Old AutoCad guy wanting to learn FreeCAD

[WingingIt74]

The last CAD program I used was AutoCad 13-15 back in 2006. Any suggestions for someone like me to learn FreeCAD?

[Simbioz]

The last CAD program I used was AutoCad 13-15 back in 2006. Any suggestions for someone like me to learn FreeCAD?

Watch youtube videos, do some tutorials (available in the wiki) and check the documentation (wiki) when necessary (it's really gonna be).

[edwilliams16]

@WingingIt74
You might look at some of the recommendations in https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=69960

[thomas-neemann]

The last CAD program I used was AutoCad 13-15 back in 2006. Any suggestions for someone like me to learn FreeCAD?

if it doesn't need to be parametric and should be as simple as possible, something like this might be helpful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KosJ1dlpGXw

phpBB [video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbT7yPXSBQ8

phpBB [video]

[NewJoker]

AutoCAD is very different than FreeCAD since the former is pretty much purely 2D drafting software while the latter is mainly a 3D modeling environment. There is a Draft module in FreeCAD that allows you to operate similarly to AutoCAD but it still lacks many important functionalities and you might be disappointed with it. After all, this module is just an addition to FreeCAD with its main focus still being parametric 3D modeling. You may want to check LibreCAD as the closest FOSS alternative to AutoCAD but it’s also lacking many crucial features. However, if you want to do some 3D modeling, FreeCAD will definitely be the best choice among the truly free software.

Check this wiki page for more details about the 2D drafting (AutoCAD-like) capabilities of FreeCAD: https://wiki.freecadweb.org/Manual:Trad ... D_drafting

[dprojects]

The last CAD program I used was AutoCad 13-15 back in 2006. Any suggestions for someone like me to learn FreeCAD?

First you need to answer the question what you will be using for. FreeCAD has thousands of different add-ons and if you had to learn it all, your life wouldn't be enough. It is a wasting time learning things that are of no use to you.

[papyblaise]

I also come from 20 years of Autocad, I find a lot of similarity with Fc V16 or Pad Wb of today
there are no layers in , but sketcher and similar , before making a Pad , then boolean operations
I assimilate the Bodies of PartDesign to the layers with in addition the automation of boolean operations
In short, with the experience of Autocad, I quickly learned the basics of Fc, then with a little research, the particular functions

[WingingIt74]

I started doing a simple tutorial on youtube, but I either clicked on the wrong thing or pushed a key and could not find my way back to where I was. That got pretty frustrating... which means I'll have to start over and I have no idea what when sideways. Telling my age, I went to ITT Tech and graduated in 1995 with a AAS in drafting. At that time, we did 1/2 CAD and 1/2 board drafting. ITT Tech no longer exists, so it's hard to prove what I have.

[papyblaise]

graduated in 1995

it does not matter, me it was in 1968 and there was no CAD

[drmacro]

graduated in 1995

it does not matter, me it was in 1968 and there was no CAD

Hmm...UNISURF was developed by Bezier between 1966 and 1968 and introduced to Renault 1968 and was in company wide use at Renault by 1975.

CAD for electronic schematics had been in use since the early 1960's.

Maybe you just hadn't been introduced yet.