CAD?

i've never used CAD (unless 3d homebuilder counts),and i'm looking for a program that i can build anything from a dune buggy to a LT truck.
i would like it to be as cheap as possible, and it needs to work on a MBP.

 

google sketchup works pretty well for being free. but a mac wont run solidworks or catia, being 16 you can use a windows computer and contact solidworks and get a student edition for 150 bucks a year.

 

i'll have to checkout sketch up, that's sorta expensive for not needing it for school.

 

if you plan on doing it seriously i would recommend paying the money, solidworks is my new love for pass time, it's so simple to operate you could learn it very quickly.

 

sketchup works decent, thanks for the recommendation.

 

No problem man enjoy! It's addicting

 

do you happen to know how to get a full 3d tube/pipe? i sorta skipped through the tutorial

 

Skim through this
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/technology/204689-google-sketchup-thread.html

 

thanks nick, hopefully i should have a design that looks sorta like this.
also gonna check out autodesk inventor fusion

 

I went to school for CAD, namely AutoCAD and Revit Architecture, but also dabbled in Inventer a little as well. I like all 3 for what they do.

 

heres my progress
side cut-out, and top view.

 

cool, i think it'd be fun to design stuff on the computer.

 

I use sketch-up works great

 

that's cool
how do you get the holes? add a circle to where you want the hole then delete the center?

 

I wanted to go to school for cad but I'm worried about getting a job after.

 

Pretty much and a combo of the push pull tool

 

ahhhh, it works, .26 dia hole with a 1.5 dia tube.

 

Been out 4.5 months so far, only had 1 interview. Traveled 200+ miles each way for the interview, was offered job on spot, turned it down cause of such low pay I don't worry too much. My grandma always says "anytime something doesn't work out, something better will happen" I use that to push myself along with a lot of things. Plus I have a friend who went to college right after HS and got an accounting degree and has been out of school almost a year and still doesn't have a job.

 

I am just about 2 years out of school (mech engineering technology) and at first I was a bit worried about finding a job but ended up landing the second job I went for an interview at. Have been using inventor and auto cad and now we are switching to solid works. I haven't used google sketch up but I have seen some pretty impressive stuff modeled with it. Not sure what you do about making drawings from it though?

 

Wish I would went to school for this I picked it up so quickly. I probably wouldn't as willing to get my hands dirty though