# AutoCAD LT vs Draftsight vs DoubleCAD XT



## twebb (Feb 27, 2011)

I'm a newbie and found the forum with a Google search on "Draftsight review". I have spent a lot of time on the "Draftsight - Free 2D CAD" thread. WOW, some excellent information and recommendations. The tutorial information provided by BigOnSteam is simply OUTSTANDING!!

I have enrolled in a "Drafting with CAD" course at a local community college. Although not a AutoCAD course, the school recommends AutoCAD R2000 - R2008. So I'm looking for a AutoCAD LT work-alike.

It looks like Draftsight is pretty well thought of on this forum. I can not find reference to DoubleCAD XT which is touted as a Auto CAD LT work-alike.

I have downloaded both Draftsight and DoubleCAD XT (both free) to determine how much of a AutoCAD LT work-alike they actually are.

This is frustrating, because I minimal CAD skills and have never used AutoCAD LT!!!

I find Double CAD XT more intuitive and user-friendly than Draftsight (maybe because DoubleCAD XT is so much like TurboCAD) but not sure of the AutoCAD LT work-alike element.

What I'm hoping for is some of the CAD experts on this forum that have used Auto CAD and Draftsight to download DoubleCAD XT, compare the packages in terms of user friendliness and AutoCAD LT work-alike. I would be very interested in your findings and opinions!!

Like I've said, I found the forum from my interest in CAD. But after a brief look at the site, now I'm looking at model engine machining aspect too! Looks very interesting!! 

Thank you


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## Mainer (Feb 27, 2011)

I haven't tried those programs, but I can tell you that ProgeCAD 2009 Smart! is extremely similar to autoCAD LT, at least for the 2D stuff. That program is available at http://www.progesoft.com/en/smart-2009 . It's free, but if you like the program they would appreciate it if you made a charitable donation to "Doctors Without Borders."

It's not supposed to work with 64-bit W7, but I installed it and it does work, mostly. There are a couple of glitches, but I haven't found anything that is a real problem.


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## suttonseven (Mar 22, 2011)

Hi

First post and think I can help on this. Been using AutoCAD professionally since 1994, started with release 12 for dos and now using LT2011, used everything in between. Taught City and Guilds for a while at the local college.

Bought a new laptop in January, Windows 7 and my latest licenced for home use AutoCAD which is 2002 will not install. I don't use CAD at home much now but occationally its very useful and I didn't want to spend the money to buy the latest 2011 LT for use it would get, cannot get Academic software now unfortunately. Back in 1996 I bought a copy of TurboCAD and hated it thus tried to avoid paying for useless software. Started to look and came across DoubleCAD XT, loaded it up and it looked pretty much like AutoCAD and worked OK to produce a simple drawing. The more I did with it the more differences I found and I hate having to refer to manuals constantly. When the Pro version reverted to the standard version after a month I lost the ability to create blocks and fell out with the programme, its a vital tool for me.

Then found Draftsight, wish I had found it earlier. Not found anything missing yet, works exactly like AutoCAD and have not even looked at the guide or help screens. Found one bug that you will probably never notice being a new CAD user, Draftsight are aware and sorting but it does not affect the programme. To me Draftsight is like using an earlier version of AutoCAD LT say 2007, before the programme became too bloated and expensive. Draftsight appears to use a little less RAM but there is sod all in it, both run fine on Windows 7 64 bit but Draftsight is a much smaller download.

Bottom line is Draftsight is more like AutoCAD than DoubleCAD regardless of what it says on the websites. Both work fine but for me the clear winner is Draftsight simply because you can migrate between AutoCAD and Draftsight without even having to remember you are in a different programme.

Hope that helps.

Paul


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## kf2qd (Mar 22, 2011)

I have Draftsight and Progecad installed on my computer at home and I find them to both be very AutoCad compatable. Draftsight seems to run just a little slower and does handle viewing 3D while ProgeCad Smart was only 2D. To draw in 3D you will need to get something PregecCad Pro($400) or some other CAD program that is sure to cost more.

I need to get Linux installed on my desktop at home and see how Draftsight for Linux compares.

I Like both of these programs, but use ProgeCad more because of the 3D stuff I have been playing with.


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## nh_eng (Mar 23, 2011)

Ditto's here on Draftsight. I have been using Autocad (2D only) since the earliy 80's. When my version of ACAD would not load on my latest OS, I took took out several test drives on various "lookalikes" and quickly settled on Draftsight. Since I have used ACAD when it had only a command line interface, and I still use it today, I was quite surprised to find that Draftsight has implemented virtually the same command line structure as ACAD. It is closer to ACAD than anything else out there I have seen. The .dxf outputs also load realiably into my CAM program with ease.

With Draftsight being free, I have loaded it onto my shop computer, my office computer, the family computer and my laptop. Its great to be able to work on a project from any place in the house - even in front of the TV with the family in the evening. Highly recommended.

Paul


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## Tin Falcon (Mar 23, 2011)

I just recently bought a laptop Y'know one of those spontaneous purchases I have been pondering for a few years. about all that is available is the win 7 64 platform. 
the wife uses the main computer a lot a have a second one for my cnc and a third older one for on line and whatever. 
I want to be able to draw with the laptop . I did download draft sight. will probably have to upgrade the alibre cad. 

Kf2qd and suttonseven 
Please post an intro in the welcome sub fora when you get a chance. welcome to the board. 
Tin


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## suttonseven (Sep 5, 2011)

Probably been about 6 months now since my original posting and done quite a bit more design for parts for the kit car and modifications to the house. Still really happy with Draftsight, only find a few aspects annoying which are 1) setting the paper size - appears it can only done when you print, 2) how the paper sheet appears in a tab - no page outline other than viewport line, 3) moving and drawing certain entities - they can dissappear during the operation, 4) editing polylines - does not show which vertex you are editing. 2 , 3 and 4 may be caused by conflicts with my graphics card since they concern how the screen displays but they are exactly the same on both my laptops and one is XP and the other Win 7. All in all I am more than delighted.

Installed the mentioned progeCAD Smart 2009 on the XP laptop. It is another excellent product and actually it does not have the 4 annoying aspects mentioned above. It appears to use less memory as well even though its a bigger download and uses .dwg files. I actually prefer it slightly to Draftsight, its that good. The only annoyances are the watermark it prints, easy to get round that, use Draftsight to print and the fact it will not open the very latest 2011 AutoCAD files, Draftsight will, just convert them. Its main problem is it is not Win 7 compatible. Found a site on the web that described a way to install it in compatibility mode but it just locked up the laptop, maybe the method was for a 32 bit machine, mine is 64 bit, it did not specify. To use on Win 7 you need to buy the 2011 pro version, at least £200, ouch.

In summary Draftsight is a fine CAD programme and works on all platforms, if you are using XP or earlier give progeCAD smart a go. Both use AutoCAD alias's and have a command line etc, no problem converting between either and AutoCAD. I will continue to use both, they are fine companions.

Paul


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## SiteGuy (Sep 12, 2012)

I found this thread while searching for reviews of Draftsight. I am a civil-site engineer who has only been using CAD regurlarly for the past few years. I have been using AutoCAD LT 2011 but have been using someone for CAD help that uses Draftsight. The only problem we have encountered is that the multiline notes that he creates in Draftsight are not visible when I open the drawing with AutoCAD LT. I have installed Draftsight and the notes show up fine when I open the drawings with it. I guess I could just use Draftsight when reviewing his drawings but I am more familiar with AutoCAD and my plot setups work better with it. Has anyone else encountered this problem and is there a way around it other than using Draftsight to view and plot the drawings?

Thanks for the help.


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## benro (Jun 17, 2013)

Can anyone recommend Draftsight as a good 2D architectural drafting program? Thanks.

BR


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## canadianhorsepower (Jun 17, 2013)

Heres is my 2 cents.

I teach CAD and Solids Work all I can say is they are all so close exept price range I personaly think that for a home use or hobby you can't make a difference. Sure you might prefer some feature more but i"m simply talking software here and not personal taste

Google sketch  http://www.sketchup.com/ is free and handle 3d also

DraftSight  http://www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/free-cad-software/ is also free, how good is it, same company that does Solidworks

CAD "Autodesk" http://store.autodesk.com/store/ads...var002=knc_wwm_amer_ca_nc_BING__autocad2014q1___
have a huge Platform to choose from *Run away from 2011* I loved the 2008 to 2010 they just keep hidding stuff for nothing

Solidworks  http://www.solidworks.com/sw/downloads.htm a very strong program I don't think it's users freindly

I did try Alibre liked the trial version but din't keep it I have enought

If your a student you can get any version of "Autodesk FREE "


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## benro (Jun 23, 2013)

canadianhorsepower said:


> Heres is my 2 cents.
> 
> I teach CAD and Solids Work all I can say is they are all so close exept price range I personaly think that for a home use or hobby you can't make a difference. Sure you might prefer some feature more but i"m simply talking software here and not personal taste
> 
> ...


 
Think I'll give DraftSight a try, thanks!


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## jwcnc1911 (Jun 23, 2013)

I think solidworks is very user friendly.  I think the same of Alibre and Inventor.  Personally, I think for the money and considering it's home use Alibre is the best option.  Solid modeling closely, I mean CLOSELY rivals SW and Inventor.  I personally wouldn't do anything free just because the support is not there.

I'm also considering having a go at ZW3d but I can't find any one who uses it.  I like integrated cam which was the whole reason I bought Alibre in the first place.  However to get a cam package worth having it's still in the $4k range and it's literally visualmill.  Which is good stuff but lacks the "new" tool paths like trochoidal milling and has absolutely no lathe support.

Just my $.02


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## AnvilJack (May 26, 2014)

Ia anyone using TurboCAD?


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## Tin Falcon (May 26, 2014)

Jack yes folks are using it . Todd from little locos uses it and loves it I am sure there are others. 
Tin


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## littlelocos (May 26, 2014)

Yes,
I have used TurboCAD for about 10 or 12 years now and have found it to be very good. I use the Pro/Platinum Version 20 to design and produce drawing sets for Littlelocos Model Engineering's engine projects.

Our current project is a 1/2-scale model of an Essex Caloric Engine. (Hot Air / Stirling Cycle). All 14 drawing sheets are contained in the same working file and are linked to the 3D model.

As always, I'm happy to answer any TurboCAD-related questions. BTW, I've used various CAD systems both personally and professionally since 1988.
Thanks,
Todd.

Todd & Joy Snouffer
Littlelocos Model Engineering
www.littlelocos.com
www.facebook.com/littlelocos







AnvilJack said:


> Ia anyone using TurboCAD?


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## littlelocos (May 26, 2014)

Hey Tin,
Those messages crossed like two ships in the night.  Saw your post right after I hit the send button.
Cool,
Todd.





Tin Falcon said:


> Jack yes folks are using it . Todd from little locos uses it and loves it I am sure there are others.
> Tin


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## BaronJ (May 26, 2014)

Hi Guys,

I have used Turbo Cad in the DOS days and it was a great program until Imsi got its hands on it.  Autocad again in the early days, up to about 1993 ish.  Then discovered Linux.  Today I have Draftsight and Qcad on my Linux computer and much prefer Qcad.  I have found that there are several variations of DFX that are supported by some and not others.  Varicad is useful when a DFX file doesn't show all the details.


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## littlelocos (May 26, 2014)

Here's a screen shot from this evening's work - deforming and rendering the fan for the Essex. The file for the Essex is just over 100MB with about 70 layers and 40 parts or assemblies modeled in 3D solids, along with 13 drawing sheets with details of each part. Probably a bit more than the home user needs, but still able to handle complex projects w/o a problem. All while running on an old Pentium D965 with Windows Vista and 8GB of RAM.

Enjoy,
Todd.


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## littlelocos (May 26, 2014)

If it's been that long, you might want to give it another look.  The first Windows versions were a bit awkward for those of us who were accustomed to using SEKEs (single-keystroke commands).  BION, most of them still work some 10 or 15 versions in the future.

Todd.




BaronJ said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> I have used Turbo Cad in the DOS days and it was a great program until Imsi got its hands on it. ......


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## AnvilJack (May 27, 2014)

OK, so I have TurboCAD 19 Deluxe on Windows 7, and found the manual pdf for this and a few tutorials on the net.   Should I upgrade to version 21? (i.e. Is it worth it?) I like learning from books: are there any published tutorials for TurboCAD that I can buy, or am I best off seeking to learn with the support of the forums for TurboCAD?  Thanks for any suggestions.


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## littlelocos (May 27, 2014)

While TurboCAD is not a subscription software service and doesn't _*require*_ that you upgrade each year, they don't like it when you skip a year.  It looks like you're still in good shape and can upgrade from V19 *OR* V20 to V21 for $69.99.  For that, I'd go for it.

See:  http://www.turbocad.com/TurboCAD/TurboCAD-Windows/Upgrade/Upgrade-Center/TurboCAD-21-Deluxe-Upgrade

For the Pro/Platinum version I'm running it costs me about $300/year to keep up with the upgrades which seem to come out each Spring.  Usually each new version has about 8-10 or more key new features within the software itself -- plus upgrades to the 3D and rendering "engines" that run in the background.  These are the same engines that run in the background of some of the higher-dollar packages and what helps the software to stay compatible with the mainstream packages as well.

For Version 19, I sprung for the printed manual.  It's the same manual distributed as PDF with the software, only printed and bound.  Both have advantages like PDF being searchable, but there's still nothing like curling up next to a fire with an honest-to-goodness software manual.  (geek humor, sorry)  :-0

There is also a link to an online version of the manual as well as YouTube videos, etc. for training.  There are also some non-sanctioned sources of help.  I could look them up later this week if you'd like.

Hoping this helps,
Todd.






AnvilJack said:


> OK, so I have TurboCAD 19 Deluxe on Windows 7, and found the manual pdf for this and a few tutorials on the net. Should I upgrade to version 21? (i.e. Is it worth it?) I like learning from books: are there any published tutorials for TurboCAD that I can buy, or am I best off seeking to learn with the support of the forums for TurboCAD? Thanks for any suggestions.


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## VieuxZep (May 28, 2014)

Hi,
Does anyone know Bentley's MicroStation ?

Thanks.

P.S. : sorry for my poor English  (You know that Frenchies are very bad with foreign languages)


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## BaronJ (Jun 1, 2014)

littlelocos said:


> If it's been that long, you might want to give it another look.  The first Windows versions were a bit awkward for those of us who were accustomed to using SEKEs (single-keystroke commands).  BION, most of them still work some 10 or 15 versions in the future.
> 
> Todd.



Hi Todd,

Unfortunately Turbo Cad doesn't run under linux !  Fortunately I don't run Windows anymore.


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## AnvilJack (Jun 1, 2014)

To my surprise, I have found some 80-odd tutorial videos for using TurboCAD on the TurboCAD DVD.  I have used the first 20 of these over the past week, which were mainly about setting up the environment, units, printing, using viewports, etc.  But the help I wanted to overcome the first hurdles were right under my nose.

I have ordered the current update to version 21 of TurboCAD Deluxe.

I also have DraftSight, but it is nowhere near as comprehensive in 3D as TurboCAD, and my engineering drawing books emphasise the advantages of working in 3D.

To develop my skills I am using Sketching for Engineering Design Visualization by Duff and Ross 2009 Delmar  ISBN - 13: 978-1-435-45362-3; and Engineering Drawing 8th edn  Boundy 2012 McGraw-Hill Australia ISBN - 13: 978 - 007101583-7.

Both books integrate CAD exercises.

I would be interested to hear how other forum members have developed their CAD skills.  (I figure it will take me months to be useful, and years to be skilled.)  Thanks.


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## BaronJ (Jun 2, 2014)

It doesn't take long to become familiar with any drafting program.  I was taught technical drawing at school using a pencil, T square and a drawing board.  Going from that to a drafting board was thought a big step up in ease of use at the time.

I became involved in the development of "Turbo Cad" in the early days !  Being able to do drawings on an 8086 based computer was another revelation.  Then came along "Parametrics"  The ability to create a model and then use that model scaled to whatever size in what ever direction you wanted.

A lot of engineering drafting is being able to visualise what you want and then construct the 2D or 3D representation.  I tend to figure out what I want before I draw it up.  I understand that "Turbo Cad" is good at 3D.  Draftsight does leave something to be desired but then they do have to get people to buy the software.


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## AnvilJack (Jun 5, 2014)

I must agree with BaronJ: with a little continual practise, some freehand pencil sketches where the ideas are basically firmed up, and about ten hours of video watching (and monkey see, monkey do, again and again), I have become somewhat confident to prepare very basic shop drawings in TurboCAD. 


Then I looked across at some other software: DoubleCAD XT, and Draftsight.  I was surprised how quickly I could make sense of what to do.

Now, a couple of weeks on CAD doesn't make me any more than an overconfident upstart, but I do feel "under way". I have met a handful of people who are bewildered souls, with the same few weeks of exposure to CAD.

It is a matter of 1) having the drawing concepts in any media, and 2) learn everything you can for a ramp-up start to the  software of your choice.  Read a little, draw things. Go again.

All of my serious learning and efforts have been in TurboCAD Deluxe, and, so far, I am enjoying using it. Well thought out program, in my view.


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## kvom (Jun 6, 2014)

I've been using Draftsight for a few years now for all my 2.5D CNC work.  So far 99.9% of the parts I've made have been done this way.

I recently acquired a copy of Cubify Design, a parametric 3D design program.  I have been drawing the parts for my latest project (Joy Valve Engine) using this software, even though none of the parts require 3D machining.  I have some extra steps needed to obtain the DXF files, and the drawing takes a bit longer, but there are advantages in being able to examine the part to be made in 3D.  And it allows me to view cross sections for complex parts to ensure that I transcribed the printed plans correctly.


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## BaronJ (Jun 6, 2014)

AnvilJack said:


> I must agree with BaronJ: with a little continual practise, some freehand pencil sketches where the ideas are basically firmed up, and about ten hours of video watching (and monkey see, monkey do, again and again), I have become somewhat confident to prepare very basic shop drawings in TurboCAD.
> 
> 
> Then I looked across at some other software: DoubleCAD XT, and Draftsight.  I was surprised how quickly I could make sense of what to do.
> ...



Yes !  Once the pennies start to drop its surprising how quickly you become familiar with how things need to be done and put together.

One of the things that you will find, particularly if you are poor at maths, like me, is using the cad program as a visual calculator.  For instance if you have a lever from a fixed point with a pivot some distance away moving in a linear manner, how big to make the slot so it doesn't bind.





Just a quick hand drawn sketch.  The slot length will change depending on how far the constrained bar has to move.

HTH.


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## AnvilJack (Jun 9, 2014)

My TurboCAD User Guide, over 1300 A4 size pages, arrived today.  Almost a phone book.

I've spent a while looking through some of the sections. My first reaction is that this book will make further progress with TurboCAD so much easier.

I understand that supplying software with such a large printed manual is much more expensive than simply supplying the same program via download or via a DVD, but surely the increase in user friendliness and so user base would make it all just good business sense.

That said, this manual is a further reason to warmly recommend that people seriously consider TurboCAD for developing their plans and models for shop work.


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