Linux for Engineers (continued)
Unfortunately, AutoDesk has abandoned the idea of producing a small, light version of its full featured CAD software. AutoCad LT has now moved into the Bloatware category and now seems to be just a crippled version of the full featured AutoCad. Thanks mainly to .NET overhead AutoCad LT 2010 takes 30 seconds or more to start itself on older computers.
In 2010 BricSys announced BricsCad for Linux. ($395 to $505 USD) This is exactly the alternative that many had only dreamed of for almost 20 years. Here at CivilWorld, we loaded a copy of BricsCad on a Linux Ubuntu 11.10 system with a meager 768 MB of memory. BricsCad responded flawlessesly to all the familiar two letter commands. It also reads and writes AutoCad compatable files from AutoCad r12 (yes, that was back in the DOS era) to AutoCad r2010.
Were there any glitches? Yes, a few. The initial setup is well organized but differently from AutoCad LT so be prepared to look through a few menus to do that final tweaking after setup. On our computer system we had an Ubuntu 3d problem that caused BricsCad to abruptly shut down. Switching to the 2D desktop solved that problem.
The final problem was one common to AutoCad also. When working on a file that had been edited by at least two other CAD systems, there was a problem with complex linetypes. The simple fix for this was to copy the whole drawing and paste it into a blank drawing file. Problem solved. Incidentally, the BriscCad has good support. Buy the support package or rely on free email and forum support.
Before installing Ubuntu or other version of Linux, check the compatability of your hardware. Very few wide format printers are supported. The fix for this is to purchase TurboPrint Studio XL for Linux ($190 USD). Make sure you get the XL option or there will be no wide printing capability.
So what's the verdict on Ubuntu Linux and BricsCad for Linux? A definite thumbs up. Although there is Windows based CAD software that I like a little better, the combination of Ubuntu and BricsCad is a real winner. If you are not a Windows and AutoDesk fan or if you dread upgrading from to Windows 7, you may just want to check out BricsCad for Linux.
Coming next at CivilWorld. AutoCad LT competitors for Windows, do they measure up?
CivilWorld