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All reviews, good, bad or otherwise are greatly appreciated.  Thanks so much for your input.

Is the form going to be public?  Because I used it to list several bugs that have annoyed me the last several versions.

Jeff

Jeff and others,  thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming!  I do believe the reviews are made public.   Similar to our handling of the for forums we encourage all feedback whether positive or negative.   We do have the ability to reject or hide reviews which we feel are completely inappropriate.

And just to clarify, the purpose of the reviews form is to make recommendations on our products to other customers and new prospects.
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Hi Dave

I reviewed TurboCAD once already and I'm gunna do it again soon.

I work with a guy who uses Solidworks and todate my results with TCW produces comparable results at all levels
on the same and similar projects. We both use these software programs based on our customers unique requirements.

Thanks

Darryl

Fix the workplane  problem this version has. You tried in both of the last patches but it was did not fix the problem. In the architectural area my old drawings do not open correctly in the present version. I have a TEMPLATE set up with 2D walls on workplanes at .5" and 1" and I draw 3D walls on the plane by world. When viewing the 3D render some of the walls that pass thru the 2D layers even if they are off disappear, If i delete the 2D walls the render is correct. I reported this and the next two patches tried to fix the problem but failed. I would like to use the next version, 2016 was a waste of money because I had to use 2015 this year or change my template and the hundreds of old plans if I wanted to use 2016.
   The roof tool really needs to be changed to work like the tool in version 12 where the roof thickness is not based on a perpendicular measurement to the surface but is a vertical measurement It would make roof slicing of multiple pitch roofs so much easier because the program automatically adjusts the two surfaces to the same thickness for any pitch roof. You should talk to a framing contractor how roofs are designed. 
  Myron Wilson (Rafter)
        30 years as a framing contractor

I like the roof the way it is

I am unaware of any workplane issue that needs to be fixed. Can you please elaborate?

Similarly, any problems with opening old files and/or templates should also be reported.

The roof tool algorithms are extremely complex.  The adjustments we have made since v12 have been in response to user's requests for change in behavior.
Out of curiosity have you tried using the roof slab functionality?

The roof tool in version 16 is a time saver for slicing and dicing a roof. The new version requires calculating how thick to make the roof for every pitch in order to get them to plane in the valleys I carry it out to 3 decimal places and it still does not match. In Version 16 the program does it automatically and it is exact. From version 17 and up the roof tool requires work-a-rounds and time to get the results similar to version 16 and before.
  I just read the new post from Dave. Is there a way to look up past posts from a single user? If so look up the previous ones from "rafter" I posted it early in the year on the workplane problem and you responded to the post at the time. I realize the program is very complex but now the roof tool planes in all the lower surface of the roofs, how about allowing the roof to extrude positive or negative so we can at least get the top surfaces to match in the valleys and we can slice the bottom tip off?
  I looked at the roof slab tool and I will look at it again if I remember though I had already converted to an ACIS solid and it did not help me but it will check it out the explanation of a tools use is pretty bad in the help topics.
  Do not get me wrong, I love the program but the tool does not work the way I as a contractor think when I build a roof. Roofs deal in heel height at the plate line.
    Myron TC Pro Plat 10-2016

re: …Is there a way to look up past posts from a single user? If so look up the previous ones from "rafter" I posted it early in the year on the workplane problem and you responded to the post at the time.…

Is 2016Pro Plat fails to open old files accurately the topic mentioned?

The post was on April 8 " 2016 Pro Plat fails to open files accurately" Page 5 of the problems section about 2/3 down the page.
    Myron
   

Ok I do remember that thread now...
We'll try to get that fixed for 2016.2 

I totally agree with Nikki, it should be like it is now, that is the correct way, in my opinion at least.

Maybe it is better for Rafter's use and with multiple Pitch to have it this way, but not for me

There is issue's with the roof tool, but that is solved with the roof slab tool, basically.

And why is it difficult to slice the two different solid "roofs" so they have a perfect miter, set the view correct and use "by 2 Points", or make a Box that will go between the intersection of top and bottom of the two roofs intersections and "Slice by workplane", or make a 2D profile and sweep it or...

Honestly, i believe most of the users want it to work like it do now.
Btw, i start to make framework in 1973 and i have never see another way of doing it, it is the perpendicular height that tell me something about the strenght of the beam, not the vertical, as that will change deepending on the angle, or should it be nessesary to calculate that also for every project, i know what i prefer

Torfinn

I haven't filled out the form.  And won't as I'm probably not long to use TurboCAD.  May switch to AutoCAD.

But, in case it is me, I'll give you a chance.  I have a copy of 20 Pro, and when I put it on this new Dell (Win 10) with a 4K monitor I found it almost unusable as the icons are so small.  So, I downloaded a trial version of 2016 Pro - same issue.  Then I tried to close 2016 Pro and it has hung.  Won't let me close it.  But, it let me open a new copy, which then hung when I tried to open another file - that works on 20.

I'm really frustrated with TurboCAD, as you can see.

You say you would love to hear my thoughts, haha. I recently purchased TurboCAD Deluxe v16 and TurboCAD Furniture Maker From IMSI Design on the assurance that I would be able to use it together and would get TECH support. I have been trying to get someone at IMSI Design to teach me how to make The Furniture Maker plug-in my own. That is change the "sample" prices, cabinet lists and materials to be the items we use everyday in our cabinet shop. I have talked to the salesman who sold it to me and 2 tech persons with no results. When I sent in my review of the product, I got a reply from some one in the "service" department. She was as useless as the tech persons. No one at this company can tell me where to look for the ENGLISH versions of the tutorials. I said I was going to get a refund if they could not help me. Evidently they don't care about the customers. Because they said they would do the refund. I read some of the forums and realized that I made a mistake not reading them before I paid. IMSI Design does not give refunds without a long drawn out fight. I can't afford the stress these days. I will just teach myself how to operate this program and hope that the uncaring people in that company FALL OFF THE FACE OF THIS EARTH!!!!!!!

You have my sympathies, Newbie, as a fellow newbie.

The basic problem is that TurboCAD is not at all intuitive, and procedures that work 3 or 4 times, say, don't always work on the 4th or 5th in the same session, or in the way their names and the manual implies.

I bought a training-video on CD along with the programme itself, but it soon proved erroneous, deleting the very first exercise part-way through with an instructed key-stroke that should have let me move to adding the next feature!

The on-line, .pdf manual doesn't really help you much. It tells you what things do, but not really how to make them do it, unless that's hidden somewhere not obvious.

If you try the on-line videos offered in the tool-bar 'Help' menu, they demand Adobe Flash Player. That opens an even deeper hexadecimal can of  worms, because either your computer will accept AFP or it won't. Adobe's own users' forum reveals many won't, but the offered solutions demand understanding system files & structures, analysis tools, command-line procedures, etc.  Make a mistake there and you risk disabling your computer.

At least you can struggle along in TurboCAD by trial-&-error, and mistakes at worst merely lose your drawing, or fail to draw what you intended.

Don't bash the program because of your frustrations - others use it successfully. I do.
Turbocad does work consistently. It just takes a time to learn because it is a complex program.

I have worked with a few 3d Cad programs and most have a steep learning curve.
I think a lot of new users have preconceived ideas of how the program should work from other programs or they have no experience with CAD and don't realise how much time and effort it takes to learn.

Is the CAM forum slow to respond to questions or is it just me?

Is the CAM forum slow to respond to questions or is it just me?

Except for the 4 most recent threads (3 of which are by you, including the replies), no posts have been made in the CAM group since 2015.

It just seems that, among TurboCAD users, those who are actually making stuff either aren't using the CAM plug-in or aren't coming here for help.


Jeff

Hey Jeff, thanks for that feedback. Im satisfied with tcw's ability in being able to do some really cool development on a range of diverse areas for the ongoing development for our needs. In essence tcw is damn good for us.

Is there only one person on the cam  group that speaks with authority on all matters?

I can see awesome opportunities with cad cam, but until I get some answers...... Im stuck. Still dont know if its me or the conversions getting in the way, and the absolute lack of help through this group is...... Sure I understand imsi are busy with tc 2017. Guess Im lucky that Im just trialling the app and didnt pay up front.

Daz

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All reviews, good, bad or otherwise are greatly appreciated.  Thanks so much for your input.

Great Product to use, Indeed.

Good to see TC reviewing problems but there has been no solution to the TC Pro not converting TC Files into usable stl files. I sent stl files to a manufacturer to CNC an stl file and they said that they could not work with the stl file?

Seems that there is a problem converting TC Drawing Files into stl files that has not been resolved by IMSI ie the TC Pro is not properly converting TC files into stl files?

I am suffering a crisis of confidence and have not been able to use my drawing package and there is no patch in sight to resolve the problem.

BRBabic

Good to see TC reviewing problems but there has been no solution to the TC Pro not converting TC Files into usable stl files. I sent stl files to a manufacturer to CNC an stl file and they said that they could not work with the stl file?

I have made several 3D printed objects from STL files exported by TurboCAD, but I have encountered some problems here and there among the more complex objects.

I would suggest using MeshLab, NetFabb or AutoDesk Meshmixer to review and fix your files.  MeshLab is the most powerful among the free programs.  I haven't tried the paid version of NetFabb, but the free version can fix a lot of problems.

Unfortunately, the documentation for the first two programs is sadly lacking.  I haven't tried the recent versions of Meshmixer, but it is free and advertises that it can fix problems.

Good luck,

Jeff

You might want to unpin that link it doesn't work any more.

Two things that have been a consistent problem on TC2016 Pro/Plat and now TC2017 Pro/Plat are that they can't deal with the Surface Book (Microsoft's top in surface laptop which is kind of a big deal) and there is no icon scaling that I can find so you end up with super tiny icons on a high DPI screen. Please take a moment to work on the UI issues in particular.

--Chuck

Don't bash the program because of your frustrations - others use it successfully. I do.
Turbocad does work consistently. It just takes a time to learn because it is a complex program.
..

I'll accept that. HOWEVER.. When the videos available in the "HELP" menu (TC Deluxe 21.2 64bit) show menu layouts from an earlier version that has options that aren't in the version I'm using (and I'm instructed to click on stuff that doesn't exist), when selecting "TurboCAD Help Topics" links to the Turbocad 21 Users guide and the pop-up says "Somethings Gone Wrong. Try again Later", when selecting "TURBOCAD on the WEB -> TURBOCAD Forum" produces a "Hmmm, can't find that page", it's clear it "sucks to be me". These issues aren't because I don't know what I'm doing with the program. No, it's NOT complicated - it doesn't get any more simple than click the link, >>BOOM< (opps, sorry... WAA Waa waa..) (How complicated is it to place a redirect if you're moving locations? That's HTML 1.0).

Seriously, how hard is it to at least link to help videos from a program that relate to that program version? If you have to use the "Getting Started" video, then it should be accurate enough to get you started, rather than screwing around trying to find a way to make your user interface match the video so you can follow along.

If "newbies" develop a bad attitude, I think it's perfectly understandable, and it's not their onus to bear.

(and I'll try once more to attach the .jpg screenshots.. third time is the charm, right? <sigh>)

Been testing Deluxe for 11 days, 8 hours or more a day and I feel like I've only barely gotten into all the capabilities and functions. Mostly playing with floor plans and starting to do solids. By way of comparison, I worked on CATIA for many years and, although I was much younger and quicker and had a better memory back then, I think it was easier to learn and use. Of course, I had classes and advanced users around to consult. That said, I'm overall impressed with Turbocad, for the price. It's a bit quirky, and inconsistent as to how different functions work. Finding the right setting to make things look right, (i.e. dimension text position), is like a mystery without clues. The customization is amazingly extensive, but not always intuitive as to how to accomplish it or where to look. Considering the price, so far, I give the Deluxe a B+. But, I wish you'd get rid of the annoying verification to post on this forum.

... I worked on CATIA for many years and... I had classes and advanced users around to consult.

  Tutorials are readily available and you certainly have "advanced users around to consult" here.

But, I wish you'd get rid of the annoying verification to post on this forum.

That will come when you make enough posts to pass the threshold.  I forget the exact number, but I recall that it's approx. 2 dozen.  Even then, you will still have to wait 60 seconds between posts.


Jeff

As a complete newcomer to CAD software, I purchased TurboCAD because I was impressed with the range of functionality. It is certainly a very powerful product at a very competitive price.

On the downside, I find it has an extremely steep learning curve for a newcomer to CAD. There are tutorials but all those I assume that the user has some prior familiarity with CAD software with the result that the tutorial cursor invariably flies around the screen selecting menu items and, often speaking very rapidly.

OH, how I wish for a Dummies book on the basics that I can read at my pace!

As a complete newcomer to CAD software, I purchased TurboCAD because I was impressed with the range of functionality. It is certainly a very powerful product at a very competitive price.

There is that.  I bought it because an AutoCAD user recommended it to me (because AC is so expensive).  I have since found that TurboCAD is pretty comparable to AC as a parametric solid modeller. 

On the downside, I find it has an extremely steep learning curve for a newcomer to CAD. There are tutorials but all those I assume that the user has some prior familiarity with CAD software with the result that the tutorial cursor invariably flies around the screen selecting menu items and, often speaking very rapidly.

IMSI's 2D and 3D books start at the beginning, but aren't as complete as I'd like.  They will, however, get you started on the basics.  https://www.turbocad.com/turbocad-windows/training/

OH, how I wish for a Dummies book on the basics that I can read at my pace!

Don Cheke sells tutorials for each TurboCAD Platinum version up to 2015 (he got too busy with other work to continue, but posts multi-part tutorials on YouTube that aren't quite as easy to follow as the step-by-step PDFs in these downloadable tutorials).  I would suggest getting a tutorial for a project that interests you or that specifically addresses functionality that you want to learn (but don't get one for a version later than yours).  His web site is http://www.textualcreations.ca/Textual%20Creations%20Shopping%20Page.html.  Keep in mind that his prices are in Canadian Dollars.


Jeff

You can also take a look at "Revit for dummies", the menu's etc will not be the same, but you will get a grip of different tools and how they work and by that get a basic start on CAD, as many of the tools there are exactly like in TurboCAD

Torfinn

My opinion Turbocad ia a waste of money. The reference manual is basically worthless it gives next to no information on how to use the program. Absolutely impossible to figure this program out on your own. I am very sorry I purchased this program as I expected more in ease of use, since I have had experience with AutoCad.

My opinion Turbocad ia a waste of money. The reference manual is basically worthless it gives next to no information on how to use the program. Absolutely impossible to figure this program out on your own. I am very sorry I purchased this program as I expected more in ease of use, since I have had experience with AutoCad.

This is a pretty harsh review. and I believe it is a bit unwarranted.
 I learned CAD on the first Autocad eons ago and purchased Turbocad personally for the same reason as everyone else. It is more economic. As a user who has used Autocad I find the interface easier to use in Turbocad however it is not without it's issues and difficulties.

In short, my opinion is Turbocad is for the most part a solid product and worth every penny especially when compared to the cost of Autocad or Solidworks. To use this software you have to have at least a basic understanding of how CAD software works to be able to utilize it and learn all the special features available within it.

On a separate note I have to leave feedback on printing in the last few versions of Turbocad and hopefully someone from their quality department will see this.
This has been agitating me since I think version 21. I have had issues printing that seem to be a result of Windows 10 managing the default printer. Using the print Que is useless unless you physically change the printer in the system defaults which is a hassle. I should be able to select the printer in the Que and have it print to that printer instead of changing back to the windows designated default printer.
second thing is printing to PDF. It would be a great benefit if somehow you could print an entire set of drawings to a single PDF file instead of printing individually, saving to a number of different file names and then have to combine them with your PDF software of choice.
I particularly find this to be a pain as most of the plan and spec community shares drawings by PDF.
before any comments can be made about saving to PDF, which would be fantastic, there are problems there. when saving as PDF there are artifacts , or distortions of what is actually on the drawings. Also it shows view port boxes even when their boxes are not visible.

Brophmeister - in answering Ffbvfd you have also summed up neatly, the problem Turbo (indeed ANY) CAD poses for the self-teaching newcomer to Computer Aided Draughting.

I agree TC is not a "waste of money"; but.... It's not its unintuitive ways, nor even its sparse, fragmentary Help "manual", that are so off-putting. Rather, industrial-quality CAD software is really for professional users fully trained professionally, in both CAD/CAM basics and the specific software. Consequently the publishers naturally assume for example, the user already knows the significance of 'layers', or understands what is a 'polyline' and why the apparent one on the screen "ain't' necessarily so" - the TC on-line manual merely quotes the icons and fails to mention all the hidden traps for the unwary.

So where do we find help, especially when, unlike Ffbvfd whom I assume is a professional draughts-person, we lack previous experience?

The Forum is a start but not a primer, as most of its contents shows. I have searched, and discovered except maybe for any university text-books unknown, unavailable and probably unaffordable to me, there is no real literature bridging that gap between knowing how to design and draw engineering components or buildings, and knowing how to draw them by computer. CAD places a very deep, additional level of knowledge inside the process, and you need that knowledge even before embarking on the specific CAD package.

I came to TurboCAD as a CAD beginner, an amateur engineer who understands mechanical engineering and how to draw manually. I knew already that CAD can give similar drawings, and has many practical advantages over manual drawing. Also, I had reasonably broad computer-using experience.  I bought it through the model-engineering hobby's trade, which also later included a book-seller stocking, separately, two primers on CAD.

The teaching CD packed with the TurboCAD disc, proved useless; but these books are better, although curate's eggs and obviously cannot instruct on specific makes of software. One also copies the software publishers' habit of illustrating what a professional can make CAD do; perhaps impressing the software's intended commercial buyers, but deterring rather than encouraging me.

TurboCAD is very powerful but still only as good as its user, to whom IMSI offers little help . Yes, CAD is very hard to learn, especially alone, but outside of the specific publisher's own forum, there is very, very little help available; and that seems so for CAD generally. 

I had hoped TurboCAD would help me regain several square feet of dining-room colonised by an industrial-pattern A0 drawing-board, but I'm afraid that will have to stay, as the crankshaft I depicted on the Gallery months ago needs the company of many other bits still to be drawn ....

I have had Turbocad 2016 Deluxe for 2 years and have tried unsuccessfully to advance into 3D. The reason that it is so tough is because the manual and tutorial are so poorly written and described that to get to the next level of learning is counter intuitive. To date my snap a pull function does not work properly and I have a powerful computer so I know it is not computing power. It is almost like an Italian translated the manual and tutorial for and English speaking class he was taking in his first year of class. That's how  bad it is. I will be buying Sketchup pro real soon any way, since Turbocad has nothing to offer. It's is a super basic software trying to be something else.

You and me both, Dkopriva; but the "manual" is only an aide-memoire for experienced users IMSI expects to be professional draughts-people.

I created a printed alphabetical index from its Contents page, and that does help searching, but also revealed gaps in its contents! For example, neither the Contents nor my Index list Extrusions and Primitives, both fundamental to 3D work but apparently very different in their properties and reactions to various tools. The "manual" is hardly likely to cover any such differences anyway.

It's not just a matter of knowing what control to use for what result, but also what needs to exist for the control to work, and the traps to avoid. The "manual" won't tell you those either. Nor will it tell you that the 3D axis arrows are not reliable, and that the Size entry box in 3D can Move the object without changing its size!

I've about given up on 3D TurboCAD. The 2D form is bad enough but 3D is only for very experienced, professional CAD users; certainly not amateur engineers like me. Unfortunately if you are an amateur designer wanting a half-way comprehensive drawing package, you've very little choice. I know of only 2 rivals to TC, that are available for public use: 3 if Sketch-up is as good as you suggest. The rest are all aimed at industry, and very expensive even if available.

Then again there are lots of people who have only ever used Turbocad for 3d. Use the manual and cope.
Turbocad is one of the easier cad packages to use.

I agree with Nikki.

I would add, that there is no easy solution to learning 3D CAD.
TurboCAD is the most adaptable programme going.
But, like all software of this type, there is a learning curve which you have to accept.
Some 'click' more quickly than others.
Having used most of the competitor's products I kept coming back to TurboCAD. 
The only program I might recommend above TurboCAD, is Rhino 3D.
It all depends on your particular requirements.
However, whatever they may be, you cannot expect to reach the heights without practice, reading the manual and resolving 'quirky' behaviour by either thinking or, perhaps, asking on this forum, if you get stuck.
The choice is yours.

Regards Tim

I am not so vain as to ignore the personal element - either you have the aptitude and memory to learn something, or you don't. Be it industrial-grade CAD published for professional designers, a foreign language or playing the piano.

Nevertheless, with great respect to Nikki and Tim "use the manual and cope" is no way to learn TC from cold. You don't learn to drive from the car's servicing handbook. And "no easy solution to learning" 2D CAD either, though 3D is orders of magnitude harder.

As I and others have pointed out, the on-line manual is simply a guide to TurboCAD's take on CAD, for experienced users. It does not tell you how to use the programme. It does not explain CAD-specific concepts and terms. It does not tell you which tool to use in what situation, only how to use what you hope is the right one; and it does not warn of the preconditions necessary for it to work, or its traps for the unwary. So when something fails or gives strange results, you have no clues why - your mistake could be several steps back.

Such as Polylines obstinately refusing to close, deceitful 3D axis arrows, Extrusion properties differing from a Primitive's; an Inspector Bar's Size entry being a Move instead.

TurboCAD is a very powerful programme, and I bought it knowing it offers more than I need: isometric and orthographic, part and assembly, engineering drawings. It is not at all intuitive though, and the "manual" is not helping me improve on vaguely 3 steps forwards and randomly at least 2 back.

Nigel I do understand how you feel. I feel the same when I use Freecad - inadequate..
Maybe TC manual isn't good enough for you. But there are lots of tutorials out there. Watch them, do them, all the tips you are looking for are in there. Nobody can learn a CAD program from a manual. They are complex programs the only way to learn them is with perseverance.

Bob,
Your rendering of the house is far superior to most of the "artist's impressions" used by property developers to publicise their intentions. My local paper recently carried one that was not only disingenuous, but far scrappier as artwork than anything on this forum. I would say that yours is a very advanced use of TurboCAD indeed, certainly of this forum's Gallery standard - I would love to be able simply to make its outline drawing without fine details and colours!

Nikki,

I understand your points, and yes, I agree anything as complex as TurboCAD (or any worthwhile CAD) does take a lot of practice. Unfortunately, there is a huge gap in my knowledge which I've not been able to fill, coverings the basic concepts and how to select which tools for which operation - and to ensure they will work as their labels say.

I did not know for example, that a solid object can be represented in at least 3 different ways, each with very different properties and reactions. Incidentally, I could not find the drop-down menu that lists a selected object's properties.

Everyone cites various tutorial videos, but I cannot learn anything from a video. To me, it's of an expert demonstrating his skills!

I tried as you suggested to modify the sizes of the two elements of that drawing of just a rectangular block with a cylindrical spigot on one end. It worked, but the two parts were now far out of line with each other. I was too disillusioned to attempt the co-ordinate arithmetic to re-unite them, and anyway, the "Delta X, Y, X" controls did not fully match the axis indicators. I gave up in sheer frustration at 3D drawing being too difficult, and deleted the drawing.

This shows what I and others have been saying: there are no proper manuals available to help you learn how to use TurboCAD! I need a book, not a video.

I have tried other CAD programmes, including one or two "freeware" ones which proved very limited in scope and are not for engineering drawing.

Everyone cites various tutorial videos, but I cannot learn anything from a video. To me, it's of an expert demonstrating his skills!

I agree on the difficulty of learning from a video, but there are tutorials in book and PDF formats.

Don Cheke's PDF tutorials are very detailed, step-by-step guides and, if something goes wonky (it's possible, because TC responds differently in different systems), he has been available for chat sessions to help you through it.  Check here: http://www.textualcreations.ca/Textual%20Creations%20Shopping%20Page.html  Note that his 2018 tutorials are video only.


Jeff

Thank you.

I'm still having strange problems with 2D. let alone 3D! Like a drawing randomly adopting at least 2 work-planes in itself? It gives some details different co-ordinate origins from the rest, and it made an extended line latch onto the wrong entity.

This is why I need a print.

A video giving a running commentary making drawing some complex model look as easy as buttering bread, does not tell me where to look when things go wrong at a basic level! It is far easier to step back through a book to try to see where I'd made a mistake. If there is one thing I've learnt, it is that TurboCAD operations work only by following the right chain created by one of many possible combinations or permutations of tools and settings - one broken or wrong link can have weird effects much later on. 

Don's tutorials look pretty printed to me
Did you look at the examples ??

Torfinn

No - sorry - only just returned. I gave up for a while, totally disillusioned with my own progress, but came back a couple of weeks ago, so about 3 months after your last message here.

The trouble is of course, doing that meant I had forgotten much of what little I had learnt!

I've staggered maybe a third of the way half-way through designing what I want to build, in 2D only but at least to the point I can start cutting metal, but I have strange problems with it I cannot solve.

I re-visited a few 3D drawings I made but I cannot do anything with them: they are just basic exercises formed from a few simple, regular shapes. My mind just went blank when I tried.

One is part of this engine but I can't use that drawing for anything, such as producing dimensioned workshop drawings from it, adding it to further components or developing it and its fellow 3D exercises any further. I looked at my rather rough, orthogonal drawing for the connecting-rods, and realised I could not draw a 3D version even if I wanted as although relatively easy to machine, its geometry includes a tapering shank, large blend radii, flats cut along cylinders, and so on. 

I don't believe I can learn 3D CAD modelling of anything beyond a few simple concentric objects joined along the axis by using co-ordinate sums; nor 2D drawing beyond a fairly basic, rather rough-and-ready level; I think I have reached my personal attainable limit of CAD knowledge and understanding. 

I really think you should take down at least one of Don's tutorial's, try to draw it by doing it, step by step.
If something go wrong, re-read and try one more time until you get it, it's not important what it is, but it seems to me that you are in to mechanical stuff, so find one that cover a subject like that, it will make it more understandable for you as you will know what he talk/ write about.

It dont need to be anything you have interest of draw/ making, the clue is that way you will learn about different technics, what tool's TC have to offer for solving the task and by that get familiar with TC as a cad tool, and who know's, maybe you find a way to do it that suit you better as there are a lot of way's to "skin a cat."

Most of his tutorial's are with Pro Platinum, but i think to remember there is a Deluxe section too, check it out.

And if you find some in 2D it will be a good place to start as you cant draw a rocket the first day, similar to we need to learn how to stand up before we can walk, walk before we can run, take your time, not stress about anything, remember you should not deliver something to a customer yesterday, so just take your time to learn the basic 2D and when you feel comfortable with that you can try some simple 3D, and bit by bit build up your skill's as a cad designer, produce drawings you can take to a workshop and get the object made in real life if you want.

And most important thing about a tutorial, in the beginning never wonder why you should do like this or do like that, just do it.
Later when you get a better understanding of it, you will understand why you did like you did at the earlier stage, when you see the finish product.

Torfinn

Thank you Torfinn.

I am well aware you can't hurl yourself into 3D CAD modelling even a nut and  bolt without considerable general CAD skill and experience first; but I cannot progress beyond very basic 3D drawings with no more than 2 or 3 elements, just as exercises. Three steps forwards, four back at each attempt.

My last 3D attempt is a pure exercise: four simple solids floating in "fresh air". I can only change their sizes and positions. I can't connect them together, for example, certainly not in the way TC intends.

Another exercise was a fair pictorial representation of a cross-head for my model steam-engine, but I cannot use that image at all, or add any further details.

It is very frustrating, but I think that a vast swathe of TurboCAD is beyond me.

I am afraid I do need to know "why" do anything in a certain way, because I can't learn by rote, only by understanding it as I go. If I can't understand it, I can't learn it. Besides, I fear I have reached my personal limit for learning 3D CAD drawing; and have gone backwards with it, not forwards.

You have to forget that ide'a about understand before doing at the moment, just do it and you see what happens, that will make it more easy to understand, and only what you need to understand in the beginning, sort of.

If i make a rectangle in 2D and select that rectangle afterwards, and then TAB to X Field down on Inspector Bar, type in a number in there that is different to what stand there already, and then hit the enter button, the rectangle will change size in X direction.
I dont need to understand how/ why that work, but i learn if i do so, it work, the rectangle change size in X direction, so then i know the basic of change size of any object, 2D or 3D, the principle is the same for all of them, only vary if it is in X or Y direction, and for 3D we also have the Z direction, but the principle is still the same.
And also, after you have selected a tool to do something, look down in left corner on your screen, TC will tel you what you should do next, or expect you to do next, some times not easy to understand, but most of the time you will get a clue about what TC try to tell you.

So 3D, a cube, same thing, first change view to an Isometric view, select the box tool, TC will tell you to click some place to set the first corner, after you have done that, TC will tell you to set the second corner, when that is done drag your mouse somewhere ,up and to right or left, down and left or rigth, thats up to you, after click the second time, press down the scrollwheel on the mouse if you want to tilt it more, and move the cursor slowly up or down and you will see the object change from 2D to 3D, when you have the higth you want, click again and the command it finish, you have drawn a Box.
Of course after you have set the first point you can TAb  and write the numbers in the different Fields if you want to have it accurate

No repeat that a couple of times and make a few more next to each other, then select one of the box'es, press character D on you keyboard and your cursor change to a hand with a yellow point between it's "fingers"  move the cursor down to one of the bottom corners on that Box so that the yellow mark is close to a corner, very close, keep the cursor there and press the character V and you will snap to the vertex point there, now you click on the yellow mark and move your cursor up to a top corner of one of the other box's you just have made, when the cursor is still over that top corner you press V again and you have just moved/ snap'd 1 box on top of a second Box, and the two corner is exactly on the same line in Z direction even if they are not same size, on that spesific corner they meet exatly on top of each other.

I would also turn of the Running Snap's by mark the mouse up on the top menu, that will turn it of and you dont have all the different places on an object where it is possible to snap to, only tha SEKE snap will work now, click on the mouse one more time and you turn it on again, it there is another snap symbol showing there and not a mouse, click and keep the pressure on it for a half sec ot so and a menu will open and let you click on the mouse.

Now click outside of the box'es you have just made, keep the mouse down and drag a window over them, and click in the opposite corner, now you have selcted them all, rigthclick and choose Property in the menu that just opens, then you click ob Box and  can change Length, Width and Higth on all of them in 1 time and all of them will be the same size after you have done so and clicked the OK button

Torfinn

Nigel I read one of your prev posts that your an amateur engineer therefore I assume that you'd understand conceptual design so Im thinking that the best course of action is to do that TurboCAD engineering example. So just click the blue highlighted link and it will download for you. You will then need a pdf viewer from adobe.com to read it.

Dont give up ever; just keep tinkering until the pennies drop!

Darryl -

Yes, I understand the principle but I am used to orthographic machining drawings and isometric assembly-drawings.
Designing a three-dimensional object, obviously means thinking in three dimensions even when drawing only in two; but I create the three or four elevations a bit a time from each other, whether manually or by CAD.

 CAD puts far more, and far more advanced, knowledge between idea and image, even in 2D, than most manual draughting does. Isometric manual drawing can be difficult, especially of circular and interpenetrated surfaces; but the jump from 2D to 3D CAD is far greater than for its manual equivalent.  Yes, CAD performs all the calculations internally and plots the results accurately, but I struggle because it is not at all intuitive, and every step or tool depends very heavily on hidden conditions unknowingly set by decisions many steps previously.

I can draw reasonably simple machine components and even assemblies fairly well in 2D now, based on designing them so I can make them (I hope). I could not draw most such parts in 3D; and certainly not the assembly.

I think I have Adobe installed, but I have had great problems with both Adobe it demanding to be re-loaded

Now, each time I try to do anything 3D, my mind goes blank. I drew a crankshaft from cylinders, by sums, and it's on the Gallery,  rendered by (I think, from memory) Henry Hubbich. That, a few trial-and-error exercises, and a steam-engine cross-head drawn from its real, raw casting, are as far as I have managed; and they are only exercises unusable any further.   

Missed a bit! I mis-keyed something and it sent the previous incomplete and unedited.

"I think I have Adobe installed, but I have had great problems with both Adobe it demanding to be re-loaded"

should be

 "I think I have Adobe installed, but I have had great problems with Adobe demanding to be re-loaded and failing each time. I think it wants me to pay for a rented version, as WinZip does, and to replace my browser with Google Chrome.