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[GaryM]

Several times I have found the need to post a simple line drawing to accompany a question.
I've tried and tried to use "Paint" yet for the life of me it comes out looking like a Picasso on a bad day. 
Either the lines won't meet, I can't find the right button to press or when it comes close to what I want when I want to view or print it you need a piece of paper roughly the size of a football pitch.

I've seen some perfect sketches, (FLJ) comes to mind with his wiring diagrams, amongst others.
Is it me or is there a program that is simple (ish) to use out there and hopefully free?

regards
Gary :)

[FullLeatherJacket]

Gary

Free programs are generally cr^p. I use this;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corel-CorelDRAW-Graphics-Suite-12/dp/B00014TCTA

It is compatible with almost all vector drawing and bitmap formats and has the huge advantage of having a "Publish To PDF" option built-in. Of course you could  shell out two hundred and forty quid on the current version (X4) but it doesn't do stuff that much better and it would mean two hundred quid less you'd have to spend on your tug!

FLJ

[barriew]

Gary

If you search the Forum. probably for 2D Drafting, you should find some freeware programmes. I think Wombat uses one. It is a topic that comes up often.

Barrie

[RickF]

I use Micrografx Designer, which is now part of Corel. It was expensive, but it came as part of my retirement package, along with Adobe Premier, FrameMaker and Photoshop - it was the part of my retirement package the company didn't know about!

Like FLJ, I have tried free software in the past and the problems outway the advantages. Even a "cheap" out-of-date version of something like CorelDraw will work properly and give you what you need.

Rick

[Alastair_I]

has the huge advantage of having a "Publish To PDF" option built-in.

Any software with a print option can be given this ability with a PDF print driver, I use CutePDF, it's free, easy, and to create the PDF file you just print as normal but select the PDF driver instead of your normal printer.

[Martin (Admin)]

What about Google Sketch up?
http://sketchup.google.com/

[GaryM]

Thanks Guys, FLJ, Barrie, Rick, Alaster and Martin.

I only need it to do simple drawings to illustrate any queries or questions that arise, so I have downloaded Sketchup like Martin suggested, it seems OK - the proof will be in the posting though!

regards
Gary :)

[Alastair_I]

I've not tried SketchUp for line drawings, but for producing a quick 3d mock-up of an idea to test proportions, rotate and view from different angles, it is invaluable.. being both free and incredibly easy to get to grips with..

Follow the Sketch-Up tutorials, I think after the first two I'd got the hang of it for all I needed.. the "trick" is getting your head around the sequence of shapes neccessary to produce the object you're thinking of with the degree of detail you need..  the Tape Measure tool is incredibly useful, I struggles for quite a while until I followed the tutorials and started measuring and laying out Guides.

[kiwi]

As Alastair has pounted out, Sketchup is a very useful program, free, and simple to use. I'm a professional draughtsman and wish some of the programs I use (some costing in the 5 figure range and up) where as simple to use. It has some shortcomings but for the average user, would be the program of choice of the cheepies available, and its free. I use it a home in preference to others I have for selected drawing.
If you want simple linework for producing charts, electrical diagrams and schematics and the such-like then try the drawing utility within Microsoft Word. Simple to use, text no problem with a huge choice of fonts, and a library of basic symbols, arrows etc. Output in Word format, pdf, to printer, most of whatever you may want. Already there in  a program which probable came with your computer and no body told you it was there.
Hope this helps some
Kiwi

[GaryM]

Thanks Alastair and Kiwi, the tutorials are great and yes I have Word - never gave it a thought!

regards
Gary :)

[Alastair_I]

And if you can get hold of a copy of MS Visio it's far superior to MS Word for diagrams.  Forgot about that one, and I use it every week - invaluable for some of the stuff I do..  there's a free trial version (30-day) on the MS site I think.  Brilliant for flow diagrams, project charts, etc and I think one version has electrical diagram symbols included.

With Sketch-Up, just remember to save frequently and keep versions, ie save Sketch-01, Sketch-01a, Sketch-02, etc.. otherwise you'll hit a point where you realise you should have done something else first and you won't be able to revert back.. and it's easier to make a component earlier rather than later (eg a repeating element, or a element you're not exactly sure where to put yet.. or an element you want to rotate or off-set for aesthetic purpose, eg a turret).

Scale is also largly irrelevant with Sketch-Up.. so if free-lancing an idea you can work with real-life measurements and use the wee man to check if the proportions are about right.. I just wish there was then a magic button to convert all measurements to a given scale..

[GaryM]

Thanks Alastair.
Will do.

Gary :)