Hi everyone,

I’m a final year student of the construction faculty of the Moscow Institute of Aviation. Next term I’m going to write a diploma about creation of a medium-range aircraft. My diploma will include a lot of A0 formats of the aircraft main view and its components and node points. Therefore I’m looking for software which I can use in my diploma. I used AutoCAD like a student but it is free only for 30 days. Currently, I use nanoCAD (free AutoCAD alternative). It’s a professional CAD, but also like AutoCAD it is a base platform.  

So I’ll be very grateful if you advise me CAD that contains a mechanical library (screws, gears, etc.) or application, which I can load into my software platform, because I don't want to draw all standard objects manually.

Thanks in advance.

Zdravstvujtye mechanical_girl!

Here is the U.S. students can download the educational version of AutoCAD as well as other AutoDesk products and obtain licenses for use from 1 to 3 years depending on the program.  Only the "commercial" version of the software is restricted to 30-day use.

Personally, I think you should be using a program like AutoDesk Inventor but that would mean learning a new program and Inventor is nothing like plain AutoCAD.

Screws and gears can be added to AutoCAD by downloading free blocks or by purchasing a third-party program like a "parts library".  I don't think you want to be doing that.

Will you be doing the design in 2D or 3D?


Edited by John Connor - 04.Jun.2012 at 15:19

Unfortunately I do not know AutoDesk's policy regarding student software outside of the United States.  I could try to find out but it might take a while.

The only other free programs I can think of are 1) Draftsight (2D only) which is an AutoCAD clone and Google Sketchup (can do 3D).

Either you do it totally in 2D or you do it in 3D but extract all the 2D views using any one of five different commands which is the way I would do it. 

Autodesk software is free also for Russian students - according to my limited knowledge of Russian:

You can check here at the CADforum in the CAD Block area.  You can also check at the CAD Block Exchange Network.  They have free blocks available for downloading but generally they ask for users to upload a block of their own.  I bet not a lot of people do that though.

Some manufacturers post free 2D and 3D blocks of their products.  That's another option.  Not sure how many would do that for what you are looking for.

What kinds of gears would you be looking for?


Edited by John Connor - 04.Jun.2012 at 16:48