AutoCAD rival for Mac?

[Mr. Gray827]

I am currently working on a Mac and I love it! The only sticky issue about the whole thing is the fact that I work primarily in AutoCAD, which, to my knowledge, has had only one incarnation on a Mac, which I guess was not received well. My question then is this: Is there a program for Mac that rivals AutoCAD in functionality, but still has the basic functions of AutoCAD, maybe somewhat similar to what GimpShop is for Photoshop?

[NBC]

I doubt it.
If you have a new-ish mac you could always fire up mac using boot camp (or its equivalent name), run the windows operating system, and use autocad that way.
you may have performance (ie speed) degradation issues with that method however.

[DavidB]

to my knowledge there no equivalent on mac. And autodesk wont make a mac version either. i have the same problem with 3ds max. Both software are base on Window API thus impossible to make a mac version unless they scrap the core of Acad and start it over, wich i doubt strongly :D

i have used Bootcamp at work not so long ago. and its really fun. but you need to furnish your own version of window. naturally.After that ,its really the same of having a standard PC with Win32 installed. not software compatiblitly problem. Not to my knowledge

I didnt really notice any perfomance drop on my side since bootcamp isnt an win32 emulator but run the real thing.
but its true im sold to mac :D i only use winXP for 3ds max and Acad.
Trust me, i'll switch to one soon there an equivalent and yeah.. they need to drop their G5 price too.. Ouch

[DavidB]

WOW i really search with Both eyes Closed....
i found this
http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/ac11/

Requirements: Mac OS X 10.4 or higher - Minimum Hardware: G4, 1 GHZ, 512 MB RAM or faster or an Intel-based Mac
And the ELDORADO
PURE-MAC (http://www.pure-mac.com/cad.html)

[f700es]

As a recent dual player in the OSX/XP world I have yet to find a viable solution to ACAD on OSX. Most apps I have tried do not come close to the speed of AutoCAD. I have tried TurboCAD, HighDesign, PowerCADD and Vectorworks. I will have to go through DavidB's list when I get home though. To me the icon clicking just slows me down too much. Sure most of them have key-board short cuts but they just don't come close to Acad aliases to me.

No, there will be no speed hit in Boot-Camp as it is just a high cost PC running Windows natively.

As for Max have you tried Maya? From the Steve Jobs kool-aide drinkers it's the best 3D program EVAR!

It is good to learn another OS as you never know what around the corner.

[Raggi_Thor]

VectorWorks and ArchiCAD are quite popular on Mac here, mostly for architects though.

[Mr. Gray827]

Right now I'm working AutoCAD in Parallels, which is working pretty well, still has some beta bugs for the Leopard version, but it works good. I have a friend who told me about several freeware, open-source CAD products that were out there, but we probably wouldn't switch unless it matched AutoCAD. Another disadvantage to swtiching would be the fact that I have spent a considerable amount of time learning AutoCAD functions and it would be a pain to have to start all over again:)

[f700es]

I have spent a considerable amount of time learning AutoCAD functions and it would be a pain to have to start all over again:)

The MAIN reason I would never switch platforms or CAD applications. I have been using AutoCAD since 1989. No way I am going to start over.

[Raggi_Thor]

Can you run Linux programs on a Mac?
Bricscad has a Linux version, and it's almost identical to AutoCAD, without the latest bells and wistles though.

[f700es]

Can you run Linux programs on a Mac?
Bricscad has a Linux version, and it's almost identical to AutoCAD, without the latest bells and wistles though.

Some yes and some no. I don't what makes the difference though. Maybe some apps can be re-compiled to work with OSX's inner workings.

[f700es]

Here is my mac's screen right now. Still playing with new software.

[atari]

Bricscad v9 for windows appears to runs fine with Crossover for Mac. (i need make more extensive tests although)

http://img206.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bricscadv9onmacbookprozz2.jpg

[f700es]

Bricscad v9 for windows appears to runs fine with Crossover for Mac. (i need make more extensive tests although)

http://img206.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bricscadv9onmacbookprozz2.jpg

How about Acad, have you tried it?

[atari]

no, i have not made any test with acad on this machine.

i have only a ("old") r14 license to play with, but i don't have any current license (2009, 2008 ) available to make this test.

also im a pc user, this test was made in a mac not belonging to me, the owner kindly accept to make this test and follow some basic-to medium check list. like opening some acad's 2009 dwg sample files . playing with dimensions, some layer management, block inserting, printing and so.
only visible flaws was the separator bars in toolbars are not showing correctly, and of course speed is not the same comparable with a native pc installation, but it was acceptable.

i was using the last version available of crossover (given for free some days ago)
now im looking for some free time (and rebuilding a spare machine) to make the same test with ubuntu linux last version.

why i think i have more chances of success with bricscad than autocad? because is very easy to compare minimum requirements to run.

maybe a highly customized sys vars enviroment in acad could make the trick, but i doubt you can made out of the box.

....
(sorry for my english, spanish spoken here).

[f700es]

Is crossover using emulation like older versions of VMWare or Parallels? I remember older versions of these having issues with graphic intense applications (CAD and games).
Well you can download the 30 day demo of AutoCAD 2009 and that should give you a good idea.
It does look promising though.
Thanks for sharing.

[atari]

crossover is a commercial version of wine .

vmware and parallels needs a full install of windows as a second concurrent operating system.
wine is like a "windows application enabler". you're fooling applications into believing that they are (installed) in windows. you are not required to install windows.

[f700es]

crossover is a commercial version of wine .

vmware and parallels needs a full install of windows as a second concurrent operating system.
wine is like a "windows application enabler". you're fooling applications into believing that they are (installed) in windows. you are not required to install windows.

Oh, it's WINE. Then I doubt Acad will work then. I remember the linux heads trying to get Win32 apps running on Fedora and other distros.
I have yet to really try it myself. Might give it a spin one day.

[atari]

I have asked codeweavers for a serial number and they send me two, one for Mac and for Linux. As i am only interested in the Linux serial, i can give you the Mac one.

if it is interesting for you, just PM me and i forward it. This way you can test acad2009 and tell us the results.

[f700es]

I have asked codeweavers for a serial number and they send me two, one for Mac and for Linux. As i am only interested in the Linux serial, i can give you the Mac one.

if it is interesting for you, just PM me and i forward it. This way you can test acad2009 and tell us the results.

Sure send it to me. I can give it a shot.
Thanks

[atari]

eeer sorry.... i can't find where i can send you the message.
:oops:
where is the p.m. link.....

[ReMark]

To PM a member, click on Members List at the top of this page. Locate f700es then click on his name to open his profile. Look under Contact Info.

[atari]

thanks, but his profile doesnt have public contact info, or at least not at my user level reach.
his blog also doesnt have a contact form.

(i really understand this. i also hate spammers and trolls and so)
8)

----
added:
found the pm link, is just clicking on the user's name, i can see the popdown menu, but as i suspected , as a newbie in this forum im not able (yet , i understand) to contact others by pm.
so if you can suggest me a way i can send this please....

[atari]

tried with acad 2k9, (crossover on linux ubuntu, kubuntu, xubuntu, opensuse) no luck.
have not access to a Mac to do this test.

i give up for the moment on this.

[f700es]

Try this...

f700es@yahoo.com :wink:

I can try it with 2004 since you have tried with 2009 and no luck.


thanks, but his profile doesnt have public contact info, or at least not at my user level reach.
his blog also doesnt have a contact form.

(i really understand this. i also hate spammers and trolls and so)
8)

----
added:
found the pm link, is just clicking on the user's name, i can see the popdown menu, but as i suspected , as a newbie in this forum im not able (yet , i understand) to contact others by pm.
so if you can suggest me a way i can send this please....

[f700es]

OK, here is one I am going to try...

http://www.virtualbox.org/

We'll see how it does.

Sean

Oh I am on OSX right now ;)

[atari]

email sent. have fun!