Drawing Tool - Low Cost or Free
 

Can anyone recommend a drawing tool that is easy to learn and low cost or free? I occasionally need to draw up ideas like simple electrical diagrams and simple structure diagrams.

I don't need an AutoCAD or Solidworks power tool, MS Office like Word or PowerPoint is too basic, ideal is something like MS Visio without the price tag.

Thanks, Lou

Try SketchUp. It is free and has 3D capabilities.

According to Whois maketecheasier.com, the software provided by that website is registered to a P.O. box in Panama.

SketchUp

Huh?

What are you talking about?

The sites domain name is registered to a PO Box in Panama but then again a **** ton of domains get registered to either PO Boxes or the address of a domain registrar.

Common practice.

That has nothing to do with the software listed.

Those are all legitimate products from legitimate sources and the download links provided in the article lead directly to the developers site.

Isn't sketch up crippled now? I think the demo version is time limited or can't save or maybe both now... It's still a good tool but dunno if I'd consider it low cost especially with google trying to strong-arm people into shelling out for it (impression I got last time I looked which was a couple of months ago).

I like Autodesk FormIt on the iPad for knocking around...

I loaded Sketchup the other day and it is lmitted to an 8 hour trial period before you have to buy it.

Pencil, eraser, and paper?

Sorry, had to be a smartass. :)

I hear that's a pretty complicated program with an extensive instruction set. Do they have a wiki?

sketchup
 

You can download earlier versions of Sketchup from filehippo. I use Sketchup version 8, as well as Autodesk's Sketchbook Pro for the Ipad.

Would sketchup V8 work to just do a scale layout of a brake disc for cross drilling? Seems a simple thing, but so far the programs I have found that lay it out with measurements etc. are super complicated to learn.

Visio but it was better before Microsoft bought them :P

That makes sense.
No offense was intended. I just made an observation when I shouldn't have (was a bit tourettes last night).

Yes, you can do that. As far as drawing and drafting programs go, it's as easy as it gets.

Draftsight is completely free and it's user interface similiar to older versions of AutoCAD.

DraftSight looks very good, I am going to try it. Sketchup sounded very good also, except Google sold it, as noted trial is short, and it isn't cheap.

Thanks,

Microsoft took a nimble tool and turned it into crap. Miss it dearly.