do with AutoCAD. (Regardless of
whether you like AutoCAD, it is a tool which architects around the world
use on a daily basis, year after year to get their work done.)
The best CAD application (for architecture) I have found which will run,
more or less as is, on a linux or gnu/linux system is the non-gpl'ed
beta level german software called octree http://www.octree.de, which,
from my experience interacts inconsistently with the XF86 windows
system.
There is only one "full production level" CAD system which will run on
any variant of Unix, and that is ARRIS which runs on sgi and sun
equipment. (Exclusive of Unigraphics, CATIA, Pro/E, etc, all of which,
as has been pointed out, cost 2 to 4 times what AutoCAD costs, and which
are a intended for a need other than architectural design and
documentation).
In the end, running ARRIS on sgi/irix was the closest I could come to a
useful cad (for architects) system on linux. I would be very happy to
learn of any other solution.
RB
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