Like you, I had used AutoCad for years but when I retired from that job,
I still needed a good CAD program but couldn't justify Acad anymore.
So while I don't want to come across as a champion of the product, I
would suggest that former Acad users take a look at CMS Intellicad. The full
3D version in less than a couple hundred dollars, but the most significant
feature about it is that it feels almost exactly like AutoCad in most
respects. Additionally, you can customize it to work virtually exactly like
AutoCad.
It can open and save ALL of the AutoCad versions which is one of the
things that really ticked me off about Acad 2002 that IT couldn't. Having
used Intellicad exclusively for a couple of years now, I can honestly say
that I don't miss using AutoCad at all.
Check it out.
http://www.intellicadms.com/products...al-pricing.asp

MJC

"mustanger" wrote in message
news:ynkmf.616362$_o.406487@attbi_s71...
Coming to R.S.'s defense. I've used AutoCad in various versions for
years and have had projects from RC aircraft, home construction, parts
design, and full size aircraft components.
After already investing a lot of learning time into AutoCad, I bought a
copy of DeltaCad 3.0 at a discount store for $10 years ago. I was amazed
at
how simple it was to learn and how powerful it was for such a small
program.
I've kept that program through three computers and dozens of projects. For
all projects I now use DeltaCad to work up my drawings. I no longer have
AutoCad installed on my computer.
The only drawback I've seen with DeltaCad is my old version doesn't
properly save multi-point spline curves in .dxf files. I know this was
corrected in later versions.
Currently, I use DeltaCad to create templates for aluminum cutting for
aircraft components, and reproduction of gauge faces and decals of cockpit
labels and such. All of this is in conjunction with the restoration work
we
are doing on a WWII vintage North American Aviation P-51H Mustang at the
Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum in Rantoul, Illinois.
In my experience, there is not a better entry-level Cad program to be
found. If you don't believe me, try the demo.
http://www.dcad.com/demo.html
I'm certainly not a salesman for DeltaCad, but I don't mind spreading
the word when something works this well for so little cash.

Norm Meyers
Project Director
Mustang Restoration Project
http://home.insightbb.com/~p51h/index.htm
Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum
www.aeromuseum.org