Designing Your Home On The Computer III
Anyone can draw a preliminary plan with a home computer these days. All you have to have are the right tools. As mentioned on my web site, the Computer Aided Drafting software is available as a free download along with the instruction manual for those interested.
The software is called IntelliCAD 2000 (ICAD), and is VERY powerful. In fact, this free software has AutoDesk's AutoCAD shaking in their boots. I emailed the technical team at ICAD and they informed me that the best way to compete with the biggest CAD developers is to offer a complete CAD program for free; knowing sometime in the future you'll eventually outgrow it, wanting a few miscellaneous upgrades. Upgrades include features such as a spell checker, rendering capabilities, and a few others. This program is 100% compatible with all AutoCAD platforms. I would say ICAD has about 85% of the same features as AutoCAD R14, you just can't beat it for the free price tag. Those of you that might be interested in entering the design/drafting field should start with this program. Why? Once you learn ICAD, you can step right into AutoCAD, the industry’s leader in CAD software. Almost every command is the same, so moving from ICAD to ACAD is like changing your pants.
Luckily for you, now is the time to get involved. I have set up a site with links directly to ICAD and an instruction manual for your convenience. Also, I've made a beginner’s tutorial for you to follow to familiarize yourself with the software. To make things as smooth as possible for any rookies out there, I have a forum on which you can post questions you might have while drawing. So there you have it, a complete pathway paved for you to start drawing the preliminary plan of that project you've been wanting to do all these months. Don't be shy if your drawings look crude, they don't have to be a work of art. Just give it a try and get involved.
Thanks all,
James Kroeker
Senior Draftsman
Fred J. Becker, Architect
( The 3D Architectural Renderings site is where you will find: information on IntelliCAD 2000, an instruction manual, a forum, an image gallery, panoramics, walk-through motion videos, and even downloadable models.)
Fred J. Becker, Architect
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