Ways of sketching out new ideas, CAD, Paint, Pencil / Paper

[grsthegreat]

I have used AutoCAD and CorelDRAW and CorelTRACE for many years. The Corel products are much easier to learn than AutoCAD.

I watched the video of SketchUP...and think i may download it and play with it. looks like a fun tool.

[BIG DOOLEY]

Thanks everyone I have lots to explore.
Tom

[EMB5530]

Yea, I may be to slow for DraftSight too!!!
I can't get the hang of tring to see how long/what size the lines and shapes I am making are, unless I make the line and then go back to the linear tool and then change the font size in order to be able to see what it reads then go back and resize my drawing to the appropriate size. Don't know if I am doin it all wrong because trying to set up grid isn't working right(or what I think should be right) either.
Maybe I should just stick to drawing it by hand and/or just winging it since I have never used a CAD program before.(Really would like to learn though)

[Lou66]

I started playing with that SketchUp.. I designed one heck of a building.. lots of window and doors,, but after awhile I realized it was structurally unsound and I had no money to build it,, plus it could fall at anytime with my equipment and animal inside,, did I mention that it is very large over 100 thousand sq. ft.. so guess I will go back with pencil, paper, calculator and a lot of thought..I would never think that big with a pencil.. that is a nice program tho,,Lou

[Piston]

Keep at it with Sketchup, however, go to youtube and search for Sketchup Tutorials. Once you figure out how to make and use "components" it is one heck of a program.
I started using sketchup and going through the tutorials, I would go through on tutorial, then practice that function, then move on to the next when I was proficient. It does take practice, but it's more like an investment in time, once you get proficient with it, it is 10 times faster and more accurate than any pencil and paper.

[Cat_Driver]

I use VECTORWORKS. I need to see things in 3D. Really helps finding the problems before I tackle anything

[mjncad]

I have used AutoCAD and CorelDRAW and CorelTRACE for many years. The Corel products are much easier to learn than AutoCAD.

It's all that we get used too. I've tried CorelDraw and found it a pain to use and inaccurate as it's more of an illustration tool than a drafting/engineering design tool. I do use Corel's Paint Shop Pro as I find it does all that I need and then some for a bitmap paint program; but Corel bought PSP from the now defunct Jasc Software company.

[chim]

Here's the plan for the cab I'm building.

[Dongerosa]

pencil and paper...creating iso drawing of potential project. but my projects have been simple.

have spent some time with solid modeling...but never spent the time to get good at it. I may try this Google sketch-up thing. I'm looking at building a car and they did it in sketch up...here is the link...pretty cool for a free program. https://sites.google.com/site/car9buildit/home

[boggen]

this is a extremely old thread i created for "paint" for tips and tricks in how to use it.
using microsoft paint

current thread of mine here on TBN that gives examples of "paint" in the first few pages, and then later pages of "autodesk inventor"
new tractor idea possibly....

3D programs like autodesk inventor, or google sketchup, have a very steep learning curve. and it takes time to set down and go through a bunch of tutorials, and youtube videos to learn the program. and that in itself can take a good amount of time. once you learned how to use a given 3D software on other hand, it is quick and easy for most part. and gives you a bunch more freedom. it is that initial learning curve that kicks ya in the pants.

=====================
with above paper and pencil works good enough. it will most likely look like chicken scratches from a 2 year old. but honestly, but who cares? as long as you understand it. and if showing to someone else, they get the basic idea of things. that is all that maters. professionally is one thing, but random projects around the house. what ever is quick and easy is what gets used.