Not only does Autodesk offer its base AutoCAD package free, but it also offers free trial licenses for almost its entire suite of AEC vertical packages, such as the Civil 3D toolset, AutoCAD Architecture, and AutoCAD Electrical. If you’re looking to learn CAD or just do some personal design work, this is absolutely the way to go. The interface makes it easy to get up to speed on the basics. Even if you’ve never done any CAD work or 3D modeling before, you can pull together some really nice presentations in minutes. Of course, if you’re looking to put out detailed designs with accurate sizing and tolerances, you’ll need to spend some time learning the ins and outs of the program. The SketchUp website offers a really impressive array of video and self-paced training options to help you along the way. The company no longer develops Sketchup Make, its free desktop software, but you can download it from Trimble’s archives. Like many open-source products, it has a loyal base of developers and can compete with some of the commercial heavy hitters because of its ability to create real 3D solids, support for meshes, 2D drafting, and lots of other features. Further, it’s customizable and is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, and several Linux distributions, like Ubuntu, and Fedora. It includes lots of powerful features that include snap-to-grid for drawing, layers, and measurements. Its user interface and concepts are similar to AutoCAD, so if you have experience with that tool, this should be easy to get familiar with.
