Solidworks is a program for creating drawings for 3D printing and manufacturing. While it is generally used for manufacturing and architecture, using an algorithmic method of creating drawings, it can be used for almost any type of drawing. If you are creating files that will be used for 3D printing, then AutoCAD is capable of creating STL files from drawings.

What will your drawings be used to create?

It is also open-source, so it is always growing and becoming more powerful. It can be used to create a wide range of 3D and 2D drawing projects like floor plans, mechanical engineering plans, and product designs. You might not be able to build or manufacture from these drawings, but it’s a great tool if you just want to create drawings with a computer.įreeCAD is another free CAD program that provides a parametric approach that is easier for beginners to grasp. It will also do anything you need to do for 3D drawing and 3D models as well, but it may not be quite as intuitive as some of the newer software products that are designed specifically for 3D drawings.ĪUTODESK’S TinkerCAD is a free 3D drawing product geared towards complete beginners who have no prior design experience. Will you be drawing in 2D or 3D?ĪutoCAD is almost hands down the universal winner for 2D drawings and runs on Windows, Mac/IOS, Linux, and Ubuntu with a wide range of tutorials available. Let’s look at computer-aided drawing software for beginners and discuss how some of the other products stack up against the old tried and true AutoCAD drafting software. Here enters AUTODESK’S AutoCAD software, which is largely considered the first computer-aided drafting and design tool. Sitting at a drafting table for hours upon hours creating and modifying drawings with pencil and paper was a very tedious and time-consuming process. Other Drafting Software For BeginnersĬomputer-Aided Drafting and Design was invented in the late 70s by engineers and architects who wanted a better way to create drawings and 3D modeling that could be used for engineering, drafting, and manufacturing.

2d cad drafting software