Topic: Where can I get Autocad 2008 at a LOW price?

[Jakes GrandPa]

You could try IntelliCAD as this has lisp which is in the standard version however there may be some slight variation in the lisp and generally AutoCAD lisp works first time.

It uses .dwg as its native format so the drawings will be compatible with your work version.

Try a free download from https://www.intellicadms.com/store/secure/intellicad-demo/download.asp

Disclaimer: I don't get any money from CMS, I just moderate on their forum as best I can and for this I get a free copy of IntelliCAD.

There are several companies marketing their versions of Intellicad. As I recall they each have a download and use 30 days free trial period. In any case they are in the under $500 price range for the "professional" version, which usually includes a VBA license. I am currently using Briscad, which seems to be pretty compatible unless you are using .tiff or .cal images. It does not support those, yet.

[Guest]

I believe the EULA requires that the second computer be under the control of the coompany .. i.e. a company owned computer ... but I don't think you will get any argument from them about it.

Here's the official PDF from the Subscription web site for requesting home-use of the software.  This pretty much spells it out.

In short...  You can have ACAD installed at work and at home but you can't use them both at the same time.  The home-use ACAD is valid for a period of 13 months from the date the home-use license is granted.

[STEVEDALLAS]

I am looking at Turbocad and Intellicad as alternatives to Autodesk.
Autocad is just so dang expensive for what little I want to do, work some at home and "on the side".

Any comments on either of these? The prices seem acceptable to me.
Turbocad has a "competitive upgrade" policy/program, too.
I am unsure if autocad command would work on either. or if it is a new command structure.
It looks like lisp and autocad toolbars can work in intellicad.
I am unsure about Turbocad. I have heard other's mention it, but I do not know much about it.

Can someone compare/contrast, in a "nutshell" autocad with these two? Does not have to be much, just curious.

[deegeecees]

Here's a free Cad app.

[SDETERS]

SOrry here is a link to the 2D free solid edge 2D drafting package

I run it at home takes a bit to get setup but once one does it works well.

http://www.ugs.com/products/velocity/solidedge/free2d/

[JohnF]

People who use TurboCAD swear by it.

 I purchased a copy of TurboCAD v9 or 10 and because it didn't have a command line interface I found it hard to use after using AutoCAD for a long time. It was good to use as a drawing package however; from your intent to write Lisp it may not suit. I am not sure if it has a command line interface today and I think you should check this out before committing resources.

This is why I went with IntelliCAD as there was little or no learning curve from AutoCAD and with the AutoCAD alias commands built in most people can move seamlessly between these packages.

I have tried FelixCAD and found this an excellent program with a command line interface. The last time I looked it had a free download without expiry dates for the base product. From memory it also has Lisp capability simmilar to AutoLisp and IntelliCAD's Lisp in the base product along with a GUI for dialog boxes. 

[Dinosaur]

Bricscad is one of the better Intellicad versions available and robust enough that it can be used as the core  program for EaglePoint, one of the civil vertical applications.  It can read and write dwg format files and its interface is quite similar to AutoCAD . . . but not quite.  I tried out the 2006 Bricscad after working with AutoCAD 2006 for several months and it felt like I was back working with 2004.  If you are wanting to work with the same drawings at home and the office, this will be the least problem for transferring files.

[Jakes GrandPa]

Bricscad is one of the better Intellicad versions available and robust enough that it can be used as the core  program for EaglePoint, one of the civil vertical applications.  It can read and write dwg format files and its interface is quite similar to AutoCAD . . . but not quite.  I tried out the 2006 Bricscad after working with AutoCAD 2006 for several months and it felt like I was back working with 2004.  If you are wanting to work with the same drawings at home and the office, this will be the least problem for transferring files.

The new version of Briscad is available for download and thirty day free trial at http://www.bricscad.com/
Try it if you like it great, if not you are not out anything other than the download time.

[MickD]

Bricscad will be the one to watch, they are in the process of a complete re-write using a platform agnostic GUI that will allow it to be run on both Windows and Linux natively, at the moment I think there is only about <20% old code left to port.
They are also very keen (it is of high priority) on making the porting of existing arx applications as easy as possible also, I'm not sure how they will handle COM or existing MFC on Linux though but we'll see.
I'm using it now and have had no trouble opening/editing drawings between acad and bricscad, the new gui isn't as polished perhaps as acad but it's getting there.

[Dinosaur]

One thing I forgot to mention about Bricscad or any other non Autodesk solution for that matter . . . if you will be doing work with file from the vertical applications I would warn against trying to bring them back into that vertical after saving with the non Autodesk program.  You may be able to block out any new work you have done at home and insert it into the working drawing.  That may be the safest approach even if you are just using vanilla flavored AutoCAD.