Expert: Bob - 3/28/2006

Question
   I can't afford a lot, but I spent a lot of money already, one hundred dollars for turbo cad: And just like all the others I've tried, I can NOT operate it! I want an affordable program that will ask ME questions! Why don't these programs ask questions? I don't understand, isn't there someone out there who also has this problem? Or does everyone CHANGE to suite this technology? I think visually, not mathematically: I want my ‘Turbo Cad v.10' program to ask ME questions! Can your software MAKE this happen? I want it to ask ME, ‘what would I like to draw?' I want to then type in, ‘I want to draw a gear.' I want it to then ask me, ‘What type of gear would you like to draw?' I would then type in, ‘I want to draw a straight tooth gear.' It should then ask, ‘What diameter would you like this straight tooth gear to be, measured without the teeth?' I would then type in, ‘Five and a half inches.' IT should automatically draw THE circle described! It should further more ask, ‘How tall would you like the teeth of this straight tooth gear?' I would type, ‘A quarter of an inch.' It would ask, ‘How wide do you want the base of each tooth of this straight tooth gear?' I would then type, ‘Unknown.' It should then automatically then ask, ‘Then how many teeth do you want this straight tooth gear to have?' I would then type, ‘Two hundred.' This program (Add on, or plugin, or whatever!), should then automatically draw the two hundred teeth  “FRO ME”  ! I figure, the computer is good at math, so it should be very good at putting in the X,Y,Z, coordinates: What better for this, than a program that can operate such a cad program FOR ME, I want it to draw for me: Are there any programs out there like this, Or does everyone PAY for two, and four YEARS of college! Just so they can change their way of thinking, to then be able to think mathematically? Where's the artistic ness? All I want to do is draw out my ideas, so far no one seems to make a program for ME! All this technology leaves me back drawing on PAPER! Can't someone help me, please? Thank you for your time Dragonflyer@sc.rr.com

Answer
Hi -- I will help as best I can, but most of your post is ranting, not really much about who you are, your business and background, experience level, purpose of drawing, and so forth. Thus, I have to write a lot to hope I cover it.

AutoCAD and so forth are thousands of dollars, not a hundred dollars. Programs that draw gears, such as Solidworks and Inventor, also cost good money.

I have never heard of any program with questions and responses like you describe. Frankly, that sounds like a household software, or something for customer service. A professional program is going to give you a blank drawing screen, like a piece of paper: you will need to study it a bit to find what creates gears.

By your post I assume you are older, but want to start with CAD. I was over 50, and did not know the computer at ALL, when I started with AutoCAD.

Please remember that I am an Interior Designer, not a mechanical guy, and I offer help with AutoCAD, but I am doing the best I can to help you. If I knew your industry and your purpose, I could help point you to websites where that industry and drawings for it are discussed. You could start with Solidworks, and on Autodesk.com click Products, then then mechanical products, and go through all of them.

You should use the softwares common in your profession, for best collaboration possibilities. I would check with others in that industry, trade associations, etc.

Last, after I read the long rant, and took the time to write a long answer, due to the short information, may I say something: We all tend to rant more when we know we are resenting having to do something the hard way. People would not be getting paid good money to draw gears if just anyone could do it by question and response, no?  You want to do a difficult and precise thing, but not invest the time and money, so............? Please do some research -- you will have a better picture.

BOB