Snap points can be added to the end or middle of a line, at the intersection of two lines or at the center of an arc or circle. Snap points provide a precise way to start and stop a line. We found the lines easier to follow.Ī snap tool adds magnetic points to a drawn object. All programs have this tool, but some use dots rather than lines. You can turn off the grid tool when you want to draw a line between the grid lines. spacing is helpful when you're drawing a project that uses materials and parts whose measurements are multiples of 1/4 in. It's a useful tool and makes it easy to draw objects based on the grid's increments. You can set the grid to almost any spacing you want. When the grid tool is turned on, it will cause the lines and shapes you draw to match up with the grid lines. This feature is like drawing on graph paper. Surprisingly, only a couple of the programs we tested have this extremely useful tool. This tool can also be used to check the size of any part in your drawing. After entering the new dimensions, you simply press the return key and the shape automatically takes on the new size. We found the easiest way to do this is by directly entering the new sizes into the boxes of a tool called the resizing palette or inspection bar. After you've drawn an object, you often need to make it larger or smaller. Individual shapes that are drawn with CAD are called objects. To keep things simple, we'll use either the most commonly used name or one that best describes the tool's function. It's worth noting that tool names are not always the same among programs. There's not room in this article to discuss all of them, but several are worth describing because they are particularly useful or user-friendly. Most CAD programs have dozens of tools, and you will use many of them every time you make a drawing. CAD programs also have tools common to most computer software, including commands for opening and saving files, printing, copying, cutting, pasting and even spell-checking. To use a tool, you click on it with your computer mouse, then draw the shape on the screen's drawing area. There are also tools for adding dimensions and even a rubber-stamp tool that will copy and paste a shape multiple times. Some tools draw lines, rectangles and curves, while others modify and combine these lines into new shapes. After you've printed the paper pattern, simply attach it to your workpiece with double-sided tape or spray adhesive and saw around it.Ī CAD program uses a variety of specialized tools to create drawings. You don't need a special printer to make full-size patterns, because CAD programs can split a large drawing across several sheets of letter-size paper. And you'll never have to worry about wearing a hole in your paper with your eraser.įull-size patterns are particularly helpful when your project has a large or complex shape. You can make changes to the copies much more quickly than you could using pencil and paper. The first design may take you just as long to draw with CAD as with pencil and paper, but once you have a drawing, you can copy it as many times as you like in a matter of seconds. This is a huge advantage when you need to measure an unusual angle or the radius of an arc.ĬAD is great for exploring design options and proportions. With CAD, even arcs and angles are easy to measure. Measuring the parts of your project is fast and accurate because the computer does the math for you. In the end, all 15 programs we tested were capable of making precise drawings, but some were considerably easier to learn and use than others. Our primary goal for this test was to find a CAD program that's easy to learn and use, yet powerful enough to create precise woodworking project drawings.
#Easy woodworking cad programs free software
Trial programs have some limitations but are complete enough to let you take the software for a good test drive.
#Easy woodworking cad programs free trial
Most CAD programs are available as free trial downloads. Thanks to the Internet, you can try before you buy. Others are more general in nature and make a better choice for us. Some are made specifically for architects or engineers and are more specialized or advanced than most woodworkers need. Dozens of CAD programs are on the market, ranging in price from a few dozen to thousands of dollars. A CAD program may not be on the top of your “tools to buy” list, but using CAD does provide some big benefits if you like to design your own projects or build projects that have lots of curves and angles in them. For $150, you can get one with all the drawing power you're likely to ever need. Fifty bucks will buy you a starter program that's easy to learn and use. You don't have to spend much money to get a good computer-aided drafting (CAD) program for drawing woodworking projects.