Free CAD software

George, it very much depends on whether you are planning to draw everything in 2D, which is very much like using pencil and paper, or whether you want to produce it as a 3D model?
You might want to look at Rhino3D which runs as the full version in 'evaluation mode', and I think that it is limited to about 25 'saves'.

Another alternative might be something like Kompas-3D LT which is a free for non-commercial use 3D parametric modeller.
Parametric modellers allow the drawings to be driven by their dimensions......so if you update a dimension, then the object that the dimension is linked to is updated too....as well as other associated parts.

If you would like a simple but very functional free 2D CAD system, you could try Dolphin Partmaster CAD.
 
I tend to use autodesk inventor - very powerfull tool and comparitively intuitive if you have experience with CAD packages.

You get a 30 day free trial with it which should be suffice to put together a yard trailor. Alternativiely if you know someone in University, ask them nicely, use their details and get a 13 month free trial.....
 
Google Sketchup -free-very easy to use- powerful-ish (once you have learnt to use it)- lots of online tutorials too
 
scruff said:
I tend to use autodesk inventor - very powerfull tool and comparitively intuitive if you have experience with CAD packages.

You get a 30 day free trial with it which should be suffice to put together a yard trailor. Alternativiely if you know someone in University, ask them nicely, use their details and get a 13 month free trial.....
Click to expand...

As you say very powerful tool, but has quite a long learning curve, so if someone were to download the software who did not know how to use it I think the 30 trial would be up before they were familiar enough to produce work.
And as for your last suggestion ... Tsch, Tsch. Very naughty! :mad:

Mal
 
Another vote for Google Sketch Up

As Tim_ber says, its free, easier to use than others I've looked at and has its own tutorials as well as plenty more tutorials on Youtube
 
Thanks everyone

Thanks everyone, your replies are very helpful and will point me in the right direction. I have experience with computers, I write the Fast-net for Yacht Brokers system, but no experience with CAD. I expect I am in for a steep learning curve. I have thought about CAD before for previous drawings but never got round to it. George
 
SketchupCAD is free and quite simple to use if your drawing buildings, I would think its going to quite difficult to alter the parameters to design trailers with it as it is/was primarily a 2D/3D building program - you draw the plan of the building in 2D and you viewed the drawing in a 3D window.

I'd ask around there are 1000s of copies of AutoCAD knocking about which work in 2D and 3D. Either way CAD is a good weeks learning curve even if your used to drawing with pencil & paper. If you've not used to that side of things, get somebody else to do it for you, as it'll be a lot less frustrating and quicker. AutoCAD is command line based but most of the others are based on an AutoCAD fromat even if they are menu driven. I thought the easiest CAD program to learn was MicroStation, but not widely available.

Good luck.
 
Take a look at this site. http://www.freecad.com/
It lists most of the available free CAD programs. I have been a long term user of TurboCad, but find the later versions a real PITA as they are just too complex, and use too much of the screen for menus and web links, leaving a restricted drawing space. All in all, my favourite was version 3, which ran on Windows 95! I bought version 6.5, and hated it. The free learning edition is based on one of the old versions, and having lost the key to reinstall my old versions, I am about to try it.
 
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