GPL-Licensed QCAD Ported to Mac OS X

AlwaysTimeForCoffee writes "QCad, a free open-source 2D CAD system for Linux, various Unices and Windows, from RibbonSoft, has been ported to a native OS X version by Gilbert Duivesteijn. A screenshot of the OS X version can be found here. Qcad is a light, GPL'd version of the commercial available CAM Expert. It truely is an outstanding program and has earned 5 out of 5 Penguins on Tucow's Linuxberg and IceWalker review. With this native OS X release, a commercial quality CAD system has been made available to the Apple community."

Comments

NonNative

[norwoodites]

It is not native, it uses QT which uses custom widgets so it is slow, a native would use Cocoa (or maybe Carbon) libraries and almost no custom widgets.

Re:NonNative

[Anonymous Coward]

He's not wrong. Just because this application statically links in QT doesn't mean it doesn't use QT. This is not a Mac OS X application. It doesn't use standard open and save panels. It doesn't use services. It doesn't comply with any of the Aqua Human Interface Guidelines. (They use an Installer package for a single application file, for crissakes!) It doesn't use standard buttons, or windows, or toolbars, or even menus. It's an abortion.

Oh, also: slower. Than. Ass. I've got a top-of-the-line dual-proc G4, and this program sucks donkey balls.

In about fifteen minutes, this sucker is going to be up on Perversion Tracker.

Re:NonNative

[lpontiac]

It is not native, it uses QT which uses custom widget

I'm pretty sure QT on OS X uses the native Aqua widgets, rather than rendering it's own. Ditto for Windows XP (otherwise themes wouldn't work..)

It's true that on plenty of platforms (Windows prior to XP, Motif, raw X11 etc) that QT does all of it's own drawing and doesn't rely on the native UI for anything more advanced than a window, however that's not true here.

Finally...

[psyconaut]

...a CAD package for OS X that I can afford! :-)

-psy

It's a bit buggy...

[Green Light]

Select "Preferences..." under the QCad menu. You get the "Print..." dialog.

Screenie mirror

[dema]

That screenshot was slashdotted pretty quick. I grabbed it and dropped it here if anyone is having trouble getting it.

Apple needs to attract some CAD companies

[xtal]

I'd love to use apple workstations, but they need to get out there and make some sells to the big names - someone has to listen, because I am sick of paying mad money to buy overpriced Sun crap to run EDA tools because there's not much choice for >4GB workstations, and sick of bugs in Windows versions of software.. and I want Unix, damnit!

QCad. I'm sure it's a nice package. But 2D? That's so 1980's. Apple should get some hot sales reps over to some big names.. an open source package being made to run (non native) isn't worthy of news.

How about any one of the following, that would immediately justify the purchase of a G5 for me.. although I'll break down eventually, ha. These would be news:

On the mech front:

Solidworks
AutoCAD
Pro/Engineer
UniGraphics

On the EE front:

Synopsys Anything
Cadence Anything
Hell even OrCAD..
Mentor Graphics Anything..

Come on, apple! The memory limit is gone, so get some big guys on board.

Re:Apple needs to attract some CAD companies

[Thomas A. Anderson]

I agree that qcad is not for the big boys (don't get me wrong - i've used it for a while in linux and love it - but autocad it's not).

It's too bad AutoCad dunmped their unix versions about 7 or 8 years ago (somehwere around version 11 I think). I used it in unix back in college and was blown away at how pewerful it is.

It is true that the G5 is up to snuff - maybe this is just the begining...

Autocad and OS X

[Anonymous Coward]

Autodesk is considering porting Autocad if they receive sufficient indication of interest - it was a big enough deal to make Apple's news page. A Google search might turn something up. Here's what I could find:

http://www.architosh.com/news/2003-05/2003c-0512 -a cad-update.phtml

and the moral is...

[Anonymous Coward]

For ghod's sake, use Quartz!

The screen shot looks like an X-Windows nightmare. Jaggies, jaggies everywhere!

Vectorworks, anyone?

[zangdesign]

Vectorworks has had a Mac-based CAD solution since the mid-90's. It started with Minicad and now it's called Vectorworks. No, it's not free, but it's also not 2D and it is a native Carbon/Cocoa app.

If you want to do serious work, get real tools.

Re:Vectorworks, anyone?

[teh*fink]

I agree. Vectorworks is an excellent 3D modelling, as is ArchiCAD, which we have been using for about 3 years. Their mac support is excellent and on par with the windows versions. Graphisoft is the only company i know of that releases mac and windows updates side by side.

What QCAD really needs

[baywulf]

I have used AutoCAD and Mechanical Desktop for many years and the biggest thing QCAD is missing in my opinion is keyboard macros. This is what made AutoCAD entry very fast for me. For example, you might first press 'L' for drawing a line. Then it asks for a starting point. Since features must me precisely placed, you must give exact coordinates or snap to an existing feature. So now you might press 'X' to enter cartision coordinates or 'P' for polar coordinates. Then it might ask you for the second point. You could snap to an existing feature. For example your press 'T' for tangent to an arc or circle or 'L' for parallel to another line. Once a good macro set is developed and you practice it, it is almost like typing on a word processor. The toolbars and menus should still be there by they should only be to help the beginner learn.

MacDraft - worthy low end CAD solution for Mac?

[navig]

You could always try Microspot's MacDraft package. Its history dates back to the very first Macs and it is now a true native Mac OS X application (Carbonised). It is fairly powerful for a budget CAD package.

Microspot MacDraft - it even loads AutoCAD files :-)

Higher end CAD users should look towards Nemetschek's VectorWorks.