Narrowboat CAD design

[ED]

This is probably not the first time this question has been posted and I am
sure not the last, but is there a simple design program I can download
(preferably free) that will allow me to 'play ' with the lenght and interior
layout and design of a new narrowboat. At this stage I am not looking for
anything soffistykated, but even a plan I could use as a template would be
a start. I have just spent the last 2 hours searching the www and have found
nothing. TIA for any help

ED

[Roy Collingwood]

i use autocad, but its hard going, and expensive.

the other thing i tried was to scan a line drawing
out of a magazine, then cut & paste using ms
photoeditor (part of office) to move bits around!

roy

Post by ED
This is probably not the first time this

question has been posted and I am

Post by ED
sure not the last, but is there a simple design

program I can download

Post by ED
(preferably free) that will allow me to 'play '

with the lenght and interior

Post by ED
layout and design of a new narrowboat. At this

stage I am not looking for

Post by ED
anything soffistykated, but even a plan I could

use as a template would be

Post by ED
a start. I have just spent the last 2 hours

searching the www and have found

Post by ED
nothing. TIA for any help
ED

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[martin]

On Wed, 5 May 2004 09:10:27 +0100, "Roy Collingwood"

Post by Roy Collingwood
i use autocad, but its hard going, and expensive.

Dunno about expensive, every student seems to have a pirate copy of
the latest version. [hint]
It's not easy to learn either.

[Roy Collingwood]

Post by martin
On Wed, 5 May 2004 09:10:27 +0100, "Roy

Collingwood"

Post by martin

Post by Roy Collingwood
i use autocad, but its hard going, and

expensive.

Post by martin
Dunno about expensive, every student seems to

have a pirate copy of

Post by martin
the latest version. [hint]
It's not easy to learn either.
--
Martin

i dont find it to hard to use, although i have
been using it for 15 years
& yes there are plenty of copies about.

roy





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Date: 03-May-04

[martin]

On Wed, 5 May 2004 11:05:07 +0100, "Roy Collingwood"

Post by martin

Post by martin
On Wed, 5 May 2004 09:10:27 +0100, "Roy

Collingwood"

Post by martin

Post by Roy Collingwood
i use autocad, but its hard going, and

expensive.

Post by martin
Dunno about expensive, every student seems to

have a pirate copy of

Post by martin
the latest version. [hint]
It's not easy to learn either.
--
Martin

i dont find it to hard to use,

I said "learn"

Post by martin
although i have
been using it for 15 years

It is for a beginner.

Post by martin
& yes there are plenty of copies about.

if they charged a reasonable price there would be many more legal
copies used.
It seems very easy to find a copy on the web and hack it, or so I have
been told.

[Richard]

Post by martin

Post by martin
On Wed, 5 May 2004 09:10:27 +0100, "Roy

Collingwood"

Post by martin

Post by Roy Collingwood
i use autocad, but its hard going, and

expensive.

Post by martin
Dunno about expensive, every student seems to

have a pirate copy of

Post by martin
the latest version. [hint]
It's not easy to learn either.
--
Martin

i dont find it to hard to use, although i have
been using it for 15 years
& yes there are plenty of copies about.
roy

With autocad you reach the stage where you can't face going back to a
drawing board. Wonderful program. But I am still learning about it even
after 11 years (and that is before I take the latest version out of the
box). I suspect the learning curve may be a bit onerous for a one off
application.

Autodesk do things like quickcad which is a lot cheaper but I have no
experience of. There used to be a program called turboCAD lite which was
free, but that seems to have disappeared off imsi's site? I have heard
people in the past saying that their products are good but again have
not used them - see http://www.imsisoft.com

[Tony Brooks]

Post by martin
On Wed, 5 May 2004 09:10:27 +0100, "Roy Collingwood"

Post by Roy Collingwood
i use autocad, but its hard going, and expensive.

Dunno about expensive, every student seems to have a pirate copy of
the latest version. [hint]
It's not easy to learn either.
--
Martin

Which is why I used TurboSketch which I now think has gone. Also tried Auto
Sketch. Both hese are/were cut down "easy" versions of big brother and would
be better described as "easier" versions, but still not that easy.

I gave up and use Designworks (part of Power publisher by GSP) which is a
vector drawing programme. You can draw a simple shape, open a popup and set
its size (you have to work out the scale). That shape can then be locked,
copied and dragged about the screen.

I think any vector programe would do - even possible the MS thing in office.

Tony Brooks

[Ed]

Thanks all for your suggestions. I know they say one is never too old to
learn but I think Autocad is a bit beyond me. Does anybody know of any
websites that have a small utility attached to them that can design a simple
layout. I am sure I remember something from a few years back but no search
engine has offered a solution.

Post by Tony Brooks

Post by martin
On Wed, 5 May 2004 09:10:27 +0100, "Roy Collingwood"

Post by Roy Collingwood
i use autocad, but its hard going, and expensive.

Dunno about expensive, every student seems to have a pirate copy of
the latest version. [hint]
It's not easy to learn either.
--
Martin

Which is why I used TurboSketch which I now think has gone. Also tried Auto
Sketch. Both hese are/were cut down "easy" versions of big brother and would
be better described as "easier" versions, but still not that easy.
I gave up and use Designworks (part of Power publisher by GSP) which is a
vector drawing programme. You can draw a simple shape, open a popup and set
its size (you have to work out the scale). That shape can then be locked,
copied and dragged about the screen.
I think any vector programe would do - even possible the MS thing in office.
Tony Brooks

[Ron Gibbs]

Post by Ed
Thanks all for your suggestions. I know they say one is never too old to
learn but I think Autocad is a bit beyond me. Does anybody know of any
websites that have a small utility attached to them that can design a simple
layout. I am sure I remember something from a few years back but no search
engine has offered a solution.

John White's site has a simple layout utility, and is probably the one you
are thinking of. Try http://www.jdboats.co.uk/ . I used MS Paint (not
accurately to scale) for planning purposes, much to my boat builder's
amazement. I started with a scanned in drawing from a shell builder.

regards
Ron Gibbs

[Dave Mayall]

Post by Ed
Thanks all for your suggestions. I know they say one is never too old to
learn but I think Autocad is a bit beyond me. Does anybody know of any
websites that have a small utility attached to them that can design a simple
layout. I am sure I remember something from a few years back but no search
engine has offered a solution.

http://www.braunston.com/boatdes/top.html

[Roger Millin]

Ed wrote:
Does anybody know of any

Post by Ed
websites that have a small utility attached to them that can design a simple
layout. I am sure I remember something from a few years back but no search
engine has offered a solution.

I think that you may be thinking of Phoenix Narrowboats (Coventry
Basin) site that used (IIRC) to have a page where you could choose bow
sections and join those to saloon sections etc etc and move things
around. Phoenix went bust (I think) some years ago.
Roger.

[sarah]

Try www.braunston.demon.co.uk/boatdes/top.html

used to be the Merlin NB site - now taken over by another company.

Hope this works

Post by ED
This is probably not the first time this question has been posted and I am
sure not the last, but is there a simple design program I can download
(preferably free) that will allow me to 'play ' with the lenght and interior
layout and design of a new narrowboat. At this stage I am not looking for
anything soffistykated, but even a plan I could use as a template would be
a start. I have just spent the last 2 hours searching the www and have found
nothing. TIA for any help
ED

[Paper2002AD]

Try a frshly sharpened pencil and some graph paper

[timleech]

Post by ED
This is probably not the first time this question has been posted and I am
sure not the last, but is there a simple design program I can download
(preferably free) that will allow me to 'play ' with the lenght and interior
layout and design of a new narrowboat. At this stage I am not looking for
anything soffistykated, but even a plan I could use as a template would be
a start. I have just spent the last 2 hours searching the www and have found
nothing. TIA for any help

There used to be a simple layout program called something like
'Floorplan' which had a free trial version & was dead simple compared
with serious CAD software. Never used it for boat design, & no idea
whether it still exists, but it might be worth doing a web search.

Cheers
Tim

Tim Leech
Dutton Dry-Dock

Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs

[Rick]

Post by ED
This is probably not the first time this question has been posted and I am
sure not the last, but is there a simple design program I can download
(preferably free) that will allow me to 'play '

If you go to www.freewarearena.org you will find the Freeware Book which
contains many freeware websites. I recently downloaded a free copy of
Turbocad 4 c/w tutorials from one of the larger sites,fully functional with
one unimportant exception, unfortunately I can't remember which. The
tutorials are very useful and give a working insight.

Richard

[Neville]

Post by Rick

Post by ED
is there a simple design program I can download
(preferably free) that will allow me to 'play '

If you go to www.freewarearena.org you will find the Freeware Book which
contains many freeware websites. I recently downloaded a free copy of
Turbocad 4 c/w tutorials from one of the larger sites,fully functional with
one unimportant exception, unfortunately I can't remember which. The
tutorials are very useful and give a working insight.
Richard

Coming in a bit late on this one but I can recommend TurboCad 4. I
used it on my layout. I obtained my copy from a 'free' disk on one of
the computer mags.

Relatively easy to learn (as long as you understand the basic
principle of Computer Drawing which is ' never draw anything twice' ie
copy, rotate, mirror image etc etc.)

I suspect they are still distributing the older version free but it is
not avaialble from their website.

Neville