QCAD - getting started guides.

[adrian]

Hi Len,

No problem - looking at your screen shot I suspect you have too many items (entities) selected. If you look at the bottom middle it says you have selected 37 entities on 2 layers. For a start all of your selected entities should be on one layer i.e. only on layer 3 half etch outline. As you have layer 4 visible as well I suspect inadvertently you have some hatch object selected on layer 4. So first thing I'd suggest is turn off the visibility of layer 4, that should deselect anything on that layer, then turn it back on again and make it the active layer.

I've put together another short video with a couple of tips with making the right selection of objects for adding the hatching. Hopefully this will give you the info you need to make the right selection.

 

[adrian]

Great stuff Adrian thank you, that explains a lot. I shall have a go and see how I get on,

Thanks for the feedback it is appreciated - I hadn't honestly realised how useful it might be to people. I think I was lucky in that I started my uni course in Aeronautical engineering at a time when one subject was engineering drawing using a A0 drafting board, so having done intersections of cylinders and cones with a paper and pencil the CAD packages are a boon in that you can quickly try stuff and then undo it when I get it wrong. Anyway I'm really glad it helps.

 

[Len Cattley]

Hi Adrian, I have know found out how to Etch the half-etch red fill, I need to etch each one then they turn red. Your right about computers they do make things easier, I had to use a board with pencils and compass's.

Len

 

[adrian]

It's like the buses - wait ages for one then more turn up!

Next update - putting the frame around the etched items.

 

[Len Cattley]

Anymore updates on this Adrian?

Len

 

[adrian]

Not yet - thanks for the prompt I'll see if I can get something done this weekend.

 

[Rob R]

Two years on, how is everyone doing with QCAD?

I have recently downloaded the latest QCAD and had a little play, drawing basic shapes etc, but before I progress much further along the learning curve is it still fit for purpose (i.e. etching artwork) or has something better (but still free) come along?

Cheers

Rob

 

[BrushType4]

Hi Rob,

I swear by QCAD, it's the best around in my opinion for 2d work. The paid version, is updated annually and features scripting for the more advanced users to automate some drawing features.

 

[Len Cattley]

I use QCAD and have made some etchings for it, I need to find out how to send them of.

Len

 

[adrian]

I still use QCAD - it has all the features I need for etching artwork. So I'm not sure what else I would benefit from with a newer application. It's definitely fit for purpose.

Although I have started to use OnShape for 3-D modelling and generating files for laser cutting. There are a few interesting new features and plugins for layering and sheet metal work due for release soon which I'd like to try.

 

[Rob R]

I still use QCAD - it has all the features I need for etching artwork. So I'm not sure what else I would benefit from with a newer application. It's definitely fit for purpose.

Although I have started to use OnShape for 3-D modelling and generating files for laser cutting. There are a few interesting new features and plugins for layering and sheet metal work due for release soon which I'd like to try.

Thanks for the replies chaps.
I shall press on with it next time I get a sensible gap between work and sleep
I really need to sort some etchings to kick start the S gauge project...
Rob

 

[Dog Star]

Adrian (@adrian) and other users of QCAD....

I have started working my way through this topic and following Adrian's tutorials a the "free" copy of QCAD loaded onto a Windows PC. Adrian, what QCAD product were you using when you created the videos? (free? professional? supa-slik???)

As a first step towards creating drawings for etching I have chosen to do a drawing of a brake push-rod using a RCH 1911 drawing - the RCH drawing has dimensions in the imperial system (feet and inches) and with parts of inches given as fractions (some being in sixteenths). How do I configure QCAD so that I can use the drawing dimensions without change? For example:- when drawing a line I wish to use the command line to enter the length of the line as 3' 1 1/2".

thank you, Graham

 

[BrushType4]

Graham, click on dimension line, then properties, in the options you can write in your own value.

Edit
Do you want to draw a line by entering imperial measurements? There is a way if that’s what you mean?

Click on say horizontal line, there is a box to enter the line length. Assuming the drawing is metric, enter 7/12*37.5 to draw a line 37.5 scale inches long at 7mm scale. Or 3’1 1/2”

 

[Dog Star]

Since I am not sure that I understand the reply from BT4 I shall try to expand upon what I wrote above.

In Adrian's second QCAD video - drawing lines - he shows how to draw a line using (a) absolute location / displacement and (b) relative displacement... and that involves entering X/Y co-ordinates into the command line dialogue box underneath the drawing. Adrian shows how he has configured the program to use inches as the dimension system and one can hear Adrian converting 30 feet to the corresponding dimension in inches before the result is entered into the command line.

I follow what Adrian is doing in the video - what I want to do is to enter imperial measurements to produce a full-size drawing and where some of the dimensions are fractions of an inch.

 

[BrushType4]

ok, the measurement system is base10 regardless if you're drawing in inches or mm. It does not recognise 12'6", you'll need to enter 12.5 if your units are feet. or 150 if your using units as inches.

The units are not really defined. A length of 1 can be 1 mile, inch, meter or yard. Is doesn't matter until you go to print out or use the data in an external package. Then you just need to know what Qcad thinks it should print the '1' out at.

Typing your drawing commands in the command line is hard work, I think you can do it faster, placing the lines directly on the drawing using the line drawing tools. Typing in your lengths in the tool bar.


This will draw a horizontal line 3' 1" 1/2 long in 7mm scale.

Having refreshed myself with Adrians excellent tutorial, I think placing the lines is probably down to how you'd like to work. I personally find it much faster using the icons and dropping the lines in.

 

[adrian]

I have started working my way through this topic and following Adrian's tutorials a the "free" copy of QCAD loaded onto a Windows PC. Adrian, what QCAD product were you using when you created the videos? (free? professional? supa-slik???)

All my work and tutorials have been done on the free version on an Apple MacAir laptop.

As a first step towards creating drawings for etching I have chosen to do a drawing of a brake push-rod using a RCH 1911 drawing - the RCH drawing has dimensions in the imperial system (feet and inches) and with parts of inches given as fractions (some being in sixteenths). How do I configure QCAD so that I can use the drawing dimensions without change? For example:- when drawing a line I wish to use the command line to enter the length of the line as 3' 1 1/2".

As @BrushType4 has mentioned the underlying measurement system is base10. I have always left my drawing dimensions in preferences set at mm. No other reason than that was the default in the application and as my original drawings were intended to be sent to the etchers so some things like labels and tabs had to be drawn at 1:1 scale so I just scaled the dimensions to 7mm/1ft as I entered them. There is no reason why you can't just enter them at full size 1:1 scale.

All I would suggest is just try it - just draw a couple of simple shapes with the dimensions and then export to pdf or similar and see what results you get.

ok, the measurement system is base10 regardless if you're drawing in inches or mm. It does not recognise 12'6", you'll need to enter 12.5 if your units are feet. or 150 if your using units as inches.

Not too sure about that - it seems to recognise 3' 1 1/2" for me and as shown in the little tool tip that pops up you can see it has converted this to 37.5 inches for me.

 

[BrushType4]

@adrian that is new to me and useful to know.

 

[Lancastrian]

Adrian,

Useful to know. I wasn't aware of being able to enter dimensions as "proper" feet and inches, so thanks for this.

Ian

 

[adrian]

Glad to help - the dimension field is fairly clever for calculating dimensions - it won't fit in a screen shot but depending on the drawing I use the following notation quite often. Usually for etching where I am mixing scaled dimensions with real world dimensions for tabs, slots etc

3' 1 1/2" *7/12

It converts the 3' 1 1/2" to total inches i.e. 37.5, the /12 converts the dimension to feet and then the *7 converts to mm. So the result ends up at "21.875mm".

Not that I've used it but you can also use "pi" as a constant and a few other calculations like sin, cos, tan, max, floor, abs etc. Presumably for curves arcs etc. but I usually draw them too long and then trim to line rather than calculate the length.
QCad User Reference Manual - Mathematical Expressions

 

[Rob Pulham]

I would like to add my thanks to Adrian, for these tutorials. I downloaded the free version of QCAD yesterday and used the option to delete a few library files to get the free version that you don't need to constantly restart. The files and their location are below should anyone else desire to do the same.



From there I managed to work right through Adrian's tutorials and finished up by adding the tags myself. Purists will probably note that the curve at the rear of the frame isn't correct, I created it by adding a guestimate curve based on looking at Adrian's video rather than the elispe function that Adrian used on his.

My experiences with Inkscape have stood me in good stead for picking up QCAD quickly as the look and feel is similar although I do miss being able to 'physically nudge items rather than entering coordinates but I will get there.

Please ignore the copyright symbol, it was purely done as an exercise to see how to add it. from those who don't know pressing the ALT key plus 0169 brings you this: ©

This is my finished test file, not bad for around 10 hours from a standing start