AutoCad or AutoCad Electrical

[wdd0422]

I've been using NanoCad pro for about 5 years now and like it much better than Autocad LT




So yes the bulk of the work I would be doing would be add ons and edits to equipment from our integrators and the ones Ive spoken with all use AutoCad or AutoCadLt. Does NanoCad use DWG format so I could easily import and edit Auto Cad projects? Would you mind elaborating what it is you like about Nano Cad verses Auto Cad?


Thanks

 

[theColonel26]

I too would recommend SkyCad.


DWG editing programs, like AutoCAD, Draftsight, NanoCad etc Have ancient user interfaces and are terribly un-intuitive. Plus you are literally just making a drawing. It's one step above MS Paint.


Electrical CAD software on the other hand understands that you are making an electrical schematic and handles all kinds of things for you.

Really check out SkyCad, they have a free version. I love it.


Work Smart, Not Hard. AutoCad is not smart.


P.S. No I don't work for them or anything, I just really love their software. It makes my life so much easier. I can focus on my designs rather than trying to make my schematic look nice and be consistent.


P.P.S. You can export your drawing to DWG after you are done if you want...

 

[Copyleft]

The nice thing using ACADE is the integration with Inventor.
ACADE you can use LISP to automatic generate drawings.
The learn curve is high but at the end you have powerful tool.
Autocad is really powerful
If you are learning you can download it for free at Autodesk Education, no expiration date.

 

[Jeff23spl]

We migrated to electrical when it wasn't stable yet and i remember how a pita it was. We had peoples skilled with conventional acad that were bypassing automated stuff making frankenstein drawings mixed from both.... Once we started to trust it, things went fine. We took use of automated things like wires numbers and contact quantity etc. We have built our own data bloc and now it is working so good that i would never go back...
As an exemple, you make a tight panel in a hurry but you miss the fact you are using 5 contacts from a 4 contact relay....try to build it...figure out at the end that you need to find a place to add 1 more relay....Electrical will tell you at the beginning...

 

[wdd0422]

I get what your saying, I did download the trial version of SkyCad, Im going to try it out today.


Thanks

 

[Rson]

I get what your saying, I did download the trial version of SkyCad, Im going to try it out today.


Thanks

Keep in mind that software like Sycad, Eplan, Radica Electra, See Electrical, etc is only really useful if you are doing new designs and continue to use it.

If all you get are autocad drawings from other vendors and editing/modifying those, you really need to learn autocad (or one of it's clones) to do anything meaningful. I mean, sure, you could probably import DWG drawings into any of the above software and try to edit them, but it will likely be more hassle that what it is worth.

 

[OkiePC]

I've been using NanoCad pro for about 5 years now and like it much better than Autocad LT

So yes the bulk of the work I would be doing would be add ons and edits to equipment from our integrators and the ones Ive spoken with all use AutoCad or AutoCadLt. Does NanoCad use DWG format so I could easily import and edit Auto Cad projects? Would you mind elaborating what it is you like about Nano Cad verses Auto Cad?

It is a very accurate AutoCad clone. There are tiny details in some of the fixed text items that might have some differences, but it is a very complete product. All the same commands work the same. The menu and customization look the same to me. Bear in mind it has been about 7 years since I used Autodesk software.

I can bring in blocks in AutoCad format from any vendor to save time doing panel layouts. I have a shedload of blocks that I have built up over time as well as templates for our company.

When I started here, I priced AutoCad LT and the sticker shock drove me to look for a clone. I had used other clones before, but NanoCad is far and away the best of them I have tried.

I started with the free version for a year or two, then I needed to renew during a holiday (the free trial has to be renewed via email) and didn't want to wait for the renewal so I decided I should just purchase it since I had made a lot of drawing$ using their hard work...I think I pay $180/year for 1 seat.

My partners here who do less CAD work are still using the free version. The paid version has improvements like batch plotting and some other things that are different from the free version. I think they have an electrical version in the works, but it is Russian last time I checked. I was a little bit leery of using freeware from Russia at first, but I have had no problems with it and their development and support has been great.

I am using NanoCad Plus version 10 (not Pro, sorry for my mis-statement earlier) and it is almost time to renew.

Here is their product comparison page:

https://nanocad.com/page/Comparison

 

[theColonel26]

Keep in mind that software like Skycad, Eplan, Radica Electra, See Electrical, etc is only really useful if you are doing new designs and continue to use it.

If all you get are autocad drawings from other vendors and editing/modifying those, you really need to learn autocad (or one of it's clones) to do anything meaningful. I mean, sure, you could probably import DWG drawings into any of the above software and try to edit them, but it will likely be more hassle that what it is worth.

Yes sadly this is true. I have to keep AutoCad Clone / DWG Editor around for occasionally modifying a legacy schematic.


The vast Majority of what I do is new.